Saturday 16 March 2013

Codes and conventions of corporate and promotional videos

Introduction
 
A corporate video refers to when a production company is commissioned by an other Organisations to create a video package. These videos are normally very conventional by nature and are used to promote a business or product. The majority of corporate videos are not designed to be broadcasted to a massive public audience. Rather, they are showed at events or presented to the businesses specific stakeholders. In this report I will be explaining the codes and conventions regarding corporate and promotional videos.
 
Purpose of corporate videos
 
A corporate video is always designed for a specific function based on what the organisation has commissioned the production company to produce. The purpose of the video varies depending on what the client is asking for. Although, as I have stated the majority of the time it is to promote or persuade people towards the product or business. 

As you can see from the video above, similar to most corporate videos it's purpose is to promote the product. This is an overall generic corporate video which will have been probably presented at a specific business event. Due to the linear and simple structure of it we are brought to believe this has a set target audience. This may be stakeholders which are relevant to the product which the company is selling. Therefore, this package is straight forward consisting of interviews and testimonies in order to persuade other companies in the specific industry to invest.

The target audience is defined by the format in which the video package is going to be presented as well as who and where is will be shown. For example the 'Investa pumps pvt. corporate video' is created for stakeholders in construction and water type industries. Due to this, the package presents the company and shows the audience what the company can do for them.

Product launch/ marketing



A product launch video basically acts similar to how a commercial or advertisement would. In short it is the idea of selling a product through the use of a video package. This can be done in many ways however the style of the video relies mainly on the target audience. As you can see from the video above it caters for their target audience. Their target audience being the deaf therefore they make this apparent by subtitling the video. This shows that the video is aimed at individuals suffering from loss of hearing or those effected by it. There are also a range of testimonies from teachers and students. This portrays that the product is aimed mainly at deaf students so that they can interact better in class. The vox pops and testimonies re-enforce the fact that it is a helpful and efficient product, designed to help people.

Promotion of key ideological messages and values



The promotion of key ideological messages and values is seen a lot in videos that are based on a cause. These types of videos are normally depicting political or charitable values and promote the cause itself. These video packages will have a set purpose and attempt to communicate to the audience through the use of specific messages. As you can see from the video above it communicates to the audience by shocking them. This therefore, make them feel empathy towards children with a disability. This is due to the distress which the child in the video appears to be in. Making the viewer feel these emotions automatically begins to persuade the audience to partake in the cause. This is due to the shock value and how the video is presented. To begin with the video has a very gritty and dismal feel to it when the child is suffering. However, when the charity is presented within the video the shots get a lot brighter than they were originally. This portrays the idea of a 'brighter day' or a new start. Ultimately giving us the idea that this charity make peoples lives happier and more vibrant.

Internal communications



An internal communications video is a video package which is shown to important stake-holders within the industry in which the product is aimed at. These are normally played at conferences or events in which these important members of the industry will be attending. As you can see from the video above internal communication videos are often very conventional and are used more to communicate with stake-holders visually  The video above has no explanation of the company or product due to the fact it will be aired at a specific business event. This means, the people there, who it is aimed at will already know what the company is. This video is used as a means of promoting the company and displaying there professionalism. As you can see the video above fulfils this criteria by presenting a slick looking video with clips of the company in action. This makes the company stand out from other companies who don't seem as professional.

Internal training



An internal training video is normally used to train employees and employers within various industry. The purpose is to show the viewer what is expected and what they need to do in order to be successful in the field. They can be used in a range of ways such as safety training, training for the specific job or advice for working within the sector. As you can see from the video above a very casual and chatty approach is used within these videos. This can be seen through the way in which the actor is speaking to the viewers. She is faced at the camera using open body language and speaking in a friendly tone. This helps the viewer feel more comfortable, therefore willing to take in the information, as they can relate to the people within the video. This idea of helping the viewer relate to the topics discussed in the video is reinforced by the scenarios involved. The role-plays in which the actors use are involving a range of people of different social statuses. This engages a range of audiences by presenting them with relatable scenarios. The overall purpose of using these techniques is to keep the viewer engaged, so they will readily acknowledge the information. This means, that less psychical training is needed due to the ideals portrayed in the training video.


Show-reels




Show-reels are used for a variety of reasons, these are mainly revolving around the idea of promoting the company or person. They will consist of an array of clips showcasing the skilfulness of a company and what they are capable of. The clips used will almost always be of the companies most highly credited accolades. This means most show reel will include work which they have done for huge corporate companies and clients. This shows that they have worked for big names and have a good insight into the industry as well as a range of connections. As you can see, the video above is a show-reel created for a production company. Therefore, their target audience will be companies interested in reinforcing there brand name or number consumers through the use of a video package. As with most show-reels the one above is fast-paced and has small clips of highly credited projects they have worked on. It shows mainly the most exciting parts and always includes the company whom they worked for if necessary. This is so that anyone interested in commissioning them will know that they have experience working with well known businesses.

Event coverage




An event coverage video is used as a means of developing the summary of a specific event in a easily consumable video package. This gives individuals who did not attend the event the opportunity to watch the highlights of the event. A video like this may also be used for people who are not already interested in the company or business. Therefore, seeing a video of an event in which the company has held may increase there interest in the business. Therefore, the target audience for a video like this can be anyone that may be a possible customer. This could range from key stake-holders to anyone in the general public. As you can see from the video above an event overage video will normally consist of the highlights of the particular event. It will also include a number of vox pops or testimonies from important figure within the company which are holding the event. This gives the viewer  better idea of who runs the company and what to expect from it. However this can vary depending on what the specific event is. For instance, a video covering a music festival may not include many vox pops or interview's  Rather, it may show the event itself and showcase the intensity as well as the talent performing. How the event is presented on the video relies solely on what the event is. An event coverage video will normally be published on the internet as well as shown at any other events related to the event in the video. Getting the video out there increases the brands identity by portraying what they are all about by the type of events in which they are holding.

The development of technology and the effect it has had on media communications

With the boom of the internet and modern technology, the way in which we consume media products has changed dramatically. With the internet feeding us an endless sea of information it has become more difficult for companies to stand out amongst the rest of their industry. This is why the majority of companies have had to adapt to these changes through the use of social networking and various other methods of media communication. This is publicising corporate and promotional videos to the internet has now became an essential part of a businesses growth. Due to this, many corporate videos will be made mainly for digital formats. This means that people can consume them in a variety of ways whether it be on there mobile device or computer. 



As you can see from the video above, with the rise of modern technology a massive amount of companies use digital graphics and animated logos to advertise their brand. This is effective due to the fact you can make an animated logo unique. This is due to the amount of variables and possibilities which can be added to a digital graphic in order to make it original. This helps reinforce a brands identity because viewers will know instantly through the graphic who the company are.

Codes and conventions of corporate and promotional video

The codes and conventions which need to be taken into account relies heavily on the video which needs to be made. This is so that the finished product can meet its purpose, the target audience and the clients needs. Overall, a corporate video needs to follow the general 'feel' or mise-en-scene needed to promote the brands identity.

Common codes and conventions used in corporate and promotional video 

- Animated graphics used efficiently in order to reinforce the brands specific identity.

- the use of a presenter to provide testimonies on the specific company or brand. A suitable presenter or personality should be used to convey the type of company. Using a suitable presenter for this will also reinforce brand identity. 

- Interviews or vox pops with important stake-holders in order to show the importance of there company within the specific industry.

- Scenarios or role-plays to show the general ideals of the specific company and help the viewer relate to the scenes.

- Voice overs or a narrator to channel information to the viewers through the use of visuals and audio.

- A suitable music track in order to set the correct atmosphere which is needed for what the company is trying to portray through their video.

- Using graphics as a means of giving more information to the viewer.

Production process

Pre-production - This is the stage in which all of the planning and groundwork for the video takes place. This will mainly consist of paperwork and resolving logistical problems such as booking locations. This stage will also be used to plan story boards write the narrative or story of the video and overall plan what is going to be in the video.

Production -  This is where the production of the video itself will take place. The production team will begin filming, recruiting actors and getting any other aspects of the video produced.

Post-production - This stage will consist of adding the finishing touches to the video such as reviewing the footage, adding voice overs and editing. Reviewing the footage is important so the production team can see if any re-shoots are necessary.