4 Tips for Getting the User-Generated Look Washington DC

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Originally published at Internet.com

In today's online video, gritty is authentic and professional is way too slick. User-generated creations have been some of the hottest viral successes, and that's the look viewers enjoy. Here are ways that you can create that amateur look in your own work.

To find out how to fake the user-generated style, we went to Joe Matsushima, Minister of Propaganda at The Viral Factory, a viral marketing company that's created several projects with an intentionally amateurish feel.

Getting the user-generated look just right takes a lot of study, warns Matsushima, because viewers can sense when a look is phony even if they're not consciously aware of it. Pay attention to small details to get it right. Seasoned commercial directors can actually find it difficult, since they're trained to have everything on camera looking its best.

"YouTube is a great resource," says Matsushima, for researching the amateur video look.

Viewers tend to be more forgiving of an amateur-looking video than a professional creation, says Matsushima, because they expect more from something that's polished. So besides finding a user-generated video more authentic, they'll also enjoy it more.

Here are four tips that Matsushima and the Viral Factory have used to create a user-generated look: 1. Shoot with a Web Cam
While this is an easy way to create a user-generated look, it's also the riskiest option. That's because you're stuck with whatever you've filmed, and there's not a lot you can do with it in post-production. Because of the limited image quality, this isn't the right solution if you're ever going to show the work on TV. Matsushima says that creatives at The Viral Factory regularly experiment with Web cams to find which offer both the right look and professional control.

2. Degrade the Image in Post
An easier option is to shoot in HD, then alter the color balance in post-production to mimic the look of a Web cam. The indoor and outdoor filming modes of simple cams work by adding an orange or blue filter to the image, says Matsushima, so those are the tints to experiment with in post.

3. Shake the Camera
There are no tripods in the user-generated world, so banish them from your set. A little shakiness and some imperfect framing will help create the right look. Also, imitate poor autofocusing by taking a second to focus on elements at different distances. As an example, Matsushima points out this Viral Factory video for Philips amBX technology, which was designed to trick viewers into initially believing that it's just another user-generated video.

4. Ditch the Professional Lighting
"In the real world, no one's ever lit perfectly," says Matsushima, and that's how it is with most user-generated content. While it might be hard to accept, you'll need to put away the three-point lighting and the soft lights and allow for some shadows on people's eyes. Try using harsh desk lamps. You want lighting that looks real but that still illuminates the subject.

Keep experimenting until you can create a convincing look.

"Creating the user-generated look is probably the most important aspect of a viral campaign," says Matsushima, 'because if users don't believe this is user-generated, you've already lost their interest."