Corporate video and company film production services for businesses of all sizes
Category: Company Film
Company Film Information
Tips and advice on producing the perfect company film – these blog posts and articles are aimed at clients looking for advice on creating great video content for their business.
Based in Loughton on the borders of Essex and London, Video Artisan are a specialist company. We provide film production services to businesses and organisations of all sizes. In addition, we provide a complete script-to-screen service for promotional films, training films and corporate video content. Furthermore, we supply freelance camera, editing and conference coverage services.
This collection of articles includes tips on creating better video content for businesses. This enables to enable them to increase sales, inspire their workforce and be more productive. The articles include both technical and creative tips for newbie and seasoned commissioners alike. In particular there’s a special emphasis on video marketing techniques and exploring ways in which a company film can enhance their business and increase profitability.
Please contact Kevin Cook for further advice on your next corporate film – kevin@video-artisan.com or call 020 83602 3356
Find out why you need a team building video exercise at your next event
Another team building video assignment
We completed another M&IT Agency Challenge film this week for CAT Publications, at which delegates carry out a team building video exercise consisting of them producing a short promo on one of the presentations held throughout the day.
The whole Video Artisan service includes supplying video shooting kits for the team building video exercises and then editing each team’s film on site – and finally screening the results at the end of the day. In addition, our crew also shoot a background documentary on the event, which includes coverage of the other team building activities and presentations – plus interviews with delegates and sponsors. Not only does this serve as a great documentary of the day but it also acts as a great promotional tool for future events. As with all video content, this will also add to your general search engine visibility.
Team building video activities are beneficial for a number of reasons. Firstly, delegates have to take special care to listen to each presentation as they’ll be expected to know the subjects well in order to produce their film. Secondly, the time restraints placed on them means they have to quickly come up with ideas and work out how they are going to shoot their films and how they are going to be put them together – never losing sight of the fact that they have a story to tell. This helps to develop their leadership skills, their creative thinking and their ability to deliver a product as a team. Thirdly, shooting films is fun, and nothing aids the process of learning as having fun. And of course, the resultant film will act as a permanent reminder of things they have learned.
Team building video exercises make the message stick!
The M&IT Agency Challenge events are certainly a great example of how team building video exercises fit within a learning programme. This is now the third event we have covered for CAT Publications and the feedback from the delegates would suggest that the team building video exercise is an important and enjoyable part of the event.
If your organisation is looking for something new, exciting and adaptable for your next training or presentation event, then we’d be very pleased to talk you through the process of introducing a team building video exercise.
Video production in Essex definitely seems to be on the up, with a surge in activity amongst on-line marketeers, businesses and government institutions looking to exploit the power of video on their website, within their social networking platforms and in direct video marketing activities.
Video is no longer just for larger corporations and businesses, but has fast become the marketing tool for organisations of all sizes. It’s not just about driving direct sales either, but is fast becoming the preferred method of delivering all kinds of information – be that news bulletins, instruction manuals, internal communications and any story which can be shared through this very engaging and highly effective medium.
What’s all the interest in video production in Essex?
Video production in Essex is proving so popular for a number of reasons. Firstly, Essex is booming – especially in areas surrounding Video Artisan’s studios in Loughton, Essex. Situated just inside the M25, we’re well within the London catchment area and are well positioned to serve businesses and organisations in Central London and beyond. With the UK’s motorway network on our doorstep we can be anywhere in the UK with ease whilst at the same time connected to Central London via Loughton Station which is on the London Underground Central Line.
Video production is, and always has been, a very competitive service industry. Modern high definition cameras and technology are becoming ever more affordable – making it more and more accessible to everyone with a story to tell. Stepping just outside of the Central London video production industry our clients can save many thousands of pounds in production costs without losing any of the benefits of having a highly targeted and professionally produced film. At Video Artisan you get London agency productions at out-of-town rates.
Video production in Essex is therefore not about making compromises – but rather about making huge savings and yet still being able to tap into all the advantages that commissioning a video production can offer.
We’re not just local though – and regularly travel throughout the UK and beyond to help our clients create video content which helps them achieve their goals.
Look no further for video production in Essex
To find out how Video Artisan can help you to harness the power of video, and for a no-obligation appraisal and quotation, please contact us today.
It’s time to admit it… I was one of those who thought Vine video was just another gimmicky social media platform that was going disappear quicker than it appeared. It hadn’t even shown up on my radar until Twitter bought Vine Video out at the end of 2012 for a reported $30 million (source Vine Video Wiki) – but even then I couldn’t quite see what all the fuss was about. Isn’t it funny, this all changed the moment I had a call from one of my regular clients asking if I could produce a Vine video series for them. Of course I could – and I’m now well and truly hooked!
Vine video website
Vine video was originally an iOS app that enabled you to create short, looping videos with your mobile device and then upload and share them. By the beginning of 2013 it was available on Android too – but it really started coming alive when the web version was released in May this year. The maximum clip length is 6-seconds (just over apparently) and the simple Vine video app enables you to compile your video (with sound) in bursts or as stop-frame animation. Once completed you can then add descriptions and tags and share your Vine video through Facebook and Twitter (and others) – or embed it on your website.
You might be reading this and thinking that Vine is nothing new as you can do pretty much everything here with YouTube. However, the main way that Vine video differs is by it 6-second time limit and looping playback which lends itself to different content to YouTube. The content on Vine video also differs as it has to be created via the Vine app (well not really but I’ll come to that) and the camera within the device. You can of course make things easier for yourself (and make better Vines) by using accessories on your phone such as external microphones, lens adapters, tripods… but you’ll see that much of the content on Vine is basic, low production value content shot by normal people using their basic device and nothing else – other than a creative mind!
You’ll also see some pretty spectacular 6-second films which will have you wondering how they shot them using just a phone or tablet. You’ll also come across more and more Vines which were obviously not shot on a phone. These are what are commonly referred to as ‘Custom Vines’, and are generally pretty highly polished films that have been shot and edited professionally and the user has been able to circumvent Vine’s normal upload process.
Creating a Custom Vine video
Vine’s current inability to upload externally produced videos has been a major frustration for users and had resulted in a few third-party solutions that enable you to fool Vine into thinking the content you’re posting was created within the app. I’ve not used this, but one of the first of these was a free iOS app called ‘Uploader for Vine’. There were also other ways you could manually kid Vine by replacing the temporary video files created prior to publishing with pre-created content. But now there’s a really simple Google Chrome extension that does the job really neatly – namely Vine Client. Using Chrome, simply go to the website and activate the extension, open a free account and link it to your Vine account and you’re off.
Using Vine Client to upload your custom Vine videos
The technical spec for Custom Vine video file is reasonably straight forward and achievable with any half respectable editing system – but must be adhered to for a trouble-free upload. The file needs to be less than 5Mb and between 3 and 6.8 seconds in length. They recommend using MP4 using the H.264 codec (but there are other file formats they’ll accept) – with a square format pixel dimension of 480px by 480px at a maximum bitrate of 1,200Kbps. The audio should be 64 Kpbs bitrate, 44.1 Khz, 2 channels, AAC. An audio stream needs to be present, even if silent.
Once you have your formatted files it’s then simply a case of logging on to Vine Client and uploading it – job done! I suspect that Vine will eventually cave in to users’ demands and build-in the ability to upload Custom Vines directly (or more likely monetize that process) – but until they do this process seems to work quite well.
Start having some fun with Vine Video
Like other users my first attempts were video doodles created within the app itself. I’m a big fan of Instagram for photos and occasionally use its video tools too (apparently there are tools/processes to enable you to create Custom Instagrams as well – see useful reference site here about difference), but I think Vine’s simplicity is what has won favour amongst its rapidly expanding user base. Creating Custom Vines though opens up a whole new world of video fun.
Nipper Clipper Vines
Getting back to where this all started, my client Stylfile (one of Lord Sugar’s enterprises headed up by Apprentice winner and inventor, Tom Pellereau) wanted to create a collection of Vine videos to celebrate the first anniversary of their Nipper Clipper baby and toddler nail clipping product (see blog here). Having produced a number of films for them about Nipper Clipper and other products in the Stylfile range, the thought was to produce a series of Vines based on existing footage which had the potential to generate viral interest.
The first Nipper Clipper Vine appeared on 17th June to coincide with the product’s launch in 2013. Happy Birthday Nipper Clipper! More will follow in the series – so keep an eye on Vine.
This week I’ve been at the marvellous Ashridge Business School (www.ashridge.org.uk) in Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire shooting a Video CV with my colleague, and often fellow-shooter, Dilip Patel from double-barrelled.tv
The Video CV (or Visumé, or VCV or Video Resumes) is nothing new. When video cameras became commonplace there were some recruitment specialists who thought that they were going to replace the written curriculum vitae altogether. That obviously didn’t happen – for a number of very good reasons. Firstly, they are not suitable for every job position – and not all potential employers would find them useful. Employers cannot quickly scan through a Video CV – and they can also, “allegedly”, leave the employer open to allegations of discrimination. There’s also the fact that some candidates would be completely terrified at the thought of having to project themselves positively on screen.
In addition, a Video CV will also add to the costs and time involved in gaining an interview – and it will always need to be accompanied by a written curriculum vitae as the inclusion of full educational and employment histories would make for a very dull video – especially when the candidate has extensive experience.
However, there are situations and job prospects where a Video CV is absolutely perfect and could help to set you above other candidates. This is especially true when the position entails face-to-face communication and the employer is looking for someone with exceptional presentation skills. In these situations a Video CV can be exceptionally good at revealing your enthusiasm, how you engage with an audience, your knowledge, confidence and your personality. Whilst you can say all these things in a written curriculum vitae, in a Video CV you can make them a whole lot more believable.
Shooting a Video CV might be perfect – for you!
A personalised Video CV
I’m sure you will understand why I’ve not including details of the person we were shooting the Video CV for. At the time of writing this piece the video had not been released by the client – and there’s a reasonably good chance that it will not be publicly released at all. Confidentially issues are obviously high on the agenda in these situations so it is always something that has to be talked through with the candidate and faithfully observed.
Suffice to say that this person was pitching for an executive-level appointment within an industry which values and rewards exceptional communication skills and creative thinking. Our candidate was blessed with both, and the interview-style Video CV enabled them to communicate this and give any potential employer an understanding of their expertise, industry connections and successes. These things can obviously be set out within a written curriculum vitae, but on video you can deliver them with personality and passion.
Whilst a Video CV can be shot pretty much anywhere, Ashridge Business School was chosen because it has an excellent reputation in educating business leaders. As our candidate was a previous degree student at Ashridge the venue also added some relevance to the piece and was referenced to within the interview. This gave us the opportunity to shoot some b-roll shots around the grounds to help carry the interview along – and at the same time gave the piece additional credibility.
Content is King – and adds to your credibility
Not every Video CV has to be produced this way but it was perfect for this candidate and the positions they are seeking. There is not a “one size fits all” solution to producing a Video CV so each commission needs to be considered carefully and creatively to produce something that’s right for the candidate and the employment they seek. No two Video CVs should ever be the same.
The shoot
I was working freelance for Dilip on this occasion. We often work for each other and have a great working relationship where we both concentrate totally on creating the best possible content for our clients – whoever they “belong” to.
On this occasion we were shooting on two Canon 5D Mkii’s, one as a “safe” shot and the other shooting “dirty” (wide of set including lighting rig and camera one, shot of camera monitor screen, pull focussing etc.). We also had a Canon 550D on a slider placed on the table in front of our candidate and we took turns in giving that a whiz during various takes.
Lighting was great in the room we were in with its floor to ceiling windows, but we added the sparkle on the candidate’s eyes by using my Lishuai LED lighting panels. Dilip handed all the audio side which was via cabled tie-clip mic and an additional stand-mounted directional mic fed back to his mixer and Tascam recorder. The audio would be synced up in post, which was again in Dilip’s hands.
Finding a suitable location to help tell your story
How much would a Video CV cost to produce?
There are some situations where a home produced Video CV would be perfectly adequate and some where it certainly wouldn’t. In these situations you need to use a professional who is going to be able to create something credible for you. Apart from any pre-production planning and script development, for a relatively simple Video CV format the filming itself shouldn’t take any more than half a day to complete and, as long as there’s a clearly defined brief, no more than a day to edit. You can work out ballpark figures using my freelance rate card here.
The budget is however always wholly governed by the creative brief. A more complex idea might involve many more days filming, at various locations, with additional crew and kit requirements. This is normally quickly established in a confidential briefing with the delegate during which ideas, budgets and objectives can be discussed and agreed.
If your next appointment really matters, a Video CV might be just the thing to get you noticed. If you think this might be right for you, then please do get in touch.
I’ve finally managed to do a video selfie for Video Artisan this week. Okay, it’s really an ‘Elevator Pitch’ as titled, but I thought I should get a link in whilst there’s still all this talk about ‘Selfies’ going around.
It all started with an invite to a breakfast BNI meeting where I was asked to give a 45-second presentation of my business. We tend to speak around three words per second so the presentation was only to run to 135 words at the most. Simple enough one would think – but presentation was to nearly 60 potential clients so I wanted it to be all the C’s which they say a great elevator pitch should be…
1 – Concise
2 – Clear
3 – Compelling
4 – Credible
5 – Conceptual
6 – Concrete
7 – Customized
8 – Consistent
9 – Conversational
Video Selfie aide-memoire
Having written out and timed my presentation I then set about getting it into my head – and for me that’s often a challenge. One of the most successful ways for me to remember things like this is to record it and play in back again and again so I thought why not go one stage further and film myself giving the presentation using my mobile phone – and then edit the best takes into a complete presentation. The editing process alone would also be helpful in learning the words and seeing me on screen should help with perfecting my delivery.
I did that, and whilst it helped me get the presentation in my head it also inspired me to do something a little more polished. The version above that’s been released this week is actually version three. Version two was an attempt at shooting it greenscreen but I didn’t like the look and feel of that; it was far too clinical. It did prove to me though that I do have just enough room in the edit suite to set up a greenscreen set – albeit that I can’t flap my arms about too much!
Early versions of the Video Selfie
The BNI presentation went well by the way. You never know exactly where this kind of thing leads to as video production is not the kind of service which people rush to you for the moment they know you provide it. Let’s just say that the seed was sown and there are now at least 60 more businesses who know that I’m here and what I provide.
Of course you never get invited as a guest to a BNI meeting without them trying to sign you up as a member. I was tempted, and I can see how the BNI model could work for a business – but the commitment in time made it impossible for me to sign up. Things might change in the future who knows?
More than just a Video Selfie
Having finally got my video selfie out there I can imagine there are lots of other businesses who can see the value in doing something similar and, like me, want something that’s a little bit beyond what’s achievable on your mobile phone.
The benefits of a video selfie for your business are numerous, but above everything they’re a great way of revealing personalities behind the business. People buy from people, so giving potential customers the opportunity to see who they are going to be dealing with can’t be a bad thing. More often than not they’ll get to meet you eventually so there’s no point in hiding yourself away.
Using a Video Selfie to sell… you!
The other major benefit of a video selfie for your business is that it should help with your search engine optimisation (it’s already helping ours). This of course relies on the video being properly titled, tagged and described – all of which is part of the service we offer our clients on every film we produce to ensure the video reaches its full potential. And let’s not forget what I say in my video selfie… having video content is now vital in achieving a complete search engine presence.
How much would a Video Selfie cost?
Assuming you’ve written your presentation and rehearsed it, shooting something like this would take a couple of hours – and probably twice that to edit and master. If you are local to Loughton that would be within our day rate (see rate card here) – but like any other work we carry out it’s always best to have a chat with us first so we can go through the options. It might be that you’ll want a little more than a Video Selfie after all.
