Film for a Fiver?
OK, so it won’t cost £5 but, for around £5,000, you can produce a broadcast-quality short film – to capture a moment, showcase a product or get the conversation going.
So what would £5,000 get you?
- A short DVD using stylish images, music and graphic text to set the scene for an external conference
- A film of your conference for those who couldn’t make it
- Thought-provoking vox pops and stats to kick off a training course and catalyse discussion
- A short film for your intranet or e-zine/interactive PDF to bring your written content to life
- A simple interview to keep your employees informed and empowered in times of uncertainty
- A motivational sales pitch directly to camera with digitally designed background
- …and loads more!
OK, what’s the catch?
There is no catch – but you will need to follow some key guidelines:
- Keep it simple
- Supply us with any relevant research
- Free up a location to film (it doesn’t need to be in an office!)
- Ensure contributors and interviewees are available on the same day
- Film in one day and in one location
- Edit in one to two days
- Ensure you can sign off promptly
So how can you further reduce costs?
Digital communication channels offer great opportunities to transmit filmed content, but there’s no need to spend lots of money on a crew and big cameras if the film will be compressed for web or intranet use anyway.
- Be like the BBC and use smaller broadcast-quality cameras – smaller camera, smaller crew, less cost
- Use buyout music, which includes unlimited web and DVD rights
- Let your staff do the talking – it’s cheaper and much more effective than using an actor
Case histories
The Department of Health (DH), celebrated Black History Month in October with a lunchtime event for staff featuring guest speakers, Bollywood dancers and a fantastic buffet. Redhouse Lane was asked to film and edit the event so employees in London and Leeds could view it on their intranet.
We sourced archive footage, added some great music and heard from DH staff about what Black History meant to them.
The resulting five-minute film was both poignant and humorous, providing a great snapshot of the day. The film is now accessible to 2,500 staff instead of just the 100 who attended.
Vodafone had some major products to promote this Christmas but their charismatic Head of Retail, Terry O’Brien, needed a fast and engaging way to get 2,500 customer-facing staff ready for the Christmas rush.
We filmed him in front of a blue screen talking to camera at their offices in Newbury, which took less than an hour. In post-production we created a fun, Christmas-themed digitally designed background, which enabled us to showcase all the products on offer as he talked about them.
The entire project was turned around in three days. The result: a lively and dynamic way to be in several places at once.
Film can be a very cost-effective way to make a big splash. And, in times like these, it also makes good business sense.
To talk about whether your film could be made for a fiver, give me a call on… 020 462 2706 or email rita.shamia@redhouselane.com
