By Katrina Texcidor – Basil Solomon
At CosMarketing Agency, we visited a variety of different conventions to extend our coverage of the convention scene. We are consistently sharpening our videography skills while meeting business owners and talent at the events we attend.
There are three stages of filmmaking:
1) Pre-production
2) Production
3) Post-Production
The first steps. The foundations. The brainstorming. All here, in the most creative stage of the production. Pre-production alone can take up almost half of the time spent on the project. This is where our team collaborates and comes together to complete our goals for the client.
SETTING:
Before we plan our trips, we make sure that we visualize what the event is going to look like. In the case of event based videography, the key to establishing a setting for a great video is to look up the event itself and see what people are most interested in. For example, at Megacon our research indicated most attendees were looking to meet and interact with celebrities. Our goal for that convention was to meet YouTubers and famous personalities in the business. Conventions attract attention from lots of people, so each event we go to should have a library of past convention videos to look at for research.
If we were creating a concept for a small business related shoot, we are researching the market in which the company falls under. In business videography, where we shoot products to edit into ads, a different sort of pre-production occurs. Storyboards could be used to illustrate how we could portray the product and what the lighting and the mood of the video would be. For example, if we are creating a video ad for a wedding photographer in Orlando we are searching for local ads related to wedding photography in the area for inspiration. The key for any small business shoot is to create a video that feels familiar to the audience, but is unique in its own way.
MUSIC:
Let’s not forget a very important facto
r in creating a visually compelling video: Music. Gets you pumped. Makes you feel. Inspires. Awes. What’s a good video without some kick ass music to back it up?
Of course, it depends on the event in question or the business.
In the case of a convention with geek products, shows, performances, and celebrities, it’s a good time. So some good EDM helps set up the pacing of the shots in the editing process. A video ad for a wedding or family photographer may have a more subdued tone than an event. It all needs to match the tone of the actual customer and every video comes with music we will only use for that customer. You will never get a bunch of recycled music and content from previous videos we have done.
PRODUCTION
The fast-paced train-like action sequence of the process: Filming!
As we walk around conventions, we use our cameras to film random happenings from every angle we possibly can in order to secure enough footage and B-roll (which is very specific footage sometimes unrelated to the event itself) to get a good coverage of the entire event.
The entire process is time-consuming and takes a lot of different setups to achieve different shots. Sometimes we will spend as much as 5 or 6 hours at an event to get all the footage we need.
For business ads, we set up a corner, or a “set” a
s we call it, where we place the product in the best possible setting to make sure it looks professional, with a 3-point lighting system. In other cases we can attend an event at a location (or go at a time that has the most traffic) and film b-roll or interviews of happy customers. On-site testimonials from actual customers is powerful. Anyone can say they had a good review online, but seeing someone speak highly of a business on camera proves it’s a genuine review and holds a lot more weight to future customers who will see it.
POST-PRODUCTION
After the production phase, we start editing the video according to clients’ preferences. We add some text to describe the event, product, or person. Editing is a time-consuming process as well, much like the production phase, sometimes taking days or weeks depending on the scope of work.
…That’s where the magic happens.
There are unlimited possibilities with editing. Putting images and videos together to tell a story, to inspire, to provoke reactions, to surprise, to invoke laughter. With the use of powerful, efficient tools, we at CosMarketing Agency ensure that we create the best content we can. Customers enjoy seeing the final product come into fruition and often comment on the surge of views they get on their Facebook or YouTube page, even from just a short video contract with us. Our goal is to provide 5 star quality service to our clients at a competitive rate, whether it’s a small or large business. We believe your company deserves the same treatment!
Contact us at CosMarketingAgency@gmail.com or at 407-334-9378 to secure your free consultation to decide if our services are right for your business. Spots may be limited due to high demand, so contact us soon!
