If you are managing a sports event, you have to make sure you are creating a sports highlight video that has all the best moments and sending it out as a part of your cross-platform press release.
The task is not as simple as using a video trimmer to cut down your long-format video into a short format one. Even one well-made sports highlight video can make a lot of difference to the event.
Let’s find out how.
Benefits of Creating a Sports Highlight Video
With one video featuring some of the best athletes and the best moments of the match, it should be no wonder that such a video would quickly rack up thousands of views.
It triggers any sports enthusiast’s emotions, becomes instantly clickable, and most importantly shareable. You have just created high-engagement content.
What’s more, this video is going to be relevant even if a few months pass by. This means that it is going to generate revenue for you long after the event is done and dusted. Why do you ask?
Well, you can include it to promote next year’s event or use it as a B-roll. You can even use it to showcase your event planning and execution skills to other organizations.
With regard to the topic of revenue, your sponsors and donors would be pleased when they will have a solid video to commemorate the event.
This is an important bargaining chip when you manage sports events, which may not be hugely popular and do not have a huge crowd pull.
With the basics covered, let’s have a look at the following steps to create the best sports highlight video.
Prepare Before the Event
Decide what resolution your final output is going to be in. You may want to start with the best and shoot in high definition, but do keep in mind that many video editing tools compress the size and other platforms adjust video quality based on viewer bandwidth.
If you are starting out on a budget and do not want to invest in expensive equipment, storage devices, and editing hardware and software, you should stick with the standard definition.
As your work starts to improve you can gradually invest in better equipment. However, you may consider starting out with a tripod or monopod to improve the stability of your output early on.
Experiment with angles and lighting before the actual day. Similarly, have a mood board ready and decide on the type of music you would be using. Very often you will find that you are unable to use popular soundtracks due to copyright issues.
Planning these details ahead will save you time.
What Should You Film During the Event?
As tempting as it is to film every single play, it can be a nightmare later if you have to sift through hours of footage to compose the perfect one-minute clip.
If it is necessary for you to shoot the entire running time for various reasons, simply jot down the highlight moments during the plays. Later, during editing, you can scroll directly to the timestamp.
You can also edit on the job if the event does not require your constant attention and delete it on the spot. Throw in some close-up shots of your athletes, match peaks, collisions, and reaction shots to make it all the more interesting.
Editing & Trimming For the Perfect Sports Highlight Video
Decide how short your content is going to be. You may want to create multiple versions of this video with one-minute, two-minute, or even three-minute formats for different platforms that you are targeting.
Focus on the high-energy moments and let there be a build-up to the moment that is sure to keep your audience engaged.
Keep it simple and with the help of an online video trimmer make use of techniques like trimming, cutting, stitching, cropping, and splitting your original footage.
You can use the free video trimming tool to meet all of the above requirements to make the video worth watching.
Posting On the Right Platforms
Now that your video is ready, the most important step is posting the right formats on the right platforms to gain traction.
Think of your users. Are they going to watch a three-minute-long video on Instagram or YouTube? Where would the first five seconds matter the most?
After deciding on the platforms, spend some time getting to learn how each works and how the algorithm tailors content for people.
Tags matter, the meta keywords matter, and even the title could make or break the visibility you are hoping to gain from your highlight video.
Categorize your video and most importantly make it publicly viewable and shareable.
Promoting Your Video the Right Way
The final step is letting people know about the amazing masterpiece you have created. Blast out your video everywhere. Use relevant trending hashtags.
Target the platforms where your users spend a lot of their time. Include it in other promotional material and send it out in mailers and newsletters.
Share the video with all your vendors, stakeholders, and sponsors. Include it in your future marketing pitches.
This is your moment to capitalize on all the hard work you have put into creating the perfect sports highlight video.
Other Important Video Editing Tips to Follow
Be as honest as possible while trimming videos to use in your final clip. Be honest about which moments of the match are high in energy and which ones are the most engaging in a video format. This means you may need to let go of personal biases.
Music matters. Pay attention to the build-up, the drop, and the beat so that they match and complement your video. Match the quick clips with the drama of the music.
Use video trimmer tools to create impactful clips which transition seamlessly into one another.
Focus on the colors, lighting, brightness, and the emotions they convey during the short highlight story.
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A sports highlights video will never replace watching a game live, but with technology today you can share highlights of an event with other people right after the game has been completed rather than waiting for the outcome of a live broadcast and posting it online later when the video is edited down to just a few minutes in length.
