6 Tips for Taking Your Video or Webinar Presentation to the Next Level

Even after two years on Zoom, we’ve all had moments where presenting or sharing on video has felt clunky. You’re likely already doing something you’re nervous about, with a “room” full of silent eyes on you — it can feel like a lot of pressure. 

But, whether you’re well-versed in video or new to it, there’s always room for improvement. At Dakota, we have a dedicated, in-house video team that creates world class video not just for our own team (though of course they do that, too!), but for our clients and non-profits, as well.

Since the launch of Dakota Studios in early 2021, we’ve hammered out all the rough patches, and shot hours and hours of footage. 

Which is why, in this article, we’re sharing 7 video best practices you can put to use the next time you’re on a video call, meeting, or webinar. If you're in the investment management industry, you've already heard us talk about the importance of keeping your audience informed through quarterly webinars.

By the end of the article, you’ll have actionable changes you’ll be able to put into place before your next presentation or webinar.

1. Use the rules of composition 

People tend to think of these rules only when taking a photo, but those same rules can be applied to video as well. Make sure that your eyes and the center of your face are a third of the way up on the screen to best incorporate the rule of thirds. 

This will center you and make sure that you are in focus throughout the duration of your presentation.

2. Lighting is crucial 

We’re all working with what we have on hand, but the fact is that people are actually secondary to lighting. That’s how important it is. 

If you’re going to be doing webinars quarterly, or with any level of regularity, it could be beneficial to invest in something like a Lume Cube, which will provide you with high quality lighting designed for laptops and other smaller screens, along with a tripod to balance it on. 

3. Use Zoom's settings to your advantage

Within Zoom itself, you have plenty of setting options that will help maximize your appearance and video quality. Some of these include: “mirror my video”, “touch up my appearance”, and “adjust for low light.”

4. Make sure your audio settings are high-quality

• Ensure that high-fidelity music mode checked off if you’re playing music and to have better quality sound.
• Echo cancellation: his will get rid of any echoing that may be occurring.
• Stereo audio: This setting helps it sound better if people have stereo speakers 
• Music and Professional Audio. This setting comes in handy if you're doing a webinar or live event, and will be sharing something with high quality music. 

5. Give yourself a clear, clean background

When you're presenting or sharing important information, the last thing you want is for people to be distracted by something behind you. To combat this you can:

• Add your own background
• Upload a video background that has motion in the back
• Blur your background

6. Record and save your webinar or presentation for later

If you're sharing information that will be needed again, or will be distributed to a wider group later, you'll be happy you made your presentation as high-quality as you did, but you should also make sure that you're recording it properly so that it can be shared. To do this:

• Record a separate audio file of each participant. This can be beneficial when you have many people on a call 

• Always click "optimize for third party video editor." This is especially important if you want to send your recording to your video editing team, as it will save in a better format, with higher quality to work with. 

Get started with high quality video

Whether you're holding your first webinar or your fifteenth, there is always room for improvement. If you're looking for more tips and tricks on bringing your video production quality to the next level, download our complete guide to video for investment firms, or schedule a consultation to see how we can help bring your vision to life.