Photographer and YouTuber Miguel Quiles has a ton of experience shooting product footage. He’s created many of the videos you’ll find on the Alpha Universe YouTube Channel, and he has a system for creating a successful video that shows the viewer a complete look at the featured product. In this video he shares his three most important tips for creating stunning product videos - plus a special bonus tip for even better video. “Use these tips and I promise you, your next product video is going to look 10 times better.” Watch as he explains how he would create a product video for a camera like the Sony ZV-E1.

Product Preview – In This Article You’ll Find:
–Sony ZV-E1
–Sony 90mm f/2.8 Macro G
–Sony 24-70mm f/2.8 G Master II
–Sony 35mm f/1.4 G Master
–Sony 50mm f/1.2 G Master

1. Use A Good Macro Lens.

The first thing Quiles likes to do is capture the details of what the camera offers. “That means getting closeups of the buttons and dials, maybe some closeups of the sensor, maybe even the texture of the grip,” he explains. “If you’re shooting a video about a product of whatever kind or sort, using a high quality macro lens like the Sony 90mm f/2.8 Macro G will help give viewers of your video more insight into what the product you’re recording actually looks like in a way that even your eyes might not be able to capture.” 

2. Create A B-Roll Checklist.

When Quiles creates a video about a product like the Sony ZV-E1, there are certain features and benefits that he will discuss. In advance of recording, he will create a list of all of those different things. Then he can record his B-roll video to give him an option to cut away to when he’s editing. He says, “Ideally you want to have around three or four different clips for each of those bullet points at a minimum on your checklist just in case you end up going more in depth than expected.”

3. Shoot Tight, Middle & Wide. Mix With Pans, Tilts & Static Shots.

In addition to close-up shots with a good macro lens, Quiles explains that it’s also important to get a wide variety of shots that you can cut away to in your video. Using a lens like the Sony 24-70mm f/2.8 G Master II is great for wide and tight shots when filming. Quiles says he also likes to use lenses like the Sony 35mm f/1.4 G Master or Sony 50mm f/1.2 G Master, to get that shallow depth of field that makes the things that you film look awesome.

For each clip that you’re filming, Quiles also says you want to shoot the same clip panning left, then right, then tilting the camera up slowly, and then back down slowly. “I might even do the same camera movements at different speeds just to have some options in the final edit. I can’t overstate how important this part of the process is, as the worst thing that could happen when you’re trying to make a video is not having enough B-roll to make it entertaining and informative.”

Bonus Tip: Mix Up Your Aperture Settings

Quiles also says that you should mix up your aperture settings when you’re filming a product video. You don’t want to just shoot everything wide open. “As you stop your lens down, more of the product will appear to be sharp and in focus, which makes whatever the product is that you’re filming look that much better.”

He typically shoots products around f/5.6, but it always varies based on the product that he’s filming. “With the Sony 90mm f/2.8 Macro G lens, I might even bring the aperture up even higher just to make sure that I get enough depth of field in my videos.”

See more videos like this one on the Alpha Universe YouTube Channel.