Video Backgrounds: How to Make a Great Video for Your Site

Video backgrounds can make or break video content for your website. Posting videos on your website, or anywhere online, can be a great way to share info, generate interest, and connect with communities online. To make your video stand out, you need video backgrounds that don’t distract your viewers from your video’s subject. This guide covers all the tips you need to create great video backgrounds, from lighting to filming on the street. 

Film 101: Why Video Backgrounds Matter

Videos can be a great feature to have on your website – they grab people’s attention and are often more engaging than reading text pages. In fact, when used in marketing videos can even boost sales and brand awareness. However, a poorly made video can do more harm than good for your site. Making a good video takes time, concentration, and hard work. 

Audio quality and video composition are arguably the two most important factors to making a great video for any website. Getting these two right can win over visitors to your site in no time. 

The background of your video plays a bigger role here than you might think. Video backgrounds have to help immerse viewers in the video without distracting them from the focus of the video. If there’s too much going on in your background, it could distract viewers and water down your video. On the other hand, if the background is too vague or boring, it can take away from the eye-catching appeal of your video. 

Finding a balance can be challenging, but it’s much easier when you understand a few basics of film. This guide will go over the top tips you need to set up great video backgrounds for every video you create for your website. 

Tips for Video Backgrounds and Production

Video backgrounds are something you need to have planned out before you start filming a video for your website. Make sure you take your time to get everything just right – once the video is filmed, you won’t be able to change what’s in the footage. These tips will help you get started on the right track. 

1. Focus on the Subject

The number one tip for choosing good video backgrounds is to focus on the subject of the video first and foremost. The background, whatever you choose, should not distract the viewer from the person or object that the video is focusing on. 

For example, if your video is an interview, the camera should be clearly focused on the subject’s face. The background may even be blurry to help keep the viewer’s focus on the subject. When you are focusing your camera and setting up shots, prioritize the person or thing you are filming. If the background is distracting you, it will probably distract the viewer, too. 

2. Keep the Background Neutral

One way to make sure your video backgrounds are not distracting is to stick to neutral colors or surfaces. These don’t have to be exclusively grayscale, though. The idea is to go with a background that doesn’t clash with anything the video subject is wearing or, if the subject is an object, any paint colors or materials. 

What counts as a neutral background can vary somewhat depending on the subject of your video. For example, a video about the arts and theater might have a more colorful, cluttered background like a props room. Due to the subject of the video, a background like this would not necessarily be distracting. 

An easy rule of thumb for neutral backgrounds is that nature and blank walls are almost always safe. Colors are fine, but patterns can be an issue if they are too eclectic or loud. Blurring the background out of focus can help create neutral video backgrounds, as well. 

3. Remember Your Lighting

Lighting is key to success with any video or film! Your lighting setup will affect how the background of your video looks as well as how your subject looks. So, before you start filming, make sure you understand the basics of film lighting and how to set up easy light arrangements. 

You can also use lighting to give video backgrounds a little extra flair. For example, if the subject of your video is an artist, it could fit with your theme to shine a couple of colored lights on the background wall behind your interview subject. This can add a little extra color to the video without getting too distracting. 

On the other hand, you can also use a lack of lighting to create a neutral background. If your subject is well lit but your background is dark, the contrast can help draw focus to your video’s interviewee or subject instead. Beware of having windows in the background, though. A window directly behind your subject can cause them to be backlit. Windows next to your subject work much better for natural lighting. 

4. Consider the Video’s Theme

Another rule of thumb for video backgrounds is to match the background to the theme of the video. The theme is whatever the topic of your video is. 

For instance, you might want to make a video talking about the basics of online marketing to post on your website. The theme of that video would be marketing and business, so go with a business-related background like an office space. A background like this helps immerse your viewers by sticking to a clear theme. 

Similarly, a scene filmed on the streets of New York could simply feature the surrounding roads and buildings in the background, preferably out of focus. In this case, the background movement won’t be distracting since the scene is set in a city. 

5. Rules for People in the Background

Finally, it is important to understand the general ground rules for any people who happen to be in the background of your video. If you film it in a closed location, this won’t usually be an issue. However, if you are filming out in public or in the street, passersby are bound to walk through your shot in the background. 

As a general rule, if someone is not speaking on screen, you probably do not need a talent release form from them. When you are filming in public, people passing you can clearly see that you are filming something. If they have a problem with being filmed, it is generally assumed that it is that individual’s responsibility to simply walk around you instead of passing in front of your camera. 

Additionally, you can always focus your camera so that your video backgrounds are blurred or slightly out of focus. This way, if you are filming in public, faces in the background are less likely to be recognizable. 

Creating Great Videos for Your Website

Videos can make a fantastic addition to your website. To maximize the positive impact of your video, take the time to make sure you have the right background. You can use these tips to get started creating engaging videos with backgrounds that help your subject shine!