Dream Home Digital - Video Home Tours - How not to shoot video

Dream Home Digital by Christina Ellsworth

What Real Estate Professionals are Saying about Video Home Tours:

"It's sort of a natural evolution. It went from one picture, to virtual tours, and now videos."

- Colleen Badagliacco, 2007 California Association of Realtors' President

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"I believe streaming videos on Web sites is the wave of the future,"

- Charlie Young,
Vice President for Marketing for Coldwell Banker

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TIPS AND HOW-TO

VIDEO HOME TOUR BLOOPERS

Examples of how
NOT to shoot your videos

These are a few videos we grabbed from YouTube.com to make a point or two.

Outstanding 2 Family in Lynn,Ma

In his recent article for Inman News "Companies, agents break into real estate video" Part 3: Real estate technology buzz dated April 25, 2007, Matt Carter discussed filming your own video and commented on this video:
". . . there's more to it than walking through a listing capturing some footage and posting it on YouTube (no-no's in this video: "blown out" sunlit windows and rooms cloaked in darkness; occupants and their possessions at every turn, and a heavy-breathing cameraman who gives the whole thing the atmosphere of a slasher flick)."

Bellevue House for sale by owner

Even a beautiful home with "all wood cabinets" cannot stand up to bad video technique. Lesson: Move slowly! The way he flashed that camera around, I was afraid I would tip over in my chair just watching it.

He teaches us something very important about narration. ". . . closet . . . window . . . 'doo-to-doo' . . ." does not highlight the special features of a home.

He shows us his feet in the garage, and then gives us commentary that he is taking his shoes off. We don't care about your feet. The less you mention your feet, the better. That is an old video adage.

House for Sale

Can you say "Stalker" in French? This one is almost creepy with the classical music, no speaking and the grungy house. Who is the mysterious person in the bedroom? I guess we'll never know.

4 bedroom House for sale Dulverton, Exmoor only £275k

A fine example of why a video should include comforting background music. If the silence doesn't make you uneasy the editing will. Jerky pans of the parlor cut suddenly to the dark, silent hall als "The Shining." I half expected a ghost to appear. This unending silence kind of makes you think they're masking the strange noises coming from the basement.

Contemporary house for sale in Cortlandt Manor NY - $545,000

Like the bum shots going up the stairs? Does that come with the house?

Bonus: tips on how to bathe your child in the bathroom sink.

"Knock your socks off." Is that an official real estate phrase?

If you can sit through the almost 7 minutes of this movie, you should win something . . . or something.

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