Video content is an important aspect of marketing. From short digestible clips to long-form instructional pieces, more consumers are using the video medium to consume their content.
Videos that are produced for Saint Louis University must meet the University's brand standards, and Marcom is here to help you. Please contact the team at marcom@slu.edu with additional questions or for guidance on anything related to video production.
Downloadable Content
We offer a series of downloadable assets that you can use in your videos that are inline with the Saint Louis University brand, while still allowing you to be creative and make your video stand out. You can use the following assets in your videos:
- Opening slide with a horizontal or vertical logo
- Title slide (where you can add your own text)
- Chyron background
Color and Font
In coordination with SLU's graphic standards, it is recommended that you use Brandon Grotesque font for the main element on title slides and lower third graphics (like a person's name). Secondary information (like their title or school) should be in Crimson, a free downloadable Google font, or a classic sans-serif font, like Helvetica or Arial.
When choosing a color, please use #003DA5 (blue) or #ffffff (white) in your graphics.
Video Tips
There are a few things that can make a good video into a great one.
- Always white balance your shot. If you are filming outside, make a habit of white-balancing every 30 minutes or if you notice the sun changing positions. Direct sunlight and cloudy sunlight are different.
- Always check your focus. When filming, change the camera's focus to manual. Especially if there is movement in the background (people walking past, trees blowing, etc.), your camera's autofocus might pick up on those movements and adjust (it always seems to happen at the most critical parts of the interview, too). Plus, sometimes the microphone picks up the sounds of auto-focus.
- Always use b-roll. Unless your video is 10 seconds or less, the viewer will benefit from b-roll to help illustrate your point. Generally, if the subject of the video isn't visual enough to find b-roll, then it isn't visual enough to require a video.
- When conducting interviews, follow the rule-of-thirds. Divide the shot into three sections, horizontally and vertically so it looks like a tic-tac-toe board (some cameras have the ability to put this grid on your preview screen). Set up the shot so the person on camera is off-center, but facing into the middle. So if you, as the interviewer, are sitting to the left of the camera, then your subject should be on the right side of the frame.
- Whenever possible, interview people alone. It makes for a cleaner final product.
- Pay attention to the background when setting up an interview. Will people be constantly walking through the shot? Is there a tree growing out of the subject's head? Reframe as necessary to avoid an awkward background. And if something happens in the middle of the interview, don't be afraid to stop, adjust and then ask the subject to start that sentence or thought again.
- Mic your subject. No exceptions. The microphones built into video cameras, DSLRs, smart phones, etc., are not good enough. A poorly composed interview can be covered with b-roll, but little can be done about a poor audio track.
- If necessary, use an external recorder and sync the audio with the video in postproduction. Newer editors can do this automatically; some older versions might require a manual sync, which is easier to do with a clapper.
- When editing, aim to peak around -12 DB. After adding music, it is OK to get a little bit louder, but not much.
- Use music to convey the mood of your video. But do not use copyrighted music. YouTube has a library of thousands of free tracks available for you to use. Additionally, many musicians will allow you to use their music as long as you give them credit in the video description.
- Shoot the video wearing headphones. You'll be able to hear everything that the microphone is picking up, from the air conditioner to the ding of an elevator down the hall. This will help you decide if you need to redo anything.
- Export the video as a .MOV or .MP4 file.
- Saint Louis University has a robust YouTube channel with an established base of followers, and in most cases it makes the most sense for your video to be uploaded to the University's main channel. If your organization wants their own YouTube channel, please contact Danielle Lacey to discuss your plan for maintaining the channel.