Using video in your business

These days, the term “corporate video” might refer to a DIY approach to the use of video by businesses as an aid to communication. If you’re thinking along such lines, read on.

The use of video as a business communication tool has been with us since the early 1980s – having inherited the role occupied by the industrial film-makers of old. Using video to train, inform, educate or promote within a business environment is nothing new; what is new, however, is the idea that it’s something that can be undertaken internally in much the same way that the introduction of the laser printer and DTP (Desktop Publishing) made it possible for ordinary people to create and replicate high-quality documents within an organisation for the first time.

Today, we’re all experienced at using video in one form or another (even if it’s just recording and replaying TV programmes or DVDs) and it’s no longer a mysterious technology as it once was – and getting the message across doesn’t require VHS or Betamax players like we did in the 70s and early 80s. All you need these days is a YouTube account!

Making Corporate Video possible in the late 70s: the JVC HR-3300 VHS

DIY Corporate Video: What you need to know

Many organisations that have elected to go it alone and create their own internal video programmes for internal or external distribution make a familiar set of mistakes.

To begin with, those who are delegated with the task don’t seem to discard a “home movie” mentality when going about it. Look at the vast majority of home videos and you’ll see evidence of a complete lack of discipline in terms of the way it’s shot and an apparent complete disregard for the needs of the audience. Business video requires a completely different mind-set. In short, it requires forethought and preparation – the more the better.

Why video?

This is, perhaps, the question that is forgotten when considering the use of video in a communication exercise. Is it actually necessary to create a video at all? Would sound (in the form of a podcast or even a good old-fashioned CD) be more appropriate? Would a nicely designed document or poster campaign be better? I’m not trying to put you off – I’m just encouraging you to have a rationale first.

Have you considered your audience?

Knowing exactly who it is will help you to focus your objective; if you’re making a video to brief new employees on Health and Safety issues you’ll need to adopt a different attitude than if you’re making a whacky promotional video for potential college students.

Knowing who the video is to be aimed at is a key component of your planning process; couple this with an assessment of what it is that you aim to communicate (doesn’t that go without saying? Unfortunately it doesn’t!) and you’re halfway there.

Make good use of existing resources first

Sometimes, the person delegated with the responsibility of making the video is the person who secretly harbours ambitions to make it in Hollywood – and will try and secure a level of funding sufficient to purchase the latest high-specification equipment. Often, this is way over the top in terms of what’s required.

There are many examples of very good videos being produced with the most basic of equipment. Don’t be fooled into thinking that “technology” makes the production, because it doesn’t. It’s “people” with good ideas and a clear focus on communication objectives who will usually make the better video.

There’s a lot of exceedingly good equipment out there that can help you to shoot to a professional technical standard that was unimaginable 15 years ago – and your total expenditure need be in the hundreds rather than the thousands!

What hardware and software do you need?

This will depend entirely on the job in hand. If – say – you simply need to record processes or procedures within the day-to-day operation of your business from an “observational” point of view, then you can get away with a modest camcorder and its built-in microphone.

If, however, you need also to gather spoken responses – by way of interview responses or presentations direct to the camera – then you’ll need to consider the use of a good external plug-in microphone, and the camcorder will require an external mic socket connector, too. Don’t overlook sound – it’s as important (if not more important) than the pictures.

Use a tripod! Avoid home movie style wobbly-cam and all its inherent distractions by placing the camera on a tripod. You won’t regret it – and it will make you look more professional too.

Let there be light – modern high definition cameras can shoot virtually anywhere so you’ll rarely need any additional video lighting, but be aware of the amount of light hitting your preferred scene and use it to your advantage.

Taking control of what you’re recording

Too many video-making newbies make it obvious – through the way they work and the results of their efforts when played back – that they don’t really know what they’re doing. The simple advice here is take control; organise what you need, consider what and who you’re recording and don’t be rushed. Take short, considered shots and sequences by framing them in much the way that you’d frame a still picture. Don’t record until everybody is ready – and record only what relates to that particular action or process. Don’t try and record it all – and don’t let it get out of hand. Take control – you can only effectively edit it later if you have the right material to edit.

And use headphones whilst recording to be sure that the sound is OK whilst you’re recording – you’d be surprised at how many people don’t do this!

Editing and presenting your sequences

It’s well within many people’s means to actually import your camcorder footage into an everyday Windows or Apple Mac computer and achieve professional-quality edited results with bundled software. Windows PCs come with MovieMaker, whilst Apple Macs come with iMovie – both of which are perfectly good resources to get you started. There are lots of “how to” resources on the web and in print that will help you on your way with these and other applications.

If you then wish to get a bit more creative, look at apps like Adobe Premiere Elements, Sony Vegas Movie Studio, MAGIX Movie Edit Pro or Corel VideoStudio, all of which come with a modest price tag – and all of which will enable you to achieve professional-standard results which can then be saved to DVD or uploaded to media-sharing web portals like YouTube, Revver or Vimeo.

The End Bit

In summary, a good video – however it’s distributed and almost irrespective of the hardware used to create it – is the product of careful thinking and good execution. Once your target audience has been defined, there’s no reason why you can’t then tailor a product that serves the given communication brief. Don’t expect to get it right first time – but if you think and think again at every stage you’ll get there eventually!

Need to know more? Improve Your Techniques

Learn the Basics of Editing: Premiere Elements Tutorials

The author, Colin Barrett, has spent many years working as a video producer and editor in corporate and educational contexts. Not only has he worked on projects for blue-chip companies but has also written over 400 specialist magazine “how-to” articles on video making and has four books on Digital Video to his name.