5 Insider Tips from a Top Cape Town Video Production Company

Working at a top Cape Town video production company like HolyCow, there are a few things you get to know like the back of your hand.

This includes the best place to find a Gatsby in Woodstock; when you need to start queueing to get a cronut on Bree street on a Saturday morning after a Park Run; how to dodge Green Point Stadium traffic when you need to get from the CBD to Sea Point during a soccer match – and that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

You also happen to pick up a fair amount of unbeatable experience in creating some of the most exceptional video content in the business.

In this article, we’ll share a few of the insider tips we only ever used to reveal to our very favourite clients. These tricks of the trade are the result of many years in the Cape Town video production biz, so you know it’s the good stuff.  This includes:

• Sticking with the professionals
• Having your audience figured out
• Not trying to say it all at once
• Strumming the heart strings
• Showing instead of telling
• Being human
• Finding the perfect format
• Spreading the word

Following these guidelines will set you up for a smooth ride when it comes to crafting clear and compelling video content in 2019.
Here goes!

INSIDER TIPS FROM A TOP CAPE TOWN VIDEO PRODUCTION COMPANY

Stick with the professionals
When you partner with a proven Cape Town video production company that has a good reputation and established portfolio, you can look forward to a rewarding production process that will yield your desired results.

Thanks to the excellent tuition offered by Cape Town-based film academies like AFDA and the SAE Institute of South Africa, the city is filled to the brim with new graduates and small start-up agencies that offer very attractive rates and are very hungry to prove themselves. While you don’t necessarily have to partner with a large Cape Town video production company for your project to be a success, it does pay to do some homework on your chosen service provider before you commit to anything.

Take a good, long look at the showreels of the Cape Town video production companies you’re considering. Call up references. Meet in person. Get a feel for each group you meet with to see if they know their stuff, and if you’d be able to work together well. This type of vetting process may seem a little tedious and needlessly time-consuming, but it is worth it in the long run.

Have your audience figured out

Before you even think about putting pen to paper to start a script, or pick up the phone to make an appointment with a Cape Town video production company, you need to know who you’re selling to.

A general video that ‘speaks to everyone’ is all good and well, but we can also tell you that this is not the kind of thing that converts. If you want your video to draw people in, you need to capture their attention, and you can only really do so if you narrow down your target market and speak to one type of human in particular.

Ever heard the saying ‘you can’t please all of the people all of the time’? This is of particular relevance when it comes to video production. As such, getting to grips with your target demographic is key if you want them to care about your product or service. A two-tone khaki omie with a preference for big bakkies will require a different kind of narrative than a city-slicker fashionista with a love of all things bedazzled, or a staunch eco warrior who lives that zero-waste life.

Know your customer so you can sell to them effectively. Once you have that down, a good Cape Town video production company will be able to craft a message that will leave your viewers inspired and ready to spend.

Don’t try to say it all at once

One video = one message. If there is only one thing you take away from this article, let it be this – you can’t say it all at once.

Any decent Cape Town video production company will be able to attest to the fact that even the most focussed consumer is a little scatter-brained these days. You can’t really blame them. The sheer amount of marketing messages that are flung at the average human from phones, tablets, desk tops PCs, radios, newspapers, TVs, magazines, billboards, pamphlets, SMSs and countless other platforms from the moment they get up in the morning is staggering to say the least.

If you want your message to stick, it should be clear, concise and to the point. As such, you need to know exactly what you want to convey with your video before you even meet up with your chosen Cape Town production company.

What is the one thing you want your viewer to remember when they walk away?

Do you want them to visit your website? Get in touch for an obligation-free quote? Or perhaps you want them to remember your brand name when they stand in the shopping aisle. Maybe you want them to associate your business with a value like compassion, determination or longevity.

Whatever the case may be, know your core message and don’t try to stuff a whole bunch of them in one video. It won’t work – trust us.

Strum those heart strings

If you want someone to recall your message, you need to tell a story that connects them to your brand on an emotional level.

South African companies like Nando’s do this to great effect. Their ads always have a little touch of ‘oh no they didn’t’ that has become as recognisable as their trademark peri-peri chicken. It always elicits a giggle or two and is shared far and wide on social media.

While your company may not be nothing like Nando’s, you can take a leaf from their tried-and-tested playbook by zooming in on your target demographic’s emotions and speaking to their particular pain points. Instead of listing the benefits of your product or service, you could show how the use hereof benefits the user.

Speak to your viewers’ emotions and you are far more likely to leave a memorable impression and get a favourable response.

Get the hang of showing instead of telling

A seasoned Cape Town video production company team will always advise you to show instead of tell. Don’t underestimate your viewers – you don’t always have to spell everything out.

TOP TIP: Trying to write the script in house? Tell your writer that the viewer should observe events as they are unfolding, instead of being shown what happened after the fact. Narrative summaries that tell a viewer what is happening are far less effective than seeing it happen in real time. Being part of an immediate scene is much more interesting and engaging

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Don’t be afraid to show your human side

You may be crafting a corporate video, but even when you’re speaking for a business it pays to show your human side. Your viewers know your company is a corporate entity, but they will always look to connect to your content on a human level.

When you meet with your Cape Town video production company, ask them to evaluate your existing script to see if you’re hitting the ‘human’ mark. Alternatively, work with their team of writers to create a relatable message that gives your viewer a closer look at the beating heart of your enterprise instead of keeping up a stoic façade.

Find a format that works for you

The medium in which you choose to tell your message is a crucial part of how it will be perceived by your viewer. The best format will largely depend on what you are trying to achieve with your corporate video and who the ultimate viewer will be.

When you meet with your chosen Cape Town video production company, you may what to consider the following formats before making a final decision:

• • • Whiteboard animation.

      Whiteboard animation is a very affordable format that utilises black-on-white images in an educational style that is tailormade for telling a story in a straight-forward yet entertaining fashion. A simple style like this is also great if you need to tread a fine line and want to remain politically correct (e.g. feature a neutral character rather than casting a life-action actor who may
      not represent all the demographics you wish to address).

• • 2D and 3D animation. Need to convey a lot of information in a short amount of time? 2D or 3D animation is the way to go. 2D is the most popular animation style by far, mainly because it is so versatile and doesn’t come with too scary a price tag. 3D animation is a lot more realistic, but also takes more time to create, so it comes in at a higher price point.

• • Motion graphic animation. If you’re after a short, snappy video with plenty of attitude, the fluid style of motion graphics might be just what you need.

• • Stop-frame animation. Stop-frame animation is versatile and thought-provoking – perfect for videos with a more creative or artistic slant. It takes lots of time to create though, so be ready for a more expensive quote.

• • Live action video. This is the real McCoy – actual real live actors or staff doing their thing in front of a camera on location or in studio. It takes a really good Cape Town video production company to pull a production like this together, but when you partner with the right crew, it’s possible to make some truly memorable magic.

Spread the word!
When you go through all the trouble of creating a good-looking piece of video content, you want it to be seen by as many pairs of interested eyeballs as possible. The work doesn’t stop when your Cape Town video production company hands over those final video files – that’s when it starts.

Once your marketing video is uploaded to your own website or chosen streaming video site, you need to get your team cracking on spreading the word. Ideally you want to promote it all over social media and create some hype that will get it to go viral (the dream!).

If you don’t feel that your in-house marketing team is up to the task of creating sufficient traction, this is something you can outsource to your chosen Cape Town video production company as well.

Video marketing is a very specialised field, and it helps to partner with an experienced team in this regard. A solid video marketing strategy is based on your business objectives and will ensure that content is seen by the right people. It should also be measured for ROI. If you don’t feel that your in-house team will be able to manage such a niche project, it may very well be worth your while to partner with the professionals.
There you have it – our top tips on corporate video production in 2019. We hope it helps you to garner plenty of likes, shares and overall engagement for your upcoming video.

Feel free to reach out to the HolyCow team if you would like to learn more about our video production services. Our Cape Town video production company experts will happily evaluate your needs and give you some insight into the way we do things here at HolyCow. We look forward to learning more about your business, discussing your needs and telling you more about our Cape Town video production company.