our blog - making video personal

2010-01-28T12:23:00.002Z

UPDATED CONTENT: NEW VIDEOS ON WEBSITE

We are making sure we practice what we preach here at MWS Media. We believe that video enhances a websites and directly enagages with potential customers. If you check out our website at www.mwsmedia.co.uk you will see a panel along the left hand side of the page with loads of high quality videos to watch. You never know, they might give you a few ideas for your video!

2010-01-28T12:02:00.003Z

MEET BERTIE: MWS MEDIA DIRECTOR

Why are you interested in video production?
Video production interests me for two major reasons; being able to be creative and being able to inform in a dynamic and interesting manner. Video takes your message off the page and transforms it into one simple package that can be used in a variety of formats. From a creative side, video production is an ever evolving challenge to both the imagination of the client and MWS Media - along with an understanding of the expectations from your global audience.

What is your favourite video at the moment?
I'm a big fan of videos that look at future technology, show how the world will change. For this reason, although the video has been out for a while, my favourite video has to be - Nokia NanoTechnology – if this is the future then it's going to be fun! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PorbR1rPPW – well that is until Apple release their next video!

What is it that makes you different?
I'm going to win Wimbledon before I'm 30!.... promise.

What do you bring to the team?
MWS Media have grown over time due to a positively diverse group of people working under one name, one roof! My part of this wonderful arrangement sees me co-lead both productions and both post-productions from a technical and producer's standpoint. I also manage the visual design elements produced by MWS Media.

What are your predictions for video in 2010?
The next 2 years will be very important for all companies; they will need to show they have a digital footprint on the web - that has evolved from static HTML. Every company needs to market themselves, and every company will generate a plan of how to do that effectively; but times are changing, if that plan is not to utilise the latest technology then their marketing budget will be wasted left, right and centre. Video is a key area to target in a 2010+ marketing plan and companies without it will soon realise how they are suffering.

2010-01-18T12:37:00.003Z

MEET BEN: MWS MEDIA DIRECTOR

Why are you interested in video production?

Its immersive, exciting, creative and progressive - video is a constantly evolving science. I love being part of something that is such an important part of someone's business.

What is your favourite video at the moment?

I love the (Kiri-what's it called) video of the kid covering Jason Mraz in his own er... unique style. And the "Take On Me" video by A-Ha - because a little bit of me will always be stuck in the 80's...

What is it that makes you different?

MWS are as much a creative as a technical entity. So many of our clients ask for more than just a simple concept or shoot. We have genuine expertise as a creative team, and we love what we do. Work should be fun. Ours is.

What do you bring to the team?

Apart from culinary skills? My background is primarily in writing and directing, and to some extent communications. I like people, I like listening and I love coming up with aesthetic ideas and solving problems.

What are your predictions for video in 2010?

That it will go from invaluable to essential in the minds of all savvy marketeers. Video is the marketing and communications tool. Don't have it? Then make less money.

2010-01-08T10:39:00.003Z

VIDEO WATCH

1. Face off with a deadly predator http://tiny.cc/VzyPy
Photographers experience with a Leopard Seal.

2. Surprised kitty http://tiny.cc/xD9NH
Very cute.

3. Nexus one ‘web meets phone’ http://tiny.cc/sAM3a
High tech.

4. I’m Yours http://tiny.cc/1eYUq
Talented child

5. Avatar New Extend HD trailer http://tiny.cc/GucKR
Film

2010-01-07T11:40:00.006Z

2010 PREDICTIONS

Video marketing will become as important as search marketing for companies. A study conducted by Turn Here surveyed one hundred and sixteen respondents from a variety of companies, agreed that online video was their number one priority for 2010 topping both email and search marketing.

Creating brand awareness with video. Most people will use their videos for branding (60% according to real seo).

Opt-In features will be added. Modern video marketing software will now enable you to add opt in forms right into your videos, which can then be used to create a huge database of contacts.

Reluctant companies will suffer the consequences. Brands who do not realise the importance of video quick enough will get left behind. Video is not a luxury, it is the essential marketing tool for your business. The more time you leave before getting a video, the further behind you will be. We will reach a point where companies will be expected to have video by their customers.

Videos will be producing big sales results and become known for a guaranteed return on investment. ‘customers who view videos are shown to be 85% more likely to convert (Video Marketing Council, 2010).’

Marketing statistics. Video marketing for business will be increase in popularity due to its ability to be tracked and recorded. You can find out so much from a video now, who has watched, where they watched it, how long they watched it for, what page they click on after they have watched it…the list goes on.

2009-12-11T14:53:00.002Z

PRODUCING A CORPORATE VIDEO

Things to think about before producing a video:

-The length: Keep it short, otherwise people will switch off and move on. I would suggest a length of 1-2 minutes for a home page video.

-The location: Do you have great facilities or a brilliant working atmosphere that you wish to show off, or do you want to film it in a studio?

-The message: Think about what your customer would want from the video, what are the three key points you want them to remember? Make sure you explain clearly what you do in a way that they will understand. Make it personal, this is your chance to directly address your customers and establish their trust. Make sure you include your USP, why should people choose your company? What makes you different?

-The purpose: Bear in mind that it is a marketing tool that can be used on many different platforms. You can use it to create brand awareness, especially online. How will you choose to use it? On your website, on DVD, at exhibitions, on Youtube and social media or as a training tool?

- -The content/style: What features do you wish to include? A talking head, an interview, some graphics, Chroma key (green screen), part or whole video animation, a voiceover, a particular music track/style….the list goes on.

-The type: You should probably start with an introductory home page video, but what about a training video, client testimonial, how to, demonstration or potential viral video?

2009-11-23T09:44:00.003Z

VIDEO NEWS

November 2009

YOUTUBE is rising in the search engine rankings. 'Youtube surpassed Yahoo for the first time in total U.S. search queries, making it the second largest search engine in the U.S.' (real seo.com 2009) The power of video on the internet is growing so quickly. Many companies will miss out on the advantages of video and fall behind their competitors. Videos need to be recognised as a marketing tool that can generate real results in a very short space of time.

'BING VIDEO' is a re-launch of MSN video which takes content from sites such as MSN, YOUTUBE and HULU. In terms of video, this site will have it all with videos such as viral clips, sports and news clips to full length TV shows. This site launches mid November so watch this space!

MUSIC STILL RULES I just checked out the current viral video chart and found that 5 out of the top 20 are music videos with two from the same artist! This does not tell us much about video for business, but it is fascinating to discover why some music videos dominate Youtube and others don't. No prizes for guessing why Shakira's 'She Wolf' video got so many hits!

AUTOMATIC CAPTIONING FOR YOUTUBE Google have decided to add automatic captioning to Youtube videos. This shows that they recognise how important video is to people and that everyone should have access to it.

2009-10-21T14:53:00.005+01:00

VIDEO WATCH

1. Controversial
Government climate change ad http://tiny.cc/3w3Rm

2. To make you smile
Swedish piano stairs http://tiny.cc/9NjLC

3. Interesting facts
Social media revolution facts http://tiny.cc/a0SLo

4. High tech
‘Nuryan’ trailer www.nuryan.net

5. Flashback
Greatest hits of youtube in 4 minutes http://bit.ly/NtSFT

2009-10-05T10:41:00.003+01:00

COMMUNITY FILM PROJECT

The community Film Project is based around the idea of producing a short film, using people from the local community, and targeting – through collaboration – communities and groups within our community that have traditionally not had such opportunities.

MWS Media ran the first ever Community Film Project last year with

support from the Greenham Common Trust and West Berkshire Council, among others. While support is harder to find in a recession year, Greenham and West Berks have made good once more their support and MWS Media have refused to be cowed by the financial crisis – and so they bring you the Community Film Project 2009!

The idea is to involve as many people as possible in the process, and provide a steep but manageable learning curve in the world of filmmaking, with an end product of genuine quality which can and will put this type of community based work firmly on the map.

2009-10-05T10:38:00.002+01:00

VIRAL VIDEO: IT IS HARD TO IGNORE THE POTENTIAL

We are beginning to be approached by companies who want to really stand out from their competitors and realise that they can use video to achieve this. Clients are now asking for a certain type of video, a type of video that has huge potential to reach a large audience online. A short video can reach a rapidly growing audience for minimal investment and with video now popping up in universal search results it would be crazy to ignore the potential SEO performance of a video.

2009-10-05T10:28:00.002+01:00

'NURYAN' PREMIERE

The premiere of our new film 'Nuryan' was held at the Prince Charles cinema in Leicester Square. The tickets completely sold out which resulted in a packed out cinema with a great atmoshpere. The premiere was a huge success and has lead to positive feedback and potential investment for future projects and feature films. It has also resulted in MWS Media looking to produce a high end documentary piece because of the technical standard that was achieved on such a low budget.

Watch this space!

2009-09-25T14:18:00.003+01:00

VIDEO WATCH

Video watch is where I pick 5 interesting, influential, funny, innovative or popular videos that you might find interesting or entertaining in some way.

The videos might tell you about a product you have never heard of before, fill you in on a news story or simply raise your spirits on a Monday morning. So here are this weeks choices:

1. Futuristic/high tech.

Nokia nano technology http://tinyurl.com/2ckfca

2. Flashback

Dirty dancing http://tinyurl.com/6fbqtt

3. Interesting facts

Did You Know 4.0 http://tinyurl.com/y9b5eox

4. Great and simple 'In Plain English' videos

Blogs: In plain English http://tinyurl.com/36wjyo

5. To make you smile

Touch my body/kareoke fail http://tinyurl.com/9wf87p

2009-09-25T14:12:00.003+01:00

'NURYAN' PREMIERE

We are very excited about the premiere of our film 'Nuryan' in Leicester square tomorrow evening.

A fast paced, taughtly exciting thriller, Nuryan is a contemporary shocker with a core of genuine mystery that will confound even the most seasoned of genre veterans.

Check out the trailer at www.nuryan.net

Come along

There are still a few tickets left. See below for details.

HOW TO BOOK

In Person:

Come along and buy in person from the cinema box office - 7 Leicester Place, WC2

Over the Phone:

Contact the box office on 0870 811 2559

Online

Book tickets from the comfort of your own - http://www.princecharlescinema.com/

2009-09-25T10:31:00.006+01:00

THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF TWITTER

Twitter has hit the internet and grown at an alarming rate. So much so that people are recognising it as a valuable business tool.

Having used Facebook for personal use I was inititally sceptical of taking social media seriously in relation to business. However, I concluded that it was an opportunity not to be missed and no harm could come from simply trying it out.

I do not claim to be an expert, but I have learnt alot during my time on twitter. Here are 5 simple tips to consider when taking the plunge into the world of twitter:

1. Do not use it as a window to sell to people.

2. Look to build long term relationships rather than quick sales.

3. Take time to consider who you follow.

4. Do not focus on trying to get the most followers, instead aim to build up a loyal following of relevant people/businesses,

5. Provide interesting and informative content.

Evaluation of twitter.

How does it benefit MWS Media?

Pro's

-I can gain access to people who you might not have been able to before.

-I can learn a lot from other peoples tweets and links to interesting articles.

-I can engauge with customers and answer any questions they might have.

-I can ask my followers for feedback on things such as our new website.

-I have been able to meet lots of local people.

-After attending networking events I can maintain a relationship with the people I meet on twitter.

-I can spread the word about exciting things that are happening at mws (for example the premiere of Nuryan tommorrow!)

Con's

-It can be very distracting.

-It takes a considerable amount of time and effort to run.

I would be interested to see what other people think. How does it work (or not) for you?

2009-08-07T11:37:00.004+01:00

VIDEO IS FOR SHARING

If you have a video embedded on your home page and it grabs someone’s attention, they are likely to share it with their peers. You can facilitate this further by using various internet tools which encourage people to do this. For example tweeting a link on your twitter page and asking people to Retweet it. ‘More than half of online video viewers (57%) share links to the video they find with others, and three in four (75%) say they receive links to watch video that others have sent to them.’ http://tiny.cc/wrCo3 Once you have your videos online, get as many people to watch them as you can and if your video is good then it will speak for itself and generate work!

2009-08-07T11:37:00.003+01:00

VIDEO AUDIENCE 2009

I think something that really needs to be addressed when it comes to online video is age. There seems to be an assumption that it is only appealing and accessible to young people. While they make up a large percentage of users, it must be emphasised that adults also regularly use online video. For example ‘Fifty-seven percent of online adults have used the internet to watch or download video, and 19% do so on a typical day.’ ( http://tiny.cc/wrCo3)

2009-08-07T11:36:00.003+01:00

EYE CONTACT

I was reading an article about how eye contact varies during video viewing. Unsurprisingly it highlights that if you have a talking head to for too long (longer than 24 seconds) then users begin to get bored and look elsewhere. Moreover, people are attracted to the interviewee’s face and this is because people like seeing the human face of a company. Many companies make the mistake of trying to sell too much in their video and fail to engage with their audience.

The study also found that viewers often miss the main content of your video due to distracting elements (such as signs or people in the background).

This is only a limited amount of information on what people do when they watch videos. Imagine yourself when you are watching something. What grabs your attention and what drives you away? Relate this to your company and you can start to generate some really good ways to reach your target audience.

2009-08-07T11:32:00.003+01:00

WELCOME!

Hello and welcome to our first blog. We will be blogging mainly about how video is growing and changing online, and keep you up to date with interesting projects that we are working on. I'm Kiri and for the most part I'll be your blogmaster (if that's a real phrase) for the time being!