Lately, I seem to be getting a lot of questions about product shots. Product shots can be tricky-- you may have to battle reflections, you have to consider backgrounds and the product may need to be placed on some sort of stand, but what?
When shooting products, video (as opposed to still images) offers are advantages and drawbacks. One advantage is that because the image is moving, you can really show the product from every angle all in one clip. A drawback is that you can't easily remove reflections in post production the way you can with still photos. If your product gives off a lot of reflections, I would consider incorporating still images into the video, either full screen with whatever background the images was photographed on, or cut out so it can be put on any background of your choice.
A more expensive but very attractive and effective option is to have the product created graphically by a 3D animator. They can take the actual files you send to your manufacturer to make the product, and create a 3D image that gives a 360° view of your product without any unwanted reflections. Because the image exactly matches manufacturer's specifications, it looks completely realistic and flawless.
If you choose to shoot your product on video, it may need a stand to prop it up. You can purchase various stands in many different materials online, or you can think a bit outside the box. Just last week I was talking to a very edgy jewelry manufacturer about shooting their products. One option we toyed with was setting the finished pieces on raw metals. Depending on your product, you might have a similar solution that makes sense.
Another consideration is the background. A simple, clean background is always a safe option, but it's not always the best. Recently, I had a shoot with a manufacturer of herbal supplements. He suggested we shoot the bottles over a white background, but I had another idea. We were in Colorado on a beautiful day, so we set the bottles up outside with foliage and mountains in the background. It made perfect sense-- we were talking about a natural health product and there's nothing more natural than some foliage and mountains. When trying to decide a background for your product, think about where it will be used-- is it an edible product? Try a kitchen. A cosmetic product? How about a spa set up? The trick is to have plenty of space between your subject and the background so the background is out of focus and doesn't draw attention from your product.
Every product is unique and requires special considerations when incorporating it into your video. When selling a product, these types of shots are critical to your production. Make sure you explore all of your options, and choose the one that shows your product in the best light.
