Video production can be the best thing to happen to your business, as long as it's done correctly. Many people think they can produce their own videos to save money, and some can; however, if you are not experienced at video production, and if you're not working with an experienced professional, there are many different mistakes that can be made. This can result in a poorly-made video that looks (and possibly sounds) like it was homemade. Mistakes can also result in higher costs for additional takes, scenes that must be reshot, additional editing of video and/or audio, and additional wages for actors. Being properly prepared for anything that may go wrong can help ensure that your video production goes smooth and as error-free as possible. In this article, we will take a look at the top 7 video production mistakes, and how you can avoid these pitfalls.

1. Poor Audio Quality

   Poor audio detracts from a great video and, in some cases, can make a video unwatchable. Use of a lavalier or shotgun mic, or other type of quality recording microphone, will help enhance the quality, especially if you're currently only using the built-in mic functions of DSLR cameras. However, microphones aren't the only items that can cause audio issues. You should do your research on creating the best audio for video production to ensure that you don't end up redoing a lot of recording work.

2. Using the Cheapest Services Available

   It's certainly understandable to want to cut costs wherever you can, and in some cases, you can get quality work done cheap. But for the most part, using cheap services will only give you cheap results. The best course of action is to find a professional video production company that can meet your budget, then check their references. If the company works cheap, but doesn't provide quality service, there will most likely be some type of negative reviews or comments. A company that has plenty of positive reviews and can still meet your budget may be the best choice. Just keep in mind that cheaper does not mean better.

3. Not Enough (or too much) Information

   Finding the median for information is critical. Video that stretches on too long can result in viewers getting bored, and they may quit watching once that happens. Too much information can cause information overload, and a confused viewer will not wish to continue watching. At the same time, too little information can cause viewers to click out because they aren't getting enough details. The average marketing video typically lasts between 1-2 minutes. This is because 45% of all viewers quit watching around the 1-minute mark, while around 60% will stop watching by the 2-minute mark. One simple way to acquire the appropriate length for your video is to briefly and directly focus on the three main selling points of your product or service.

4. No Call-to-Action

   The entire purpose of a marketing video is to get more customers, more sales, or more subscribers. Just giving the viewer information about your product or service is great, but without a call-to-action, viewers may not know where to go to find out more about what you have to offer, or how to purchase it. You don't want the viewer to watch your video, then click out, and go make a sandwich, or start browsing Facebook. You need them to take action on what they just watched. If your video will be watched online, you can implement an interactive, clickable button or link for the viewer to access. If it will be watched on a television or other device, you should have a call-to-action pointing at the website or web page of the product or service. Flashing a phone number on the screen can be helpful as well.

5. Not Interesting Enough

   While length of video can be important, keeping the content interesting is even more important. Your video may be short and to-the-point, but if it's not interesting and engaging to the viewer, they may not even watch your entire short video. On the other hand, if your content is interesting enough, you may be able to keep viewers interested far beyond the typical 1-2 minutes. A good rule to follow: the longer the video, the more interesting it should be! As the video goes on, new elements and features should pop up to grab their attention again. Keep it entertaining and informative while keeping them interested all throughout the video. An interesting 2-minute video can go a very long way.

6. Excessive Compression

   Compression can make or break a video. Too much compression will lower the quality of the video in extreme ways. The video may become distorted or blurry, pixelated, and possibly even choppy depending on the level of compression. Most video-sharing sites utilize compression that allows videos to be played at the highest quality possible. YouTube for example, utilizes compression and codecs to allow a variety of quality levels. The H.265 video codec allows users to upload video at Ultra HD (4K) quality. Any time you compress your own video, you should make sure you use lossless compression video codecs. And, of course, always make a backup before compressing any video!

7. Being Unprepared

   One of the biggest mistakes in video production is shooting when you're unprepared. You should have a complete script with full dialogue, and you should go through at least a couple of practice runs before doing the actual shooting. Unprepared dialogue can sometimes work, but it's rare. More often, it costs extra time and money to reshoot scenes of the video, as well as additional editing requirements. Being fully-prepared will ensure that things go smoothly, and the video production is completed in a quick and cost-efficient manner.

Conclusion

Mistakes will happen, and things never go perfect; however, the more prepared you are, the less of a chance there is for something to go wrong. Following the tips in this article will help ensure that you are as prepared as possible for whatever obstacles that could potentially hinder the successful completion of your video production project.