Posted on November 25, 2011
This week we needed to share some initial edits with a client to approve before they went live. We use YouTube to share edits because it has a really useful feature where you can “unlist” a video. This means that you can upload a video, it creates a link and you can share that with the client – but because it’s “unlisted”, it doesn’t go on YouTube as a live video. This becomes really useful when sharing edits that may need changes, or sharing internal videos. We’ve used this process to great effect when sharing videos with UK Cycling Events, and it really speeds up the edit and approval process.
Recently, YouTube have redesigned their upload process and it couldn’t have come at a better time. Yesterday morning, I had to share seven edits with a client to approve. Uploading them at the same time and selecting “unlisted” was a great time saver (and allowed me to run into the local Apple store to get a replacement power cable).
On my return, I just copied and pasted the new YouTube links to the client, which meant they could view the edits before they went live, and because it’s on YouTube, they didn’t need to download them individually or ensure they had the right software to play, so a real time-saver.
With a speedy sign-off, getting the videos live was a simple trick of ticking a tickbox and they’re ready to share with the world, or in this case, embed on to their website.
The new uploader is on YouTube, but I believe it’s only enabled on a few accounts as a beta.
Thank you YouTube, for making our lives just a little easier!
Posted in Blog |
Tagged uploading, youtube |
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Posted on November 17, 2011
In a recent client meeting, the client mentioned that in the past, they had asked a friend to video them in a training session, only to find that the finished video had a big hum in the soundtrack – which can’t be removed.
I understood their situation. They wanted a video done at a moment’s notice, so they could share the training to others, whether that be people in their other offices, or to put on their website to show the viewing public that they care about training their workforce.
So why did they not use a local video production company to do this for them? There’s a few reasons that I can think of:
Investment
This is usually the be-all and end-all. Either get a friend to do it for free, or pay for a video production house.
Some people confuse cost with value. Value is essentially saying “what is this worth to my business?” In this case, the amateur video was low-value, because it didn’t do the job of accurately capturing the training session in a way that people could understand (if you can’t hear the sound clearly, you’re not engaged and you might as well not be watching a video).
Whereas paying for a video company to plan, film, edit and deliver – all to a high standard – that has high value – because it is something worth sharing. Cost isn’t as important as value.
Flexibility
In this situation, the client only thought about filming the training session earlier that day. Getting hold of a professional to come in and film that day would have been unrealistic.
While things might seem urgent at the time, taking a long-term look can often help craft solutions to immediate problems. For this example, I would suggest that the business say “video-ing a training session would be a good idea to share our skills to a wider audience. Let’s consult with a video company to develop this idea”. Video teams such as Skysoclear having been creating videos for a while, and know what makes a great video. Getting your company’s marketing director or team together with a local video expert and developing ideas can lead to something great.
Ease
It’s easy to ask a friend to help out, bring their camera and film. The alternative is looking on Google for local video suppliers. This can be a time-sucker. Luckily for us, we’re on page one of Google for “southampton video production“.
Again, this comes back to value. Nothing against your friend, but getting them to film, edit and deliver on-time, with their other commitments, may take longer – and chasing your friend for when your video is going to be ready, can not only harm the relationship, but the longer it goes on – the less relevant filming the video becomes.
We endeavor to get your video out as soon as possible after filming. We want to keep the excitement of it going and the longer it takes, the less excited we all get!
Summary
Being a video production company, of course we would say you should use one, but hopefully through this blog post, you can understand why we think that.
One point that is worth mentioning – the hum that the video had. With the skill and kit that a professional video company has, this wouldn’t have happened. Professional video gear costs quite a bit (which your friend wouldn’t have) and the expertise of professional videographers can be priceless.
Investing in the expertise of a video expert can give you more value-for-money – as the finished product looks great, does the job and gets done efficiently.
Posted in Blog |
Tagged local video company, training, value |
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Posted on November 15, 2011
It’s been reported at the weekend in TechCrunch that Americans watch videos 28% longer on tablets, devices such as the Apple iPad, rather than deskop computers. Link to the article here.
One quote I like is this one:
…we’re in the midst of a fundamental shift in how people everywhere watch TV, film and video content
So what does all of this mean?
Videos need to be optimised for Tablet devices
We need to use the latest standards to get video on mobile devices. YouTube and Vimeo offer HTML5 versions, and you can also roll your own versions. If in doubt, check how your videos display on a tablet.
But maybe we need to take this a step further. An iPad screen has enough real estate to play a video, but also display social share buttons. And what happens after the video is played? A clear call to action to comment or share maybe? Related videos is fine for YouTube, but I believe we can do more. It’s something we, at Skysoclear are exploring.
Viewing habits are changing
With this research, it’s clear that tablets are a fantastic video device – but is the way we’re videos different? I’d suggest that a tablet serves two uses:
- A replacement for the usual laptop on your lap in the evening
- Something you pick up, like you would a magazine, a flick through
Good news for advertisers (and brands)
Tablet users are more likely to watch a video from start to finish than a desktop user. I’d suggest that this is due to the fact that on a computer, the mouse is always in your hand, easy to click away to some place else. On a tablet, you’re likely to press play, and then hold it. If you’re investing in video – ask your video production company about getting your video tablet ready.
If your video isn’t on Facebook, you’re missing out
The research findings say that Facebook is the third most popular video channel on the iPad, so if you’re video isn’t on there, you’re potentially missing out on quite a number of viewers. It’s a more popular means of sharing video than some others, such as Twitter.
Posted in Blog, Research |
Tagged iPad, Tablet, video, viewing habits |
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