BAC Blogland

Lighting - A Key Component of Quality Video

Tue, 08 Feb 2022 01:00:00 GMT

In addition to having a nice video camera, you must also have quality lighting in order to make sure that your videos look professional.In addition to having a nice video camera, you must also have quality lighting in order to make sure that your videos look professional.

Quality Camera - Poor Video

Many people make the mistake of thinking that the key to good video is to just shell out a few thousand dollars on a really nice camera. Then, after producing a few videos with their shiny new toy, they are sorely disappointed and the overall quality of the final product. A common reason for this frustration has to do with the importance of proper lighting.

Although the quality of your camera is an important factor in producing high quality video, the reality is that ALL cameras need light in order to function properly. Some cameras can certainly perform better than others in low light situations, but the quality is remarkably better when your subject/scene is properly lit.

Taking Advantage of Natural Light

Fortunately, it is quite easy to obtain plenty of light for producing high quality video by just taking advantage of that giant fireball in the sky that we belovedly refer to as "the sun". The sun produces enough light so that anyone with a smart phone can walk outside, start recording with their phone, and end up with some pretty amazing results. This is the because the sun provides plenty of light and the camera has automatically adjusting settings to compensate for the amount of light in the scene... so the end result is nice.

Cameras that require manual adjustment of settings can also take advantage of natural light and obtain some amazing video outside in direct sunlight as long as you understand how to properly arrange the settings on your camera. If your camera settings are properly tuned, then you will end up with video that is either over or under exposed and likely wouldn't even be usable. So, in the right settings, natural light can be your friend and help you achieve great results, but it can also work against you if you don't have an understanding of how to properly compensate for the amount of light in your scene.

Studio Lighting

The next best thing to the sun is studio lighting that is properly arranged and adjusted to achieve your desired result. There are entire books written on the subject of lighting, so it is far beyond the scope of this blog post to dig deeply into all the nuances of how to light your scene. I just want to delve into the very basic truth that you can achieve an excellent end result with a very basic lighting set up.

The most common lighting set up for videography is the 3-Point lighting set up, which utilizes a Key light, a Fill light, and a Back light. When properly arranged and coordinated with camera position and subject placement, this lighting set up can achieve amazingly professional results.

The only other consideration that I want to mention here is the impact of light temperature or color. You can use lights that range from about 2500K all the way up to about 6000K with very different results depending on what color temperature lights you are using. The lower the temperature (K) the warmer the light and tends more toward the Orange/Red and the higher the temperature (K) the cooler the light and tends more toward Blue.

Video - A Must for Your Website

Tue, 18 Jan 2022 01:00:00 GMT

If you aren't using video on your website, then undoubtedly your website is going to slowly dribble away into a pool of nothingness as consumers seek out websites that use videos.

Technology is Changing Us

Unless you live under a rock, then you have been impacted by the ever changing world of technology. It seems that every time you turn around there is a new gadget on the market that revolutionizes the way we do things. It's mind blowing to look back at how many changes have taken place in the world of technology over the last 20 years. The internet was still a novelty and just getting started 20 years ago... and I remember being overwhelmingly excited if I was able to get a modem connection speed above 30k!! Oh my how the world has changed.

The changes that have taken place in the world of technology have dramatically impacted our lives and the way that we receive and process information. In years past, if you had an important message that you wanted to present to consumers, you could simply post that message on your website or send out a mailer for consumers to read. Well, those days are gone... if you have noticed, people don't read anymore. If you are still reading this article then you are certainly in the minority, in fact there's a good chance that about 85% of the people that started reading this article have already stopped. That means that this means of communication is much less effective than in times past. That's where video comes into the picture.

The Rise of YouTube

Have you ever heard of YouTube? Duh! Silly question... and that makes my point! Everyone has heard of YouTube and without a doubt, everyone has used YouTube. This is the generation of video... and if you don't believe me then check out the statistics on how many hours of video are watched every single day on YouTube, it's mind numbing!!

So this this the generation that would much rather watch a video about how to fix the hole that they just punched in the wall than read an article about how to do it. Even if the article has nice pictures that show the process step by step... I can guarantee that 99 out of 99 would rather see the video of someone teaching them how to fix the hole than to read about it. And that means that if you have any hopes of reaching this generation with your message, you had better invest in adding video messaging to your website!

Website Design - Become Mobile Friendly or Else

Tue, 04 Jan 2022 01:00:00 GMT

As technology changes, so do the demands for your website! If your website has not been updated to include mobile friendly access, then you are going to be left in the dust!

Website Design Has Changed

One of the difficult things about website design is the pace at which design trends change. Just when you get your website developed and designed in a way that meets current design trends and appeals to consumers, the trends change and your website begins to look like something that hasn't gotten the love that it should. Don't believe me, then just take a look at some of the websites of local establishments in your home town... a quick perusing of just a few of those will undoubtedly yield some website designs that just look ridiculous to your eyes. The funny thing is, when those websites were initially created, they were a work of art!

The rate of change in the web design marketplace dictates that a website needs to be updated at least every 4 years, if not sooner, in order to maintain a fresh look that appeals to current design trends. Many times these changes have to do with aesthetics, color schemes, shapes, fonts, etc... just your basic overall look and feel of the website. But sometimes, these changes in design trends are monumental, and require a complete re-tooling the website design and structure to comply. And that brings me to the reality of mobile friendly websites

Mobile Friendly Design

Other than that bizarre uncle Bill that lives in the highlands of Montana and still communicates with a Ham radio... everyone has a Smart Phone. And as the screen sizes have increased with each new iteration of the various types of smart phone, more and more consumers are doing most of their website browsing on their phone. In a recent test conducted by our office, we found that upwards of 70% of the website traffic that we generated took place on a smart phone. That's huge!! That means that 7 out of 10 consumers are now using their smart phone as one of their primary means of doing research and shopping. If you don't have a mobile friendly website, you can just about guarantee that 7 out of 10 visitors to your website will immediately leave your website.

Google's Algorithm

In addition to the obvious detriment to your business mentioned above, Google has now changed their search engine ranking algorithm to give preference to mobile friendly websites. Even if you previously had a very high google ranking in searches related to your field, you will begin to see that ranking fall if your website is not mobile friendly.

So, What To Do?

Duh! I think the answer is obvious... if you don't have a mobile friendly website, (in the words of the great Woody) GET ONE! This will likely require a complete rebuild of your website in order to have a website that is optimized for all devices., but in the end it's well worth the investment. The alternative is to just sit back and watch your online prowess slowly wither away to nothing. Unless of course your online business specializes in selling HAM radios... then you'll always have a dedicated force of mountain loyalists who don't have smart phones.