A guest blog today from Be Inspired Films, who created our brilliant SHINE documentary last year.
The Team at Be Inspired Films help social enterprises tighten and translate their messages into compelling film content – rather than just make films themselves, they teach you the skills to do it, so you’ve got it in your back pocket.
Very generously, they’re offering up their top tips on how to approach creating a video for the web. Let’s go:
- Begin with the end in mind. Make sure you know why you’re making the video, what outcomes you want to get from it, and who you’re targeting.
- Make me a cake. Now you know what you want to achieve, you should start to think about the ingredients in advance – the core elements of the story.
- The iceberg effect. Don’t underestimate how much is involved in making even a short video. As a rough guideline, you’ll spend three times as much time editing as shooting. Investing in planning will reap huge rewards.
- The camera’s not a hoover. It’s a gun. Be targeted about what you’re shooting. It’s about precision, not spray and pray. This will save you a huge amount of time in the editing process.
- Once step forward, two steps back. Make sure you do yourself justice. Creating video is easy, and you don’t have to create something really flash, but spend time developing your skills. It’s worth it.
- Don’t bore people! At home it’s called sit-back TV. On the internet, it’s sit-forward TV. Keep it short, engaging and to the point, or they’ll be off your site.
- Money isn’t everything. Equipment is cheaper and distribution is free. It’s a level playing field now.
- Play to your strengths. There’s so much noise on the internet, don’t try to be something you’re not. Be authentic and you’ll be interesting. When you’re a small organisation, it’s better than a gimmick.
- Dedication’s what you need. Costs are lower but you’ve got to put in the effort.
- End with the beginning in mind. Think back to your objectives. Have you made the film you set out to, or have you got distracted along the way?
If you’d like more where this came from, Be Inspired Films are hosting seven daylong workshops in May for social entrepreneurs which will give you the skills and confidence to effectively create compelling web video content.
The usual price is £699 per organisation, but as part of the SHINE network, you can go for £249 per person. Participate in the training, and you’ll be ahead of the pack.
Book in your place here. Go go go!
Plus, you’ll be able to meet Be Inspired Films at SHINE 2010 – the super team will be running dropin 1-to-1 sessions and a storyboarding workshop.
Check them out at www.beinspiredfilms.co.uk
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