Mario So

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How to Film Flavors in Product Videos

When you are presented with an opportunity for making a product video for a company you look for creative ways to convey the message to the audience. You want a product video that showcases every aspect of the product.

We think and plan about gear, location, lighting, sound effects, and any other requirement. But when it comes to film flavors in the product it's tricky to highlight such details. For example, if you make a product video for a knife it will showcase its sharpness, grip, and other qualities that make it alluring. You have to integrate flavors with product shots that can be a challenging task.

To understand this let's talk about what happens behind the scenes in videography. Today we will learn some strategies and tricks for filming flavors in the product. 

The Product Vibe

Tipping toes in the water that’s what you need. The first thing in product video creation is to understand the product's vibe. You always want to do a product commercial video that matches the brand. If you do something that's completely out of the blue for that brand it might feel out of place. If you want to sell that product video to a company they may not even like it or they may not even use it because it doesn't match their brand. So, it is important to research the product feel and vibe beforehand. 

The Final Shot First

Yes, finale you heard it right! You need to shoot the final short first because, at that time the product is intact, untouched, or altered in any way. Hence making it easy for you to provide a clear context to the product video. For example, for an energy bar available in different flavors you can introduce related fruits to add flavors. This shot is also known as a hero shot if you are a beginner it means "A shot which is a visual representation of a product presenting the full product, its qualities, and purpose". 

The Background and Lighting

The most popular choice for backdrops is seamless multicolor paper. But if you don't have them that's not a problem. There are tons of options you can use such as Bed Sheets, table cloths, or wrapping paper. Your backdrop can be of bristol board if you like. These are just some options you can improvise according to the need. You can use whatever available to you. For Lighting, you are the boss you can use a 3 or 4 point lighting system. It's your choice as a creator, you can use a Led Panel and a Godox sl60w with a softbox to illuminate the background using a LED spotlight. If the cover of the product is reflective, it can cause glare. To reduce the glare on the wrapping paper of the product you can use the circular polarizing filter.

Time to Visualize

The next step is to visualize the flavors in the product video. Your main focus is to associate the actual flavor with the product. This can be achieved by showcasing different product flavors in the scene. Try to experiment with a variety of angles and shots. Shoot at different frame rates (120fps / 60fps) so that you have options to play with. Figure out ingredients and think of innovative ways by which you can incorporate them in the shots. Find unique ways to use them in the product video.

You can try these ways if you like.

· Take some Macro shots

· Try different rotations (Horizontal, Vertical)

· Try throwing ingredients in the air or water

Anytime you shoot a product video and try to film flavors you should first plan your creation process by getting the vibe and feel of the product you are working on, lightning, background, and most important of them all Visualization of how you will be going to combine related elements in the product shoot.

A product video is a creative task that involves passion, commitment, and innovative ideas on part of the filmmaker. It’s not always possible to get things right in the first place, you will improve over time your sense as a creator will increase with time. To conclude, my bonus tip to all videographers is to improvise with the tools that you possess.