Alright, so I figured I’d walk you through how I recently tackled making a jewelry video. It wasn’t for some big-shot client or anything, just felt like showcasing a piece I’d been working on, or maybe it was an old favorite, can’t quite remember which one got me started this time.
Getting the Ball Rolling
First things first, I had to pick the actual jewelry. Once I settled on a nice little pendant, the most crucial part was cleaning it. You wouldn’t believe how much gunk and fingerprints these shiny things collect. I gave it a good polish because the last thing you want is a smudged centerpiece. That’s just sloppy, right?
Then, I thought about what I was going to shoot with. I didn’t drag out any fancy equipment. My phone, that’s what I used. Seriously, the cameras on these things are pretty solid these days. Good enough for what I needed.
The Setup Struggle is Real
Okay, lighting. This is always the tricky bit with jewelry. I first tried using natural light, you know, by the window. But the sun was doing its usual thing – in and out of clouds. Super annoying. So, I ended up grabbing a couple of my desk lamps. Pointed one from one side, another from a slightly different angle. Took a fair bit of fiddling to get it looking somewhat decent, not too many harsh shadows or weird glares. It’s always a bit of a balancing act.
For the background, I kept it simple. Found a piece of dark, plain fabric – I think it was velvet, or something that looked like it. Threw it over my small table. Thought the dark color would make the silver of the pendant pop. Then, actually placing the jewelry. Oh boy. Trying to get a tiny pendant to sit just right, or hang naturally without my hand in the shot constantly, that’s a test of patience. I remember trying to prop it up subtly with a tiny bit of putty, but then you could see the putty. You always end up improvising.
Action! (Sort Of)
Time to actually shoot. I decided to get a few different types of shots:
- A good close-up, really tight on the details.
- A slightly wider shot to show its size and how it hangs.
- Then I tried a slow pan, moving the phone gently across the piece.
- And finally, a shot of it being held or worn, just for a moment, to give it context.
My hand wasn’t the steadiest, I’ll admit. Got a few shaky clips. And reflections! That’s the eternal enemy of jewelry photography and videography. Seeing my phone, or my face, or the lamp reflected in the shiny surface. Had to adjust angles constantly. I took way more clips than I thought I’d need. Always better to have too much footage than too little, that’s my motto. You can always cut stuff out, but you can’t add what you didn’t film.
Putting It All Together
After shooting, I dumped all the clips from my phone to my laptop. Easier to see what I’m doing on a bigger screen. Watched everything. Cringed at some of the bad takes. You know how it is. Picked out the best bits, the ones that were in focus and where the lighting didn’t look totally off.
For editing, I just used some basic software I have. Nothing too complicated. Mostly just:
- Trimming the start and end of each good clip.
- Arranging them in an order that felt right, kind of building up to the best view.
- I thought about music, but sometimes it’s distracting. Kept this one silent, I think. Focused on the visuals.
I did a tiny bit of color correction. Sometimes jewelry can look a bit flat or dull on video if the light isn’t perfect. Just a little tweak to make the sparkle come through, make it look true to life. The goal is to make it look appealing, obviously.
The Grand Finale (Well, My Version of It)
And that was pretty much it. Exported the final video. Was it a cinematic masterpiece? Nope. Not even close. But it showed off the pendant nicely, which was the whole point. Good enough to share online or just to have as a nice record. Another little project done and dusted. It’s satisfying, in its own way, to create something, even if it’s just a short, simple video of a pretty thing.
