Filed under: Facilitation | Tags: creative, facilitating, meetings, NapoleonCreative, scripting, Video, workshop
Yesterday, I wrote a post about finding the right message. Then an hour later, I got a call from a client on a job we’d been asked to budget. Having read their brief, I really wasn’t clear exactly what they were trying to achieve. So I asked a few questions, and the client said they would call the stakeholders and get back to me. Then I got a series of emails, as three different stakeholders each had different ideas of what the focus of the video should be.
I then offered to facilitate one of our project kick off workshops. We started by letting the stakeholders explain what they wanted from the video, what they each wanted to communicate. We also did some competitor analysis for context. I then flipped the conversation around, and asked who was going to watch the video, what were they like, and how well did they know the subject matter.
It turned out the people watching the video didn’t want to know so much about the long list of detailed information the stakeholders had compiled in the first. In fact, it might overwhelm them. What they actually wanted to hear was how the company could reassure, educate and guide them through the whole implementation process of the client’s product. Suddenly ,the script took on a whole other structure and point of view.
By the end of the workshop, we had a combined both what they wanted to say, with what their viewers wanted to know, and had a solid structure in place. We’d also established what assets we’d need, who would be responsible for them, and next steps to making the video. In all, a very productive hour!
As Napoleon Creative has developed, we spend more and more time on strategic work. By this I mean spending longer with the client looking at what they’re trying to say, why they’re trying to say it, how their competitors are saying similar things, and how to say it for them.
It’s rewarding when we can really get to the heart of a brief, and help them discover for themselves what it is we’re actually trying to achieve. One recent case was for a product where the clients were telling us what excited them about it, but when we looked closer that feature wasn’t what the consumers were interested in. So we changed the focus of the video.
That particular project isn’t completed yet, but will be posted soon. In the meantime, if you want to talk to us about your communications challenge, get in touch.
Filed under: Filming Tips, InterHealth, NC | Tags: Animation Projects, corporate video, East London, Napoleon Creative, Video
We’ve just helped out newest client InterHealth edit a short piece on their MyHealth project.
They contacted us after they’d already shot some material on a Flip camera. We gave some guidance on how it was shot, suggested some cutaways, then brought the material together.
We’re finding more and more of our client are filming their own content. We can offer guidance on how to edit the material together, keep the branding clear and the message concise.
While the end film is maybe not as slick as those that we shoot, the clip feels real, accessible and of the moment, which is especially important when you’re dealing with someone’s health.
If you have a project you want us to help you bring together, just give us a call on 020 7729 6909.
Filed under: Filming Tips, Subtitling, Testimonials | Tags: corporate video, Napoleon Creative, solution, subtitles, subtitling, Testimonials, Video
Today we’ve done a subtitling job, adding English subtitles to an existing video that was filmed in French. Here are our tips for adding subtitles:
- Centre the text, it makes it easier to read
- Break sentences in phrases, rather than just when the text reaches the end of the screen
- Don’t leave ‘orphans’ ie single words left on a line. Always have at least two words.
- Make sure there’s sufficient contrast in your text. If necessary, put a background behind it, preferably a semi-transparent one
- Sans-Serif fonts work better on video footage, especially when encoded for internet use. This is because the serifs are more complicated, and the edges around the words become badly defined
- Ideally, each subtitle should be onscreen for twice the time it takes to read it. However, in reality, this isn’t always practical.
It’s often awkward to put subtitles in after a project is complete because it often takes longer to read the copy than hear it. There are times when ideally you’d stretch out some of the breaks in the film so the subtitles can hold longer. However, unless the film has no music, or you’ve got the audio split into dialogue, effects and music, that’s going to be hard.
But anyway, with a quick turn around we managed to get the video subtitled, a couple of rounds of changes and back to the client in a couple of hours. Problem solved! In fact their feedback was great:
“The Sales Lead said it is perfect! Thanks again for being so fast and helpful.”
Filed under: FutureGov, Gallomanor, GetMeSocial, NC, Social Media, Testimonials | Tags: Animation Projects, East London, GetMeSocial, London, Napoleon Creative, Simpl, social media, testimonial, Twitter, Video
I’ve been putting the finishing touches to some touches to some new marketing materials today, including some testimonials. Sometimes it gets hard writing about your business. How you’re great. How you do a good job. How you’re a nice company to work with who also deliver good results.
So it was nice to see a thread of conversation on Twitter, which started from someone complimenting Carrie from Simpl, one of our clients on the video we created for them. Then Shane from Gallomanor and Justin from FutureGov chipped in. Gave me a completely unprompted boost to get the marketing finished!
This kind of unprompted, public testimonial is one of the great things about Twitter. If you want help building up your Social Media presence, check out GetMeSocial.
If you want to read the conversation, start at the bottom and work your way up.
Filed under: NC | Tags: 2011, Corporate, corporate video, Great, Napoleon Creative, Production, Video
January is always a quiet time at Napoleon Creative. Within the cycle of our clients’ work, we have a rush before Christmas, then it quietens over the holidays. People talk about ‘Blue Monday’ and how this is the most depressing time of the year. I actually like the peace and quiet to catch up on all our projects, upgrade software, review process and make improvements.
And this year feels particularly potent for opportunity. Luckily the VAT rise doesn’t particularly affect us, given that we work business to business. We have more clients and contacts than ever before. We have a nice little sideline in tea towels and mugs which is giving us a fun creative outlet outside of our client work.
I just have to knuckle down and get on with it… rather than blogging about it! Okay, time to set to….
