Top 5 tips for making a corporate video in Hong Kong
Corporate videos provide businesses with a convenient avenue for conveying information with the government, other businesses or current/prospective clients – such as the promotion of a product, service, or company; a training video, or; other informative content. Additionally, including videos to your website has the benefit of improving SEO performance, with research from Forrester in 2009 showing that websites with video are 50 times more likely to make the front page of search engines compared to text-only websites. These videos are also a handy way of demonstrating situations that are not easy to show your audience under normal circumstances, such as the operation of machinery, medical procedures, high-risk experiments or one-off situations.
Below are a few tips that will optimize the efficiency of your corporate video:
Tip 1: Be clear on what you are making and who it is for
Before jumping into filming, be sure to establish the theme of your video and what is going to feature in it. It's important to also account for who the video's intended audience is, as different demographics will have vastly different preferences. For example, the idea of a product video for a new luxury suitcase with hip-hop and breakdancing elements may seem unrelated and perhaps even appalling for its usual older target audiences – unless there's a strong purpose to do so, such as the client wishing to rebrand itself to become more youth oriented. Strong communication between the video production team and the client is essential here, otherwise you risk producing something the client doesn't approve of.
Tip 2: Tell a story that your audience will connect with and prove it
Chris Anderson, the Curator of TED and writer of the book TED TALKS: The Official TED Guide to Public Speaking, recommended that speakers avoid going into detail about the runnings of a organization or company while on stage because of one simple fact: what's interesting to you may potentially be boring for your audience. Rather than talking about your company structure and/or teamwork, Anderson suggests that speakers focus on the nature of the work that your organization does and how it serves to inspire or empower for the audience. The same style of storytelling applies to corporate videos as well and helps prevent the audience from being turned off, regardless whether you are making a training video, promoting a brand, product or the company itself to clients.
Tip 3: Production values matter
It's not essential that you use possess the newest movie-grade filming equipment available, but do remember that the purpose of your video is to tell a story. If your audience has to struggle to see/hear what is going on, chances are, they aren't going to be impressed by your video – no matter how inspirational or life changing it could potentially be. Below are a few pointers recommended by Paul Cooper of Bailey Cooper Photography in York, UK:
Determine where you will be filming. Will you be filming outdoors, at the office, at a rented studio or somewhere else? Take note of conditions like the weather, potential ambient noises or interruptions at each venue to avoid any unwanted surprises
Pay attention to lighting. Under most instances, indoor or office lighting alone is insufficient and will leave your subject looking dark and dull on screen. Creative lighting can be used to add dramatic flair, but be sure that your subjects are well lit up to avoid looking unprofessional
If you plan to include a voiceover, be sure to invest in a decent microphone. Cheap microphones can often sound garbled and will leave the audience wondering what you are saying instead of focusing on your key message
Consider the attire of your talents if they are going to be featured in the video. Plain and neutral colored clothes generally work the best, as bright colors and patterns can be distracting. (Plus, plain and neutral clothes will always be in fashion, so your will video will still appear relevant years down the line)
Lastly, and although not a tip from Cooper, consider filming using multiple cameras set up under different angles. This will provide more visual variety for the audience later when editing the video, and if time permits, filming B-roll as well allows the video editor more creative options later
Tip 4: Post-production prompts
After your video is filmed, it'll need to be edited and pieced together before being released:
According to Paul Cooper, a good length for a corporate video is about one minute – longer videos will generally result in the audience's attention waning
Kari Mulholland, a video editor from TED, recommends using more close-ups and medium shots over wide shots when she is editing a video of a TED talk. The same principle applies to corporate videos, whether it's about a person or a product, being able to see the facial expressions and body language of a speaker or the details of a product allows the audience to engage with the video more easily compared to a wide static shot of the same scenario.
If a second camera with different angles was unavailable or you need to make a jump cut because you suddenly noticed something distracting in the background, consider using B-roll or stock footage instead. Provided that they are relevant, these help add more visual variety and can avoid unnecessary criticism
A background song can help add mood to your video. Depending on the video's theme, consider the following when choosing a song: the mood you want to establish; the genre of the song; vocals or instrumental; your licensing budget for music
Tip 5: Don't forget to market your video
A video with an amazing production and message will remain a hidden gem unless it is marketed properly. With the client's permission, try releasing teasers to various platforms to generate hype. Upon release, the more platforms you share the video on, the more exposure it will get: upload the video to YouTube, Facebook, the company website, include in a newsletter to your client's mailing list and maybe even try pitching the video to publications!
