The job market is more competitive today than ever before. Remote work has widened recruiter’s talent pools, and plenty of people used the pandemic to upskill and add value to their resumes.
It’s easy to feel inadequate if you haven’t been able to stay up to date on trends or haven’t added a new skill to your resume in a few years.
However, changes in technology and increased access to online training materials have made it easier to add important skills to your resume. While there are plenty of training programs and skills to choose from, video marketing should be at the top of your list.
That’s because you can learn how to shoot, edit and produce videos from the comfort of your own home and can even use informal experience to build a professional portfolio and grow within your career.
So, here’s a short guide to upskilling by making home videos.
Video Production for Beginners
Getting started with a new skill is always difficult. But, learning how to shoot, edit, and produce great videos is surprisingly intuitive and many programs are beginner-friendly.
But, before you start shooting home videos, you must understand the basic steps of video production. Video production can be split into three stages:
- Pre-Production: you plan your shoot and outline the most important components of your video content.
- Production: you put your plan into action. Capture all the footage you could want and record all the sounds that will bring your video to life in post-production.
- Post-Production: bring all your raw materials together into a cohesive whole that reflects your pre-production plan. This can include everything from color correction to audio mixing.
Breaking your home video project up into these three steps might seem excessive at first. But, you must remember that you’re trying to develop a new, professional, skill. So, even if your kids are the cast and your home is the set, it’s worth taking a little extra consideration to ensure that you learn good habits for future projects.
Trends to Focus On
Digital marketing trends change at astounding rates, and it’s easy to look outdated if you’re still producing video content that was popular in the 2010s. While some trends require expensive software and editing magic, advancements in software have made it easier than ever to create engaging content without needing a degree in film or graphic design.
Start by watching competitors’ content and look for inspiration in adjacent brands. For example, if you work for a high-end shoe brand, you could draw inspiration from successful businesses in your industry or brands that appeal to the same audiences as your company. This will get you up to date with the latest trends and give you material to compare your production with.
If you’re struggling to identify key trends in your industry, you can always tap into larger social trends for inspiration. At the moment, that might involve creating video content themed around social justice, climate change, and mental wellbeing. You could, for example, shoot a short film themed around your recycling bins or about the way your clothing reflects your values. These short videos may seem trivial at first, but as your skills develop, they can be used as part of a professional portfolio.
Presenting Your Experience
Being able to shoot and edit videos is one thing — demonstrating your skills is another. The best way to present your experience is to create an online portfolio that can be hosted on a free domain through sites like Wix, Weebly, or WordPress. These platforms also give you a great chance to show off your graphic design skills and are extremely user-friendly.
When posting your videos to your online portfolio, consider a short write-up to accompany your video. Describe the purpose of the video, and note down things like your inspiration materials and the editing programs you used. This will show employers that you have a range of skills and will help give your home videos a more professional feel.
Family Fun and Home Videos
Shooting home videos is a great, low-stakes way to bolster your resume. But, home videos should also be fun — after all, you’ll likely be shooting them during your time off work.
Shooting home videos is also a great way to engage with children of all ages. If you have younger kids, they’ll make great actors and will love the chance to express themselves in front of the camera. Teens might be less interested in dancing and acting for your home videos, but they will likely enjoy shooting their own content. You can involve teens by having them shoot and edit a few scenes, and can even add these skills to their resumes if they complete online courses with you.
Shooting home videos with your family is fun, and it also gives you a great opportunity to talk about digital parenting issues like online safety and privacy. When discussing digital safety, consider using your own first-hand experience to ensure that children don’t feel patronized. You can also use your home videos to talk about digital responsibility and ethics by asking your children about how they imagine their audience will receive the message of their film and if anyone could be hurt by their content.
Conclusion
Adding skills to your resume is more important now than ever before. While there are plenty of options to choose from, learning how to plan, shoot, and edit videos is sure to add value to your resume, and may give you the boost you need to take the next step in your career. You don’t need a professional studio to get started, either. Your home is the perfect set, and free software can give you a great introduction to video production.
