Unprofessional content productions can be brand damaging!

Videos are the future dominating format in content marketing. Numerous studies forecast that moving images will share over 80% of internet content in 2021. More and more companies are recognizing this growth trend and are putting videos online. The quality of the films, and also the viewing figures, are as varied as the weather on the northern German coastline. From perfectly produced and super performing videos to pipe bursts, you will see them all. The reasons for this are complex.

From our daily conversations with customers, potential new customers, agencies and marketers, we know that the effort required to create high-quality content and plan the distribution of this material is often greatly underestimated. This miscalculation often has a negative effect on the quality of the content. In addition to the high expenditure of time and personnel in planning and implementation, technical know-how and high acquisition costs of the necessary equipment, are the biggest obstacles on the way to successful communication through videos.

Performance marketing, AI and other technical concepts can help to achieve positive effects in the short term. But in the end, the old saying holds true: content is king. Because of the general availability of data-driven technologies, it is ultimately only the right content and the right storytelling for the staging of topics, brands, products and people, that will stand out in the seas of mass content In our blog, we have compiled ten points to consider when creating and distributing content. We explain why it is sometimes better to rely on professional and external support rather than doing it yourself.

01//AUTHENTICITY

In general, it is said: companies should communicate authentically. Sounds good. However, companies should not make the mistake of confusing authenticity with amateur quality of films and photos. It's not about the technical implementation coming across as authentic, but about authentic content that is conveyed with a credible story.

The key question is: can a premium brand that has developed good content be able to afford semi-professionally produced photos and film in the long term? Can this production deficitit perhaps even have damaging effects on the brand?

02//CREATIVE STORYTELLING

FIRST OF ALL, GOOD FILM REQUIRES A GOOD TOPIC THAT IS WORTH REPORTING AND THAT INTERESTS THE TARGET GROUP. ONCE THIS HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED, IT IS IMPORTANT TO FIND A SUITABLE IDEA FOR APPEALING AND GRIPPING STORYTELLING. CREATIVE MINDS IN COMPANIES WILL CERTAINLY REACH THEIR GOAL QUICKLY.

Employees with different strengths will certainly take longer to create. Despite creativity, good planning is everything. The creation of a shot list from the storyboard is advisable in order to ensure no scenes are forgotten during the actual shooting process. You can just grab your mobile phone and start filming. In any case you should consider the goals of the film before shooting. What do I want to achieve in the end?

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03//THE DEVIL IS IN THE DETAIL

LET'S ASSUME THE IDEA FOR THE FILM IS established. STORYBOARD AND SHOT LIST ARE WRITTEN. EQUIPMENT IS READY, AND THE STAFF IS AVAILABLE. THEORETICALLY THE PRODUCTION COULD BEGIN.

But wait. What if filming doesn’t take place on company grounds? Have you obtained the proper filming permits? After all, filming for commercial use isn’t authorised everywhere. Who will obtain these permits and where would you even go to acquire them? Are models needed for the project or perhaps stylists? If so, this would not only require research but bookings in advance would also be necessary. All of these details are time consuming and play a very big role in your DIY project. Professional teams such as ours have extensive experience in these matters and perform these duties routinely.

04//ONE FILM FOR EVERYONE?

WE NEED A FILM! THE BRAINSTORM OF SOME MARKETERS ECHO THROUGH THE COMPANY. BUT A FILM FOR EVERYONE? CAN THIS WORK?

If the idea is to roll out a topic for certain defined target groups, or maybe only one specific target group, then that may be appropriate. Otherwise, this statement has not gone far enough. In order to reach different target groups in different channels and may have to address them separately in different tonality. If you want to produce a film, you must know beforehand which channels you are producing for. That will then influence the required format. Do I film in portrait format for Instagram or for company intranet in landscape format? In the end, you may well have to create several versions of the film idea in order for it to work in a targeted manner.

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05//WE HAVE A PLAN!

DHOPEFULLY THIS MEANS A ROLL-OUT PLAN. ONCE THE FILM HAS BEEN PRODUCED, WE WANT AS MANY USERS AS POSSIBLE TO SEE IT. SO THE QUESTION IS, HOW DO I DIRECT TRAFFIC ON IT?

Sure, you can ignite the whole project with advertising budgets - and should do so in any case. Perhaps first you can also create various short teasers in addition to the film. Use those teasers to pick up the target group several times at different touchpoints and direct them to the main film. By doing this, a film idea can perhaps even be turned into a campaign that works over a longer period of time.

06//THE CHOICE OF WEAPONS

SOME SAY: "CAMERAS ON MOBILE PHONES ARE ALREADY FILMING IN 4K TODAY. YOU DON'T NEED ANOTHER CAMERA." ANOTHER EXTREME IS A RED CAMERA, WHICH IS CONSIDERED BY MANY FILMMAKERS TO BE AN ALL-PURPOSE WEAPON. NONE OF THESE POINTS OF VIEW CAN CLAIM THE TRUTH FOR ITSELF. EVERY CAMERA HAS ITs UTILITY. THE QUESTION IS WHICH CAMERA WORKS BEST FOR WHICH KIND OF SHOT? WHAT IS THE APPROPRIATE TECHNIQUE FOR THE RESPECTIVE, POSSIBLY DIFFERENT FIELDS OF APPLICATION?

Mobile phones are unlikely to work well under outdoor action-packed conditions due to their lack of focus speed as the subject moves in front of the camera. Mobiles also fall short when it comes to the recorded sound quality. A RED, on the other hand, would be far too cumbersome. For this task maybe a Sony FS7 or a Lumix would better serve you. In gaining a bird's eye view, perhaps a drone would be useful. Anyone can purchase one, but it requires a licence to operate legally. Employees may have to obtain the license for this as well and in some cases, additional permits must be obtained for the filming location. In the end, if you plan on producing different kinds of film you will need to purchase more than one type of camera. Professional teams are better suited for these situations. They not only know what equipment is best suited for the situation, they also have the knowledge and experience to get the best out of their equipment. Not to mention everything a professional team needs will be readily available to them, eliminating the expensive cost of rentals.

07//ALL A QUESTION OF PERSPECTIVE

A GOOD FILM THAT KEEPS THE AUDIENCE ENGAGED AND ACHIEVES VERITABLE VIEW TIMES NEEDS A GOOD STORY AS WELL AS AN EXCITING, LIVELY CUT.

An exciting cut is created using different camera perspectives and plenty of B-roll material. If a company is looking to produce their own film inhouse using this method, this would mean involving at least three employees. One person in front of the camera and two employees behind the cameras. Of course, you can use one camera person by simply having the second camera running, but by doing this you have now eliminated the ability to zoom. You can also film with one camera from several perspectives if you repeat scenes. Without a doubt, this method of shooting is very time consuming, perhaps time better employed elsewhere.

08//BRING LIGHT INTO THE DARK

GREAT FILMS GAIN LIFE THROUGH LIGHT, SHADOW AND SHARPNESS. IN ORDER TO CAPTURE SCENES WELL, THE CAMERAPERSON IDEALLY HAS EXPERIENCE WORKING WITH NATURAL LIGHT, PAYING ATTENTION TO POSSIBLE REFLECTIONS, FADING OR EVEN MIRRORING.

Lighting is essential in producing quality film. Available light is always best but in most cases additional lighting is added to create the proper feel or to just simply illuminate the subject and the location. Another cost to consider and task to learn when producing your own films. A two-day all-round production workshop will certainly not suffice. Solely relying on the camera's autofocus is not always the best idea. Lighting also has a great impact on image sharpness. Further demonstrating that some things are best left to the professionals.

09//NOTHING IS AS OLD AS YESTERDAY NEWS

NOWADAYS FILM EDITING SOFTWARE IS AVAILABLE QUICKLY AND SOMETIMES QUITE CHEAP - DEPENDING ON THE LEVEL OF DEMAND. USERS CAN ALSO LEARN BASIC EDITING TECHNIQUES RELATIVELY EASILY - THANKS TO IMOVIE.

What many people don’t realize when it comes to film is how time consuming editing is. After filming, the content must be transferred to a suitable computer. Depending on the amount of data, this can take quite a while. Once the data is copied, it must be viewed, sorted and labelled. Only then can the real work of editing begin. Editing doesn’t only involve the moving images themselves, it involves sound as well. Sound and music are an extremely important part in the overall film and need to be properly selected and licencing must be in order. If, for example, a cool event is recorded, or if there's red-hot news to be announced where timing is crucial, cutting on-spot makes sense. In times of fast media and learned live streaming the following applies: Nothing is as old as yesterday's news. If you let too much time pass before your film is on the air, you may easily communicate outdated content. It’s times like these that separate the men from the boys, so to speak. Even among professional production companies, only a few are technically able to produce on-spot, or for example, put a high-quality film online during an ongoing event.

10//ANALYZE AND OPTIMIZE

WHICH CONTENT ACTUALLY WORKS BEST FOR THE TARGET GROUP? THERE ARE THREE WAYS TO FIND OUT AND OPTIMIZE THE CONTENT:

Try it out and gain your own experience. You learn an immense amount during the process. At the same time, it also means having staying power and, if necessary, investing more budget to find content, channels and formats that perform well.
Researching what other companies do in similar situations, seeing what works and what doesn't. An analysis in competitors of channels can usually only be done superficially because the insight into KPIs are often quite limited. Professional tools like Socialbakers and others can be helpful.
Getting an experienced partner on board is crucial. A partner who can bring in experience with similar projects and who has the necessary performance insight to develop appropriate content and a tailor-made strategy.

IT CERTAINLY CAN'T HURT TO UNDERSTAND HOW TO PRODUCE MOVING IMAGE CONTENT YOURSELF. IN CERTAIN CASES DIY-CONTENT CAN BE JUST WHAT YOU NEED. TAKING A DIY-CONTENT WORKSHOP CAN ALSO BE HELPFUL IN GAINING SOME KNOWLEDGE OF THE EDITING PROCESS BUT IT SELDOMLY GOES BEYONG AMATEURE DEMANDS IN REPLACING THE EXPERIENCE OF A TIME TESTED PRODUCTION TEAM. IT IS OFTEN MORE EFFECTIVE AND BENEFICIAL TO RELY ON A PROFESSIONAL COMPANY WHEN YOU CONSIDER BUDGET, EMPLOYEE HOURS, SCHEDULE AND ESPECIALLY BRAND QUALITY.

DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION OR FEEDBACK?

We hope the ten-point plan was an eye-opener. If you have any questions, or if you have an opinion about a specific project, just fill out our briefing form. We look forward to hearing from you.

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