Video Guidelines
These are recommendations for creating a video that is designed to be user-generated and authentic, but that falls within Boise State’s brand guidelines.
If your video project is user-generated, use a laptop or phone camera
When a video is user-generated, we want it to look like a video you shot yourself.
- Make sure that you are at, or near, eye level with the camera on your laptop or phone.
- Look at the camera, not the screen when speaking so it will look like you are talking directly to our viewer.
If using a phone, please be aware of the platform you plan to use to share your video
It can be vertical for Instagram stories, but IGTV allows for videos to be rotated, so those should be horizontal. YouTube and Vimeo should also be posted as horizontal.
What to wear
Bronco gear, please. Anything you have will be fine, we just love to see you wearing blue and orange. It helps to visually reinforce our university brand.
What’s behind you
Please do not use a virtual background if you record your video on Zoom – and remove any branded merchandise in the background, i.e. a poster that shows a big Pepsi logo, a tub of Twizzlers, a Dutch Bros coffee cup, etc. Personal items in the background are fine, but we’d like to avoid big branded logos or recognizable products.
Lighting
Make sure light sources (windows, glass doors, etc.) are in front of you, not behind you.
File formats for sharing
MP4 or MOV, 1920×1080 or 1280×720 at 30 frames-per-second is preferred.
Audio
Try to record in a room with little to no background noise. Speak loudly, clearly, and close to the microphone so that the audio is picked up cleanly.
Fonts
If you are working with an editing program that allows for you to add text and graphics, use the Gotham font. If you do not already have the Gotham font license, please email brand@boisestate.edu to purchase a license for $35.
Colors
Always be sure to use official Boise State digital colors, if they are not available within your editing platform, please contact brand@boisestate.edu for direction.
Nameplates
When creating a nameplate for the speaker of your video, be sure to include their full name and list their title underneath. When placing the nameplate, try to have it in the bottom right or bottom left corner of the screen so that it’s clearly visible and not covering the speaker. Use Gotham font, and if you need a colored background behind the font so that it’s legible, use one of the blue or orange brand colors for the background and white text for the font.
Animated Signature Mark
This is an option for tagging on to the end of your video. You don’t need to have the animation run for a full 10 seconds, you can shorten it to fit the needs of your video and it’s timing. The animation does not need to be placed at the beginning of your video, only at the end.
Download animated signature mark
Get Permission
Be sure to ask for and get permission to use any video you are requesting of someone, an email from them confirming their consent will work fine.
If your video project is designed to have a more polished, professional flair, use video production equipment
Albertsons Library Tech Lending and the Center for Teaching and Learning offer rentals of microphones and cameras for the Boise State community to check out and use.