Creating Killer Videos On A Budget

In an ideal world we have a limitless budget when it comes to our next video production. That, of course, is more often not the case. Here are a few ideas the Waves team have found helpful in this far more common scenario.

Location, Location, Location!

It really is important to have the setting that gives off the vibe you want. But this does not have to break the bank.

1. Use your office space or home. Somewhat obvious (or not!), with a good cleaning and a little set design, your owned or rented location could work just fine for your filming. Keep in mind rooms with depth allow for enough room to move around while filming, while also creating better looking shots (depth creates beauty, plain and simple).
2. Airbnb.com – the platform that has transformed the way people think about travel stays can also be an aid in location finding for your project. Of course we recommend you check with the owner that the use is fine but it has worked multiple times for us. And it’s way cheaper than traditional location rental, and easier as you can view spaces online pre-calling the owner. Also the owners could be enticed with a couple nicely shot location photos or video clips they can use for their marketing as well.
3. Outdoors. Why not use the greatest space ever: the wonderful outdoors! If you plan lighting correctly, shooting with the sun or on a cloudy/shady day, you can get some really sweet looking footage. As a video production team who works in all sorts of climates, we realize the weather can be a challenge — keep track of it, and have a backup!

Pre-production on Your Own

We definitely recommend you have your production crew involved in the collaboration, as they bring helpful and must-have expertise into what will work, and what won’t!

But what can you or your team do internally? For example, ideas like writing the script and planning dates. What about scouting the aforementioned location, wardrobe work, set design prep (bringing props, etc), or gathering assets you may need (stock footage or photos)? Think outside the box.

Bring it! on Camera Yourself

You may not have what is needed for the on camera talent internally. However, often your team has someone who used to do theater or play around with home-made filming or even indie work. ASK. You may have a personality or 2 in your company that would be stellar and magnetic on the screen, particularly in the style of the online YouTube world.

Here’s an idea. Have a low key ‘audition’ time with a small script read (a few options/styles is good). Audition each other. Maybe you start, then they do it as well. It may seem silly, but it may spark ideas and, worst case, it will at least give you a better idea what you actually want to represent your company or video presence in general.

Streamline When Possible

Some ideas and questions for streamlining to save on costs:

• Do you have multiple videos to be made that are simple enough to do in the same day?
• Can you get shorter versions out of the main piece you’re filming?
• If you have people flying in to film (an executive for instance) did you want to capture something extra with them for potential use later? Maybe hired actors could do a little of that as well.
• If you are interviewing, ask them extra questions for further video use, at the tail end of your interview.
• See if your production crew can have someone taking BTS (Behind the Scenes) footage and photo for social use during the production day.

Think Outside the Box

There are even more ideas for you to save money when it comes to your video (i.e. shoot the video yourself internally when the video can be more casual, etc.) But hopefully these tips get the wheels spinning for you in planning your next video project. Be bold, have fun, and go for it!