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In 2015, brands increased their video spend by 43%, and by 2017 it’s predicted that 69% of consumer internet traffic will be for videos.
Video is something brands should take seriously. As they soar in popularity, they clearly aren’t a fad, and should form part of your overall marketing strategy. Whereas before, marketers may have filmed something on their iPhones to post on Facebook as an afterthought, this is quite obviously no longer enough. For your videos to be successful, you need to create a video strategy, along with a foolproof video production plan. Not sure where to start? It’s no surprise that video production isn’t something that can simply be whipped up. Luckily, we’re experts in this. Take a look at our steps to seamless video production to help your motion dreams become reality.
Before filming begins, you need to decide what your video will be. What content will you include? What message do you want to get across? Which channels do you want your video to feature on (on-site, social etc – not TV channels, in case you were wondering). You need to determine how to tell your story in a way that resonates with the customer and gets your desired message across. Fail to do this, and you’ll have wasted your time, money and efforts on an unsuccessful video that won’t achieve any of your goals.
Ever remember being at school, with your teachers delivering the same old line over and over again: fail to plan and plan to fail? The thing is, they were onto something. If you want your video to be a success, you need to put the necessary arrangements into place. This is a rigorous process, but trust us when we say it’ll help you in the long term. Decide on clear goals, budgets and timings that everyone can work towards. Think about it this way: a goal without a plan is just a wish. If you don’t put the arrangements in place, your successful video isn’t a goal to aim for; it’ll be nothing more than a wish.
Storyboards
This is where the process starts to get exciting. Frame by frame, bring your video to life. This stage should be as detailed as possible: which shots will you take, and from what angle? How many seconds per slide? How will you transition from one slide to the next? The detail may be miniscule, but it’s crucial it’s covered to ensure your video is a success.
Creating a video (and indeed video strategy) is a massive investment – not just in terms of cost, but time too. Naturally, you want to ensure it’s worth it. If you’ve not ran many (or any!) video campaigns before, it can be daunting deciding where to begin, and knowing what to plan for. Enter our talented production team. With almost 40 years of experience, they have produced successful shoots for many major retail clients. They’ll ensure your project is supported in every way, with all details taken care of (even things you may not have even thought about!).
So the video production is planned, and you’re almost ready to film. However, there’s still work to do to ensure everything goes to plan. All this organising can be overwhelming, but that’s where we come in. Our shoot coordinators – or backstage talent, as we like to call them – will help take the weight off your shoulders. Remaining your point of contact, they manage the budget, schedule and crew. Just think of them as your guardian angel, ensuring everything is taken care of, and your needs are met.
Your video has now been filmed thanks to a watertight production plan, and you’re not going to lie… it looks great. It’s a wrap? Not quite. Before you release your video, you need to ensure it’s absolutely perfect. This means amending the colour grade, and adding any motion graphics or animation you want. If you’re wondering how you do this, then don’t worry. Our post-production team have top-of-the-range editing facilities to do all of this, plus they can send your video to you in a range of formats with the correct license for usage. Want to track the success of your hard work? Enter our digital team, who can measure engagement once your video is online, and determine whether it has met (or surpassed!) expectations.
The steps to seamless video production are painstaking, and can be daunting if you’re new to it. But don’t worry: we’re experts in this area, and love collaborating with top brands to bring their videos to life. Just drop us an email at hello@seventy7group.com and we’ll be in touch – we’d love to speak with you and hear about your motion plans.
