MARKETING VIDEOGRAPHY
“Videography” since 1888
The “Roundhay Garden Scene” was the first “video” to ever be created by Louis Le Prince, which was a series of photographs played in sequence, it was 2 seconds long and had 12 fps.
Fast forward to 1965
With the introduction of the Super8 film camera in 1965 by Kodak, shooting videos became more widespread and within reach of the masses.
The rise of video marketing in 2006
It all started when Google bought YouTube in 2006, and featured on the platform ads in multiple formats, including videos. This happened along vast improvements in video equipment which also boosted the rise of videography. Lastly, the rise of smartphones and their fast widespread made consuming videos an extremely easy and frequent activity, which boosted video production as more content was needed.
Fun Fact: in 2022, audiences are spending an average of 19 hours a week watching videos online.
How to benefit from the rise of video marketing?
(The importance of a Video Marketing Strategy)
Have a clear and definite vision of the purpose and the goal of the video/s that you plan to shoot.
Define the buyer persona, which helps create videos that reach the targeted demographic.
Ask yourself what do you want the audience to do after watching the video? (Buy a product, attend an event, follow a page…)
Once the steps above are completed, production can start; in this step it is important to set a date for the shoot, and start sourcing all the needed elements, models, props, …
Consider the platform
The majority of video marketing aspects remain the same, regardless of the platform it’s being made to serve. (TV, Social Media, Street LED screens…) Despite that, many small differences play a big role in making a video successful on each given platform. When it comes to TV video marketing, the videos are usually high budget, aiming to show the face of the given brand or enterprise at its best, TV is associated with prestige and exclusivity. TV advertisements nowadays are usually edited into shorter versions, suited more for social media posting.
When it comes to social media, videos are usually short, snappy, and straight to the point, because there’s a much stronger competition given the larger audience. Unlike TV, social media videos range between high end productions to user generated 0 budget content.
Fun Fact: Due to the rise of social media videography, portrait videos became a norm, which was not considered a valid shooting format before, and was rarely used.
What to consider for social media video marketing?
Consumers find short-form videos 2.5 times more engaging than long-form ones. Plus, short-form video is the most engaging type of in-feed content, followed by images and live video.
Don’t underestimate YouTube, since unlike other social media platforms, when you search for keywords on Google, YouTube videos are part of the result, which makes it a great way to market products.
The most popular videos on social media vary in length by platform. While some strategies call for longer videos, shoot your video in a way that makes it easy to break into shorter edits.
Consider that the audience might be watching the video without sound, so make sure that your video has subtitles, text overlays, and strong visuals, to ensure getting the point across even without sound.
Videos on TikTok usually have the lowest production value, and are mainly user generated, so creating content for TikTok must follow the same vibe.
Instagram falls in the middle, between TikTok and YouTube, where videos range from high end productions to low end user generated content.
How to shoot beautiful videos
Make sure all the equipment is set and on stand-by prior of the shoot.
Have a pre-light the day before, do some tests to ensure that the look you’re trying to achieve is working out.
Pick a suitable backdrop color, and make sure that the set, wardrobe, and props all work with it.
Ensure that the lighting serves the idea and the goal of the video. Conventionally, bright and fun brands require high key lighting, whereas low key dramatic lighting can be used with more high-end clients.
Try to achieve a blurry background by using a small aperture.
Think about fun and interesting transitions, and take them into consideration in the planning of the shooting, to nail them and avoid facing issues in the editing.
Some types of lighting
Flat Lighting
Split Lighting
Rembrandt Lighting
Don’t forget about audio
Capturing clean audio is as important as capturing good video. This is done by making sure that the noise filter is on the microphone to help get rid of annoying distortions which can’t be removed in post. Also making sure that the location of the recording is as quite as possible, and has no or minimal echo.
Capturing clean audio on set helps with the editing, as it makes it easier to be adjusted with the music that usually gets added to the video.