You’ve surely previously seen a fantastic vacation rental website with video tours of their properties. Property walkthroughs may be a fun way to promote your short-term rental, and because they provide guests with such thorough information on their stay, they can also help you boost your booking rates.
But you might be worried that you don’t have the skills or equipment required to record and produce an excellent video for your listing. Furthermore, while hiring an expert may be cost-effective for a single property, if you manage several properties, the expense will make a significant difference in your finances. This article covers all there is to know about vacation rental videography, plus frequent errors.
Which kinds of video formats should hosts create for their listings?
The two main types of videos that hosts can offer for their listings are walkthroughs and 360-degree scans.
Walkthrough Videos
If you are aware of crucial elements like composition and lighting, you may easily record a walkthrough on your smartphone.
360-Degree Scans
360 scans, on the other hand, demand a little more effort. They may be a helpful resource since they let guests “jump from point to point and truly feel like they’re going across the property.” However, because it requires employing specialized, expensive technology (such as A Matterport camera), you would need to hire a professional to produce this kind of footage.
Top 10 Vacation Rental Videography Advice
1. Research
It’s a good idea to examine and analyze other people’s vacation rental videos before creating your own to get ideas and inspiration.
2. Route
Consider the many viewpoints and angles you want to capture as you map out a journey across your property.
3. Movement
To reduce shaking, we suggest holding your phone out in front of you rather than holding it tight to your chest. If you can see what you’re filming, keeping it level and steady will be easier.
4. Angles
Avoid tilting your phone because doing so could skew the image. Furthermore, remember that you will record your asset over the course of several takes
5. Composition
When making your films, concentrate on including characteristics that will highlight the personality of a vacation rental. Think of lavish amenities, distinctive décor, or stunning views.
6. Lighting
Open the blinds and drapes while you’re recording to make the most of the natural illumination. However, you can also leave the lights inside on.
Imagine, however, that the color temperatures of your interior and exterior lights are incompatible. In this circumstance, turn off the weaker lights so that there is just one source for better, cleaner exposure.
7. Timing
The optimal time to take pictures is when the outside light is just right—it shouldn’t be too bright or too dark—and should be comparable to the exposure inside your home. Depending on the orientation of your property, this may entail filming early in the day or late at night.
9. Editing
Editing tips that we have are often easy to understand. Subcontract it. However, if you have any editing experience and want to take on this task, you can use Adobe Premiere Pro or Final Cut Pro to put your video together. Even if you have no prior editing skills, you might still want to give it a shot. A Mac’s built-in video editing tool that is simple to use for beginners is called iMovie.
10. Music
Remember that you cannot just download your favorite song from iTunes; any background music you utilize must be duly licensed. For free or public domain music, you can search internet music libraries.
You can create high-quality, interesting videos for your properties even if you’re not a pro. Just remember to complete your research before starting, watch videos for inspiration, and take as many videos as you think are necessary.
After analyzing a shot, keep in mind that you can always take it back and remove it, but you cannot add a shot you wish you had added to the final edit.
Above all else, have fun! This is your chance to highlight the distinctive features of the property and show to guests the wonderful experience they will have if they book with you.
