Before you press the record button
Plan
It is important to plan your storyline / scenes (depending on your type of content) to help you produce quality content.
Some points to think about:
- Script
Before you press the record button
Plan
It is important to plan your storyline / scenes (depending on your type of content) to help you produce quality content.
Some points to think about:
- Script
- Storyline: Is your content scripted (e.g. comedy sketch) or do you just need an outline of the type of shots you want to capture (e.g. travel vlog, Q&A, visual arts etc)
- Character: How many people will be in the video? The quality of comedy sketches often increases as you add in different characters.
- Storyboard
- Scenes: Do you know what all the scenes will look like? Either draw them out or find images that represent your ideal shots.
- Length: How long do you want the produced video to be?
TIP
You can use music from our library to elevate your content. If a video is interesting already, keeping the original audio (and not layering in music) makes the video seem more authentic.



Frame
Now that you have your script and storyline together, you should find your location / set and set up your shots:
-
Vertical Video:
- Be sure to film in 1080 x 1920 px. Vertical videos outperform all other video dimensions on TikTok.
Frame
Now that you have your script and storyline together, you should find your location / set and set up your shots:
-
Vertical Video:
- Be sure to film in 1080 x 1920 px. Vertical videos outperform all other video dimensions on TikTok.
- Make sure your subject is in the vertical frame.
- Make sure your subject is in the vertical frame.

Lighting
Your viewers need to see you and everything in the scene, so be sure to think about your lighting source. Some ideas:
- Basic:
Use natural light – it’s free, balanced, and easy to work with. If outside, be sure to face the direction of the sun. If inside, you can use the light coming in from a window.
- Intermediate
Invest in some simple lighting equipment, like ring lights, LED light, etc.
- Advanced
Invest in a lighting course – e.g. 3 point lighting. Vloggers, beauty gurus, pranksters etc. can really elevate their content with a more intricate lighting setup.
Sound
Your viewers want to hear you so make sure the sound is clear. Some ideas:
• Use your device’s headphone for up close shots.
• Invest in a plug-in condenser mic for your iOS or Android device.
• If shooting on another camera (e.g. DSLR), use a condenser mic
Post-shoot: editing your videos
In – App Editing
• While shooting, use the stop motion technology to get the best segment. If you are not happy with a segment, you can delete the last segment and reshoot.
• The “story” feature allows you to compile up to 4 clips together.
TIP
How to use the story feature:
1. Shoot video in-app, save to private.
2. Go to private videos.
3. Select “Compile Story”.
4. Select the 4 clips you want to compile.
5. Reorder clips as desired.
6. Preview story.
7. Publish.
Editing Software
You can use your own editing software to add further effects. Some important steps:
Sound
Your viewers want to hear you so make sure the sound is clear. Some ideas:
• Use your device’s headphone for up close shots.
• Invest in a plug-in condenser mic for your iOS or Android device.
• If shooting on another camera (e.g. DSLR), use a condenser mic
Post-shoot: editing your videos
In – App Editing
• While shooting, use the stop motion technology to get the best segment. If you are not happy with a segment, you can delete the last segment and reshoot.
• The “story” feature allows you to compile up to 4 clips together.
TIP
How to use the story feature:
1. Shoot video in-app, save to private.
2. Go to private videos.
3. Select “Compile Story”.
4. Select the 4 clips you want to compile.
5. Reorder clips as desired.
6. Preview story.
7. Publish.
Editing Software
You can use your own editing software to add further effects. Some important steps:
-
1080 x 1920 px:
Vertical video outperforms other video types on TikTok. Be sure to set up your projects in the vertical dimension ratio that fills the vertical screen.
-
Logos, Intro Cards, End Cards:
To elevate the branding of your content, you can add in vertical intro and end cards, your logo, etc.


TIP
Editing is the secret weapon that top users employ to elevate their content. Taking the time to perfect your video can make all the difference.

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