5 Video Background Mistakes You Should Avoid (Episode 133)

Chris Schwager: Welcome to the Video Made Simple podcast where we refashion the perception of video and change how you do business. I'm your host, Chris Schwager and Merry Christmas to you. If you want to compose and set up backgrounds for your video calls that are on brand for your business, here are tips you can use to maximize the space and furniture you have at home.

[00:00:22] Why does background matter, right? Mm. Your environment can communicate a lot about who you are and how you work. From a personal branding perspective, your background does matter. Your background is a glimpse into you, your home, your lifestyle. If you are filming from home and how you work, which is a big part of how you convey your personal brand to the world, it can give the positive message about you when done right or a misleading message, and create a disconnect between you and confusion between you and what you're selling.

[00:00:59] Here are five ways to ensure your video marketing background works for you rather than against you. One, compose your background. What does your background say about you? Play around with the position of background items if needed, like plant plants. Art Bookshelf photos. These can send a message about your personal brand, talk about the interior design.

[00:01:23] Well, it is worth mentioning for those that are in the DIY Video Program, for instance, you've got a great polished look that you've got going. And what we do recommend for our clients that are putting in more professional style, Studios is to get it in first, see what the frame sees, and then dress it accordingly.

[00:01:41] So you look at the elements that are in the background and how to improve on it. So we offer some interior design advice and we give you a third party to to get in touch who can provide storyboard ideas that are on brand that you can also, then once you sign off on, it can add those elements to your background.

[00:02:01] Now, this is fairly specialized, particularly good if you are wanting to make sure that everything that you do has that branding, that feel, um, right. And I think there is a lot of room for improvement with what I see with backgrounds these days, particularly on video calls. And so these elements are certain.

[00:02:19] The design elements, the interior design elements can be improved. Um, you don't need to be an interior designer to figure it out, right? So simple is best.

[00:02:30] So that brings me to point two: messy background can be distracting. This includes things like busy artwork, a wall or figurines, a TV playing, or an activity going on behind you.

[00:02:41] These can distract your audience and you don't want that because who's the hero of the shot? It's you, baby. It's you. Background should be clean, uncluttered, and have a sense of depth. And when I say depth, I want to explain this in more detail, but sometimes if you have a bit of depth, you have a bit of blur because if you're on a DSLR camera, you've got a nice good lens on it, and it'll provide what I call falloff, which will kind of soften things in the background so it can help you with things that perhaps aren't very tight in the background.

[00:03:14] Well, it'll kind of blur out a little bit. And so it will make things a little bit easier to see. You'll still be sharp in the foreground, and that's the main thing. And you've probably seen that filter, I think it's on Zoom, where you can literally use whatever you've got in the background and put a really hard gauzy and style blur in the background.

[00:03:30] Really just blot everything out so it's undetectable. That's the type of thing, uh, that I'm talking about, but in a practical sense, not digitally done. Sometimes the simplest thing, like a plain white wall, particularly if you've got your own lighting, can be really, really effective. And you wouldn't think it, but sometimes the camera sees something different to what your imagination sees.

[00:03:51] So you can, with the right lighting, with the right expertise, I guess, uh, get that background looking right based on doing very little effort. It just some simple lighting can actually be all that's needed. And we've got a number of clients in the DIY Video Program have chosen that and really have no ambition to dress it up or do anything further with it because they remain the hero of the video. They the focus, the viewer focus is always on their face because a simple looking background allows viewers to focus on you rather than all that crap going on in the background.

[00:04:24] Number three. Giving inauthentic or confusing message is a problem. Using background that is not on brand can be confusing. So if you've got musical instruments as background that it's got nothing to do with your profession, that will create confusion. A strong personal brand is an authentic one. If you're not sure what to share to your audience by way of background, then just go for the minimalism option. Opt for a bare wall or a neutral corner because at least it'll help the viewer just focus on you. I'm pretty sure I've pressed my point about this. If you can angle what lighting you might have, it will enhance it. It will enhance it.

[00:05:07] Number four, hiding with Zoom backgrounds. So these are the digital backgrounds that applied while they have become popular at the start of lockdown, it quickly died down and now has an implied message that may say you've got something to hide. It's easier to hit the virtual background button than it is to make an effort in your background presentation, in a practical sense. I'll always go for the real thing. That is a minimalist style because in the event you are using a different PR platform, not Zoom, you may not be able to rely on a virtual background to get you outta trouble.

[00:05:42] Example, we do a lot of high end virtual recordings and that does not come with the backgrounds. You ever get stuck and somebody you're doing a guest-speaking role on a show, on a podcast, maybe you gotta start thinking about what you've got in a practical sense in the background, cuz you don't want to get caught out at the last second when they say, oh, we can't actually put that background filter on. We're gonna have to go with what you've got. And you don't want all your guitars and your bookshelves and all your bits and pieces hanging around.

[00:06:11] And finally, number five, green screens. I mean, they have gotten so trendy. Green screens are complicated though they are complicated backgrounds, people don't know what to do with it. It's a trend that's not a particularly good one. It may not work correctly all of the time on all of the calls that you make. People don't know how to light it either, purposefully, right? It actually in the world of video is a really complex lighting system. You've gotta evenly light it, you know if it's permanent, and that's what you've got as your background, it's potentially very messy to try and change it. And if you're on one of those, uh, high end call calls I was talking about earlier, then you may not be able to change the background easily. So you get stuck with this green screen and they actually don't do anything with it. They don't, they don't put a background in.

[00:07:04] So those are some of the complications as always. Uh, simple is best. Doing something that's practical will always win and it can get complicated in the long run.

[00:07:14] Third party software is not something that is particularly easy to use to key out the green and to apply your own filter. That is the alternate version of this auto version that's created, um, in Zoom.

[00:07:28] Now, what about paper? Well, as you can see in the background, I've got a bit of green paper. In fact, this is what we use for our professional studio filming. Now, it's not what you see is what you get. There's actually a lot of lighting that goes into making sure that's evenly spread and if you do that properly, there's no green spill on the face.

[00:07:47] You're not gonna get any of that going on and the background will be evenly lit, allowing the editor to pick out the green relatively easy and drop in whatever you need in the background. So really effective when done properly. Um, I'm constantly removing, uh, people's sort of draped green screen backgrounds from our DIY installation cuz it's just adding a level of complexity that doesn't need to be there.

[00:08:12] Um. And they're actually finding that is far tidier, far easier and um, they're not having to worry about it at all. So yes, it is a fad and I wish we would see the end of it. Ask yourself, what is a green screen going to do for you that a well organized background can't do. Leave it to the pros because green screen, when done right, can be really effective and when incorporated well throughout the, uh, graphics and design side, you can create a beautiful effect.

[00:08:43] Appearing on video calls with a background that's on brand with your profession makes a good impression, helps establish trust, and is easily memorable. So take advantage of every opportunity to get your brand front and center, even if it's on a video call.

[00:08:58] If you can't bear it anymore, like so many of our clients, uh, do then, and you would rather have a professional compose all this or set it up, uh, set up the background for you, then check out the DIY Video Program that comes with background colors for you to choose from.

[00:09:13] Don't forget to like, share and subscribe to this channel where you'll get weekly Video Made Simple ideas to present your videos like our pro. That's all for this episode. Merry Christmas. Again, thanks for listening and see you next week.