Can YOU make a video for your company? The answer is a resounding, “It depends.” Is it possible? Absolutely. Could it turn out pretty well? That’s up to you and depends on your interest and experience, your willingness, your ability and your equipment and software.
While many, many people now have a camcorder of some sort it’s tempting (and certainly possible!) to use a DIY approach.
I’ve found it helpful to use the analogy of cooking at home versus going to a restaurant; you can definitely do it yourself but when you want something done with higher quality (hopefully, right?) and you don’t have the time to either learn how to do it and then to actually shoot (easy to do) and edit (difficult to do well) the footage, maybe getting a pro to help you is the best way to move forward.
11 things to consider:
1.) Do you have any interest in doing it? I assume that you’d like to have a video for your organization, but do you want to get behind the camera and then dig into the editing? Does this hold your interest?
2.) Can you make the time? Everyone is crunched for time so you simply have to decide whether you’ll MAKE the time for this. And believe me when I tell you that most of your time will be spent doing things other than shooting with the camera. You’ll spend time downloading video onto your computer, converting the files and the big time sink is editing the footage into a cohesive story.
3.) Are you willing to FINISH the project? Many professionals don’t receive full payment for their work until the project is complete giving them tremendous incentive to deliver a finished product.
4.) Do you have or are willing to buy some decent VIDEO equipment? There are plenty of organizations with access to a good-enough video camera to capture the video portion of your film. Heck, a lot of consumer-grade camcorders shoot in HD (or at least a version of it).
5.) Do you have or are willing to buy some decent AUDIO equipment? While consumer-grade camcorders do have microphones, it’s not likely to give your company’s video a proper audio rendering because the quality of the mic is almost always poor. Get yourself a decent mic and it will make a world of difference. Really.
6.) Do you have an “eye” for video? If not, you can review films by other companies to see how they were shot and which sections you liked. Another good idea is to learn about the “Rule of Thirds” so that you’re able to better frame your shots.
7.) Can you tell a good story? The story of your company, that is. And while this may not be considered High Art, it’s really helpful to your Future Clients if the story can be presented in an engaging way that moves along without boring the viewer.
8.) Do you have a good feel for music? No need to write your own music but it’s better if you have a sense of the different styles and how those different styles can convey different moods. (Cue the Theme from “Jaws.”) Perhaps a more fundamental question is where or whether to use music in your company video.
9.) Are you a bit of a computer techie? File Formats, Codecs, Frame Rates, Pixel Aspect Ratios (not to be confused with Picture Aspect Ratios) and other technical info are part of the process with video. Then there’s the Editing Software where you’ll actually put together your video and audio clips into a video complete with transitions and graphics. Hopefully, you’re up for learning a new language or two.
10.) Are you able to be objective about your subject? You may think the technical specs of your company’s Flim-Flam Wabber-Jam are the best in the world, but you need to ask yourself, “Who’s going to watch this video?” on a regular basis throughout the project. If technical-types like engineers are your only audience, then they may find your specs interesting, but if it’s someone with a not-so-technical background, say the Owner of another business that is interested in the benefits (not the specs) of your product, then that’s what your video should focus on.
11.) Are you artistic? You don’t need to be able to paint masterpieces (On a good day, I can draw stick figures that are nearly recognizable!) but it really helps to bring an artistic sensibility to your film. The basics like a beginning, middle and end, understanding the concept of “Tension and Release” and an ability to see the beauty in seemingly ordinary things like, say, a bicycle tire, will help captivate your audience.
As I mentioned earlier, it’s definitely possible to fix yourself something to eat but if you’re trying to create a meal that your Clients will enjoy, then you’ll need to do a little extra work to make sure they will enjoy it.
A video can be an amazing intellectual feast where you’ll have the opportunity to tell the story about the Who, What, When, Where, Why and How of your organization. If you do want to pursue making this video, just be sure that whoever is Directing your Film is giving your Clients and Future Clients the best impression possible.