The trouble with video content is that everyone wants a piece of the action, but our clients are often the first to admit that several aspects of production are a bit of a mystery to them. They don’t know what they don’t know. So we asked Will, our Junior Video Producer, to pick out 15 of the biggest things people get confused about when it comes to video production. Enjoy…
1. Video marketing isn’t that important
Consumers expect to see video content from the brands and organisations they love. Social media platforms promote video above and beyond every other type of content. If you still don’t believe in making video content, maybe the stat below might change your mind.
By 2022, online videos will make up more than 82% of all consumer internet traffic — 15 times higher than it was in 2017.
Cisco
2. Video production is too expensive
Sure, high quality videos do require a certain budget that leans towards the more expensive side. However, these things are always flexible and not every piece of content requires a Hollywood budget. There are many ways to keep your video production costs down such as:
- Use a reliable video production company – but don’t rush straight to the biggest agency available
- If you’re buying equipment, remember that iPhones and DSLRs are sometimes enough, depending on what results you need
- Think about economies of scale: can you film multiple pieces of content in the same shoot day, or re-edit existing footage to create something new?
3. All production companies are the same
Here is a very big misconception which could be detrimental to the style of your video. Just like no individual is the same, neither is the video production company. Video production companies pride themselves on their unique style of content, some go for the jazzy quick edits with loads of transitions and text. However some prefer a slower edit with an elegant, subtle approach.
It is important that you pick the company whose existing work is similar to what you have in mind! Take time as a marketer to do your research on which companies suits your product. You can ask them to send a showreel of their best work, this will definitely help your decision making. Some may specialise in commercial, aerial or wedding videos.
4. We have no experience making videos so there’s no point starting
This is usually the first obstacle for new beginners, how do you get started with no experience? Well first of all don’t panic. Any person who has succeeded in video marketing has had to overcome this obstacle.
There are a few good ways to set you off in the right direction. Start by researching other products and look at their rise in video marketing. Go to their beginning and look at how they climbed up the ladder or even made great content from the get go. It can happen, the most important aspect is to have belief in your work. You should remember sometimes it takes time and this is why this tip can help out new starters.
5. Let’s just wing it
Okay before you think you never need to make a plan in this industry, just stop. Video production with great planning will always lead to a higher chance of success and overall a much better video. This gives you time to figure out and smooth all the little bumps on your road to success. Video production can be complex and the larger the budget that is put into this, the further the complexities are. So it is very important to plan well before making a video.
If everything isn’t planned out and you go into the production like a headless chicken, you can guarantee you will make mistakes and some of these can completely ruin the project. So remember, failing to plan is planning to fail!
6. We can make video content ourselves
Okay so you can look at this situation in two ways. On one hand you can make video content yourselves with your own equipment such as using iPhones or a cheap camera, sound and lighting equipment. I have no doubt if you try hard you can create a piece of great content.
However, video production is part art, part science, and you need several years of experience to really get it right. Video production isn’t just as simple as get the camera, film a shot, wrap up. The cinematography involved is crafted together through composition, lighting, sound recording, lens choices and camera movement.
7. All you need is a camera
This is a misconception I learned very early on in my video production career. It sounds stupid, but people do believe a camera is all you need. Creating a quality video that fits your brief needs the input of a list full of equipment, such as the correct camera, wide, zoom and fisheye lenses, lighting, sound, tripods, tripod heads, monopods, sliders, gimbals, drones, attachment plates… you get the picture. The list goes on and on and on. This requires you to find a video maker who knows about the importance of all these pieces of equipment and how the edit could be impacted by just one of them missing!
8. Shooting will flow perfectly
Turning up to the shoot and expecting the day to run smoothly to the shot list and storyboard is very naive idea. The sooner you learn this, the more time and less stress you will save.
The reality is video shoots take their time and may hit a number of obstacles. This can start from the beginning of the day with the cast running late to the shoot. Cameras can overheat, run out of memory and lose focus during a shoot. Most of the time, ideas and scripts change throughout the day and can cause mass disruption. The important point to take away from this misconception is that changes will occur and being prepared for them is the best way to combat the struggle of being still on shoot at 11pm.
9. The edit will be quick and easy
I’ll save you the time, it won’t! Editing, just like pre production and production day is a lengthy process. In fact, it usually takes longer than the other two. Too many people think that once the camera has stopped recording, the video is done. You are sadly mistaken.
Post production requires time, a lot of patience and an amazing eye to detail. Usually edits go through a series of drafts before being finalised. You shouldn’t set unrealistic time expectations on the video production company if you want a quality product. Patience is a virtue.
10. We can save it in post-production
While it is true some things can be corrected in the edit, don’t rely on it. Not only will this impact your video quality for this and future projects, but it will make you lazy when on the shoot as you’re relying on something that may be out of your control.
Peaking audio, bad compositions, out of focus and shaky shots, poor lighting etc. can all damage the final product’s quality, so don’t be fooled into thinking post-production can save everything!
11. The video is more important than audio
While the video is incredibly important, please don’t mistake the importance of audio. Poor audio will destroy your video and engagement with the audience. No one will want to watch it for more than a minute. They won’t take anything away from the video as poor audio will totally distract them. Bad audio is a sign of poor production.
It is vitally important to check the levels of audio tracks against each other. Too many times the editor has made the secondary track of music too loud and near impossible for the viewer to hear what is being said. These types of mistakes are incredibly costly. Put your headphones on and listen carefully.
12. Video marketing doesn’t create ROI
Often this myth is the reason as to why marketers don’t go ahead with video production. This is such a shame as it really couldn’t be further from the truth. Just check out some of these stats below…
89% of video marketers say video gives them a good ROI.
83% of video marketers say video helps them with lead generation.
87% of video marketers say video has increased traffic to their website.
80% of video marketers say video has directly helped increase sales.
95% of video marketers plan to increase or maintain video spend in 2020.
Optinmonster
13. It will only be a success if we have lots of views
Having tonnes of views doesn’t automatically mean success, and it’s certainly not the only benchmark you should be looking at. Chasing views tends to mean you’re trying to please everyone. Instead, you should focus on a specific audience who are going to want to genuinely engage with your content. Think about whether this piece of video is going to start a discussion.
14. Video marketing doesn’t suit our work
Video content can be made in such a variety of ways. It doesn’t just have to be a boring 5 minute video of someone talking to camera. It can be fun, exciting and entertaining. Consider alternatives like animation, infographics, or a more humorous angle.
15. Let’s just upload it everywhere
Ah the old common mistake! Let’s just upload this video onto every social media channel we have, that will guarantee more views and success.
Each social platform has a different demographic and a different native style, so consider creating different versions for different outlets. Some pieces of content might not suit certain outlets at all, and that’s fine.
We hope you found this information useful! These 15 misconceptions in video production are important to learn about and you should think about each one when deciding to create video content.
If you are thinking about creating video content and looking for a video production company, please feel free to get in touch with us. Thank you!
