Content Marketing & Film Resource

From Around the Web: 4 Fab 2016 Video Marketing Infographics

Erin Hayes April 22, 2016 Video Marketing, Video, Video production Leave a Comment

When we’re looking for inspiration, we do what everyone does: we turn to Google.

The other day I was looking for some new statistics about video marketing to use in a pitch. I had some great stats that I used in this Production Trends blog from January. But I wanted fresh information.

However, when I googled “Video Marketing Infographics” results from 2011 and 2012 showed first!

Now, this could be because 2011 and 2012 were the infographic's heyday.

But in Video terms, 4 or 5 years ago might as well be twenty years ago. The video production and video marketing landscape changes dramatically year to year. Thank new breakthroughs in technology and adoption rates for new technology for this trend.

Let's look at Mobile video plays as an example. Midway through 2015, mobile video viewing was 844% from 2012! Staggering, right? Statistics from 2012 just will not do.

So, I Googled again and added “2016” to my search. I found some pretty interesting stats from late last year and early this year.

The overwhelmingly popular statistics were that:

Facebook video - and social video in general - is not to be ignored.
If you’re not thinking about your mobile audience, you are missing an enormous opportunity
Traditional Television viewing is a thing of the past. Digital advertising is the place to put your money.

I'm going to circle back to what I was saying about the Infographic's heyday for a minute. A major reason for this visual content's fall was that its original purpose - to inform - was lost in its sudden rise in popularity.

I'm sure you can think of more than a few confusing infographics. Well, while new infographics may be a rarer find, the quality of what I found was great (and according to this paper, we'll see more great infographics in 2016).

Here are the four coolest 2016 Video Marketing Infographics I found:

1. ADvertising BUdgets 2016

Advertising Budgets 2016: 4 Trends You Need To Know [Infographic]
Infographic by MDG Advertising

2. 6 Game-Changing Video Marketing Trends in 2016

6 Game-Changing Video Marketing Trends in 2016 – an infographic by Wideo.co

3. Top 10 Digital Branding & Marketing Trends for 2016

By Business2Community.com:

4. The Top Video Marketing Trends for 2016

By Visualistan

In short, video is a must-have in today's marketing mix. We hope you found the stats in this post helpful. We'll leave you with more astounding statistic about video:

Syndacast predicts 74% of all internet traffic will be video by 2017!

Looking for a video production partner to produce video marketing content? We'd love to talk.

Not quite ready to talk? Check out our Downloadable guide to choosing the right video production partner here:

Video Marketing Video Video production

3 Common Video Marketing Pitfalls (And How To Avoid Them)

Erin Hayes April 14, 2016 Video Marketing, Video, Video production Leave a Comment

est. read time- 2:28

We’ve heard it before: “No one watches our videos. Videos just don’t work for our business. Our customers don’t watch video.”

But invariably - when we start asking questions to dive deeper into the issue - we find out that the prospect made one (or more) of the three most common video marketing pitfalls we see.

The good news is that these pitfalls, as common as they are, are completely avoidable with a little prep.

In this post we’ll outline these three trouble areas and explain simple methods to avoid them.

1. You’re not sure who you are trying to attract.

Do you and your team have documented Buyer Personas? Because maybe you think you know who are trying to attract, but the rest of your team thinks your ideal customer is someone else.

Make sure you're all on the same page before you begin pre-production. Sit down in a room with the core people of your team and discuss your ideal customer.

Do you have a happy customer who would agree to an interview? Take them up on it! Draft a list of questions. If you aren't sure where to start, check out this downloadable template.

2. The video length/content isn't relevant to your ideal customer

Now that you know who your ideal customer is, let’s talk about what type of content they prefer.

What do we mean? Well, we could mean any number of things, but let's start with video length.

Recently The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) partnered with Millward Brown Digital and Tremor Video and released a comprehensive PDF called “Multiscreen Video Best Practices.” This report holds some great pieces of data you and your team may find helpful.

For example, did you know Millenials prefer 10 second videos while Gen-Xers prefer the standard 30 second video?

So go back to your target audience. Cater to their preferences and you’ll have a much better chance at success.

You’ve only embedded it on your website (and shared it once)

You’ve done all hard pre-production work until this point.

Really tough, but satisfying work. Now it’s time to see how your content optimization plays out.

Please, don’t make all your good work obsolete and only share your video on one platform, once.

"We embedded on our website, but we didn't get many views." Is your website Facebook? Is it Instagram? How about Snapchat? No. Well...there's your answer to 'Why'.

Go back to your Buyer Persona and think about your ideal customer. Where do they hang out online?

Create a social campaign around your video. Share it multiple times across your target audience’s favorite watering holes. Play around with the title of your video; experiment with hashtags; share the video at different times of the day.

Now collect all that data over a period of time and put that new knowledge toward your next video!

(Looking for more Do's & Don'ts, check out this article.)

In short, the If You Produce It, They Will Come attitude just doesn’t work.

I’m not sure it ever really did, but I can tell you with certainty that it doesn’t work in 2016.

People are used to watching what they want to watch where they want to watch it. They’ll seek out your content if you prove to be a great content creator. But that takes time and does not happen over night.

So, take the time and do the work. Then measure and refine; measure and refine. You won’t be disappointed. And your audience won’t be either.

Looking for a starting place to brainstorm video ideas? Download our 7 Must Have Videos!

Additional Resources:

Video Marketing Video Video production

What to Take When You Can't Take Everything: Travel Production

Erin Hayes April 12, 2016 Video, Travel, Travel Production, Gear Blog Leave a Comment

When we go out on a shoot we always like to be prepared for anything. That means good pre-production and bringing a lot of gear to the location. So it's not unusual to see a cart loaded like this:

We brought the little rig for a little 12 hour shoot, no big deal. :)

A photo posted by Ian Barrett (@i.barrett) on Oct 3, 2015 at 8:50am PDT

At MediaBoss we also fly internationally to produce shoots for our clients. That presents a unique challenge. How do we keep production values high, but travel efficiently? So, the goal is to take THIS gear and...

MediaBoss Flyaway Gear

...and fit it into THIS bag:

MediaBoss Gear Backpack

The first question might be: Why not hire someone in the market to shoot the video? And the answer is simple. Consistency.

Subtle aspects like composition, lighting, mic placement vary greatly from crew to crew. Unless you have a working relationship with a company, you can't guarantee a consistent result. It's too big a risk us to take, especially when we know we are only going to get one chance to capture the footage.

So, when that 'one shot' opportunity for a testimonial with a CEO halfway around the world presents itself, we need to come prepared.

Inside this small camera bag is 22 pounds of video production gear that we use to provide the highest quality shoot that we can fly with in the overhead bin of a jet. In a lot of ways, it's a back to basics approach using the most reliable gear, with the most consistent results. We'll provide a gear list of about 50 items that we always bring when we can't bring everything.

MediaBoss_Travel_BackPack

First off, we pack our compact and reliable Canon 5D Mark IIs with matching Zeiss 50mm prime lenses. These give us beautiful images and excellent low-light performance. With two cameras, we can do a standard 2 person interview or a A/B camera set-up on the subject. This latitude gives us the most options in post, especially with long interviews. We also bring a Canon 24-70mm and a Canon 22mm lens for additional shooting options.

Next up are the tripods. On a shoot like this one person has to run the entire rig, camera operator/producer/audio/director, without tripods we'd be sunk. Also to save space - and weight - we need lightweight aluminum ones. These usually go in our checked luggage while flying. On the ground we attach them to the camera bag so everything we need is in one compact space, easily portable and available on the day of the shoot. Generally speaking, fly away gigs include a lot of quick set-ups and strikes over a short period of time. We don't get the opportunity to tweak too many things. On any other local gig, we'd have a camera operator and audio/PA at a minimum for even a small shoot.

Audio is critical. In a situation where we have to mic more than a single person we need a separate multi-track recorder. This allows us to monitor and control both sources at the same time. Running primary audio directly into the cameras is not an option for us. Enter the reliable Zoom H4n, a mainstay of our location production since it was first introduced. We also use Sennheiser 100 G3 wireless lavs for audio because we need to mic both host and talent. We also need to be prepared to move quickly from location to location, which makes hardwired mics a no-go. Finally, as a fail-safe backup, we bring a Rode VideoMic Pro shotgun mic. We place it on the camera closest to the talent and send that audio directly to that camera.

MediaBoss Audio Gear

For lighting, we need to rely on a good light source for quality and consistency. So on the way to a shoot we always keep an eye out for a quiet corner with a good base of lighting. We augment what we have with a simple LitePanel LED and a small collapsable bounce (which is also great for single person stand ups in daylight).

When it comes time to roll, we break out the iPad which has an excellent Production Slate with timecode and a TelePromter App for on camera reads. The Production Slate also allows us to take notes in the app and email them to the editor.

Those are the basic, must-haves. But most shoots require us to bring something else to the table. Because of this, we never leave without GoPros, time lapse gear, a mini-slider, Canon G-15 (for quick pick ups and production stills) and of course an iPhone. We also bring a host of clamps and a back-up lav and recorder. This saves us in the case of an emergency like the sudden addition of on-camera talent or the need to capture an additional audio source.

It's important to note that, everything we need to shoot is in the backpack on the plane as a carry-on. Even a lost luggage scenario would not stop a MediaBoss shoot. In that case we'd stop by any camera store and grab a pair of cheap tripods and we'd be good to go. This is critical and absolutely company policy on our very frequent, 'turn and burn' shoots. i.e. Boston to San Francisco and back in the same day or Boston to London and back in 30 hours. Yup, we do that. As our Creative Director, Ian Barrett, says, 'that's Rock and Roll'.

By the way, he's the guy we sent to India to do our latest shoot. Here he is directing somewhere a bit more local...

We shot a fun project with some extraordinarily talented people this week. Here's a shot of one of our final scenes. #setlife

A photo posted by MediaBoss Television (@mediaboss) on Nov 15, 2015 at 4:26am PST

Our abbreviated gear list is attached. Hope you enjoyed reading this, feel free to ask questions or share your comments.

Gear List

Click Elite Backpack (discontinued):
Manfrotto 60' compact tripod
Manfrotto 60' compact tripod
Lasolite 18" reflector
Canon battery charger
Canon battery charger
Canon 5D Mark II "A"
Canon 5D Mark II "B"
Lens cloth
Canon 24-70mm
Zeiss 50mm "A"
Zeiss 50mm "B"
Rode VideoMic Pro
Seiko Chronograph
Leatherman "Tread" Multi-Tool
Rode lavalier mic
Zoom H1 Recorder
Edelkrone Slider One
Edelkrone Flex Tilt Head
GoPro with mounts
20. Zoom H4n Recorder
Camera bracket
(6) Canon Batteries
Business Cards
Camalapse 4 panoramic head
LitePanel Micro Pro w gels
J-Lab J5 ear buds
Vello V-Rig bracket
Friction Arm with clamp mount
Manfrotto ball head mount
Mini tripod
Canon 22mm "pancake" lens
32. Sony NP 970 Battery
Sennheiser 100 G3 Wireless Lav "A"
Sennheiser 100 G3 Wireless Lav "B"
(8) AA Batteries
(8) AAA Batteries
(2) 9v Batteries
iPad Air w/Apps
Asus Notebook Computer
Moleskine w/ mechanical pencil
Seagate 500 GB backup drive "A"
Seagate 500 GB backup drive "B"
(4) 32 GB SanDisk SD cards w/ case
iPhone 5s
(Not Pictured) Bose QC15 Headphones

Checked bag/Carry On

1. Accessory case

2. Canon G15 and Charger

3. Multi-Card reader

4. Power cables (assorted)

5. Anker 1300mAh Battery

6. Anker 40w 5 port Charger

7. 6' AC stinger

8. Rigid 5 outlet extension

9. Sony NP charger

10. iPod mini

11. Bluetooth speaker/charger

12. Laptop power supply

13. Insignia power adapter/converter

Additional Resources:

Guide to Hiring the Right Production Company
- The Future of Episodic Television: A Working Producer's Perspective
5 Reasons Why I'm Not Rushing to 4K Resolution
5 Video Production Trends for 2016
5 Terrible Ways to Spend Your Video Marketing Budget

Video Travel Travel Production Gear Blog

5 TERRIBLE WAYS TO SPEND YOUR VIDEO MARKETING BUDGET

Erin Hayes April 07, 2016 Video Marketing, video marketing budget, video budget, marketing budget Leave a Comment

INTRODUCTION:

Are you in charge of a video marketing budget?

Before you commit to a storyboard or begin the search for a video production partner, let us give you a few tips on how not to spend your money.

It's easy to get overwhelmed by what's possible in video production. Everyday there's a new shiny toy to capture footage or a new best way to produce a video.

Let us help you avoid some common pitfalls.

Here are 5 terrible ways to spend your money.

1. Insist on Specialty Camera Equipment

Is the Red Epic Dragon a kickass camera? Uh, yeah. Yeah, it is. Could any production company you hire get a Red Epic Dragon for your production if asked for it?

Yes.

And if the production company didn’t have experience operating it? Then they’d be able to find and hire a suitable operator.

Easy.

But let’s talk about what this choice could do to your perceived budget:

Let’s say you have $10K to spend on this video. If you demand a Red Epic Dragon, then you just told the production company that half of the budget will go to this effort.

They’ll need to take some profit for the deal. After all, they are a business, too. So at best this leaves you with $3K for lighting, audio, additional crew, editing, graphics, music, sound effects and actors.

Chances are this means that the rest of these must-haves will need to be tightly managed.

Read: These must-haves will get skimped on.

Don’t waste your budget on a specialty camera unless you have shots that need that camera. Any professional camera will be HD.

2. Ask Your Co-Workers to Act Instead of Hiring Actors:

"Wait. But my co-workers won’t cost me money and actors will. How is this a terrible way to spend my money?"

Chances are, your coworkers aren’t professional actors.

This means that no matter how tight the script, no matter how professional the production partner and no matter how awesome the filmmaking gear, your video will be subpar.

And spending money on a subpar video is a tremendous waste of your budget.

We’ve been here before. When we were young and learning how to say ‘No’ to clients, we said ‘Yes’ to letting them hire their coworkers as talent.

They'd book us for a half day shoot, but that half day would quickly become a full day. Then, that full day would turn into overtime because the actors were not professionals and had a tough time delivering their lines.

We all know that more production time means longer post-production time. Deadlines for delivery will get pushed when a shoot goes much longer than planned.

We commit to flat-rate pricing with our clients. But we've learned to write a contingency clause in our contracts for these situations.

Read: We have to charge extra for the extra time and extra work. Everyone does.

Now we just avoid this particular mess all together and say 'No'. And everyone is happier.

Acting isn’t easy, folks. Add a bit more to your budget and make sure you hire professionals.

A little more will go a long way. Trust us.

3. REnt Locations

Location rental can cost anywhere from $500 to $100,000 or more a day.

Unless the location is necessary for the storytelling, we suggest sticking to locations you control.

Ask your production partner if they have an in-house studio. Or maybe your office can look the part. And who knows. Maybe your in-laws will let you use their gorgeous atrium for the shoot.

When you avoid adding location fees to your shoot you can be confident that your budget will go to other extras.

Your production partner will be able to put more into production and post-production. Think specialty equipment; special effects; custom graphics; better music and sound effects. The list goes on.

In short, they will work hard to make sure your video is the best possible video your budget can buy.

4. Licensing Music

Sure, Jay-Z’s Empire State of Mind is the perfect sound track to your video. But if you insist on using his track then you’re looking at costs that will far exceed the cost of your video.

There are many independent musicians who can custom score your video for a reasonable price. Ask your production partner what their thoughts are on music. They’ll have many options for you, from a custom score to stock music.

Together, you can decide the best sound for your video - and you won't break your budget.

5. Hiring the Cheapest Video Production Partner (or Hiring the Most Expensive Production Parter)

Let’s go back to your hypothetical $10K budget. Say you ask for quotes from three companies. One company comes in at $9,999; another comes in at $8,000 and the third quotes $6,500.

Don’t just choose one based on their price. Take your time and do your research.

Look at their reel; check out their portfolio; ask them about their typical process. And their fee structure.

The most expensive option may only be the most expensive because they have a high overhead. Not because they are the most qualified.

Read: They’re one-man/one-woman shows and have to rent all the equipment and hire freelance crew.

The least expensive option may seem like a great get, but make sure you ask about additional fees.

We recently had a client come to us to redo a video they’d already paid to have produced by a different company. This company originally quoted below the client's budget. But by the time the video was complete, they’d incurred an additional $12,000 in fees and the video still wasn’t what they had asked for.

In short, before you hire a company make sure you know what you are signing up for.

Our biggest mistake starting out was not establishing clear expectations at the beginning of a project. It's just as important for us to understand our clients' expectations as it is for our clients to understand ours.

Establishing these expectations makes creative process fun. Each party leaves the project happy.

Download the Ultimate Guide to Choosing the Right Video Production Parter:

CONCLUSION:

In conclusion, to make sure you get the best video for your budget:

Avoid unnecessary expenses like high end camera equipment
Don't try to cut corners that shouldn't be cut
Work with what you can control when it comes to location
Avoid paying music licenseing fees
And do your due dillegence. Set expectations and make that you and your video partner are on the same page before beginning a project.

We hope you found this post helpful! Here are few other resources you might like:

Additional Resources

Video Marketing video marketing budget video budget marketing budget

Data Unknown: A Web Series

Erin Hayes March 24, 2016 Video, Web series, branded content, Data Leave a Comment

Data is a word that gets thrown around a lot. We have "data plans." Our have data to upload, data to download. We know that big data is a big thing and we know that social networks like Facebook and Instagram prize their users personal data above all else.

But what does data really mean to us? This is a question our good friend and client, Steve Kenniston, wants to explore.

Kenniston came to us this fall and asked if we'd produce a web series idea he had called Data Unknown. Then he asked our Creative Director, Ian Barrett, if he'd be his first guest of the series.

We shot the pilot episode in a day and a half - one full day of locations and interviews and a half day of pick ups.

Barrett took Kenniston to some of his favorite haunts in the greater Boston area, including F1 Racing and Jack's Abby Craft Lagers Beer Hall & Kitchen.

The pair discussed how data has evolved in Barrett's business - Media Production - and how data makes Barrett's passions for film production, beer and racing possible.

We hope you enjoy the show and that this starts a conversation about data.

Additional Resources:

Video Web series branded content Data

Video Production Explained in 14 instagram photos

Erin Hayes March 15, 2016 Instagram, Filmmaking Leave a Comment

A picture's worth a thousand words. So, rather than write 14,000 words about the filmmaking process (cause that'd be a bit boring, wouldn't it?), we pulled 14 photos from some talented people on Instagram to tell the story instead.

Luckily for us, pulling 14 photos that document the filmmaking process was no big deal. Because few people document their workflow as avidly - and beautifully - as filmmakers.

We hope you enjoy scrolling through the photos as much as we enjoyed scrolling through #Filmmaking search results!

The Storyboard

You should never shoot without a storyboard. A storyboard will help you save time on production day and during post-production. And, it sets clear expectations for the client and for your crew.

#OnSet vol. 5 #tv #commercial #storyboard #shootingboard #director #notes #work #ilovemyjob #filmset #shooting #behindthescenes #makingof #filmproduction #drawing #sketch #filmlife #instadaily #filmcrew #party

A photo posted by Filip Rudnicki (@phil.rudnicky) on Mar 5, 2016 at 10:13am PST

All the Gear

You need film gear to shoot a video. How much gear you need will depend on a few factors like budget, location size, time of day, etc. etc.

#setlife #newenglandstudios #filmmaking #filmgear #arrilighting #arri

A photo posted by NE Studios (@nestudios) on Mar 11, 2016 at 7:49am PST

#dslrgear #dslr #dslrfilmmaking #700D #canon #filmmaking #filmgear #justgettingstarted @mycamerabag

A photo posted by Rodrigo Senociaín Marzullo (@rsm_arch_films) on Mar 8, 2016 at 9:22pm PST

Take 1...or Take 101

What's more iconic of a filmmaking set than a production slate? Nearly nothing (well, maybe a director yelling 'Action'). A production slate helps the production crew stay on track on the day of the shoot. It also helps the post production team sync the footage from multiple cameras and audio sources.

A belated birthday present from my brother from another mother @brodier94 thanks cuz, should be using it in no time! #film #homemadefilm #clapboard #clapper #filmgear #filmequipment #movies #amatuerfilmmaker

A photo posted by Angus Strachan (@angoosemoose) on Mar 9, 2016 at 3:14am PST

The Crew

The crew is the most important part of filmmaking. You can have a killer script, all the latest and greatest in gear - but if you don't have a great crew you won't have a great product.

#OnSet vol. 6 #filmproduction #makingof #behindthescenes #dolly #RED #redepic #camera #actors #soundengineer #microphone #director #filmcrew #commercial #tv #igers #instadaily #work #filmlife #shop #shooting #filmmaking #filmmaker

A photo posted by Filip Rudnicki (@phil.rudnicky) on Mar 7, 2016 at 10:52am PST

@MoHeim and her trusty #Nepali assistants filming in #Kathmandu #onassignment for our upcoming #PBS series about citizen science. ---------------- #nepal #filmmaking #canon #edelkrone #redcross #openstreetmap @ilcp_photographers

A photo posted by Day's Edge Productions (@daysedge) on Mar 11, 2016 at 2:25pm PST

getTING the shots

Ready, set, Camera Speed! Now it's time for that incredible crew to come together and shoot the heck out of the project.

We shot a fun project with some extraordinarily talented people this week. Here's a shot of one of our final scenes. #setlife

A photo posted by MediaBoss Television (@mediaboss) on Nov 15, 2015 at 4:26am PST

#OnSet vol. 4 🎬 #behindthescenes #makingof #filmset #filmcrew #filmlife #tvcommercial #tv #commercial #director #DOP #gaffer #light #arri #redepic #actors #work #lovemyjob #night #filmproduction #shooting #grip #crane

A photo posted by Filip Rudnicki (@phil.rudnicky) on Mar 3, 2016 at 11:20am PST

Getting the Pickups

Now it's time to get those closeups and specialty shots.

Creative Director @i.barrett and Production Manager @paulsummerlong (photo credit) on set at @jacksabbybrewing last week! #latergram #setlife #production #JacksAbby #behindthescenes

A photo posted by MediaBoss Television (@mediaboss) on Jun 17, 2015 at 9:44am PDT

All of the Pickups...

And just when you think you've captured all the pickups, you realize that if you took this and shot it that way then your video would 1000% more awesome.

Getting the closeup during a recent shoot with client, @jacksabbybrewing #setlife #beer @paulsummerlong @i.barrett

A photo posted by MediaBoss Television (@mediaboss) on Jul 13, 2015 at 9:18am PDT

Going through the footage. ALL of THE FOOTAGE

You've come back to the studio. You've loaded all of the footage. Now it's time to go through all of that footage.

Getting lots of dailies out of resolve. From RED Dragon 6K raw to 1080p for editing. #featurefilm #davinciresolve #editsuite #filmediting

A photo posted by Jelle Helwig (@jellehelwig) on Mar 7, 2016 at 11:50am PST

Wide Cut

Ok, you've edited a wide cut. Good for you! You're about 20% done. Time to get into Version 1, Version 2, etc.

Amazing what gets left on the cutting room floor. 95% through a really fun video for really fun client. #timeline #editing #video #videoproduction #postproduction #food

A photo posted by MediaBoss Television (@mediaboss) on Jan 29, 2016 at 10:46am PST

Picture Lock!

A big satisfied sigh of relief. Your video is complete. Everyone loves it and has signed off on it.

That's a wrap- locked picture and sound on ep 109 of @vinyl! Two onlines and three audio mixes. ✂️🎞🔒 #timelinetuesday #avid #filmediting #editingroom #sountrackf/t @hbo

A photo posted by Kate Sanford (@sanfordkate) on Mar 8, 2016 at 5:22am PST

Cheers!

Get your team together, grab a beverage and clink those glasses, cans, what-have-you.

And then, on to the next production!

#Repost @paulsummerlong with @repostapp. ・・・ Farm to table? More like tank to table. #15minutesorless @jacksabbycraftlagers

A photo posted by @erinehayes on Jan 22, 2016 at 10:45am PST

Additional Resources

Instagram Filmmaking

Guide to Hiring the right video production company

Erin Hayes March 03, 2016 Video production, hiring video production company, guide to hiring video production company Leave a Comment

Congrats! You’ve got the go ahead to produce an awesome video for your company! That’s great news. But now that the high from that win is wearing off you may be wondering, “OK. What now? How do I choose the right video production company?"

If you’re unfamiliar with the process of selecting a video production partner, then this guide is for you! We created this guide because our experience has brought us face to face with many clients who picked the wrong partner, only to seek us out in desperation. While we appreciate the business, it’s better for everyone when people can make informed decisions.

Google “Video Production Company” in any market and you’ll be inundated by a bunch of seemingly great matches, with highly produced sizzle reels. But…how can you know if they’re really the right partner for your company?

There’s a lot to consider when selecting a video production relationship.

Here are 5 things you should consider.

Audio/Visual Quality:

It might sound obvious, but is their quality of work up to your company’s standards? Does it reflect the type of production levels you see in your competitors work?

You should expect their sizzle or demo reel to look amazing, but it’s not really an indicator of their long form storytelling or consistency. Although a sizzle reel is a great way to show off work in a fun, creative way, it’s also a great way to hide mistakes that appear in the original videos. And, some companies make use of stock video footage in reels.

So, ‘looks’ are one thing, but how is the audio? Is it clear, present and mixed well?

How are the graphics? Are they custom made by a motion artist or do they appear overly simple and static?

The next thing to review is the music. Does it match the video? Does it sound outdated? Is it copyrighted? Some companies cut corners by using music from long outdated music catalogs and that can lower the impact of your video.

Check out their facility, meet the staff, take a tour and you will feel much more confident in your decision when you finally make it.

Creative Quality:

Beware of cookie cutter video production companies. When you look at their portfolio, do the videos look the same?

Do they use the same concepts, graphics, music and locations for every video? Style is one thing, limited resources are something else - especially when you are trying to create impact on a tight budget. Make sure you have a creative vision with your production company. And if they suggest a ‘parody’ of an existing commercial or video as a concept for your company, you might want to continue your search.

Passion:

You can pay people to work, but you can’t pay people to care. Every manager knows this. If your neck is on the line to make something great, make sure you are with people who care about your mission and make it their own. If they don’t’, no budget has the power to change that. Is your production partner creative? Do they suggest multiple solutions? Do they give you the sense that they will do whatever they can to make the product work for you?

Personality:

You’re probably scratching your head at this one, but trust us: It’s important to like the company you are doing business with.

Production is stressful, and creative work requires a unique blend of vision and trust. Depending on the complexity of the project, you may be working closely with them over the next few months, so getting along is more than just convenient: it makes good sense and could have a great impact on the quality of your product.

The relationship should have room for great creative discussions. You should feel comfortable knowing that your ideas will be listened to and you should trust that the people you are working with have your best interests in mind when they suggest ideas.

Ask for a testimonial or to speak to a current client to help gauge your comfort.

Budget:

We put this last because it’s not the first thing you should consider. If you are looking for cheap, you’ll find it. And the results will speak for themselves. Good production costs money (see items 1-4), but the value can continue for years after the video is created.

Simply stated, a good video is worth more than it costs and bad video cost too much.

However, pinching pennies on a video that’s meant to highlight your company isn’t a good idea. For instance, if you are making a video to market something that generates hundreds of thousands of dollars of income for your company and you don’t want to spend $10,000 on a video, you might be setting yourself up for disappointing results. Have a realistic expectation of the goal of the video to decide the budget, and if it meets those expectations, you should feel comfortable pushing for more video products.

We hope this helps you on your search. If you’re looking for a more nitty gritty list of points you should ask when interviewing potential partners, download the following checklist:

And as always, feel free to connect with us directly with any questions you might have.

Video production hiring video production company guide to hiring video production company

5 Video Production Trends for 2016 You Can't Ignore

Erin Hayes January 21, 2016 Video Leave a Comment

If you are not using video as part of your business marketing strategy you are missing one of the most powerful marketing trends in history.

Online video consumption has increased dramatically year-over-year and this year will not be an exception. In fact, video viewership is set to spike by 19.8 percent in 2016!

Even if you have been using video you're aware of the nuances of effective online video. Specifically, you must have a target for your video. The days of throwing something up online are ending. The competition is high with amazing quality videos and innovative production.

We predict that 2016 is the year of the Targeted Video, or more specifically Targeted Video Series.

This involves:

-Taking platforms into account when producing video

-Employing high quality graphics and images to engage viewers

-Producing suites of content rather than the one-off

Here are our Top 5 Video Production Trends for 2016

#1. More Short Form Content

The early adopters have been incorporating short form video into their content marketing strategy for a couple of years. And 2016 will see a spike in this adoption across the board. We predict that more marketers will request 15 and 30 second versions of their web video to reach their Instagram and Twitter audiences. And we predict that marketers will start to produce video that takes advantage of Facebook’s autoplay feature.

#2. The Video Series - No More Solo Videos

The early 10’s we saw marketers plan their videos as big, one-off launches, with all the energy built around a single product that 'did it all'. As Content Marketing has gained momentum we’ve seen more businesses plan suites of video, and we predict 2016 will be the year that even skeptical businesses will actively include video in their strategy. There are many upsides to planning a series of video rather than a one-off. The obvious benefit is a cohesive, targeted and sustained video strategy. The not-so-obvious upside is the cost. Creating a series of videos out of a well-planned single shoot can mean a budget savings.

#3. The Year of the Drone

Drone technology has become more accessible than ever and the FAA has allowed their operation (with a license). We predict we’ll see more businesses ask for this speciality footage in their video. It’s a relatively inexpensive way to add dynamic footage to a variety of products - from corporate video to commercials to episodic content. And, let’s be honest: drones are fun!

A word of warning, make sure the company you hire can present you with a valid FAA license for both the drone and the operator. Make sure the operator is very experienced and has a reel of footage to share with you. Finally, make sure the drone operator and production company are insured for drone operation.

#4. The Corporate Studio - Your Own TV Channel

We’ve encouraged our clients to think of their businesses and brands like television channels for years. It’s not enough to simply create an incredible video. If your incredible video was a television show, what would go into the promotion of that show? A series of trailers - each targeted for the time frame and channel on which its to be shown - online graphic ads, short ad overlays, etc. And how would you package your series to compel people to watch not just the first episode, but the entire series?

This year we’ll start to see more brands thinking about this as they head into production.

#5. Live Streaming/Live Event Production

And speaking of Corporate Studio, live streaming platforms will grow again in 2016. Innovations like Periscope have altered the game by incorporating an easy to use and share ad-hoc platform with a built-in audience. Go big and create a 'TedTalk-style' world-wide livestream or go local with Periscope. The point is to share.

If you're looking for inspiration for what types of content you should share, download our Guide to the 7 Must-Have Videos.

We give you 7 ideas for video content, practical tips about how to promote each piece of content and real stats about the success rates of each type of video.

Additional Resources:

Video

3 Big Mistakes to Avoid in Explainer Videos

Erin Hayes January 05, 2016 Marketing, Animation, Strategy, Video Leave a Comment

When done right, an animated explainer video can help explain your product or service, drive engagement with viewers and increase conversion rates 20%.

But when done improperly, they can end up confusing your viewer and costing you money.

In this post we’ll walk you through the three most common mistakes we see people make with explainer videos. And we'll give you practical pointers to avoid making them.

no 1: focused on features instead of benefits

In 2015 the average attention span was 8.25 seconds. You have 8.25 seconds to grab your viewers' attention and compel them to watch the rest of your video. You won’t do that by talking about yourself. You need to talk about them.

We understand; you love your product and all of its shiny parts. You want to share it with the people whom you know could benefit from it’s amazing features. But instead of explaining the why, you get hung up on explaining the what.

You have between 150 and 300 words (roughly 1-2 minutes) to get your Why across. A good rule of thumb is for every 1 word you write about your product, write 3 about the benefit it delivers to customers (this is a good tip for interviews, too).

If your target video length is 2:00 then you should limit your What to 75 words and your Why to 225. And if the ratio is 50/250, that’s fine too. Just don’t let is skew lower than 1:4.

no. 2: No call to action

You’ve just invested in a video. Your team has worked diligently to boil your message down to 150-300 words; you worked with your production partner to get the video’s look just right. But have you clearly communicated the action you want your viewers to take after watching your amazing video?

If the answer is ’no' then you should stop everything right now and...

Ask yourself this question:

What is the one - and only one - action you want your viewer to take after watching your video?

If you’re not sure then reference the goal of producing this video. (If you hadn't documented a clear goal for you video, consider downloading our 5-Point Checklist at the end of this blog.)

Was it to increase awareness? Increase demo registrations? Webinar registrations?

Now, go back to the script and tell your viewers to take that action.

Don’t leave this to chance - even if you think that action is obvious (it’s a video about your webinar series. Of course you want them to sign up for it!). Include a link to a landing page where they can complete the action you want them to take.

The easier you make it for your viewers, the higher return on investment you’ll see for you video.

Step 3: too many topics in 1 video

What’s worse than not having a Call to Action? Having too many calls to action - for more than one buyer persona. That’s exactly what happens when you try to make one video do the work of two or three or four.

We’ve had clients tell us they want to get the most out their video and that’s why they’ve included all the information anyone could need about their product or service. But including all the information will have the exact opposite effect for these reasons:

The video will be too long (remember, you only have 8.25 seconds to get their attention!).
The video isn't target for a specific buyer persona.
You’ll confuse your viewer about next steps.

Each of these points will lower your conversion rate - and your ROI.

When you try to cram too many topics into one video you confuse your viewers. You're not being clear about whom the video targets.

Think about your buyer personas. Target one buyer persona and speak directly to them in your video. Only cover the points you and your team have identified as important to this persona.

Now, chose one action you'd like them to make after watching the video. Don't give choices.

"Sign up for a demo or register for this webinar or give our sales team a call!”

Choices lead to indecision and indecision leads inaction.

CONCLUSION:

We hope you found these three tips helpful. Animated explainer videos are a fun - and effective - way to educate and engage your audience when done properly.

In summary:

Explainer videos should focus on the benefits your target audience will reap from your product or service
It should have a clear Call to Action
It should clearly communicate just one topic for one buyer persona. Then, it should clearly communicate the one - and only one - action you want your targeted viewer to take after watching the video.

We hope you found these tips helpful! If you're looking for additional, practical help to plan an explainer video, then please download our 5-Point Animated Explainer Checklist:

This checklist will guide you through the 5 planning stages of producing an animated explainer.

It includes suggested questions to ask yourself and your team to ensure you produce the most effective video for your business or brand.

Additional Resources:

Ultimate Guide to Producing an Animated Video

4-Steps to Create an Animated Music Video

7 Stats About Video Marketing to Make You Look Smarter

Our Production Process

Marketing Animation Strategy Video

Our 6 Must-See Holiday Movies

Erin Hayes December 17, 2015 Fun, Video Leave a Comment

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas at MediaBoss so Nick Clarke and I sat down to discuss our favorite holiday movies.

Originally, we agreed to list just the top two flicks that put us in the holiday spirit. But there's something you should know about Nick and me: We are the perpetual children of the studio and picking just two was too difficult.

(Full disclosure: The two of us commandeered the studio sound system the day after Thanksgiving and have been forcing Ian, Paul & Monica to listen to Christmas music 27/4.)

In this video we each share our top 3 holiday movies. I'll be honest: I thought I was a shoe-in for cheesiest-taste-in-movies until I heard Nick's No. 1. It's unlikely he'll ever live his pick down.

Amused by our picks? You might enjoy:

Our Top Favorite Halloween Movies of All Time

Fun Video

Erin Hayes

Erin Hayes

Recent Posts

1. ADvertising BUdgets 2016

2. 6 Game-Changing Video Marketing Trends in 2016

3. Top 10 Digital Branding & Marketing Trends for 2016

4. The Top Video Marketing Trends for 2016

1. You’re not sure who you are trying to attract.

2. The video length/content isn't relevant to your ideal customer

You’ve only embedded it on your website (and shared it once)

Additional Resources:

Gear List

Checked bag/Carry On

Additional Resources:

1. Insist on Specialty Camera Equipment

2. Ask Your Co-Workers to Act Instead of Hiring Actors:

3. REnt Locations

4. Licensing Music

5. Hiring the Cheapest Video Production Partner (or Hiring the Most Expensive Production Parter)

Additional Resources

Additional Resources:

The Storyboard

All the Gear

Take 1...or Take 101

The Crew

getTING the shots

Getting the Pickups

All of the Pickups...

A photo posted by MediaBoss Television (@mediaboss) on Jul 13, 2015 at 9:18am PDT

Going through the footage. ALL of THE FOOTAGE

Wide Cut

Picture Lock!

Cheers!

Additional Resources

Audio/Visual Quality:

Creative Quality:

Passion:

Personality:

Budget:

Here are our Top 5 Video Production Trends for 2016

no 1: focused on features instead of benefits

no. 2: No call to action

Step 3: too many topics in 1 video

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