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Size Matters When Filming Interviews

Size Matters When Filming Interviews 960 1200 Jared

An often-overlooked fact about those not used to being on camera: An interviewee’s “comfort level” during a conversation is set from the moment they walk in the room — determined by the amount and size of equipment setup.

While hiring a professional video service seems smart… there’s one thing they ALL bring to the table: The Fear Factor.

If the interviewee is like most people, odds are those bright lights, long mics, and big ‘ol cameras are going to be the first and only thing on their mind until the moment they walk out the room.

With over a decade of client work clocked in, our team has heard all the horror stories about a coworker, client, or consumer interview gone wrong. And might we just say:

Intimidating your interviewee is one of the best ways to tank the quality of their responses before even asking your first question!

Talk about blowing an opportunity:

  • 79% of consumers claim to watch testimonials to learn more about a company, product, or service

  • 66% report they’re more likely to make a purchase after watching testimonial of how a product/service has helped someone else like them

Those are not numbers to ignore.

While a smaller setup, like a “SmallRig,” may not look like much, that’s the whole point now, isn’t it? With a tool like this, your team has everything it needs to film a quality interview… without the whole fear factor!

{ To clarify, this is NOT an ad. We are just adamant believers in quality content marketing and speak from experience that this is a great tool to help teams capture high-quality content. }

The SmallRig includes:

👉 A mount for your phone (easily adjusted horizontally + vertically)

👉 Mounted light (with adjustable brightness + color temperature)

👉 Mounted microphone (that links to your phone’s camera)

👉 Mounted battery pack

👉 All housed on tripod legs with easy-to-hold handles

To be clear, a camera is not included. The SmallRig is intended for use with a phone as the camera. That’s right, no big, expensive cameras required — nearly any smartphone camera captures high-resolution video!

Remember: The less-intimating your setup, the more comfortable your interviewee will be — meaning better conversations, and better marketing materials.

Trends in Video Content Marketing

4 Emerging Trends in Video Content Marketing

4 Emerging Trends in Video Content Marketing 1920 703 Gretchen Ardizzone

There’s no question that video content over the years has become a huge phenomenon and marketing tactic for businesses. 78% of people watch videos online every week and 55% of people watch videos online every day.* Those are some compelling stats when it comes to creating awareness and online engagement for brands, but what type of video will capture the attention of today’s consumers? Here’s a look at four emerging trends in video content marketing that will set a precedent for video marketing.

An Extended Script

Whether it’s the brand you love or the ambassador who represents, as a fan you often follow the stories they tell. Instead of micro moments, we can expect for longer scripted plots to carry out over the seasons, with unique pieces of content dispersed to various platforms. One brand that has put this approach on the map is Kate Spade. In the winter of last year they began with their missadventures campaign following around the ever adorable, super fashionable Anna Kendrick.

The trendy, upbeat womenswear and accessory brand is now in their third series of short films. The first series “The Waiting Game” showcased the stylish celebrity locked out of her Soho pad with shopping bags filled with Kate Spade goodies. And with time to kill what else is there to do but revel in the purchase. Anna turned an unfortunate situation (aka #missadventure) into a brand marketer’s dream as she then spent her time stooped on the stairs casually playing dress up. The video was not only entertaining but also interactive; viewers could shop the product featured in the video, a truly innovative add-on to the experience. The following series “The Great Escape” and “The Best Company” continue to showcase the quirky antics of Anna and cleverly highlight the brand’s product.

Supporting Roles

So often commercial advertisements are overbearing in their approach, trying to sell you on the product that you otherwise can’t live without. Meanwhile, Kimberly Clarke has been subtly focusing on the moments—those that bring tears of joy and tears of sadness—and remind you that Kleenex will always be there when you need them. In their “Someone Needs One” campaign, a dog gets a second chance at life after being paired up with someone who similarly fights the challenges of physical disabilities. The tear jerking video is uplifting and gives hope.

Another campaign series looks at a young girl’s first day back to school as she sits on the bus filled with anxiety letting out a quiet little sob. Before stepping off the bus a young boy takes notice to approach her to debunk what she might think about boys not caring about feelings. He hands her a tissue and tells her it’s not true, and your heart melts with his sweetness. It’s not about how soft that tissue is or how many years its been around, Kimberly Clarke has focused on the moments in life when Kleenex are there, because “Someone Needs One.” The future of successful video content will take a secondary role to selling product and instead focus on sharing related stories.

Raw Footage

Transparency is an important brand attribute for today’s consumers. A few years ago, during a brand overhaul, Domino’s debuted a commercial that gave us an exclusive look at what consumers were saying about their pizza. They took an honest look at themselves, heard what customers were saying, and communicated it was time for change. It was one of the first times that a brand said, “We hear you.” Since then, consumers have begun to expect a more genuine approach. As a result, you can expect that we’re going to see more of an honest video dialogue, where scenes that might have otherwise got left on the cutting room floor end up being the raw moment that makes it all real.

Most recently, Mattel launched a campaign “You Can Be Anything” with the support of San Francisco agency BBDO. And while the creative powerhouse is known for their exceptional abilities to create compelling campaigns, the beauty in this one came through in the raw moments that they managed to capture. Sans script, BBDO used hidden cameras to capture little girls playing professionals (positions of their choice) in a real life setting. Not only are you captivated by the cuteness of the little girls, but also you get to see the real reaction to those witnesses of these little girls acting out their dream jobs.

VIP Access

Nowadays you can access video content on a variety of devices from TV to desktop to mobile phone, and brands put it out there for you to seek out. Times are changing though and one brand has adopted an innovative way to not only release their content, but also make it feel exclusive. With the launch of their bold new 3D tortilla chips, Doritos wanted to give consumers a 3D video in every bite. Instead of just making the content available anywhere online, the brand made it exclusive to those that purchased. Unique to each flavor, consumers scanned the 3D chip to unlock and access unique mobile-only content. It not only encouraged the purchase but also made you want to see what the other flavors had to offer. Moving forward, expect to see more brands create exclusive content that is unique. Think about product lines; people want information that is specific not broad in general terms.

It’s time to think outside of the box, throw away scripts, be authentic, and think about personalized content. In order to engage your audience you can’t just do what you’ve always done in the past. When it comes to video content it IS time to recreate the wheel.

*Source: Groupon Works

 

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