The key to cutting through the clutter? Choosing the right video production company.
An in-house production team ensures that everybody involved in making your film is aligned with your goals.
Video production in-house can make all the difference in the style and effectiveness of your final video. You might have an idea of the concept, purpose and overall look of your video, but the right video production agency, like Perspective Pictures, has all the tools to make your vision come to life. There will also be many things you might not have considered, such as animation and sound mixing. Not to mention all the relevant expertise, equipment and skills at hand for your video marketing needs.
Perspective Pictures has a dedicated in-house video team. But what does that mean, and why should it matter?
As a strategy first video agency, we have found time and time again that our clients are not getting the results they should from video marketing. Most brands aren’t aware of the problem – at first glance, many of our clients don’t realise they aren’t getting the most from their film because it still outperforms much of their other activities. But the point is it does not recognise the medium’s full potential.
That’s why at Perspective Pictures, we are structured differently. By employing all our own staff from ideation to grading, we can ensure that every member is imbued from the outset with an understanding of your brand and goals. We involve our DOP’s and camera team in the pitch so that we can consider the very best way to deliver our creative vision to your commercial intent. Our account managers become the guardian of your brand internally in our agency, keeping us all true to the brand intent and creative vision. Our planners consider all social outputs during the kick-off phase so that we maximise production.
With today’s mobile technology, we all feel empowered to create, publish, and distribute – but are your production values letting you down?
Social media platforms offer exponential possibilities for digital marketing teams, with over a billion YouTube users watching over 500 million hours of video every single day.
But with almost 90% of all online marketers using video content to sell their wares, digital distribution has become a crowded environment. To cut through the noise, you need to optimise the quality of your video; or risk falling by the wayside.
Lighting can make or break the aesthetic of your video production. Poorly selected locations, ugly fluorescents, and unfortunate choice of patterned clothing can damage your video to the breaking point.
Sure, you can address some lighting issues in the edit, but you should aim to start with premium footage for the highest possible quality. The purpose of lighting in the film is to facilitate maximum capture quality.
Modern cameras are particularly adept at automatically optimising your image in various lighting conditions. You could just point and shoot. And you’d probably end up with OK footage. But there are some lighting conditions that a point and shoot approach just won’t accommodate.
That’s why it’s better to use a professional production team who have mastered production lighting techniques and can optimise your output.
Bad sound quality is probably the most common fault with DIY video footage. There’s no room for poorly recorded sound in professional filmmaking. Professional sound production is the only way forward.
There are occasions where you might consider delivering to camera off-the-cuff, but does it promote your brand in the most flattering light?
Few public speakers would dare turn up to the podium without at least a bullet-point plan of what they’re going to say, and you should treat your video content with the same gravity.
When presenting directly to the camera, have a plan, if not a word-for-word script. It’s the best way to ensure that your message is delivered accurately, professionally, and on the note is to prepare.
However, reading from a script can feel unemotional and stuffy. If you’re looking for genuine, emotive performances, sometimes it’s better to freeform it from bullet points and Jump-Cut in the edit.
Have a plan determining the types of shots you want. Storyboarding can help create a deliverable message that you can pitch to your peers, and it gives you a good idea of the type of footage you’re looking for.
You should rehearse each shot. You might get to your location and discover obstacles you hadn’t counted on. Or perhaps the lighting isn’t right. Rehearsing each shot is a video filming technique that helps you master unexpected turns, steps, and barriers to ensure that you get the best possible footage. A rehearsed performance is a polished performance, projecting a professional sheen for your brand message.
B-roll clips are complementary footage that adds additional visual interest on top of your primary subject. When shooting an interview, you may choose a mid-shot of your interview subject, speaking directly to (or just off) the camera. It’s good to grab as much B-roll footage as you can during your shoot; it helps break up a single shot’s monotony.
Say, for example, you’re interviewing somebody about their favourite product. You might shoot your subject speaking in your A-roll, but then shoot additional clips showing them using the product in various settings for B-roll footage.
Get close-ups of the product, maybe some locational context shots. When you’re shooting an interview, it’s useful to capture shots of hands-on laps and feet – that type of thing.
When you get to the edit, you’ll congratulate yourself for having the forethought of capturing B-roll.
Of course, we’ve been talking about capturing the best possible footage before you get into the edit suite.
But:
There will always be sections of your footage that let you down; it’s just how it goes.
Perhaps your interview subject twitched while they were speaking; maybe the natural lighting dropped.
Never fear: for you have B-roll.
The edit is the opportunity to intersperse your A-footage with your B-roll to cover over the visual ticks and errors. Keep the audio from the A-roll going and intercut with your complimentary shots; it increases visual interest while allowing you to compensate for visual errors.
Remember, it’s essential to look at results that video content has driven, rather than just the creative. There are plenty of well-produced content examples that haven’t driven any traffic or increased conversion.
Ultimately, you want a video production team that can produce a video to meet your business objectives. Have a look at the types of companies and specific sectors they’ve worked with to gather an idea of what they can offer you. You can also find these videos on social media – see how far they’ve reached, how many likes and shares they’ve received, and how often viewers have commented underneath. These are all excellent indicators of audience engagement, proving how well these videos have resonated with viewers and converted them into customers.
This will also give you a clearer idea of where to promote your completed video. Thinking about the age range of your target audience will show you where you can reach maximum brand visibility. There’s no point in creating a well-crafted video if nobody is going to watch it.
We describe writing a brief as the most important single thing a client will ever do on a project. It’s from the brief that everything else flows. The better the brief, the better and more accurate the results. And the more time, effort and information you put in at the start, the greater the time savings throughout the process.
When planning a video, consider your partners very carefully. It’s tough to find a production partner who can both make amazing content and make it work in terms of how it gets used on social platforms.
Marketers expect that they need to handhold video production companies by micro-managing the messaging and the script. If this is happening, you aren’t working with the right people. Your production partner should be advising you, based on a solid understanding of your brand, on how to bring your brand story to life in film and challenge you beyond your comfort zone to make the content engaging and stand out.
Thousands of views, likes and impressions are meaningless unless they come from your target audience, so don’t be beguiled. Cast your mind ahead, determine what this video needs to do, and then measure its success accordingly. Make sure your video partner understands this and that their advice marries your goals.
Our in-house studio facilities are perfect for small shoots. We have it all from soundproofing to RGB lighting and changeable backdrops; alongside our state of the art edit suite and video editing software, no creative concepts are off the table.
We shoot on RED cinema cameras, state of the art 6K cameras that will capture everything you want and more. If they’re good enough for Peter Jackson, they are good enough for us.
We can create over 100 pieces of content from a single day of shooting, perfect for stopping your socials from running dry!
Need a great idea? Our in-house creative team will script, plan and pitch their concepts to you to bring your brand to life.
Professionally animated videos are basically the air we breathe.
As a digital-first agency, we create videos for all online platforms, from Instagram Ads to TikTok feeds; we help you build your audience and generate positive ROI.
Our in-house team can help you deliver your message through a range of immersive digital content solutions, including branded content, promotional videos, and 3D animation, from branded content such as documentaries and E-learning classes to promotional and crowdfunding videos, using a mix of animation and live-action.
Yes, using videos on your social feeds spark more engagement and awareness on online platforms, but utilising our creative department and in-house, cinema-grade equipment, we make your content cut through the noise, reach your goals and put your brand centre stage.
It’s crazy how much the world has changed in the space of 20 years. The internet opened up a world of opportunities, and social media means people are more connected than ever.
We’re a digital-first agency and know first-hand how important it is to break through the red tape of old establishments and put your brand where it belongs, in front of the people that will define its future.
Our ethos is simple – digital-first, social always, human-centric.
We started our video production business in a garden shed. Our main driving factor was simple; we wanted to create video content that ignites and informs an audience. Since those early days, our team of two has become 20 talented people from all walks of life.
Our people drive our success. Each individual is driven by the same desire to find and tell great stories for our clients. We believe in the power of diversity to inspire creativity and have created an atmosphere of creative freedom and a pursuit of excellence in everything we do.
Are you ready to create a digital experience that fuels your audience and increases brand visibility? Book a call with us today, and speak to our friendly team.
In today’s competitive, consumer-driven market, digital-first is the only way to secure the future of your company. We go further by creating unique, visually stimulating videos that just make sense.
Get in touch today! We can’t wait to hear about your brand and future goals.
Not sure if we’re the right video pathway? Shoot us an email and we’ll discuss it together.
