How to Take Better Video for Your Used-Car Listing
Tap that red button and begin filming.
Aaron Miller | Capital One
QuickTakes:
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Today, anyone selling a used car has myriad online options for listing their vehicle, ranging from basic text-and-photo websites such as Craigslist to those that cast a wide net such as Nextdoor or Facebook Marketplace. Drivers can even target a specific audience with brand-specific message forums or groups on Facebook.
Good photos and a good description of the vehicle are one thing, but a savvy seller might also want to take a video to show their car's condition — both good and bad. After all, the last thing you want to do is to mislead anyone about any of the car's flaws or issues.
A video is the next best thing to actually seeing the car up close. It's a great way to show prospective buyers that the features in your car are operational, that its engine sounds great, and — if executed safely with a passenger operating the camera — that it drives well at highway speeds.
All you need is a smartphone or a digital camera plus a steady hand and maybe a buddy.
Take Car Videos With a Neutral Background
Since your video can be seen by any prospective shopper, you'll want to safeguard your privacy. For this reason, it's best not to shoot the video in front of your house where your address will be visible.
Instead, pick a quiet location with a background that won't be distracting. A plain wall that's not the color of the car typically works best, though even an empty parking lot will generally be fine. Use common sense when picking a spot so that you don't have to worry about oncoming traffic.
Choose Early Morning or Late Afternoon for Ideal Light Conditions
A video shot inside a garage or just as the sun is setting will be too dark to be genuinely useful. Look for decent natural light, such as the first hour or so after the sun has risen or the last couple of hours of the day. Picking the middle of the day when the sun is high in the sky can lead to shadows and reflections that might not look great on camera.
If you have the opportunity for an overcast day to shoot video, take it. You won't have to worry about shadows.
When shooting, take your time to walk slowly alongside the car, capturing as much of it in the frame as possible. Zoom in — or simply walk closer to the vehicle — to show the condition of the paint, as well as the presence of any rust, dents, scratches, or fading.
Where You'll Upload the Video Should Determine Your Phone's Orientation
Your device will likely take video vertically (portrait) or horizontally (landscape).
Facebook Marketplace is geared toward mobile users scrolling on a device that's upright in their hands, so any videos you plan to upload there will look best when shot in portrait mode. Otherwise, you may shoot the video in landscape mode to capture more of the vehicle.
Prep Your Car Before the Video
Before you whip out your phone, be sure your car is clean inside and out and remove any of your belongings. Nobody's buying your coffee mug, phone cord, or backpack, after all.
If you plan to open the glovebox or flip through service records — something you might want to consider for a high-value vehicle or one that has had lots of recent work — be sure that anything with your personal information on it has been removed or obscured.
Operate as Many of the Car's Features as You Can
One of the main purposes of your video is to assure potential shoppers that your car is in the condition you say it is. To that end, spend time showing off the car's working — and non-working — features.
Put its power windows up and down, operate the remote keyless entry, turn on the radio, use the sunroof, move the seats back and forth, and flip through various pages of the infotainment screen.
You may also want to pop the car's hood to give a nice view of the engine bay while it's running. This could help clue viewers into any unexpected noises. It might be easier to already have the hood open before you start filming.
If there's something that's not working, be sure to point it out.
Getty Images
Don't Be Afraid to Narrate
You don't have to be a professional voiceover actor to tell a car's story. As you walk around the vehicle, don't be afraid to talk about its features.
That said, overselling a car won't work, either. Pick your words wisely so as not to overwhelm viewers. If all you're doing is babbling, viewers may very well find themselves muting the video.
While you're at it, this is a good time to tell viewers anything you know about the car's history. You can mention things such as:
- When you bought the car
- Anything you know about its life before you
- Any major service you've had performed
- Any damage that has been repaired
One more tip that you may have learned in middle school drama class: Don't talk too fast. Whether we're on stage or on camera, many of us have a tendency to talk rapidly.
Your Video Should Be Long Enough to Be Useful but Not an Epic
There's no ideal amount of time for a car-overview video, but it's hard to imagine thoroughly illustrating the car's condition in fewer than three or four minutes. If your first take was only 30 seconds, you might want to shoot it again. The same is true for a 15-minute video, which may only work for an exceptionally complex vehicle.
Be Safe When Shooting Driving Video
Particularly for an older or higher-mileage car, it can be beneficial to show viewers that the vehicle accelerates well and drives smoothly at highway speeds. To do this safely, you'll want to have someone in the passenger's seat holding the phone or camera.
Here, you might want to focus on the speedometer to show the car's speed as well as the steering wheel to show that it isn't shaking. For privacy purposes, don't show your face in the video.
Be sure to obey all applicable traffic laws. It's not worth getting a speeding ticket.
Upload Your Video and Then Share It
Once you've taken your video and reviewed it on your device, you'll need to share it. Sending it to prospective buyers via email or text message will compress its quality, rendering it useless.
Instead, look to a free video-uploading service such as YouTube or Vimeo. Either way, you'll need to sign up for a free account. Facebook allows users to upload videos directly.
