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You want to sell your car, and you feel like you have a serious gem to offer the market. You may drive a 1967 GT500, but the wrong presentation can make your ride look like an old, rusty Chevette. A great set of photos on Autotrader may get you a few nibbles, but an amazing video will have buyers from other states coming in to take your old wheels off your hands.
Before you whip out your outdated iPhone and take an amateur, potato-quality video, read up on some tips that will make your video the envy of Steven Spielberg.
Use the Right Camera
You don’t need a 75mm IMAX camera to show off your classic, but you do need a newer smartphone or camera to make the effort worthwhile. The iPhone 6 and Samsung Galaxy S6 are two phones with incredible cameras. A GoPro is a great choice for capturing action shots, and you can even mount it to your car for dramatic footage during a scenic drive.
Find Good Software
You don’t need to spend hundreds on a professional video editing suite to make a killer video. Most computers come with the basic tools you need to edit clips, improve the sound and add music. iMovie for Apple is an easy and free program to do all your editing. There is a small learning curve, but a few video tutorials will have you on the right track.
Share on the Internet
You want two things in an online video: quality and shareability. YouTube and Vimeo are your solutions for both. While Vimeo gives you better quality, YouTube is the most popular format because you can share its videos just about anywhere. And when it comes to selling a car, audience reach matters.
Input Stock Images and Video
Listen, you won’t be able to get every angle imaginable of your ride on the road, and that’s fine. Chances are stock photo and video services like Shutterstock have your car in their directory that you can use for those shots you just can’t handle yourself. As long as you’re not deceiving about the replacement car being for sale, there is nothing unethical about it.
Add Narration
Don’t just film you car in awkward silence. Even if you add music, you need to explain what you are filming so the buyer is in the know. But, and this is the key here, don’t just ramble on behind the camera. Your editing software should have a speech setting where you can talk into your computer’s microphone. This way you can edit first and narrate second, so nothing is cut off.
Leave the Garage
The setting of your video can have a lot of impact on a potential buyer. While there’s nothing wrong with covering the details in your own domain, a scenic background adds to the appeal, especially if your car falls in the performance category. Just watch at any episode of “Top Gear” (rest in peace). Do the hosts ever stay trapped in the studio? Absolutely not. They explore some of the most beautiful roads in the world, which makes the cars they drive look even better. So find a good, scenic spot to film your soon-to-be-former ride.
Kamal says
October 7, 2015 at 5:12 amThanks for the tips, very helpful.