Today we´re going to talk more about backdrop ideas and designs for YouTube videos.

Specifically for Makeup Videos.

So, if you want to learn more on the matter or you were looking for ways to make your content look more professional you´ve found the right place!

Focus On Your Lighting

The very first step in order to create a beautiful contrast and get a quality image for your videos is to dominate lighting.

Now, that doesn´t mean you should study everything what is to know about light equipment and how to use it properly.

It might only mean that you control, to the best of your abilities, your own environment.

You have infinite possibilities depending on where do you live (assuming you´re shooting at home or the office).

But the one thing we all have in common and can benefit from is Sunlight.

So, you NEED to take advantage of this amazing free resource to get the best out of your natural setting.

Here´s how:

• Set the time straight. It might sound obvious but it´s incredibly important that you try out different times throughout the day to find what´s the most useful light for your specific setting. Find the biggest window in your home, try different positions and figure out where and when you can make your best videos. Typically between 9 and 10 a.m or 4 and 6 p.m are good time frames to plan a good looking shot.
• Use a reflector. If you´re standing near or right in front of a window with good sunlight you can enhance or even manipulate its direction and intensity through the use of reflectors. The best part? you don´t even need to buy one, you can make it yourself! Check out this post from Diy Photography.
• Invest in an ND filter. (between $12 and $30) They are used to control ISO, f/stop, and the shutter speed of your camera. Which means you´ll be able to control your shot and the brightness of the sun much better while enhancing your looks and sharpness when you´re on camera. Check out this video to see what I mean.

Now that you know at least three common but effective methods to use sunlight right you can hit record!

The Hollywood Style Mirror

This is another great way to create your own setting with little to no money and get awesome results in return.

You´ll not only get to see yourself in the mirror and make any correction you need while shooting but you will also get great lighting.

It is amazing what you can do with a simple mirror, some string lights, and a drill.

In fact.

Here´s a tutorial where you´ll actually how easy it can be. (DIY Vanity Mirror)

There are also plenty of tutorials and tips on how to create a beautiful customized mirror.

Some of the most successful makeup YouTubers use this same style of filming to get sharper shootings and precision when filming their how-to videos.

In addition, there are a few benefits you´ll get from using the so-called Vanity Mirror as your lighting set-up.

You´ll get an attention-grabbing lighting effect on your face and you will see yourself reflected as you record your video, which is very helpful as a beginner.

Also you get an even lighting on every part of your face.

Last but not least, you can choose the light color by selecting different light bulbs, or even painting them!

The Inspirational Art Wall

Probably one of the most common and cost effective backgrounds you can utilize to shoot nice looking content.

Just hang some frames with motivational words and phrases, maybe an inspirational picture, set it up with a bright color wall (whiter colors work great), add some complementary decoration and you´re ready to go!

Make sure to use a good cache phrase, if it´s related in some way to your content then better.

If not, don´t worry, the purpose is to have some sort of decoration that sets a positive vibe on your videos.

On the other hand, adding some sparkles to the formula won´t hurt. Use flower bases, hang more than one frame, stand near a nice piece of furniture.

The goal is to use different elements that when you put it together it makes a good frame for you to step in and record.

¡Get Creative!

Always bear in mind that these so-called methods you can use, and most content creators do apply, are not the only way to decorate your background.

You should get creative and use any resource you may have at your disposal at the moment.

Arthur Ashe

Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.

The point is to no stop before you even get started.

A good example of this could be using your Chirsmast Tree lights as background.

You can easily find inspiration on Pinterest.

Like this:

Maybe that´s not the best example ever I confess, but you get the idea.

A Customized Shelf

Another great way to get a more personalized feeling to your videos is to use a book shelf and rearrange it in a beautiful way.

You want to record yourself a few times to see how it looks on camera and change things or reorginize them until you´re satisfied.

I would suggest you get some inspiration from other YouTubers if you can´t decide on how to organize your items.

Although it´s not directly related to makeup videos here´s a good example on shelf customization.

Remember!

When it comes to makeup videos you want to keep it simple.

You have to keep people´s attention on your face and/or your content, do not get distracted by fancy accesories or complex arrangements.

If you want to succeed on YouTube your primarly focus MUST be on the quality of your content more so that the quality of your sorroundings.

Crafted Seamless Paper

This must be one of the most common and used ways to create a simple but good looking background.

Whether is for video or photography a seamless paper combined with the right light setting gets the job done.

They are cheap, easy to set up, and they´re portable so you can take yours anywhere you go.

In fact, I havea post where I reccomend you different sites where you can find a wide variety of backdrops (seamless paper among them).

Here it is.

You´ll find there are many designes that can be much more original than a simple one color background.

That is, if you want to set yourself apart from the crowd of course.

Bonus TIP!

You can easily create a gradient effect with a seamless paper using one scoop light that points exactly behind you.

¡Painting Perfection!

Now, if you are willing to take things to the next level this might be the way.

The main benefit is that you´ll have an exact spot where you can film all of your videos without much worry.

It´s about making one exact location of your house or bedroom your video studio and be ready to go.

Here are some color theory basics you might want to consider before even going to the store.

In general, a light grey and beige tonalities are a bit boring but for the purpose of making these type of videos they work great!

Yellow, red, orange, and other brigther colors can be pretty unflattering for your face so you should avoid them all together.

If you want to appear more professional you can go with a dark gray or blue.

If you’re unsure what colors you can use in your videos, try a tool like Adobe’s Color Wheel to make the job easier.

You´ll notice there are infinite color combinations that you can use in order to enhance an image.

Work with the different categoires to match colors and select one that could complement your skin tone and face.

Make Use Of Fabrics

Last but not least!

If you want to make your videos more interesting and eye-catching you then use a specific fabric or a backdrop with a specific texture.

You´ll find it can be rather effective in order to grab someone´s attention once they´ve clicked on your video.

As I´ve said before, I have a great post where I leid out where you can find cool backdrop desings at affordable precis.

Worth checking it out.

For example, utilizing curtains are one of the most underused ways some YouTubers have found that make their videos pop and set the right mood.

Some Useful Advice & Tips

Now, let´s finish this off with some practical advice.

• Always consider ambient light. If you´re using solely sunlight you MUST consider possible lighting changes that can look like really ugly jump cuts in your edit. Film your videos with the same light intensity, whether is in different days on the same exact hour or recording on a single sitting but don´t take too much time to shoot a single video.
• Set it and forget it! Once you´ve figured out how you want your background to look like do not change it, at least not until you finish your video recording session. As with the lighting, it can look unprofessional and distracting when you edit.
• Control distance and position. Be aware of your camera angle at all times, and keep your distance from your background, at least a couple of feet away from it. It will help to create the contrasting effect we´re looking for in a video and aid the viewers on focusing on your face.

There´s No Place Like Pinterest

One last thing…

You probably already know that Pinterest is one of the best ways to get some inspiration and great creative ideas.

More so when it comes to interior design, like background decoring is.

There are plenty examples on the platform you can get inspired by.

Here´re some:

Make sure to look for some ideas and maybe try out some diy tutorials on how to do background for YouTube videos yourself.

Well, I hope you´ve enjoyed this article and that it helped you in some way.

Have a good one!