Making a corporate video or online marketing video can seem like a daunting task, but it can actually be broken down into 3 straight-forward steps.

PRE-PRODUCTION
Pre-ProductionIf you’ve been handed the task of looking into making a corporate video, business film or YouTube promo for your company, you may have started with a quick Google for some inspiration. This initial step is actually a crucial part of the first stage of corporate video production.

It’s always a good idea to look at other business videos to see what’s out there at the moment. Check out your competitors in London and overseas, see if they have any videos and have a look at where they’ve put them – are they on their website or on a YouTube channel?

It’s a good idea to come to a production company with a basic idea of what you want the video to do (advertise a product, show off your facilities, promote your services), who you want to see the video (current customers, new prospects, employees) and what you want them to do once they’ve watched your video (apply for a job, buy a product, share video via social media). We can then help you come up with a solid idea for your video with the use of storyboards and scripts if necessary.

Simultaneously, there will be the planning of the shoot itself. When and where can you film? Who will be in the video? How many cameramen will you need? These are all questions that your production company will be able to advise on.

PRODUCTION
ProductionOnce the date is set and everything is arranged, the next step is the shoot itself. For most corporate video projects, the shoot will usually last a day, but if the video involves filming abroad or has various different locations and set ups it could take longer.

During the filming, you can generally be as involved as you like. Many clients have lots of other projects ongoing and so are happy to leave the crew to it, however if you do want to oversee the shoot most video production companies should be more than happy to accommodate that.

The size of the crew will again depend on the scale of the project. At Holler we generally advise the use of both a Producer and Camera Operator for most projects, but sometimes there may be a need for a Director, additional Camera Operators or Production Assistants to come on board.

A quick tip to make sure that the shoot runs smoothly is to make sure that the crew can park close to the entrance of your building so that they don’t have far to carry their kit. If it’s possible to book a meeting room to store extra kit too, that’s always handy and will keep the crew happy.

POST-PRODUCTION
post-productionAfter everything has been captured on camera, the project moves into post-production. This generally consists of editing the footage, adjusting the sound and adding logos, text or any other graphics.

How long this process takes relies on a couple of factors. Generally, the longer the video, and the more footage you have, the longer the post-production process. The good thing about post-production is that if you’ve planned well before and during the shoot, the whole process should run smoothly.

Once you’re happy with your final video, you will generally receive some digital files or perhaps a DVD. Something that we’re offering our clients at Holler is help getting your video onto a branded YouTube channel and social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter so that as many people as possible see your corporate video.

Overall, making a corporate video is a lot less stressful than you might imagine. With the right team and a great idea, it can be a really worthwhile venture that is actually a pretty enjoyable process.