Fashion is a volatile business that presents itself as an ever evolving landscape to those trying to sell apparel online with any consistency. Even some of the biggest names in the industry have had their ups and downs with finding their footing. A challenge to navigate the situation to say the least. Its these challenges that some find exciting and enticing. To survive in the fashion industry one must be willing to take some calculated risks, and go for it, as they say. I think this is one of the elements that attracts so many to work in the fashion e-commerce industry. I can attest to this, as I am one those people.
As the owner of VSP Studios, my crew and I create fashion lifestyle campaigns, marking editorials, and e-commerce website content for wholesalers and retailers of the fashion industry. Helping our clients present their new apparel collections is our goal, and now we have moved into what we call on-model product page 360 videos.
As fashion sellers try to find the best way to attract, maintain, and raise their conversion rates, videos have emerged as the weapon of choice. By placing short play videos of 10 to 15 seconds on their product page listings, online sellers are finding greater success with offering short play videos of a model showcasing the apparel items. These videos appear as one of the thumbnail options, and are also very organic SEO friendly. The videos offer the customers a way to see the garment moving, how it fits on a real body, and becomes more relatable by delivering content in a way that they are used to. Lets face it, we live in a TikTok world and portrait mode, full screen videos are the way to deliver this fashion content. Users today are very accustomed to story postings, reels, and pretty much all the platforms we use have a video feed of some sort. These same videos have a dual purpose for apparel sellers, as they have rich new content that can be used on social media, as promotions, special announcements, or when they want to boost traffic to a specific collection item. These “French fry delivery” 360 spin videos attract shoppers to click, and dive deeper into the shopping experience. Video content, also allows for more dynamic analytics options for the marketing campaigns can be more effective and get more bang for the buck.
Utilizing short play, product page based videos that convert apparel sales is the future of e-commerce fashion.
Last year, towards the end of the pandemic closure times, I was contacted by the e-commercre marketing team from Lascana. This fashion brand is owned by the Otto Group (GmbH & Co KG) which is based in Germany, and is one of the world's biggest e-commerce companies on the planet. Based in Hamburg, but with offices in Jacksonville, Florida they operate in more than twenty countries. Anyone in the fashion game today, knows this German based company carries a giant volume of apparel and fashion accessories every year. Being able to work with them would be an amazing opportunity for VSP, and I was excited to show them what we could do.
Their e-commerce team was interested in speaking to VSP Studios about how we were developing these new “product page based videos” specifically formatted for selling and marketing fashion apparel. This was something that I had been working on for quite some time. Using the proper camera, lens, and lighting, and finding the right formula was the trick. After many trail and error attempts, I felt like I finally had the VSP video work flow and gear in place, but there was something missing. What would I be using for my main light?
Looking to updagrde my lighting set up, and find a solution where I can shoot both photos, and videos, I found my way over to Parabolix.com. Having the right modifier is a key to achieving the right lighting that shows off the apparel properly and the new Para 55 was the right choice. Just big enough to cover the entire head to toe of a model standing on set, and with a focusable lighting rod option to dial in as needed. Looking for something more intense and contrasty? Use the focusing rod to adjust the light inward. Looking for a softer light? Focus the light back away from the modifier. I felt like this adjustable capability was going to be the way to deliver the light onto the model. Now all I needed was the right light to go with my new Para 55.
I placed my order for the parabolic modifier, and after speaking to the owner David, he had me sold on buying the entire Parabolix system, which included the amazing QUAD BOOM. This boom arm goes onto my studio crank-roller stand and is the ideal way to use these giant para modifiers. With the lighting head placed on the end of the focusing rod, it makes more sense to have a properly designed boom arm to control the lighting system in a busy fashion studio environment. The design of this boom is made for studio photographer who need to lower or raise the light to dial in as they shoot from set to set.
Once we started talking, David took a look at VSPstudios.net and saw what we do here in Miami. He mentioned that he may have the light I’m looking for to go along with my new para modifier and boom arm. I, of course, was very interested in hearing what he had in mind. I have searched for everything and found the same issues that other content creators have encountered. There are great powerful lights in panel or COB form factors with many good lighting options available, but always an issue of color accuracy and consistency. There was also the fact that I needed something different, so I could achieve a signature VSP look and style. Which is something I am always looking for. David went on to tell me that he was shipping me a prototype LED light that was designed especially to be used with the para modifiers. A cylindrical shaped LED light source with a high CRI, that is capable of putting out enough power to use in my fashion photography work flow.
Being able to shoot the photos as quickly, and seamlessly as possible, shoot a 360 spin video was the ultimate goal. That way I could maintain the amount of content that my clients require me to create each work day. Getting images up on my client’s websites quickly allows them to start selling. Providing color accuracy on the videos would also play a big part of the process, as all online sellers want to cut down on returns due to the color or fit not being right. The videos allow a way to present the product in a way that speaks to these 2 key issues. Being able to deliver high end video content that helps my customers be more efficient in the selling process was my goal when I first began to delvelope the product page video work flow model for VSP Studios.
After testing the new prototype LED light, dialing in the camera system, and post production process, I was ready give it a real world test with a video shoot for Lascana.com. The model was Kia Archer from Elite Models Miami, and the clothing would be a new Spring collection that was soon to go on market. When something great is achieved, it’s never just one thing that makes it. It’s truly a combination of all the elements coming together, and this was just the case. The new lighting set up with the all new OMNI LED LIGHT gave me the ability to keep the color accuracy on point and I could clearly see the difference in the overall quality of the light. The skin tones and fabric details were looking better than ever. I used the Par 55 and I also used a large “strip bank” soft box style, modifier.
We have recently worked with model Priscilla Ricart, one the best swim models in the industry, to present their swim 2022 collection that will showcased at the up coming Lascana Miami Swim Week runway event. We have now completed multiple video productions with Lascana, and have seen how the response from their customer base is a positive one. The VSP team is hoping that we can work more together in the future.
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We have recently worked with model Priscilla Ricart, one the best swim models in the industry, to present their swim 2022 collection that will showcased at the up coming Lascana Miami Swim Week runway event. We have now completed multiple video productions with Lascana, and have seen how the response from their customer base is a positive one, and I am hoping that we can work more together.
We have all heard the term “lighting is everything”, but in this case it truly was. This new LED light fixture was the difference maker I was looking for, so I could dial in the Lascana video content with the right color and tonality. The more I used this light video sets, the more I found it was also allowing me to shoot photos with the same color accuracy. A seamless photo to video photoshoot work flow, allows my team to shoot many items per day, and keep up with the high demand of a our fashion clientele. This new style of content creation where the photo and video work together to present the item for sale is the new norm. In the coming holiday season, you will be seeing more websites offering e-commerce based video content on their listings.
Be sure to check out the Omni LED and try it on your next production. I highly recommend it. See you at Miami Swim Week 2022 in Miami. Let there be light!
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