Making a great promotional video can bring your message, your product and your company to life. So why do so few videos take advantage of the medium’s strengths? Max Rosen, President and Executive Producer of Indigo Productions, an NYC video production company, offers 11 tips to consider when creating any type of corporate video:

1. Get the most bang for your buck!

You’re going to shoot a training video? Multipurpose it. Design it so it can be shown to customers as well. Use it as an intro video to kick off your next big meeting. Turn it into a web commercial to spice up your website, and be sure to tag it for organic search purposes. This will provide a huge return on your initial investment. Finally, be sure to post it on YouTube and send it to everyone you know. If it’s original or funny, it may go viral.

2. Nail down a strong concept

Don’t make the mistake of settling for a boring concept, or developing your ideas on the fly. If you’re stuck for ideas, do some research: Go on the web, watch as many promotional videos as you can, and identify ones that you like. Don’t copy them – that never works – but ask your producer to use them as inspiration for creating something fresh and unique for you.

3. Be realistic with your concept

So, you just saw an episode of Lost and want to set your corporate video on an exotic beach locale? It may be a brilliant idea, but it may not be realistic. Be open to a collaborative solution that may work much better given your goals and budget. (BTW: Be sure to read our article “How much does it cost to make a video?”)

4. How long should your video be?

You don’t need “Gone with the Wind” to get your point across. The best corporate videos are short and sweet and really grab your attention. A 15-minute video can feel like an eternity. A 2-minute to 5-minute video with higher production values will be far more effective.

5. Brochure text is not a video script

Don’t assume that informative brochure or PowerPoint text will be an effective video script. What looks good on the printed page often sounds stilted or incredibly dull in a video. Read the script out loud to others and get feedback. Chances are it will need serious tweaking by a professional scriptwriter. Or, chuck it altogether in favor of a fresh approach.

6. Casting the right company spokesperson

Should you use your staff or hire professional actors? There are pros and cons to each choice. No one knows your business like those who provide your services or sell your products. But don’t star your CEO or any other staff member if they aren’t good on camera. If you’re not sure how they will come across, shoot a quick “screen test” using a small camera and available lighting, and then look at the tape objectively with your producer.

7. As the client, be responsive to requests

The producer may ask you to provide assets like logos, photos, products, brochures, or PowerPoints. You’ll certainly need to give feedback on scripts or rough edits. And you might need to secure company locations or make your staff available to participate in the video. Try to be responsive or production may get slowed… way… down…

8. Should you shoot in Hi Definition Video?

If you are considering showing the video in HD, then YES – shoot in HD. If not, then there are pros and cons to this question and no simple answer. HD is wonderful, but it may increase your costs, requiring additional crew and equipment and post-production resources. Furthermore, the crystal clarity of HD can be stunning, but it can also be unforgiving, revealing every flaw in skin, every paint chip on the wall. Ask your producer whether or not HD makes sense for the job at hand.

9. Know your audience

What is the purpose of the video? Sales? Awareness? Information? Entertainment? Who will be seeing it? Where will it be shown – on the web? At a meeting? On a DVD? This information is critical when designing a concept and delivering a message that your audience will enjoy and relate to. Younger sales staff or customers often respond to humor that senior management just doesn’t get – but if it works for the audience, don’t argue with it.

10. Don’t forget the script

Finalize the script before production begins. Is the information accurate and up-to-date? Will it fly by your legal department? Will it serve your purposes? It’s much easier to make changes on a word processor than on location with a costly cast and crew hovering nearby, or in an expensive post-production suite.

11. Enjoy the process

View the project as an educational experience, and one that can be a lot of fun. Ask questions. Watch examples of videos you like, and discuss with your producer what makes them effective. On the day of the shoot, eat good food on the set. Play your favorite music during breaks. Don’t get bogged down in unnecessary details that your producer knows how to handle. Creating a good atmosphere during production enhances creativity and leads to enjoyment that ends up on the screen.

Producing a promotional video is challenging, fun, and extremely rewarding. Do your homework, but keep an open mind when you start production. Most importantly, make sure you hire a professional that has a track record of producing the kind of video you want. Then, let them take the lead and work together to create your vision.

Indigo Productions, a New York video and multimedia production company, can be reached at 212-765-5224.  Please be sure to visit our website at www.indigoprod.com

Indigo Productions is proud to announce that Michael Krivicka, our senior video editor, has won the prestigious “Reel 13” PBS competition on Channel Thirteen with his short film “New York Talk.”

“New York Talk,” which was broadcast by PBS on April 4th 2009, is a brilliant and kinetic slice of the city featuring an uncommon look at the New York lifestyle. The film perfectly captures the energy of Manhattan with a fast-paced mosaic of images and people — narrated by a street-smart, bitingly satirical, and distinctly New York guide.

“New York Talk” has been touring film festivals worldwide. It has been officially selected by the Berlin International Short Film Festival, the Los Angeles International Short Film Festival, the Tribeca Underground Film Festival, the Miami Short Film Festival, Exground FilmFest, the Festival International du Court Metrage, the Long Island International Short Film Expo, the Cabbagetown Short Film Festival, the Zeitgeist Short Film Festival, the Hardacre Film Festival, the Billyburg Short Film Festival, the Fort Myers Beach Film Festival, and the Coney Island Film Festival.

Michael was born and raised in Slovakia and spent his high school years in Germany. In 1996, he moved to the US to start his college education and four years later graduated summa cum laude from the NJCU’s Media Arts program. By then he already had his first festival win in his pocket.

In 2006 Michael joined Indigo, a full-service video and multimedia production company based in New York City. Michael’s European background and multiple language skills turned out to be a big advantage for us since many of our corporate video projects deal with international clients and are used worldwide.

Over the past 17 years, Indigo has earned an international reputation by winning top industry awards and providing clients with a one-stop shopping solution for all their video production and video editing needs. In addition to its videography and corporate video services, Indigo also offers a full range of legal video production services.

Many other examples of Indigo’s work and Michael’s video editing can be seen at www.indigoprod.com.

Indigo Productions, a New York video and multimedia production company, can be reached at 212-765-5224.

Prospective clients often ask, “How much does it cost to make a video?” It’s a good question – and every producer wishes there were a simple answer.  But the truth is, this question is a lot like asking an architect, “How much does it cost to build a house?”

An architect’s answer would probably be:  It depends.  Do you want a 50-room mansion on a remote island?  Or a prefab cookie-cutter at the lowest possible price?  More likely something in between – but what, exactly?  Before giving you a quick quote, an experienced architect will ask a lot of questions – including what budget range you are considering.

It would be great if there were a simple formula stating X minutes of video = Y dollars.  But video production, just like home construction, involves far too many variables for that.  And we need a lot more information before we can give you a meaningful estimate.

We need to consider factors like who your audience is, the level of production value they are expecting to see, the potential value of a truly great video to you or your company, and most importantly, a ballpark figure reflecting what you can actually spend.

After all, the requirements and expectations for a quickie “talking head” for one-time use are completely different from those of a global product launch video for a Fortune 500 company.  There’s no point in receiving an estimate for one if you’re really in the market for the other.

The best thing to do is talk to us. With 17 years worth of award-winning video and multimedia experience, we can help you define your goals, advise you on how to achieve your vision within your budget, and help you maximize every dollar you spend so it shows up on the screen in a quality production.

When we do talk we can explore a range of video production choices and explain how they influence the budget.  Here are some factors we need to consider:

• Do you already have a concept, or are we developing one for you?
• If your concept is more expensive to produce than you thought, are you open to a different concept that achieves your goals within your budget?
• What exactly needs to be shot?  This is an all-important question, because it determines which equipment we need…
• … how large a crew we need…
• … and how many days of shooting will be required.
• Where are we shooting the video?  Are there location expenses?
• Do we need to hire actors or models or voice-over talent?  Or are we using your own people?  (There are pros and cons to each.)
• How complex is the editing?
• Will there be sophisticated graphics or special effects?
• Will we need an original music score, or stock music, or no music at all?
• How long will the finished video be?  (Helpful hint: Shorter is better)
• Do we need to shoot in HD or standard definition? (HD looks great, but is more expensive. Standard-def  is often more practical, especially for web commercials)

The fact is, there are literally hundreds of factors that affect the cost of video production.  And you can’t simply choose a company based on price, because a lower price – while attractive in this economy – will rarely yield the best result.

The bottom line?  Let us know YOUR bottom line – or at least give us a range.  Whether your ballpark is $2,500 or $50,000 or $250,000 (and we’ve produced plenty of videos at each of those levels) it’s best to communicate that up front so we can help you create a concept and a production plan that suits your needs and achieves your goals in the most cost-effective way possible.

And here’s the Indigo Productions promise:  Whatever the size or scope of your project, we’ll deliver a video that you’ll love and that we’ll all be proud of. 

Did we mention that you should talk to us?

Indigo Productions, a New York video and multimedia production company, can be reached at 212-765-5224.  Please be sure to visit our website at www.indigoprod.com