Guide
Before and after landscaping videos: film both shots from the same spot
Updated
A good before and after landscaping video shows the same yard, from the same spot, before and after the job. Here is how to film it and what to say over it.
In short
- A before and after landscaping video shows the same yard, filmed from the same spot, before and after the job.
- Film the before during your first walkaround, before the crew touches anything.
- A time-lapse or a few short clips of the work in the middle show what the client paid for.
- Keep the finished video 20 to 40 seconds, and talk over it to explain the problem, the fix and the price.
- Posting straight from your phone is free. Cutroom edits it for you: your first video is free, then $19.99 a month for about 11 videos.
- Longest video Google Business Profile takes
- 30 s
- The vertical shape Reels, TikTok and Shorts use
- 9:16
- Cutroom credits for a finished 30-second video
- 110
Why before and after videos work for landscapers
Anyone can see the change in a couple of seconds. They do not need to know anything about landscaping.
- The change is clear with the sound off, which is how many people scroll.
- A new company can show proof as well as an old one, because the proof is in the video.
- Adding your voice, captions and a price range tells viewers what the job involved and what it costs.
How to film the before and after
Film the before during the first walkaround, before any tool comes off the trailer. Then film the after from the same spot.
- Stand where the whole problem shows, such as the dead lawn, the slope or the muddy corner.
- Hold the phone upright at chest height, and film about 10 seconds, standing still or walking slowly.
- Drop a pin on your phone's map, or take a photo of where you stand, so you can find the spot again.
- Do not tidy up first. The mess is what makes the after worth watching.
- Film the before on every job, even the small ones, so it becomes a habit.
Matching shots or shots that do not match
Same corner, same height, same direction.
Where you stand
- Matching shots
- The same corner both times
- Shots that do not match
- Wherever was handy
Phone height
- Matching shots
- Chest height both times
- Shots that do not match
- Different each time
What viewers see
- Matching shots
- One yard, changed
- Shots that do not match
- Two yards that look different
| Matching shots | Shots that do not match | |
|---|---|---|
| Where you stand | The same corner both times | Wherever was handy |
| Phone height | Chest height both times | Different each time |
| What viewers see | One yard, changed | Two yards that look different |
This is the whole editor
Highlight a phrase and a clip lands on those exact words. No timeline, no keyframes, no layers.
What to film in the middle
A video that shows the work between the before and the after tells more than two shots side by side.
What to film between the before and the after
| Clip | How to film it | How long it takes |
|---|---|---|
| Time-lapse | Put the phone on a cheap tripod, frame the yard once and leave it running | A minute to set up, then it films itself |
| Three short clips | The skid steer, the string lines and the sod going down, about 10 seconds each | About 30 seconds of filming |
| Drone shot | One slow flight over the finished yard, if you already own a drone | About a minute in the air |
| Walk around | A slow walk through the finished yard at chest height, no drone needed | About 20 seconds of walking |
Clip: Time-lapse
- How to film it
- Put the phone on a cheap tripod, frame the yard once and leave it running
- How long it takes
- A minute to set up, then it films itself
Clip: Three short clips
- How to film it
- The skid steer, the string lines and the sod going down, about 10 seconds each
- How long it takes
- About 30 seconds of filming
Clip: Drone shot
- How to film it
- One slow flight over the finished yard, if you already own a drone
- How long it takes
- About a minute in the air
Clip: Walk around
- How to film it
- A slow walk through the finished yard at chest height, no drone needed
- How long it takes
- About 20 seconds of walking
What to say over it
A video without talking shows the change. Talking over it explains the problem, the fix and the price.
- Say it in your own words, once, instead of reading a script.
- Name the neighborhood if the client agrees, because people nearby will recognize it.
- Give a price range. It is the first thing most homeowners want to know.
What to say, in four sentences
What the client wanted
What you found when you started digging
What it took to fix
What a job like this costs
Should you post it as it is or edit it?
Both are fine. An edited video answers more of a homeowner's questions, because the words you say are on screen too.
- Instagram and TikTok can join two clips and add a line of text in the app, for free.
- An edited video puts captions on every word you say, plays your job clips over the words that describe them and adds an opening headline.
Posting it as it is, or editing it
Time to make
- Straight from your phone
- A few minutes of joining clips and typing the text yourself
- Edited in Cutroom
- You upload it and it comes back edited in about a minute
What it has
- Straight from your phone
- Two clips, a line of text and whatever you say over them
- Edited in Cutroom
- Captions on every word, your clips on the words that describe them, and a headline
Cost
- Straight from your phone
- Nothing
- Edited in Cutroom
- 110 credits, from $19.99 a month; your first video is free
Best for
- Straight from your phone
- A quick post of a finished job
- Edited in Cutroom
- A video that explains the job and the price
| Straight from your phone | Edited in Cutroom | |
|---|---|---|
| Time to make | A few minutes of joining clips and typing the text yourself | You upload it and it comes back edited in about a minute |
| What it has | Two clips, a line of text and whatever you say over them | Captions on every word, your clips on the words that describe them, and a headline |
| Cost | Nothing | 110 credits, from $19.99 a month; your first video is free |
| Best for | A quick post of a finished job | A video that explains the job and the price |
Where Cutroom fits
Cutroom edits the version where you talk over the clips, so you do not have to line the clips up yourself.
- You upload up to 3 minutes of yourself talking, plus your before, middle and after clips.
- Cutroom cuts it and adds captions timed to your voice. The edit comes back in about a minute.
- Highlight the words where a clip belongs, such as "this is what we found", and the clip plays over exactly those words.
- A 30-second video costs 110 credits: 100 to edit and 20 per minute of export.
- Your first video is free, with no card, and you have 7 days to make it. It carries a Cutroom mark; Lite at $19.99 a month removes it.
Questions people ask
- What if I forgot to film the before?
- Do not use a before from another job, because viewers can tell. Post the work and the after as the story instead, and film the before on your first walkaround from the next job on.
- Do I need a drone for before and after videos?
- No. Matching shots at chest height show the change well. A drone shot is a nice ending for big properties, but filming from the same spot matters more than height.
- How long should a before and after landscaping video be?
- 20 to 40 seconds: the before, the work, the after and four spoken sentences. In Cutroom, a shorter video also costs fewer credits to export.
- Should I say the price in the video?
- Yes, as a range. It is the first question most viewers have, and saying it makes the rest of the video more believable.
- Do I need the client's permission to post their yard?
- Yes, always ask, ideally in the contract. If they want privacy, film close on the work and leave out the house number, the street name and the front of the house.
- What does it cost to edit the video?
- Nothing if you post it straight from your phone. In Cutroom, a 30-second video costs 110 credits, and Lite at $19.99 a month for 1,250 credits covers about 11. Your first video is free.
Film the before on your next walkaround, and the after from the same spot. Your first video is free.
Try for freeYour first video is free, no card, and you have 7 days to make it. It carries a Cutroom mark; Lite at $19.99/month removes it