Video is king these days, even in the fashion world. Sure, having a stylish Instagram account is great and all, but if you really want to take things to the next level, you have to start making videos. That can be an overwhelming prospect for a lot of people, especially if you’ve built your following and spent most of your career by focusing on still photos and the written word. And it doesn’t help that fashion people tend to be perfectionists and are therefore often afraid to dive headfirst into something new when they can’t be sure that the final product will live up to their exacting standards. The thing is, we all have to start somewhere, and once you start, you’ll probably find that what you produce is way better than you might have initially thought it would be.
That said, everyone could use a little help in the beginning, especially when it comes to creating compelling video content. Meet Shelby Church! Shelby isn’t a fashion person per se, but she has nearly 1.5 million subscribers to her YouTube channel, so it’s safe to say that she knows what she is talking about when it comes to launching your own YouTube channel and creating quality content. She recently partnered with Samsung on a video for novices about how to get started creating their own fully edited video content with a smartphone (something we all have) and it’s actually got some pretty helpful and encouraging tips. Check out some of the best tips below, along with her full video, and get inspired and empowered to finally start creating your own chic video content.
1. Don’t worry about getting a fancy camera.
Fashion people love fancy stuff. Nothing but the best! But people are into watching videos on YouTube and Instagram videos because they are real and relatable, not because they have feature film-level production values. That said, smart phones today, like Samsung’s new Galaxy S20 Ultra, which Church used to shoot the video above, are hella sophisticated and can deliver some pretty impressive footage.
2. Put all your video ideas on paper, good or bad.
It’s easy to start judging your ideas and give up before you’ve even started. Stop it! Just write everything down and then go back and see what jumps out at you the most. And don’t worry if it’s more of a half-idea. Even fully formed ideas never turn out exactly the way you thought they would. You’ll figure it out as you go. And honestly, a good edit can make any video interesting, no matter what the topic or starting point.
3. Utilize special features on your phone’s camera, like slow motion or hyperlapse, to add interest to your final video.
This is a great way to create B-roll, which you can use in the editing process to make your video more fun to watch.
4. Mix voiceover with footage of you talking on camera.
It makes for a more interesting video and allows you to incorporate more of that B-roll footage.
5. Start editing with the understanding that you will probably want to go back out and shoot more.
Church likes to put everything she has shot onto a single timeline, in an order that makes sense to her, then she makes a list of all the things that are missing and any new ideas she’s come up with during that process.
Don’t worry if this new list of shots and ideas takes the video in a completely different direction, if this new direction excites you, then you’re headed in the right direction. The most important thing is not to get bogged down or start judging yourself. Change is inevitable and no work is wasted, even if you don’t end up using it in the final edit, because it’s all part of the process that will ultimately bring you to your final product.
Subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on Facebook and Instagram to stay up to date on all the latest fashion news and juicy industry gossip.
