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Should my video go viral?

Posted on April 7, 2015 by - Blog Articles

Creating a viral video has become the holy grail of online video. Understandably the worlds biggest companies spend millions trying to create the next viral video sensation.

Most people will say there is no way to guarantee getting a video to go viral. There is certainly a set of rules but nothing will give you definite results. In most cases there will be a team of great creative minds able to create something unique, a large budget, access to the top social media trendsetters and all the data to get the video in front of their correct audience.

Is it worth filming events?

Posted on April 1, 2015 by - Blog Articles

Events are a great place to utilise video. In their very nature they are designed around giving an audience a great experience. Whether it’s to entertain or inform. The amount of effort and time that goes into the planning and making sure everything goes smoothly is huge and can be very stressful.

The reason events have so much pressure is that you are dealing with an audience face to face. It could be 20 people or 20,000, it doesn’t matter the people attending will expect everything you promised in the invite. If you don’t deliver the consequences are often not worth thinking about. And so planning an event however simple really motivates ideas and focus.

If it’s a business or organisation event it becomes important that the audience sees you in the best possible light. The branding, the way the stage or stands look, the way your staff are presented and how they talk to people. The event represents you.

Quality Vs. Cost: What to look for when choosing your video production service

Posted on March 25, 2015 by - Blog Articles

Quality and cost are the two big things that will influence your decision in choosing a production company.

Cost – everyone has a budget and it’s just a question of finding a company that gives you the best value for money, which leads us to…

Quality – because when you commit something to video you are putting your business out there for the world to see. It’s vital that the quality standards are maintained. Time for a little tea analogy…

Who owns the raw video footage?

Posted on March 10, 2015 by - Blog Articles

This post follows on directly from the article entitled ‘Who owns the video I had made?’ So if you haven’t read it yet, you can check it out here!

When I say footage I mean all the footage/shots recorded in the entire filming process, sometimes called the “raw footage.” This question is perhaps much more contentious with clients and production companies. Crucially it shouldn’t have to be. As I wrote in the previous article this is something that needs to be discussed and agreed before any production begins. Getting the question of ownership in writing before hand is essential to make sure you don’t find yourself in different positions.

In the TV and film industry it is standard practice to ensure contracts are in place for the creator, the director and all the creative influence (i.e. Camera, costume, make up etc.) to assign copyright over to the producer. When creating something with multiple people it is essential the issue of who owns the footage is cleared up before any filming is started.

Who owns the video I had made?

Posted on March 5, 2015 by - Blog Articles

It’s always surprising how often this comes up in discussions with clients and fellow production companies. And the truth is different production companies will have different terms and conditions laid out to cover this. We know of some clients who’ve had videos made for them in the past where ownership has become a big problem. We have also encountered our own issues when it comes to uncertainty of who owns what footage. So regardless what is written in the next few paragraphs, the most important advice we can give is to get the issue of ownership addressed before you agree to anything.

Filming a Community – The Importance of Trust

Posted on February 26, 2015 by - Blog Articles

After watching two very different documentaries this week I thought this would be the perfect time to explore the importance of trust when filming in very distinct communities.

The first of the documentaries was BBC’s Valleys Rebellion, which had actor Michael Sheen retracing the steps of the Chartists down the Gwent Valley. It looked at the violent uprising of the past but also the views of the people who live there now. Unfortunately it was only broadcast in Wales.

The second documentary was Immigration Street, focusing on a street in Southampton where 85% of residents are immigrants. Behind it was the same production company who produced the controversial Benefit Street. Perhaps that explains how quickly it descended into chaos as large parts of the community decided they did not want to be the subject of a documentary. For all the claims it had no intention to show the subject matter in a negative light, by consistently ignoring the community and allowing things to escalate it sure ended up that way.

Do I need a promotional video for my business?

Posted on February 20, 2015 by - Blog Articles

This is a big question. I suppose the easy answer from our point of view is yes of course you do! Unfortunately for us this isn’t true. Having a video for your business is just a tool and not an essential one. But as any business will know to be successful you have to be aware of what is going on around you and be prepared for change.

For example 20 years ago having a website for your business was not an essential tool. A nice bonus perhaps but it didn’t really effect sales. Today if you don’t have a website the chances are you are missing out on a large chunk of work. People used to use yellow pages now they use Google. Times have changed.