Final Major Research Essay
For my Final Major project, I decide to do a promotional video for the Bridgwater & Taunton College, so for my Research Essay I need to focus in search about promotional videos, about to how make a good promotional video, look to some examples and analyzing them.
What's a Promotional Video?
Definition on English Dictionary:
Promo Video: a video/short film that promotes or advertises something.
Corporate Video production refers to audiovisual corporate communications material commissioned for a use by a company, corporation or organization.
A corporate video is often intended for a specific purpose in a corporate or B2B environment and viewed only by a limited or targeted audience. This may include product, service or company promotional videos, training videos and information videos.
In the end, exist diverse types of corporate videos:
Company Profile:
Considered a B to C (Business to Costumers) type of video, is one of the best ways to present a company to their costumers. In this type of videos can be include messages from the CEO, some employees or product experts can be show shots inside the enterprise and/or giving a little company history, along with some marketing ideas and this way the consumers can get a clear idea of what is the company's purpose.
Broadcast Commercial:
It's one of the most expensive, but can be the one who can generate the most return if shown enough times on television channels.
Online Commercial:
Different that broadcast commercial, online videos are not so expensive to make and is no restricted to a specific time limit.
Industrial Commercial:
This type of video it's consider to be more B to B (Business to Business) and it's designed to be informative about products, services and industry trends.
Customer Testimonials:
One of the best ways to connect with consumers is to offer product reviews by actual consumers who have tried the product.
Internal Communication:
Internal video, or also known as "Address to Camera", can be directed at the staff, vendors or clients. It's the most effective way to explain how the company works, their policy or internal information.
Staff Training:
Used to allow the team members to learn, like a "how to" step.This type of videos use a clear communication, what can be easily understand by the "viewers" of the video.
Promotional Videos:
This type of videos are used to showcase products or services. Can be make for online consumption, distributed through DVD's or shared on social media.
The promotional video production process will frequently involve the following stages:
Pre-Production:
In this stage is mot planning and paperwork, where is here that we do our research, we have to identify the purpose and goals, choose the theme for our work; is where also we write a script and storyboarding.
Also would be now that we enter in contact with the client and agreed in plan, budget and ideas.
I also searched the key subjects that I needed to know to my promotional video to be a success:
Creative Brief Promotional Video Questions:
The purpose: what is my main core objective? (one primary goal);
Single thought: what is the main message? (identify the key takeaway idea or action);
Target viewers: who is my primary target audience? Age? Sex? Interests? Income?
Reach your Audience: where might I reach this audience? YouTube? Tv Ads? Facebook videos? Video Podcasts?
Call to action: what is the single action you need to make?
Is also here that we choose the style that our promotional video and is elements:
Tone: Lighthearted or Serious?
People & Speech: "talking head" interview style or professional actor?
Production Quality: highly polished studio or set, or more shoot on On-Location?
Scripted or Unscripted: candid Q&A or scripted and rehearsed questions?
Video Quality: often called "production value". Various visual technical attributes affect how the target viewers perceive a video's tone.
(https://www.reelmarketer.com/how-to-make-a-promotional-video/)
Video Production:
At this stage of the production is where gets more practical, is where we start filming in location with equipment, crew and director.
Depending on the project can also include other elements, like actors.
Post-Production:
This is the final stage of a promotional video project. Is at this moment is where we joined any footage that we have and edited. Is here also that, at the end, we tried to share our work around to people to see, like share through social media, showing to friends and family, etc...
Example of a Promotional Video:
#1 Kendall College Promotional Video 2017 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0Uf5Ui6iik)
In this promotional video from the Kendall College we can see that the college and courses shown through the video.
I choose this promo video because this promo was also filmed from an ex-student, so was a professional example but made by a student.
The video begins showing the college logo and entry; after that shows, main entrance and starts filming inside, that way the cameraman is showing us the way into the college like we are there. Goes up the stairs and enters in the canteen, showing also the food that they served that day, and the library.
After that firsts 20 seconds, it begins to show the different courses that exist in college like teacher, plumber, vet, forensic scientist or hairdresser, etc…
The type of shots that they use in this video are, a lot of time, close ups at what they are doing, high-angle shots, some point of view shots, pan shots.
