There are three main components to creating a successful brand video: Pre-production, production and post production.
You may have noticed that some of your favorite old movies are available to watch in high definition or HD formats. With HD media players like Blu Ray players and streaming boxes, more and more old movies have been available to watch in HD. Many people have wondered how this is possible since HD cameras have only been around for about 20 years. Well, converting these old movies to HD is not as complex of a process as you might think. Video production companies have done some research on this process as they have transitioned from using film to HD digital cameras to produce their own video content. Here is how the process of converting films into HD is done.
In the 20th century, most movies were shot on 35mm film; bigger budget films were shot on 65-70 mm film. What people don’t realize about film is that it actually has a very high “resolution.” Film doesn’t contain pixels, it contains grains. So it can be difficult to compare analog film to a number of pixels because there are no pixels. If you had to compare them, a 35mm film translates to about 16-20 megapixels but it depends on the quality of the film. Let’s say a film translates to about 16 megapixels. 16 megapixels equals 4920 x 3264. That means old 35 mm quality film can translate to a 5k resolution in digital video. Now that’s impressive!
It’s important to remember that film and digital video aren’t really equal mediums but can be compared to serve as a frame of reference. Most old movies aren’t even scaled up as big as 5k because they don’t need to be, but it’s worth noting that they probably wouldn’t look as good as a digital camera that has native 5k resolution.
So now that we understand how high the quality of old films actually are, it’s easy to see how video production companies can go back and re-master these films in HD. As long as the original negatives have been preserved properly, it is fairly simple to re-master these films to watch them on HD media players or streaming devices. Video production companies like Sony will use restoration specialists to make sure old films are restored as best as possible and to protect the original film negatives.
When scanning film, it takes about 2 days to scan a 90-minute movie shot on 35mm film in 2k. If you are wanting to scan it in 4k it can take almost four times as long. That would mean it would take about a week to scan a 90-minute film in 4k if the negatives are in good condition.
Thanks to video production companies and restoration specialists, these old movies can continue to be cherished for generations and can be just as beautiful as if you were watching the scene being shot live. The next time you watch an old film such as Gone With the Wind on your Blu Ray player, keep in mind the process that made it possible for you to watch the classic film right in such high definition.
Video content is one of the driving forces of today’s digital world, and with the ever-expanding video styles, it is confusing when you try to distinguish the difference between all the entangled video formats. You might feel confident in recognizing and defining a social video, but what about a brand video? And are you sure that brand videos are never used as a social video?
Well, if you are confident in answering that, then hats off to you but if you have any uncertainty, then let a video production company, like us, start unraveling for you.
Difference
As mentioned before, it’s not hard to recognize a social video, but that might be because you are likely seeing them as you are peruse through one of the many social media channels. Immediately, you’ll see that these videos are shorter in length — whether it be a 5-second ad on YouTube or a 10-15 second story on Instagram, the content is delivered quickly. These videos can be a little longer if they are making a formal post then they can run up to a minute or two depending on the type of post, but rarely will they ever exceed a two or three-minute mark.
These videos can be behind the scenes, short PR blips featuring something new, interviews, and videos that enclose some kind of question or giveaway. The majority of the content posted on various social channels by companies may not need a high-quality video from some video production company but occasionally it might be nice to promote something that requires a higher level of production. Typically, a higher-quality video like this would be a little longer and be used specifically for branding purposes, but usually social videos are just used for current consumers to interact with and stay engaged with the company; the brand videos purpose are a little different.
Brand videos are used to help potential client and customers to learn more about a company. Usually, a company that is making a brand video will reach out to professional video production companies to help them create the quality these videos need. Essentially, brand videos create a first impression; even when an individual or client may be familiar with the company before they see a brand video, the video will likely provide new information and therefore create an impression. These videos can be a little bit longer and usually feature the company as a whole or a specific product. While some brand videos are used as commercials on television, you’ll actually find brand videos on companies’ websites and being used in presentations with potential clients.
One Better Than Others?
To summarize, the main difference between a brand video and social video is their purpose. While there are obvious differences in length, quality and style, the social videos are used for engagement and navigating traffic to the company, and brand videos are used as a formal way to present valuable information about the company and/or product. It really is not a question of whether one is better than another, they are both different and should both be utilized. Creating the majority of social videos might be able to be taken care of in-house, but brand videos will have a lot more success (which is critical, obviously) if a video production company assists.
If you want to see some examples of brand videos, then check out this video from Smith or this one from Apple — they both explain who their companies are and a critical aspect about what makes them unique. If you want to see a social video, well, go to Instagram and look up a company of your choice and there you go! For any other video questions or inquires for a video production company, visit Fusion 360, today!
SEO is one of the fundamental aspects of a successful business. Today, more people are using the internet to search for everything, from services to establishments, company’s need to have a strong online presence if they want to stay relevant. So, how do small businesses even begin to pave their path if they don’t have any SEO experience? Luckily for aspiring businesses, SEO companies are available to help with any SEO needs — that is, if they’re able to fit it into their budget.
When you start implementing SEO content to increase your online presence, there are a several ways to optimize your SEO work. Five of our tips are listed below.
Look into SEO Copywriting
Copywriting is all about creating content that helps promote your brand through keywords and hyperlinking. The one mistake that small businesses make is not taking an initiative to market themselves to potential consumer bases through online marketing. One of the simplest ways to do this is by creating a blog and writing pieces that are based off keywords you’re looking to rank in, as well as keywords that are being searched frequently when it comes to your industry. You should also link back to your website in each blog, that will help potential clients find their way to your site.
Strong written content needs to contain well-researched, relevant keywords in order to rank online. The best way to determine what these keywords will be is by brainstorming potential keywords and using a keywords research tool such as AdWords.
Urge Current Customers to Leave Reviews
Reviews rank well on search engines because they provide unique content which they can crawl. The more reviews that your company has, the more unique content you have to help your ranking. One simple SEO tactic is to have your customers leave a review about your brand, product or service to help you achieve a higher ranking through unique content.
Track Your Analytics
Programs such as Google analytics help track where your users come from as well as how they are being directed to your site, and this information in vital in crafting your first SEO strategy. It’s important for new businesses to take advantage of Google analytics to measure real-time results and help decide where investments will be best utilized. SEO companies use this software when it comes to monitoring data for their clients, so your company should too.
Up-to-Date Online Content
Marketing companies are experts when it comes to this, and it’s important for small businesses to take the same approach. Strong SEO comes from more than just blogs, a good website with relevant backlinks and keywords is also an effective way to rank your brand online. Your website should be strong on all platforms — including mobile — so you should consider looking into web services provided by most SEO companies. Aside from your website, you should also buff your social media accounts and any business listings.
Lastly, Be Patient
This is the simplest yet most frustrating SEO tip: be patient. Nothing happens overnight, especially not SEO rankings, but the trick is to be persistent with your methods and you’ll see improvement overtime. Marketing companies know that SEO is the most important aspect of being successful and every company has to start somewhere. If you’re looking to hire a marketing company to take care of your SEO needs, look no further than Fusion 360. We’re ready to help take your brand to new heights.
Building a decent sized following on social media is a lot easier said than done. Whether you’re looking to grow your following base or simply hit a certain amount of likes and shares on each of your posts, you’re going to have to put in some serious work to get the results that you’re looking for. What makes getting the attention of potential followers so hard you may ask? Social media platforms are always changing or “evolving” their algorithms, and this can make organic growth near impossible if you aren’t constantly adapting to these changes.So, do you give up or keep trying to catch up to these evolving algorithms?
If you’re feeling hopeless, you could always turn to social media marketing companies, such as us, to help grow your account. However, if you’re wanting to build your following yourself to gain some experience and a sense of accomplishment, here are tips that many social media marketing companies use to stay up-to-date with social media algorithms.
Relatable, Relevant and Retweetable (Shareable)
This may sound like an obvious tip, but so many brands forget about it; social media marketing companies make sure to always bring up aiming to creating content that is shareable when speaking to potential clients. Most social media platforms promote content that is relevant. If the content happens to be relatable to a large group of people, it becomes worthwhile to share via Twitter, IG or Facebook.
The algorithm favors content that can produce numbers and get more people involved in the platform, so make sure that your content follows these three r’s.
Memes are highly successful when it comes to all of these characteristics, especially if you hop on a trending meme.
Urge Current and Potential Followers to Enable Push Notifications
This tip is a sure way to beat the tough algorithms if anything. Think of the algorithm as a middleman; you post your content, and then the algorithm decides whether it is popular enough to include on home pages and trending pages, and also decides if it should be placed at the top of a feed. If you don’t already have an established presence, this tip is going to help your posts get as much attention as possible.
Social media marketing companies urge their clients to establish themselves with their existing following base, and there’s no better way than by having them see your every update.
Promote Your Posts
As we’ve mentioned previously, establishing yourself is going to be a tough task during the beginning of your hunt for social media glory. One way to beat the algorithm or at least catch up to it is by paying to promote specific tweets or posts that you feel are going to do well. Social media marketing companies use this strategy when building up their newer client’s social media accounts, however you should also be wary of overspending on promoted posts.
Facebook, Twitter and Instagram all offer companies the opportunity to promote their posts and it is definitely something that should be taken advantage of.
Interact with Your Audience
As a brand, you shouldn’t be afraid to reply to your audience through posts. In fact, doing so may help your content rank better, especially if you have a good chunk of people commenting and replying to your posts. Not only this but interacting with your audience will also help establish a relationship and keep them coming back to engage with future posts. The more engagement you can produce through interaction, the better the algorithm is going to treat you.
Don’t Forget the Tags
Lastly, use tags in your captions and posts; tags allow your post to pop up on different threads and discussions depending on who you tag, and this can easily boost your engagement rates as well as your following. Social media marketing companies, of course, are careful not to overdo it, and only tag people who are relevant to the post and who they know can bring some potential followers their way.
Tagging doesn’t have to be limited to individuals; you can tag other companies and brands that may be relevant to your post.
Algorithms shouldn’t be something to be intimidated by, as they can actually help your brand if you know how to keep up with their many changes. If you’re in the market for a social media marketing company to help grow your brand, contact us here at Fusion 360 Digital Marketing Agency! Our talented, award winning staff is ready to help take your brand to the next level.
Videos are 50 times more likely to drive organic search results as opposed to plain text and therefore are essential in promoting a company’s message, product or service. It’s also worth noting that 65% of decision makers within a business visit a marketer’s website after viewing a branded video. As you can see, video is the driving force of modern marketing, which is why we have been seeing an increase in video production companies ⎯ people just don’t consume media like they did a few years back.
Let’s break that last sentence down: In 2019, video is expected to represent 80% of all internet traffic. That’s insane, especially because there are already statistics out there that show that only 20% of site visitors read text; the other 80% would much rather watch a video. If your company has been neglecting using branded videos because you don’t know where to start, it’s time to look around for some of the best video production companies to help you keep up with the evolving world of digital marketing.
Here are some of the steps involved in the creative process of creating a jaw-dropping brand film that will help get your company’s name out there and build your client base.
Planning Your Video
The first step in creating a brand video is planning. This stage consists of different steps that prepare your vision for the storyboard. One of the very first things you should do when in the planning stage is to determine who your target audience will be. Video production companies don’t just blindly create branded videos, they determine who it is they want to reach and what markets they want to tap into.
Once you’ve nailed down your target audience, it’s time to research your competitors to see what they’re doing right and what weaknesses you can capitalize on. Video production companies study various branded videos to see what they can do to their own videos in order to make them successful.
These first steps are the most crucial and are required before you get to the real fun stuff. Here are the creative steps that you should take after pinning down your audience and doing your research.
Script Writing
Like any other video, your brand video is going to need a strong script to help the video production team understand the story and direction you’re wanting to take. Video production companies need to put their best writers forward, and everything needs to be included from the end goal of the video to facts, statistics and claims that help push your brands agenda.
Storyboarding
This storyboard acts as a script for the video production team and helps them get an idea of what the visuals will look like. The key to a good execution is a killer storyboard, so don’t rush this step.
Casting Talent
Of course, this step depends on the type of video you’re planning to create. If you want to go for a more commercial-type live action video, you’ll want to cast some talented actors. However, if you’re wanting to take an animated approach to your brand video, you might be well off with simply hiring voice actors, and that takes us to the next step.
Creating Graphics and Assets
If you’re choosing to create an animated video, you’re going to need to create your assets in advance to prepare you for production. Use the script and storyboard to determine what your assets will look like and exactly what graphics you’ll need to create for your video.
The creative process that takes place during the creation of a branded video is what’s going to make or break your video. If you’re looking to create a stunning brand video for your company but don’t know where to start, contact us here at Fusion 360 Studios ⎯ we’ll help get your name out there in style.
Video production companies across the nation know that in order to create stellar content, you have to be able to switch it up. While it is important to establish your own style and find that video marketing niche, your team should aim to create something unique every time and there is no better way to do that than to use different video styles every now and then.
Considering different video styles tell different stories, some styles work for some but then other styles don’t work for other clients. So, what do you do when your go-to video template isn’t pulling in results across the board? No need to worry, we’ve got you covered. Here at Fusion 360 Studios, we know what clients want, and we know what the people want!
Here are the most common video styles that video production companies should be familiar with and the equipment they require.
Motion Graphic Videos
Purpose – Motion graphics are almost like infographics — they’re meant to tell a story and provide the audience with information while adding some extra zest to the visual’s aspect. Video production companies should consider using motion graphic videos when there is a lot of data to be presented but don’t want to overwhelm the client’s audience with a hefty infographic.
What You’ll Need – In order to create these awesome motion graphics, video production companies should have access to a computer which is strong enough to run and handle software such as Adobe After Effects, Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop. Though these are industry standards, you can also use other more advanced software such as Maxon Cinema 4D
Live Action News Style Videos
Purpose – Live action serves more of a personal purpose — it helps brands connect with potential as well as already existing consumer bases, which attracts customers. People want to feel like they’re more than just another number to your company, and live action videos create that sense of care between brand and consumer. Video production companies should talk with their clients about shooting things such as behind-the-scenes looks, one-on-one interviews with the CEO, testimonials and so on. Pretty much anything that shows real faces is a win.
What You’ll Need – Obviously, you’ll need more than just a computer for this type of video. Live action style videos are going to require video production companies to pull out the full arsenal. You’re going to need a camera to capture the visuals, a microphone(s) to get the audio, a tripod for balanced/still shots, lights to ensure your video lighting quality is top-notch and of course professional video editing software such as Adobe Premiere Pro to craft the final project.
Typographic Videos
Purpose – These videos fall in the middle of infographics and motion graphics; they are more advanced slideshows that tell a story and provide the audience with information by using still pictures and text. Brands may often prefer these types of videos if they’re trying to get a good chunk of information but don’t want to distract away from the text by using fancy animations found in motion graphics. Instead, the images used in these videos are specifically tailored to support the text which is on the screen at the moment. Video production companies can often create these videos in a shorter period of time than the other two, but they can be just as effective and look just as clean.
What You’ll Need – You’ll need minimal equipment to achieve this type of video. Nothing more than a computer and a software program like Premiere is required, but if you plan on capturing your own images, you’ll need to bring along a camera, different kinds of lenses depending on the shot, and perhaps some lights.
Video production companies shouldn’t rely on just one video style to cover every single one of their clients; video styles play a huge role in the message you’re trying to convey, so it’s crucial to weigh your options and select carefully. If you’re looking to get video work done for your brand, contact us here at Fusion 360 Studios; our award-winning video production team is the most versatile on the market, and we’re prepared to take on any task.
Social media marketing companies exist to help brands grow and reach their full potential, but how exactly is that done? Is there a formula that works for every brand? Unfortunately, each company is different and alongside that, each brand’s consumer is different as well; you can’t expect the same process to work for various brands. However, there are few tips that are basically universal when it comes to producing awesome engagement rates.
Here are three of the most effective tips when it comes to doubling your engagement rates that all social media marketing companies should use to their advantage.
Use High-Quality Visuals
Social media today is all about who has the best pictures, videos and graphics, especially on platforms like Instagram. People process visuals 60,000 times faster than they do plain text, so it’s obvious that social media marketing companies that go heavy on the visuals are going to succeed more than those who don’t. Another — not so surprising — stat is that online consumers can only retain around 10-20% of the information that they see online but when you add visuals to the equation, suddenly that percentage goes up to 65%.
Of course, this doesn’t mean that social media marketing companies should just flood the internet with poorly designed infographics and outdated memes, these companies need to devise strategies and create bulletproof content to really reap the benefits of utilizing visual content.
Conversation Sells
Engagement doesn’t just come to you, you have to make an effort to get people interested and involved in your content. Conversational posts that ask your followers and potential followers a question in the caption or actual image makes your posts seem more personal. When your videos and pictures create dialog, then you’ll notice the sparked reaction in your audience. The best thing that social media marketing companies can do to make their content more appealing and personal to their audience is to come up with engaging captions for their content.
Don’t Be Afraid of Facts and Statistics
The best way to truly reach your audience is by educating them on your brand, product or service. One of the best ways to do this is to create content based around interesting facts and statistics about your brand. You are probably more likely to scare off potential consumers if you don’t give them some of the facts and stats that your brand has. People are bound to trust something if they know more about it, so make sure that you really put yourself out there to start building that trust with consumers. The more you gain the trust of your target audience, the more you will see a rise in engagement rates.
Doubling your engagement rates takes time and effort but with these tips you should be on the right track to grow your brand to it’s full potential. If you’re looking to get help with your company’s social media, don’t hesitate to contact us here at Fusion 360 Digital Marketing Agency — we’re the top of the food chain when it comes to social media marketing companies and we want to help your brand succeed.
One of our favorite things to do here at Fusion 360 Studios is to talk about the film industry, specifically, how major video production companies are always reaching new heights when it comes to special effects, production strategies, and immersive storytelling. The major productions companies such as Universal and FOX help inspire smaller video production companies and advertising agencies when it comes to implementing amazing VFX into brand videos and advertisements.
Movies today have been especially impressive when it comes to film effects; with the production of new hardware and the development of more intricate software, it’s expected to see certain effects trickle down to lower budget productions each year. Here are some of the trending film effects you should expect to see in 2019 and how major video production companies have utilized them, as well as how smaller agencies can use them to vamp up their own projects.
“Invisible” Effects
When you think of effects, you think of things that you can see, right? Well, a popular group of video effects that have been trending for a while — and will probably become a trending effect in 2019 — are “invisible” effects. These effects are designed to not be seen — they’re used to remove on-screen visuals that don’t belong in the shot. It may not sound like much of an effect, but it salvages shots and serves various purposes.
This “effect” is most definitely going to be a trending film effect in 2019, as it can greatly help speed up the post-production process.
De-Aging Effects
Movies like Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Captain America: Civil War, and Blade Runner 2049 have all used the so called “Benjamin Button effect.” This film effect helps reverse an older actors age to help filmmakers be able to fulfill scenes that require instances where the actor needs to be portrayed as their younger self.
This effect will surely become a trending effect in 2019, especially in spin-off films or prequels that may come into development.
Digital Characters and Virtual Humans
Technology today has been able to bring us some of the most advanced CGI known to man, and it’s no surprise that 2019 will be a huge year for digital characters and virtual humans. It has already been done in the past, in films such as Furious 7, War for the Planet of the Apes, and Guardians of the Galaxy, and the need for virtual characters in upcoming films such as The Lion King, Alita: Battle Angel, and Avengers: End Game is as prominent as ever.
Practical Effects
There are some effects better left to computers, and practical effects help create things like dramatic explosions, you know, things too dangerous to replicate in real life? With the crazy line-up of superhero movies set-up for 2019, there is no doubting that practical effects are going to be a huge trend this year.
Trending effects trend because of their practicality and their success in the film industry, so when you go out and watch a movie this year, keep your eyes peeled for these trending film effects in lower video production companies’ content!
No business person in their right mind would downplay the importance of branding. Whether it be a national, regional or local company, the brand you create is what people will associate and recognize your company by. Top companies around the globe use tactics from commercials with taglines to hashtags on Instagram, but branding does not have to be as large scale as this. Brand films made by video production companies are a great way to start building your company’s presence within its region and industry.
Why Your Company Needs a Brand Film
Our society is full of companies and individuals alike that are looking for the best products to use. A lot of the times, these individuals or companies will turn to online content in order to find what might be most fitting for them. The statistics on video engagement is INSANE. Never before have so many people searched for videos that will give them exactly what they want. If you are able to create a video that connects your company’s brand and/or product to the viewer, then you will have a video that has a chance to bring in a lot of business. However, these videos need to be high-quality, or else consumers are not going to trust you. People naturally correlate the execution of your video with the overall quality of your company. This is why it is important for you to consider utilizing a video production company to help you out.
Where to Place Your Brand Film
Some people may think that creating a commercial would be the most efficient way for people to see your brand video, however, that is not necessarily the case. Plenty of companies, big or small, create videos that are only viewable on their website or social media channels. In fact, others place their videos on accounts like Vimeo and share a branded video only to those who would be interested — like potential clients. The placement of your video really depends on the product you are trying to sell to others. For example, a lot of business-to-business products do not need to be televised but are great when shown in a meeting with that new potential client. If you are promoting a video that your company produced incorrectly, it might actually end up hurting your reputation. If you are unsure about where you might what to advertise your brand film, ask the video production company you work with and they should be able to help!
If you end up creating a video that is lacking in execution and you over promote it, you might as well put up a sign up in front of your building that says, “STAY AWAY.” In today’s world, you have to have good video productions in order to help people engage with your brand and product — hence the high demand for video production companies. Whether you decide to hire a video production company or not, just be aware that any video that you intend people to see will be under heavy scrutiny. Nonetheless, it is not too hard to find a solid company that can take a look at what your brand has to offer and then help you create the video that you were looking to make!
