The Photographer's Guide to Creating Their Own Promo Video

Filmphotographers

Jul 25

I recently launched my own promo reel for my birth photography business and I have to say that I'm very pleased with the way it turned out as a self-production.When I say "self-production", I mean that I planned, shot, appeared in, and edited my promo film my self.

It wasn't my first time doing this, either. A couple years ago, I did this short, silent reel for the home page for my branding business.

This week, after putting it on hold for months, I finally took the leap and created a more in depth film for my Tampa-based birth photography business.My goal was for it to be personal, fun, and showcase some of my work.I'd like to think that I accomplished those goals, but you can be the judge if you have 4 minutes to spare...

So, what'd you think? Ready to learn how you can do one of these yourselves, too?

[DISCLAIMER: this post is not to negate the amazingness that you would experience by hiring a professional videographer to shoot your promo video, but rather a way to show you how to do it yourself if things like budget, free time, or other logistics prevent you from being able to currently hire a videographer]

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What you will need:

A plan. Seriously, having an idea of the vision for your film is crucial to making sure the process has some kind of structure.
A camera capable of recording film. If you plan to have footage of you holding a camera, it may be a good idea to have two.
Tripod and Monopod (mono is optional but does make life easier when shooting video)
Video editing software like Adobe Premiere or Final Cut Pro - I personally use Final Cut Pro to edit all of my films.
Models (optional)
Past footage/images of clients (optional)
Mic (optional - used if you plan to speak on camera)
Royalty-free music

The Process:

Brainstorming. Grab a pen and paper and work out your overall goal for your film. Think about who will be viewing your video and the feelings you want them to have while they watch it, as well as what are you wanting them to do after they view it. Do you want the focus to be on your work, you and your personality and your "why", your client experience, or a combination of all of the above? Consider your style of shooting and editing and think about ways that you can make sure that your promo film has the same vibe for consistency of your brand. Don't hesitate to do some research and find photographer promo videos that inspire you and take notes on what it is you like about each one.
Planning. Now grab another piece of paper. This time, you will be writing out your shot list and script (should you choose to speak on camera) and the overall flow of your film. You can write down things like "plants blowing in the breeze, me laughing with my camera, me shooting a client, etc". If you have an idea, write it down. If you plan to use past footage/photos from your clients, make sure you know where those files are so you can include them when editing.
Filming. Grab your camera and get to work. Work your way through your shot list using your tools. Obviously, any shot involving yourself in front of the camera means using your tripod. I like to use a stand in to make sure my focus is on the right plane when setting up the "selfie shots". If you intend to speak on camera, using a mic like a Rode shotgun mic, would be a good bet. If you don't have one, you can even use your phone's voice recorder in a pinch. Don't be afraid to get creative in your shots, like the spinning one I added to my latest promo film. Also, there's no shame in asking a friend, child, or spouse for help getting shots that you envisioned.
Editing. Like I said, I prefer editing in Final Cut Pro. If you are unfamiliar with using editing software, youtube can be a huge help. The hardest thing for me, usually, is finding the perfect song to accompany my film. I personally use Songfreedom for finding my royalty-free music, but there are other options out there like MusicBed and Soundstripe. Once you have your song picked out, then arrange your clips to flow with the music - usually listening the the beat of the music and tempo and then setting your clips to transition when they do for a smooth audio/visual presentation. Already familiar with LR and would like your film to match your editing style, try creating a custom LUT. I purchased this plugin for lightroom a few months ago and it has been a game changer for my productivity - because if you're unaware, YES you can edit video clips in LR, but it takes FOREVER to export and can literally add HOURS to your editing. Using LUTs give you the option to still use your edits, but apply them natively in programs designed specifically to handle video files.
Sharing. Personally, I chose to upload my films to Vimeo and then share the link/embed them on my site from there. I also Upload them directly to Facebook and LinkedIn, as well as a snippet to my IG that directs people back to my site to watch the full video.

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I hope you found this post helpful and if you used this info to create your own promo video, share the link in the comment section below. If you have questions that I may have neglected to address, ask them there too. If you are in the Tampa Bay area and would prefer to hire me to shoot your promo video, use the contact tab for a custom quote.