5 Tips to Capture Better Video That You Can Sell
Did you know that you could make a little extra money from capturing breaking news and b-roll video while also getting your five seconds of fame? Yes, you really can!
If you have ever seen a breaking news video and looked at the comments, you likely have seen comments from various news sources asking if they can use the video and they would give them credit. Sounds pretty cool; they are passing up on possibly making some extra money when they do this! When a news outlet collects a video for free, they take the rights to that video. Including the rights to resell that video to other outlets or use it for promotional reasons where they, again, make money from that video that was given away for free. Five seconds of fame and possibly hundreds of dollars thrown away.
We would like to teach you how you could increase your odds of making a little extra money from these kinds of videos, even if you only have a cellphone!
Brokering video example.
Tip #1: A steady camera is key!
The steadier the video is, the better your odds are of not only getting the video sold but also making more for that video. We highly recommend using a tripod or monopod if you can. If you don't have either of those, tucking your arms closer to your body can also help keep your video steadier if you must handhold your camera.
Tip #2: Record all videos HORIZONTALLY!
This is specifically true for anyone using a cellphone. Your TV is horizontal, so the video you record should ALSO be horizontal. If you don't, the video will be smaller on the TV and will also have black bars on the side. It doesn't look good and the news will RARELY pay money for it.
Tip #3: No narration needed!
When you're in the moment we know this can be hard, but sometimes saying nothing and just letting the scene unfold can be some of the best videos you will ever capture. You can explain what is going on later in the video description at a later point, no need to add extra narration.
Tip #4: Shoot in High Definition!
If you have the ability to change the recording quality on your device, whether that be your DSLR camera or cellphone, set the quality to either 1080 or 4k. News stations will pay more for 4k video, so if you DO have the option we highly recommend using it!
Tip #5: How is this event impactful?
Whether covering a regular car accident, house fire or breaking weather event, you need to tie everything back to how impactful this event is. You need to tell the story of how this event is impacting the average person. What pulls on the heartstrings? Often damage after the fact is something that might tell that story.
BONUS TIP - STAY SAFE!
This might be the last on the list, but it is the MOST important! Never risk your life or anyone else's life to capture any video. Always follow the law, and don't break any traffic laws. YOUR LIFE COMES FIRST! When you are out capturing video, you accept those risks and responsibilities for your safety, so PLEASE be careful.
Captured some video, now what do I do?
If you've captured some video that you would like to try to sell, send it our way! We have a broker we work with that will work to try and sell the video to our national and international news sources for you! There is no need to edit the video, we can do that for you. While we can not promise or guarantee the video will be sold, following the steps above will increase those chances.
Send us an email at: brokering@limitlessproductiongroup.com, and we would be more than happy to work with you on trying to sell your video!
