Video Testimonial Tips

Hello, Adventure Associates facilitators. As a part of our 2016 marketing strategy, we want to make a concerted effort to collect video testimonials from our clients.

Most all modern smartphones are very capable, and actually better at taking video than the cameras we send on programs, so please use your own phone to film if you have the ability.

Take video in landscape orientation, not portrait

  • Hold your phone horizontally, not vertically to film because video shot in portrait orientation will have black bars on the right and lefts sides when we post it to YouTube or try to use it in a promotional video.
    • So your camera is like the one on the left…
      • image00
    • Because we want the video to look like this…
      • image03
    • Not like this…
      • image01

 

Film against an uncluttered background

  • Busy backgrounds can be distracting, so it’s best to film against a neutral background such as a wall, or open space without people or things moving around behind the subject.
    • Good backgrounds: blank or lightly patterned walls, open space, nature
    • Bad backgrounds: people moving around, traffic, crazy patterns, stampeding wildebeests

 

Find a relatively quiet space

  • Noise is also highly distracting when the subject is speaking, so try to get your subject off to the side of the main group, or step into another room with them to try and mitigate ambient noise issues.

 

Get close to your subject

  • Testimonials should be shot from the waist or chest up, as there’s no reason to include the whole body in the shot. If you have two or three people together giving their testimonial at the same time, you may need to back up a little bit, but for the most part, the subject’s faces should be most prominently featured

 

Stabilize your smartphone/camera

  • Shaky footage is hard to watch, and in most cases holding your camera with one hand will produce slightly shaky video. To minimize this, try holding your camera with two hands and brace your elbows on your stomach, like this guy…
    • image02

 

Suggested prompting questions

  • While some subjects will excitedly talk your ear off without hesitation, others may need a little prompting to get some momentum. Here are some prompting questions you could use…
    • What did you like best about the program?
    • What was your biggest take-away?
    • Would you recommend the program and why?
    • Did the program align with your expectations?
    • Were there any challenges you found you and your team working through?
    • Do you feel more in tune with your team?

 

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