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What Should be Included in a Product Video? [7-Point Checklist]

What Should be Included in a Product Video? [7-Point Checklist]

Product videos should be a key part of your video marketing efforts, because not only are they perfect for drumming up hype ahead of a new launch, they work just as well for highlighting a hero product or bestseller from your range.

Whether you’re making a product demo video or a simply want to showcase your product, read on for our checklist of the must-haves of a perfect product video.

Since we know there are several types of product videos depending on your industry or type of business, we’ll be giving video examples that show each item on the checklist in action or additional tips to how you can incorporate it into your own creation.

Now let’s get back to our checklist. Drum roll please!

1. Budget, Script & Storyboard (with patience!)

We’re big fans of over planning at the pre-production stage, so make sure you have your budget, script and storyboard in place. This will obviously take a few iterations, so don’t lose sight of the bigger picture.

Carefully planning how and where your product videos fit in your overall marketing strategy will help you get the best possible returns and figure out how to go about it.

Your product video’s style, tone, pacing, length–these are the key documents that will determine what the output looks like–so make sure you’re spending the most amount of time at this stage!

Now let’s get to video production!

2. The Best Equipment For Your Set-Up

More than the latest camera, it’s important that you know how to use your equipment well.

And thankfully, the camera quality on smartphones is often advanced enough to shoot cinematic product videos.

Check out this video for Steve Wright’s tips on how to nail a product video using an iPhone and some additional accessories:

3. Creative Background

We can’t stress this enough–a creative background can make or break your video. Even if you’re working with a small budget, get this right and it’ll make your production value look much higher than it is!

Depending on your script and the feeling you’re trying to instil in the viewer, the background could just be a plain background in your brand’s colours, achieved through simple paper or fabric backdrops.

If you want to take your product video a step further, come up with a background that enhances the narrative. For example, if you’re working with an energy drink, try a dripping water background to communicate feeling refreshed.

Remember, this is all possible with your regular devices and props you can find at home!

Check out how Mabel Lee does this to achieve dreamy backdrops for these beauty products.

4. B-Roll and Inventive Transitions

Sleek transitions and well cut b-roll are the key to showing off the features and design of your product and the ‘show, not tell’ principle we’re always preaching at ChopChop.

B-roll is your chance to visually demonstrate what the product can do or achieve in action, so make the most of it. It also adds a nice change of pace to the overall narrative of your product video.

Make your b-Roll inviting enough, and it’s exactly what you’ll need to stop thumbs on social media.

Now let videographer Daniel Schiffer show you how it’s done!

5. Text/ Captions

This goes along with our previous tip. Text or captions are essential for communicating important information to your viewer and for highlighting important bits of your script, especially if your content is in the style of an explainer video.

They also come in super handy for social media users who are scrolling through their feed and are watching your product video on mute.

In fact, this video by skincare and beauty brand Glossier relies heavily on text to communicate the brand’s values and what makes it stand out from competitors.

If you want to achieve a similar effect, ChopChop‘s online editor makes it super easy and fuss-free, even if you’ve never edited before. With our automated captioning feature, you can generate captions at the click of a button.

6. Professional Quality Lighting

This is as textbook as it gets, folks. No matter who your target audience is, good lighting is an absolute must to nail product videos. Not to mention, lighting is a key determinant of the tone of your final output.

Thankfully, you don’t need to have access to expensive studios or pricey lights to achieve a similar result.

Check out the video below, where Brady Besette shares his best hacks for achieving cinematic lighting even if you’re working with a super tight production budget:

7. Voiceover

Adding voiceover is another super easy way to educate viewers on your product, especially if you are filming a product demo video and want to pack in more information or instructions without taking away from the visual elements.

Nespresso makes use of voiceover in their instructional video.

ChopChop’s got you covered here too. Check out our simple voiceover recording feature that will help you add depth to your story in just a few clicks.

Wrapping Up

If you’re looking for a product video app that can help you put your footage together, head on over to ChopChop and sign up for early access to our super-intuitive video editor!

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