The Ultimate Video Production Process Guide

No other medium has the power to demonstrate a concept and evoke a response as effectively as video. When implemented into your marketing strategy, high quality video can have a huge impact on your bottom line, elevating brand positioning and fostering customer advocacy. 

This is where the importance of video production comes to play. Video of any kind is a direct representation of your brand. In other words, production quality equals brand quality, which is why you need more than just an iPhone to make a high-end video.  

But what does the video production process actually look like? 

In this guide we’ll cover each step in the video production process as well as the core building blocks used by successful producers. 

The Three Phases of Production

Phase One: Pre-Production

Pre-production is the first step towards transforming an idea into a workable project. This phase is all about laying the groundwork to capture the best footage with the strongest story arc to deliver your message. 

The planning, problem-solving, and organization that go into pre-production are essential to ensure the success of any video project.

Development

At the outset of pre-production is development. The client and producer will come together to establish what the purpose of the video is, who the target audience is, and what the core messaging and objectives for the project will be. Based on these goals, the creative team will define:

Form – what kind of video lends itself best in delivering this story, i.e. long-form documentary, motion graphics, talking head, instagram video, PSA, animated explainer etc.  

Story – who are the characters or people involved? If it is a documentary or talking head, what real people can we find whose stories align with your brand message? You always want your project to lean more towards the do than the say because video is a visual medium. Show, don’t tell.

Style –  what does this video look like? What are the visuals and motion graphics needed? Matching the style of the video with your company’s branding is imperative for effective messaging. Ultimately, the visual style should allow viewers to easily associate the video’s message with your brand. 

Tone – what is the feeling we want the video to convey? Is it funny, sad, upbeat, etc. How does this tone align with the overall tone of the brand? 

Delivery specs– what platform is this going to be distributed on? Is the video for social media? Fundraising event? Recruiting? At Green Buzz we create tailored video formatting and strategy to maximize video objectives and performance. 

Defining these components early allows the production team to develop a strategy for the creative process and the actual execution of those ideas. A clear development strategy is an integral part of any effective video production process.

Research

Research is critical in finding authenticity in any story. For example, if you are shooting a documentary or interview-based video, this is the point where the producer and their team look into what players were involved when the story unfolded, who is willing to talk about what on camera, and how these interviews fit together to paint the whole story for audiences. 

Background research can help inform things like daily rituals, visuals, and supporting cast which can be the details that elevate video caliber from good to great.

Budget

Budget goes hand in hand with development. Because creative freedom can be limited by the project’s price point, it is essential to define the budget early in the production process. By first establishing the financial limits, the production team can develop a video concept that is both effective and feasible. 

The producer will break down what footage is needed to construct the narrative, while also organizing the best crew to make that happen. Based on the number of shoot days and team members the client can afford, the producer curates a group of technical experts to serve as the crew for the project. Skilled producers will be stewards of the client dollar, maximizing ROI without cutting corners that cheapen the project.

Storyboarding

Storyboarding is essential to outlining the visual framework of a project. Preparing the setting or mise-en-scène in pre-production is imperative for video marketing projects because it allows clients and producers to be able to visualize the same narrative all the way through the full production cycle.

 
Storyboarding involves both the artistic and practical sides of pre-production. StudioBinder describes storyboarding as critical in facilitating the presentation, planning, and collaboration of a video project. A storyboard resembles the format of a comic book, with characters and their actions mapped out in panels. For the director, it also informs expected camera movements and the equipment required to achieve that anticipated effect. Even if the final product isn’t an exact shot-by-shot replica of the storyboard, the process itself is important in aligning the visions of many different people and working out a framework that you’ll continue to build on throughout different iterations of the process.

Beat Sheet

No matter what kind of video you are producing, each scene has a narrative mission to add information that moves the story forward. 

The beat sheet is the perfect way to reverse engineer the storyline and create a mission-driven story skeleton. The producer will work very closely with the director of photography (DP) to flesh out the visuals needed to get from point A to B in the story, while also considering how each of these points (or beats) communicate the message to the audience in the style and tone the client wants. During the shoot, the beat sheet also serves as a checklist or guide for the production team by highlighting the main points that they need to nail the narrative. 

Making each scene an optimization of its mission is critical in creating rich story arcs, as it creates striking micro-moments that are compelling and memorable, and avoids delivering information for the sake of filling space.

Script Development

The producer will work with their creative team to develop a script for the project. Again, this process will be different depending on the nature and scope of the video, but the writing will focus on bringing forward the key objectives and messages of the piece. 

If the video requires interviews, then this is the period where the creative team will draft careful questions to guide the storyline and hit major themes. After the scripts or interview questions have been developed and reviewed by the client, the producer moves on to casting.

Casting

Casting varies greatly based on the specifications of a particular project, with the main differences being if you are casting “pro talent” (actors) or “real talent” (real people). 

Casting real talent can be tricky as there are more unknowns with people who don’t have much exposure to being on camera. However, often using real people is crucial to presenting an authentic narrative. If this is the case for the project, it’s important to work with a producer who has experience working with non-actors in video production. 

Josh and Benny Safdie’s work with casting director Jennifer Venditti on their recent film, Uncut Gems, is a prime example of effective street-scouting and collaboration with real talent. Chasing after the New York diamond district, the latest film from the Safdie brothers achieves its specificity of tone and style through its casting. In our project with Upworthy and the city of New Orleans, we highlighted Chef Byron Bradley, a non-actor whose authentic connection to his community was not replicable in professional actors.

You want to look for people with the most impactful story, that are able to sell your message and represent your brand regardless of their job title or credentials. Does this person’s life have rich visuals? Do they have energy and are they articulate? Often producers will conduct preliminary video interviews with real talent to get a sense of these baseline questions. This type of talent is invaluable, but it still requires a level of skill and experience to mold each narrative into the format of a video spot that’s just a few minutes long.

Location Scouting

The producer and DP (director of photography) scout location so that they know exactly what they are walking into on shoot day. This allows the crew to be prepared to get the best shots, in the right light, with the right props, and highest sound quality.

Location scouting also allows the crew to make arrangements for unexpected details, like a lack of outlets in the shoot space, street construction, or trash that may interfere with a shot. Being able to account for these factors in advance is a major part of an effective pre-production strategy.

Crew

Working with the right crew is essential to the success of a shoot. The crew should be highly vetted, and ideally has prior experience working together on shoots. 

This is one of the distinguishing factors at Green Buzz Agency, because the core of our production crew is in-house. This means that our team comes with a level of synergy and collective expertise that is difficult to match at freelancer-dependent agencies. 

Each shoot will require a specific crew to make the video come to life. If you are working on a big complicated project with lots of moving parts, it is critical to have the right crew and the right number of people on set to move equipment, set up sound and lighting, get hair and makeup on the talent, and keep the production workflow running smoothly. 

At the same time, if the goal of the shoot is to create an intimate interview, you will want a smaller crew on set to ensure that you are able to capture the correct tone and feel of the project. 

A skilled producer will have the messaging and objectives of the project in mind when putting together the crew. 

Production Schedule

Just as the name suggests, the production schedule determines who will be on camera, when they will be on camera, and at what location. It is crucial for everyone involved to have access to the production schedule. Of course, every individual team member needs to know where he or she needs to be, but knowing where to find every other person during a shoot is also of the utmost importance.

Call Sheet

Call sheets are created for each day of shooting. Every call sheet will paint a roadmap for the shoot and is intended to ensure that each task on set has been clearly defined. This process ensures that everyone involved knows exactly what to do on shoot day. 

The more you can do to have everyone in agreement up front, the less confusion there is on the actual shoot. Each scene on the script will be broken down into the call sheet, which allows everyone on set to do their jobs with maximum efficiency. 

Phase Two: Production

It’s finally shoot day! The meetings, brainstorming sessions, and preparations are in place and it’s time to capture the raw visuals and soundbites you need for your video. 

During production, the crew will come in and set up sound, light, and video equipment to prepare for actors, interviews, voice overs, b-roll and anything else your video requires. 

Think of pre-production and production as a game of dominos. Pre-production is the process of lining up all the dominos meticulously and in the right way. The more that you can plan and commit to your design up front, the more you can ensure all the pieces are perfectly in position, which reduces the chance of a misfire. 

In keeping with this analogy, production is the art of knocking down the dominos and making sure they fall exactly as they’re supposed to. This might mean knocking down the dominos halfway and restarting them multiple times or making adjustments to the original alignment.

Importance of Experience

The distinguishing factor between a good crew and a great crew is the battle scars of years and years of experience.

Experienced crews have handled the spectrum of things that can go wrong on set and know how to exude confidence and make anything work, no matter the hurdles. This is why it is critical to work with a seasoned crew who can draw on the past and problem-solve on the fly. 

Vetted experience often differentiates full-service agencies and a freelancer dependent companies or production houses. With an agency, you’ll get a tenured crew that is used to working together and has developed a strong synergy which increases efficiency and reduces on-set costs.   

Agencies like Green Buzz with diverse client portfolios, also bring a wealth of industry knowledge, as there are few fields or categories of video that we haven’t worked with in one form or another.

Flexibility

Approaching a shoot with the mission and vision mapped out in pre-production helps the story come to life. Nevertheless, it is important not to lock a story in stone; the storyline of any video project has to be a living, breathing, flexible organism to ensure that compelling, unscripted and unexpected moments are captured on shoot day.

Prioritizing

Producers will move things around in the grand scheme of priorities with the end result in mind. As an interview is being shot, high level producers will cut through the scenes in their head and sequence the story as it is being captured. 

This skill is critical, because the scariest part of production is that you have such a small window to get everything you need for your entire edit. Prioritizing by visualizing the final product throughout helps ensure that when the shoot has wrapped, you truly have everything you need for your video.

Phase Three: Post-Production

Before we jump in, one important thing to bear in mind is that post-production is a process. Videos have to be synced, footage has to be backed up and cuts are an iterative exercise. 

At the early stages of pre-production, the most important thing is to get the story fleshed out so that the content and narrative are used and created effectively. For that reason, rough cuts are in fact, rough. 

Then the bells and whistles are added to the project in final edits. 

It’s also worth noting that even as technology grows and evolves, backing up footage and rendering still takes time. Exporting isn’t instantaneous, with a lot of technology and computing power at work to make things look as good as they do.  

This is where client communication is so important. Maintaining clear and consistent communication channels allows everyone to feel like a valued member in a creative partnership throughout the entire production process.

Piecing Together the Story

After the shoot has wrapped and the footage has been backed up, the producer will get an initial pulse from the client as to what they liked or found particularly poignant in the footage.

Producers and editors will more closely analyze the film and find out how to fit the pieces of the puzzle together to form the larger story. 

Each producer will have their own approach to the process. One of our in-house producers likes to start with a paper cut, where she watches the footage with a transcript in hand and literally cuts different parts of the copy and puts it on her wall so that she can rearrange the text in ways that create the most compelling story.

Editors, Designers & Cuts

Skilled editors are their own story producers, and have honed the craft of pulling footage and b-roll together to create a rich and immersive narrative. The project will go through several post-production phases, or cuts, to get to its final polished form:

Content Cut – Alongside the producers, editors will comb through everything that was shot and pull selects that build core themes and storylines. After the core content bites are collected, they’re put into sequence, creating a skeletal of the entire video. 

Rough Cut – The rough cut has general b-roll, music and soft graphics and is usually still theoretical in form. At Green Buzz, our rough cuts are tight, and cutting-edge because they tend to look closer to a fine cut than a rough cut. The client will review the rough cut and provide their notes and feedback. Tackling projects up front means we’re able to incorporate client modifications earlier in the process, which shapes the final version with maximum client collaboration.

Fine Cut – The fine cut will include color correction, graphics, music and sound as well as an incorporation of all the client notes from the rough cut phase. Final bells and whistles like subtitles and formatting for social will also be added during this last phase of the project.   

Final take-aways

Ultimately, the production process is highly individualized and scalable based on the project that you want to create. Still, every video will require in-depth research and planning during pre-production, a highly knowledgeable crew with the right equipment during production, and innovative editors and designers who can weave a rich story arc together for the final cut.

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Amelia Oliver, Marketing Strategist. Emily Herman contributed to this post.

Location Scouting Strategy for Effective Messaging

I’m sure we have all seen that dreary video where the whole story is filmed in one place against a bland wall. And what did you take away from that video? In all honesty, you probably don’t even remember the video’s message. Your brand has something more to offer your viewers than just a white wall! That’s why location is key when creating a video to market your brand.

For example, the Tapestry Collection by Hilton highlights a partnership with Youth Services of the Arts, which is an organization that awards arts-focused grants to communities. Not only are the locations of this video eye-catching, but they also serve as a metaphor for Angelica Petitlubin’s poetry and creativity. So, if you want your content to be exciting and out of the box, follow these best practices when it comes to finding the perfect location for your video to deliver effective messaging.

Setting the Tone

Grabbing a viewer’s attention within the first few seconds of your video is essential if you want to have a higher chance of successfully delivering your video’s message.  And a great location will be the perfect hook to grab your viewer’s attention! Setting is a core component in establishing your video’s mood and tone.

Take a look at our Ad Council “Love Has No Labels” campaign video. Notice how the location is set in Los Angeles on a busy street. In this setting, we get a sense that these are real people and not actors. This location is able to make the audience understand the authenticity of the video’s message and a sense of community. This neighborhood-feel compounds the spirit of the video: you are welcome, no matter who you love.

On the other hand, you might want to go for something more intimate. For example, this video for the Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center is about a very personal topic: remembering the life of a mother and patient who lost her battle with cancer. It’s a quieter story, and we only meet a few people in her family.

The setting echoes this sentiment. The audience is invited into the family’s home to hear about the life of their mother. This feels natural to our viewers, who feel more comfortable discussing such an intense topic at home. Meanwhile, this location also helps those watching connect to the family’s story, giving context to the people that live there. Creating that sense of connection to the subject is extremely important for a video which has a goal to raise money for the nonprofit.

If Able, Location Scout

Scouting a location offers you the opportunity to view the location and see how lighting will work, or the possible sound quality. Figure out what sounds might interfere with your audio. It also allows you to establish which equipment can be used, based on how large or small the space is. This might seem overwhelming, so here is a list to refer to when scouting a location:

How is the sound quality? Is there any noise that might interfere? 

What natural lighting is available? Too much, too little? 

Are there any/enough electrical outlets?

Can you fit all your equipment and cast/crew in the space?

Is the location free? Do you need a permit?

Is there a restroom anywhere nearby?

Is the place clean? Any trash or damage?  

Is there anywhere for the cast to wait before they go on screen?

Is there parking? If so, is there enough?

Are there any unloading options available?

Be sure to visit your location around the same time you plan to shoot.

Because the answers to these questions are crucial to a video production, not scouting a location should only be done if you are on a time crunch, are fairly familiar with that location, or it’s a smaller production.

Another thought – it’s always a good idea to know your location before writing your script. If you know where you will shoot, drawing out a storyboard is far easier, and it helps you envision your shots more efficiently.

Locations Don’t have to be Far and Wide

Did you know that some locations require permits and those can cost anywhere from $500 to $10,000? Acquiring those permits takes time as well — weeks or sometimes months. Even though locations are a critical part of your video and production process, know that locations do not need to be far away or cost you extreme amounts of money. The importance of location can still be achieved in a free space. Shooting in a close and free location is a great choice when on a budget or time crunch.

On top of this, keep in mind that setting up all your video equipment and traveling may take longer than you expected. It’s important to factor in this time as well, as it affects the amount of time you have for shooting your content. For example, it can take about 2 hours to set up and another 2 hours to take down all the equipment for a less complicated shoot. If your concept includes shooting in multiple locations, you’ll have to add that four hours for set up and tear down, plus any transportation time in between. In this case, you’ll need to coordinate with your production team to ensure that your shoot day is long enough to accommodate your number of locations.

Using your office is also another great (and free!) option for filming. This Lidl video is shot in their office and the quality of the video is still up to par with our other videos in more complex locations. Being able to see some of the operations within the office gives viewers a behind-the-scenes look and provides a sense of trust for this company. We see that they are more than just a company, but also a community.

Get to know the location, and shape your video with that location in mind. This is how you can stand out from other companies.

Accept that Not All Locations May Work Out

Whether shooting indoors or outside, understand that things may change. Not everything is going to go according to your plan, and being able to adjust is critical. If outdoors, consider what the weather might be like on the days you want to shoot, and always have a backup location or provide extra days in your shooting schedule.

If you were unable to location scout, remain open-minded as the location might not be what you expected (poor sound quality, no space for equipment, poor lighting, etc.). There is definitely more than one location that can aid in your video’s message, so think outside of the box if your first location does not work out. Be prepared and understand that the unexpected is bound to happen.

Consult with a Location Expert

About 21% of marketers don’t know where to start when it comes to making a branded content video. So, the first step for you might be to consult with a location expert before creating the entire vision for your video. If you have your video’s message figured out, a location expert can help you determine a great place to shoot to aid in that message. Or you might have a specific location in mind you want to shoot at like a historical building, but are unsure where to find the best one. A location expert can help you find that perfect historical building.

Moreover, in today’s business environment, more and more companies are spending their resources on videos. There are many advantages to video and companies realize this. On average, more than half of businesses create a new video per week, and 26% of companies create new videos each day. For beginners, instead of wasting resources, time, and money, consulting with an expert can help. This allows your company to spend more time on the content of your video’s message.

To demonstrate, check out this Lowe’s video by Green Buzz Agency that takes place in several places. Finding these locations can be difficult. You might live in a city like D.C., and finding a warehouse like in this video can be like finding a needle in a haystack. Location experts make your life easier by finding the spaces you need quickly. 

Conclusion

In the long run, work smarter, not harder. Locations can be tricky, but they can be made simple if you follow these practices. Remember to be open minded, flexible, and diligent. And use your creativity! Let’s break out of those boring, white wall videos. Your audience will appreciate it.

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Updated on January 24, 2020

5 Reasons Why Video Marketing is Necessary

If you’re having trouble convincing your C-Suite to use video marketing, we’re here to help. You may be fighting the perception that video marketing is a huge commitment. Managers think that video is time consuming, hard to track, and requires a lot of attention to detail. However, video marketing is a lot easier than they think, and it can reap huge rewards.
 
According to Wyzowl, 87 percent of businesses now use video as a marketing tool. Video has been seen as a powerful asset to consumers, with 79 percent of people say a brand’s video has convinced them to buy a piece of software or app.
 
Video is the present and the future, and it is absolutely necessary for every brand and company to be using video to its fullest potential. There are so many reasons why video marketing works, but here are five reasons why you and your brand should unequivocally be using video in your marketing strategy.

1. Social Platforms Love Videos

48 percent of people said they’d be most likely to share video content with their friends, ahead of any other type of content. That means if you want to make an impact on social, you’ll need to be posting videos.

The social opportunities for video are growing everyday, from posting on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Linkedin, to creating live videos, stories, and virtual reality. This flexibility allows you to pinpoint the exact content and distribution method that reaches your audience best.

In addition, video is much more engaging to social viewers than any other type of content. For example, Facebook notes that “many creators who post videos on Facebook prompt discussion among their followers, as do posts from celebrities.” In fact, live videos on average get six times as many interactions as regular videos. Incorporating video into your posts drives higher engagement and interactions. Instagram and Twitter videos also automatically play in your newsfeed, making videos more eye catching and consuming to followers than just text.

 

2. Mobile Viewers Love Video

A study recently released by Deloitte found that Americans collectively check their smartphones upwards of 8 billion times per day. And, according to JWPlayer, more than 75 percent of worldwide video viewing is mobile. That means to reach that giant mobile audience, video is the way to go.

“The growing range of content that’s available from on-demand services like YouTube, Netflix or Facebook Watch is also encouraging viewers to watch more frequently on smartphones and tablets while on the go,” according to Mobile Marketer. Readily available video content makes it easy for users to engage on social media, and the demand for fast content is rapidly growing. Therefore, big companies like Facebook Watch and Netflix are constantly adapting to meet the demands of their audience.

3. Video Commands More Attention

There are so many things in the world that are demanding a consumers attention — and there is only so much attention to go around. Because video uses both visual and aural stimuli, it dominates static advertisements in capturing audience attention. By catching your viewer’s eye, video can raise awareness and possible ROI.

In a heat map study done tracking consumer eye movement and attention on the search page, published on Moz.com, videos were shown to be particularly powerful in capturing eyeballs compared to static ads, even when these videos were not the first results.

 
On top of this, the average user spends 88 percent more time on a website with video. So if you’re trying to use your website to make an impression, a video is a sure way to do it. You can easily track your website metrics by using Google Analytics.
 

4. Stronger Emotional Connections

According to Entrepreneur magazine, branding is “the marketing practice of creating a name, symbol or design that identifies and differentiates a product from other products.” Emotional branding then, is creating an emotional connection to one company that separates it from the rest, creating brand loyalty over time.

It is those emotional connections that create higher ROI and audience engagement. According to Medium, 94% of respondents said they would be highly likely to recommend a brand they were emotionally engaged with. You can use video to reach the audience on an emotional level, while also pushing your product or message.

For example, Green Buzz Agency produced “A Boy and His Dog,” which shows how with the help of Make-A-Wish® Mid-Atlantic, Cooper received a service dog to help him with his seizures caused by Dravet syndrome. By interviewing the parents to hear not only about the struggles of raising Cooper, but also their gratitude for Finn, we gave the audience an inside perspective into Cooper and his family. Additionally, this video premiered at the annual Evening of Wishes Gala, helping Make-A-Wish Mid-Atlantic raise over $720,000 to help support local wishes.

While traditional marketing methods are expected by audiences, video is a new experience, every time. Most people can still recall a video or commercial that made them laugh or cry, even if they saw it months or years ago. If making an emotional connection is the most effective method to get a consumer to take action, videos are the most powerful way available to deliver the message.

5. Video Drives Organic Traffic

By 2021, 82 percent of all consumer internet traffic will be from video. According to Moovly, a brand is “53 times more likely to show up first on Google if you have a video embedded on your website. Since Google now owns YouTube, there has been a significant increase in how much videos affect your search engine ranking.” But 75 percent of people will never scroll past the first page on a Google search. So here are some tips on how to get your video on the first page of google:

Put your keywords in your title, description, and in your actual video.

This will help Google rank your video on its relevance to what the user is searching for. Google Trends and Adwords are both helpful tools in generating keywords for your video. Remember to also include the keywords in your actual video, for example as narration at the beginning. Google has voice recognition software that picks up on the words that you’re actually using in your video and determines which keywords it should be ranking for.

Get traffic to your video.

You made great content, now share it! You can do this by posting your video on Youtube, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and including it in any blog posts or pages on your website. Adding a call to action to your post may help others share it too! You should also try to embed your video wherever you can, whether that is on an outside blog post or website.

Conclusion

All this is to say, if you’re not using video, you should be. It is one of the most effective ways to reach audiences in this digital era, especially on mobile and social platforms. In the end, it makes the most impact on your viewers, and that will only help your bottom line.

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Updated on January 24, 2020.

Best Practices: Video Editing Software

How To Grab Your Audience’s Attention In The First Three Seconds

Facebook and Nielsen found that up to 47% of the value in a video campaign was delivered in the first three seconds, while up to 74% of the value was delivered in the first ten. So if you can hold their attention for the first three seconds, you have a higher chance of successfully delivering your message.

In our fast-paced, media-driven world, you need to understand the consumers of today in order to create content that they will engage with.

Here are some tips to grab your audience’s attention and keep it: 

The Thumbnail

It’s the first thing your audience sees, so make sure it’s compelling and relevant; make your audience want to click on your video.

The thumbnail should be colorful, creative, and impressive to the audience. We’ve seen a lot of success with thumbnails that feature faces, such as our “Love Has No Labels” video for Ad Council. The thumbnail depicts 2 girls hugging each other. We believed this shot from the video perfectly represented the message of unconditional love in the video. On our portfolio page, this is one of the most clicked on video thumbnails because the emotional message draws people in.

 

The Soundbite

The first thing your audience hears should grab them. For example, if a video opened with someone saying “And that was the day I would never forget,” your audience would think “What happened?!” and feel inclined to keep watching to find out.

If viewers don’t understand the concept of the video from the get-go, they’ll lose interest. When we’re telling a compelling story, we want the audience to lock in right away. For example, in our Make-A-Wish documentary, “Wizard For A Day,” we opened with a black screen and the sound of an audience cheering for the first three seconds. This technique draws the viewers in because they want to see what the audience is cheering for, so they’re likely to watch longer than the first three seconds. 

 

The Opening Shot

The opening shot is the audience’s first look into your video, and you always want to make a good first impression. Accompany your soundbite with a creative shot to really draw your audience in.

 

In our video “Ellie’s Story,” we opened with a shot of a transgender girl’s father crying as he says, “I’m really scared for her.” Within the first three seconds, the viewer is captivated as the shot immediately pulls them into the story of Ellie.

If you capture the viewer’s attention with the thumbnail, the soundbite, and opening shots, you’re guaranteed to engage your audience and keep them watching for more than three seconds.

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Updated on February 11, 2020.

Lucy Wolfe, Marketing and Communications at Green Buzz Agency. Emily Herman contributed to this post.

Video Production Lingo Made Simple

Intimidated by video production lingo? Want to be “in the know” when you’re on set? That’s exactly why we’ve broken down the most commonly used words and phrases thrown around by video production crews.

 

Accent light: This is a light unit “that emphasizes one subject.” 

 

RELATED:  THE BASICS OF LIGHTING IN VIDEO PRODUCTION 

 

B-Roll: B-roll is alternate or supplemental footage intercut with the main shot. “A-roll” isn’t a term commonly used, but you can think of it in terms of A footage and B footage – A being the main shots, B being the supplements.

 

Call sheet: This is a list of the crew, talent and/or client who will be required on set for the day. Details include attire, location and time, equipment needed and the planned schedule for the day.

 

Clapper: A clapperboard, or clapper, is what you think of when you think of a director going, “Lights! Camera! Action!” and clapping down that black and white rectangle. It typically has, “a place to write the scene, take, and shot with some other information like production title, director, and DP.” It’s an iconic symbol of film production, but in reality, the board is used for identifying shots and making it easier when it comes time to edit the piece together.

C-stand: Nickname for a century stand. This multi-purpose metal piece of equipment is essential on all film sets, and you’ll hear the term thrown around a lot. It’s “primarily used to position light modifiers in front of light sources. It consists of a collapsible base, two riser columns, and a baby pin on top.”

Photo by Manfrotto 

C-47: A commonly used nickname for a clothespin, which has a variety of purposes on a film set.

 

DP: Director of Photography. He or she works alongside the director, and is “in charge of the look, lighting and composition of the film using various complex physical and technical skills.”

 

PA: PA is short for production assistant. He or she is, “a member of the film crew and is responsible for various aspects of a production.” They usually work alongside the producer and help wherever help is needed.

 

Per Diem: “This is a daily allowance of costs incurred while filming on location.” It is used for food and the like.

 

Post: “That’s okay, we’ll fix it up in post.” This is referring to post-production, when all of the filming is finished and the editing commences to create the final product.

 

Rough cut: “The first version of the unfinished video. It often includes a sample voiceover and music, placeholder graphics, and is indicative of the direction of travel.” This is usually uploaded on a site for others working on the same piece, but put on private so the general public can’t see while it’s still a work in progress.

 

Sticks: “Hey could you grab the sticks?” If you hear this on set, that person is referring to the tripods – or the 3-legged pieces of equipment that holds up the camera.

Photo by Vanguard  

VO: Voice-over. This is an off-screen voice narrating the footage on screen.

 

Video production crews will throw around lingo all the time that may sound like a foreign language to you. Make sure you brush up on your film set terminology before you’re on the call sheet!

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Updated on January 24, 2020

Written by Alanna Goodman, Marketing and Communication at Green Buzz Agency.  Emily Herman contributed to this post.

Ethos, Pathos, Logos: Video Marketing Edition

Dig back into that deep, dark part of your brain where your high school memories hide. Remember English class where you learned how to write persuasively? If you’re like me, you were taught 3 persuasive appeals: ethos, pathos, and logos. Since video marketing is all about persuasion – persuading someone to buy your product, think differently, or take action – these persuasive appeals are also very applicable to videos.

 

Ethos

 

Ethos is all about establishing character. Who are you? Why are you credible? This is where your brand comes in. Your brand undoubtedly has a reputation and image surrounding it. When developing content, it’s important to leverage your brand. Convince your audience that they can trust you with their business.

 

For example, in this 50th anniversary Mercedes-AMG spot entitled “What Drives Performance,” they discuss their roots as well as how far they’ve come. Giving background on the company and how much success they’ve seen over the last 50 years (paired with stunning visuals) is a great way to demonstrate ethos.

 

Pathos

 

Pathos is about emotion. This is where humor, empathy and every other emotional appeal enters the picture. Create a connection between your viewer and the product. A great example of this is the “GoPro: Fireman Saves Kitten” video which reached over 40 million views on Youtube.

 

GoPro often cleverly uses user-generated content to promote their products. In this specific video, a fireman records himself rescuing an unconscious kitten from a burning, smoky house. Besides being very emotional and memorable, this makes viewers want to have a high quality, easily accessible camera too, so that they can record their own incredible, unpredictable moments.

 

RELATED: HOW TO HUMANIZE YOUR BRAND THROUGH VIDEO AND SOCIAL MEDIA

 

Logos

 

Finally, logos is about logic. You’ve convinced the viewer why you are credible and poked at their emotions, but consumers are logical decision makers. Tell them why they should go out and use their hard-earned money to purchase your product. This is where the facts and figures enter, or at least your persuasive argument. Prove that you are better than your competitor, which may or may not require hard stats and data.

 

In this Bounty commercial, they appeal to the logical side of parents who have messy children. Bounty juxtaposes their super absorbent paper towels to a generic brand to show how much better their product is. The idea is that parents can get more out of each roll with Bounty and it “is two times more absorbent than the leading ordinary brand.” This paints Bounty as an easy, logical choice for parents.

 

 

Integrating these three appeals into your video marketing strategy won’t guarantee wild success, but it will help you create effective content. And in the storytelling business, content is key.

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Updated on February 7, 2020

Alanna Goodman, Marketing and Communications at Green Buzz Agency. Andrew David and Emily Herman contributed to this post.

Making a Video for Your Restaurant

From Bon Appetit to Facebook, cooking videos continue to dominate the digital media space. If anything can stop you from mindlessly scrolling through social media, it’s a gooey cheese pull and the slow bubble of creamy homemade tomato soup. If you are a restaurant owner wanting to share your story, it’s about time to start integrating video as part of your marketing strategy.

More than just making you drool, these videos let the audience fall in love with cooking as an artform. As Netflix’s Chef’s Table proves, the all-encompassing sensory experience of crafting a meal is rich and compelling. By capturing the sights and sounds of a chef at work, the viewer is able to really feel the food in a way that transcends the two-dimensionality of the screen. So, what are you waiting for? Check out our tips for effectively representing your restaurant with video marketing.

1. What’s Your Story?

If your restaurant has a rich or interesting history, tell us. What inspired the creation of your restaurant? How long have you been in business? Try to tell it as a story. This may appeal to customers because it’s less of a hard sell and shows your restaurant’s personality and character.

2. Keep it Short

Keep your video short! Studies have shown that videos up to 2 minutes long get the most engagement. After that, it’s difficult to keep viewers’ attention. Make sure it opens with an attention grabber too.

3. Get People Hungry

Include artistic visuals of your food. The goal is to make your viewers crave your dishes – perhaps even dishes they normally wouldn’t typically pick off the menu. Get creative.

4. Rely on Your Community

Interview your customers! Make sure your interviews are with real people, not paid actors, and your restaurant will gain more credibility. After all, restaurant-goers LOVE reviews!

5. Use Your Resources

Low budget, no problem. If you’re a new establishment running on a lower budget, don’t let your budget stop you from utilizing video. Here are a few suggestions for successful, low budget video marketing:

Promote your videos through social media! You don’t need to spend tons of money on advertising to get the word out. Surveys have found that  89% of all marketers indicated that their social media efforts have generated more exposure for their businesses.

Ask a young, loyal customer to post Snapchats or even a Youtube video of your restaurant. If you have someone you know well who is passionate about your food, give them coupons in exchange for their work. Consumer-generated advertising works very well.

Buy a tripod. You can find inexpensive tripods on sites like Amazon that will help keep a steady shot to ensure a higher quality video.

Now that you have the basics, you can get started on shooting and marketing a video for your restaurant. Whether you’re a small mom-and-pop establishment, a big corporate chain, or have several Michelin stars, the power of visual storytelling will maximize your restaurant’s reach and allow you to connect with people far outside of your immediate community.

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Updated January 31, 2020

Danielle Santilli, Marketing and Communications at Green Buzz Agency. Emily Herman and Alanna Goodman contributed to this post.

The Basics of Lighting for Video Production

 

It is impossible to overstate the importance of lighting for video production. The lighting completely changes how a shot looks, affects the mood, and directly influences the overall quality of a scene. If you’re not a professional videographer, look to a video production company for advice. You need to have a game plan for your lighting. Here are some of the essentials to get you started:

 

Equipment

 

According to Tubular Insights, key lights, fill lights and backlights (three-point lighting) will be your best friend while you’re shooting.

 

The key light is your first and most important light. This is used on the main subject of a shot. Its purpose is to “highlight the form and dimension of the subject.” It provides surface and forms details. Ideally, this lighting should be pointed 45 degrees upward and off the camera axis.

 

The fill light supports the key light. It’s considered a soft light that helps reduce some of the deep shadows on the face of any three-point lighting setup. It should be placed opposite of the key light, and pointed at a 30 degree vertical angle.

 

Lastly, the backlight is used to separate the subject from the background. Its main purpose is to provide depth. As opposed to the other lights, this one is placed directly behind the subject and on a 45 degree vertical angle downward. The backlight should be roughly 1.5 times brighter than the key light.

 

 

With “flat lighting,” the three lights are of equal brightness. This is often used for news broadcasts and the like.

 

There are also source lights, which are lights that are organically part of a scene. If there is a lamp, candle, window (ambient light), etc. in the shot, that needs to be accounted for when considering the rest of your lighting.

 

Angles

 

There are different angles at which you can direct light. This is especially prevalent when filming living beings (rather than scenery).

 

Amongst countless other things, lighting can establish power dynamics. When casting light from a high angle, it can create an angelic or sweet aura and make someone or something look important. It generates a spotlight effect and tells the audience where to focus their eyes.

 

Lighting from a low angle creates a dramatic effect. This is typically used to make someone look more powerful or intimidating. This is commonly used on villains in horror films.

 

Colors and Temperatures

 

“Lighting and color are part of the backbone of emotion,” says Danielle Feinberg, director of photography at Pixar. Different colored lighting has different meanings. If you choose a particularly unusual color, there needs to be logic behind it – it needs to flow with what’s happening on screen.

 

According to Film Education, colors like oranges and pinks portray warmth, while colors like blues and greys portray coldness. Darker colors like black and red can mean passion, anger, or danger, while white almost always means purity and innocence. Yellow can mean happiness and energy, green can mean jealousy, and the list goes on and on.

 

 

Pay attention to the different lighting choices in this Moonlight trailer. For example, the woman yelling at 0:48 is drenched in a neon pink and reddish light, starkly contrasted with 0:50 where the young boy stands there enduring her torment in a darker, more melancholy lighting.

 

“Moody lighting” is called just that for a reason – it is one of the biggest contributors establishing mood. Colored lighting is subtle and often overlooked by the audience, but is dire in creating the atmosphere of your scene. You can convey love, energy, depression – pretty much anything – with color. Choose wisely.

 

Severity of Light

 

There are different degrees of brightness. The two umbrella categories are hard light and soft light. Hard light can be compared to a very sunny day. It is sharp, concentrated light coming from a small source. This produces defined shadows.

 

Soft light, on the other hand, more closely resembles a cloudy day. It is diffused over a large space or area. This light is transmitted from a larger light source and hides surface detail. With softer light, there are fewer shadows and harsh lines.

 

There is also high key lighting, in which all of the three-point lights are being used at full blast with little room for shadows or depth. This is more often used for things like theatre performances.

 

Then there is low key lighting, which creates contrast, shadows and depth in your shots. You accomplish this by mostly using just your key light, with little use of your fill light and backlight.

 

Just like with colors, each of these creates a different mood. It all depends on what you want to achieve. However, soft light is the most forgiving and is used in most corporate circumstances.

 

These are just a few of the fundamentals of lighting. It is a complex, but important art that needs careful thought and consideration in every video.

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Updated on January 24, 2020

Alanna Goodman, Marketing and Communication at Green Buzz Agency. Emily Herman contributed to this post.

5 Tips to Make The Best Instagram Live Video

Live video is opening up a whole new channel for brands to reach right across the digital space and speak almost directly to their audience. We’re seeing a huge trend towards live video, with multiple video platforms optimizing for live video, including Instagram. Instagram is the perfect platform to connect right with your viewers. With a more personal feel, you can hype-up new products, go behind the scenes, or even just ask for feedback. There are a multitude of ways to use Instagram Live to enhance a brand.

Here are five tips to implement to make the best Instagram Live video for your audience:

 

 

1. What is your purpose?

Just like with all things in life, you have to know what you want to make before you make it. What is going to be the topic, the theme, the point of the video? Make sure you know what you want to do before you start the video.

With live video, when you make a mistake or take a false step there is no editing to help you smooth out the kinks. There are so many possibilities with live video, but that means you have to take a moment to prioritize what would best serve the brand. Is it a behind the scenes look at the production of your product? Maybe it’s an interview with a member of the team. We are at the forefront of digital marketing, so push the boundaries, get creative! But make sure you know what you are doing before you start.

2. Promote Your Live Video Before Streaming

Live video is great and all, but it doesn’t matter how amazing the platform and your ideas are if no one watches your videos. Hype your video up, make sure that you’re putting out the info on social media before your live video even starts. Instagram Live is so unique because it could almost classify as an event. Instagram Live also has a unique feature – it disappears once the show is done. In this way, Instagram is unlike Facebook Live video, which is saved and can be watched after your live event. This makes it even more important to promote Instagram Live videos, because once it’s over there is no going back.

The benefit to the finality of Instagram Live is that viewers will begin to feel higher stakes surrounding their viewership. If viewers feel that they might missing a one-time broadcast, they’ll feel more obligated to tune in.  

 

 

3. Test Your Video and Audio Quality

You don’t want to start your Instagram Live Video and have something go wrong with the sound. It ruins the whole vibe of the video, and makes you and your company look unprepared. And, of course, people will stop watching if they can’t hear or see you. Especially if you have been hyping up the video for days or weeks, when it comes time to finally start the live show, and something as basic as video or audio quality is not up to par, it will reflect badly and disappoint your audience. Don’t forget your lighting and angles as well. Make sure everything is in the shot, not too bright and not too dark. And most importantly, make sure your sound is on.

4. Incentivize Viewers

It can be anything from a coupon to a piece of advice. Anything that will make more people tune in and be exposed to your brand is helpful. An Instagram Live video can be classified as an event. Reward your viewers for watching, and they will continue to come back for more. Many brands use Instagram Live to hype up a promotion, but what really helps to sell the brand is offering incentives.

J. Crew is a master at this form of marketing. The fashion brand regularly offers exclusive deals through their Instagram Live videos. Users have to click through the Instagram link, and it only lasts for a limited time – as long as they’re still streaming. This tactic rewards your most faithful followers, and encourages more casual fans to find value in following your brand. 

5. Q&A Sessions

Instagram Live is a fantastic way to get more connected with your audience. Instagram live is already more personal and dynamic than a static post, which makes it perfect for question and answer sessions.

Flockler says that “real-time interactions can help you to build stronger relationships with your customers and show the personal side of your brand.”

Stronger relationships mean better returns on the backend and in the future. As with all marketing ventures, you should always think about the logistics. If you do a Q&A session there will need to be at least two people working the video. One person is the host, but you will also need someone who is receiving the questions from the audience and feeding them to the person on camera. Invite your followers to take part in the session and get some great feedback directly from your audience. Getting feedback not only helps you in the long run, but it makes the customer feel heard and more connected to your brand. A win/win for everyone.

Marques Brownlee, or better known as MKBHD, broadcasted a live Q&A on October 26th to his massive 5 million followers — and it proved to be an extremely effective way to grow. The day he went live on YouTube, he talked with his audience and answered any questions they might have, he actually gained more subscribers and views than he would have by posting a normal video to his page.

Live video is all about giving your audience a new and unique reason to follow you. Live video provides a more intimate and connected relationship with your audience, which allows for increased brand awareness and loyalty. Marketing live might seem scary, but the element of the unknown is what draws in video content consumers. However, make sure that while there is always that feeling of authenticity, try your best to eliminate as many unknown variables as possible. Know the purpose of your video before you begin, test your visuals and audio, hype up and promote your video before it even starts. Whether your are giving incentives, answering questions or even giving a behind the scenes look at your brand and company, live video is a great tool to connect with your audience.

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Updated on February 12, 2020.

Maya Mandell, Video Production and Marketing at Green Buzz Agency. Emily Herman contributed to this post.