What makes a consignment or resale video or TV commercial great?

If you'd like to produce a video for your consignment, resale or thrift shop, here's an excellent example to inspire your creativity, courtesy of Closet Revival in Plano TX.

Did you notice all the great lessons for your video here?

First thing you notice is the professional announcer and sound, and the background music which is sprightly and energetic.

Then there's people in the shop shots. There's nothing people like to look at so much as other people!

Did you notice that the window mannequins were turned around into the interior for the shoot? 

I love the dressing room quick changes; it's a magical "ta-da!" that perfectly illustrates how changing out your wardrobe is fun... and notice how colorful the merchandise is!

Counting out the cash couldn't be more motivating to potential sellers...

and the act of handing a customer's purchase over the counter, in a bright "gift" bag, makes shopping for a "gift for yourself" so appealing.

Finally, the all-important establishing shot of the store exterior shot with easy-to-read overlay text is the perfect closer. It's their CTA: call to action.

See Closet Revival's video on the Too Good to be Threw "Business of Resale" Pinterest Board, and be sure to visit their web site as well! 

A while back, Brian Brown of The Orange Door in CO wrote these video production tips especially for the followers of TGtbT.com:
25 tips to make any production look (and sound) more professional.

Production:
- Put your camera on a tripod.
- Do not zoom during a shot.
- If your cam has a manual iris (exposure), use it.
- Do not use the on-camera microphone. Clip a lavaliere mic to the person speaking.

B-roll (this is the footage that goes over your interview or voice-overs):
- get people in the shot... shopping, consigning, having fun
- So.... Don't show an empty store! BUT watch out for recognizable faces, unless you have a release waiver
- on close-ups, show hands (going through racks, trying on jewelry, etc.)
- think wide-shot, medium, and close-ups for a nice mix of shots
- see the above "NO ZOOM" rule... cut between your framing changes

Post-production:
- Unless you have a REALLY good reason, avoid speeding up or slowing-down footage... you're not making an action thriller
- even if your software comes with 342 transitions, DON'T USE them
- the only transition to ever use is a dissolve/fade, and even then, just use it sparingly (if at all).
- If you're creating a commercial to be aired on TV, cable TV aggregators have very specific requirements. Make sure your files meet these specs, or ask them how they can help you meet their specs.
- For YouTube, encode your files to their suggestions, so your videos look good.

Video marketing:
- Make a YouTube channel for your store. It's FREE! 
- Embed YouTube videos on your website (it's easy, and keeps all the video views in one place)
- send out the video links in your email blasts
- if you don't have time to make a good video (with the above best-practices)... DON'T make a video. Do a "podcast" recording, shoot stills, etc. Bad video is worse than no video.

Video suggestions:
- create a store overview video first
- a dos & don'ts of consigning/ buy outright would be really helpful
- hype your events and contests
- a quick "what came in this week" video with just stills and voiceover
- get testimonials of your biggest fans (be sure get a waiver to use their "likeness")

If all this sounds too intimidating... hire a professional. Check their other productions and see if they fit your "style". Check with their other clients to see if they're easy to work with, deliver on time & budget, etc. 

-- Tips courtesy of Brian Brown

Resources from TGtbT.com:

Closet Revival's 30-second video on YouTube: They also produced a 60 second commercial from the same footage. Their videographer has a YouTube channel, where you can see more of his work.

In doubt as to what you possibly can do a video ABOUT? Look through TGtbT.com's Pinterest, especially the Board on Blogging, for subjects your clientele will find fascinating.