Education

Internal Video As A Holistic Approach, The Importance Of Time Blocking, And How To Be Unique

On this episode of our podcast, we have the executive producer at Castleview, Heather Mansfield Jernigan! Castleview is a video agency in Austin that creates video content for brands to elevate their products and services.

In this episode, we discuss the benefits of using internal video as a holistic approach for current employees and customers to elaborate on your company’s values and the importance of time blocking and scheduling your tasks to optimize productivity. We also talk about how to stand out from the crowd by finding a niche and focusing on the clients in your company.

Subscribe to our podcast and listen to episode 61 on Apple Podcasts: Internal Video As A Holistic Approach, The Importance Of Time Blocking, And How To Be Unique

Have a Monthly Budget

“What helped me was write out a budget and be like, What do I need to live? Because if you don’t know what you need to live on, you’ll just chase money forever if you chase money you’re gonna end up running out of energy.”

Hear Nick discuss the importance of planning out a monthly budget to afford time and money to focus on their creative energy with his brother Josh in this clip from episode 59 of our podcast. Nick and Josh Holden are award-winning directors, writers, actors, and co-owners of the film and video production company Mishnoon.

Listen to this episode again on Apple Podcasts. We talk about how they separate creating videos for clients themselves to continue to pursue their passion while growing their business and how finding their own voice and collaborating with clients created videos that matched their clients' personalities. We also mention why artists should create a personal budget and set realistic goals to stay on track and motivated in their creative careers.

Listen to episode 59 on Apple Podcasts; Creating Videos For Clients Vs For Ourselves, Balancing Passion & Business, And How Budgeting Can Help In Your Creative Hustle

Create bite-sized short videos for your content strategy

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Are you a business owner or creative and want to try a new trend for your content strategy? Looking to increase the engagement of your videos? Video marketing is a vital tool to your content strategy, so trying new techniques and trends to increase your engagement and business goals opens your company up for more growth opportunities. If your videos tend to be on the long side, find out how short videos can also fit in your video marketing strategy.

Short-form videos last up to 30 seconds, 2 minutes, or 10 minutes, but it mostly depends on the platform. Generally, shorter videos are better as it is more concentrated on one concept. This is a content medium on the major platforms, including YouTube Shorts, TikTok, and Instagram Reels, and targets consumers who watch short-form videos as their source of news and entertainment. Shorter videos are very beneficial as they can boost your Google search ranking, increase your viewer’s time on your website, and increase open rates in email newsletters when “video” is in the subject line.

The type of content to put in your short video is unlimited. Your short videos will need to be creative and concise to capture your audience’s attention in a short time frame. To help stay on track, write down the main points you want to talk about in your video. Some ideas for short-form content are product demonstrations, behind-the-scenes clips, customer testimonials, promotions, and live-streaming videos. As technology increases, so does the accessibility of video production. Feel free to use your phone or a camera to record your video, following any video guidelines the platforms have before uploading. Once the video has been on social media for a while, check your video goals and continue to monitor how other brands are conquering short-form videos to use to your advantage.

Credit: Pamela Kock How You Can Add Short-Form Video to Your Content Strategy

Framing and Composition Basics for Video Content

Do you need to practice your film composition and framing? Learn how to present the elements in your frame to create visually appealing shots, evoke emotion, and let your audience know what’s going on in your scene. Apply these framing basics: rule of thirds, eyelines, 180-degree rule, headroom, depth, symmetry, and lines to guide your audience on the story and theme of your scene. Follow our tips and guidelines for the basics of framing and composition in this clip from our video content course.

Being A Student of Life, The Importance of Diversity, And Why You Should Create Everyday

For our next podcast guest, we have writer, producer, screenwriter instructor, podcaster, and founder of the production company, Little Nalu Pictures, Koji Steven Sakai. He has written seven feature films and produced five films such as Last Girl, The People I’ve Slept With, and the television series: Comedy InvAsian.

In this episode, we discuss how he develops ideas for writing and the importance of diverse roles and storylines. He also shares how you should say yes to every opportunity, keep creating, and put in your best effort in any project you do to get started in the writing and film business.

Listen to episode 60 on Apple Podcasts; Being A Student of Life, The Importance of Diversity, And Why You Should Create Everyday

Understand The Why

“So understanding the why can get you closer to understanding how you can accomplish what they’re actually hoping it can do. “

In this clip from episode 58 of our podcast, Mark Haynes discusses why it’s important to know the reason why clients want a video because having that knowledge will provide better results than not understanding the why. Mark Haynes is a cinematographer, director, and owner of production company Manifest Imageworks.

Listen to this episode again as we discuss how his love of movies and desire to recreate them led him on the path of filmmaking, cinematography, and lighting, how the methods of storytelling have evolved, and the most efficient way to run a shoot.

Listen to episode 58 on Apple Podcasts: How Technology Expands Creativity, Best Ways To Shoot Videos, And How Storytelling Has Evolved

Video marketing trends for 2021

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Analyzing and monitoring trends is an essential component of your video marketing strategy. As more companies are using videos for their business strategy and more viewers are watching videos, the strategies and aspects of video have changed over time. Let’s review popular video marketing trends to implement for your audience.

Stories are everything on social media. Limited timed stories are a trending feature on social media as they are usually done at the moment and show more authenticity to your audience. This feature is a great opportunity to advertise your products or answer frequently asked questions.

One of the platforms with a story feature is Instagram. Instagram has over 500 million active users a day, and 250 million users use the story feature on the app, while 65% of marketers plan to use the feature in 2021, according to Wyzowl. Plan on also uploading videos on IGTV, as this feature is becoming popular. Another popular app with a high engagement rate of 52.1%, according to CloutMeter, is TikTok. TikTok thrives on its short videos. It is the app to monitor future trends and connect with consumers on the app.

If your business is in the B2B market, videos also have a strong impact as many B2B customers watch authentic videos before making a purchasing decision. According to Animoto, 58% of consumers look at a brand’s social media profile before going on the website to find more information. Make sure the social media platforms are up to date with current content about your business. On LinkedIn, videos showcase your company and products to your network. Aim to have your video length be on the short side and capture your audience’s attention in the first three seconds. Videos are such a versatile piece of content, so create original and entertaining videos for your audience.

Credit: Written by Ivana Vnučec 6 Video Marketing Trends for 2021

How To Light Videos Correctly with 3-Point Lighting

How can you have your subject lit properly for a shoot? Using a 3-point lighting kit will solve your lighting problem with ease. Position the three lights: key light, fill light, and back/hair light, in such a way that highlights the subject in the scene. The lights placement can be based on what you're filming and the mood you're portraying. In this clip from our video content course, we explain the 3-point lighting setup, how each light functions, and our suggestions for capturing the best light.

Aim to Create Effective Solutions

“It takes more time to create an honest solution for somebody. It takes more thought, it takes more patience. It takes more conversation, but it allows you to create a more valuable product.”

In this clip from episode 57 of our podcast with Chocolate Milk & Donuts’s founder Ricky Holm talks about the importance of marketing solutions to consumers.

Listen to this episode again as we talk about how his love for films led him to create Chocolate Milk & Donuts, the importance of solution-based proposals, the advantages, and disadvantages of using VR, AR, and 360 video, and how VR helped satisfied his need for social interaction during the lockdown.

Listen to episode 57 on Apple Podcasts here: Being Solution Based And Not Technology Based, Pros and Cons of VR and 360 Videos, How VR, AR and 360 Videos Are Changing Storytelling Methods

Update your video marketing with these tips

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Video is an active force in our current lives. If you upload videos onto your website, email newsletter, and social media, do you know if your type of video is trending? What types of video content is popular in 2021? Let’s view which video types you should consider for your business.

Video marketing works to connect your customers and viewers through all sorts of educational, informative, and entertaining content. Your company should have videos about your brand story, product demos, testimonials, and employee training. Now, how you talk about the type of content can be expressed through multiple types of video content such as YouTube shorts, IGTV or TikTok videos for how-to videos, live streaming to further connect with your audience, and 360º video for a truly unique experience.

Videos are an opportunity for your company to improve SEO, increase conversion rates and brand awareness. Viewers retain more information on video than other forms of content, which can help them make buying decisions. Whether you’re creating videos to promote your brand, product, or service, try your hand with these types of videos to boost your marketing strategy.

Written by: Kathi Fuhrman 2021 VIDEO MARKETING TIPS

Capture The Best Video Footage With ISO, Shutter Speed/Angle, and Aperture

How does the relationship between ISO, shutter speed/angle, and aperture determine the quality of your footage? The camera’s exposure determines how much light shows through your picture or video. If you want your image or video to appear light or dark when you capture the footage, you will need to adjust the exposure. Controlling the ISO, aperture, and shutter speed, also known as the trifecta setup, controls the exposure. In this clip from our video content course, we explain how each element works together to achieve the desired exposure for the footage.

Creating Videos For Clients Vs For Ourselves, Balancing Passion & Business, And How Budgeting Can Help In Your Creative Hustle

In this episode, we talk with Nick and Josh Holden: award-winning directors, writers, actors, and co-owners of the film and video production company Mishnoon.

Listen to this episode on Apple Podcasts as we talk about how they separate creating videos for clients themselves to continue to pursue their passion while growing their business and how finding their own voice and collaborating with clients created videos that matched their clients' personalities. We also mention why artists should create a personal budget and set realistic goals to stay on track and motivated in their creative careers.

Listen to episode 59 on Apple Podcasts; Creating Videos For Clients Vs For Ourselves, Balancing Passion & Business, And How Budgeting Can Help In Your Creative Hustle

Targeting the Right Audience

“There are always ways to attract the audience that is true to your brand its just a matter of looking deeper and seeing what works.”

This quote comes from episode 56 of our podcast with Public Haus Agency account director Allie Yaldezian. In it, Allie discusses why it’s not always beneficial for companies to join a social media platform that might not work for their brand or target audience.

Listen to this episode again as we talk about the importance of asking clients many questions to learn more about company performance. We also talk about why trying something new is always a good thing to change your perspective, being immersed in the culture to stay on top of the trends, the benefits of being in nature to provide peace of mind and boost creativity.

Listen to episode 56 on Apple Podcasts here: Gaining Proper Information From Clients, How To Be Immersed In Culture, And The Importance Of Trying Something New

How video can boost your e-commerce business

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Are you an eCommerce business owner and are struggling to reach your target audience? Do you need to boost sales and grow your business? If you haven’t already implemented video into your marketing strategy, then we’ve compiled a list of reasons to start using videos on your e-commerce site.

Videos are an amazing tool for showcasing your products. When you have videos displayed on your website, Google search results will favor your website more. If you want more potential customers to browse your site, try uploading your video on YouTube. Many shoppers browse YouTube videos before making a purchase. If your products are showcased on that platform then, they will have a better chance of being seen since Google displays YouTube videos on organic search results.

Product videos are just one of the types of videos you can post on YouTube, your site, and social media. You can describe how best to use the product or create a behind-the-scenes video of how the product is created or distributed to customers. You can also upload social media ads, customer testimonials, influencer reviews, and upload videos to email newsletters. Post your videos to YouTube and remember to include keywords in your description and title, as well as a link to direct shoppers to your site. Add a variety of videos to your YouTube channel to give your viewers more information and engagement with your business. Adding video to your strategy will greatly impact the credibility and growth of your e-commerce business.

Credit: John Murphy Why Video is the Next Big Thing in Ecommerce, and How to Harness Its Power

What is Video Resolution, Aspect Ratio, and Codec?

Why is understanding video resolution, aspect ratio, and video file size important for optimal video quality? When choosing which resolution to shoot with, figure out where you want your video distributed to and what device your audience will watch your video on to determine which resolutions are supported by specific aspect ratios. The file size also plays a role in a high-quality video. In this clip from our video content course, we share the different types of resolutions, aspect ratios, and file sizes. 

How Technology Expands Creativity, Best Ways To Shoot Videos, And How Storytelling Has Evolved

Our next podcast episode features cinematographer, director, and owner of production company Manifest Imageworks, Mark Haynes. He has been working in the film industry since 2007 and shoots for clients in the advertisement, corporate, and entertainment industries.

In this episode, we discuss how his love of movies and desire to recreate them led him on the path of filmmaking, cinematography, and lighting, how the methods of storytelling have evolved, and the most efficient way to run a shoot.

Listen to episode 58 on Apple Podcasts: How Technology Expands Creativity, Best Ways To Shoot Videos, And How Storytelling Has Evolved