The Evolution Of The Corporate Video: From Beta Tape To RED Cameras

It goes without saying that the overall quality of video and film productions of every kind have changed drastically over the last two decades, but no format has evolved more than the corporate video, which is only now hitting it's stride as a powerful, multi-faceted, and affordable format.

While there have been huge technical innovations to cameras and editing gear over the years, the largest overarching change that has affected smaller budget productions, is the accessibility to these tools, not just the tools themselves. For the highest end cinema or television productions, many of the new cameras and tools that are available today are welcomed conveniences, but aren't necessarily increasing the overall quality of the production as compared to the gear that was being used ten or twenty years ago. The reason being that high end productions always had access to the best. And a 35mm film camera in the 90's looked just as good as (if not better) than even the best digital cinema cameras that exist today. So while many high budget films and television series now enjoy the conveniences of shooting and editing digitally, it hasn't drastically changed the quality of their final products. 

The corporate world on the other hand, has benefited most from the advent of these new technologies, as twenty years ago corporate video production was being produced with much lower-end, consumer grade equipment. Older corporate productions couldn't afford the cost or time associated with shooting on film, and the only viable options at that point were Beta, VHS, or other low quality tape formats, all or which were poor acquisition formats. In the editing room, these corporate productions were using very primitive software that more often than not made corporate videos 'feel' like corporate videos. They didn't have any personality, and corporate spots from different companies often looked interchangeable as a result of the limitations that were in place during the production and editing of these videos.

Fast forward to twenty years later and everything has changed. Technologically speaking, corporate videos today can be shot on the same cameras that are being used on Hollywood feature films, such as the RED camera, without breaking the bank. The same applies to post-production as editing and motion graphics software that is used on major film and television work is also now regularly used on corporate projects. 

Does this mean that every corporate video is going to be movie-quality? Not quite, as the idea, talent, crew, and other variables play a huge role in the overall final product. Some production companies are more wrapped up in gear than content, so if you're looking to have a corporate spot produced, be aware of this when shopping around for a production company. It's only when you have a perfect balance of concept and execution that the end result will be at it's best. As a production company that specializes in corporate and commercial content, this notion has always been extremely important to us. We understand that an original and exciting concept in critical as a starting point, but also recognize that in order for it to have a large impact, it needs to be produced to the highest possible standards. 

The good news is that if you are looking to produce a corporate video today on a budget, you can achieve a quality level that is comparable to high end cinema without breaking the bank. The caveat of course is that you still need the content to be strong, and congruent with your brand, which makes it critical that you team up with the right production company. 

For some samples of modern corporate and commercial spots, be sure to check out our selected portfolio here, and to learn more about how corporate video can help to grow your business or brand, please contact us at any time. 

The Creative Rebellion Team

The Power Of Branded Content Campaigns & Why They're More Effective Than Television Commercials

Arguably the most effective and innovative form of digital marketing to emerge in recent years is branded content. In a previous article, we briefly touched on the power of branded content as a contemporary form of advertising, but today we're going to explore it in more depth to clarify exactly why it works so well, and why it is becoming such a popular choice amongst businesses and marketing professionals alike.

For those readers that aren't as familiar with it, we define branded content as any form of video based entertainment that is produced in conjunction with a business or brand to help them gain far reaching, organic exposure. Branded content primarily lives online, but since it's such a new form of advertising, it will certainly grow and change over the years and will likely find it's way onto many other mediums as time progresses.

One of the earliest examples of an effective branded content campaign was a series of short films produced by BMW is 2002 called 'The Hire'. These films were featured online and provided a thrilling James Bond-esque experience for the viewer, while simultaneously placing high end BMW's at the forefront of the action. 12 years ago, this campaign was one of the only of it's kind, but today this method of quality advertising has become a fundamental part of the marketing strategy of countless businesses, and for good reason. 

Why it works

For starters, one of the largest benefits of creating a web based campaign is that there are far less creative limitations than there are when conceptualizing a television spot. With TV, every second of airtime is extremely costly, so while you theoretically could make a 90 second commercial, it would cost a fortune to air. Online, you have the luxury of choosing the right length and format to suit your needs, which opens up creative possibilities that would otherwise not exist. For instance your business might reach the most potential customers by producing a recurring web-series related your brand or product - like Chipotle just did with their brand new series 'Farmed and Dangerous', exclusively available on Hulu. As you could imagine, this format could only ever exist on the internet, as is the case with viral ads and many other iterations of online branded content, giving it a leg up over traditional forms of video based advertising.

Another important note to recognize when considering producing branded content that the potential to reach your target audience is staggering and comes at a very low relative cost. Unlike buying media on television, you have the unique ability to target a much more specific audience by only promoting your content to the right people, and not wasting money advertising in the wrong areas. It will ultimately cost you far less to get your message in front of the right people, and once those potential customers see your content, they're only a click away from your site.

Every month, more people start using DVR's to eliminate commercials when watching television, and just as many people are turning to devices like Apple TV, Roku, or Smart TV's to get their online content on their television. While at the moment, things are in a very transitional state, one thing is for certain - The days of the internet existing as a separate entity to television are going away quickly, and the massive influx of branded content really drives that point home. 

At it's core, the reason why branded content works is simply because it offers something of value to the viewer. While there is no denying that television commercials can still be the best option for the needs of many businesses, branded content offers an equally effective and powerful alternative that is much more cost effective. Most large corporations that are currently using branded content are doing so in conjunction with their television and print campaigns, which is an ideal strategy to go with. That said, for small and medium sized businesses where television commercials are too costly, branded content now offers an excellent alternative that can prove to be a much wiser investment for certain types of businesses and products. 

If you or your company is actively seeking to produce this type of content, or traditional commercial/promotional material, we would love to hear from you. Feel free to drop us a line any time at info@creativerebellion.com

The Creative Rebellion Team

 

Why It's So Challenging To Find A Great Corporate Video Production Company In Los Angeles In 2023

Los Angeles is a city filled with more entertainment companies than just about anywhere else on earth combined, so you would think that it would be the easiest place to find a qualified corporate video production company. In reality though, it's actually one of the most difficult cities to get an effective corporate video produced. 

Oddly enough, in most major cities that don't have a bustling film and television market, their local corporate and commercial video production companies are often producing much higher quality content than those located right here in Los Angeles. Since LA has such an abundance of broadcast and film material being produced at any given time, the vast majority of qualified producers, crew members, and other key players simply aren't working in the corporate field. The commercial and corporate production companies in LA that do exist aren't as motivated by the creative elements of their projects, but rather seek to follow very basic and now outdated techniques that are designed to automate their process as much as possible. While in years past this ideology may have worked for some corporate production companies, it isn't going to fly anymore because the market is changing and businesses large and small are demanding higher quality video content to aid in their marketing efforts.

Take a look at the most impactful commercials, promotional videos, and other branded content that's out there today, and you'll notice that they all have something in common - They offer something of value to the viewer in a format that is entertainment driven, rather than simply a large call to action sequence. For instance, take the recent emergence of branded content which didn't exist just a few short years ago. Today, branded entertainment content (such as a corporate sponsored web series for example) is one of the most effective ways of marketing a brand, because the viewer is getting value (either informational or entertainment) just by watching it.

Jerry Seinfeld's web series "Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee" which is sponsored by Acura, is a perfect example of delivering the viewer valuable content that in turn gains their trust. And it's not just major corporations with celebrity endorsements that are doing this. In fact some of the most effective branded content is being produced for very little cost by small and medium sized businesses all over North America. 

Branded content is only one of many examples of entertainment-driven advertising that brings value to the viewer. This methodology can and should be applied to commercials, promotional videos, and any other video based format. In fact, that's exactly what we here at Creative Rebellion do.

For those of you that don't know much about us yet, we produce exceptionally high quality commercials, corporate videos, and branded content at extremely competitive prices. When we last expanded our company and branched out to Los Angeles, one of the primary goals for us was to reach potential clients that were looking for something more out of their corporate and commercial video projects. We saw a direct need for cinema quality corporate videos and we set out to bridge the gap between the corporate and entertainment worlds.

If you're marketing for your business or company and are looking to team up with a production company that will add value to your brand, please contact us at any time. We are based in Los Angeles and Toronto, but also work with companies all across North America with our remote crews.

We would love to hear from you!

The Creative Rebellion Team

info@creativerebellion.com

Creative Rebellion Blog Now Launched!

Welcome to the Creative Rebellion Blog.

Since launching in 2009, we have been extremely fortunate to have had the opportunity to help businesses of all shapes and sizes flourish by utilizing video effectively. With the launch of our blog, we aim to help even more business owners, marketing professionals, and agencies, by sharing our unique perspective on the world of commercial and corporate video production. 

Most businesses have used video to market themselves in one way or another, but more often than not, they are not tapping into the full potential of the medium. Either the concept isn't on par with their branding, there is no release strategy, or the quality simply isn't there. These are just a few of many hurdles that businesses face when creating video content. 

A large part of what we do at Creative Rebellion, and what this blog seeks to share with our readers, is not only how to create stunning and powerful videos, but also how to get them seen by the world. Upcoming articles will highlight conceptual approaches, creative techniques, marketing tactics, release strategies, and much more. Ultimately, no matter how you plan on pursuing video marketing in the future, this blog will help you decide what format and style best suits your company, and how to execute and deliver on any concept. 

Check in with us regularly as we will be updating this blog with free, valuable information for businesses that are looking for innovative solutions for their video based marketing needs.

See you around here soon!

The Creative Rebellion Team