Thinking about recording video content and publishing it on IGTV? The exciting new platform that Instagram released last year is certainly a great opportunity to reach a wider audience and start producing longer types of video content.
Keep in mind that IGTV viewers expect more than just a slipshod video recorded on the fly. It is important that you do what you can to record more impressive videos, and there are a few useful tips that can help with that:
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Make sure the aspect ratio is right
As you should be aware, IGTV is a vertical video platform, and any videos that you publish will do best in a vertical aspect ratio (normally either 8:16 or 9:16). That shouldn’t be a problem if you record video using your smartphone and orient it vertically, but it can be an issue on DSLR cameras and camcorders that use different aspect ratios.
If the aspect ratio isn’t right your video may be cropped off awkwardly or have black bars around the sides (i.e. letterboxes or pillarboxes). As such if you record in a different aspect ratio you should make it a point to resize video for Instagram TV.
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Find ways to keep the camera steady
Some camera shake may be tolerable on 5 or 10-second videos, but it is definitely off-putting to viewers in longer videos. That is why it is crucial that you keep your camera steady while you record – and the easiest way to do that is with a tripod or some other camera holder.
While you could find a stable surface to prop up your smartphone or camera, a tripod will give you far greater flexibility to set up and record exactly the frame that you want. If you don’t want the camera to be fixed and want to hold it, a monopod may be easier to manage.
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Get a decent external microphone
It is a bad idea to expect too much of the built-in microphone on most smartphones and DSLR cameras. While it may perform decently when you’re up-close, the further away that you get the worse its performance will be.
Instead of being limited by your microphone (or worse: recording audio that sounds awful), you should get a decent external microphone. A popular option to record your own voice for IGTV videos is lavalier microphones that can be conveniently clipped on to your clothing.
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Improve the lighting
Lighting is key if you want your IGTV videos to look impressive, but it can be challenging. At a bare minimum, you should try to make sure that the frame is brightly-lit, and that there are no direct light sources within it.
If you are recording in a fixed location, you may want to try to find ways to soften the light. For example, if the light is coming in through a large window then placing diffusion paper or wax paper in front of it can help. Alternatively, you could DIY a softbox of your own.
Ideally, you should get into the habit of recording the video footage that you need and then editing it before publishing it on IGTV. The post-production stage is important if you want your videos to really look polished, and you can make lots of minor adjustments and tweaks that will make it appear much more professional.
At the end of the day, recording impressive videos for IGTV really doesn’t have to be that hard. All you need to do is focus on the basics and you should be able to capture the kind of footage that you need to produce great IGTV videos of your own.
By Mahendra Bajiya
Mahendra Bajiya is a blogger who regularly edits and produces videos – both for his blog and for personal use. He has found that editing software is a more useful tool than most people realize.