Great Corporate Video Needn’t Be a Big Cost Production

Great corporate video needn’t be a big cost production

Put off by the cost of making corporate videos?  Don’t be. Gone are the days when great corporate videos took days to shoot and needed hefty lighting rigs and many hours in post-production.

Today, visually interesting and exciting business videos can be made on much more modest budgets.. To give a feel for costs, what once could easily have cost up to £50,000 can now be delivered for a fraction of that budget with no loss of quality.

Technology has moved on

The reason why video budgets can be much smaller these days is that there have been massive improvements to cameras and editing software. This has brought highly professional videos that feature music, sound effects, animation as well as great shots within the budgets of even the smallest firms.

Video drives a lot of social media

Video should be considered part of any company’s marketing and communications strategy. It is the driving force for social media accounts, especially Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and LinkedIn. These days all social media platforms use video but it’s worth producing content that is shot and cut to suit each particular feeds’ audiences. One size will not fit all.

But more than this, video content is ranked highly by Google and other search tools, helping organic searches for your firm’s products or services rise up the results pages. Video is also inherently flexible. Filmed conversations, say between a CEO and a professional interviewer, could be quickly repurposed as podcasts and distributed on Spotify and other platforms.

You don’t need to master an autocue

Reading convincingly from an autocue is a specialist skill. For many busy executives, mastering an autocue takes more time than they can realistically spare. Also, when done badly, scripted autocue presentations sounds stilted and inauthentic, creating an instant barrier with audiences.

Fortunately, there is an alternative to an autocue. Subjects can still speak directly ‘down the lens’ but without having to stare into a cold camera. Instead, a mirrored device allows the interviewee to look at a responsive, encouraging interviewer who sits just off-camera. But to the viewer, it still appears as if they are being addressed directly.

Through careful preparation and well-chosen questions, we guide interviewees through relaxed, natural conversations that are authentic and will build audience trust. We find this approach ideal for many types of executive presentations, or where precise communications are particularly mission critical, such as responding to a corporate crisis, presenting sensitive financial information or making a large corporate announcement such as a merger or acquisition where many jobs might be at stake. We also use this technology to make highly effective recruitment videos, tapping into the direct-to-camera style popularized by social media.

Get multiple bangs for your buck

From a single video shoot, a variety of different videos can be made. Some videos can last no more than 30 seconds to a minute, others much longer. But whatever the length, video provides emotional, distinctive and memorable content for websites and social media feeds. Video can also be recut specifically for highlight reels at awards ceremonies, conferences or trade shows.

In short, one well made, professionally produced video shoot can – and should – generate multiple bangs for your buck.

Stuck for topics?

Video serves all kinds communication purposes. Yes, needs will differ from business to business, but an eye-catching video can play an essential role in most brand stories, including new product and service launches, thought leadership pieces and CSR credentials. Video is particularly powerful for delivering heartfelt management vision statements and for individual case studies, recruitment videos and customer testimonials.

What’s an effective business video strategy?

Video needs to be made in service of clear objectives. Keep this in mind so you don’t lose sight when budgeting and devising creative strategies. By understanding what role the video(s) play in a broader business and brand sense will ensure everybody involved in the project stays focussed on producing something purposeful and effective.

Video when combined with stills photography at events and major live corporate presentations is particularly effective, and this is something we are very happy to coordinate.

What should a marketer be looking for in a video production company?

Corporate videos still tend to be interview heavy which can make them a little dry, especially if the subject matter is technical or features an interview with one key executive. Two camera shoots, featuring cutaways for reaction shots, can really help bring these types of video to life.

Marketers should be looking for video makers who are naturally empathetic and have the skills and experience to help nervous or inexperienced participants relax. It also helps if your videographer is intellectually curious and committed to understanding fully the client’s business. Experienced interviewers will be able to ensure corporate messaging and brand narratives to come to the fore but without pushing them beyond credibility and acceptability.

A good production company never makes assumptions about what you want. It will uncover your objectives through sympathetic brief-taking and come up with creative ideas and different ways of approaching your project(s) to deliver a solution that perfectly matches your needs.

Corporate video set up in central London

The below short video shows all the equipment required for an interview to be filmed in central London.