- In this video you'll learn all you need to know
about 360-degree videos.
But most importantly,
how you can make 360-degree videos
that give your business a boost.
Welcome, I'm John.
Here at our video marketing agency Spiel,
we've made hundreds of videos for businesses big and small.
So we like nothing more than exploring
all of the latest industry trends
and technological advancements to discover what works best.
And currently, there are few that are getting us
quite as excited as 360-degree videos.
So stick with me and find out why.
(upbeat music)
Before we begin, make sure you subscribe to this channel
so you can get notified every time we post
one of these videos which will help boost
your video marketing.
And let me know in the comments below with a yes or no
if you think 360-degree videos could help your business.
In this video I'll be running through our six steps process
to help create great 360-degree videos
and I'll also be giving my top recommendations
for the equipment to achieve this.
360-degree videos are recordings made
using omnidirectional cameras so that, during playback,
the viewer can control the screen and view the clip
in any direction they like.
It's a new and exciting format with the potential
to create stunning and realistic,
virtual experiences for viewers.
And Google reports that it increases the chances of people
taking action by 41% when compared to standard ads!
To make high level professional 360-degree videos
you will need to hire a specialized camera rig
and someone to operate it,
which unfortunately can run into thousands of dollars.
But don't worry, there is hope!
Luckily, in recent years,
smaller handheld 360-degree cameras
have come onto the market for as little as $100.
And some of them record better quality footage
than you might imagine.
So it's thanks to advancements like these
that 360-degree videos
are becoming more common than ever online.
So, here's my step-by-step guide to show you
how to make 360-degree videos that get results.
Step One, When to create a 360-degree video.
360-degree videos, when done right,
are an amazing way to attract people
to engage with your business.
But it's a format that suits certain situations
and businesses more than others.
So, to get the greatest benefit from a 360-degree video,
here are some of the best situations to create one for.
E-commerce Product Videos.
(bell ringing)
If you sell products that your customers
really need to appreciate visually before purchasing,
using 360-degree videos to display them from all angles,
if done well, can really help improve conversion rates
and boost your online sales.
Immersive Experience.
If your product or service is tied
to an experience worthy of a 360-degree video,
creating an immersive virtual reality
showing this can be great.
For instance,
if you were a mountain bike accessories company,
you could make a 360-degree video
of a professional mountain biker racing down a mountain.
Scenario training.
By putting your viewers in the heart of the action
through educational 360 degree videos,
it can help them better grasp what is being taught,
So do you fall into any of these categories?
If so, you're ready for, Step Two, Setting your goals.
It's important to set measurable goals
for your 360-degree video before proceeding to production.
They will help shape its content and allow you
to gather tangible metrics
to see if your video has been a success.
For instance, let's take that downhill mountain bike example
I've already mentioned.
Your goal, in this instance,
could be something like, increase my online sales by 10%
by giving my website visitors
a better visual demonstration of my products.
Once your goals are set, it's time for, Step Three,
Choosing Your Format and Camera.
Before you go and purchase a 360-degree camera,
you're going to need to choose whether you want to shoot it
monoscopic or stereoscopic.
Monoscopic are more common and are supported
by most video platforms, like YouTube and Vimeo.
They are flat equirectangular renderings
projected into spherical videos or images.
Now, that was a mouthful, but don't be alarmed.
They're not as complicated as they sound.
Just think of them as like projecting
a 2D map of the world onto a 3D globe.
The most common example you've probably seen
is Google Maps Street View.
(bell ringing)
Stereoscopic, on the other hand, has much greater depth.
However, they are very difficult to get right
and any mistakes are magnified by the 3D.
So they can really only be done
by very skilled professionals.
For that reason, I recommend sticking to monoscopic
for your 360-degree video,
especially if you're doing it yourself.
With that, it's time to choose your camera.
Nowadays, there are countless 360-degree cameras
to choose from, and they vary widely in price.
So, to make it easier, I've chosen my three favorites
from different price brackets
at the time of filming this video.
The 2017 version of the Samsung Gear 360.
While the picture quality isn't perfect, at roughly $200,
it's certainly great value for money.
The Insta360 One X
is my mid-range choice.
Its picture quality is surprisingly smooth and sharp
even in the most extreme situations.
So, if your budget lies around the $400-mark,
this is the option for you.
And at the high end, my personal favorite
is the GoPro Fusion.
Going for around $600, it's designed with function
and action in mind and, as a result,
records amazingly clear 360-degree videos
for its price bracket.
Now, once you have purchased your camera
and filmed your video, you're ready for,
Step Four, Exporting and Stitching Your Footage.
When you export your footage from your 360-degree camera
and play it back on a regular video player,
it's not gonna look right.
That's because your regular player isn't 360-degree capable.
It will either be an equirectangular projection,
which looks like a 3D image that's been distorted
to fit a 2D rectangular surface.
Or a fisheye projection, which looks like a spherical image
in the middle of your screen.
Or a dual fisheye projection,
which looks the same as the fisheye
except with two spheres side by side.
All 360-degree videos are edited in equirectangular,
so, if your camera supports it,
always export in this format.
However, many cameras only export it as fisheye
or dual fisheye.
If this is the case, you'll need to use editing software
like Kodak's PixPro SP360
to convert them into equirectangular.
Then you're ready to stitch the footage together.
Now, stitching is the process of combining
and overlapping your 360-degree raw footage
to create a single-screen panoramic video.
Some cameras do this automatically
but, in most cases, you'll need to use
a 360-degree video software tool
like Adobe Premiere Pro to achieve it.
Only then are you ready for,
Step Five, Editing Your Video.
The great thing about tools like Adobe Premiere Pro is that,
not only can you stitch your 360 videos,
but you can also edit them
just like you would any regular video.
And don't forget the value of incorporating sound design.
Your 360-degree videos should engage your viewer
by offering them a unique experience.
And music and sound effects are a great way
of upping the excitement level in order to achieve this.
But even if you don't want to include music and effects,
you still should remove any unwanted background noise.
And once you're happy with the editing, you're ready for,
(bell ringing)
Step Six, Publishing Your Video.
It's testament to the growing popularity
of 360-degree videos that most major video platforms
now support them.
The list includes YouTube, Vimeo, Facebook,
as well as lesser-known specialist platforms like VeeR.
So those are the most important things
you need to know about 360-degrees videos.
If you've enjoyed this video, make sure to like,
comment, share, and subscribe.
We really do appreciate it and it keeps us inspired
to keep creating more great content for you!
And don't hesitate to get in touch.
If you need any further help with your 360-degrees videos
or anything else.
You can request a free consultation on our website,
www.spielcreative.com.
Thank you for watching.