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You’ve received allocation of budget to create a company promo video and agreed on the main message you want to convey. But what next?
Shooting a corporate promo video requires involvement from the entire company and in the following article we highlight the main areas that need to be considered pre-production.
Space:
It is best to have 2-3 spaces booked out in your building for the videography team to choose from for interviews. If you are filming multiple interviews with different staff members, it is nice to have variety in the set up. Also, what you may consider to be an excellent space to film in may cause concerns for the video crew. For instance, glass behind a subject can create unwanted reflections of the crew and their lights. It is not impossible to film in this location; it just may take the crew slightly longer to set up and that time needs to be accounted for in your schedule for the day.
How brightly lit the room is not a cause for concern as lights can be set up. However, it is great to have the option to turn off artificial lighting when needed.
It is best to choose a room that has some depth so the camera crew can adequately fit their equipment in the space. It is likely there will be two cameras, two to three lights, sound equipment and a small crew needed.
Should there be a quiet floor in your office, it is sometimes nice to interview employees with movement behind them. This movement can be blurred out but really hints to the dynamic atmosphere of an office space.
If the crew will be filming shots of staff members working, is their working environment clean and presentable? It is best to ask staff to clean their workstations the day prior and to remove anything inappropriate for external viewing. It is important to remove any confidential work that you would not like filmed.
Sound:
Ideally, the room should be calm and quiet for an interview set up. It is not until you stand in a room with your eyes closed for a few minutes that your senses are heightened, and you can hear noise interruptions that occur there every day. For instance, is there a fridge in the room or air conditioning that makes a humming sound? If these are unable to be switched off, they may interfere with the filming and another room may need to be chosen.
It is best practice to place a sign on the door of the room you are filming in, to cut down on the possibility of people entering unannounced. It may even be worthwhile sending an email around to everyone on the floor of the office you are filming in, as noise outside of the room such as people banging doors or running up stair wells may also interfere with production.
Rule of thumb is always turn your mobile phone on silent.
Clothing:
A fun way to introduce your brand colours into the video is to wear items of clothing that coordinate with your brand. Solid colours tend to work best on video shoots as stripes or highly detailed patterns may cause camera distortion. It is also best to avoid brands or slogans on clothing. If you don’t require reading glasses for the shoot we recommend removing those also as they can interfere with reflections.
Overall, your clothing should reflect what kind of company you work for and the tone of voice of your video. If you work for a financial institution your audience would probably expect to see you wear a suit rather than a t-shirt.
The video crew will likely get B-roll footage of staff members working in their everyday environment. If there is a uniform required in your business, it is best to ensure that all staff members are wearing the correct uniform on the day. Ask yourself the question – if I was to show this video to a new staff member, is the uniform portrayed in the video how I expect them to dress every day? Are they wearing the correct PPE to undertake the task the crew is filming? For instance, if a warehouse employee is lifting boxes are they wearing the correct safety shoes and gloves?
How to appear relaxed on screen:
Speaking to camera is not an easy task for most people, but you should not be nervous about your interview. Video crews do this kind of thing every week and know how to get the best outcome for your video; no matter how nervous you are. Make sure to engage in conversation on camera with the interviewer before the filming begins. This will relax your initial nerves and ensure your voice is clear! Bring water to the shoot and feel free to take refreshment breaks when needed.
There is a fine line between being prepared for the interview and appearing robotic from memorising answers. Ask for your interview questions before the shoot and prepare answers by jotting down bullet points of what you’d like to cover. This will keep you on track and also ease the pressure of memorising full sentences. Bring these bullet points to the shoot and keep them on the sidelines. You can ask a member of staff to take note of what you cover and if anything is missed, additional questions can be asked to get that content. It is likely the interviewer will ask you the questions multiple times to ensure they get a response that’s relaxed and best portrays your companies’ services.
Last but not least, don’t forget to smile! This should be a fun day away from your desk in which you get to speak about how great the company is you work for and all of the accomplishments you’ve experienced during your time there.
The Smart Group understands that coordinating a shoot like this is no easy task and that is why is why our skilled team is here to assist. Our project managers will develop a shot list and schedule for the day so that all employees are aware of what’s expected of them, what time they will be needed and in what location. We will help you make difficult decisions, such as how you want your company to be perceived and how you portray your services.
By adhering to the above checklist, we can ensure an incredible output that not only your company will be proud of but a reusable piece of content that will attract new business and increase revenue.
