You're running an online business. How will people know how much goes into your work, how much you struggle, or what your passion really looks like in action? There's only one way to let the world know: behind-the-scenes videos.
I know, I know. It could sound like a "humble brag" or an unnecessary marketing spend for solopreneurs or small-sized teams. But behind-the-scenes videos are consistently one of the content types consumers say they enjoy most from a brand. It's not only a way to build transparency and authority, it's also a great way to re-engage previous clients, attract new ones, and simply charm your audience. So in this post, we're going to share an effective game plan for how to shoot a behind-the-scenes video, super easily.
Essential Elements of a BTS Video
Every successful BTS video has a few common elements. Here's what they are.
1Output of Work
Primarily, a BTS video aims to showcase what's going on behind the big picture. What's the process that led to the making of the final product? No one's interested in knowing the process behind a mediocre product, so the first essential element of your video is your final product. If you're a photographer, it could be the final edited photograph. Similarly, it could be:
- Final edited video for a videographer
- Screenshots of social media account growth for a social media marketer
- Exotic house footage for a real estate agency or an interior designer
- Screenshots of your web analytics (showing traffic) if you're a blogger or SEO specialist
- Final glammed-up outfit or makeup look for a fashion designer or MUA
- Winning moments of gameplay for a YouTube gamer
- Best aesthetically pleasing bits of a video for vloggers
- An appreciative audience or client reaction for a coach or speaker
These are just a few ideas on the diversity of the "final product." It could be anything relevant to your profession, industry, and audience. The idea is to showcase the output of all the effort you put in, and that output should land as more impressive to the audience than it does to you. For example, if you're a motivational speaker, you might be pleased with yourself for managing time effectively at a speaking event. But that's not what you need to showcase to your target audience (unless you're coaching other coaches on time management). Show the audience's response at the event as your glorious output instead.
2Complementing Music
Unlike an educational video or a sales video, a BTS video doesn't demand a script. In fact, it's best not to have one for small to medium-sized businesses. Why? The ideal length of a good BTS video is one to four minutes. If you're working on a huge project, you can maybe stretch a BTS video out to 10-15 minutes. But it's also worth noting that the ideal length of an Instagram reel is 7-15 seconds, and YouTube Shorts run a similar range. In that little time, it's best to show rather than tell. Show your audience how you're working and what you're working on through visual media, and use complementing background music to keep their attention engaged. If you're speaking proper sentences in the background, it will disturb and divide their focus, and the visual message you're trying to give will have less impact.
3Time-Lapse
This is a no-brainer, but it's easy to forget if you don't regularly film behind-the-scenes videos. A time-lapse is a video that plays faster than its real speed. Most professional cameras and phone cameras come with a built-in time-lapse feature. You can also convert a regular video into a time-lapse simply by increasing its speed, 2x, 3x, 5x, 10x, whatever fits. Most social media apps, including Instagram, also offer a speed-increase feature.
Why is it an essential element of a behind-the-scenes video? You can share the whole process without boring the viewer, while maintaining transparency and retaining your "secrets" at the same time. People want more value in minimal time, which is essentially the purpose of a time-lapse video.
4Accenting Graphics
Lastly, there are a few must-include graphics in all business videos, including BTS videos. These include your logo and a CTA button or other action-promoting graphic element. You can also add animated graphics, memes, GIFs, and character figures to accent the overall vibe. Say you're filming the BTS of a cooking video and want to show off a secret ingredient or dish that makes your final product look more appealing. You could use a GIF that accents the secret or your audience's aha moment. Accenting graphics like these enhance the overall appeal of the edited video content.
How to Shoot a BTS Video
Now, let's walk through how you can shoot a behind-the-scenes video easily.
Step 1: Have a Work Plan
If you already have a proper schedule or system for how you work, this part is easy. You'll know how you'll execute the process step by step, which makes it easier to spot what aspects of your work are fit for BTS content. If you don't have a set schedule, outline your day with pen and paper, listing everything you'll be doing. That will help you identify what parts of your work process are worth sharing in the BTS video.
Step 2: Know Your Goal With the Video
Now think about why you're filming this BTS video. What's your goal? Are you aiming to give potential customers an inside look at your product's creation process? Are you showcasing your company culture to attract top talent? Defining your purpose will guide your shooting approach and help you decide what to include. Some common goals for small businesses:
- Product or service showcase: Revealing the creation process to demonstrate quality and effort
- Brand building: Humanizing the brand by sharing company culture, values, and mission
- Team introduction: Introducing key team members to put faces behind the business and build trust
- Indirect event promotion: A sneak peek of an upcoming event to generate excitement
It's best to aim for one of these per video. If your goal isn't well-defined, the video won't land with the same impact. Also consider the emotion you want to evoke: inspired, informed, or entertained. That decision will guide both your shooting and editing style.
Step 3: Stage Your Work Setup and Equipment
Ever seen a top creator's workspace and envied it? That's usually a staged setting. Few people work in a space that's naturally that polished, so stage your own workspace to compete with theirs. Say you're filming a BTS baking video showing off your top-grade cooking tools and ingredients. People might reach out to order cookies for their own events. Or if you're a vlogger who shares how you shoot each day's vlog with a proper camera, mic, and dedicated space, brands in your niche might reach out for a partnership. A few tips for staging your setup:
- Location: Choose a space that aligns with your message. Clean up clutter and reflect your brand's aesthetic, and incorporate branding materials or company values where they'll show in the background.
- Lighting: Good lighting is essential for video quality. Use natural light where you can, or invest in soft lighting equipment to avoid harsh shadows, and adjust it to match the mood you're going for.
- Camera equipment: You don't need the most expensive gear, but a camera with stabilization features helps you get steady shots. Tripods, gimbals, and sliders further improve the visual appeal.
- Sound quality: Poor audio can ruin an otherwise great video. Use an external microphone for clear sound, and test your audio levels before recording to avoid distortion or background noise.
A full setup, camera, lighting, and audio gear, can run a business owner somewhere in the range of a full month's professional editing service or more, depending on what you already own. If that's more than you want to invest upfront, it's often more cost-effective to hire a video editor to handle the professional polish instead of buying every piece of gear yourself.
Step 4: Film
There are several ways to film behind-the-scenes videos. You can set a camera on a tripod in a fixed spot and film the whole process on time-lapse, or keep your phone camera handy and capture the most interesting bits as they happen. If you have a team, hand this job to someone who doesn't need to be in the frame themselves. A few more tips:
- Capture authentic moments: embrace authenticity and capture genuine interactions, reactions, and day-to-day activity. Candid shots build a stronger emotional connection with viewers.
- Vary your shots: mix wide, medium, and close-up shots to keep the video visually engaging, and highlight details, expressions, or processes that need emphasis.
- Gather B-roll: supplementary footage of products, environments, and behind-the-scenes processes adds depth and context.
- Think about movement and composition: experiment with panning, tilting, and tracking, and use the rule of thirds for more visually pleasing framing.
- Shoot multiple takes: give your editor options during post-production, so only the strongest footage makes the final cut.
One more thing: a professionally edited BTS video is far more polished than a raw one straight off the camera. Good editing is what turns solid footage, cuts, pacing, sound, transitions, into a video people actually finish watching.
And that's the game plan. If you follow the steps above, you'll have a behind-the-scenes video that builds trust, shows real effort, and gives your audience a reason to stick around. If you'd rather hand the editing off entirely, that's exactly what a dedicated editor can take off your plate, or explore hiring a full-time editor if BTS content becomes a regular part of your content calendar. And if your BTS video leads to a brand deal, it's worth knowing what sponsorships typically pay, and having the right equipment checklist on hand before your next shoot.
FAQ: Behind-the-Scenes Videos
How long should a behind-the-scenes video be?
One to four minutes works well for most small and medium-sized businesses. For a short-form BTS clip on Instagram Reels or YouTube Shorts, aim closer to 7-15 seconds. Larger productions can justify a longer BTS video, sometimes 10-15 minutes, but that's the exception rather than the rule.
Do I need a script for a BTS video?
Generally, no. BTS videos work best when they show rather than tell, using visuals and background music rather than narration. Spoken narration tends to divide the viewer's attention and weaken the visual impact.
What equipment do I need to shoot a good BTS video?
A smartphone with stabilization is enough to start. As you grow, a tripod or gimbal, an external microphone, and soft lighting make the biggest difference in quality.
What should a BTS video actually show?
Focus on one clear goal per video, such as showcasing your product's creation process, your company culture, your team, or an upcoming event. Trying to cover more than one goal in a single video usually dilutes the impact.
Should I edit my own BTS footage or hire an editor?
If you enjoy the process and have the time, editing it yourself is a reasonable way to start. If you'd rather focus on filming and let someone else handle pacing, sound, and polish, a professional editor typically gets you a more consistent result, faster.
Got the behind-the-scenes footage but not the time to edit it? A dedicated human editor can turn your raw clips into a polished video that actually builds trust, on a flat monthly rate.
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