Video Production
Lights, camera, action! Over the years, many companies have taken to incorporating video production as an effective means of advertisement in order to reach their target audiences on a larger scale. Video production is used across the business spectrum and offers a great return on investment. Recently, the surge of social media platforms and influx of technological advancements, has made video production a highly successful medium for conveying messages and product information. With the rise in video production, there has also been a rise in the number of companies specializing in video production.
Setting oneself apart from the masses in an industry like this comes down to one thing—art. Video production is not merely a tool used to reach the masses, but rather, it is an innovative art form meant to evoke emotion and call individuals to action. This proverbial call to action that is desired can range in outcome from inspiring individuals to travel to an area, to moving individuals to purchase a specific product, to even rousing viewers to support a certain political agenda. Because of the art aspect to video production, many who participate in this industry do so because they truly love and appreciate creating inspiring, eye-grabbing, emotion evoking projects. When video production is involved, the possibilities really are endless.
History of Video Production
The history of video production can trace its roots back to the early 19th century with the innovation of black and white photos. After this, it wasn’t long before Joseph Plateau was able to create a device that compiled black and white photos in such a way as it looked as though the images were moving. He called this a “spindle viewer.” Thomas Edison of course is credited with the technological advancements that would make the video production we are more familiar with today a reality. The video production that we see today, however, is not simply a focus on motion or speech, rather it is a combination of lighting, camera angles, content, and emotion that make video production such a unique medium. Video production can then be said to be interwoven with the genre of video art.
Video Art and Video Production
Video art can trace its roots back to the 1960s. A Korean-American artist named Nam June Paik, who was studying in Germany at the time, is considered to have pioneered the genre. In 1963, he first unveiled his “Exposition of Music—Electronic Television.” His video was 55 seconds of distorted black and white images projected through multiple televisions and accompanied by different musical instruments. His concept was unique at the time because traditional film was not used. Instead, Paik used film and then transferred the images to video tape. His revolutionary vision prompted many other artists to follow suite. It is at this time in history when we can start to see a blurring between video art and video production.
Video Production and Advertising
After the initial discovery, it didn’t take long before individuals were using video production on a larger scale—mainly through television. This is due mainly to the technological advancement of non-linear editing. Once the world wide web was established though, video production really exploded. A recent study showed that 80% of internet traffic in 2020 was attributed to viewing videos. Today, video production and advertising are used in conjunction constantly. One can’t scroll through Facebook or Instagram without viewing some type of video production—not to mention the steady stream of video production images that filter through our television screens. Video production in effect has completely saturated the advertising market—especially because studies have shown that individuals are nearly 3 times as likely to stay on an internet page or site that contains video as opposed to one that does not. Take a look at Talon Wines’ page for a link to their Instagram, which incorporates video production on their IGTV tab. Here you can see firsthand just how impactful video production can be for a brand.
Stages of Video Production
The majority of time spent on video production doesn’t actually take place with the shooting the video. In fact, the time spent recording a video actually accounts for a very small percentage of time put into a video production project. The stages of video production can be split into three parts: pre-production, production, and post-production.
Pre-Production
In this phase of production meeting with clients to establish their brand and vision is paramount. There are many things that need to be discussed at this stage in the game. Where is the material going to be distributed? What is the purpose of the content? What are the clients needs? Once these details have been ironed out, the logistics of location and casting still need to be considered. Depending on the complexity of the shoot, will travel or permits be required? Safety precautions also need to be considered at this point.
Production
It is only after all of the pre-planning and intensive organization that production on the actual video can begin. The time range of your video here is important. Typically, longer videos produce less engagement from the audience. The “sweet spot” for a video is typically 2 minutes or less. After that, viewer engagement drops substantially. Of course, there are going to be certain contents that require longer videos. If this is the case, 6-12 minutes in length is the ideal frame. Time constraints should be taken into consideration when production begins, but then also thoughtfully considered when the post-production phase commences.
Post-Production
This phase of video production entails editing and producing the final finished product. During this phase, video production companies will go back to their pre-production goals to ensure that the client’s vision, target-audience, and call to action have all been effectively incorporated into the video. This is also where any special effects can be added including visual effects and animation. In addition, this part of production also includes the actual distribution of the video.
Hiring a Professional Video Production Company
When it comes to hiring a professional video production company, it’s imperative that you look at the portfolio of the company’s past work. Another thing to keep in mind is the mission statement of the company. Because video production is most effective when it impacts viewers on an emotional level, it’s important to choose a company that values the art aspect of video production. Click here to view Lightbulb Media’s portfolio and to see the heart and humanity that our work evokes.