Weekly Video Tip: Town Tours

By Stephen SchweickartPrint Article Print Article

RISMEDIA, February 9, 2010—If you’re like most of us, your favorite vacation spots or social events have been caught on video. The reason is simple…it’s the next best thing to being there. And the same holds true when capturing the essence of your city, town, or neighborhood. Nothing holds a candle to video when it comes to sharing the story of where you live.

To see VScreen’s video blog on this subject this week, visit http://vscreen.com/blog, and watch this video:

Video tours of your hometown can be a powerful marketing tool for real estate agents, recruiting organizations, the Chamber of Commerce, or anyone wanting to show what it’s like to live where you do. However, the secret is asking the right questions and properly planning your production before hitting the record button. As you begin your plan, one word of caution. You can’t show everything in town…so prioritize your content, and keep it short. We suggest not more than three minutes for best results.

Begin by identifying your primary target audience. If there’s a concentrated focus…such as retirees, families with young children, college students, or sports enthusiasts…you’ll want to slant your content accordingly. If it’s a general purpose video, a broad based general approach would probably work best. For the sake of illustration, we’ll assume you’re shooting a video targeting a wide range of demographics and interests.

Next comes the planning stage. Make a list of the best your town has to offer…and use it as a blueprint for creating a shot list, and writing a script or creating graphics. A good place to begin is focusing on topics that have the broadest application…like local schools, cultural and recreational opportunities, convenient transportation, affordable housing, hospitals, and major public attractions. Other items could include landmarks, scenic attractions, shopping and dining opportunities, the local climate, and proximity to major nearby cities.

Another good approach is to consider is what makes your community truly special, or unique. It is unusually friendly…exceptionally diverse…or perhaps the fastest growing in the state. Have there been any special awards or recognition…is there a site of historical significance…or perhaps a famous hometown celebrity? Are there any well known organizations or industries that are locally based?

It’s also important to turn features into benefits. For example, being near the water can be great for fishing and boating enthusiasts…while museums and a local philharmonic add cultural appeal. It’s all about communicating a lifestyle…which brings us to our next suggestion…the use of testimonials. If you want to include them, try to incorporate variety… ranging from singles and young families to business people and retirees. Let them tell in their own words why their hometown is someplace special. However, be careful to keep them short… to avoid having a video that’s way too long.

A few shooting tips are also worth noting. First, if possible…use what’s called a three chip video camera…and shoot in high definition if at all possible. It will allow your video to be displayed in the widest range of applications…ranging from the Internet to flat screen high definition monitors. Secondly, filming during the so-called golden hour…which actually spans about two hours before sunset on a clear day…will provide gorgeous natural lighting for most any outside shot. For best results, keep the sun shining over your shoulder, and never directly at the camera lens. Another tip that’s worth its weight in gold…use a fluid head tripod whenever possible…and practice keeping all camera movements slow and smooth. And finally, use the zoom very sparingly, if at all. Not using a tripod, and overuse of the zoom, are two hallmarks of an amateur.

When it comes to shooting a good local video tour, there’s no substitute for planning in advance. Carefully identify your audience and your goals…assemble your outline, graphics, or script before your film… and keep it short and concise. If we can be of help, we’d love to hear from you. Don’t hesitate to give us a call or contact us through our website. Thanks for watching!

Stephen Schweickart is the co-founder of VScreen. For more information on this topic, visit VScreen’s blogsite at http://www.vscreen.com/blog/.

RISMedia welcomes your questions and comments. Send your e-mail to: realestatemagazinefeedback@rismedia.com.

Don’t miss these video tips on RISMedia.com:


© RISMedia 2010. All Rights Reserved -- Realtor Websites & Real Estate Marketing with 1ParkPlace.com