"FILM PROVIDES AN OPPORTUNITY TO MARRY THE POWER OF IDEAS WITH THE POWER OF IMAGES.” -STEVEN BOCHCO; Television Producer & Writer.
Of course, that's exactly what the video production company will tell you: "Your business needs videos! Hire us! Part with your money and pay us to do something that may or may not reward your investment!"
So let's get this bit of skepticism out of the way before we proceed with a blog written by a video production company that seeks to inspire businesses to invest in video production.
True, there is an undeniable over-saturation of video content congesting our social media feeds, invading article spaces where we the 'x' button is inconveniently small enough for you to accidentally tap and open an unwanted advertisement. But within that same landscape, there is also surgical-like extraction among audiences who have fine tuned their algorithms to see the content that suits their tastes and needs; for better or worse, such as 'your news/fake news' and persuasive consumerism.
We would be remiss, however, to point out that video content has now become as vital as an HR team, a finance department or any other integral part of a company's collective team. A fact that's becoming increasingly apparent year-by-year, as businesses fail to acknowledge the power of visual story-telling or remain steadfast in long-expired traditions where video has no place in their work etiquette, as those very enterprises experience sinking profits and lack of presence in a now-dominating digital culture.
If you have read this far, then we applaud your dedication as we ourselves know all too well that life for most people - let alone businesses - are 'living in the fast lane', some might call it a 'fast food culture' where immediacy and stimulation are key to a sale, closing a deal or attracting a life-time customer. Who has time to read an article these days?
Sure, maybe we do from time-to-time - but what drew us to that article? The click-bait title? The subject matter? The image...? You can combine those very elements into a video, to achieve a 'fast food' approach to your audience - it's a subtle art of sorts but anyone who has a sliver of insight to what a marketing strategy consists of will instantly recognise the draw to something where profits are achieved as a final result.
The irony isn't lost on us that we have decided to convey this point-of-view in a blog post, when we could have grabbed our mobile phones, open the camera app, flip the lens onto selfie-mode and pitch away on how video is the future. But we also love the written word and its importance to connecting with audiences, which is why in 2019 we have vowed to follow up our projects with a blog and audio interview with that client (watch this space.)
With the 'written word', that's where the all of the magic starts; a concept, a treatment and a script - the foundations and blueprints into how your final video will be delivered to your audience. Nothing practical moves forward until all the pieces are in place and agreed upon between the client and the Paper Sky team.
As the title of this blog says: We truly are living in a renaissance of video production, and we have said as much on our social media posts that now more than ever, we are connected through the visual medium; humans are natural story-tellers, we love to tell them and we love to hear them. With technology taking great leaps from day-to-day, with no signs of slowing down, we're in a developing position where we can finally tell our stories to the world within seconds. Easy examples would be the heart-touching stories that have gone viral over the last couple of years that propelled society into action, or the 'Me Too Movement' that challenged people to look inwards and reflect on the societal treatment of women.
A thought may flag up in your mind, along the lines of 'But we/I don't have a story that could go viral like that,' to which we say: 'That you're aware of - who knows?' Though it's more about the concept and the heart of the story itself which is what reaches people.
You can quickly count on one hand (maybe even two?) the amount of videos you saw throughout 2018 that connected with you in some way, and likely your friends and contacts too as those very videos made the rounds, headlines and discussions across the world.
But okay, let's say you're a relatively modest business with no grander scheme to spread a message across the world, you simply want to make your brand, company or product noticeable on the right channels to generate interest and revenue. We handle those videos just as we would with any other story, we understand who the audience/customer is and what your desired results are and create something that ticks the necessary boxes and - most importantly - make the video interesting, entertaining, fun or inspiring.
Check out this short plug we've released on our social media channels recently:
One of the main reasons why Paper Sky Productions was founded, was because when we were searching around for other video production opportunities, we were incredibly uninspired by the content that many production houses were creating (this isn't to throw shade on the competition, by any means, just the unfiltered honesty of a producer) and corporate videos are no different than mini documentaries. Commercials and music videos should be innovative, give the viewer something to think about and provide a strong call to action that benefits both the customer, the business and the campaign itself.
If you've read this far, then not only do we appreciate the five minutes you have taken to read our blog, we will also reward you with a twenty percent discount for your video - if you simply put 'Renaissance Blog' in the title of your email to info@paperskyfilms.com (we're conducting a little experiment by doing so.) But we're happy to start with a simple conversation, and we have been honest with those who have reached to us by saying that what they simply need to do is use their camera phone and keep it raw, whilst saving their money or perhaps they do require our help in which we take the necessary steps from there.
In conclusion, video consumption is going to dominate the digital market and our everyday lives - whilst there may be a high volume of visual content out there right now, the execution and marketing angle is everything. That's why we never forget who our demographic is, that we make every shot, lighting choice, angle, edit and cut count towards something beautiful, compelling and different.
Paper Sky Productions' motto is: 'Passionate About Possibility.'
No matter how small a concept your video may be, we believe that every video has boundless potential.
- Adam
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