Table of Contents
Recording video remotely
Onsite, face-to-face filming on a large scale probably isn’t happening anytime soon so knowing how these platforms work means you can create the best production possible — even with the free options.
Why are you recording?
Just because you can record a video meeting, doesn’t mean you have to. Webinars and presentations are one thing, but your daily catchup meetings are something different. Ask yourself would you normally record this meeting or do you have a valid reason to record the meeting? Most importantly, everyone in the meeting needs to know they’re being recorded.
Keeping recordings secure
COVID forced many workplaces to embrace video conferencing and recording, but without much thought to the security of the information and data shared. What this has meant is there are very few security policies designed for virtual meetings. And when it comes to recording meetings, we need to keep an eye on who can access a meeting and how the recorded files can be shared and stored.
Making videos interesting
Security and recording issues aside, how do you actually make your videos engaging? It doesn’t matter if the audience is customers or employees, you want people to pay attention. We’ve all heard of funny Zoom backgrounds and probably also agree they get pretty old pretty quickly. A TV chat show presentation or virtual collaborative whiteboard is likely more effective.
The future is interactive
If you really want your audience to pay attention, your webinars, presentations and video content need to feature some form of interactivity. This isn’t as hard as it sounds, just something simple to encourage participation. Gamification through quizzes, polls, and surveys is a great start. You can raise the bar with interactive images and e-books as well as live chats.
The virtual event future
If you follow recent investments, it’s clear there’s a belief in virtual events. Event analytics platform Hubilo recently pivoted to virtual events and raised US$4.5 million in the process. The platform expects to host one million virtual attendees in the next month. Obviously seeing a spike in these events, LinkedIn has made them easier to find in newsfeeds and are allowing hosts to collect leads from people who signup via the platform.
Pepsi flukes hip-hop credibility with an animation featuring an unreleased 1997 freestyle ode to the soft drink by the Notorious B.I.G.
Presentation platform Pitch attempts to breathe life into creating a deck by moving as far as possible from the concept of ‘death by PowerPoint’.
Meditation app Headspace asks Millennials, Gen Xers and baby boomers questions about parenting and funnily enough, finds no definitive answer. #Headspace #GenerationallySpeaking #Advice
Nike tells the story of its shoe, the Dunk, with episode two focussing on how the mainstream shoe won over skate and street culture.
Electrical systems multinational Thales gives the case study a superhero makeover complete with experts to explain the technical bits.
Building a home studio
The global pandemic forced us to work from home, but the ease of cloud-based communication and collaboration tools could keep us there. Zoom, Twilio, Vonage and Slack are just some of the cloud solutions that make up a market worth $12 billion. If you’re spending the majority of your working day on video conference calls, it is worth thinking about presentation — of yourself. Maybe the term ‘home studio’ is over selling it, but there are some simple things you can do when it comes to audio, lighting, camera and background to pretty yourself up a little.
Privacy also matters
Zoom is ahead of the pack when it comes to privacy. The platform is the first to offer end-to-end encrypted video calls. This will be of particular interest to education and medical sectors. Zoom classes have raised privacy concerns as the boundary between home and classroom blurred while tele-health services have raised concerns about cyberattacks and fraud.
Maybe just lock the door
Creating the perfect presentation from home isn’t easy, especially if you’re just learning. Taking privacy into consideration adds another element to the equation. Sometimes though, simply locking the office or bedroom door should be the first step, especially if you’re on live television.
Marketing spend and transparency
While the changes in consumer behaviour as a result of COVID-19 are well documented, changes in marketing spend and trends are also emerging. A recent report has found that decreased marketing budgets have moved from traditional channels to paid search, social and PR. The renewed interest in PR is focussed on building trust.
The changing purpose of marketing
Trust and transparency is part of a changing focus for the marketing function. Marketing is largely being relied upon to head the organisation’s response to the pandemic. Consumers expect brands to act when it comes to social issues and offer a brand experience that takes into account social distancing and related health concerns.
Big tech is already acting
Earlier this year, in an attempt at transparency Google announced the phasing out of third party cookies. This week, it announced another change in its personalised ad service. Housing, employment and credit services will no longer be able to target by gender, age, parental status, marital status or zip code. Meanwhile, Instagram is cracking down on hidden advertising in posts. Influencers will now have to disclose if a brand has paid them to post about products.
MasterChef Asia 2015 winner Woo Wai Leong interviews a hungry student and shops at FairPrice to cook something different than the usual school lunch. #OldSchoolFavesNewSchoolTastes
Avery Dennison, a manufacturer of reflective safety gear, shows how its products make construction zones safer for workers, motorists, cyclists and pedestrians.
The Mayo Clinic uses animation to recreate the complex nature of the brain and the search for answers.
LEGO made a life-size version of baby Yoda to coincide with the release of the second season of The Mandalorian. Basically because they can.
The launch of a new iPhone 12 Pro means another Academy Award-winning director shoots another film with a smartphone.