With the growth of video marketing and the evolution of social media, it's hardly a surprise that so many companies are using the equipment they have to make their own personal videos for their audiences to see. Visual media is on the rise and with platforms such as Instagram becoming so popular for this, it is very opportune for you to get in on making your own content whilst it's hot. It is important for businesses to understand that DIY video is best used for social media applications only. The fact that you can do it yourself means the content should be informal and newsworthy. It is 'off the cuff' and works with social media since short video clips are more digestible by its users. Of course, if you're intending to pitch to new clients, we'd recommend partnering up with a video production company. But for all those quick and easy videos you want to make for your social media, here's a guide on the best techniques and ideas to do so. First of all, what kit do we recommend for you to start getting on with your DIY video projects? A phone. Everyone has one. With the latest camera technology in some of the most commonly used smartphones, everyone has the power to produce content from the click of a button. What type of applications should you use? Instagram. The leading social media app for visual content is perfect for your company, and underused by [...]

It's the start of a new year, and you're ready for your company to take a bold and sharp new turn with your marketing. How do you best present the story of your company? Your values and ideals, in the form of something exciting and engaging? There's an instant answer for this, and it's video. For us, the best part of the video production process is working with you to deliver that story. For you, it may be the same, and that's why if you're planning to use video for your company this year, we want you to get the most out of the experience. Since this will all be new for you, or possibly a return to video, we want to provide a guide on what you can really get from the experience other than just a shiny new video at the end. Start your company's year off right and make the most of it! Embrace your vision The team you'll be working with need to know from the get-go what your vision is. This is where you can explain properly how you want your brand and values demonstrated in your video, how you want your story to be told. State your goals, and also tell them what you don't want. The aim is to get your story as perfect as possible, so you need to be crystal clear with them. Work with a specialist It's important to remember that video production companies do this all the time. With [...]

Social Media is without a doubt the biggest factor in digital marketing and promotion for your business, and as a video production company we believe that film works well hand in hand with these platforms. Visual media catches the eye a lot more, and a moving image can say just as many words as a status update! User generated content is something that shouldn't be missed out on, something that can really ramp up your engagement online in a social media setting. Of course if you're wanting to do something more high-end and polished outside of social media, we'd say you should seek out a professional to produce something that your brand deserves. Alas, there are many businesses that don't have the means to produce DIY videos for their company, or they just don't have the time. Well have no fear, as we're here to bring you a little list of some of the best filmmaking apps for your smartphone to get you started on your way, quick and easy! 1. Adobe Premiere Clip We're a big fan of this app, having talked about it a lot before, but it's worth a special mention again. It's free, easy to use and quick. What more could you want? A pocket sized version of Adobe Premiere, it saves you having to upload all of your footage to your desktop - making it easier to get your content up onto social media from your phone. 2. Celtx Shots You won't want to [...]

What's just as important as our films is the filmmaking. Well sure, that's pretty obvious, you'd have no film without the work behind it! But, it is something that is overlooked. In fact, part of the story we tell for you comes from the story we tell for us. From the planning stages, to the shooting days, to the editing and then the delivery to you, all of our filmmaking is a story in itself. Check out an example of our Behind the scenes (BTS) content below, to show you what a day's shooting looks like! https://youtu.be/fMwPZCba1So Behind the scenes be a small, yet powerful tool for your company. We've been looking into utilising BTS a lot more recently, so we've been very inspired! For that reason, we want to give you a lowdown on how BTS can be a great way to promote yourselves above the rest in the industry. It doesn't even have to be something in depth as a video, it can be as small as a status update on Facebook! It can mean anything. So look no further, we've got your back! Team Content There's nothing better that shows off your family values than the team you work with. For that reason, we'd like to suggest taking some family photos! People love the idea of a company that takes its family principles seriously, so posting a team photo now and again to social media is a small way of showing off your BTS that is [...]

When it comes to editing, there's no doubt that Adobe Photoshop is the best in the market but it comes at a cost and can take some skill to master. This blog will list other options for beginners that are free and easy to use to help you add a little boost to all your images and get your social posts looking polished. GIMP Gimp is one of the most popular open source photo editors around and for good reason. It offers almost all features of Photoshop, completely free of charge. It includes layers, highly customisable brushes, filters and automatic image-enhancement tools, and support for a huge number of plugins. It has an active community of contributors who work hard to constantly develop the software, ensuring all bugs are dealt with in short timeframes. The Nik Collection Google's Nik Collection is a very impressive bundle of tools – whether you're using this as an add on with Photoshop, or just on its own. The results are impressive for its lack of a price tag. Unlike most of it's competitors, it has no limits on the size or number of images you can convert. Google's Nik Collection includes the following tools: Analog Efex (retro filters and effects) Color Efex (hue and tone) Silver Efex (monochrome) Dfine (noise removal) Viveza (selective color editing) Sharpener (image sharpening) HDR Efex (high dynamic range Paint.net Paint.NET originated as a college project designed as an alternative to Microsoft Paint, but has developed into a fully [...]