VIDEO PRODUCTION SERVICES
3 Services for Better Business Video
At Your Local Studio we make things simple, and work quickly to help our clients through the entire cycle of creating a video. There are three parts. Choose only what you need. You’re in charge.
Getting Prepared (Pre-Production): Creating a script, finding talent, storyboarding, shot-list creation, and especially developing the purpose for your video – all this is covered in our Video Action Plan.
Recording Your Video (Production): When it’s time to shoot, everything you need will be ready and waiting for you in our studio with professional lighting, audio and multi-camera setup, or we can come to you. Our talented video production people will be there to guide you all the way through the production stage. We include our delightful encouragement for everyone!
Putting It All Together (Post Production): This is where the magic happens. Whether you want to simply put the best takes together, or jazz it up with text, B-roll video, images or special effects, our editors are ready to do it with you or for you.
WHAT TYPE OF VIDEO DO YOU WANT TO MAKE?
Expand each video type (press the little + ) for more information and to see an example of that type of video.
Home Page Welcome Video
Welcome videos for your website’s homepage are the perfect opportunity to introduce your business to potential customers. This video is likely the first thing they’ll see and engage with on your homepage. In a Home Page Welcome Video, you can establish a point of connection. It’s important that a welcome video has a human element – such as the Owner/CEO or others acting as the talent. You’ll want the presenter to talk about the mission and vision of the business, and what specific solutions the company offers to help potential customers.
Video Bio
Video bios provide a way for potential customers to get to know the people within your company. Team video bios are best as short 30-90 second introductions. They allow team members to introduce themselves as people beyond their job. Answering questions like what their favorite movie is, what they do in their downtime, what their life goals are, etc. can create a “me too” connection. Again, this type of video is about the human element which is much easier to convey on video than in a static photo and simple text.
Company Overview
A company overview video is found on a company’s website, and gives potential customers a glimpse into what your business is all about. These videos can range from three to five minutes, and are can be more cinematic in style and appearance than Video Bios. Company Overviews tell viewers “This is who we are, this is what we’re about, and this is what we do and why we do it.” This type of video is less personal than a welcome or bio video.
Testimonial Video
Why toot your own horn when you can have a satisfied customer do it for you? Testimonial videos are best as short videos, and act as a mini case study on how your business solved a specific customer problem. They’re often between 60-90 seconds per testimonial. These are best to record immediately after a sale or when you deliver the product or service. Catch ‘em while they’re hot! It’s also powerful to package several testimonials together into a testimonial collage once you’ve built up a library.
Case Study Video
Similar to testimonials, case study videos focus on a specific customer which you and your company have helped. They’re often done interview style mixed with B-roll and graphics, and these videos provide depth into the specifics of what you did for the customer, and what tangible benefits the customer experienced as a direct result of working with you. Most likely they’re two to five minutes long. At times they can resemble a product or service demonstration or a testimonial, but with more data and information.
Product or Service Overview Video
Also known as a Product Demo, these videos showcase you, and/or your product or service to potential customers. They’re often B-roll heavy and feature voiceover narration to make your products or services look the best they can. For product videos, a huge emphasis is placed on aesthetics and the “look” highlighting all the features and benefits.
Sales or Squeeze Page Video
These videos are used on a sales or “squeeze” page that promises a giveaway for an e-book, downloadable something, or coupon, etc. in exchange for an e-mail address or selling a specific product. Sales page videos can be a quick little blurb about the promised item, a short company overview video, or even a profile video. Usually, this video contains the same content of the text that would be on one of these pages, but provides the multiple experience and human reaffirmation necessary for customers to make a decision and to buy or just enter their email.
Educational or Training Video
These videos exist to educate viewers on something specific. The topic can be quite technical where seeing someone using or interacting can enhance the learning. Because the focus here is on education and not entertainment or simply awareness, training videos can be lengthy and are sometimes split into multiple videos to form a complete “course” or module. Educational or Training type videos are helpful for post-sales support. However, they could also be useful in either pre-selling by allowing viewers to get a taste of what you’re offering and supporting, or they by establishing your expertise which may lead to consultative sales. We are a society who values ongoing education and these types of videos are highly prized in many sectors.
Demonstration Videos
Demo videos involve someone demonstrating a particular product or service on camera. These can be a great way to explain why your products or services are beneficial to your audience, and where you can demonstrate in specific steps. Similar to a Product Overview video, these videos educate but are more practical, with greater depth. They may even be considered a tutorial style video to answer questions on techniques or have step-by-step instructions. Their length can be upwards of 3-10 minutes as people who are truly interested will be watching and engaged.
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) Video
These videos are the perfect way to answer specific questions potential customers will ask. The term FAQ refers to “frequently asked questions”. They’re short, to the point, and minimalistic either featuring a talking head, animated text with a voiceover, or both.
Video Blog (vLog)
Commonly known as a vLog, these videos are like a visual blog post. They range in length from less than a minute to over any limit we’d suggest. Most times a vLog will focus on a single topic or overall idea. vLogs use many cuts, text, animations, and graphics to keep a viewer watching and are usually fast-paced to be more engaging. They work well when embedded in a blog post, and as a portion of your YouTube channel. (Note: not pronounced “vee-log” – rather vhlug or something like that!)
Video Newsletter
Also known as a vLetter, these videos are sent out in email blasts to update your audience on what’s going on with your business. Updates can be purely informational (stats and data) or can be more on the humorous side. Either way, these videos give your existing customers a peek into what’s going on with you and your company.
Social Media Teaser Video
Usually shorter than 60 seconds, social media videos are bite-sized videos made to grab viewers’ attention in an already crowded newsfeed. While a social media video could be a stand-alone video, it’s also possible (and encouraged) to take a short snippet from a longer video and repurpose it for social platforms.
Edutainment Video (Education + Entertainment)
When you blend education with entertainment you get edutainment! These videos are like training videos with a funny or entertaining twist. The goal is to educate the viewer on something specific, but using an entertaining style so they don’t feel like they’re watching a training video. Edutainment videos are a longer form video.
Animated Explainer Video
Animated explainer videos have become prominent in the past few years. They exist to explain your company’s mission, or product/service, all done through simple animations set to a voiceover. They feature lots of movement and are an engaging way for potential customers to learn about you. Animated Explainer videos are usually short, between 30 seconds to 3 minutes.
Branded Films
Branded content is rising in popularity, and many brands are leveraging these kinds of videos to reach their audience. They can be stand-alone short films or a full-on streaming series on a platform like Netflix. (Yes, brands have done this!) They’re cinematic in style, narrative in structure, and often feature some sort of indirect reference to the brand’s products or services. Ideally, when done well, branded content is less obvious compared to a product advertisement. These videos can range in length and tend to be longer form videos comparable to television segments.
Tutorial Videos
Also known as “How-To” videos, Tutorial videos teach viewers how to do something in practical steps. They can be about anything, from beauty tutorials to how to ride a bike, to fixing your faucet. Viewers walk away with new knowledge about a skill they previously didn’t possess or details of a skill they have but in which they don’t currently excel. Shorter is better in a Tutorial video and if a topic is complicated, then a series of tutorials is better than one long video.
Company Culture Video
These videos pull back the curtain and show viewers what it’s like to work at your company. Often aimed at new hires or potential recruits, this is a chance for a business to show off what it’s like working there. Just as every business culture is different, every company culture video is unique.
Personalized Video Messages
It’s like a personal letter but in a video! These are used to send a message to new clients, subscribers, hires, or others. They’re often recorded on a smartphone, or an in-browser tool like Wistia’s Soapbox, so they’re low on production quality but are useful when a personal touch is required.
360 Video
Gaining popularity in the last couple of years, a 360 video is where the viewer can click and scroll to move the “camera” 360 degrees or use a VR headset for an immersive experience. Most major social media support this type of video platform, and they’re designed to invite the viewer into an experience. (Facebook and YouTube, in particular, are platforms with this option.) A 360 video could be a standalone video, or it could tie into an already existing video or video series, or it could provide “Behind-the-scenes” footage to show the making of an experience.
Immersive Video
Another new type of video increasing in popularity is immersive video. It consists of Augmented Reality (AR) or Virtual Reality (VR). These videos totally immerse the viewer into the video through a VR headset or add a “digital layer” to reality using a smartphone or other device. Immersive videos are quite interactive, and like 360 videos, they are designed to deliver an experience to the viewer. Immersive videos can also be completely digital/3D animations instead of recorded 360 videos.