You might not be able to check in but we can help you to bring your hotel and travel experiences to life.
We are creating a series of helpful resources for hoteliers many of whom have had to close their doors and have switched their efforts to producing creative and innovative video content across their social media channels. The Factor Fifty video resources which are in production include a series of blog posts, Linkedin instructional videos, twitter chats and Q&A’s to offer help and support remotely.
This blog post is packed with top tips for hoteliers and the travel industry to help gain the confidence to create video content to the best of their abilities using mobile devices with professional support, help and guidance provided from afar. Destination marketing can often be inspirational and in these troubled times it can help provide a much needed virtual escape and experience so it is important to try and keep this visual aspect alive during these times.
The Equipment
- Camera – Any of the popular smartphones have amazing filming capabilities. It’s worth getting to know the functions in the camera on your device, such as the focus and exposure options.
- Tripod – Whether you’re shooting content on your phone or a DSLR, you need to think about keeping the shot steady. You can buy stands that can hold your phone or more stable devices, such as lightweight tripods, that would better suit a DSLR. If you want to film something with movement, think about the length of the movement, where you’re going to start and end the shot, what will be in the shot while you move. Are you filming someone talking to the camera as they move or are they filming themselves? Something as simple as a selfie stick would work for this as it gets rid of any potential camera shake from the hands.
- Lighting – It’s much easier to utilise natural light, especially if you’re shooting on a low/no budget. If you’re creating your own content you may not have the luxury of a lighting kit, so try and find shots that are well lit from natural light. If you want to add some light there are many options such as the light from another phone or you can buy ring lights fairly cheap and some will come with a stand.
- Sound – If you’re thinking of filming a piece to camera, to release a statement for example, make sure you are in a quiet environment so there are no background noises that will distract the viewer or that will be so loud you can’t hear what’s been said. If you have a microphone that will help a lot, but it’s not always essential depending on the type of film you want to make. If you want to make a film which is just a montage of shots then you may not want to record sound. You could simply put some music over the images.
Shot Type
Here are 9 different types of the most common camera shots used :
- Extreme Wide Shot
- Long/Wide Shot
- Full Shot
- Medium Long/Wide Shot
- Cowboy Shot
- Medium Shot
- Medium Close Up
- Close Up
- Extreme Close Up
In the image above we can see the definition of seven shot types. The Extreme Wide and Long/Wide would be too difficult to illustrate on this.
You can see from the example just how the common shot types and the framing associated with it help to create your looking film. For example, when filming someone delivering a piece to camera you may want to start with a Full Shot or a Medium Shot, and then vary the shot throughout by cutting between a Medium Closeup and a Closeup, possibly for an important sign off message. You have to consider things like how long the speech will be, and how much time and space you have to film it in.
If you’re creating a film using a montage of shots, you may want to start with an establishing shot so people know where the action is taking place. Your establishing shot will usually be your Long/Wide Shot. You can then get closer to the ‘action’ and show the viewer more detail using Medium Closeup, CloseUp and Extreme Closeup shots.
Top Tips
Count to 10 in your head; Hold the shot for 10 seconds.
Remember to get an establishing shot first to establish where you are.
Don’t zoom – use your feet to get closer to where you want to be.
Follow the action with your feet
Ideas for Video Content Creation
Here are some of our ideas for video content creation in these challenging times;
Cookery How To’s
Signature dishes – Why not bring your signature dishes to life and share your recipes so people can recreate at home.
Chocolate making – Chocolate is proven to have a positive effect on mood and is a great activity to learn to do with family.
Desserts – For all those craving for something sweet then why not produce some mouth watering seasonal dishes.
Making a meal with limited range ingredients – Due to the curretn climate people might not have access to all ingredients, it is a great time for Chefs to share their tips and secrets.
Cooking for kids – Chef can share a range of recipes off the childrens menu that kids that look to recreate with the help of their family.
Cocktail How To’s
- Children’s mocktails
- Signature cocktails
Spa at home – How To’s
Spotlight on People
How to make your bed like a hotel
A tour of the wildlife and nature
A tour of the kitchen garden
Exercise at home class
Meditate at home class
A video of the surrounds with ambient sounds; Ocean, lake, Forest etc
All of this new video content will help stir the imagination for all the journeys yet to be made.
Do you have a YouTube Channel?
If you do then you can set up a playlist, here is ours;
12 Films to Inspire Escapism & Wanderlust
We’ve put together a YouTube playlist of videos to help you escape our current reality. Join us on a journey around the world which we hope will fill you with wanderlust – waiting for the days when we can travel freely again.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqr1tSS3sq3lRCiUvCf37wm8f6VMWlgsN
If you don’t have a YouTube channel they are easy to set up and perfect to upload your new content upto;
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNTwbwswxNHT2XV3lopN4_A
We will be producing a series of “How to” videos over the coming weeks to help you refine and create your content, so please do check out our website, insta stories, twitter and LinkedIn.
If you need any help, guidance or support with your remote video creation we are here to help; info@factorfifty.film
