Below are five great ways you can continue to roll-out content from the comfort of your couch through animation, stock video, video interviews, online webinars and animated podcasts.
Animation is perfect for delivering a punchy and engaging message. You can use animated 2D imagery, character animation, typographic animation, infographic animation, 3D animation. The list goes on.
With no heavy video files to transfer, animation can be done 100% remotely so is the perfect way to keep your marketing going and keep communicating.
For some examples of different animation styles and budgets, check out our animation budget guide.
Stock and archive footage is the way to go if you still want to give your content that 'real life' feel.
Stock sites have gone well beyond clips of cheesy handshakes and forced smiles. By matching similar shots and linking them together with a voiceover or text graphics, you can create a quality, engaging video that looks as good as if you filmed it yourself.
For some examples of quality stock libraries, check out:
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Okay, so not everyone has a high-end cinema camera lying around at home, but I’m sure you have either a laptop or a mobile phone.
Why not get a number of employees to shoot Q&A answers that you can bring together with graphic titles?
Or record a direct piece to camera that you can top and tail with a logo and add some existing photos or video clips to for context.
Three top tips for home recording:
1. Find a nice light source. A large window with indirect sunlight is perfect. Make sure you sit facing the light. If you sit with your back to the window all you’ll be recording is a silhouette.
2. Clean up your sound. If you can use a separate lapel mic plugged into your phone or a sound recorder, great. If not, make sure you are close enough to your microphone so that you avoid yelling across the room.
3. Present to the camera. When delivering your message, think of the camera as a person or a friend you're telling a story to. Look directly at the lens, smile, and be as engaging as possible when speaking.
Remember, everyone is in the same boat, so shooting an interview at home on your phone is easily forgiven – especially if you polish it up with some high-quality graphics or existing imagery.
Want to share a customer story? Or an interview with a supplier?
Video conferencing platforms like Zoom are free to use and offer video recordings at no extra charge. They’re a great tool for recording interviews from different locations as well as with multiple people at the same time.
The best part: all you need is a laptop, an internet connection and a clean house!
As with the interviews you can add logos, motion graphics and imagery over the top to amp up production values.
For some great webinar content, check out Tribe’s Marketers in Pyjamas series.
If video conferencing isn't your thing (we all have bad hair days!) or if you want to stand out from the crowd, why not combine an audio podcast with animation to deliver your message in a visually rich way.
You can use characters, 2D graphics, images, typography or a mix of them all. By keeping your content visual, you can still share it across all of your channels and keep communicating. Check out The Ricky Gervais Show as an example.
So there you have it, five tips for creating video content while at home. If you want to know more or have questions, get in touch at Trapdoor Productions.
The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of My Business.
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Jimmy is General Manager of Sydney based content agency Trapdoor Productions. Trapdoor produces film, photography, design and animation content for broadcast, online and social.
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