10 Tips for Making Great Build Videos

Lots of people in video production are very gear-focused. While having good equipment can be important, it’s not everything. You should start out making videos on whatever camera you can get your hands on: your phone, your old point-n-shoot, an old camcorder, or your webcam. Learn what you like and don’t like about it before spending a lot of money on new gear.

Once you’re ready to take the plunge, think carefully about your needs. Do you make projects of varying sizes and contexts? A camera with interchangeable lenses might be for you, like a DSLR. For years of MAKE videos, my trusted buddy was the Olympus E-P2, the first micro four thirds camera to support audio input. Before that was the Sanyo Xacti VPC-HD2. Nowadays I mainly use a Nikon D5100 with a 35mm or macro lens. The articulated screen helps you see the shot you’re getting while you’re making the project, and lets me shoot over my head with the screen pointed down. Look for cameras with audio input for adding an external microphone.

Make sure it’s a camera you’ll actually use on a regular basis — Are you always making in the same physical space? If not, will you carry the camera with you? Can you operate it quickly and easily? If you can, go to a store with lots of different cameras so you can test them out. The smallest oversight in the design can have you tearing at the tripod plate every time you need to change the battery, which is not something you’d see in the product description online. Read lots of product reviews before buying anything online, and make sure you can return it.

Shoot near a window (but out of direct sunlight) during daylight hours. Fill from the complementary angle with a daylight- balanced softbox or clip lights diffused with tracing paper. If you’re a night owl, you’ll need a lot more lights.

My Westcott Spiderlite fixture softbox has six compact fluorescent bulbs.

A cheap tripod is better than no tripod; for years I used a $15 Sunpak with no complaints. Some fancier models cantilever over your bench, or if your bench is sturdy you can use a clamp-on articulated arm, like my Manfrotto Magic Arm and Super Clamp.

Get comfortable working while capturing video of your projects’ assembly. Documenting your project shouldn’t be a chore, or it won’t happen often enough. It’s better to have too much footage than too little, and the more time you spend working in front of the camera, the more relaxed and natural your movements will be. I’m so used to working with my Magic Arm clamped in front of me that it feels weird to make stuff without it. Record key moments of your project’s construction. If there are repeated tasks, record the third or fourth repetition so you’ve had some practice before doing it for an audience. You are the cinematographer, so make your project look like it’s coming together beautifully.

Clutter distracts viewers from the important details, so put away anything that’s not necessary for the shoot.

Describe your project as if speaking to a knowledgeable friend. Write down everything you want to include, then prioritize and edit hard. Leave only the most important bits, and save the rest for the description or blog post. Show and/or tell the viewer what the video is about within the first 15 seconds. Read through your entire script at a natural pace. Under 5 minutes? Fabulous. Under 90 seconds? Even better.

Ask a friend to record some video of you talking about your project. What you’re looking at while recording video has a huge effect on how you look, sound, and generally come across to your viewers. Not only will a camera operator save you time by making sure your shot is framed and in focus, but reminds you that you’re speaking to real people when you talk at the lens. Set your camera up on the tripod and familiarize your friend with its basic operations such as focus, start/stop recording, and anything you want to make sure is/isn’t in the frame. Thank your friend before, during, and after your video shoot. Then, get close to your project. You can show and tell at the same time, demonstrating key features of your project while describing them verbally. Look directly into the lens, not at the screen. Ask your friend to look through the viewfinder and not make eye contact while shooting. It’s OK to look at your project, but always come back to the camera lens to maintain an engaging connection with the viewer.

Find a comfortable and quiet place to record. A closet full of clothes makes a great sound-dampening mini-studio; even an iPhone in a parked car can record very clean sound. Drink plenty of water, sit up straight, smile like a complete buffoon, and project from your diaphragm. Keep smiling as you record — it makes the resulting audio much brighter and more engaging.

I use a Zoom H4N audio recorder with a foam windscreen. You can make your own pop filter (to catch your hard consonant sounds like T and P) from a coat hanger or embroidery hoop and a pair of nylon stockings

Have fun editing your gorgeous footage! Get the video editing software that’s easiest for you to learn and use. I’ve heard nice things about iMovie, Final Cut Pro X, and Adobe Premiere. For now I’m still holding on to Final Cut Pro 7. Go through your script and arrange the best takes of each line on your timeline, and sprinkle liberally with b-roll. Show some “hero shots” early on to entice your viewer to keep watching. Watch your video over and over; adjusting pacing, clip start/end points, audio levels, and color where applicable. Add music if you wish, such as Kevin MacLeod’s extensive library of royalty-free tracks.

If you enjoy editing as much as I do, you may want to set a timer while working and keep yourself on schedule, since perfecting your masterpiece timeline can be habit-forming. But it’s really better for your stamina and your viewer to push out multiple videos than to linger on any one for too long. Once your work is finished (or at least “abandoned,” as they say) put it up on one or more of your favorite video sharing sites like YouTube and Vimeo. Don’t slack off when it comes to title, tags, and descriptions. Share it with your followers on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, and Tumblr. Email it to your friends, then share it with topical forums and blogs. Look for submission forms or “tips@” email addresses to the editors. Write a polite and brief description of your project/video, paste the link, and suggest that his/her readers might like it. Check out the YouTube playbook for more tips on engaging and growing your online video audience.

Your videos, if you make them often enough, will improve over time. And remember: When in doubt, add footage of the project with a cat — everybody likes cat videos!