First product shot job. Any advice?

T

Thrash632

I am going to shoot a series of very short product instructional videos soon. Basically showing you how to assemble the product, use it, clean it, etc. Probably a min and a half long each. I'm going for a real-world setting so the video will take place in someones living room with people interacting with the product naturally and a voice over providing the instructions.

Does anyone have any advice or tips for these type of videos? Any equipment you would recommend? I have 3 Eliminator E-106 lights, but I think I will need to get LCD lights (something like this).

Any and all advice or tips are welcome.

Last but not least, for starting out, what is a decent hourly rate to charge?

Here is a list of equipment I am using:

Canon 5d Mark ii
Canon 50mm f/1.4 USM lens
Canon 65mm 1-5x macro lens
tripod
3 Eliminator E-106 lights
Zoom H2 field recorder

This is what I plan on getting:

D|Focus follow focus (with either the rail or mount, any advice on which one to get?)
4 Digital Juice C-Stands
Glidetrack SD Hybrid Camera Slider

Again, any input is welcome.

EDIT: To be a bit more clear of my technical ability, I have been doing abstract shorts and music videos for about a year and a half to two years. This is the first commercial shoot I will be doing however. Here is a link to my vimeo account.
 
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I presume you know how to tell a story properly?
(Making abstract short can mean 2 things: 1) you know how to use the medium to tell a story, or 2) you don't know how to tell a story and you used cover it up with 'vagueness'.)

Just make sure you tell the story clearly.
Shoot an overview and shoot enough details.
Script it ahead.
Know how much time the voice-over needs.

Shallow DOF is often not the way to go with instructionvideos.
 
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The client should tell you what you need to know. Ask lots of questions and LISTEN. For this, art is SECONDARY. Training videos need to convey information, not style.

Movie magic, would be better then a "real living room"

Have the client lend you some wherehouse space and build a set.
 
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wheatgrinder said:
Movie magic, would be better then a "real living room"
Click to expand...
Seconded.

Goto youtube, watch an hour's worth of instructional DIY videos, take notes on "Do this. Not that!"
Watch some infomercials.
Have a good long sit down with the client to clearly establish what they do and do not want to pay for you to do or show.
Be prepared to re-shoot the whole thing after the client hems and haws anyway.


GL! :)
 
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