The Best Shots + Tech Specs for Videos of Practices

After determining that you want to include custom video footage of your practice on your website’s homepage the next step is to plan it out. 

Attention spans on the Internet are minimal. If you can’t capture site visitor attention right away there’s a good chance they will leave and never come back. That’s why having a strong array of shots at appropriate durations is an absolute must. 

Within this post, I’ll cover the most effective video shots for practices as well as recommended durations and aspect ratio.  

Shots that Work Well

Your custom video will serve as an introduction to your practice. So, you’ll want to highlight all of the best elements of your practice and give a brief overview of the patient experience in the way only a video can.  You can use friends and family to stand in for patients to give a “day in the life” feel to your video.

Entrance to the office – This is an important shot because it will tell your patients exactly what to look for when arriving at your location.

Entering the office/front desk – Show the opening of your front door, maybe have a patient filling out forms at the front desk, or have your receptionist wave to the camera.  

Treatment area – Capture your doctors and staff in their working space, interacting with patients, and showcasing your tools and technology.

Dr./patient relationships  – Show your doctors giving patient consultations.

End on a high note – Get some fun shots of the staff waving at the camera, high-fiving etc. to add some fun to the video.

The number of cuts in a video will determine the feel of it.  A cut is a change of scene/angle.  A large number of cuts will allow you to show more of your office, and the video will feel fast and energetic. Here is a good example of a fast video with many cuts.

Alternatively, if you want a slower-paced video, using fewer cuts and longer shots can help make the video feel slower.  In place of cuts, the videographer can use slow panning shots, like in this one. Using this style, you won’t be able to show as many different aspects of the office, but you can focus more on the most important parts.

Technical Aspects 

20 seconds – Sesame recommends that your video, custom or stock, be no more than 20 seconds long.  We have found that this length is the perfect compromise between video picture quality and website load time. 

The real number behind the 20-second limitation is 10 megabytes (10 MB). Ten megabytes is the maximum file size for keeping your website load time under 3 seconds (the target for all Sesame websites).  We have found that an HD video cannot be longer than 20 seconds and be under 10 MB at the same time.  If your videographer is able to get a longer video under the 10 MB limitation, then go for it!  The 20-second rule is a guideline, not a firm rule.

Aspect ratio – for a homepage, we recommend 1920×1080 pixels (1080p) for a full HD video.  Our websites are typically 1000 pixels wide, so this common aspect ratio will give you the best quality for the space.

 

By utilizing combinations of the recommended shots in this post in addition to 20 seconds or fewer durations and a 1920×1080 pixels (1080p) aspect ratio you stand a good chance of creating a successful custom video for your practice. 

If you’re unsure of whether or not to use a custom video or stock video on your site please have a look at this post for more information on the merits of each option. 

As always, we’re happy to help with any related questions you may have!

 

—Brennan Smallwood, Web Producer, Sesame Communications