It’s Only For The Web…

With experience working with Rolls Royce, Cadbury, Markettiers and Gary Lineker, our award-winning broadcast producer and video director Darius Laws is used to creating video content of the highest standard. During his career, he has had his fair share of clients use the phrase ‘it’s only for the web…’ when referring to video content created to represent their brand. Here, Darius explains why the phrase can place restrictions on the production by downplaying the significance of the content.

Sometimes there can be a mindset that making a ‘little’ three-minute video isn’t as exciting as working with A-list celebrities on an advert directed by a famous film director.

Fair enough, it probably isn’t, but nevertheless if it’s a video going on a consumer-facing website or on a brand’s social media channels (YouTube, Twitter, Facebook etc) it’s important to ensure the content is interesting and that the production values are strong.

Just because the video you are making is for the web does not mean it should be considered inferior to a video placed during a commercial break on television. The advancement of high speed mobile Internet and an ever-increasingly mobile consumer is already having an effect on traditional broadcast schedules.  YouTube is the second largest search engine and on-demand video services are on the rise.

If your brand or organisation has a cult following, you might have an audience for a video that hasn’t been made with a gigantic budget. A classic example would be for a brand’s Facebook page that features a ‘behind-the-scenes’ or ‘making of’ video of an event, photo-shoot or commercial. These can be very effective as they offer consumers an insight into the inner workings of the company and establish rapport between you and them.

If your organisation has a famous brand ambassador and you want to make a short video to directly communicate with your fans, releasing it on the internet is the primary medium above all else. The web enables instant access and easy sharing capabilities that other platforms are almost unable to contend with. It is because of these factors that makes the Internet such an important marketing tool when focusing on branded content.

When it comes to the production itself, don’t make the mistake of thinking you might be able to come up with a creative concept, direct, light, camera operate, sound record and then be able to edit and encode the film yourself. Whilst not every production will require an extensive video crew, even the simplest of productions will require more resources than you think.

Generation X and Y are leading the way in the technological revolution, and through their consumer demands, the boundaries between TV, film and video are being challenged but one thing is for certain: the Internet is here to stay. So if you are putting a video online, remember that it represents your brand image and it’s best to do things properly!

To see a collection of our freelancers’ work from various disciplines, watch their showreels in our online gallery!