The Art of Living Dangerously
April 24, 2008
Let’s assume you’re about about to make a film. (Maybe you are and that’s why you’re here, maybe you’re here because you were looking for advice on keeping chickens and you were momentarily distracted and took a wrong turning at google; whichever it is, now you’re here, stay and join in the hypothesising!)
So you’re about to make a film, how do you approach it? Some people come from the let’s get our CEO on screen telling us all how things are. There’s nothing wrong with that, especially if you have a really charismatic CEO, but should that be the limit of your boldness.
Often w
e think we come up with really creative, clever ideas, only for clients to get nervous, or think they won’t get the right message across in the right tone to their target audience. But often being bold can pay dividends. When Scottish Water agreed to our suggestion to get George Wylie, the elderly Glaswegian artist and a man of definite views, to present a documentary about the new Glasgow Water Treatment Works at Milngavie, they were taking a risk. But by doing so they brought a real sense of insight and passion to the finished film, and it gave the programme a certain something it would not have got with a ‘televison presenter’.
When the Ardbeg Distillery was brought by Glenmorangie a
nd re-opened in 1997, they wanted to create a film that celebrated the fact. Originally they wanted the film to focus on the distillery itself, and interviews with distillery workers and managers. But the distillery had been so important to the community, and it’s re-opening such a rebirth for that part of Islay, that we persuaded them that a film told from the point of view of the community would be more powerful. The finished film used a soundtrack recorded live in a pub during the actual shoot, and was based around the thoughts of those people who had lived through the years of the distillery’s closure.
But that’s only the tip of the iceberg. There are lots of companies doing amazing things with film and video, animation and graphics, and often the more you open up to what is possible, the more you can get out of the film you are creating!
The Internet and Kevin Keegan
April 10, 2008
The thing about the web is it doesn’t stand still. Just when you think you’ve got a handle on it, something else comes along. Three years ago whoever would have thought social networking sites would become the juggernauts they are now. And YouTube has become more than simply a place for odd videos (see our Channel – no odd videos there), it has become a research resource for people. When Kevin Keegan rejoined Newcastle United, Oba Martins didn’t know anything about him, and started his research by looking for old Keegan goals on YouTube. I hope he didn’t find this!
For companies as well, the web is changing. People or customers visiting websites expect more than pictures and text now, they expect moving images, they expect websites to be exciting interesting places to go.
Some companies are using their websites to host films that promote them, like Intense. Some of the most innovative companies have gone even further than that.
What are you doing?
The Dos and Don’ts
April 10, 2008
For our clients, making films is an enjoyable, collaborative, creative endeavour, which produces something for them of real value, whether they are making something to gee up their troops internally, or raise their profile externally. They enjoy it because we really do try and take the worry and troubles off their shoulders. And in the case of the shoot on the right for Northlink Ferries, we pass it onto the shoulders of Lighting Cameraman Jan Pester, who carried around that steadicam rig for three days!
For some people new to the process however it can be a little daunting. You don’t know how developed an idea you need, or how you might schedule filming, or who you need to involve. Don’t worry about that – we’ll guide you through that process, but for a quick and slightly irreverent guide to making corporate films, this guy from the States has some pretty good advice.
Come back to this blog, we’ll be writing it every week, with news of what we’re doing, and links to other interesting bits and bobs.
