Corporate Video Production
Corporate video is becoming increasingly popular as an effective tool for businesses to connect with their customers, train their employees, and showcase their products.
Whether you're looking to start creating high quality corporate videos or want to update your current content, a professional video production company like The Customer Story can help you reach your goals.
Is Corporate Video Production Important to Business?
Video has become an integral part of many companies' operations and their marketing plans. with an increasing amount of CMOs, business owners and other executives taking note of its potential.
According to a recent survey by Forbes, 75% of business executives watch work-related videos on their company websites at least once a week.
In a separate study by Tubular Insights, 73% of companies claim that brand videos had a positive impact on their ROI numbers. This means that if you’re in the B2B space, your customers want to watch corporate videos and
video marketing can be an invaluable part of your marketing efforts.
Our corporate video production process:
When it comes to creating corporate videos for your business, there are several elements that go into making them successful. At The Customer Story, we have developed a video production process that ensures we create high quality, engaging content that reaches your target audience, fulfills your marketing strategy and generates a positive ROI on your time and budget.
Pre-Production
For Our New Clients: We schedule a brief but comprehensive on-boarding call to learn about your business and your sales and marketing goals. In order for us to produce engaging and effective videos, we need to understand your business, your clients, and your products.
For Each Shoot: We create a list of questions and a production brief guiding the content and visuals we need to capture for this particular customer and video. We also provide guidance and expertise to your customer at this time to help prepare them for the process. We believe everyone has a story to tell, and we help our clients and their customers tell it in the most effective and engaging way possible.
The Shoot
Our professional and creative crew will visit your customer location, or your event, and capture the magic! We don't charge crew travel fees, and no one from your team needs to attend (but they are always welcome if you want them to be there).
We are professional creatives and we know that your customers are busy! We are dedicated to capturing amazing, high quality content without taking up more time than absolutely necessary. Typically we are on the customer site for no more than 2-3 hours.
If we are filming a remote testimonial, we only require about 30 minutes to an hour of your customer's time. We guide them through the whole process to capture incredible footage remotely.
Editing and Post Production
We take the footage back to our home office and work our magic! This is where we turn interview footage and b-roll into a stunning production. We are expert storytellers and we craft your 45 minute + interviews into an engaging story 1-3 minutes long.
Our typical turn around time from shoot to first draft is two weeks, and rush edits are available for an additional fee.
Transcriptions, Repurposing and Optimization
Many companies stop with step three, but as video marketing experts, we understand that there are many opportunities to leverage existing content to achieve your marketing and sales goals.
All content captured is transcribed and stored in a database for analyzing for additional content. We can also make multiple versions of videos for social, sales channels and events.
Corporate Video Production Services
Now that you know the process we use to create the best corporate videos, let's look at the type of video projects we help our clients create.
Written testimonials are great, but when a future client gets to watch a current client describe and discuss their experience with your company, it elevates their need to work with you to whole new level!
Click the link to learn more about our live-action Testimonial Video Production service, or watch below as one of our clients discuss how they used testimonial videos to grow their software company.
2020 was a year that changed everything. In many ways, it accelerated the adoption of remote communication tools. In fact, many companies have switched to an all remote workforce. You can still capture great testimonials from these customers - even if there isn't an office to meet them at.
Click the link to get more details about our remote testimonial service, or watch one of our customers provide a testimonial for us - from his home office!
As in person conferences start becoming a regular thing again, take advantage of all of your partners, customers, and target audience being in one place and capture great corporate video. Testimonial videos, recap videos, presentation videos, partners videos and more are all great options of content you can produce at conferences.
Click the link to learn how we can help you create great video content at your next conference or corporate event.
At The Customer Story, we give you lots of options when it comes to video editing. We offer one off services or monthly contracts - whatever models fits your needs and budget best.
Our editors have years of experience crafting expert corporate video stories. Whatever video type you need to edit (including product demos), we're here to help!
Click the link to learn more about our video editing service and options.
After starting as a small production company based in San Antonio, over the years we have grown to having corporate video clients all over the state and country.
We have crews available across the US, and can even travel when the budget and project allows. If you're starting a project that multiple cities, reach out as we can save you time and money.
Click the link to learn more about our local video production offerings.
There is no doubt that video content dominates social media these days. Between Tik Tok, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram - video is the belle of the ball. But how do you leverage corporate videos on these platforms and get the most from your efforts?
At The Customer Story, we've developed a monthly service to leverage your existing video content and optimize it for the social media platforms. For a much smaller incremental cost, you can take the corporate video you already have and repurpose it for the different social platforms.
We create optimized content that gets more impressions, more engagement and overall better results. Check out the link to learn more!
From the Blog
Mastering Lighting for Testimonial Video Production
Testimonial videos have emerged as a cornerstone of successful marketing strategies for businesses in a broad range of industries. They are powerful tools used to foster trust, highlight customer satisfaction, and attract potential customers.
Over the years, we've seen an evolution in the creation and consumption of testimonial videos. They've transitioned from optional extras to vital elements in the content marketing mix.
As they continue to grow in popularity, so does the need for these videos to be professionally produced, and lighting plays an integral role in this process.
While the content and delivery of testimonials are undeniably important, one aspect that often falls by the wayside is lighting. The way a scene is lit can dramatically enhance the quality of your testimonial videos, making them more engaging and impactful.
This blog post aims to shed light on this vital subject, exploring expert lighting techniques that will illuminate your testimonial videos and help them truly shine.
Understand the Importance of Lighting in Testimonial Videos
Lighting serves as a key player in setting the mood, emphasizing facial expressions, and captivating attention in testimonial videos. But to truly appreciate the role of lighting, it's worth understanding the science behind it.
Light, an essential element of photography and videography, can be hard or soft. Hard light, like that from a spotlight, produces sharp, distinct shadows. Soft light, on the other hand, like that on an overcast day, leads to softer, less defined shadows. Hard light can be used to create a dramatic effect, while soft light usually results in more flattering, even illumination.
The Science of Lighting
To fully harness the power of lighting in testimonial video production, one must first understand its fundamental principles. Just as a painter uses different brushes and colors to create a work of art, a videographer uses light as a tool to create depth, highlight details, and evoke emotions. There are several key aspects to consider when discussing the science of lighting.
Firstly, it's crucial to understand how light behaves. Light follows the inverse square law, meaning that the intensity of light is inversely proportional to the square of the distance from the source.
In simpler terms, the further the light source is from your subject, the less intense it appears. This is why small adjustments in the distance of your lighting can have a significant effect on your shot.
Secondly, it's important to distinguish between hard and soft light. Hard light is direct light that has not been diffused. It casts stark, well-defined shadows and creates high-contrast images.
This type of lighting can be dramatic and edgy but can also produce unflattering results by accentuating wrinkles and imperfections.
On the other hand, soft light is light that has been diffused or scattered. It casts gentle, less defined shadows and creates images with a broader range of tones. Soft light is flattering for most subjects and is generally preferred for testimonial videos to portray the subject in a positive light.
Another crucial concept in lighting is color temperature, measured in degrees Kelvin (K). Lower temperatures (around 2000-3000K) produce warm, orange light, often associated with sunrise or sunset. Higher temperatures (above 5000K) yield a cooler, blue light, similar to a cloudy day. The choice of color temperature can drastically affect the mood and perception of your video.
Understanding these principles of lighting is essential for video production. By manipulating distance, light hardness, and color temperature, you can control the aesthetic and emotional impact of your testimonial videos. Thus, light is not merely an illuminator—it's a storyteller.
Visibility:
Lighting is a crucial aspect when it comes to ensuring the visibility of your subjects in testimonial videos. Good lighting doesn't merely mean that everything is well-lit; it means that the lighting complements the subject and the setting, enabling the audience to focus on the message being delivered without distractions.
Without proper lighting, you risk the creation of harsh shadows, uneven lighting, or poor visibility. These problems can become distractions, leading the audience away from the essential content of your testimonials. For instance, dark shadows could obscure a subject's facial expressions, an essential aspect of human communication. Or, uneven lighting might focus the viewer's attention on less important areas of the scene, diverting their attention from the subject.
Additionally, good lighting adds depth to your shots. By carefully controlling the light and shadows in your scene, you can make your subjects stand out from the background, giving a three-dimensional feel to your videos and making them more engaging to watch.
Emotional Impact:
Lighting plays a significant role in shaping the emotional tone of your testimonial videos. Through careful lighting design, you can guide your viewer's emotional response and deepen their engagement with the content.
For instance, softer, warm lighting can create an atmosphere of intimacy and warmth, making viewers more receptive to the testimonials being shared. It can evoke feelings of comfort, honesty, and empathy, helping to build a strong emotional connection between the viewer and the person sharing their testimonial.
In contrast, cooler or harsher lighting might be used to convey a more serious, stark, or professional tone. Lighting can also be used to highlight important moments or changes in mood within a testimonial.
By consciously using lighting to evoke specific emotions, you can also capture emotional moments to enhance the effectiveness of your video testimonial and make them more impactful for your audience.
Professionalism:
The quality of lighting in your video testimonial is a direct reflection of your brand's professionalism and attention to detail. Just as a well-lit photograph looks more professional than a poorly lit one, well-lit video testimonials convey a sense of quality and expertise.
Poorly lit videos can give an impression of carelessness, suggesting a lack of effort or investment in creating the video. This lack of professionalism in presentation can extend to the audience's perception of your brand, making them less likely to trust your products or services.
On the other hand, a well-lit video can instill confidence in potential customers. It shows that you value quality and professionalism, which can transfer to how they perceive your products or services. It suggests that you're willing to put in the time, effort, and resources necessary to present your brand in the best possible light, creating a positive impression on your potential customers.
In conclusion, proper lighting enhances visibility, creates emotional impact, and conveys professionalism, all of which are essential for creating an effective video testimonial. By paying attention to lighting in your videos, you can ensure that your message is conveyed clearly and compellingly to your audience.
Key Light and Fill Light: Lighting Techniques for Testimonial Videos
Understanding the importance of lighting brings us to the practical aspect – how to effectively light your video testimonial. There are several expert techniques to choose from:
Three-Point Lighting:
This classic lighting technique involves using three primary light sources - key light, fill light, and backlight. The key light is the main light source that illuminates the subject's face, usually placed at a 45-degree angle to the side.
The fill light helps reduce shadows by filling in the opposite side of the subject, and the backlight separates the subject from the background, adding depth to the shot.
Natural Light:
Utilizing natural light can provide a soft and flattering look to your testimonial video. Position the subject near a window with diffused light or shoot outdoors during the golden hour (the hour after sunrise or before sunset). Avoid harsh sunlight that can create unflattering shadows or cause the subject to squint.
Softbox or Umbrella Lighting:
Softbox or umbrella lighting setups are ideal for achieving a well-diffused and even light source. These tools help eliminate harsh shadows and create a more flattering look. Place the softbox or umbrella slightly above and in front of the subject, ensuring the light falls evenly on their face.
Background Lighting:
Don't forget about the background in your video testimonial. Adding a subtle backlight or accent light to the background can create depth and visual interest. This technique helps separate the subject from the background and adds a professional touch to your videos.
Tips for Lighting Setup and Equipment
With the right strategies and equipment, you can bring the vision for your video testimonial to life. Here are detailed tips for setting up your lighting and selecting the right equipment for shooting video.
Test and Adjust:
Before you dive into recording your video testimonials, it is of utmost importance to spend time testing and adjusting your lighting setup. This is not a step to overlook, as small alterations can dramatically change the mood and aesthetic of your while shooting video testimonials.
Begin with setting up your main light source and experiment with different camera angles too. A slight shift can change the shadows and highlights on your subject, contributing to their overall appearance. Adjust the intensity of your light source too. Would a softer light better suit your video’s tone, or does a brighter light make your subject pop?
Remember, light follows the inverse square law: doubling the distance between your light and the subject quarters the brightness of the light. This rule means slight changes in the position of your lights off camera, can have significant effects on your video’s final look.
Take test shots after setting up your lighting and carefully review them. Look out for issues such as overexposure, underexposure, or harsh shadows. By identifying and correcting any potential problems before the actual video shoot, you save time and ensure your video testimonial comes out as professionally as possible.
Lighting Equipment:
Lighting equipment is an investment that can significantly improve the quality of your video testimonials. When deciding on the type of lighting to use, take into account the size of your shooting space, the number of subjects, and the desired effect you wish to achieve.
LED panels are versatile, offering adjustable brightness and color temperature. They're energy-efficient, with a long lifespan, making them cost-effective for long-term use. For videos with a single subject, ring lights are a popular choice, providing an evenly distributed light that helps reduce shadows and enhance facial features.
For a softer, more flattering light, consider softboxes. They diffuse light, reducing contrast and softening shadows, ideal for video testimonials where you want to present your subjects in the best light. Reflectors can be used to bounce light onto your subject, filling in shadows without the need for additional light sources.
When selecting your equipment, consider compatibility with your existing gear, ease of setup, and control over the light's intensity and direction.
Color Temperature:
The color temperature of your lighting can dramatically impact the mood and tone of your video testimonials. Measured in Kelvin (K), color temperature ranges from warm (lower values) to cool (higher values).
Warmer light creates a cozy, intimate atmosphere, while cooler light is associated with a more professional or clinical setting. The color temperature you choose should align with the mood you want to convey in your video testimonials.
Aim to match the color temperature of your artificial lights with the ambient light in your shooting environment. Mixing color temperatures can result in a confusing visual aesthetic. Use a white balance setting on your camera to correct any color temperature disparities and ensure consistency throughout your video.
Remember that understanding your equipment, from the characteristics of your lights to the settings on your camera, is essential for effective lighting control.
Common Lighting Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
Effective lighting is as much about avoiding mistakes as it is about applying the right techniques. Even with the best intentions, one can stumble into common lighting pitfalls. Here are some frequent errors and tips on how to avoid them:
Overexposure:
When a video is overexposed, it's too bright, causing a loss of detail in the lightest parts of the shot. This error can make the video harsh and challenging to view and cause essential details to be lost in a wash of light.
Overexposure often happens when the lighting equipment is too bright or too close to the subject, or the camera settings are not correctly adjusted for the lighting conditions. To prevent overexposure, you need to have a firm grasp of your camera settings, particularly aperture, shutter speed, and ISO.
Using a histogram, a graphical representation of the tonal values in your image, can help you detect overexposure before it ruins your shot. The histogram should be evenly distributed, and if it's skewed to the right, your image is likely overexposed.
Also, pay close attention to your lighting setup. Dim your lights or increase their distance from the subject if necessary. Remember, small adjustments can make a big difference.
Mixing Light Sources:
Different light sources can have varied color temperatures, leading to inconsistent lighting in your videos. This inconsistency can result in strange color casts, making your video appear unprofessional.
For example, mixing tungsten light (which is warm) and fluorescent light (which is cooler) can cause some areas of your shot to appear orange and others to look blue.
To avoid this, ensure all your artificial lights match in color temperature. If you're using natural light, try to balance your artificial lights to match it as closely as possible, or use a color correcting gel to adjust the color temperature of your artificial lights.
Ignoring Natural Light:
If you're shooting indoors near windows, failing to account for natural light can wreak havoc on your artificial lighting setup. Natural light varies throughout the day and can flood your scene with unwanted light, introducing inconsistencies in your lighting.
To control natural light, consider the time of day you're shooting outdoors and the position of windows. Use blinds, curtains, or diffusers to control the amount of natural light entering the room.
Alternatively, you can adjust your setup to use the natural light to your advantage. For instance, positioning your subject near a window can provide beautiful, soft lighting. But remember to white balance your camera correctly to match any artificial lights you may be using.
Avoiding these common lighting mistakes can drastically improve the quality of your video testimonial, allowing your subjects and their stories to shine.
Wrapping it Up
Illuminating a testimonial video with expert lighting techniques can elevate the quality and impact of your video content. By understanding the importance of lighting in testimonial video, exploring key lighting techniques, and following essential tips for lighting setup and equipment, you can create engaging and professional videos that leave a lasting impression on your audience.
Proper lighting enhances visibility, evokes emotions, and adds a sense of professionalism to your testimonial video. Implementing the three-point lighting technique, harnessing the power of natural light, utilizing softbox or umbrella lighting, and incorporating background lighting can make a significant difference in the overall visual appeal of your videos.
Remember to test and adjust your lighting setup before recording to ensure optimal results. Investing in high quality video lighting equipment and considering factors such as color temperature will further enhance the effectiveness of your lighting.
By illuminating your testimonial video effectively, you create a visually appealing and immersive experience for your viewers. Engaging lighting techniques help captivate attention, highlight emotions, and ultimately strengthen the impact of the testimonials being shared.
So, don't overlook the power of lighting in your testimonial videos. Embrace these expert techniques and take your videos to new heights, leaving a lasting impression on your audience and driving positive results for your business. Illuminate your testimonials and watch them shine!
How do you choose what corporate video production is right for you?
How about all of them?
In all seriousness, the answer to this question depends on your goals and needs. What do you need to communicate with a corporate video? Who is the audience? What is your end goal? Once you have these questions answered, it will be easier to decide what type of corporate video production works best for your business. Not sure? That's what we're here for!
The Customer Story is a video production company that wants to help our clients achieve their goals through corporate video. Whether you need more clients, more brand awareness, more employees (don't forget about human resources!), and more - we think there are video types that can fit all of these needs.
Contact us to get started on your next video project today!
Don't Take Our Word For It
Hear From Our Clients
“The Customer Story is a great partner in producing video content. High-quality work and total professionalism is the name of the game.”
Kevin Dooley
Rackspace
“I loved working with Jacob and the Customer Story team. Jacob is extremely responsive, very flexible to change up the shoot at a moment’s notice or jump in to edit the final video. He is always punctual… and ready with ideas on how / where to shoot. I always know I am in good hands with Jacob and have been able to trust him with the utmost of professionalism in front of very high-level clients on a regular basis too. He’s excellent!”
Katie Schenck
Ballyhoo Blue Workshop
“The Customer Story is a phenomenal business to work with! Jacob is easy to work with, provides quality production, and delivers on-time content. I look forward to working with him again.”
Lindsay O.
Epicor Software
Even More Corporate Video Services
Marketing Video Production
At The Customer Story, our video marketing production capabilities help our clients reach their marketing goals in powerful and effective ways. Using creativity, expertise, and business knowledge, our team of experienced professionals can create engaging videos with high production values that will captivate your customer base.
Explainer Video Production
One of the most common video types we get asked about are explainer videos. Most companies could benefit from a video that succinctly and effectively describes their product and capabilities.
We understand the importance of getting your message across quickly and in an engaging way.
Animation Video Production
If you're looking for something a bit more creative - animation video is the perfect solution. With an animated corporate video, the possibilities are endless. We can create any type of video to meet your goals and needs. From short 2D explainer videos to full 3D animation masterpieces - our animation partners have you covered!
Sometimes our clients are afraid that an animated corporate video won't work in a buttoned up corporate environment. While every market is different, we have found that animated videos provide unique and interesting content that audiences enjoy viewing.
Training Video Production
We've all seen those cheesy training videos from the 90s, right? At The Customer Story, our corporate training videos are nothing like that. We are a video production company that takes corporate video seriously (and creatively) and that applies to training videos as well.
It is important to entertain and engage the audience, while also getting the important information across in a retainable way.
Promotional Video Production
Promotional videos are used to promote a product or service, announce an event, getting people excited about something or simply to showcase the best features of your business. Every promotional video needs to be unique and creative - that's what we specialize in here at The Customer Story!
Product Video Production
Product videos are a great way to demonstrate a product or service. A video that captures the features and benefits of what you have to offer will help your customers understand it better and make them more likely to purchase from you.
We create videos that show off your products in an engaging way, helping you increase sales and brand engagement. If you are an e-commerce or retail company, our product video team has what it takes to increase sales using video.
Brand Video Production
Your brand is the way that the world and your market sees your company. We are a little biased, but we think video is one of the best ways to put your brand values and essence into the marketplace.
Corporate video productions don't have to be stale, boring, or stuffy. It can match
your
corporate culture and brand identity.
Website Video Production
I don't know about you - but we have been around the block long enough to remember when most businesses didn't have a website (yeah, we're that old). And now, it seems every business has one. Again, we are biased, but we feel corporate videos on websites are going in the same direction.
As the internet matures, customers and clients (and employees) expect video from the websites they visit because it is the most efficient and effective way to communicate your brand, your product and services, your expertise, and more. Don't get left behind.
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