Video Production Techniques | Make a room look bigger on video

Video Production Techniques

Is the question we all want to know the answer to… How can I make a room look bigger on camera?

It might be obvious but some of the tricks that estate agents use for physical tours also apply to videos of properties. Light is a huge one, and so is the lack of clutter.

Here are some tips mainly aimed at producing property video tours.

Use a wide angle lens

Again, obvious but a wide angle lens will let in more of the surrounding thus making it look bigger. Don’t take this too far and use a fish eye lens but be careful that your straight lines are still straight. This is a big problem with 360 photographs, walls look bent and the ceiling line in particular has a distinctive curve to it.

Get as far back as possible

Have your back to the wall. Literally, even the camera to the wall! The further back you can be, the bigger the room will look. Take advantage of doorways, stand the camera in the doorway so that you can see more of the room, you could even shoot through an open window to enable the camera to be further from the action.

Play with the foreground

A gentle bit of fuzzy door frame, or flowers, or anything that adds depth to the video. This applies to all video production as a properly constructed shot will have depth to it. In property video tours depth not only looks great, but it gives the appearance of a larger space. Trust me.

Take advantage of mirrors

The above image is of us working in a property shooting into a mirror. When filming property video tours mirrors can be a pain, but you can learn to use them to your advantage. Mirrors can be used both to shoot into, showing a part of the room that you couldn’t see without the mirror, and to make the room look bigger. They can also be used to reveal another part of the room from the same angle, thus giving the impression that the space is much larger than it actually is.

Check the Light

Light light light. Dark spaces feel small. Sometimes there isn’t much you can do about the light in property videos as there isn’t the time or budget to bring big lighting rigs in. One great tip is to film on a large sensor camera. The bigger the sensor, the better the low light sensitivity. This can bring light to the darker areas of a room. Another one would be to allow the natural light to fill the space, so shoot at a good time of day!

Corporate Video Production Company, Liquona