How to produce a corporate video

Corporate video production has undergone a huge transformation in recent years such that the term 'corporate communications' now more aptly covers the vast degree of methods by which corporate messages can be communicated: CD ROM; DVD; web streaming; podcasting; 3G mobile; interactive web sites; viral marketing; etc.

Corporate video production services in London and UK with Head offices in Dorset

The corporate sector has shed its former image associated with somewhat dull information and training films: it is now a vibrant, creative industry, producing films of the very highest standards.

The message has been clearly understood by companies and organisations that film and video are extremely powerful marketing tools: they are now demanding ever more sophisticated films in their competitive marketplaces, often requiring production values on a par with high end television commercials and feature film.

With the increasing accessibility of broadband internet, DVD, CD-ROM and other platforms, the need for high quality corporate communications has never been more important in the business world.

the process

The broad stages are shown in video production guidelines so let's take the example of producing a high quality corporate film for DVD and web streaming usage:

Raya Films place a great deal of emphasis on the analysis of the stages prior to production (by 'production' we mean the stage at which filming begins). So, before any technical work is started, we'll be looking in detail at the 'needs analysis' and 'requirements'.

The 'needs analysis' as the term suggests, allows us to assess the specific need for the product. This stage really gets everyone thinking about what the film is supposed to achieve - what impact will it have? We can then lead on to looking more carefully at the purpose of the film and the specific requirements.

Corporate video production services in London and UK with Head offices in Dorset

We carefully document these initial stages providing a solid basis to start development of the shooting script which will be used to go into production of the film itself. We often use 'storyboarding' to more visually represent elements within the film.

In these early stages, we will also be looking at budgetary aspects: how much crew and resources are required and the associated costs - is the creative vision achievable within the available budget, or will some compromises have to be made?

Once the script has been refined and approved, we then draw up a shooting schedule and go into production. The analysis stages and detailed shooting script enable us to carefully plan each stage of the shooting and be confident that we are meeting the objectives of the project. The script is not a rigid document and will often change (with consultation with the client) during production as we react to changing circumstances and work creatively.

The Post Production stages take the raw material acquired during production and transforms it via sophisticated authoring, editing and mastering tools into the target products: DVD films and web steaming media files. At this stage we are still working closely with the developed scripts and referring back to key elements defined at the analysis stage.

First cuts are produced for evaluation by the client and we work to refine the product before mastering and delivery. A good analysis at the beginning of the project will usually mean little or no changes required after the first cut!

An evaluation process continues in the months to follow to assess the effectiveness of the products and if any improvements can be made or creative ideas developed.

web streaming video

To end this feature, let's take a look at the fairly recent development of web streaming technology and its effectiveness within the corporate world.

Without getting sidetracked by technical jargon, web streaming in general terms enables broadband users to access video on their computers by 'streaming' it over the internet and viewing it on a variety of software driven video players.

The power and potential of this method for corporate internal communications, marketing and promotion is very significant. Companies and organisations are already adopting streaming video within their web sites. In fact as awareness of this technology increases, web sites are becoming more akin to television channels and web masters increasingly look to provide high quality video content for broadcast on the internet.

An interesting recent development of internet web streaming is that it is starting to compete with terrestrial and Sky television audiences. Web streaming allows the individual to select relevant content on practically any subject matter and is becoming widely accessible within peoples homes in the same way that television did in the early days. So with this in mind, the marketing potential of this medium speaks for itself.

If you would like a full consultation on the possibilities for web streaming within your organisation, please contact Raya Films.