COVID-19 isn’t slowing video production. Here’s what you need to know.

In fact, according to our partners Lee and Pat at Newleaf Productions, video is quite an adaptable medium. And it’s a good thing too.

Studies show 80% of consumers have consumed more content since the coronavirus outbreak than they did before. What’s more, video is the type of content they want. It’s estimated that by 2022, 82% of all content creation will be video.  via Forbes

We’ve been encouraging the use of video wherever we can when it comes to client content strategies and engagement. It’s always been a way to humanize your brand when you can not have 1:1 conversations, and now more than ever, your customers need to know you’re present, connected, and value their engagement. You can do this very powerfully through the messages you send and the types of videos you choose to create.

So, ready to up your video production today? Then read on. Here are five things to consider from the conversation I had with Pat and Lee to assure video production is alive and well and SAFE.

What advice would you give to support the idea that video is very doable today?

…companies are producing and pushing out as much video content as possible right now. Our post-production department is busier than we have ever been. 

Whether it’s pulling from video archives to create new video, animation, user-generated-content, etc., video is one of the primary ways companies are able to still communicate effectively today.

Any ways companies should prep differently before starting a video project?

For projects where we are on set with other human beings (Yes, that is still happening.), we now have Covid Safety Compliance Officers on set to make sure we are doing everything possible to keep crew and talent as safe as possible at all times.

These Officers arrive on set a couple of hours before anyone else, take temperature checks of all crew and talent, and keep everybody in line with social distancing and mask wearing. On the bigger productions where it can be included into the budget, we have been doing Covid rapid testing on all crew, talent, and participants in the 48 hours before a shoot.

Has anything changed in terms of collaboration or production for the worse? For the better?

Collaboration, during pre-production especially, seems to be much more comprehensive now.  We seem to be having many zoom calls every week for project prep and are able to quickly flag issues, raise questions, and develop things in real time. This helps keep time on set and in production more efficient and enables us to complete projects faster.

Has the priority for video changed since March? And any ideas why?

It seems like it has become even more necessary right now. 

We think it’s because there’s a stronger desire for people to see people and to connect with brands that are vulnerable enough to have their employees, their brand and their mission be represented and documented with video. With video, it’s extra special because there’s so much nonverbal communication that can work in your favor to amplify and validate the emotions you want your audience to register.  

Have you seen any shifts in the types of videos or the messages communicated via video since March? 

In regards to shifts in the types of videos, not really. We still see organizations shooting all the same types of videos we did pre-March. The biggest shift may be the volume of  on location videos, but they’re still happening and gaining popularity now that we have a safe protocol for production.

Regarding the messages, again not as much. Videos are still used for all different reasons whether it’s product demos or brand awareness. There are aspects about any type of video we like to produce, but we do especially enjoy videos that have a strong emotional appeal targeted at a specific audience. We are seeing a trend in the work we do towards leveraging more emotional, value-focused messaging then we have in the past.

Not only can video help build connection  and credibility by encouraging your viewer to feel something; It can also be very effective in terms of contributing to revenue.

92% of marketers say video is an important part of their marketing strategy, with 88% finding that video gives them a positive ROI. (Contrast those figures with the 33% who found a positive ROI in 2015.) source

While video is not a substitute for real human interaction, when done right, it does help to increase engagement, build trust, and boost our mood. We love making videos with our clients. And yes, we’ll most likely partner with Lee and Pat to bring it to life.

Want to talk video today? We’re ready.

Want to see our partnership in action? Check out these videos:

Animation: LogMeIn