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Corporate Video Production

Jan 19
Love0

Videography Tips – What makes a better corporate video?

By Corporate Video Production, Video Production Explained

Videography  – A Guide to Grip

Videography for business is huge these days! It seems everyone is producing videos for their business, so it’s important to make sure that your production stands out above the crowd and feels slicker, better and more polished than your competitors. This is essentially all down to “production quality” which we’ve talked about in other blogs. But what videography tricks can you use to lift your film into a higher realm and add polish that will leave your competition drooling! Well one answer is to use grip within the production of your film. But “what the devil is Grip?” I hear you say!

Well, grip is essentially a device that moves the camera whilst shooting. By doing this you are instantly able to produce shots that have a much higher production value and that take on much more of a Hollywood feel!

There are several different types of key grip to choose from out there, these being, Slider’s, Dolly’s and Jib’s.

Sliders

Sliders are a small-scale grip, which are best used for creating short movement from, left to right and vice versa. They are essentially a bar or track of about 1 to 1.5 meters in length that can be attached to the top of a tripod. The camera is then able to smoothly glide along the track creating a beautiful moving shot that is very useful. They are usually lightweight and cost effective enough to be used on even smaller videography budgets.

videography

Slider capturing some great images

Jibs

Jibs are counter weighted cranes that the camera can be placed on allowing it to smoothly travel vertically into the air . They are great for achieving truly fantastic sweeping shots from high to low angles. There are 2 main types, the mini jib and the full size or “jimmy” jib.

videography

Mini jibs are ideal for interior shoots.

Mini jib’s are perfect for interior shoots where you may not have a lot of room to operate. These are also good for a small crew (or small budget project) as they are easy to set up and can be operated by one person. Even though they are small they can produce some wonderful sweeping elevated shots and add a great deal to your film.

The full size jib or “Jimmy jib” is basically a much bigger version of the mini jib and can extend the camera upto much greater heights. This can produce spectacular sweeping shots and is perfect for outdoor, landscapes and building footage. However, these take time to set up and usually require several crew members (at least 2) to operate. A full size jib also requires a higher budget but if you’re looking produce footage to delight your audience and to set your piece apart from the others, then you couldn’t find much that will do a better job than a Jib.

videography

A full size jib at work.

Dolly

Then finally there is the dolly. Dolly’s are a great way to capture smooth, fluid like motion in your footage. They allow the camera to travel along rails or track for greater distances than the “slider” and can produce a wide variety of impressive shots. These, like most grip, have different variants. There are small lightweight Dolly’s such as the Hollywood Dolly, which are fantastic for small interior shoots as they’re portable, easy to set up and very cost effective. However you need a really smooth surface to get the best shots out of them and you’re limited to traveling in a straight line.

videography

Videography Tip – The Hollywood Dolly (left) is ideal for quick paced shoots, whereas the track and buggy dollies (right) are brilliant for studio shoots.

The heavier track and ride on based options offer much more flexibility. These are essentially large scale train tracks that can be laid in straights or curves and come with a small buggy that is placed on the track. This dolly is brilliant for studio shoots but it takes several crew members to set up. It delivers ultra smooth movement and with the curve track it offers great way to produce gliding shots that can circle your subject. Again though this higher end option comes with the budget you’d expect so it can be limited to larger projects.

But producing beautiful moving shots should be within reach of most corporate videography budgets and will positively impact the overall quality of your film.  Be brave and consider adding this into your next project and I’m sure you’ll be delighted with what you can produce.

To find out more about us and our services, please click here.

Jan 19
Love1

Video Marketing for Business – How do you find the right approach?

By Corporate Video Production, Digital Marketing

Video Marketing for Business – The Formats that Work

Producing video marketing for business today is affordable and reachable for any SME. It’s relatively easy to find a reliable and experienced production company and general awareness and knowledge of digital media has grown to such a degree that there’s a greater understanding of process and much more value for money offered within production budgets. However, exactly what kind of film you should produce is sometimes a question that is seldom asked. By simply asking your production agency to create a “corporate film” you could be missing out on creative options that can make you stand out from the crowd. Below we’ll describe some different ideas and production approaches to give you some inspiration when considering your film.

All about the brand! – “Brand Film”

Brand films are more commonly referred to as “corporate films” and are one of the most popular format of video marketing for business. A brand film is a perfect vehicle to express the beliefs, values and goals of your company. As such they are a great way of introducing new customers to your company or launching a business from the ground up. A Brand film is a good opportunity to give your company a voice and a tone that will form the blueprint for the way new customers interpret you and what you stand for.
These films should not be too product/service specific but instead focus on the people behind the product/service as this is where your brands strongest identity should come from. Content wise you should be looking to capture action and visuals that not only show your product but also show the effect it has on your customers.
When done badly this can come across as corny but if done well the mix of stunning visuals and voiceover should establish exactly who you are and what you stand for. A Brand film may wrongly be seen as quite a luxury in terms of your marketing spend but you only have to glance at the online video customer engagement stats to see that is should be seen as an essential.

video marketing for business

Product Videos

As consumers increasingly demand a way to engage with the shopping process online product films have really come into their own. By producing what is effectively a moving brochure page (although it is also SO much more) you’re customers can see and hear exactly why your product/service is perfect for them. A glossy product film can seduce the customer in such a way that they willingly warm to your pitch.
It’s not a “fast sell” or a “patter” but instead its your product/service shown at it’s glorious best in HD beauty. With effective online distribution of the film you are able to bring your shop, office or outlet straight into the comfort of your customers home.

Case Study Videos (client success)

Producing a video that focuses on one (or more) of your customers allows you to present yourself with a pre-packed customer vote of confidence. A Case study film should be told by your customer and will focus on answering questions such as : “Why they chose your product/service initially?”, “How your product/service enhanced their life/business?”, “What was the business transaction experience like?”.
It’s a powerful way of presenting your company through a 3rd party voice and creates an honest and engaging video. As the old saying goes “people like people” and this is especially true when considering the content of your video.

video marketing for business

Staff Story

A similar option may be to tell your story through your staff. This works especially well in a service driven business and puts the personalities of your key assets front and centre within your communications. Staff stories can be produced relatively easily and can sometimes just require a few interviews and some “action footage” to create a great marketing tool.
Editing is key with this type of video as you’ll need to establish the companies message through the quotes/answers captured. However, when produced well a staff story video will win the trust and interest of customers before they’ve set foot in your location.

The Full Monty – “Promotional Video”

Ok, so a well produced promotional video can tick a lot of boxes and work really hard for your company. A beautifully shot and well crafted short film presenting your product or service in an engaging way can provide you with a versatile and engaging way of spreading your message. Sales presentations and events such as trade shows or exhibitions are great outlets for displaying a promo film but the more obvious outlet is the internet which has given businesses of all sizes a wide scope in which to reach new and existing customers (which we’ve talked about at length in other blogs articles).

Effective promotional films can be a mix of many of the elements described above and feature customers, staff, action and brand values all edited together into a snappy and engaging video.

There are no real set formats to a promotional film and they can be produced in many different ways. However the key is that a promotional video should inspire and engage your viewer. Don’t be afraid to be too dramatic and use music, visuals and graphics to ensure your film has an emotional connection with the viewer.

Video Marketing for Business can be extremely powerful when done correctly, so its important to find the right agency or professionals to use. So take time to find the right producer for your brand and look for video production companies who bring a creative spark and real understanding of your customer to the table.

To find out more about us and our services, please click here.

Jan 18
Love0

Corporate Video Advice – Video Production Pricing 

By Corporate Video Production

A Guide to Video Production Pricing

We get asked this question quite often and it’s a question that it’s almost always impossible to give an accurate initial answer to. For most businesses who are planning on producing a film for either promotional and training purposes budget will be a key factor. We all want to ensure we get value for money and that we’re presented with realistic cost options upfront.

The main problem with film and video production is that there isn’t really an off the shelf cost that we can hand to new enquiries and to be honest you should be wary of anyone who does offer an upfront “package cost” for film production. There are so many variables marketing with video production pricing that need identifying and these have a huge influence on costs.

One of the most flattering things a client has ever said to me was “when we first saw your work we thought we couldn’t afford you”. I took this as a compliment but it really does illustrate how people’s perception varies as to how much video production costs. The truth is simple, film and video can be produced for ANY budget, but the production quality will directly reflect how much budget has been allocated to produce the project.

The Image below illustrates this well. The image quality increases from left to right in in line with the increased production budget.

video production pricing 

The quality and production levels of a £1500 project will be ideal for some customers and brands, whereas other companies will require a level of production that requires a budget nearer the £20K mark. At the far end of this scale we have clients and projects that require that “Hollywood look” and long periods of production with very large crews which only come with 6 figure budgets.

Video Production Pricing

So how should you go about establishing video production pricing that incorporates all your video production needs. Well after the initial discussion with your film production company (get quotes from several) you should expect them to do a location visit to see exactly what needs filming and how it should be done. What is physically required to be filmed is a key part of the cost. For example: a series of talking heads shots with a simple lighting setup is significantly cheaper than producing an elevated dynamic sweeping crane shots of a building, landmark or land area.

video production pricing

The location visit should be done on a non-obligation basis and used to really nail down the type of film you need. Once this is done you should expect the production company to produce a full breakdown of your video production pricing and a detailed quote. This should be provided along with a basic production script document that gives you a summary of what the final film will include both picture and sound wise. This will now allow you to get a good overview of what you’ll get for your money and offer options of areas where tweaks can be made.

If you decide to proceed engage the production company who should then start the pre-production in full and develop the skeleton shooting script into a fuller document for you to review prior to shooting.

To find out more about us and our services, please click here.

Jan 18
Love0

How do you create the best corporate video?

By Corporate Video Production

We share our 10 essential things to remember if your brief is to produce the best corporate video for your company.

Embarking on a video production project can be a daunting experience. There will be lots of factors that you will want to get right and so much that you could include within the film. It’s really easy to loose sight of the basics and we’ve been sent countless briefs from marketing departments that seemed like trouble even before a single frame of footage had been shot. The worst examples of which occur when we receive a brief that has clearly been developed by committee and is essentially every single idea submitted cobbled into one big mess!

There are however, some basic elements that-in most cases-should always be included in your film regardless of what else you wish to shoehorn in there. Some of these elements have their roots in basic salesmanship and have not really changed since the dawn of time (no matter what you’re SEO expert tells you). So here’s our short guide to producing the best corporate video possible.

1 – Start with who and what you are

Whether you use a voice over, interview extract or graphic, set your stall out right from the get go and communicate what you do and who you are. Don’t assume that just because the viewer clicked play that they already know you.

2 – Shiny happy people

A promo film full of miserable looking people wont make me warm to you or your product. If you are filming real people make sure someone interacts with them to provoke smiles for the camera. Remember they are not actors and very few people walk around wearing a constant grin so a little encouragement goes a long way.

3 – Make sure that you film’s storyline is basically NOT one long list!

Remember you are selling here. One of the oldest rules in the book is to highlight benefits NOT just the features. By simply banging on about what you offer tells the customer nothing about how your product/service can enhance their life!

best corporate video

4 – Ensure any staff that appear in your film are clean and presentable

This sounds like a no-brainer but you’d be amazed video how many shoots we’ve been on where staff have turned up looking like they’ve been on a night out with the grinch! Modern HD film will show up every little spec (so make sure fingernails are clean and scrubbed also)!

5 – Include a customer in your film

As a viewer I’m naturally suspicious if the entire cast of any promotional film have an obvious vested interest in telling me that they can turn water into wine! Therefore having one(or more) of your customers on screen telling me about why they love your company will add some authenticity and validation to your film.

6 – Future proof your film

You don’t want to go to the time and effort of producing the best corporate video you can only to realize that half the products/services featured are being updated next month. Re-editing can be costly so plan to produce and release your film to get the maximum usage within your product cycles.

7 – Look busy!

If you deal with the public and plan to have shots of exteriors/interiors where you customers will be then try to schedule filming for a day that is busy. Filming on busy days can be challenging but it’s usually worthwhile as it generates great feelgood shots and demonstrates your established popularity.

best corporate video

8 – Include a reference to your website.

Ideally you should bring the URL up as a graphic at some point but if not make sure you mention your site within the film.

9 – Ensure that your production agency archives all the footage.

You may wish to re-visit your film a few years down the line and create an updated version so when agreeing your initial budget with your production agency ensure they include full archiving of all footage and files.

10 – Close your film with something exciting!

Make sure your film doesn’t just peter out and lose impact. Include a strong CTA at the end. Maybe think about including an exclusive offer at the end of your film which will not only add punch but will also give you an excellent way to track the films effectiveness.

We hope you find the above useful and that it helps you produce the best corporate video possible for your brand or organisation. However if you have any further questions then please do not hesitate to contact us on the link below.

To find out more about us and our services, please click here.

Jan 18
Love0

Why video marketing works

By Corporate Video Production

6 Reasons Why Video Marketing Is Such a Powerful Tool For Businesses

You can’t budge on twitter these days without someone telling you how vital video is for your business. Pages and pages have been posted about how video can increase traffic to your website and benefit SEO. However I think it’s important we don’t lose sight of the more basic and immediate benefits that video brings to the brand/customer relationship. So let’s cut to the chase and look at the real reasons why we love consuming information in this way. Here’s my 6 key reasons why we engage so much more effectively with film and therefore why every business needs quality video content online.

It’s enjoyable!

Watching video (rather than reading pages and pages of copy) is essentially an enjoyable experience and one which can bring people and brands together. By being one part of this positive experience your brand gains instant “feelgood” factor from the other party (ie The viewer).

why video marketing

It’s Instant & Easy Communication

Video is very easily accessed whether the viewer is on a computer or mobile. Gone are the days of waiting 2 hours for 30 seconds of postage stamp sized video to stream to your computer! Online video is now slick, quickly accessed and presented in stunning HD. This is something that is all too often overlooked.

It’s Social

Video is effortlessly shared and people love to use social media platforms to discuss and comment on great films.

It’s Involving

Copy is fine but it simply doesn’t have the explosive power that combined sound and image can deliver. Film allows us to show and tell at the same time creating a richer, more emotional experience.

It Works

A well produced video can instantly change or re-enforce customers perception of your brand. It can change perception from stuffy and traditional to hi tech and forward thinking in a second. This alone makes it an incredibly powerful tool and is one of the key reasons why video marketing is so effective.

why video marketing 

Video can show an insight into the development process.

It’s Memorable

People don’t forget a great film so video is a great way to make a strong first impression. Your customers will instantly make a subconscious judgment about you when they experience your film and this should make you stand out from your competitors.

By focusing on these fundamental benefits you will produce film and video that informs and entertains the viewer and ultimately will help drive new customers towards your brand.

To find out more about us and our services, please click here.

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