Small but mighty: smartphone production for large formats
»What on earth are they doing?« We know the puzzled looks that say exactly this all too well when we head out to produce content. One example: even in the crowds of a big city, people stand out when they carry heavy and sometimes bulky building products through the streets and stage them as if it were a VIP shoot. If you’ve ever seen this: hej, that was definitely us.
And the bigger the products, the bigger our equipment? Far from it. Even if the product measures 80 x 60 cm and weighs 60 kg, a smartphone, gimbal, clip-on mics and a little lighting are easily enough to produce the video. As sure as the question mark comes at the beginning, the thumbs-up comes at the end. Our project partners’ puzzled looks brighten over time, and in the end the results surprise them with how they were made (positively, of course).
Purposeful processes and good preparation are everything
For us, content creation means approaching a topic intuitively and keeping production processes lean for the planned communication. Always through the eyes of the target group in question and always within the parameters of the planned communication channel. It is obvious that video is becoming increasingly important compared with static content. The dominance of social media and the higher engagement rate of videos, especially on mobile devices and on the go, speak for themselves.
But what do you do when our clients have come to the same conclusion and the budget still doesn’t stretch to a big video production for every post?
- Let go of the old idea that video can only be produced with a video camera.
- Take a leaf out of other industries’ book, or that of content creators or influencers.
- Rely on mobile content creation and test, test, test. Ideally with us.
How our content comes about behind the scenes
The process of creating good content is individual. We approach every project and every situation afresh and avoid templates that we force onto every project. As free as that sounds, there is a clear process behind it so that we start the photo or video shoot well prepared. We have summarised what that process is and which tips can make your productions faster and easier too.
The content creation process in four steps:
- Ideas, research & developing the plan
- Production, implementation and completion
- Organic marketing through content
- Data backup and archiving
In detail: tips and tricks from the mobile content team
Developing the plan + research
- When it comes to reference projects: what has already been published about the project and the people involved?
- A preliminary conversation is essential to get to know each other, define core messages and, if necessary, choose the location and possible angles
- Which message goes out in which format?
- Are the roles and tasks in the content creation team clearly assigned?
Production, implementation and completion
- Don’t get sidetracked: when shooting building products, produce five variations and then move on down the to-do list.
- The right light and a well-lit setting are half the battle, because these basic settings can hardly be changed in post-production when editing and putting the content together.
- Triple sound check: the sound has to be right too, so remove sources of interference such as the interviewees’ mobile phones.
- For social media: choose statements that work in five seconds.
- As a basic rule, on days like these we let ourselves be guided by the situation and the interviewees.
Organic marketing through content
- It is about expanding the brand’s visibility in a trustworthy and therefore lasting way.
- What decides this is the quality of the content: does it match what the target group needs?
Data backup and archiving
- Everything at hand: with a content pool, materials and content can be found and used quickly and easily.
- Screenshots to keep track of content publications
»With smaller equipment, people in front of the lens feel more at ease.«
KimConception & Content at hej.build
Small team & compact equipment
When we produce content, we always arrive on location with two people and equipment that is as compact as possible. There are several reasons for this:
- We are always outsiders and guests. The smaller the team, the less conspicuously we can capture the situation. The calmer the people on camera are. The closer we can get to them with the lens. The more authentic the content becomes.
- Most of the channels where the results are shown thrive on a fast pace that production has to match in order to stay current and cost-effective.
- Saving effort, in our team and therefore automatically for our clients too.
