Clothing is one of the most important elements of a successful scene, therefore it is key to know what to wear on filming day.

A poorly selected outfit won’t make for a comfortable experience, it may cause for the sound to be unusable, or perhaps, the worst offender, you’ll get a visit from the unsightly “Moire pattern” (Mwa-rei).

Looking comfortable on camera is embodied by feeling comfortable on camera, the difference is in the fit.

Notice that a suit limits your movements, particularly under your arms. It’d be unwise to throw on a blazer for an energetic shoot, unless it’s properly tailored or you’re already used to the range of movement you have in it.

For this reason, notice the difference in how you feel and act when wearing newer clothes in your wardrobe compared to older, ‘broken in’ garments. It usually takes a while to get used to the feeling of a new fit!

Consider whether your choice of outfit could make you a bit self-conscious.

Whereas there is a solid comfort in that old t-shirt, we can draw a compromise between the function of the video, how you want to be portrayed and the necessity for comfort.

Context is always important. Therefore, find the sweet spot between the purpose of the video, how you would like to appear in it and what fits you feel comfortable wearing.

Unfortunately, you can’t fix rigid movement in post.

A bad influence perhaps, this advice is sound justification for some new threads.

Another consideration when choosing what to wear on filming day is, believe it or not, sound.

Anything that makes noise will be picked up by a microphone.
A unidirectional microphone (one direction of capture), like a lapel mic, can fix this problem somewhat.

However, you would be riding on luck for the perfect fix. If you desire polished audio, say, for a corporate advert, getting it right from the foundation is your best shot.

Items like noisy jewellery, lanyards, and perhaps surprisingly, hair (!) can irritate lapel microphones. So make sure that there are no obstructions.

If you do find yourself with botched audio, there is hope in something called…

Noise gates

Noise gates can be found in almost any Digital Audio Workstation like Logic or Ableton. They can be set up to lower the volume of audio when a level threshold is hit, this means that it will cut out all the parts of the audio that aren’t loud enough, leaving only the voice.

Like any tool, it will take some tweaking to get it to sound natural, try setting it to lower the volume only slightly, so that the viewer doesn’t notice the lack of background noise like birds and traffic.

Some noise gates also have a frequency feature, so that you can gauge out certain frequencies (like the frequency of hair on a microphone for example), without affecting the sound of the voice.

Finally, the grossest example with the most alluring name:

The Moire Pattern

Most digital cameras use a type of scanning that causes small, repeating patterns like the fabric of a jacket or a tie, to appear nauseatingly sharp. So when choosing what to wear on filming day, try to steer clear of busy patterns.

Ultimately, we want to avoid something called Moire Pattern. The Moire effect is an optical illusion, which can be difficult to monitor on smaller screens such as the ones on a camera monitor.

A videographer’s tips and tricks to deal with Moire patterns

From the video maker point of view, it’s best to put our best foot forward and always monitor at 100% size whenever possible. If you suspect a Moire creeping in, check with a test shot and watch on a large screen.

One thing to bear in mind is that, unfortunately, zooming in on the camera monitor alone can often create a moire effect. This is due to resampling.

The greatest defence is to move a few inches away from the subject and refocus. This should capture the texture more realistically.

If moving away from the subject is not an option, because of space constraints, you can try adjusting the angle of the camera, and refocus onto an area away from the suspected culprit.

Always double-check!

If during the edit, you still find yourself with the headache of moire, there is hope. It can be tamed with a slight gaussian blur specifically around the affected area.

It’s worth triple checking in the ‘help’ panel of your editing software whether it has specific moire eliminating tool!

When it comes to social media video strategy the first question our clients always ask is “How often should I upload videos to my social media platforms?”.

We tend to flip this question around and instead guide our clients through creating a strategy for filming and editing video content that will allow them to grow an online audience full of valuable, engaged followers.

Our two top tips: Consistency and Resourcefulness!

• Be consistent: Whether you chose to share content weekly of monthly, try to stick to a regular interval for a few months so you can really start seeing results.

• Take advantage of content scheduling tools, such as YouTube’s option to publish videos at a later date. Once you’ve created and uploaded your video, the visibility tab on YouTube allows publishing in the future. At the time of writing this, all the big social media platforms offer this option.

You could of course upload 150 videos in one go to your website or YouTube channel. I mean, technically speaking, it is possible. However, if your goal is building an online audience, consider using a scheduling tool to ensure content reaches your followers regularly. Whether that’s monthly or weekly, audiences and search engines both want the same thing from your website: fresh content. 

Note that we keep mentioning YouTube. Remember that it’s owned by Google and it has become the second-largest online search engine. Chances are this is where you want to be found!.

Video Production: The Ideal Content Strategy and Planning Schedule

We’ll say it right away, there is no magic ratio. 

There is, however, a clever way to ensure you never run out of fresh content to share, and that is to plan, create, publish, promote, and analyse every bit of content you put out there.

• Establish your goals: What results exactly do you want to achieve? Let’s not get sidetracked by numbers or ‘going viral’ and instead think of reaching your target audience, communicating a clear message, and telling unique stories. Educating viewers.
• Define your target audience: Remember that people want to watch exactly what appeals to them. Nothing else. So perhaps focus on creating sweet and short pieces that target a specific audience.
• Brainstorm ideas: Branded content, talking heads, product demos, animated explainers, vlogs, training videos. There are endless opportunities to highlight the virtues of your brands, product or service.
• Get creating: That’s the fun bit!

Social Media Video Strategy: It can be an easy process!

It does sound daunting but with a bit of organisation, there is no reason why you can’t put a few great pieces of content out there in very little time.

Two words: Batch production, like a production line in a factory. That’s right. The trick lies in allocating specific days for specific tasks:

• Day 1: PLAN all the content you would like to create
• Day 2: FILM all the videos
• Day 3: EDIT

Just like we allocate a day to go through all the receipts, invoices, orders, business emails, we can designate one day to think about the content we want to put out there.

When filming videos, choose a specific day when you will be batch recording all the footage. Set time aside to get camera-ready, set up the kit (camera, lights and sound), props or sets, and always make sure you capture b-roll. Then, it’s time to get stuck in! Solo or with the help of our friendly team.

Our top tip: Remember to script your videos. This will help the editing process and will make it easier to write video descriptions and titles.

Finally, batch edit all your footage; yes, we can help with that too, but it is perfectly possible to fly solo too.

Here’s a super quick round up of our Top 5 favourite apps to edit videos on the go in 2021:

• iMovie: iOS
• InShot: iOS and Android.
• TikTok: iOS and Android.
• Adobe Spark Video: iOS
• Adobe Premiere Rush: iOS and Android

We can help tell your story with bulk video production

Whether it’s filming in batch or bulk editing big selections of footage, the answer is a streamlined process. This ensures you can keep track of the project every step of the way.

We work with you every step of the way to generate content that answers exactly to your input and follows through all marketing objectives set at the beginning.

Experience has given us the ability and technical resources to ensure that we can quickly carry out any changes or amendments required.

We understand that our clients often need unique solutions. Indeed, every marketing team’s needs are different. This is why we pride ourselves in being flexibility and in offering simple options that go a long way.

Definitely contact us for a content strategy chat and an estimate based on your precise requirements.

Sunny days are overrated. When it comes to filming videos or taking photos using natural light, sunny days can be quite challenging. We are here to tell you why and more importantly, how to fix it.

I know what you’re thinking. It’s winter day eleventy billionth, London is at its bleakest and all we can think is bring on the sunny days. After all, we need that perfect brilliant sunshine to film all those videos we’ve been meaning to publish. Right?

Wrong!

We can all agree that there’s no light source as bright as the sun, but a lot of light can translate into a lot of problems. All that light will cause super bright hot spots and deep dark shadows.

Add to this the general unpredictability of an outdoor shoot. As the day goes by, passing clouds will play tricks on you, constantly varying the amount of light and shadows on your subject, effectively making it seem as if your composition flickers.

The key to making your filming session a success is to be in control of your shooting environment. When filming outdoors, the one element that will cause the most trouble is ambient light.

Somewhat surprisingly, with natural light being the one element that can cause the most trouble during outdoor shoots, one solution is to film on overcast days. A cover of clouds will soften the effects of harsh sunlight effectively making shadows disappear altogether and giving a more uniform overall lighting effect.

However, this is not always possible, so this is why we always recommend to our clients a real game-changer when it comes to lighting. A diffuser, you can find our preferred option via our shop, it’s actually a 5-in-1 kit of diffusers and reflectors you can place between the light source and the subject, to soften the amount of light.

Bear in mind that using a diffuser will probably mean you’ll need an extra pair of hands, but as we always say: great videos are the result of team effort. Alternatively, you can invest in a stand, or our absolute favourite, Manfrotto’s Magic Arm.

As ever, if you have any questions at all about video, just give us a shout! We love a chat, especially if it’s a “video chat”! (See what we did there?).

As part of a series of free webinars sponsored by BT Business and their #SkillsforTomorrow programme, we were invited by Small Business Saturday UK to share a live demonstration of our top tips when filming videos with an iPhone.

Victor Castejon, Creative Director at The Quick Brown Fox Video Productions shares here how to make the most of video content shot on your iPhone to ensure your business stands out from the rest.

At the moment of writing this blog, our webinar has amassed over 18K views on Facebook alone, so we thought it would be a good idea to share here some of our thoughts on everything iPhone video from top tips to apps recommendations.

All the equipment mentioned during our webinar can be found in our shop. Please know that as an Amazon Associate, The Quick Brown Fox earns a small commission from qualifying purchases made via the links we publish. This does not affect how much you pay.

Finally, if you’ve been bitten by the live video bug, make sure you check out our blog on 7 top tips for a successful livestream.

Big brands and small businesses alike are increasingly experimenting with live streaming. So if you are looking to embrace this trend, what can you do to increase your chances of success?

1- Choose the right live streaming platform

Probably the go-to platforms for most companies will be YouTube and Facebook Live. On occasion though, you may want to have more control over who will see your live stream or you may want to stream to multiple destinations. Third-party platforms limit how much you can control a transmission so if you must use them, make sure that any possible technical failures are covered. During a live event there really is no room for mistakes. To ensure you’ve made the right choice give us a call and we’ll be happy to guide you through options.

2- Add personality and collaborate

Live streaming opens a world of possibilities for user-generated content and collaboration between brands and influencers. Partner up with other business owners and research topics that would be of interest for potential clients.

3- Choose a great idea

Whilst there are no recipes for ‘going viral’, the key to attracting an engaged audience lies in providing content that is unique, fascinating and/or enlightening. Don’t worry about creator’s block, coming up with ideas for content gets easier with time. The more you interact with the audience the more familiar you will become with the topics that will resonate the most with them.

4- Preparation is key

Live streaming doesn’t require fully scripted content – in fact, in many cases that will even be undesirable – but brands shouldn’t expect to achieve success without some preparation to ensure events flow smoothly and keep viewers engaged. Without structure, the event can quickly become boring, or worse, reduce the likelihood a viewer will tune in again.

5- Set up properly

Start by checking there’s good internet connectivity at the venue and always select the right equipment. Leave nothing to chance. Get a tripod! Don’t rely on a single solitary person and a handheld device for your transmission. Even the smallest shake and noise coming from a person filming with a handheld device will damage the quality of the live stream.

6- Sound is crucial

If you’re streaming from a mobile device, make sure you place the device either close to the speaker or, even better, that you can pick up sound from the venue system. It may be the presenter is not using a microphone in which case your device should be as close to them as possible. You could invest in a directional microphone such as this one. This mic can be connected directly to your mobile and it is a great affordable option

7- Interact, interact, interact!

Respond to comments live (if possible). Social media platforms algorithms mean that comments have a short lifespan, so the sooner you get replying the better! If you can’t reply live do it straight after finishing the transmission. Interaction helps boost engagement with your audience and will keep them coming back for more.

On seeing the word recce a military operation comes to mind. The word comes from reconnaissance which in the video industry, refers to visiting a location in advance of filming video content. If you are shopping around for video estimates for your business you will have seen words like ‘pre-filming recce visit” in a few proposals.  If you haven’t, we think it might be a red flag and you may want to have another chat with your potential supplier.  But is it really worth the extra time and expense?

Does my video really need a pre-filming recce visit?*

Preparation is key to any video production. The more preparation ahead of a shoot, the more efficiently the day will run and the less likely that something will go wrong. Plus the better results the client will get.

A pre-filming recce is one of the crucial ways of preparing ahead of a shoot. Particularly due to budget constraints, visiting a location is the perfect way to assess any risks before filming.

We’re all so pressed for time that using precious hours in a pre-filming recce might not sound great but when compared to what it would cost if something were to go wrong, it’s more than worth it. Most projects involve a crew, talents, equipment and location. Organising all of that only to realise on the day that the location is not perfect or unsafe, would mean very expensive delays.

*It’s a great question to ask your production company

When requesting prices for a filming job, ask the production company if a recce is required for your particular project. It is not *always* the case. Pre-filming recce visits are more commonly used for example in live streaming projects and in general for larger budget commissions where there’s a need to really make the most of a specific location.

What will a pre-filming recce visit reveal?

You want the crew to see the location with their professional hat on. They will be able to spot any potential issues and come up with solutions and alternatives. There’s always the risk of a location being totally unsuitable but it’s best to find out ahead of the actual filming day. Maybe the place is not ideal considering the equipment required, or there might not be proper sound insulation. Perhaps there might be insufficient space for crew and kit, or safety issues like faulty electrics or slippery surfaces.

Top 3 issues to watch out for:

• • Sound: Crisp, clear sound is a key component of a good video. Environmental sounds such as traffic, air con units and such can be easy to overlook. Experienced filming crew will spot trouble
  • Lighting: Good lighting is crucial to a great end result. Whether natural or artificial, lighting can make or break a video. During the pre-filming recce visit, the crew needs to check existing light sources and make an assessment of what kit they will need to bring on the day.
  • Electric power: Video production is a power hungry operation. These days most kit will run on batteries for a good few hours. An experienced crew will know to come prepared for any contingency though and the best tip is to walk around the location and identify all power outlets, always double checking they are in good working order.

If the pre-production team does spot any issues, they will suggest strategies to resolve them. Sometimes briefs can be tweaked to suit. In any case, a pre-filming recce visit allows for this approach to be been taken ahead of filming day, rather than having to deal with nasty surprises later.

It’s not all negative though, a pre-filming recce visit will also be a source of inspiration. Some of the best ideas our crew has had are born on location whilst preparing before filming day. A great video maker should really be able to make the most of any particular setting in terms of space and lighting.

Costs implications:

We have set rates for pre-production, production and post-production based on the time we spent on each task. A pre-filming recce visit will always be less expensive than a filming or editing hour. One member of our team will set aside 1 or 2 hours depending on distance and project complexity.

We really do think a pre-filming recce visit is worth the cost, as it can really make a difference on filming day.

Check out a rough pricing guide we’ve put together and do get in touch if you have any questions or wish to request a quote. We’re always happy to help with any queries.

Which trends will rule social media video in 2019?

2019 is the year of video… but wait, isn’t every year “the year of video”? We share with you the social media video trends that will help put your brand at the top of your followers feeds.

Over the past few years, we’ve seen a steady rise in the use of social media video in marketing and PR, and in 2019, the power of social media video seems as strong as ever.

With the start of the new year, I’ve been mulling over what I think will be 2019 social media video trends to give you 10 ideas you can use to bring your social media posts to life, including the use of stories, short-form video and many more!.

Stories.

Remember Snapchat stories when most marketing people couldn’t make heads or tails of it? Well, Instagram dixit, their stories have increased the time spent on the platform from 15 to 32 minutes a day and 82% of brand audiences prefer live video from a brand to social posts. a
Take advantage of that FOMO to attract viewers!
Even more so, it is a proven fact that most audiences prefer ads that read like stories, who doesn’t love a good story?

Captions, the case for inclusive videos.

Videos without subtitles are watched, on average, 66% to completion whilst 80% of Facebook videos are watched on mute!
We think those are huge numbers you just cannot afford to ignore.

Thought leadership.

First person story-telling just works!
It’s also one of the easiest types of video to create: just you in front of the camera.
Your audience wants to see what your day-to-day is like, particularly if you share issues you are very familiar with and can provide expert advice.

Podcasting? Film your sessions!

You’ve already discovered the power of podcasts. Why create one asset at a time when you could be creating two in one go?. With a video recording of your podcast, listeners can put a face to the voice and relate even more to your content. If you can record and film from your business’ premises even better! You’re giving potential customers front row access to the ins and outs of the biz.

Mobile-first video.

According to eMarketer, nearly 80% of people watching videos do so from their smartphones and 94% of the time they hold their phones vertically. Vertical video is here to stay. If you wish to meet your customers’ needs consider filming good quality vertical content to use on Instagram stories.

Video in email.

On average, how many emails a day do we get? Surely tons clogging up notifications, so how to stand out? Using the word “Video” in the subject line can lead to higher open rates, whilst video thumbnails lead to higher engagement!

Video allows you to inject personality to otherwise boring marketing emails. Maybe try adding a video to the signature so clients can quickly see who you are.

We think this social media trend will continue to grow in 2019, as more and more people start to see success when including video in their email communication.

Paid-for video courses.

Over time you’ve worked hard creating content loaded with value for your customers. In return, you’ve built up a captive audience you already know is interested in what you have to say. Perhaps it’s time to start charging for that content and what better way to deliver it than online video courses. How about creating videos around those topics

This social media trend will help you balance your marketing efforts vs. revenue and help you come up with ideas for even more new content.

Be transparent.

Don’t be afraid to show what happens behind the scenes. We’re not only talking about sharing the good days and achievements, but also the setbacks. Sharing your decision-making process, what’s worked for you, and what hasn’t, can be communicated more easily and effectively using video.

Live Q&A.

Live streaming capabilities are available in nearly every social media platform. Make the most of a live session and engage with the audience by encouraging them to ask questions around a specific topic.

Back to Instagram stories, check out the “Ask Me Anything” sticker.

Influencers.

75% of consumers trust social media when it comes to making purchase decisions. This applies to holiday destinations through to choosing a restaurant for dinner or picking the most ‘instagrammable’ place to hang out. If you collaborate with the right influencer to mention your brand or showcase your product, you’re immediately tapping into a ready-made target market more than willing to follow the opinion of someone they trust.

 

Are you curious about which 2019 social media video trend is more suited to your business? Get in touch via the contact page to learn more about what we do. Remember to follow us on Instagram to see snippets of our day to day work and access valuable tips that will help you nail social media video.

Unless you’re living under a rock, you’ll know that Instagram IGTV launched this week and everyone is already jumping in on it.

At The Quick Brown Fox, we just launched our own IGTV channel with a nice handy little tutorial video with all the tips and tricks you’ll need to get you started on this new tool. You can watch our video here.

As with every social media platform, it’s important to have a strategy and a little think as to how you’ll use it to benefit your brand and reach the perfect audience but for now, let’s just have a quick glimpse into how it works.

Getting ready for Instagram IGTV:

First, make sure you have the very latest version of the Instagram app installed on your phone. It may be that even after updating you will have to open & close the app in order to see the IGTV icon at the top right corner next to the paper dart.

At first, you’ll be asked to create your channel. No worries, it sounds worse than what it is, it’s really just a series of very simple to follow on-screen prompts.

Once you’ve done this just tap your avatar to start uploading videos directly from your camera roll by either tapping the + symbol on the right or where it says (duh) “upload video”.

Choose any video, it should be longer than 15 seconds and up to 10min long. Bear in mind that IGTV has been created with vertical videos in mind. Instagram reckons that vertical is the natural way in which people watch videos on their phone. So there! Vertical videos! Consider this when you’re shooting your content. Make sure you follow some basic guidelines to create good quality videos.

Remember to add a nice title and a relevant description. Make sure you use of this feature well, because (wait for it…..) you can add hashtags AND clickable links pointing to wherever you like!. Think your blog, website, anywhere!. This is possible even if you have under 10K followers, unlike the “swipe up” feature on insta-stories which is only available to accounts with more than 10K followers.

As always, chose a nice cover, Instagram IGTV is a visual platform after all!

IGTV main features:

Something we really love is that IGTV  is available to both business and personal accounts. This could be a game changer for some Instagram users.

Once you have set up your channel and have finished uploading the first video, your followers will be able to visit your IGTV channel directly from your IG profile by tapping the IGTV icon to the left of your highlights. Your new channel displays prominently, so again, make sure you take full advantage!.

Your followers can like, comment and share your IGTV content in the same way they interact with grid posts and insta-stories. But here’s another possible game changer: as the channel owner, you can grab a link to your video and share it in other platforms to direct traffic to your shiny new IGTV channel.

Have fun!

Do you need a video production estimate? You need to allocate budget for a few videos but are struggling to get a straight answer.

Many clients ask us to ‘quickly’ give a ballpark figure for filming and editing a few videos… and that’s it!. We are not given any further details usually because the prospective client does not know which information we need in order to accurately prepare an estimate for video production.

We always say it is best to spend a bit of time thinking about the final product in order to get things right from the start.

There are many factors that can affect a video production estimate.

We need to consider equipment to be used on the day, yes, but also man-hours during post-production. … and who best to give a full brief than the client?

Some of these questions may or may not be relevant to your particular project and if there’s anything you are not sure of, we are happy to advise. Rule of thumb: the more information you can give us about your video project the quicker and more accurately we will be able to price it.

✓ Can you briefly describe the idea behind your video and do you know roughly how long you would like it to be?

✓ Do you already have a draft script or storyboard or concept we can use?

✓ Have you seen other videos you like and that are similar to what you would like to achieve?

✓ Do you have a rough idea of how many filming days you will require?

✓ What type of content are we filming? Maybe you’re looking to promote a product or raise funds for a new start up business, perhaps you just want to document an event or live stream

✓ Do you have a location in mind? Is it outdoors or indoors? We are able to help you source a location, whether that’s a controlled studio environment,

✓ Do you have a preferred date for filming? When do you need the video ready? Working to tight deadlines is not a problem but it is always best to have an idea of the overall video marketing strategy schedule.

✓ Sometimes a single camera is enough but we can provide as many as needed. We will gladly advise you on this and propose the best way forward depending on the type of video required.

“You will not find ‘Production value’ priced on any rates card”

✓ We can film and edit but also offer full post-production (voiceovers, colour grading, translations, captioning and subtitling), do you think you will need anything extra?

✓ How would you like your video delivered? Is the video going to be part of a larger social media marketing strategy? Maybe the video is for social media but a decision on vertical vs horizontal format must be made early on.

Check out the pricing section of our website for some guideline prices and a basic video production estimate and if you have any questions at all, please email us hello@thequickbrownfox.co.uk for a no obligations chat and video production estimate.

Having a good lighting setup will make your life easier during post-production. Check out this basic tutorial and get it right from the start.

Always remember that cameras love light and that’s a fact!