Publishing Your Video – What To Check Before You Share It With The World
Once all stakeholders have had their say and the content of a video has been signed off, you don’t want to waste any time before publishing your video to the world.
However, it’s worth making sure you do a few things first, before you go ahead.
Mike Plenty, Managing Director at Dead Ready Productions, explains the steps you should take in our latest 60 second production tips vlog. The content of which can be found below.
1. Tell your production company
Your video production team will be best positioned to advise that the video is ready to distribute.
There may be elements of the video content that are still in a draft format, or require licensing, which they will need to address.
2. Check titles and web addresses
People often go by different job titles depending on the context, so make sure everyone who appears is happy with how their name appears in the video.
Also, check that all URLS and social media handles are correct.
3. Use the highest quality version
Don’t make the mistake of posting a low-resolution version of the video file online.
Always use the highest quality you can – video platforms can scale videos down if needed to meet different bandwidths, but they can’t scale up.
4. Download and keep an offline copy
Make sure you have a copy of the video file that you can keep on a local drive or server.
This gives you peace of mind and means you’re not reliant on always having an internet connection to watch the video.
For more top tips, helpful information and useful guides on video production, keep an eye out for our next vlog – coming soon!
In the meantime, if you have a filming brief, or you would like to find out more about the animation, photography and graphic design services Dead Ready Productions can offer your business, simply get in touch via the button below or by calling +44 (0)208 339 6139.
The Ultimate Planning Guide To Filming Your Conference Presentation
When organising videography for your conference, you first need to be clear on the type of video you want to create.
To ensure your video delivers above and beyond, there are some key considerations you should take into account beforehand, which will help your production crew both on the day and during the editing process afterwards.
Providing your production crew with certain information before your event, will ensure they are as prepared as possible for the big day!
In this article, we explain the key considerations you should take as well as the information you should supply to your production crew, in advance of your conference, to ensure you get the most out of your event.
Pre-Event Key Considerations
Confirm Your Objective
It sounds obvious, but knowing exactly what you want to achieve by filming your event is hugely important, and yet often overlooked. Are you looking to record the event for an audience unable to attend on the day?
Provide a recap for those who were in attendance? Or are you looking to create a promotional video to boost sales and marketing for your next event? Just three examples, but all benefitting from a different filming approach.
Create A Filming Schedule
Try to avoid ‘winging it’ on the day and deciding what to film while the event is actually in progress. Working with your video supplier to develop a filming timetable beforehand that corresponds to your event programme will help you to make sure that you’re getting all you need and can highlight any logistical issues – particularly when multiple cameras are involved and more than one type of video is being created.
It’s not unusual for requirements to change on the day and the crew will need to be flexible, but a schedule provides an important starting point.
Consider Combining Videography And Photography
One of the challenges of running an event is having to deal with many different suppliers. Using the same team for both video filming and for stills photography can help with this, saving you time when it comes to briefing people on what you need, and generally simplifying the process.
Of course, you need to be absolutely sure that the team you’re working with has the capability to deliver on both fronts.
Decide How To Use And Distribute Your Video
Many don’t think about this until the video has been created, but it’s worth considering – will it go on your webpage, social media channels, how will you notify people when the video is ready?
Knowing the answers to these questions beforehand can influence the filming approach taken by the crew, and will lower the risk of hold-ups and delays in post-production since the distribution strategy has already been agreed.
Review Previous Experiences
If you’ve worked with video production teams at events before, make the most of this and think about what worked and what you would like to do differently. Focus less on the process but more on the outcome of the video – did it achieve what you wanted it to and why/why not? Refining the process is an important part of ensuring that each video surpasses the one before.
Having provided video and photography services for a wide range of events, both across the UK and Internationally, the team at Dead Ready Productions are no strangers to working with a brief that’s less than fully developed, but we can work with you to ensure the end result exceeds your expectations.
Pre-Event Information To Supply Your Production Crew
Nine times out of ten you will have an audio visual team at the venue operating a sound desk and managing microphones on the stage, in addition to the camera crew. Clean, high quality audio is absolutely essential when filming a conference presentation, so ensuring everyone involved shares their contact details prior to the event is key.
Arranging a pre-conference call between the camera crew and the audio visual team is also the simplest way to ensure that both parties are aware of what’s needed and can communicate with each other without any issues both pre and post the event should they need to.
Agenda And Slide Content
It’s useful for the production crew to know the event agenda in advance as it will allow them to plan the day with maximum efficiency. It’s also helpful to give them as much information as possible about the content of the slides – how intricate and detailed are they; are there animations and/or videos involved? Are they in a format other than PowerPoint? Will the crew be able to get hold of the original PowerPoint files on the day?
The answers to these questions may affect the filming approach. Of course, not every presenter uses slides, so it’s useful to know if that is the case as well.
Number Of Presenters
If there will be more than one speaker talking at a time, or a panel discussion, this will have implications for the number of cameras needed, the positioning of those cameras and the approach to audio recording on the day.
Be sure to confirm the number of presenters prior to the event and update your production team if there are any changes, no matter how last minute, so they can make the necessary alterations to the set up.
Audience Involvement
Everyone loves an interactive presentation, with the exception of an unprepared camera crew! If there’s a great deal of audience involvement and you want to feature this in the video, then you need a minimum of two cameras and you need to consider how audio will be handled.
A roving handheld or boom microphone is the most common solution as this type of microphone is critical to getting clear audio for the video – you just have to make sure there are people in position to move these microphones swiftly to where they are needed.
Lighting
A common misconception is that the biggest lighting challenge for the camera crew is the amount of available light in a conference venue. In practice, it is usually the contrast between a very bright screen and a dimly lit lectern or podium that causes the biggest challenge.
A regular occurrence at conferences is having a very narrow spotlight on the stage, which in most cases the presenter will promptly step out from under and then deliver the rest of their presentation from the shadows. There are various ways to deal with these issues, so knowing the lighting set up at the venue will allow your production crew to come prepared.
Room Layout
Knowing the layout of the room is very useful, particularly for multi-camera shoots, as it allows different camera positions to be considered. If time permits, a pre-shoot location recce, where the room is set up as it would be on the day, is the best way to do this.
Filming Notices
Check if any of your presenters have any sensitive or copyright material in their presentations which should not be recorded. It also helps to inform them if you are filming their presentation in full, or simply capturing a few snippets for inclusion in a short promotional film.
Ask anyone who is filmed directly at the event to sign a release form as this will help avoid any issues at a later stage when you come to share and promote your event. Template release forms can be provided by the production company in advance, which you can tailor to your event.
If you are in the process of arranging a conference and you were considering filming the presentations, then we hope these useful tips have been helpful.
If you would like to discuss how Dead Ready Productions could help with filming your event, please feel free to get in touch via the button below or by calling +44 (0)208 339 6139.
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3 More Top Tips For How To Look Good For Video Conferences
We all know where to put the camera and how to light ourselves for a decent looking video call these days (and if we don’t, check out our earlier vlog), but now that everyone is used to meeting online, we’ve noticed some of the more subtle traps that people are falling into.
In this update, Dead Ready Director, Chris Tongue, takes us through his top tips to make sure you come across perfectly in your web conferences.
Here’s the transcript for fun:
Hello! Back at the beginning of the lockdown I posted a tips video on how to look good in video calls. Since then, we’ve recorded hours of interviews for several clients over the web and have noticed a few extra traps people can fall into, so thought I’d post a short update with a few more tips.
Extra Tip #1
Be mindful of reflective surfaces and how they have a habit of giving away ugly or embarrassing things in the rest of the room. This applies not only to windows and mirrors in the background, but also to those who wear glasses – a bored attendee may choose to make your window full screen, where it might be obvious through reflections that the discussion doesn’t have your undivided attention… (I’ll then zoom in on my glasses which will show that I’m playing solitaire or minesweeper).
Extra Tip #2
Remember to keep eye contact. This doesn’t mean that you have to look at the camera, just that you should keep looking at the people you are talking to on screen.
It can be tempting to look away while you form your responses, but you’ll lose your audience’s attention if you don’t appear to be talking to them. This counts double if you’re being interviewed or are delivering a presentation as you’re on screen for much longer.
If it helps, have your notes on screen, it’ll keep your focus in roughly the right place.
Extra Tip #3
Value your production values. If you’re being filmed taking part in an interview or you’re a guest speaker at a virtual conference – remember that your video quality reflects whoever is posting the video, so getting your setup correct is more than just a vanity exercise and can affect whether or not you’re invited back.
Good luck out there and thanks for watching!
Event Filming: Planning Your Video Production For Maximum Effectiveness
When organising videography for your event, it can be difficult to work out ahead of time exactly what you want to film, and what type of video you want to create.
Often people end up choosing a supplier, let them get on with the job on the day and then, once the dust has settled and there’s more time to think about it, figure out what exactly to do with the video footage.
While this may give you the results you’re looking for, you can ensure your video delivers above and beyond by taking into account a few key considerations beforehand.
Know your objective
It sounds obvious, but knowing exactly what you want to achieve by filming your event is hugely important, and yet often overlooked. Are you looking to record the event for an audience unable to attend on the day?
Provide a recap for those who were in attendance? Or are you looking to create a promotional video to boost sales and marketing for your next event? Just three examples, but all benefitting from a different filming approach.
Develop a filming schedule
Try to avoid ‘winging it’ on the day and deciding what to film while the event is actually in progress. Working with your video supplier to develop a filming timetable beforehand that corresponds to your event programme will help you to make sure that you’re getting all you need, and can highlight any logistical issues – particularly when multiple cameras are involved and more than one type of video is being created.
It’s not unusual for requirements to change on the day and the crew will need to be flexible, but a schedule provides an important starting point.
Consider combining videography with photography
One of the challenges of running an event is having to deal with many different suppliers. Using the same team for both video filming and for stills photography can help with this, saving you time when it comes to briefing people on what you need, and generally simplifying the process. Of course, you need to be absolutely sure that the team you’re working with has the capability to deliver on both fronts.
Decide how you’ll use and distribute the video
Many don’t think about this until the video has been created, but it’s worth considering – will it go on your webpage, social media channels, how will you notify people when the video is ready? Knowing the answers to these questions beforehand can influence the filming approach taken by the crew, and will lower the risk of hold-ups and delays in post-production since the distribution strategy has already been agreed.
Review previous experiences
If you’ve worked with video production teams at events before, make the most of this and think about what worked, and what you would like to do differently. Focus less on the process but more on the outcome of the video – did it achieve what you wanted it to and why/why not? Refining the process is an important part of ensuring that each video surpasses the one before.
Having provided video and photography services for a huge range of events both across the UK and internationally, we’re no strangers to working with a brief that’s less than fully developed. However, by considering the above you can help to ensure that your event video has the best chance of reaping all the rewards that video can offer.
If you would like to find out more about the video, animation, photography and graphic design services Dead Ready Productions can offer your business, please feel free to get in touch via the button below or by calling +44 (0)208 339 6139.
