Corporate video production has come a long way since its inception in the 1970s. Heck, it’s come a long way since the turn of the century! The way companies present themselves through video has changed along with fashion, marketing principles and camera technology. Let’s jump in the time machine and delve into corporate video evolution, starting with a look back at this video that was likely a cutting-edge in 2000.
Equipment & Technology
Equipment and technology have undergone a massive transformation over the years. Cameras have gone from shoulder-crushing behemoths with separate decks to one piece hand-held lightweights. Technology has kept pace with the downsizing and even the smallest cameras (not to mention many phones) can shoot 4K. This shrinking of equipment also meant cameras became more portable and adaptable. Shooting underwater or from an aerial is no longer an expensive, arduous undertaking.
Advances in editing happened over the same time period. Once editors were saddled with linear editing. They worked with tape that degraded over time and with each generation. If the client didn’t like an edit, it meant going back to the offending piece of footage and physically recording over the shot or dumping the whole project down to another tape. And then there were the flash frames, like tiny stink bombs hiding in an edit.
With the advent of digital non-linear editing, the ease and speed of cutting a video transformed. Any piece of footage could be moved to any place in the video. No quality was lost as a project moved from first cut to final cut. Details like colour correction, video effects and text were all housed in a single program. Delivery time was drastically reduced.
Cost & Access
Advances in technology have made video much more widely available. Once, corporate videos were made only by very large companies with budgets to match. When the final cut was finally ready, it was typically shown in a theatre with much fanfare.
Now, video has replaced things like PowerPoint presentations, memos and email. Screenings have gone from formal boardrooms to a shared link. Videos are posted on the company website, shared on social media and end up on YouTube. Affordable corporate video means most businesses, whether small or large, can take advantage of the type of communication consumers prefer.
Content
In the early 2000s, corporate videos were still fairly homogenous. They featured a talking head, typically the CEO or company president, looking straight down the lens of the camera. There was probably some grainy b-roll and a generic music track. The video was long and not very dynamic.
As advancing technology has leveled the corporate video production playing field, content has become more and more important. Custom, individualized video is the new normal. Companies want something created just for them and their market, not a copy and paste approach.
Consumer-friendly cameras and editing programs mean just about anyone can produce a video. But don’t be too quick to dismiss what’s involved in making a successful corporate production. Pre-production is where the concept, the creative and the messaging are all developed. An experienced shop will have a scriptwriter who knows how to communicate with the target market. A shooter will know how to light the video and use a variety of equipment from a gimble to a drone. A producer acts as a project manager that guides the entire production. It takes a team effort to produce the kind of corporate video that delivers results.
Shorter is Better
Corporate videos have gotten significantly shorter. There’s less of an urgency to cram in as much information as possible to hit every aspect of the company in one go. Today’s videos aren’t expected to be evergreen. Most companies update content regularly. Others produce a variety of videos targeting different viewers and topics. Consumers no longer have the patience to sit and watch a twenty-minute company documentary, but are instead accustomed to watching snackable content.
Old Pros
Key West Video has been producing corporate videos since 1989. That’s nearly 30 years of honing our craft. We know how to communicate your message to a target market and represent your company in the best possible light. If you’re looking to make a corporate video, give us a call today for a free quote.
