Video Tips for Advertising Your Truck
August 14, 2007
Tips for making a great advertising video that shows off the best features of your truck.
Have you checked out the new YouTube videos starting to appear on Trucker to Trucker ads? They are awesome. Visit our home page, click the YouTube box on any ad and sit back and enjoy. Trucker to Trucker's new YouTube feature is a dynamite way to show off your rig.
Here are a few tips for making a great sales video:
- Steady as she goes. Hold the camera steady. You want to show your truck from all angles, but you don't have to keep filming as you walk all the way around the truck. You wind up with a lot of jittery film of your truck from a distance. A little of that goes a long way. Walk part way round your truck and pan from left to right slowly, then move to a new location and repeat.
- Zoom in. Stand still when you're using the zoom and zoom slowly. The viewer's eye needs time to move with you. Pause when you reach what you're showcasing to give the viewer a good look. His brain needs a minute to figure out what he's looking at. Fast zooming is confusing and doesn't allow the viewer to really see what you're showing him.
- Light 'er up. Lighting is important. It's better to film on a slightly cloudy day than on a bright sunny day. Bright reflection causes glare that washes out detail. On the other hand, dark days won't give your rig that needed sparkle and will make interior shots dark and gloomy. Take a few days and wait out the weather before you film.
- Focus on the details. Make sure you provide a good, close-up view of your truck's best features. If you've got great tread on those tires, zoom in and show it. Make sure you include an interior shot of the engine and connector wires and pads.
- Interior shots. Too much reflection through the windows or not enough light in the back of the cab can make interior shots difficult. You may have to tape paper (flattened paper bags work well) over the outside of the windows or front windscreen to cut the glare. (Do this after you shoot the exterior.) If the back of the cab is dark, you might have to have a buddy aim a shop light or two into the back recesses so you can get a clear shot. Make sure you light up and showcase sleeping and storage areas as well as the front of the cab and seat conditions. Whoever buys your truck will be spending a lot of time in the cab and wants to make sure it's going to be comfy.