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Tips and Tricks for Keeping Your Video Content Fresh
As a video Producer you have been hired to film a video that you do every year. How do you keep this year’s video fresh, engaging, and still deliver the company message? Here are some simple ideas to keep your projects fresh with research, a new look, and by communicating with other industry professionals.
It never hurts to do a little research. Don’t worry I’m not talking about burring your nose in manuals. To stay current it is essential to see what others videos departments, production companies and agencies are doing. It is a great idea to build up a small library of online references that you find stimulating…you know get your creative juices flowing. The few hours it adds to your pre-production time will be well worth it.
- YouTube Search Pretty much every entity small or large has a channel. This is often helpful to search on certain video topics or genres. For example if you need to produce a new job recruitment video for HR; type in corporate job recruitment videos and see the wealth of brain jogging content.
- Vimeo The staff picks are a great way to see short videos with a huge range of looks and styles that can be emulated or reworked to suite your project.
- Blogs Everyone’s a blogger these days. It can be tricky to weed through the amateurs to get to the good stuff. We suggest that you subscribe to 5 industry blogs. Here are a few that we like.
- CineTechnica by AbelCine. This is an excellent resource for new gear. Since Abel is a reseller and rental house NOT a manufacturer they give you useful technical facts without all the hard to understand corporate messaging.
- Broadcast Engineering by Broadcast Engineering magazine. Despite the title Broadcast Engineering offers a wide range of industry information that Producers can really use.
- Blog Central by Crews Control. In addition to this newsletter that comes out monthly we also have a blog that in updated weekly with content written for corporate Producers and other video production industry professionals. We write articles based on the information that our clients and crews want to hear about.
Get that WOW look. Break the flat video mold and sculpt a more dynamic image to get your audience’s attention with a simple switch of the camera and lenses. Large sensor cameras with prime lenses gives your image a rich feel while making your subjects look fantastic. There are some small cost differences to add to your budget and additional planning needed.
- Pre-Production: There is a reason your Camera Operator keeps picking up the tripod/ camera and walking it back or forth. Prime lenses give you a beautiful dynamic image but they DON’T zoom. This is important to keep in mind when writing your script. It is also important to discuss the location with your DP so he can plan on bringing the right lenses for your subject’s length and width. The little extra time it takes to get varied focal lengths and widths are well worth it.
- Production: Additional costs for large sensor cameras and prime lenses vary per location. Rates below are an average for Crews Control represented crews in the US. (Crew Includes: DP, Sound and gear for a full day.)
- Canon 5D Mark III @ $200 – $300
- Canon C300, C500 (not in 4K) @ $300 – $450
- Sony PMW F3 @ $550 – $750
- Post Production: Often large sensor cameras don’t increase your post production budget at all. As with any new camera format you will want to make sure that your editor has the right plug-ins for their NLE software. The plug-ins are free and on each manufacturers website. Depending on how your project was shot, and want setting you and your Director of Photography decided on, some color correction may be needed. Additional costs for color grading vary per location. Rates below are an average for Crews Control represented crews with post facilities in the US.
- DaVinci Resolve @ $225 – $700/hour
The WOW look doesn’t have to come in the form of cameras and lenses you can also add some grip gear. Movement can go a long way to increase visual interest in your content. There are camera sliders, dolly track systems and jibs a plenty that allow a little or a lot of movement to enhance your message.
- Crew Owned Often crews own dollies, camera sliders, jibs and other super cool production gear that will give your production that edge it needs. The day rates vary depending on the size and type of grip gear. If the crew owns the gear then you don’t have to go through the trouble of signing rental agreements and making sure that the equipment gets back to the rental house on-time. Ask your Production Manager about adding a slider, dolly or jib on your next production and they will be happy to find a crew who owns the gear.
- Rental Houses Every major market has plenty of rental houses. Here are three examples of rental house that have a good selection of grip gear.
It sounds so darn easy but often we don’t take advantage of the group collective. Develop relationships outside your organization with a variety of production professionals.
- Local Rental Houses Again, rental houses can be very helpful letting you know what the hottest gear that is being used in your area.
- Freelance Professionals The beauty about independent Producers or freelance camera operators is that they work on all kinds of projects all the time. Spend some time picking their brain to jump start your next project.
- Join Online Communities For Producers Ask a question or just follow conversations to keep up with the trends. Online communities are a great way to pool from a large group of professionals.
- Quora Corporate Video
Don’t put yourself in the box of “This is how we have always done it.” Take your fresh idea, add a little creativity, new gear and tell your story like it has never been told before. Sure you don’t have an agency budget with agency employees but it is amazing what small steps you can take to engage your audience the same way.
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