How many times have you gotten lost in a string of YouTube videos?
What about Facebook videos? Gotten lost in any of those lately?
I can tell you that last night I was working on something semi-important, picked up my phone to check my Facebook feed, and returned to that semi-important thing roughly two hours later.
(Those bad lip readings get me every time …)
But I’m not the only poor schmuck getting lost in the world of online videos. As a matter of fact, 45% of people watch more than an hour of Facebook or YouTube videos each week — making video a world that every marketer and business should make a point to visit.
And repeatedly.
“45% of people watch more than an hour of Facebook or YouTube videos a week.” — Wordstream
On top of this, 43% of people actually want to see more video content from marketers and businesses. Have you ever heard of people wanting more marketing emails or wanting more postcards in the mail?
No. Not a chance.
“43% of people want to see more video content from marketers.” — Hubspot
Here at TRIdigital, these are just some of the reasons we shoot at least one custom video for every company we partner with. Video is an integral piece of that strategic marketing puzzle, and without it, you’re failing to bridge all the gaps in the diverse world of content marketing.
Over the years, our video production team has managed to shoot hundreds of hours of video featuring IT companies located all across the country. Here’s what they have to say about shooting a successful (and impactful) company video.
How much do you prepare for an upcoming video? Or do you like things to be done, in a matter of speaking, “on the fly?”
We always prepare for a company video. But at the same time, it’s important not to over-prepare the client. Sure, you want them to have a general understanding of the questions, and obviously, they should be physically prepared for the video — dressed nicely with a clean office. However, you want responses and emotions to be authentic. You just can’t get “authentic” with 100% canned responses.
Aaron Griffin, Video Editor
In terms of preparation, what’s the most important thing to keep in mind?
Again, when it comes to preparation, it’s important to have a clean office. Every employee in that company should show up to work dressed in a way that shows off the company culture in a positive way. But remember, this doesn’t always have to mean a suit and tie.
Aaron Griffin, Video Editor
What type of footage do you always regret not shooting more of?
Let me put it this way. When we show up to an office, we usually get a bunch of footage of people working and random meetings and “candid” office conversations. But we don’t always get to see the employees in their natural habitats. In other words, too much serious, not enough culture. I always end up wishing that I had more candid shots of the company … like what they do on any normal day. That’ll always make for a much more interesting video.
NiCoby Watkins, Video Editor
Is there some sort of sweet spot as far as the type of footage or scenes that are shot?
A sweet spot? Well, I mean, the sweet spot is definitely different for every company. But I can say this … you need a healthy balance of culture and work. Sure, you want to show off how professional your company is, but if your company does the same thing every other company does, then you need to show where your differences exist. 99% of the time these differences will exist with your culture and the people who make up your business.
NiCoby Watkins, Video Editor
What’s your best advice for anyone trying to shoot a company video? Or any video, really.
Try to develop some type of story or theme or overall message. You don’t have all year to shoot a video. In most situations — like with our team — you only have a day or two. So if you go into things with a clear picture of where you want the video to go, then, by default, you know what you need to shoot. Do this and you’ll end up with fewer regrets.
Scott Mitchell, Videographer
How do you get companies to open up to you during the filming process?
We don’t just show up to a company and start shooting a bunch of strangers. We’d never get anyone to open up to us this way. We start things off earlier than that — with phone calls, emails, video chats, you know … that kind of stuff. These early conversations really give us the opportunity to tailor our questions and creative direction to the client ahead of time. And at the same time, the client is more comfortable with us when we show up to film.
Scott Mitchell, Videographer
What’s the best way to uncover some type of flow for the video?
Ask a lot of questions right off the bat — even if it feels like you aren’t getting anywhere. The more you ask, the easier it will be for you to find the “real” talking points. These will typically set the tone for the rest of the day.
NiCoby Watkins, Video Editor
How do you get everyone’s stories or individual remarks to connect to one another?
It might seem weird, but ask everyone the same questions. These questions should already be tailored to that theme or message you envision for the video — which means everyone’s answers should line up with where you want the video to go. No one will give the exact same answer to a question; however, they will be similar enough to connect to each other and create a flow for the video.
Scott Mitchell, Videographer
What’s one of your favorite company videos and why?
I really like the video we shot for Intelligent IT. It’s not really what you would consider a “traditional” corporate video. We were really able to tap into things on a deeper level. The CEO really got into the whole process and was able to share some interesting things with us — like how he channels his inner Zen and how he leverages New York City to make better technology decisions.
Aaron Griffin, Video Editor
Interested in seeing what we can do behind the video camera? Then check out some of our client testimonials, which feature companies like Trend Micro, IPRO, and Axxys.
