Creating a holiday video can be a struggle. Creating a holiday video within a short timeframe can be a nightmare, but it’s not impossible. Having creative limitations sometimes actually enhances the process. In this blog, we’ll take a look at our own holiday video, walking you through our process from start to finish as we sought to create a cost-effective, entertaining holiday video that we could plan in a week and film in a day. The ChallengeAs a video hosting platform, we take immense pride in creating high-quality content for our viewers; our holiday video is no exception. We wanted it to highlight the use of video by characters who resemble our customers, and though we have all types of customer use cases, we decided to narrow it down to inter-office management videos. Our goals were challenging for several reasons. First, office videos don’t exactly scream holiday cheer. We would need to come up with a script that entertains despite the everyday location. Second, to keep the cost down, we used our SproutVideo office. Our space has an open layout, while in an ideal world we would have shot in individual offices. But renting office space in New York City is wildly expensive, so we had to make it work with what we had. The IdeaWe came up with the treatment of an in-office competition between two employees trying to outdo each other. This satisfied our goals while still being entertaining. Our in-house marketing team was able to brainstorm, workshop, and polish this idea in record time. If you’re looking to make a video even faster, check out our guide for planning a video in a day. To save budget and time, we wrote a script with only two main characters, and relied on voiceovers for the rest of the office reactions. We figured, anything we could allude to off camera, but not show, would save us time and effort. The FilmWith some clever editing, we were able to achieve the look and feel we were going for: a friendly competition between coworkers, each trying to outdo the other by spreading the most holiday cheer to their office. Behind The ScenesWe transformed our own conference room and one of our shared spaces into single offices for the camera. Not having to change locations meant we could shoot it all in one day. The team consisted of our two main actors, a director/DP, and five crew: AC, Gaffer, PA, makeup, and set design. Outside of the two actors, the rest of the roles were played by our crew. Our camera assistant is a professor. The carolers are our production assistant, set designer, gaffer and a cameo appearance from our CEO. The people walking by with instruments are our director, set designer (again), and camera assistant (again.) The one thing we spent on was a camera and a lens upgrade. While we normally use our in-house Sony Fs7 and Fujinon Lenses, we decided to rent an Arri Amira and Cooke Speed Panchro Lenses for this shoot. These vintage lenses added a little something extra to elevate this project above our normal day-to-day production. To learn more about these Cook speed Panchros, check out our recent post on using vintage lenses. Questions about our video process? Ask away in the comments below. From all of us here at SproutVideo, Happy Holidays! from SproutVideo https://sproutvideo.com/blog/creating-an-entertaining-holiday-video-in-less-than-a-week.html via IFTTT from https://johnsmith0190.tumblr.com/post/189828250623 from https://alvindukes.blogspot.com/2019/12/creating-entertaining-holiday-video-in.html
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Year after year, one British retailer sets the standard for emotional storytelling in their Christmas ads. That’s right, we’re talking about John Lewis, the reigning champion of heartwarming, tear-jerking holiday campaigns. But don’t take our word for whether or not they’re truly the leaders in the holiday ad race – just check the millions of views they’ve racked up every year for over a decade. That type of repeated, viral success is very hard to execute. In this post, we’ll be breaking down the six aspects of the John Lewis Christmas videos that drive their virality, with takeaways for replicating these strategies in your own videos. Their ad for 2019 is a shining example of what John Lewis has perfected over the years. The story revolves around a dragon that gets a bit too excited and a friend that is determined to help. Staying true to form, this video features little to no dialogue, great music, a relatable story, and minimal marketing. These elements are paramount to the success of these John Lewis videos and this year continues the tradition. No DialogueFor just about all the John Lewis Christmas ads, there has been minimal or absolutely no words throughout. The whole story is told through compelling visuals. This means each scene is that much more important since the story is so visual. This technique is especially important in today’s world. For example, 85% of videos on Facebook are played without sound. In the 2014 John Lewis ad “Monty the Penguin”, they use visual cues and very noticeable body language to make their point. It is very clear what the penguin is longing for, and the boy in the film finally understands just in time for the perfect Christmas present. This type of video is powerful for many reasons, and with the right planning, you can create your own. We’ve produced our very own “silent” film and broke down in detail all the elements to make your film resonate with the audience in our guide to producing a compelling video without dialogue. Music That Moves YouIn addition to the powerful visuals in these videos, the music also plays an incredibly important factor in their success. I think we can all agree that without music, visuals for films wouldn’t have the same effect. Think about the stressful music in a horror film; it wouldn’t work as well with a happy, blissful score. The same applies to these John Lewis Christmas videos. We think each song is specifically chosen for one or two reasons. First, it is warm and inviting. This allows the viewer to take in the message and isn’t distracting. The wrong track might ruin your message. Secondly, some of the advertisements feature a cover version of well-loved songs. John Lewis specifically uses tracks that you probably have heard before; that makes the film feel familiar. In 2018 they featured “Your Song” by Sir Elton John, and he also appeared in the ad. While many of us can’t afford custom licensed cover versions of hit pop songs, we’d still suggest taking the time to find music from the right source. In an upcoming blog post, we’ll be covering how and where to find the right music. Sign up for our newsletter to stay in the loop. Highly Relatable StorylinesAn easy trend to spot in these ads is their focus on the ones we love. One of the biggest themes throughout all 13 Christmas videos is the idea that giving a loved one a present is the best part of Christmas – whether it’s a mother to her child, a monster to their friend, or a snowman to his love. Wanting to give the right gift is something almost everyone can relate to, and that is why this theme has worked so well over the years. In 2012, John Lewis created “The Journey”. This ad hints on the trials and tribulations we sometimes go through to get the perfect gift. So many people take pride in finding the right present for a loved one and will stop at nothing until they can find it. The snowman in this film does just that, traversing rivers, mountains, and snowball fights to deliver the best gift. For John Lewis, getting people to buy presents at their stores is one goal of these videos, and the gift-giving theme will hopefully get people in the mood to go shopping. Start with brainstorming ideas that you know people can relate to. From there, see if you can tie it to your business. We did this recently with a Thanksgiving video. Food is something everyone can relate to, so we made a tutorial on how to film food properly. Simple MarketingThis is a small-but-important point. While yes, these videos are of course an advertisement for John Lewis, they don’t feel like it. Throughout almost every video there is very little branding or obvious cues that this is connected to John Lewis at all – just a simple tagline at the end. Each year’s video is a whole new story, but the simple taglines stay relatively consistent. “The Man on the Moon”, the John Lewis Christmas Video from 2015, ends with the simple tagline, “Show someone they’re loved this Christmas”. It refers to the video’s plotline – a young girl trying her best to communicate with a man living alone on the moon – but it’s also universal. Other tags throughout the years include, “show them how much you care,” “some gifts are more than just a gift,” and “for gifts that brighten their world.” Having minimal marketing messages lets the story and visuals do the heavy lifting. They provide entertainment for the viewer. These simple tags reinforce the story while strengthening the idea that John Lewis is a place you can find that gift for your loved ones. If you have a great story to show through video, this technique is an easy one to apply to any video. Expanding Beyond the VideoWhile the last point mentioned simple marketing within the video, this point explains how to capitalize on that outside of it. In several of the more recent Christmas advertisements, John Lewis has introduced a new way to increase awareness of their product. The characters Moz the Monster, Monty the Penguin, and this year’s Excitable Edgar all launched with accompanying hashtags, landing pages, and physical toys. These little extras not only increase engagement digitally, but also get people into the physical stores to experience the Christmas magic for themselves. Moz the Monster of the 2017 John Lewis ad fully capitalized on this idea. The video was extremely well received and the merchandise was plentiful. John Lewis sold plush toys, books, mugs, pajama sets, slippers, and more all in connection to the friendly monster. You don’t have to create a physical product to capitalize on this tactic. Expanding the story you create through a branded hashtag is a great place to start. Use that hashtag with anything related to your feature video and come up with ways to keep people engaged. That engagement could be: a poll on Twitter, giveaways on Instagram, or sign up bonuses on your website. This is a great opportunity to be very creative when it comes to expanding the message beyond the video. More Than Just a Video AdvertisementWhether by chance or an amazing long-term marketing goal, John Lewis Christmas videos have risen above and beyond being just another video advertisement. One of the biggest reasons for their success is the sheer amount of people that anticipate the film each year. In the UK, some would say the holiday season can’t begin until the John Lewis ad is released. Each year, millions watch the film, buy the merch, and talk about it with colleagues, friends, and family. Unfortunately, this is not something you can replicate overnight. If the folks at John Lewis stopped after the first or second year they never would have risen to the level they are at now; their lesson is to stick with whatever project you’re doing. If you’ve received a good response from a recurring project, keep doing it; with time, it could grow to be something monumental. How did we do? Let us know in the comments below if we missed any important takeaways from these John Lewis Christmas videos. from SproutVideo https://sproutvideo.com/blog/what-makes-john-lewis-holiday-videos-so-successful.html via IFTTT from https://johnsmith0190.tumblr.com/post/189742200463 from https://alvindukes.blogspot.com/2019/12/what-makes-john-lewis-holiday-videos-so.html Testing testing 123 http://google.com The post Testing Testing appeared first on Viral Viral Videos. via Viral Viral Videos https://viralviralvideos.com/2019/12/17/testing-testing-2/ When it comes to video equipment, people usually want the latest and greatest version they can get their hands on. So, it might be surprising to hear that vintage lenses remain in demand and highly popular for specific types of shoots. In fact, we used rehoused vintage Cooke Speed Panchros in our recent holiday video shoot. Why bother tracking down vintage lenses? Why are they worth rehousing to fit modern cameras? Aren’t modern lenses objectively better than vintage glass? We’ll dive into all that, and where to find vintage lenses for your own video shoot, in this post. Why Use Vintage Lenses?Vintage lenses each have their own character. For example, the Cooke Speed Panchros mentioned above are known for being very sharp, very good with skin tones, and have a lot of peculiar and interesting characteristics, like bokeh swirl and vignettes, that add visual intrigue to your footage. Note: not sure what bokeh refers to? Visit our recent post on anamorphic lenses for more details. Cooke lenses have been popular for over a century, and have been used in many famous productions over time. These particular vintage lenses are famous for the Cooke Look:
While you might expect these vintage lenses to be even pricier than modern lenses due to scarcity, you’d be pleasantly surprised to hear they might actually be the least expensive Cooke lenses you can rent. Since they have such a particular look, they’re in less demand than the more expensive modern production lenses. Of course, these traits aren’t exclusive to Cooke lenses. Vintage lenses from other brands offer similar advantages in terms of unique characteristics and distinctive, desirable imperfections. A Vintage Vibe for the HolidaysCertain times of year, and certain types of shoots, are more suited to vintage lenses than others. For instance, the holiday season is full of nostalgia and reminiscent of times past. It’s the perfect excuse to dust off some vintage lenses to lend character and visual interest to your shoot. We thought vintage lenses would be just the ticket for our holiday video shoot. We used vintage Cooke Speed Panchros (circa 50’s or 60’s) rehoused into modern bodies with PL mounts. Our lenses were mounted on an Arri Amira camera. Check out the end result below: We used four different focal lengths to get specific shots for our video. The widest shot was of the carolers, where we used a 25mm lens. The shots of our actors behind the desks were filmed with either a 32mm lens or a 40mm lens. At the end, the close-up of our actor was filmed with a 75mm lens. The footage from these lenses has really nice depth, while the faces of the people on camera appear sharp, yet somehow soft in a flattering, visually pleasing way. In the background, you can notice some imperfections in the bokeh in certain shots, and a very subtle vignette. While those artistic elements won’t work for all types of video, we think they added just the right touch to our holiday video. Since it was shot in an office environment, this was a subtle way to add visual interest to an otherwise fairly standard setup. Comparison to Modern LensesThere is no singular comparison of classic lenses to modern lenses because every vintage lens has different characteristics. Typically, they aren’t quite as sharp, have more vignette, and more lens flare than modern lenses. However, the imperfections tend to be what make older lenses unique and worth tracking down to achieve certain looks. Basically, you’re not using these lenses because they’re old; you’re using older lenses because they were less perfect when they were handmade. Since videographers are always looking for ways to add a little extra character to their footage, these lenses are an important option to be aware of. Finding Vintage GlassAny major city will have rental houses that offer some vintage lenses. There are also reputable options online, such as Duclos Lenses and GL Optics that offer rehoused versions of old lenses from brands like Contax, Zeiss, Canon, Leica, and Cooke. Vintage Lenses in Big ProductionsWhat better excuse to queue up some movies and cuddle up indoors with your nearest and dearest? Many major motion pictures have been shot with vintage lenses, and by studying them, you can familiarize yourself with the particular look of these lenses.
In fact, Stanley Kubrick used Zeiss Super Speed lenses almost exclusively, and owned his own set. Of course, these lenses weren’t vintage back in his heyday, but lenses aren’t like cars – their look doesn’t really change (much) with age. Enjoy Them While You CanBefore you rush out and buy a bunch of vintage lenses, be aware that they may not be relevant forever. Video standards are shifting from super 35 formats to full frame sensors, which means over time, these lenses risk becoming truly obsolete. Meanwhile, the latest and greatest lenses all cover full frame. Note: read this post for more on sensors, and whether size truly matters. Questions about working with vintage glass? Ask away in the comments below! from SproutVideo https://sproutvideo.com/blog/vintage-lenses-holiday-spirit.html via IFTTT from https://johnsmith0190.tumblr.com/post/189617333433 from https://alvindukes.blogspot.com/2019/12/use-vintage-lenses-to-get-in-holiday.html Progress is inevitable. It touches upon every sphere of our life, and education is no exception. Students today are very different from those who were sitting in the same classrooms 10, 15, or 20 years ago. That is why the information they are taught must be presented in a different way. The use of videos […] The post Why Science Videos Are Important in Education appeared first on Viral Viral Videos. via Viral Viral Videos https://viralviralvideos.com/2019/12/06/why-science-videos-are-important-in-education/ 10 best essay writing tips A lot of people find essay writing activity to be challenging. Are you one of them? Well, keep reading this article, and you will realize how easy it is for you to write an essay. I have combined some essay writing tips that will enable you to come up with […] The post Essay Tricks Guaranteed to Get You an A appeared first on Viral Viral Videos. via Viral Viral Videos https://viralviralvideos.com/2019/12/06/essay-tricks-guaranteed-to-get-you-an-a/ The New Year always comes with a desire to improve upon the past, and video production is no exception. Whether you’re looking to do more of the same, or take things in a new direction, a solid budget will help you get there. We’re getting down to brass tacks in this blog post, and giving you a blueprint for budgeting for video in the New Year. Number and Complexity of ShootsFor many companies, video is not a one-off event. If you’re incorporating video into your marketing, sales, on-boarding, or training processes, or if video is part of a product you sell, you’re likely to be looking at several shoots over the course of the year. Whether it’s a wild guess, or a carefully thought-out calendar, try to get a sense of how many videos you’re likely to produce in the next twelve months. Be sure to take significant events, like company milestones, holidays, and other special occasions into account. For example, let’s say you’re planning on producing weekly videos for your blog, issuing quarterly executive video recaps, running twelve monthly video marketing campaigns, and celebrating four major holidays or company milestones with video messages. Once you have a rough count in hand, divide your video shoots into buckets according to the level of complexity required to pull them off. Your company’s buckets will be different since each business’ needs are unique. To provide a general rule of thumb, we divided video shoots into three buckets – small, medium, and large productions. While we provided an indication of cost, your company’s definition of small, medium or large, or types of production in general, could be very different. Look to data from last year’s shoots as a guide to what you might spend on each type of shoot. Small ProductionsSmall productions are the most basic. Sometimes it might just be one person and a webcam or phone, or up to two people at the most. These shoots are low or no cost to produce because they use equipment you already have on hand, and can usually be executed in your offices. The post-production requirements are similarly minimal for the final cut. That means, light editing and very simple graphics at the most, like a title card and lower thirds. Usually, free or low-cost applications like iMovie or Adobe Rush are good choices for this type of editing. From our example above, the weekly blog videos and quarterly executive recaps likely fit into this category. Medium ProductionsA medium production is a step up from a bare-bones shoot like that. For instance, you might be renting some special equipment, like lights or a specific camera. You’re also looping in a couple people to assist with the shoot, and you might hire someone to appear on camera. However, you’re not splashing out on professional hair and makeup, and the location is either low cost or free to use. Also, the entire shoot takes no more than one day to complete. These types of constraints usually keep the cost under $10,000 max. Videos shot for online marketing campaigns, like the monthly campaigns mentioned above, often fall into this category, depending on the scale of the campaign. Large ProductionsComplex shoots require more equipment, crew, and on-camera talent to pull off. The production might involve more than one location, or take more than one day to complete. The budget for large scale productions can vary quite a bit – the sky is the limit. If you’re including any shoots of this nature in your plans, it’s worth taking the time to spec them out a little more thoroughly than the smaller shoots. Bigger events often fit the bill for larger productions. For instance, major company milestones or significant holidays usually merit the effort and expense. Take StockOnce you know the number and complexity of the shoots you’re likely to be undertaking in the New Year, you’re off to a good start. If you tabulate the information, you’ll even have a rough idea of what you might be in for budget-wise. Here’s an example:
You’re not quite done, however. You still need to think through a few more details to fill in the gaps of your budget. ResourcesRegardless of the complexity of the shoot, you might be handling some, none, or all of the productions in-house. Usually, the more complex the production, the more likely you are to need outside help. Depending on which way you go, the impact on your budget can be substantial. Hiring In-HouseThe main question here is whether you already have the right people for the job on your team. If you’re looking to start producing video on a regular basis, or dramatically increase it in the New Year, you might need more hands on deck than before. This comes down to the frequency and type of production you’re undertaking, and whether you plan to hire a video production studio for the majority of your shoots, or go it alone. By breaking down your shoots by whether they’ll be in-house or studio (or a combination), you’ll have a better sense of your hiring needs going into the New Year. If you decide to hire more staff to support your video efforts, search for online salary data to build those expenses into your budget. Be sure to include the cost of advertising the position on job boards, or recruiter fees as well. Studios or FreelancersIf you’ve worked with freelancers or studios in the past, you might already have a sense of what future engagements will cost you. If not, try to obtain quotes or research rates online to make your estimates for your shoots as accurate as possible. For instance, resources like Thumbtack provide general guidelines for cost per hour for videographers, directors, and editors. However, the rates for individual freelancers or studios can vary significantly, so if you know who you want to work with, obtaining quotes directly is the most accurate way to go. EquipmentIt’s time to take stock of all your video gear, its general condition, and whether you need to make any upgrades or additions to your kit. After looking ahead to the types of productions you’re planning to undertake next year, you should have a good sense of the gear you might need to buy, rent, or improve for your shoots. Common items that need upgrading or replacing include:
Of course, your needs could vary quite a bit. Maintaining an inventory of your gear, including the model numbers and purchase date, is a good way to track the age and condition of different components of your kit. A final piece to consider is whether your company carries adequate insurance for the equipment you own or plan to rent over the course of the year. Review your policy to ensure you’ll be covered in the event of a loss. Summing It All UpThis process should give you a full view of your budget needs for the New Year. By anticipating your expenses accurately, you’ll be less likely to face unexpected bills over the course of the year. Here’s the final result from our example scenario:
Of course, there are other approaches to budgeting for video, and the right option depends on your specific needs. For instance, you could work backwards from a hard limit on what you can spend. Or, look at what you spent last year, and increase it by a percentage that corresponds to your anticipated needs for video. Even a budget of zero is a budget. If you know you can’t spend out-of-pocket on video, look for free resources and DIY tutorials that can help you achieve your goals. Read this article for more tips on getting the most out of any size budget. The important takeaway is to plan ahead, and plan thoroughly, so you can execute your production plans with confidence. Questions about getting your video budget right? Let us know in the comments below. from SproutVideo https://sproutvideo.com/blog/plan-realistic-video-budget-new-year.html via IFTTT from https://johnsmith0190.tumblr.com/post/189504872073 from https://alvindukes.blogspot.com/2019/12/how-to-plan-realistic-video-budget-for.html How to Earn Money with Fewer Efforts: Freelance Is Coming What does it mean to be employed? Waking up way too early to make your way to the office on time. Crowded office rooms with loud chit-chats. Meetings, tasks, and always grumpy bosses. Long hours doing the same monotonous work, detracting from it all for […] The post Freelancing Hacks of The Year appeared first on Viral Viral Videos. via Viral Viral Videos https://viralviralvideos.com/2019/12/02/freelancing-hacks-of-the-year/ |
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