By Cris Mark Baroro
Capitalize on an exciting and emerging market—the future of residential construction is filmed in real time.
Video is a necessary tool for success in the residential home building industry and here's why: In their lifetimes, people move 11.4 times, on average. Homes are constructed faster than ever, taking 12 to 15 months from start to finish. Construction takes place outside a lot of the time, so builders need visuals that can convey value even when the house isn't covered with siding or drywall. Homeowners are looking for strong visual communication via video to assist them throughout the sales/mortgage process and their future relationship with their builder after they move in. Residential construction companies still have a very good chance of capturing business if they catch up in terms of adoption of this technology.
The service and maintenance sectors are also very active, particularly those operating at the high-end with high-value customers that depend upon vendor relationships as part of their larger brand strategy as they grow their customer base beyond the traditional geographic area served. The educational space is also large and growing.
Construction videography and photography is a growing field. As in any industry, utilizing best practices can significantly improve quality and productivity. These are the 10 tips to help you get started.
1. Think Like a Pro
You don't necessarily have to be a videographer by trade to produce great videos for your company or clients.
It may seem obvious, but the more you can think like a professional videographer, the better your videos will be. A lot of people who don't work in the construction industry may not realize how much time, effort and money goes into making a good video. You need to have the right equipment, know how to use it properly and have an understanding of what makes a great shot from an angle or distance that works best for your company. Also, you're going to need to use a video editor.
2. Invest in Good Equipment
When it comes to construction videography, there's no such thing as too much equipment.
The more tools you have in your toolkit, the better you can create the perfect video for your business.
For example, if you're doing work on a commercial site and need to capture an entire building at once, a drone could be an ideal choice. If you want to show off the inside of a home that's being renovated, though, a drone might not be the right choice—it would be too big and bulky for maneuvering around tight spaces. A small camera with an attached gimbal would be more appropriate for this type of shoot.
All that said, video equipment can be expensive. If you're just starting out, start simple and build out your "tool set" as you become more comfortable with shooting video.
There are lots of great but affordable cameras for construction photography to look into like the Nikon Z6 Mirrorless Camera, the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, and the Sony A7II Mirrorless camera.
In addition to having the right equipment, it's important that you use it well! Good videography involves more than just pointing and shooting; it requires planning and forethought so that every shot tells a compelling story.
3. Use Video Editing Tools
If you're looking to take your construction videography to the next level, then it's time to learn some video editing skills.
The most important thing to know is that there are many different types of editing software out there, and each one has its own unique strengths and weaknesses. Some programs are meant for professionals who do this kind of work every day; others are designed for beginners who have never edited a video before.
If you're a beginner and want to learn how to edit videos, then look for an easy-to-use program that will allow you to learn as you go. There are plenty out there that won't cost you much money either—so don't worry. You can choose either online and offline too. Some of the best ones are VEED, Da Vinci Resolve, iMovie and Openshot.
4. Use Multiple Angles
When you're shooting home or commercial construction projects, it can be easy to get bogged down by the amount of time it takes to find and set up a single camera angle that works for your project. Try using more than one camera angle at once, so you don't have to worry about switching angles between shots. It's also wise to have multiple cameras ready before the job begins.
Every angle is a gem for videography and for any kind of construction site or industrial property, it's best if you shoot from above—especially if there are any tall structures in your shot (like buildings). Shooting from above gives viewers a better sense of scale and helps them understand where everything is in relation to one another when they look at their screen later on (which makes things easier when editing).
5. Don't be Afraid to Use Graphics
When you're filming construction and renovation projects, it's important to be able to communicate with your audience. If you're in charge of filming a project for a client, or if you're working on a project yourself and are sharing it with other people in the field, having graphics can make your videos more effective. You can use graphics to explain how different aspects of the construction process work, or to show how various parts of the building fit together.
Graphics are also extremely useful if you're trying to teach someone how to do something, whether that's how to install a new door or how to replace an entire roof. It can be difficult to understand what exactly is happening in video without seeing visual representations of it—and even if you have multiple shots of the same thing from different angles, they may not all show up at once on screen. You might want people watching your video on their computer at work who might not have time for a lengthy video or maybe through live streaming using apps such as Streamlabs Alternatives such as OBS, VEED and screen-o-matic , so using graphics will help them get through it quickly and easily.
6. Invest in Good Lighting
In order for your video to look good and make an impact, it needs good lighting. This means that you need to invest in quality equipment such as lights and camera filters.
The most obvious reason for using good lighting is that it makes your subject matter look better on camera. You'll be able to see more detail and texture—which will help sell your product or service—and it'll also help ensure that there are no shadows obscuring important details like faces or hands (if they're being used as part of the pitch).
Lighting can also help improve the overall mood of your production by adding drama or excitement where needed. For example, if you're trying to show off how well-lit one room is compared with another room (like a bathroom versus a kitchen), then you'll want to use different types of lighting in each place so that viewers can see what makes them different at first glance rather than having them figure it out.
Examples of great and cheap lighting kits are Neewer 600W Photo Studio Strobe Flash Lighting Kit, GVM 50W RGB LED Video Light with an app, and Lincostore 2000 Watt Photo Studio Lighting Kit.
7. Keep your Language Simple and Clear
If you're going to use video as a marketing tool, it's important that your audience can understand what you're saying. Don't get too technical or use words that might confuse your viewers—even if they have an interest in the subject matter. Remember that many people may not have any experience with contracting work, so don't assume they'll understand every detail of what you're saying.
Always use a universal language and an accent depending on your target audience. Example if you're in Europe and your target audience is Europeans, then make sure you use English with an accent that sounds European. If you're in North America and targeting Americans, then use American English with a North American accent.
Also, don't use a lot of technical terms or industry jargon. This is especially true if you're using videos to sell your product or service because viewers will likely be confused by something they don't understand.
8. Use Special Effects
Special effects are a great way to add some spice to your construction videography. In the same way that you might use lighting or sound effects in a Hollywood film, you can also create special effects for your videos. This can be as simple as adding a filter or adjusting the color temperature, or as complicated as adding music and visual effects.
9. Add Transcriptions or Captions
Adding captions or subtitles to your videos is optional but can help greatly on your videos. Not only will this help people who are hard of hearing to follow along and enjoy your video, it will also make it easier for those who don't speak your language to understand what's happening. If you have a large international audience, consider having translations available for each language.
10. Compress and Share Online
A video compressor is a good tool to shrink your videos without losing its quality before sharing them online. It's a good way to save some space and bandwidth. Using popular formats like flv, mov, or an mp4 using an mp4 compressor is a must for easy retrieval and standardization in the future use.
Also, your construction videos should be shared online to market them and have some online presence on your product and services.
Takeaway
In today's world, it is likely that your construction videography needs to be visually interesting as well as informative and instructive. People want to see your craft in an artistic way that matches their own interests and inclinations. This ranges from the most basic and unvarnished video of a facility undergoing construction to the stylized visual masterpieces you see in TV shows or movies. No matter where your construction videos lie on this spectrum, the important thing is that they are fulfilling your clients' expectations and their needs for monitoring projects during all phases of construction.
Cris Baroro is currently working in VEED.io as a Search Engine Optimisation Specialist. He is a tech enthusiast who loves capturing photos and videos. A dedicated technophile, his skills include video editing, programming, QA system testing, and writing.