Shooting The Perfect Product Demo

You don’t have to be an expert filmmaker to produce a successful product demo video.

With that said, the quality of your product demo could be one of your first chances to really impress your potential client, and there is a certain level of professionalism expected from these videos. But never fear! Thanks to free, professional quality, multi-camera production software such as Cinamaker, creating a top notch product demo on your own is totally possible. You just need some pointers to get started.

First, you should thoroughly plan your shoot, from set to storyboard, so that when the time comes, you’ll know exactly what your video should look like. This plan should be created with your exact goals, target audience, and brand voice in mind. Your storyboard and script should be polished well before you plan to shoot; be sure to research comparable product demos beforehand. This will ensure that your product demo hits all the standard marks and show you the points on which you can improve to demonstrate your product’s “special sauce.”

When it comes to the technical side of production, there’s a lot that can go wrong, so you’ve got to be sure your setup is right…

Have The Right Equipment Ready

It’s pretty clear cut — without the right equipment, you won’t be able to make the right video. Some key equipment you should have within easy reach includes:

Have A Great Set

Without great staging, your product demonstration will look weak and floppy. You therefore should have the right tables and props in place, a professional lighting system, and a background that flatters the foreground without distracting from the subjects. Solid colors are often best, but above all else, make sure you don’t choose colors so similar throughout your set that they work to camouflage each other. Create dynamic contrast with your set, props, and lighting. Run some test shots beforehand to perfect the colors on screen and make sure there is nothing upstaging your product.

Break Up The Shoot

Instead of jamming the entire shoot in one go, try breaking it up into parts so you have built-in time to spot and correct any flaws and time to prepare when moving from various stages or angles. It’s always better to budget more time than less. If you video is shot in a rush, it’s likely your audience will notice — and it won’t reflect well on your brand.

Edit Your Video

Unless you want to risk committing any of “The 7 Deadly Sins of Product Demos,” you shouldn’t cut corners when it comes to editing your work. To make your product demo stand out among the rest, you must use a reliable editing app, especially if you’re not an expert editor yourself. And remember, it can be fun to add music and animations, but keep any extras minimal, tasteful, and always ask yourself if they’re truly in line with your brand voice and goals. Don’t add for the sake of adding. Be concise and stay focused.

A Never-Ending Learning Process

Life is about learning. Shooting a product demo is no different. These tips will give you an excellent foundation to begin shooting, but you’ll find that you will be picking up many other little things along the way, ensuring that your next product demo will be better than your last.

For more video marketing tips and tricks, read more articles on the Cinamaker blog. Want to start making professional, multi-camera video productions with tools you already have? Download the Cinamaker Apps today.