Achieving the TV look on an online budget

October 7, 2016

It’s 2016 and the marketeers are telling us to invest in online video. We are hearing many reasons for this:

“It will help your SEO”

“It’s cheaper than TV advertising”

“Your audience can be targeted on their commute, at home and at work”

All very good reasons, sure. But once we have accepted that we need to invest in online video, how can we make sure that our content looks good enough to be on TV yet stays within the realms of an online budget?

Whilst anyone can in theory take out their phone, shoot a video and upload it in seconds to their website and social media channels, businesses who care about their image and production values (I imagine that’s most of us) will certainly get better value from investing in professional online video. Gone are the days of dull looking corporate videos. We’re in the age where online advertising should look as good as TV!

So, how could you get the TV look on an online budget?

Through utilising cost effective technology.

Getting the TV look (or even the film look!) with the nimble DJI Ronin

One of the major benefits of opting for online content rather than broadcast media is that the fast moving digital landscape is allowing technology to be more affordable than ever before. You’ll have already experienced it with your electronic devices at home and the same applies in the video production industry. Cameras that produce beautiful images fit for broadcast are now within reach. As a result we use everything from larger cinema cameras to tiny DSLRs to portray your business in the best light. To keep things economical we buy some of the equipment outright whereas other bits are more cost effective to hire. This ensures that we can provide quality equipment all year round and still have access to anything specialist or brand spanking new when you need it, getting the best of both worlds.

Another example is in the aerial photography world. As HD cameras have gotten smaller they have been easier to attach to UAVs – aka drones! Only a few years ago aerial photography was too expensive a venture for most businesses; drones are obviously much more cost effective than helicopters!

If you have an interest in tech then you might like this article on how to choose the right camera.

It’s not just the camera: lighting & sound are important too.

One of the cons of this technology becoming affordable is that suddenly everybody considers themselves a Video Producer. Some think they can just buy an HD camera and become a professional without considering other areas of video production. What contributes immensely to creating a high value production or the ‘TV look’ is lighting and sound and at flyCreative we respect that. Just because you may be considering a less expensive option that doesn’t mean your product should be cheap!

A little bit more on lighting:

Only fairly recently have many cameras started to become good in low light conditions. However despite this, even big TV programmes today still require the use of lighting rigs. Next time you are watching X Factor take a look at the background of the wide shots. You’ll often see a large film light of some sort. Apart from being able to see the subjects, lighting is used to make people look good! Don’t you want your business to look good?

With an untrained eye it can be easy to accept a TV image as ‘real life’. Trust us though, you’ll notice the lighting when it’s gone. Or if it’s bad!

Music to the ears:

The other half of achieving the TV look is through getting good sound. When it’s not good you’ll notice it and will wish that you’d hired a professional. To maintain TV production values on an online budget we also take our sound very seriously, using broadcast quality microphones and recorders to ensure clarity and noiseless recordings. Some projects require their own sound recordist, just as in TV.

As online productions are usually smaller in scale than big TV shows, there is less of a requirement for large lighting rigs, mixing desks and huge teams of personnel which can add substantially to the cost of a production. Portable lighting kits, solo sound engineers and self shooting producers are more widely used than ever before. The number of crew required will depend on your individual requirements, but generally speaking the crews are small for online content.

Through planning and creativity, except you are in control.

Creating content for broadcast can sometimes be a little restricting. All of the major broadcasters such as ITV and SKY have strict broadcast guidelines regarding what can be considered ‘fit for broadcast’. Whilst legal issues such as libel, defamation and copyright breaches aren’t exactly blown under the carpet when it comes to producing online, the truth is by not having so many restrictions and guidelines to meet you can effectively have a lot more freedom when it comes to the kind of content you want to produce, how long that content should be and when you want to release it. With broadcast advertising you may also be competing with many other organisations, all after the same airtime. This can once again hike up the cost. Obviously, to get the most engagement from online distribution you should have a well informed social media and marketing strategy in place.

The beauty of having freedom to create whatever you want (within reason!) means that it’s easier to innovate and choose an idea that hasn’t been done before. This can increase the likelihood of your content being shared and for some, can even mean going viral. Remember, it has been accessibility to content on social media that has helped many adverts (that were originally made for broadcast) go viral. Do you think the Old Spice adverts would have had as much success if they weren’t shared on social media?

Need some inspiration? Take a look at this promo for Virgin Holidays where we got a bit creative. Cinematic slow motion cameras were used to capture members of Cirque du Soleil performing acrobatics on the streets of London.

http://mustard.education/portfolio/virgin-holidays/

The finishing touches to the TV look: post production.

To get the TV look it’s not just about the shoot itself but what we do to the footage afterwards. Colour grading, as part of the editing process, is used to enhance the images so that they help evoke a certain emotion from the audience. This can make your brand stand out from the crowd. Once this is done titles, text, motion graphics and animation can be added to further enhance the production.

The video below is a good example of how a project was really brought to life through post production. Not only did we shoot a range of material to promote London in the summer through the use of steadicams, drones and slow motion filming, but we added warm flashes of colour throughout to give off a summer flavour and produced some small animations along with the text. There’s a lot going on here and it certainly looks fit for TV.

http://mustard.education/portfolio/visit-london-summer-in-the-city/

Don’t forget..optimise your content for your chosen demographic!

Just because you’ve got your content looking like it should be on the telly you must not forget one of the key reasons for choosing to advertise online in the first place. Your creative freedom and a flexible online budget can allow you to customise your content for particular audiences; from simply adjusting the title cards for each audience to creating specific ads for each demographic. Once again, timing of release is crucial here too. What time of day are your customers most likely to be online? With so many options available, it’s down to you to decide what you would like and we will help you realise your vision.

And another thing..

The recurring theme here and the key difference between producing content for TV and online is the scale. Whilst there are many technological savings to be made and in ways a lot more freedom to produce the content you want for online, you will still have to consider the scale of your production. Hiring 50 extras to star in the background of a promo in London Victoria Station is still going to cost a fortune, regardless of whether it is for web or TV. If you are prepared to think big but balance it with realism then there is no reason why you can’t make substantial savings and still walk away with an incredible advert for your business.

To find out how we can achieve the TV look in your online production come on by and say hello!

5 ways to get better value video

September 3, 2016

In Britain we do love getting good value for money. However, investing for business can be a bit of a minefield. Whether or not video content is at the top of your list you can’t ignore the fact that the marketeers claim video is more crucial than ever. This is especially important where online presence and SEO are concerned. It’s true though; in an increasingly competitive world video can play a huge role in helping businesses stay ahead of the game. Simply put, they can engage, inform and entertain current and prospective customers much more efficiently than text.

One question many newcomers to video ask is:

How do I know I’ll get a return on investment?

The truth is, nobody can promise this. Every business investment you make, regardless of the cost and scale is a risk. However without risk there is no gain and by hiring specialists, such as a Video Production team, you can benefit from their expertise and experience in order to significantly reduce the risk and increase the likelihood of ROI.

But isn’t video expensive?

Yes, sometimes it can be, but it doesn’t always have to be. With a well defined strategy for how your video will be used, who your audience is and by using time effectively there are ways to get exceptional value out of your video content. With a bit of knowledge and planning you can get excellent value. Suddenly you’ll find your venture has been transformed from being a costly expense into a cost effective investment.

So, if you’re still on the fence about investing in video here are a few ideas how you could get more video for your money with flyCreative:

1. Give as much notice as you can.

The more notice we are given about your project the better the end result will be. Whilst we could simply turn up on the day and hope for the best a better approach might be to help you develop your idea into a script and a story board beforehand so the filming is seamless. There are also many logistical elements that are better (or only possible!) with time too; booking a good room to film in at your premises, securing people for interviews, hiring specialist crew or equipment etc. Whilst we’re no strangers to last minute projects, the more notice we are given the better the end product will be and the happier you’ll be.

Our Alumni film below for the University of Brighton would never have happened if we hadn’t have given Fatboy Slim a little bit of notice. He’s a busy man!

http://mustard.education/portfolio/uob-alumni-film/

The bottom line: Booking a video production company is like booking train tickets, do it in advance (except we’ll actually turn up on time)!

2. Get the most out of your filming days.

When you hire us to film, you get us for the full day. Why not, if you’re not already, utilise us for the time you’ve paid for? Even if you have captured everything by lunchtime, there is often so much potential for content to be captured that may be useful at a later date you might as well get it there and then! Here are some examples:

If you’re getting a promotional video made, why not schedule in some testimonials too? These could be included in the main video as well as released in their own separate videos. This means more content for your Youtube channel and consequently improved SEO (you hear that Google?!)
Filming a 1 shot interview? Let us film the subject in their day to day work to get ‘cutaway’ or connecting shots which can be used to hide cuts (so we can take out the ‘ums’ and ‘ers’). It’s OK, we don’t need to be invasive if they are busy. Interesting ‘cutaways’ are always worth getting because using them can make content more visually interesting, pacier and ultimately increase the chances of higher audience retention. They may also be useful in future content.

Not to say that we don’t ever want to go home, but utilising us effectively will give you better value in the long run and it’ll raise the bar too.

Another one for the University of Brighton; we live streamed their graduations alongside producing a highlights video for them by capturing footage in the breaks. We just love a bit of efficiency!

http://mustard.education/portfolio/university-of-brighton-winter-ceremonies/

The bottom line: We always prefer to have the footage and not need it than the other way round!

3. Release your videos at the right time & spread multiple video releases over time.

Showing off new content as soon as it’s finished can be very tempting. However, to get the most impact from a release the timing is crucial, especially where social media comes into play. Do you think your customers will more likely notice your release on a Sunday evening or a Monday morning?

If you’re releasing multiple videos (separate testimonials or FAQs for example) then sometimes it may be more beneficial to release them gradually over time as part of a carefully planned marketing/social media strategy. A video a month or even a week will have customers coming back to your site regularly which once again is great for SEO and website traffic in general. If your content is engaging and has been produced professionally, your subscribers will value your output more and will await your next release with anticipation. Even for longer videos, a 30 second teaser could be easily produced to get your audience interested in your upcoming content through social media.

We produced a series of makeup tutorials for professional make up artist Ruby Lonsdale. Just 1 days filming resulted in numerous tutorials and is a great example of how content can be used to build up an audience over time. See one of them below.

http://mustard.education/portfolio/thebodyshop/

The bottom line: Good synergy between video production and marketing is essential for getting good value.

4. Allow the professionals to produce your video content for the entire process.

We know it may be tempting to get a student to edit your video for ‘experience’ or to just shoot it on your iPhone (sigh). However if you try to cut corners then you’ll probably end up coming to the pros anyway sooner or later. ‘If you buy cheap you buy twice’ as they say and in video production there is no exception. We can’t make your shaky, grainy phone footage look or sound good I’m afraid. By getting it right from the start you can benefit from the many years of experience and industry standard equipment that the pros (us!) can offer. Maybe your project could do with some quality motion graphics or your event could be live streamed? Services such as these can really elevate your output which will impress your current and future clientele.

Fun animation and motion graphics are great ways of impressing your customers and will really show that you mean business. Here’s one we did for King’s Education:

http://mustard.education/portfolio/kings-education-pathways/

The bottom line: show your business in the best light from the start!

5. Build a relationship with your video production team.

What’s so great about working in this industry for us is that it is all about building relationships. Think about whenever you pay for a service, such as when you go to get your car fixed. How often do you find yourself going back to the same provider of the service? You may find yourself even going out of your way so that you can have that service; you know what to expect and you can trust the provider to always make you happy. For us in video production it is very much like this; many of our clients come back time and time again to use our services for that very reason: trust.

How can you benefit from this relationship? There are actually many ways! A good video production team will get to know your business, your market and your target audience much better when working together long term. We may not be experts in your field but after a period of collaboration we’ll know your business much better than if you were to hire someone new and start all over. Even on a practical level; if we already have footage, logos and an understanding of your brand, it is far easier and less time consuming for us to re edit or reuse these materials in future content than it would be to pass it on to someone else. Further down the line, retainer contracts can be excellent for both parties; you can get a set amount of video content on a regular basis at a good price. You get better value and we get the security of regular work. It’s a win win situation for all.

After producing two videos for Visit Britain we followed them up with one for Visit London. Understanding the brand values and bringing them to the screen in a creative way helped us land this one:

http://mustard.education/portfolio/visit-london-summer-in-the-city/

The bottom line: if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Just build on it!

Ready to increase the value of your content?

A bit of creativity and an effective marketing strategy are the real secrets here to getting better value video. Just having video content isn’t good enough this day and age; you have to stand out from the crowd. With a claim that 300 hours worth of content is uploaded to Youtube every day, there’s a lot of content to compete with. If you make good creative and marketing decisions from the outset your content will become more shareable which means a greater chance of return on investment, no matter which industry you’re in. Little things such as adding tags, descriptions and even subtitles can also help you grow your audience and improve your SEO for not much extra effort.

We may not have the secret to going viral. However we do know how to make videos that will excite, engage and entertain your audience, whoever they may be. To find out more about how we could spice up your video content in London, Brighton or further afield then drop us a line today.

How to prepare for your video interview

August 12, 2016

Whether you are preparing for your first ever interview on camera or you’ve been filmed a few times before, the prospect of being interviewed, for some, can be a little daunting. Even if you do know what to expect, the most confident and experienced of people can still find themselves stumbling as soon as the camera rolls. If you find yourself a little nervous that’s OK, you’re not alone. However, filming doesn’t have to be a strenuous task and with our guidance we’ll have you speaking confidently on camera in no time.

The purpose of this article is to give you a few quick tips about the filming process so that you don’t just leave your shoot with engaging material but you also enjoy the experience.

First things first: eyeline

Most corporate, promotional and event video interviews are carried out with the interviewee looking away from the camera rather than into the lens. Unless you are delivering a presentation or presenting a show then this is usually the best way to do it. Without having to look down the lens your interview has already become much easier as you can look directly at the person asking the questions, whether that be the videographer or someone from your own organisation. This approach helps you to forget that the camera is even there. All that it’s really doing is documenting a conversation.

Talk about what you know

It should be safe to assume that you’re being interviewed about a subject that you’re highly knowledgeable about. You will probably be saying things that you regularly talk about in your day to day work. So if there are any questions you’re unsure about, speak up and let your videographer know. Some questions might be better for a colleague!

With these first two points you may find that the interview process is already much easier than you initially thought.

Full sentences please

Now this is where it gets a little trickier. Although we should treat your interview as the “documenting of a conversation” the truth is for most promotional videos this conversation is actually going to be quite one sided. To keep up the pace of your video and deliver the crucial information, we need to cut out the interviewer’s questions so that we only hear you. To make this work, you’ll need to answer the questions in full sentences so that your answer still makes sense when the question is removed. This may involve you repeating the question in your answer.

Here are some examples.

The incorrect method:

INTERVIEWER

Do you enjoy working in video production?

~~Yes, I do.~~

This isn’t suitable because if we inserted this into a sequence nobody would know what I was saying yes to!

The correct method:

INTERVIEWER

Do you enjoy working in video production?

I enjoy working in video production because it’s a fast moving industry. It can be competitive and challenging at times, but ultimately it’s very rewarding work.

This answer is much better. Notice how I’ve expanded on my original answer a little bit and as a result it is much more interesting.

Technical matters

There are a few other things to bear in mind before you start filming. If you’ve hired video professionals such as flycreative, you won’t need to worry about the technical side of things. That’s what we’re there for! However, it is good to have some awareness of what we will be doing so it doesn’t surprise you on the day.

We want you to look and sound your best. To achieve this and avoid a costly reshoot we aim to capture the best material possible whilst we’re there. From a technical standpoint there could be a number of reasons why we might need to stop, solve an issue and repeat the question again. Our lighting might need adjusting or our microphones may be picking up a loud conversation outside the room or humming from the air con. We may ask you to repeat your answer but shorten it slightly, rephrase it to avoid repetition of certain words or allow a slightly bigger gap between the question and your answer so nobody is talking over each other. Sometimes it’s good just to have options when it comes to the edit. If your videographer does intervene, don’t worry, this is perfectly normal.

Practice makes perfect

Because filming can require a bit of setup time, you can actually use this to your advantage. If you allow yourself enough time whilst the videographer is setting up you can actually practice what you’re going to say before the camera rolls. Even if they are operating alone and are asking the questions themselves, they will still need to test their audio levels, so this is your time to practice and to talk with them about your answers. You’ll soon feel at ease.

Example interviews

If you still need a bit of reassurance, why not see how others have done it? In our Signature Airlines promo we shot multiple interviews and achieved a fast paced, informative video through applying these techniques. It may not be obvious, but the majority of the people in this video had never been filmed before!

For the purposes of the edit (e.g. pacing) your full interview may not make it into the final video. This shouldn’t alarm you; usually there isn’t enough time to feature everything in a 3 minute video! Being concise and to the point is key and our Signature Airlines video demonstrates this perfectly.

Ready to do your interview?

Remember that the beauty of video production is that you can always stop and answer your question again. There’s no need to worry, even professional actors rarely nail it on the first take!

Now that you’re armed with these tips you can relax and go into your interview feeling like a pro.

To find out more about getting a professional video made for your business drop us a line today.

10 things they don’t tell you about working in video production

January 22, 2016

Universities, film schools, specialist courses – all can be a great place to start if you want to equip yourself with useful skills for a job working in video or film production. However, there are some things that just can’t be learned in an educational environment. Only by talking to those already working in the industry and gaining experience yourself will you learn some things that no book or lecture could ever prepare you for. So listen up, we’ve got a few industry insights here. Some are positive and some are not, but if you want to work in this industry you had better listen to the pros first before you dive in at the deep end.

Fatboy Slim appreciated the gig!

1. Every new job you land, no matter how big or small, becomes a huge personal victory.

This is especially true to start ups and freelancers. It is much harder to get new clients than it is to get repeat business from an existing one. Even landing little jobs that only last a few hours can give you that warm feeling inside that something is working because people want to hire YOU. This in turn will help you stay driven and motivated. Enjoy it!

2. How tremendously adaptable you sometimes have to be.

To get where you want to be in your career you may find yourself sooner or later doing something that you don’t really want to do (well, that’s life!) but you’ll realise that it’s a necessity to making any sort of progress. Whether it be learning a new skill in an area you’re not confident in or taking on work in a completely different industry just so you can survive until your next video job comes in, if you really want to succeed you’ll do what it takes. You may just find it character building too.

3. Marketing is so incredibly, ridiculously important.

Whether you freelance or run your own business, you simply can’t avoid the subject of marketing or you will fail. Word of mouth is often described as one of the best ways of getting work in an industry as small as this, and this is true, but first impressions count and knowing who it is you are trying to work for and how to target them is key to starting new working relationships. Included in this is the ability to sell yourself, plus with growing demand for online video content the marketeers out there should be your best friends!

4. GAS.

Not the poisonous kind, unless you let it get the better of you. GAS stands for gear acquisition syndrome. It is actually a thing. In the western world we are suckers for consumerism and just love to own stuff but this is especially true in video production for cameras are sexy, lenses are bokehlicious and a DJI octocopter – well, who wouldn’t want one of those?

I’ll take them all please

It’s very tempting to spend lots of money and think your career will instantly bloom but if you’re not careful you could get stuck in a never ending process of continually needing to buy stuff and never make any money as a result. For some of us of course it is important that you buy the right tools for the job but perhaps consider whether you really do need that new flashy gizmo or if hiring would be a more sensible option. And don’t forget, your talent counts for something too.

There’s some brilliant advice on the matter in this filmmaker magazine article by DOP Sean Porter including one bit that really stuck with me:

“We have to be very cognizant about the impact, however minute, we make when we mix our creative responsibilities with enterprise. Your gear is a powerful influence on your work, both good and bad. I think stepping up means knowing which is which, even if it’s not the answer you want to hear.”

Wise words.

5. How to balance multiple jobs.

This for me, and I’m sure many others, is probably one of the hardest things about starting off in this industry that’s on this list. I’m not just talking multiple film or video jobs; I’m referring to balancing the self employed work with the employed. The paid with the unpaid. The desirable with the reliable. The big question that nobody seems to have the answer to is:

How can you get experience without a job when you can’t get the job without experience?

You have to start somewhere. Maybe you’ll be working part time so many days a week so you can focus on the video work on your days off – if you can afford to live off part time wages. But then, what if your perfect job comes up while you’re at work and you could be potentially missing out on your big break? If you keep trying to get time off from your reliable work are you likely to keep that job for long? On the contrary if you always keep your diary open, how do you know that you’re definitely going to land more video work to pay the bills? Juggling the reliable and the desirable work can be an absolute nightmare and it’s one thing that no educational institution can ever prepare you for.

My advice is to keep your options open and explore the different possibilities available to you until you find something that works. Everybody needs to earn somehow but what ends up working for one person may not work for someone else. I recently wrote about how my non video job helped me learn new transferable skills but the most important thing to understand is you have to be prepared to work your socks off, whichever path you decide to tread.

Oh, and one more thing. Dealing with a clash of job offers never gets any easier.

6. When to say no.

I must refer again to the article mentioned earlier by DOP Sean Porter, who deals with this point in great detail. Knowing when to say no can be another one of the hardest things to deal with in this industry. Taking on too much work could leave your clients unsatisfied or affect your personal life and relationships in a negative way. It’s another thing that can only be learned through experience and through applying a good level of judgment every time an opportunity arises. We’ve all accepted those jobs we’d wished we’d declined but it’s all about learning from these mistakes so that our future selves won’t curse our present selves into oblivion!

Budgeting can be hard when your income fluctuates

7. Steady sources of income can disappear suddenly and you may not know why.

A client may go on sick leave or change premises, marketing budgets may be slashed or a competitor may offer your clients better value. In fact, there are a whole host of reasons why you might lose a steady client and it can be very hard and frustrating when this happens, especially if you don’t know why.

The answer? Don’t take it personally, avoid complacency and learn to be like a gecko – adapt! Don’t stress and remember that factors which are beyond your control can be a blessing as well as a curse in your work life. It also pays during busy times to save for a rainy day.

8. How to manage your taxes.

Tax returns, accounting, filing..yawn. It may be boring but unfortunately it’s something that none of us can avoid doing, whether we freelance or run a business. Not to suck the fun completely out of the creative industry at hand but the more you learn about tax returns and the like the earlier on in your career the easier it will be for you to stay on top of your money and make sensible decisions throughout. You wouldn’t want any nasty surprises now!

The first place to look for information on all things tax is the HMRC website.

9. Your competition may also be your friends.

It’s not all doom and gloom. Working in such a small industry means we often bump into familiar faces and that includes the competition. The beauty of this, unlike most industries, is your competition could not only help to keep you on your toes but they could potentially be a reliable stand in for you when you need a helping hand or could loan you equipment and vice versa. There’s also a thing called referral fees for the business minded among us!

Time to take a break?

10. How to switch off and relax.

Last, but certainly not least. You spend so much of your time and energy hacking away at your career that no matter where you are on the ladder, it can be nigh on impossible to switch off from work when you’re worried about things like where your next pay cheque is, if your clients will like your work and what your competitors are up to. Whether running a business or working for yourself and with dangerous cross overs between work and play on your social media accounts, switching off from the world of work can be very difficult indeed. It could be viewed as a good thing as we are just that determined to succeed, but don’t let it consume you. Allow yourself some ‘me time’ and enjoy those rare opportunities to turn off your phone. Your other half will appreciate it!

There is no real single secret to a successful career in any of the creative industries, but hopefully these insights will help you make the right decisions early on. If you make mistakes along the way however, that’s OK, it is part of your professional development no matter what career you decide to embark on (except for the tax issues – we wouldn’t want you getting in trouble!).