hey benb/ronny c/tpeyton

... & all you other really helpful guys..i'm looking at getting into filming homes for sale with real estate companies. Do you know any good tips/tutorials (i've seen some realty vids on youtube & they're o.k) i think i can do better
At the moment i'm enjoying, just dabbling with filming & editing.
The only equipment i have is a Canon 550D (3 different lenses) , couple of go pro's & a few tripods ( i've just invested in a camera slider).
Thanks for letting pick your brains guys.

Endoh935 wrote: ... i've seen some realty vids on youtube & they're o.k ... i think i can do better ...

being far from the class of Ronny et al, but being in the ad-/marketing-industry for +15y (long time ago....), just some very general advice "The worm should hit the fish, not the fisherman".

In terms of:
No artistry if not wanted. Slider-pans/hyperlaps/... are nice, but what does it sell?

Buildings have one major problem - you can not turn them into a better light, so, here comes a very handy tool:
www.photopills.com/

It offers 'augmented reality':
You see the life-pic of the phones cam - and painted into it the positon of the sun at any given time of the day/month/year!!

.... verrrrry smart!
Allows to be on the set for exact those 5min a day, when the sun 'kisses' the roof (or something...)

You seem to have your shooting gear sorted out, that's great. Just don't forget about light gear when you have to shoot interiors. Creative lighting accents can turn a dull shot into an appealing one. The rest is entirely up to you. Follow your guts and don't be satisfied with just repeating what others do if you want to make a difference.

- Ronny

Although not free I would highly recommend Lynda.com. There are classes on shooting, lighting, sound and editing and of course fcpx.

I actually do real estate photography and videography for a couple of real estate agent friends of mine. It is a challenge, but fun. Here's some tips I'd offer, right off the top of my head.

- Use wide angle lenses A LOT! Interior shots will require one 99% of the time, to get the whole room.
- Shoot early morning or late evening for exteriors, and rooms with windows.
- Agents want to turn all the lights on in a room, but most of the time it'll mess up a digital image, pay close attention to lamps, lights, mirrors, windows that can give off harsh light that simply blows out in a photo or video clip.
- Have the agent you're hired by "stage" the house. This means putting out a nice place setting for dinning tables. Glasses of wine, cheese, and grapes on kitchen counters. Cleaned up bedrooms. And the like.
- Shoot the hight of an average kitchen counter or slightly higher. You don't want to look down on the room, nor look up into it. You want to look directly across.
- Be careful of leveling your tripod. Use a bubble level, THEN look at the horizontal and vertical lines in walls/ceilings/corners/etc. Buildings are notorious for throwing you off and creating optical illusions. Remember that architects and builders purposefully use optical illusions of angles in building designs, geared for the naked eye. Cameras see/reproduce very different than the naked eye.
- When shooting bathrooms, angle so that toilets are hidden behind counters or tubs, and avoid showing the inside of a tub, just the outer wall of the tub.
- If there is custom decretive lighting, work your butt off to get it shot right, that sells.

- Most important of all, do NOT EVER shoot aerial stuff without knowing the laws where you live. If you're in the USA, do not do it period! It is super duper illegal for real estate agents and companies to use them. Why? 1- They paid for commercial aerial work, which is super illegal. And I know several companies and agents the FAA sent nasty letters to about it. 2- It is proof you broke amateur RC flying rules for the US by flying over buildings and residences. Just steal clear of that stuff totally in the USA.

There are several good books out about real estate and architectural photography. I have a few I got some years back, haven't looked at them in ages. But, they were a huge help when I started out with this type of work. I do it for fun, and extra cash to take my sons bowling. But there's decent money in it. Look for the higher end market, they pay the most. PM me for some more info.

wholy zamboni, what an awesome reply..thanks ben b