I want to help you make the best pet adoption videos you can.
Shooting great video is a skill you can achieve. You want to do the best for your rescues so invest some time in sharpening skills you already have from using a smartphone.
This is all done one ‘paw step’ at a time.
Top Cat Video Tips
First of all, don’t stress about fancy equipment. You do not need fancy videography equipment if you are a beginner. You do not need an expensive DSLR video setup, just grab your smartphone. Be fearless, get out there and tell an adoption story, or a rescue tale.
I have been placed in two BlogPaws® Nose to Nose Finals using an iPhone to shoot movies. If I can achieve this kind of attention, so can you. I created those videos on my own with no extra help, so keep trying.
You may be a blogger with close links to a rescue – use those links.
Get a story idea down on paper them try to tell it as a movie. It’s the best way to practice. Try a puppy getting adopted video, or cute senior cats at a local adoption event.
Use your unique selling point to brainstorm a short video to introduce your rescue family to your readers. Spotlight the beauty of adoption of a disabled pet, show a hopeful future.
Need some ideas? Give five rescue top planning tips, introduce a local volunteer, or show how to cope with finding an ‘abandoned’ kitten. Create a small pet adoption commercial for social media and who knows, you might end up featured on the Dodo funny animal videos.
Create an Inspirational Cat Video
With your skills improving every day, why not start a video project for a rescue. This can spotlight a pet, the cattery block or rabbit family. You can record an event that inspired you as BlogPaws® inspired me. Watch this.
Whether you are shooting video indoors or outdoors, at home or a rescue. Just remember, have confidence. With a few video camera skills, you can focus on telling an inspiring story.
We make this sound easy, don’t we? Let’s say it’s easier when you have a few intentions in place to guide your progress. Try these:
Focus on your subject. What is it? Who is it?
Plan a simple story. If you need a structure or list of shots you must have used our printable sheets for the UK or the USA.
Now go and make a movie. Remember to shoot a little more than you need so you have wiggle room and maybe save some of your extra shots as a ‘B reel’ to add to your story.
Edit your movie. Keep it simple, join clips together. Add a little bit of text.
Remember: Your videography techniques will improve with every movie you make – keep working at this.
Feel Lost? Develop a Movie Concept
I scribbled down a movie idea for a spring film with one of our cat family Miranda the tuxedo. I hoped I could capture how much fun she has in our garden. It’s the perfect way to her cat personality.
I added some licensed music to give it a cheerful vibe. If you want music AudioJungle has a range of prices, each with an official licence.
Miranda from The Dash Kitten Movie Crew on Vimeo.
TIP: A video can also include images of a cat from a long time ago. If you have printed pictures, these can be scanned into a computer. If you find the ‘Ken Burns’ effect on your computer, an older image still maintains the movement people expect.
IDEA: Create a Cat ‘How To’ Video for Pet Parents
If you find an issue is coming up again and again, work with other volunteers to create a short video for your Facebook page and other social media.
- Use a printable for your website and list valuable tips on a specific topic. You could create a movie on keeping community cats warm, try raw feeding, handle a lost kitten.
- Do a short promo for a favourite Rescue’s longest resident who needs a home. Keep it short. If you do, it will work on a lot of social media channels who require your video to be less than a minute.
NOTE Our Movie Help section is packed with tips and advice if you need extra help.
How Do I Edit This?
Editing takes a bit of practice but if you can do it on your computer if the phone screen seems too small. Look at your clips. You will see what ones you like, drag those to your timeline and start fooling around. If you need editing help YouTube has lots of videos so there will be one for your smartphone app. Just take it slowly. No-one was born knowing how to make movies so don’t be hard on yourself.
When You Need It Now
When you need a short video very quickly, our favourite instant movie secret weapon iMovie’s ‘Trailer Template’ function or the free version of Adobe Spark app.
A post on feline probiotics used up the time I had so I used a short iMovie trailer template for extra sparkle. The template consists of a pre-assembled sequence of placeholders for video and still shots. There is space for text inserts and an uplifting track perfectly timed for the template.
OK, I’m Ready What do I do?
Step One: Check our video shooting basics for the skills to get you up and running. This is a really helpful post packed with nitty-gritty advice given in a non-scary way.
We have smartphone app advice for beginners here if you need them too.
Our best advice ever? Just get out there and film stuff. Learn to hold your smartphone as a camera, and how to keep your rescue pet centred in the frame. See if you can do a close-up. Have fun and laugh when you get it wrong, then try again and do it better,
TIP Your video is not Gone with the Wind (3hrs 58mins) it is a message to your potential adopters and fosters. A short and meaningful message you can share on your social media channels can make a big impression.
Making inspiring animal shelter adoption videos gets pets into homes! So, tell me, what kind of rescue video are you going to create today?
Marjorie and the
Dash Kitten Crew
I’m dying to do a video on agility. None of my creatures will willingly participate properly (in public) and it is hard to get a good set of footage. I’m getting bits and pieces at a lot of shows. Eventually, hopefully, I’ll get enough to do something with it.
That’s how I would do it! Your aim – Agility. Your method – My Dogs, how they learn, how the improve and how they succeed!
I need to do more dog training videos! I’m thinking about participating in the 100 days of dog training challenge so maybe that will be motivation.
You should try a video. It does not need to be long, just pick one element and work with that.
Making more videos (effective) is one of our goals this year. We’ve done simple videos, but we’re ready to tackle something a little more involved. We couldn’t find the Super 8 app on our iPhone. Is it under another name?
I’ve been playing around with making videos. I’m not sure they’re any good! Your tips will help!
Wow, this was super informative. I really know so little about video, but it’s something I would love to learn. Thank you for sharing your expertise and giving me lots of food for thought!
You have inspired me! Now all I need to figure out is how to be more stealthy because every time I sneak up on one of The Tribe of Five to capture a purrfect moment they wait just until I’m ready to hit the button and zoom, off they go! I need to try some videos, I might have better luck!
Many great tips here. I am still struggling with photographing The Tribe of Five. They have the uncanny ability to sit still in a perfect position and move, just when I’m ready to take the shot. Perhaps I need to take a class on how to be stealthier! These video tips were very helpful and encouraged me to do more videos. Thanks!
I use a camera for all and still trying to understand everything, like I can put a water mark through my camera onto all pics and video and have tried like 10 times and still cannot do it LOL. I would love to be able to do better pics and movies like you, maybe by the end of the year I might have managed something – I need to learn more from you
My problem is editing. I don’t have an iPhone and I’m lost with editing software. I know video is the way to go.
That video is epic! I love it 🙂
I love seeing how far you have come with video. It’s truly inspiring and your videos are always so professionally done. Love Harvey’s video endorsement of Humarian!
When I take video I kind of just do it on the spot – I need to take your advice and do a storyboard or at least have some kind of plan.
Thanks so much for the great tips! I’ve taken away so much and will probably need to reference in the future as a reminder!
I have raw video that I’m REALLY excited about sharing … but having never edited a video before – the task feels gargantuan. I don’t have a smart phone either – so I don’t have access to many of the apps available to everyone else.
Problem with these smart phone thingies is, the phones are smarter than my peep!
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!
But seriously, my friends, you’ve given everyone some REALLY GREAT pointers here on makin’ videos. Excellent points, for sure. PURRS.
Excellent advice, and well presented.you sure do make it easy for beginners to get to grips with things….
Toodle pips and purrs
ERin
I am planning on starting with videos in the future but it always seems so overwhelming. You make it sound doable and easy 🙂 I’ll really have to just get out there and film stuff 😀
We love your video information ! We did some short videos, with iPhone and iMovie, and you’re so right : no need of fancy equipment to begin, just do it ! Purrs
We love your video information, we just never seem to get around to doing it. If you were a dog blogger you would have won.
Good tips!
You have gotten so GOOD with these videos! Wow.