If you are interested in making a review of some sort of media-based product, such as a video game, TV show, movie or more, then look no farther! Here are five easy ways that anyone can use as a guideline for making a successful review. The following points are in no particular order as the importance of each step changes depending on what it is that you are reviewing and what you and your audience are most interested in. Remember that your review needs to be unique! So my advice is to follow these basic steps, but don’t forget to add some of your own personal flavour and style to make it your own.
Avoid Repetition of Scenes
An important thing to remember is that people don’t just want to hear your opinion or listen to you talk, they want to see something happening. During your review you should keep the scenes of what you are showing on screen changing somewhat frequently. This doesn’t mean flash from one shot to another constantly like say in a music video, but give your audience some variety. For instance, let’s say you are doing a review of a video game. Whether you decide on a format where you only show footage from the game as you talk or you have animated footage or real-life footage to go along with it, make sure you are showing the viewer different scenes from the game and scenes that match up to what you are saying. If you are talking about how amazing the graphics are, why not back up your statement with some impressive scenery shots from the game or maybe a close up of a character in the game that really shows off the high quality graphics. You may have quite a bit to say about the graphics so make sure to switch it up and show some shots of other parts of the game. Another example would be if you are talking about how impressive the fighting is in the game you are reviewing, don’t just show footage for a couple minutes of one fight, show scenes of you fighting in multiple different situations against different enemies. This both keeps your viewers interested, and gives more evidence to your statements, because remember, people don’t just want to hear you say something is good or bad, they want to hear why and if they can visually see it while you explain it, then it’s a win-win.
Here is a great example of how to do a fantastic review. The reviewer does a great job of showing off a wide range of the game while also showing scenes that are relevant and prove all of the points he is trying to make. And it is minor things like how he has cued up switching of scenes to match the beat of the music at some points that makes the video much more interesting and enjoyable to watch. The reviewer also touches on every one of the following steps in my article (see if you can identify where he does this).
Audio and Video Quality
If you’re making a video review and your audio quality is terrible and/or your visuals are blurry or pixilated, no one, no matter how amazing your actual review is, is going to bother watching. This means that in order to make a good video review, you’re going to have to invest in some quality equipment. This doesn’t mean breaking the bank to buy a $1000 camera or microphone, but it does mean having to put some money up to make your video both a pleasure to listen to and watch.
Spice in the Review
You might have some fantastic points in your review, but to keep people listening, it is a great idea to throw in something more. Don’t be afraid to make a joke or two. Or if comedy’s not your strong suit, then throw in some interesting facts. This is also a great way to start a video. Instead of starting with something like “so today I’m talking about the movie American Hustle, my movie of the year”, why not say something that will grab attention like “today I’m reviewing the nine time Academy Award nominated film American Hustle, a movie with a lot more truth behind it than you might think”. This gives some information about what you are reviewing, and makes me interested in watching to see what it is about this movie that’s made it so popular and to find out what it is that you mean by “more truth”.
Show both sides of the story
Your review is a way of expressing your opinions, so you are not in any way wrong in saying that you love or hate something, but your audience is not you, so it might not be clear why you feel the way that you feel. Explain clearly how you formed your opinions, and explain why some people feel the opposite. When I watch a review I like to know not just how the reviewer feels, also what other people think about it too and why the reviewer thinks the other way. What I’m trying to say is that a good reviewer can see both sides of the story and explain both sides to the viewer followed by an explanation of why they feel that one side is better than the other.
Back yourself up
Finally (this is a little bit of a reiteration of some of the earlier steps), you should remember to fully explain how you came to your opinions on what it is you are reviewing. Going with the example of graphics from earlier, if you feel that the graphics are absolutely fantastic, don’t just say they are, show us! If you think the characters are great because they are relatable then show us a scene with some character dialogue that backs your statement up. If you think the special effects of the movie are terrible, then show us some scenes where the effects are lackluster and tell us why this disappointed you. In other words, you need to back up everything you say, ideally include your reason with some visual evidence.
To make your video review as successful as possible, try to touch on each of the five points I just talked about. Like I said before, though, each review is different so don’t worry about following my advice letter to letter. At the end of the day, the most important thing is that your review is unique, but following these points will take your review from being unique and good, to unique and fantastic!
