Corporate Video Production - Corporate Videos High Impact on Business Audience

Any business worth its salt is looking towards enhanced productivity that is effective from the word go-and in changing times with marketing banking on the reach of the Internet and company e-mailing methods more and more companies are looking for answers in corporate video production. The whole business of corporate video production has arisen from the new-age companies realizing the effectiveness of a well designed and compellingly conceptualized corporate video production for various industry segments, be it training, initiation to a company process, upgrading knowledge base of junior or senior level employees or simply motivational messages. Companies doing business online have also realized that successful corporate video production is part of efficient and well-researched marketing as well and therefore, choosing the right video production and marketing agency is crucial to a company’s ethos and profitability from the venture.

The right corporate video production company would be one that allows the client to sort and manage all of its images and artwork from a central location, reach out the best possible content presentation to the appropriate target audience with the right subject portrayed in the right light. Any company that uses innovative use of the cutting edge technology available today for the maximum benefit of the company while also meeting budget and timeline criteria and allows the client to search across multiple stock image libraries and various industry verticals is the right one. While the handling of corporate video production is a specialized field and requires experienced players who are more than a dab hand at developing and strategizing corporate videos as compared to school or training videos, entrusting these to an accredited agency with a proven track record is advisable.

Asking for samples of other corporate video production that the company has done and testimonials from previous clients is one way of resolving any doubts as to the delivery status of the company and a sneak preview offer of the entire project initially is an ideal one to take up. This prepares you with a clear mental picture of what is to come and what the company can deliver. So, whether you are looking to document a management lesson in your corporate video production or condensing the chairman’s speech or company message into a five-minute teaser, by engaging the right video production company you can manage it effectively and innovatively by great visuals and supportive audio that is consistently high quality.

While corporate video productions require a high level of quality and formal creative content management, a experienced video production company can help create training videos that are invaluable in lesson plans and limit it to teaching of specific skills in a specialized manner. These corporate video production programs can be utilized anywhere a business finds tasks, processes or skills that need teaching and wants to teach them best to the audience by creating a how-to video. Creative corporate video production can thus, lead to real lead generation for any market-savvy business. Corporate video production can involve communication about a new product and channel training, demonstration, sales or presentation, compliance/regulatory/HR or even Live training or new course creation.

Shakir A. is independent writer on Internet marketing, PPC, SEO, SEM, Online Marketing, Video Production and other related topics. Video Production Orange County - Video Production Services in California http://www.internetmarketingcalifornia.com/ & http://www.videoproductionorangecounty.com

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How to Get Your Video Production Right the FIRST Time

I’ll cut to the chase. To make your video look right, you have to wear makeup. Sorry guys, be macho if you want, but when you have a five o’clock shadow after you just shaved, don’t say I didn’t warn you. The harsh lights used in studios penetrate several layers of skin that would appear a lot healthier if you had just put on some powder. It gets worse… baldness seems to be highlighted by cameras for some reason, get over it and put on some makeup. Don’t forget your nose and forehead, and always reapply during a break; you’ll thank me later.

While we’re on the vanity of things; clothes. Don’t wear gaudy prints, black, red or white. When you review your video, you want to see yourself rather than your outfit.

OK, now that that is out of the way, onto cameras. You’ll want preferably three cameras to ensure you have captured your speech and your audience from all angles. In order for your video to be of the best possible quality you’ll want to use Beta Cam, mini DV, or at the absolute worst, SVHS or HI8. Also, to have your video look great you should use professional operators and a director if they are using multi-cameras and a control room.

Lighting is the most important element when planning a video production. I have videos that were shot on poor quality cameras, but look great thanks to the right lighting.

If the organization is doing the editing, be right there in the suite as they do it. Ultimately, no matter what you have bartered, this is your finished copy and you should have a say in what is cut and what is not.

Lastly, scatter microphones throughout the audience. This will allow you to hear real reactions without the filters of lapel microphones.

Tom Antion provides entertaining speeches and educational seminars. He is the ultimate entrepreneur, having owned many businesses BEFORE graduating college. Tom is the author of the best selling presentation skills book "Wake 'Em Up Business Presentations" and "Click: The Ultimate Guide to Electronic Marketing." It is important to Tom that his knowledge be not only absorbed, but enjoyed. This is why he delivers his speeches laced with great humor and hysterical jokes. Tom has addressed more than 87 different industries and is thoroughly committed to his client's needs.

http://www.antion.com

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Becoming a videographer

The steps needed to become a videographer are going to vary based on the type of videography services that you plan on delivering. If you plan on offering very basic video services like filming weddings and special events, then chances are you can get by with little formal training. However, if you plan on offering extensive editing and professional video production services, then it is in your best interest to take formal courses in videography, editing and business management.

The first step in becoming a videographer is to determine what type of videographer you plan on becoming. There are a lot of video specialties that you can focus your business on. There are wedding videographers, independent film producers, studio film producers, documentary videographers and legal videographers, just to name a few.

The next step in becoming a videographer is to uncover what education and training you will need to run your video business. People interested in offering wedding filming services will most likely only need basic instructions on how to use a video camera, how to use editing software and how to compose and mix soundtracks for video productions. On the other hand, if you plan on offering more complex video production services then you may want to complete a more comprehensive itinerary of courses. An example of the type of curriculum you may want to cover in your video education include: film producing, film editing, film aesthetics, screenwriting, music composition and editing, after effects, audio mixing, DVD compression, web compression and courses in the use of common filmmaking software programs like DVD Studio Pro and Final Cut Pro.

The third step in becoming a videographer is to acquire the equipment that you will need for your business. To get all of the equipment that you need you will need to have some money set aside to invest. Some of the equipment that you will need include: a computer with multi-media components, digital storage devices and hardware, camera equipment, editing equipment, sound equipment and lighting equipment.

Once you have your video production studio set up, your next step will be to design and implement an advertising campaign. This campaign needs to focus on getting the word out about your services. The marketing devices that you will want to design include: brochures, business cards, price lists and flyers. Finally you may want to put together a demo reel to show potential customers what you can do.

A legal videographer is a video production specialist who is skilled at producing video evidence for legal cases. The services offered by this type of video specialist is in high demand and it pays a very generous salary. Being a professional digital videographer takes more than just knowledge of how to use a digital camcorder. It takes expertise in a variety of business, creative and technical subjects. There are a lot of videography equipment that videographers need including: cameras, tripods, editing software, video monitors, cases, lenses and mixing devices.

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How to Make the Best Training Video For Your Company

Training Videos have been around for decades.

At some stage, we’ve all been made to watch one with a poorly written script, bad acting, overly dramatised narration and of course, bad music (and hair, you can’t forget the hair). And if you’re like me, you probably had lots of fun laughing at them and not learning.

But forget any bad experience you’ve had with a 70’s style training video. Educational videos really do work and they have come a long way.

The reason they have lasted such a long time is that they can quickly and effortlessly get across important training messages. Complex information can easily be understood.

Other benefits include faster staff training, a more productive and efficient workforce and reduced training consultant fees.

Best of all, educational videos will always deliver a consistent message and never have a bad (hair!) day. Important messages can be watched over and over again.

Tailor made productions are an indispensable training tool for companies with a large workforce that have important processes and procedures that need to be undertaken safely and correctly. New inductees can easily be trained to your specific company needs.

So if bad music and poor narration doesn’t work, what does?

1. Keep your Script Simple, Stupid

To get your training video going, it all starts with a KYSSS. Better wise known as Keep your Script Simple, Stupid.

Too often companies will write their own script based on their big (boring) training manuals. This is great if you want people to refresh themselves with a nap during their training session. Not great if you want to grab their attention and teach them something.

The beauty with video is that both pictures and sound tell your story. So you don’t need lots of talking to explain things, as you can show people what you mean.

After all, research has found that people remember about 80% of what they see, not what they hear.

Our advice is to spend a lot of time getting your script right, as it really does drive the quality of the production. Use lots of short sentences and avoid overly technical jargon.

If you can, get the video production house to write the script for you. Often getting a trained script writer to write your script means that it will be written in simple English that is not overly technical (ie: not a yawn creator).

2. Leave your Director Dreams at Home, Buddy

Often we’ve been called in to re-do a training video that was made in-house. An aspiring staff member with (dodgy) dreams of Hollywood believes they can have a crack at the company training video.

By the end of it, their pesky dreams are no longer. Long hours of frustrating editing has seen to that (which is a relief to their manager).

Despite their Scorsese intentions, the end result is often an out of focus, badly narrated production with jarring music. Usually pretty reminiscent of training videos of old or like something your mum would make.

As a training tool, it has little impact because people are too busy trying to work out what the camera is trying to focus on or trying to hear what the narrator is actually saying (which is usually them talking while filming).

Our recommendation is to use a professional video production house with lots of training video experience.

When choosing a video production company, take a look at their videos to make sure that the script is sensible, the narration is clear, the camera work is smooth and at the same quality as what you’d expect on television.

Stay away from production houses with no training video experience or who themselves aspire to be film directors (which seems to be about 95% of them). Too often, they have no business acumen and forget to focus on how to get messages across and improve learner message retention.

3. Reiterate, reiterate, reiterate

Using titles to reiterate your important training messages is incredibly effective. They need to be used generously in a production, as they really do increase your message retention rates.

4. Change what’s on screen……now

Expert training video producers have lots of tricks up their sleeves to grab audience attention and concentration.

One of them is changing what’s on screen every few seconds. The change doesn’t have to be dramatic. It can be as simple as a close up shot, a new title, or even a shot from a different angle.

By constantly changing the on-screen vision, people are more likely to keep watching with interest.

Another important point is to avoid getting your video done through your training consultant. In our experience, they tend to look at the size of their commission cheque (particularly sales trainers) and do not care about the end result. Most training consultants have no video experience which means they do not know the best way to present information in a video format.

Remember, if you need to get a training video produced, focus on the quality of the script and ensure that you choose a video production house that wants to improve learner message retention rather than just provide pretty pictures on the television. And for good measure, take a look at their hair!

Marie-Claire Ross is a Producer at Digicast Productions. A video production house that specialises in corporate training and marketing videos. You can check her out (and her hair) at http://www.digicast.com.au or phone (03) 9696-4400.

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Green Screen Technique For Video Production

Here is a quick response to a question a reader asked the other day about how to green screen. He wondered how far the on-camera person should be from the green background. He said he was very frustrated because he had searched for an answer and everyone said something different. There was no consensus so he was confused. I explained that the reason no one seemed to agree is because the proper distance between the background and the on-camera talent is entirely dependent on the particular situation under which you are videotaping.

When you're making a video using green screen technique, how far away from the green background should your on-camera person be? A reader asked this the other day and said he was very frustrated because he had searched for an answer and everyone said something different. There was no consensus so he was confused.

I explained that the reason no one seemed to agree is because the proper distance between the background and the on-camera talent is entirely dependent on the particular situation under which you are videotaping.

On a technical level, the distance is totally irrelevant. What matters is that the green background is an even color. No variations. Shadows are one of the chief problems that cause variations in color. The darker color of the shadow will cause the green screen effect to be uneven.

If the on-camera person is standing very close to the background, chances are her shadow will fall on the background. But if the on-camera person were twenty feet from the background, the same shadow would fall harmlessly on the floor, which is cropped out of the picture.

Problem is, most people do not have the luxury of that much room.

In an ideal situation, most professional videographers would place the on-camera talent at least five or ten feet from the background. This gives the talent a little breathing room and helps ensure an even background.

However, when I took a tour of ABC news studios, I saw them videotape a news update and the anchor person was smashed up against the wall. They shot the news update from her office, which was tiny. It looked great on the air. I could barely tell it was a green screen. It looked real!

The lighting in her office was extremely diffused so there were no shadows. The green behind her was homogenous in color which gave a beautiful green screen effect.

So if you have some room to play with, go for a distance of about ten feet. If you don't have the room, do not worry about it. Just make sure your lighting is diffused so the shadows will be minimal or non existent.

If you have a video production question you'd like answered, drop me a line a videoproductiontips@gmail.com I'd love to hear from you!

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Video Production - Part II - The Production Stage

OK. You've written your script, got everything approved, organized everything and everyone, and now you're ready to shoot your video. Here are the major considerations for the video production stage.

Safety

Above all else, practice extreme safety measures such as making sure that wires are taped down, that lights have sandbags on them to prevent them from tipping over and other potential accidents are avoided.

Set-up and breakdown

If you're in an unsecured, public area, do what you have to do to secure your equipment when you bring it to the set and when you're done shooting. If it requires two or more trips to your auto so load or unload the equipment, get someone to help you or at least watch over the equipment until you are around to secure all of it.

Make sure you allot time to set up, test and break down the equipment on the set. Unless you need the talent or actors on the set early for some reason, and especially if you're paying them for their time, you can tell your actors to show up later, so they don't get in the way or become impatient while everything is being readied for the shoot.

The set up period is when you are testing equipment, setting up your lights, doing audio checks, setting up props and signage, taping down cables so that no one trips over them, and performing other activities necessary for the production process to take place.

Conversely, allot plenty of time to break down the equipment and load it into the automobile(s), using the security precautions identified earlier.

Lighting

Obviously, you didn't bring your lights to the set when you did your initial site inspection. So here's where the tire hits the road. It's time to light the set. If you want to create professional lighting, you'll need to take time to light the foreground, background and of course the subject. It's not as easy as you would think, as shadows seem to appear from nowhere. So bring more lights than you think you'll need and allot plenty of extra time for this important task. Lights can be rented from video rental companies.

Director

As the name implies, the director directs the production. Generally, the technical people know what to do and won't need hands-on direction, unless there's a problem. But the director will direct the actors and orchestrate the production stage, as he or she is responsible for success or failure at this crucial phase of the project.

Remember, there should only be one director. It's a bad scene (no pun intended) when the director gets into an argument with someone on the set who decides to challenge their authority. So unless it's pre-arranged for this to be a collaborative effort, just give one person the final decision making power on the set. Otherwise, chaos will reign. The time for collaboration is during the pre-production phase. During this action phase, it's time to execute the plan, not rethink it. Of course last minute ideas and other matters happen, but

Don't let them get in the way of sticking to your basic plan and timetable.

Audio

As I mentioned in the pre-production article, try to get redundant audio in case a microphone cuts out or otherwise malfunctions and prepare for a plan B if your initial audio equipment doesn't work for some reason. For instance, if you're shooting in an urban area with lots of skyscrapers and you're using a wireless microphone, you may get interference. When you're trying to shoot an industrial video is no time to be picking up the baseball game on your wireless mic channel! So if you have your wired microphone, you can replace the wireless one and save the day.

Above all else, test the audio level of the presenter before the program begins and have someone monitor the audio with headphones and some sort of meter on the camera or a mixer. Ideally you want the audio to go through an audio mixer so the levels can be monitored and adjusted by a person whose sole task is to do this.

Make Up

If you have the budget to hire one, a make up person is indispensable. It is their sole job to see if the talent is 'shining' and requires make-up due to sweat, oily skin or the way the light is hitting them. They are also responsible for hair and the general appearance of the actors. When you're on the set, it's no time for a bad hair day! The make up artist can also be responsible for wardrobe and making sure all of the little details of the talent's grooming are tended to. Just make sure he or she understands their responsibilities before the shoot. Of course that goes for everyone on the set.

Camera person

It goes without saying that the camera person needs to know what they're doing. They need to know about white balancing, making sure the video is focused, knows the type of camera moves the director wants, has a good fluid head tripod for smooth camera moves, can troubleshoot possible problems, and can otherwise help make the shot look good.

Unless you can re-shoot a scene or a day's worth of production, you only get one chance to get it right. So having a great production team is crucial. This means that everyone is competent, helps out, leaves any personal problems at the door, and has a helpful approach to the day's work.

Sometimes a client will hire my company to do the production phase after they have written the script and done much of the pre-production work. And if the production is done properly, the client may even try their hand at editing the production. There's no problem with this because unless they somehow ruin the original footage, it's impossible to permanently goof up the edit. But the production phase is another story. You generally only get one chance at it - especially if it's a live event.

Often, when we're hired for the production phase, we suggest that the client pay us for a few hours to review their script to make sure that the pre-production phase has been properly executed. If we have to scramble to cover up flaws that haven't been considered earlier, it just makes things more difficult, and the results can suffer. So especially for the first time out, when it really counts, just make sure that you hire professionals to do the work that you aren't trained to perform. Just take good notes and perhaps you can produce your next video yourself. Or at least handle some of the responsibilities.

Best of luck with your production. With proper planning and a competent team you'll achieve your goals. Now read on to the article entitled "Video Production - Part III - Post Production or Editing".

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