360 Video Best Practices
- Film during the day.
- Open all the doors.
- Turn on all the lights.
- Pull up all the blinds.
Filming Best Practices:
- Keep Camera Leveled – Having a tilted video would make a bad viewing experience.
- Go Slow, Turn Slow – Think of it as bringing real clients to a showing. Give them plenty of time to look around and not make them dizzy. A 1 bedroom should take about 1:30 minutes to film.
- Do Not Pan and Point – This is a 360 camera that will capture all surroundings, so no framing is needed. Just bring the camera to the center of the space and let it do the rest.
- Stay Away from Walls – With traditional camera’s narrow field of view, there is a tendency to position oneself close to walls to get a wider shot. This is not necessary for a 360 camera.
- Start and Finish at Entrance – Start at the entrance, film all areas, return back to the entrance to stop filming. This helps the viewer get a better sense of the layout.
- Left to Right and Clockwise – Film left to right, and when turning, turn clockwise. This gives the viewer consistency.
- Even Pace – Move at an even pace, even when turning. Time spent at each space should also be even depending on its size. This provides consistency to the viewer.
- Keep Camera Far – Using a selfie stick, keep the camera as far away from you as possible. This will make you appear smaller in the video, allowing the viewer to see more of the surroundings.
- Do Not Back Up – Always turn to change direction if there is enough space. Backup only if the space is too tight, such as a bathroom or closet. The action of backing up to the viewer will appear as if standing still, which should be avoided.
- Lock in Body and Camera Position – Once filming is started, lock in all the moving parts that are connecting your body to the camera. The goal is to keep the angle and distance that the lens is pointing at you the same throughout filming. Doing so will make you appear at the same place throughout the video. Other than bringing consistency to the viewer, this is also required if you plan to use software to blur yourself out after.
- Avoid Mirrors – Try to avoid mirrors when possible. This is for if you do not care to appear in the video.
Trick to Not Appear in the Video:
If you do not want to show up in the video and you don't plan to use software blurring after filming then here is the tip for you. Simply hold the camera right above your head. You can also wear a hat, so when the viewer pans down it is more aesthetically pleasing. The downside to this is the viewing angle of the video will appear taller.
The high viewing angle is only an issue when the viewer first plays the video. Since they can change the viewing angle after the video starts, the height issue would go away.
Unfortunately this trick would not be able to hide you if you appear in a mirror.