Blog - Propulse Video

Bringing Stories To Life – An Interview With One Of Our Animators

August 18, 2022

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Creating videos is what we do here at Propulse Video. We are a team of experts that is passionate about creating engaging videos and making sure to get the best results for our clients. Especially when it comes to animation, we are striving for results that captivate viewers and fascinate the audience. For this post, we sat down with one of our great animators, Miki, to talk about animation and work at Propulse Video. He gave us some great insights into life as an animator at Propulse Video. So without further ado, here is the in-depth interview with Miki.

What is your name, where are you from, and what do you do?

My name is Miki, I’m from Calella, a town near the sea, and what I do is 3D animation. I mostly create and model things, and then I do the lighting, textures, and animation. I’ve been working at Propulse Video for two months now.

How did you get to Propulse Video?

That’s a nice story. I applied five years ago for an internship in 2D animation, but it didn’t work out. Then one day I was in the street in my town and I saw a friend from my school who is working for TransPerfect as a recruiter. So she told me there is actually an offer about 3D animation and I should send my resume! I didn’t actually know it was Propulse Video at first, because she only told me about TransPerfect. So that is the second time that I met Propulse Video.

What makes Propulse Video special for you?

For me, working at Propulse Video is an opportunity to create animations. I come from a job that was more focused on creating non-animated pictures in 3D, and I would like to focus more on animation. Also, I enjoy creating things for social media, graphics, proposals, and all that. So that’s why I really like working for Propulse Video.

Can you tell me a little bit about your first impression of Propulse Video?

I had so many impressions. Like one thing I really like is that we have small meetings everyday in the morning and the afternoon with the whole design and animation team to catch up on each other’s projects. So I had a nice impression with that because it shows to me that the projects are well-managed.

How would you describe your work in the animation process?

The process varies depending on the client and their needs. We usually have a script, and then a storyboard. The storyboard is like the script, but with illustrations in it to indicate the types of shots that will be in the video. What we do then is create a graphic proposal (a first look at the design of the video). When that is done, we make a full sequence, which is like the final result but only in pictures and frames. The full sequence is not animated. It’s used to show the clients the look and feel of the video. After this is approved, we start with the animation. First we create the gray animation, which is like the animation but not rendered. When this is done, we do the final touches like lighting and all that.

So the animation itself actually comes very late in the process?

Yes! One side of the animator’s job is to work on full sequences, creating the look and feel, the design, and then on the other side you work on the animations, modeling and creating animated videos. It’s like working in two different ways. The full sequence is made to show the look and feel. And if you have this approved, everything after that is based on the full sequence, including lighting, textures, and so on. So that is when the actual animation is done.

What’s the trickiest part of animation?

There’s some animations that have some extra effects, or you have to coordinate an animation of some objects cooking in water. When you do something like that, it can be difficult. Then sometimes you need to change the rhythm of all the effects. Then it’s quite difficult to pick everything you’ve done as a special effect and change the rhythm. It’s not that hard to do a simple water effect, but maybe if you want to do something more particular, or another liquid, that’s the part that can get complicated, having a reference and trying to copy that.

What do you like the most about your job?

I enjoy my communication with my colleagues a lot. That’s a nice thing because communication is necessary to do a nice job. Talking fluently with your colleagues and coordinating with them, all that is important. It is fun to work like that. Because we have our nice moments, and we’re creating things, it’s great.

When it comes to animation, lighting and texturing are some of the things that I like the most. In the post that we did for Instagram, lighting was my favorite thing. I’m always learning about this, because I know the combination of good lighting and texturing can be fantastic to achieve really photorealistic results. For me, they are like the most important parts of making a photorealistic image.

Can you tell us a little bit about the background of the Instagram post and how you came up with the idea of a room?

So, the idea was to create a result that expresses a little bit of a familiar feeling. Like I’m at home, in a nice room. And that’s also because we now have a hybrid situation, so your home is often also your office. So for me the proposal of this scene was that I wanted to make a nice lighting, a little bit of fantasy.

And the animation for me is an important part of that post, because it’s like an empty room, and then all the things are coming together. It’s like an equation. You are creating a space from an idea, and ideas are creating all rooms.

Can you think of any fun fact about about animation? Something about animation that you wouldn’t expect if you don’t know animation.

Yeah! Let’s talk about textures. There are two ways of texturing: You can just put a material on an object in the scene. But that way, you can find that later the textures are not detailed and you have like pixels. So if you want to get a good, photorealistic texture, you have to unwrap the object first to prepare it for texturing. That’s one of the things that I was fighting with before. Learning to unwrap is a difficult thing, you really need to study the whole process well and understand the basic concepts about it. So that’s about texturing.

What advice would you give someone who wants to start in animation?

Well, I have some friends that want to start in animation. The advice that I’ve given to them is that they have to know a little bit about the different industries. Not all animation is the same, It depends on the sector. It’s not the same working in the video game industry or working in the advertising industry. And when you know the market you want to work in, look for some references and start creating!

When I was starting up, I was doing my portfolio and I discovered that I would like to go into the advertising industry. So I looked for the designs of some companies and I discovered that they went with photorealistic designs and then I started to search for some images, some art from other companies, some photorealistic results. And like that I found out about what’s in demand now in 3D.

Thank you so much for this great interview! Do you have any closing thoughts?

I’ve been here for two months and it makes me happy to know that I will be here for some time. I want to take that experience to learn more things, meet the people, my colleagues, and learn more about the creation process at Propulse Video.

If you want to find out more about animation and how a video can help boost your company, contact us now!

What Is The Ideal Video Length?

August 4, 2022

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When it comes to videos, there are many factors that play into how they should be set up and executed. Thus, it is no surprise that the same is true for the video length. There are various factors that could impact how long the ideal length for your video is. It depends on many factors such as the target group, the kind of video you are making, the channel which you intend to use to publish the video – all the way down to the industry you are in. With that many factors influencing this decision, it can get difficult to find the right choice. In this blog post, we discuss the different factors that have an impact on the ideal length of your video.

Basics of Video Length

Before diving deeper into the topic, let us first establish some general facts regarding the video length.

The majority of Marketing Videos are less than two minutes long.
Only a small percentage of videos goes beyond the 10 minute mark.
The shorter the video, the more likely it is that the video will be watched to the end.
Capturing the viewers attention within the from the beginning is crucial.

With these basic points established, we already have a general overview. Videos, especially marketing videos, tend to be rather short. While there certainly are cases where longer videos can make more sense, the majority of marketing videos is short. However, let us now look deeper into the matter and see what factor play into the decision of how long or short your video should be.

What Factors Influence the Ideal Video Length?

The Channel You Use

The digital channels at your disposal to publish your video on are numerous to say the least. However, they also tend to work very different from each other. Targeted towards different groups, the various sites have varying audiences that might be very different from each other, especially in how they consume content on the platforms. A YouTube user, for example, may happily watch a video that goes on for 8 minutes, while an Instagram user will probably not give it more than 15 seconds. TikTok for example is heavily popular with the younger generation, where videos hardly go any longer than 30 seconds.

Social media sites tend to stir their algorithms into the direction that gets the most engagement from users. Thus, if short videos are heavily favored on a site, the algorithm will likely push short videos because the developers know that this keeps people engaged. So when assessing the perfect video length for different channels, make sure to find out and consider what length tends to do best on the platform.

Attention Span of your Audience

When you want to communicate with your audience by using a video on social media, make sure you adapt the length to the attention span of the platform’s users. What is meant by attention span at this point is how long the span of time is that the user is willing to watch without being personally engaged in the content. This becomes especially crucial when it comes to very short videos, like Instagram Reels or TikTok. If you have not managed to capture the audiences attention with the first few seconds, you will likely have lost it and they will swipe on.

Capture Attention Quickly

When it comes to videos of any length, one thing is always important: capture attention quickly and get your key message across early on, ideally in the first quarter of the video. If the build-up to your message is too long or you do not manage to grab the interest of the audience early on, the viewers will likely just stop the video or swipe on, depending on the platform. With videos in general, it is normal that not all people watch the entire video all the way through. Thus the earlier, your message comes across, the more people will hear it.

Different Lengths for Different Purposes

The length of the video depends largely on the ultimate goal of the video and the funnel stage of the viewer. Therefore, it is crucial to be aware of the level of investment and commitment of your target to your business. If you are trying to raise awareness and get your name out there, a short video might do the trick. If you, however, make a video for an audience that is already very invested, they will likely be interested in seeing more content and longer videos.

Consider Your Goals and Objectives

Be aware that the number of views is not the only indicator of success, nor is it necessarily a key one. In order to evaluate the success of the video, you should first assess what success of the video would look like for you. Depending on your goals and objectives, other metrics such as sign-ups, conversions, pipeline and revenue might be more relevant. It definitely make sense to consider the metrics you want to measure beforehand. This way, you can also make sure that the video is designed to push the metrics you want to increase. And within that design process is also the length. Thus, the ideal length of your video is also heavily dependent on the goals and objectives you intend for it.

Finding a Balance

Videos should always be long enough to adequately and comfortably convey your message. Rushing in the video will not make it better. However, you also do not want to make the video unnecessarily long, as this might cause people to lose interest and quit watching, potentially even before your message was conveyed.

Track Your Efforts

Analytics are an amazing tool. Through consistent and thorough analysis of your efforts and their results, you can win deeper insights and optimize your approach. For example, you could use analytics to find out where people are dropping out when they watch your video, and then modify accordingly. If most people drop out at a certain point, maybe there is a reason behind it. Use the analytical tools you have at your disposal to assess performance and apply the lessons learned to future content.

Additionally, using analytics is going to be increasingly useful the more you know about the Key Performance Indicators that you are looking for. Thus, consider your goals and objectives first, and then track their development. With this approach, you can optimize the length of your video to achieve what it is that you want to achieve.

Conclusion

When trying to figure out the ideal video length, there are many considerations to be made. As is typical with videos, there is no one-size-fits-all approach. It is a decision that one needs to make on an individual basis. The right approach is to factor in the different circumstances and the video itself. What is the target group? Where will you publish it? What goals do you want to achieve with the video? What are your insights from past experiences? These are questions that are important to ask.

Making these consideration will help you to find the ideal video length, which you can then further improve through analysis and reassessment. Be aware that the length of a video is not a coincidence – It is a conscious decision in the creation process of the video. Thus, make sure to assess the different considerations and determine what works best for your individual situation and business needs.

If you want to find out more about how to create a video that helps you achieve your goals, contact us now! Our team is happy to help!

Launch Videos – Introducing Your Product To The World

July 29, 2022

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Bringing a new product into this world is not easy. With a growing amount of products, it becomes increasingly important to differentiate yourself from the competition. Especially when it comes to launching, you want to make sure to get the target groups’ attention and convince them of your new solution. And how can you do that? – By using a launch video that creates excitement for your product.

But why is the launch so important? How can videos help? And how can you make sure that your launch video will be as efficient as possible? Let’s start at the beginning!

New Products Through Innovation

In the modern marketplace, innovation is crucial. Companies are continuously developing new products, identifying new ways to use their existing products, and expanding and updating their product portfolio. With opportunity recognition becoming a more and more important field of expertise, this is an ongoing development.

In fact, we can observe a rapid increase in Intellectual Property applications across the board. The amount of trademark applications, for example, more than doubled between 2015 and 2020. From this information, we can conclude that there is an ever growing amount of new ideas, new brands, and new products. And with many new ideas entering the market, one factor becomes more and more important for companies:

Launching Products Successfully

Especially the first people to find new products tend to be the ones that often look out for new launches that might be interesting. Thus, it is highly important to make sure that the launching strategy will reach the right people. It should resonate with them to the degree that they are fascinated by the idea behind the product.

In the fast paced and competitive modern marketplace, new products need to be launched in a way that will ensure that they have a good start into the market. This also means that there should be a clear, cohesive launching strategy underlying these efforts. This launching strategy should also include a promotional strategy that lays out how you are going to promote your new product to make sure to reach the part of your target group that will be willing to use your product first.

But how can you maximize your chances of reaching this group? How can you create awareness for this new product, and maybe even this new brand? And which tool in the repertoire of promotional opportunities can help you to captivate your audience and create excitement for your product?

That's Right: Videos

Videos are an amazing tool to support and boost your launch. There are several reasons why videos are especially helpful when it comes to launching a product. Let’s take a look at 5 key ones:

Videos Make It Easy To Explain Your Concept

Videos make it enormously easy to convey information. Using all audiovisual possibilities that the creation process entails, you can efficiently break down your concept and product to create an easy to understand video that will convey your message and let the audience get a clear understanding of your product.

Videos Can Be Individually Branded Entirely

Especially when it comes to marketing a new product, videos give you the opportunity to make the branding shine through. Use the color palette of your brand, choose a voice that you think would be fitting for the brand, and use it in a tonality that matches not only your values, but also your style. This will immediately create brand recognition and awareness, and thus help the people remember you

Videos Are The People's Favorite Way to Consume Content

Watching videos is people’s favorite way of obtaining information. They are comfortable and exciting to consume and can be viewed wherever you are, whenever you choose to. Due to the audience’s preference, it highly recommendable to make your content available in this format.

Videos Are Favored By Algorithms of Search engines and Social Media Platforms Alike

Since people tend to favor videos, they also tend to engage more with them. And search engines and social media platforms alike have caught on. Their algorithms tend to give videos more visibility, allowing more people to see your content.

Once Created, You Can Reuse Videos and Place Them On all Of Your Channels

Reusability is one of the main benefits of videos. At times, you might need to readjust formats. But you can theoretically integrate your video into your entire online presence. Most websites and platforms allow you to upload video content. This makes it relatively easy to share videos to all of your relevant online channels.

What to Consider For A Launching Video

Now that we have talked about the advantages of using videos in your launch, let us take a closer look at launch videos. As is the case with every special use for a video, there are certain considerations to be made when making it. There are certain points one should pay special attention to when creating launch videos. So let’s take a look at 5 important factors that you should include in the video to ensure effectiveness:

The Novelty Of The Product

In order to create excitement for your product, highlight its novelty. Make sure to tell the viewer what is new about your product, your approach, or your company, and what it is that differentiates you from the existing providers of similar solutions. In this context, a unique selling proposition can be extremely useful. Let people know what is unique and novel about your product.

The Brand - Create Awareness and Recognition

A launch is an introduction of your product to the market. Using branding, you ensure to create recognizability from the start. It gives you the opportunity to create brand awareness early on. In the launch, you build the foundation for your future branding efforts, so make sure to carefully but expressly introduce your audience to the brand.

Make Sure Your Concept Is Clear

With videos giving you the chance to simplify and easily explain your concept, it is crucial to convey your concept in a manner that your audience will understand. The viewers should get a clear idea of what your product is, how they can use it, and what benefits it brings to the table. This is crucial for your product to find acceptance among the target group.

Ensure People Understand What Exactly It Is That You Are Selling

On the one side, there is the technical and explanatory side. On the other hand there is the elementary benefit that is used in your messaging: Is it a lifestyle that you are selling? Is it a feeling? Or are you perhaps selling the ease that comes along with using your product? This core message should shine through in a launch video.

With good marketing, you are not selling chocolate, you are selling a pleasurable culinary experience that gives you comfort and makes you feel like you are experiencing the deliciousness of Swiss delicacies. You are not selling a car, you are selling a symbol of a lifestyle your customer always aspired to have. You are not selling lines of code in a computer program, you are selling the ease and excitement that comes from using your solution to make processes easier and more efficient simultaneously. This elementary core of what you are selling is crucial. Thus, make sure it becomes evident in your launch video.

Engage Your Audience To Create Excitement

With all of the messages you intend to convey, make sure to remember that the focus of the launch video is to appeal to the audience and create excitement among your target group. This makes it crucial to engage them and to make sure that they are captivated by the video. Do not just create your launch video to inform, also create it to entertain. Use the opportunity to truly create excitement for your product.

Conclusion

The Launch is a crucial moment in the life of a product. It will have a big impact on how the product will perform. Because of this, a cohesive launching strategy that will reach the target group and create awareness for your product among it is crucial. And while there are many tools at disposal in modern marketing, video tends to be the most effective. Videos can captivate your viewers and ensure they remember the experience you gave them, along with the information you provided. Used in the right way, a launch video can elevate your launch to a new level, giving your product the best chance it could have. So get started today to make sure that your launch will offer an experience your target group will not forget – A launch video that introduces them to your product and brand in a way that will fascinate them.

Do you want to find out more about how videos can help your business succeed? Contact us now!

Want to find out more about the world of videos? Check out this post on the many types of video and discover the great variety of ways in which businesses can use videos to boost success!

Using 3D Animation to Fascinate Your Audience

July 22, 2022

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2D animations can go a long way. They allow you to convey your message and explain it in a simple manner that can be easily understood. With two dimensions, you can show most things very clearly and abstractly . You can use any imagery that is created with only two dimensions – height and width. But there are times when these two dimensions are not enough. Sometimes you need a third dimension – depth. But what are the benefits of using 3D animation videos? In what situations are they especially helpful? And how can you decide whether 2D or 3D animation is better for your specific needs? Let’s take a closer look.

Adding a Third Dimension

3D Animation means using 3 Dimensions in the creation process – which truly changes the game. There are enormous benefits to using 3D animation. If created with care, 3D videos can look truly impressive and are very likely to stun the audience and create a lasting impression. The additional dimension also allows you to create a more detailed, realistic look which is especially useful when it comes to explaining complex matters.

However, one thing to be aware of is that with the third dimension added, the creation becomes more complex and time-consuming, which also means that 3D animation tends to be costlier. But while this is a downside to 3D animation, it can definitely be worth it. This largely depends on the message and the purpose of the video. Used in the right context, 3D animation can make your video instantly more valuable to the audience and ensure a captivating and memorable experience.

Closer To Reality

3D animations make objects appear more real than 2D animations. Through the added depth of the image, you can make objects appear as they would in reality. This also gives you the opportunity to add textures to the materials you are portraying. If you are using this to present your product, you can give a better impression of what it will look and feel like, thus creating more familiarity and trust in the product.

This this also creates a heightened sense of reality. It makes the audience feel like the content is happening right in front of them, enhancing the psychological appeal. By making the animation seem more real, the viewer can better imagine the information and thus more deeply connect to it. This makes the audience feel better informed and thus improves trust.

Enhance the Possibilities of Your Video

With three dimensions, it becomes possible to show things that would be hard to show within a 2D animation. This is because sometimes, things are too complex to show with only two dimensions. This would often require a further breakdown and might make the video unnecessarily complicated.

However, some things are also highly impractical to film for a live action video. This is often true for medical procedures, biological processes, scientific demonstrations, or complex IT-topics, just to name a few examples. In these cases, filming the process would either be impossible, or the result would be very unclear or just not a good, helpful demonstration.

In these situations, 3D animation is the perfect way to overcome these issues. With 3 dimensional animation you can show processes in depth and make them clear and understandable. Thus, using a 3D animation can greatly increase the accuracy and the value of the video, and thus make it a lot more useful.

Impress Your Audience

Another huge benefit to 3D animation is that it simply looks impressive. The time and effort that go into this animation style create a unique experience that is sure to captivate your audience. With attention to detail you can ensure that your video becomes a fascinating experience your viewers will remember.

Conclusion

Depending on the situation, 3D animation can be an amazing way to convey your message. It allows you to more clearly show processes and make the audience feel like what you are portraying is really happening in front of them. With the addition of the depth dimension, the video will look one step closer to reality, allowing you to add more detail and explain concepts and processes with more ease. This will also make the information you are trying to convey easier to understand for your audience. As you can see, there are many benefits to using 3D animation. While it is certainly a question of what you want to convey, there are some situations where is just makes sense to put in the extra effort to create a 3D video.

Because sometimes, two dimensions just aren’t enough to depict a three-dimensional reality.

If you want to find out more about the possibilities of videos, contact us now!

Using Colors To Create Emotions in Videos

How You Can Create Emotions in Videos With Colors

July 15, 2022

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When it comes to creating visuals for animated content, one highly important, yet often overlooked factor is the use of colors in videos. Not only marketing professionals tend to see colors as extremely important – so does science. The effect of colors on people’s emotions and responses is in fact so massive that it has become its own field of research – color psychology. Color psychology is a well established field that examines the effects of colors on the human psyche.

Colors in Videos

Considering the sheer amount of research done on colors, we can now pretty clearly determine which effect and impression the use of a particular color will have on the observer. It has even been determined that the colors we see can have an impact on blood pressure. And with these existing insights, marketers can make conscious use of this tool when it comes to creating content – or more specifically, visuals. In the process of the creation of videos, emotionally appealing to the audience is crucial. As a marketer, you want the viewer to feel emotionally engaged in the video, as this will create a relationship and ensure memorability.

Thus, you want to make sure that you choose the colors in the video with intent. Making this conscious decision can dramatically increase the value of the video to your company. Videos allow you to take the viewer on an audiovisual emotional journey that captivates and fascinates them. And to ensure the highest possible impact, it is crucial to use all the crayons in the box. Aligning all of the impressions the audience gets with the message you want to convey, as well as the brand you want it to represent, will ensure a lasting effect. And with colors having such a profound impact on perception and reaction, it is important to use this opportunity of further engagement.

Let us take a look at some of the most important colors in videos and what their associations and impressions are.

Yellow

Yellow is a highly energetic and positive color. It reminds us of the sun. Yellow can be very cheerful and happy. However, it can also feel over stimulating and thus less aesthetically pleasing. Thus, you should be careful when using this color in your video. Additionally, as yellow is often a very light color, one should be cautious using it on a white background.

Red

Red is very intense. It stands for extremes like aggression, love, passion, or danger. While other colors can be very calming, an excessive use of red tends to arouse the audience and lead to stronger, more emotional reactions. The color red is ideal to express intensity and highly relevant information. Additionally, it is often used for warnings that should quickly grab the attention of people.

Orange

Orange combines the high positivity of yellow with the immense intensity of red. This creates an association with playfulness, energy, and joyfulness. This makes it a good warm color to use for creating stimulating emotions that underline self confidence and courage.

Blue

Blue signifies stability, confidence, and trust. As a cold color, it is associated with dependability and wisdom. Being the color of the sky and the sea, it is connected to relaxation and peace of mind. In a business context, people tend to associate the color blue with professionalism and calmness.

Green

Green is another highly energetic color that reminds us of nature and growth. Its vivid nature signifies freshness, but also security and prosperity. Its association with nature makes it enormously popular with brands that want to create a sustainable and environmentally friendly image.

Purple

Purple has a long tradition of being associated with royalty, spirituality, and sophistication. As a mix of the intensity of red and the stability and confidence of blue, purple is a powerful color that often signifies high-end value and creates trust.

White

The color white often stands for purity and neutrality. Using a lot of white space in a video can create an impression of spaciousness. As white is an extremely neutral color, it usually works best with accents of other colors. This draws the attention to the other colors and thus make them more intense.

Black

The color black is often associated with power and sophistication. As it gives a very strong impression, it signifies confidence and edginess, not afraid to make a statement. Consciously using black in a video can thus draw the viewer’s attention and create a strong and lasting impression.

While interpreting the different colors, however, one always has to look at the cultural realities of the market targeted. As cultures are different, so are their associations with colors. While many western countries use black to signify grief for example, some Asian countries use white to express their loss. Other cultures use grey, purple or even red. When you consider the colors for your video, you should make sure to be aware of how the different colors are perceived by your particular target market. Making sure to create impressions that truly resonate with the target culture is key.

Conclusion

When it comes to the creation of videos, using colors in an intentional manner can have massive benefits. Colors actively emotionally engage the audience in the story and thus create a long lasting impression and a sense of relationship with the message. Using the emotional effect of colors to visually signify the emotions you want to convey is a brilliant way of getting your point across on multiple layers.

If you want to find out more about creating engaging videos that captivate your audience, get in touch now!

How Background Music Can Shape Your Video

July 7, 2022

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As we often like to say in this blog, videos have a huge amount of possibilities in their creation. As videos are individually produced and customized, they have the potential to be perfectly customized to your unique brand and needs, and to your individual message! There is a wide array of options in this customization: The general style of the video, the design and specifics of the style you choose, the voice over, and many more. However, in this blog post we want to talk about a factor that – ironically – often fades into the background in discussions: The background music!

The Power of Music

Music is a great contributor to the emotional effect the video will have. It has the potential of expressing many things. Thus, you can use it in a great variety of contexts to amplify experiences of all kinds. Especially when it comes to marketing, this is a highly important tool. Marketers use this as a means to enhance the experience and create an atmosphere in which customers feel comfortable. As examples, consider these following situations:

You are in a mall and shopping for a party outfit in one of the retail stores. What will likely accompany you is rather upbeat pop music with a feel-good vibe. This is meant to motivate you to have fun with the clothes and enjoy the shopping experience.
You are in a fancy restaurant in chique clothes having dinner. What will likely accompany the experience is something more classical like a piano to create a comfortable and classic experience.

In addition to amplifying experiences, music can also have a general impact on consumer behavior. A study from 1999 shows that the music played by a supermarket can influence a customer’s decision for wine from one country over that from another one. It becomes evident that you should definitely not underestimate the emotional and behavioral impact of accompanying background music.

The question now is how we can put these insights to the best use in videos. Why should music be used? What kind should you choose? And how can you use it to add the maximum value to the experience the video offers? Let’s take a closer look at the background music in business videos!

Using Background Music For Your Video

The background music of an explainer video has a massive impact on the viewing experience. Together with the voice over, it plays a major part in determining the general mood and atmosphere of the video. It accompanies the video and leads the viewer through the experience. Thus, you should select it carefully. Used as a completing factor in the video, the music can be the final puzzle piece in the creation of a captivating atmosphere that keeps the audience invested and thus ensures the retention of the message you want to convey.

Accompany Your Video

Be aware that the background music, however, is meant to complete the video, basically underlining the message to ensure that an entire experience is created. This means it is best used with purpose and with an adequate weight in the overall experience. If there is a voice over, you want to make sure that the music does not overshadow it. The voice should be clear and comprehensible, not concealed by an overly loud melody. You want to make the music present, but not overbearing.

Be careful not to let the music steal the show. You want to make sure it is not too crazy or too over the top. Remember that the purpose of the music is to underline the message. Using music that draws the viewer’s attention to it too much can take away the focus on your message. Thus, it tends to be better to use something more generic that does not demand too much of the viewer’s attention.

Underline Your Message

However, going a step further, you can also use the background music to more specifically underline certain parts and aspects of the video. There is a variety of ways to do this! Using a shift in the music can shift the atmosphere of the video. This is, for example, a good option when the video describes a problem first and then presents a solution. In this scenario, a more serious background music might drift into a slightly more upbeat and dynamic direction to underline the excitement about the solution. Abruptly stopping the melody for a few seconds can underline a break or a twist. There are many different ways in which you can use the background music to highlight specific points in a video.

Check out these examples below to see how we used background music in different videos to highlight their messaging and engage the audience emotionally!

Bleckwen - Lending Fraud Solution

In this video for Bleckwen, you will notice a more serious tone in music while the dangers of fraud are described. This underlines the threat that is the problem. However, once the solution is presented, it becomes more upbeat and dynamic. Thus it engages the viewer and gets them excited about Bleckwen’s Solution.

Syn.ikia - Sustainable Plus Energy Neighborhoods

In this video for Syn.ikia, a sustainability project, the music chosen is very calming and peaceful. It sets a relaxing tone that highlights the environment-friendliness of the project by reminding the viewer of peaceful nature.

Audi - Automatic Service Request

The music in this video for Audi is highly dynamic. Paying close attention, you will notice how the music goes through slight changes throughout the video. There are also small breaks and changes when crucial key points are presented. Thus the music leads you through the video and ensures you pay attention at the most critical moments.

European Commission - #RaiseYourPencil

In the beginning of this video about an initiative of the EU to improve education in emergencies, the slow and sad music signifies the dramatic situation and its impact on those affected. However, when the current successes are presented, the music becomes more dynamic to express that there are advancements being made and that there is hope.

Conclusion

When it comes to creating engaging videos, the background music is undeniably an important factor to consider. Making sure that it fits well with the atmosphere you want to create and the message you intend to convey can greatly enhance the value of the video – taking it from a video to an entire experience. Being aware of the emotional effect that music can have, you have the opportunity to appeal to your viewer in exactly the way you intend. Thus, make sure to use this tool to you advantage. Create an experience that will captivate your viewer and make them remember your unique message!

Want to find out more about how you can create an engaging video that helps your business succeed? Get in touch now!

The Many Different Types of Video

June 30, 2022

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One of the main characteristics of video content is its sheer versatility and the resulting opportunity to not only individualize the video to your company, but also to perfectly adapt it to your intended use. Not only are there many types of video, but they also come with great varieties within the type. Videos can be adapted to each situation and to each goal that is meant to be achieved. And since there are so many opportunities in the various ways of using videos for your advantage, we have decided to create a list of some of the most important types of video. So if you are considering making a video, check out these 14 different applications and get acquainted with the entire variety that videos have to offer!

1. Pitch Your Ideas

A Video Pitch is all about pitching your business idea to the audience you want to address. Thus, it is especially useful for start ups. This kind of video is basically an audiovisually realized, sometimes animated, version of the traditional elevator pitch. However, due to the video format, you will be able to reach way more people than would otherwise fit into an elevator. Share your pitch on social media, send it per mail, or simply show it in a presentation – The video pitch can be an enormous asset for your business when it comes to presenting your new business to various target groups – Potential investors, business partners, or even employees.

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2. Explain Your Product

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This is perhaps the most popular and most widely used type of video: The product explainer video! In this video, you present a product, highlight its features and benefits, and convey to the audience why they need it. While you should pay attention to expressing your brand here as well, the focus is clearly on the product itself. Explain your product and make sure to highlight the essence of what you are selling! Show the audience why they need a product like this, and why they need it from you! This kind of video is all about promoting a product, so make sure to captivate and fascinate!

3. Launch Your Product or Company

A Launch video can be created for the launch of a product or service, or even an entire company. When launching a product, the video will likely be very similar to a product explainer video. However, during a launch you want to make sure to put a bigger emphasis on the novelty of your product. The goal here is to get people excited about your product and to create anticipation for its entry into the marketplace.

When launching your business, the video might be similar to an image film since it focuses on the organization itself. However, here the goal is to create excitement about the arrival of your company in the heads of your audience. Thus, you want to make sure to create a stunning first impression that will make people remember you!

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4. Bring Your Content Marketing To The Next Level

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Content marketing is an evergrowing trend in the modern marketplace. In this approach, you use your expertise to create content for your audience that creates value for them. It gives you the opportunity to share your knowledge, create value for your audience, and establish yourself as an expert in your field all at the same time. And while you can use all kinds of content in this approach, video has proven itself to be the most effective. As the people’s favorite type of content, video is easy to consume and engaging to watch. Additionally, we know that videos are favored by search engine and social media algorithms alike. Thus, using content marketing videos in your online presence has the potential of boosting up your performance – by sharing the expertise you already have in an engaging format that captivates your audience.

5. Promote Your Brand

An image film, or brand promotion video, highlights the identity of an organization. It can include things such as the mission of the company, its values, and a vision for the future. These can be communicated in many different ways. Interviews with employees, explainer animations, or infographics, the options are plentiful. The focus here is more towards the company itself, rather than on its products. Thus, concentrate on presenting your corporate brand. Tell the viewer who you are, what you want, and why you do what you do.

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6. Share Testimonies from Your Clients

In testimonial videos, you let your clients speak for you. Let them share the experience they had with you. People are more likely to trust other people’s experiences. This will give them an idea of what they can expect and what it is like working with you. This kind of video is especially beneficial if what you offer is either a pure service or a product that is heavily dependent on an accompanying service. It will feel to the viewer like they are getting a second opinion from a third party, which can play a big part in their decision making process. Setting up a testimonial video can thus give you a great advantage over the competition. As a cherry on top, it will make your existing customers feel honored for being asked about their honest opinion of their experience.

7. Enhance Your Sales Process

Sales videos are designed to be integrated into the sales process in order to enhance the experience for prospective clients. What the video looks like in more specificity, however, is also a question of where in the customer journey you intend to use it. If you use it early on, it might be a great way to introduce the viewer to your brand. If your product is high in complexity, this might be a great opportunity to explain your concept in easier terms. In order to find the right point to integrate the video into your sales process, it is important to be aware of the way your target group makes their purchase decisions. This will allow you to align your sales process and thus identify the ideal point in which a video will bring you the biggest possible benefit.

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8. Use a Video Manual

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Video Manuals are an after-sales service in which you explain to your new customer how to proceed with their new purchase. This ensures that they use the product in the right way and that they are aware of all the features so that they can be sure to make the most out of your product. As this type of video is part of the after-sales experience, the focus is less promotional, but rather informative. However, as with all videos, making your brand shine through and thus ensuring the alignment of this video with your customer journey is crucial to create a lasting impression in the heads of your customers.

9. Give an Update on Your Company to The Public

Was there a big change in your company? Is there big news? Or is there an important announcement your company wants to make to the public? Company Update Videos are perfect for this situation! This type of video lets you communicate the news to your stakeholders and the public in a unique and memorable way. This will let them know and keep them up to date about what is happening with your organization.

As an example, check out the rebranding video we made for Ask Locala. Previously known as S4M, this renowned provider of innovative digital marketing tools decided to rebrand itself as Ask Locala in light of the company’s tenth anniversary – A big change that requires proper communication. For situations like this, a company update video is a great way to communicate your big change to the world! – Ensuring that your audience is in the loop on what is happening.

10. Find New Talents

Recruiting the right talents is becoming more and more challenging. However, using videos in this context can be a tremendous asset. Creating a recruiting video allows you to engagingly present your company and what you are looking for. Presenting your company here can work similar to when you are displaying your company in an image film, but with a bigger focus on the company as a place to work at. Remember that the goal of a recruitment video is to motivate people to join your team. Expressing what you are looking for in an applicant will let them know what you are searching for. This gives them the chance to assess if they would be a good fit. Recruitment videos are a great tool for HR, because they make the position stand out from the crowd and engage the viewer more than the traditional text.

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11. Convey Your Corporate Policy

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It is important for every employee in a company to be aware of the corporate policies the organization has. Whether it is about safety procedures, the code of conduct, or organizational policies, knowing them is crucial. However, oftentimes they will not be read all the way if they are solely available in paper format. Thus, having them available as engaging videos can significantly increase awareness. Additionally, more information is retained from a video than from other communicational tools. Thus, especially when it comes to conveying corporate policies, videos are a great way to ensure effectiveness and efficiency of the process.

12. Give Insights Into Your Latest Event

Has your company had an event that you want to raise awareness for? Do you want to share some insights into the event and let more people see the experience? Then perhaps you can do so in an event video! In this type of video, you typically include some footage from the event. Sometimes you also include some interview clips further explaining the event. This can be a great way to share your experience with the world. Additionally, it gives people more insights into your company. If it is an annual event, it can also serve as a promotion for the next year. As you can see, this can be a great opportunity for your company.

13. Train Employees

Given the benefits of using video in conveying information, it is of no surprise that they are also very commonly used in further education and employee training. And with e-learning on the continuous rise, more and more companies are using training videos. Using videos in e-learning modules has tremendous benefits when it comes to information retention, learning engagement, and overall training efficiency. Thus, training employees with videos has not only proven itself to be highly efficient, but also highly cost efficient, since the training video can be reused an infinite amount of times after the initial creation and setup.

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14. Improve Your Internal Communication

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When it comes to internal communication, videos can be a great tool, especially in large scale enterprises. Keeping everyone in the loop on what is happening across an organization can be difficult. Thus, creating videos to help conquer this communication challenge is a tremendous opportunity to ensure information is passed on and reaches everyone. Using the opportunities that the creation of video gives you allows you to individually express the information you intend to share in a captivating way that will simultaneously increase the retention rate of the information substantially – Which makes this tool an amazing opportunity for communication!

Conclusion

Video content is a tool that can be used in a great variety of contexts. With all the possibilities that the creation process entails, there are enough types of video fort his medium to give you the opportunity to perfectly adapt it to the message and information you want to convey. This is also a reason for the massive increase in importance that video has seen in recent years. When it comes to communicating – especially with a large group of people – videos are extremely efficient. And with the sheer versatility that the many types of video offer, it is a great option that every business should keep in mind and consider.

Because there is – quite literally – a type of video for every situation!

We hope you enjoyed our list of 14 different types of video. If you want to find out more about how a video could help you in your particular business situation, contact us now! Our team of experts is happy to help!

Using Videos For Internal Communications

June 23, 2022

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Videos are extremely versatile. Their creation offers so many possibilities that you can use them in a huge variety of contexts. Videos are an amazing tool when it comes to communication. Whenever you want to convey information, this tool not only greatly enhances the experience for the viewers, but also ensures that they retain the message you intent to share at a much higher rate than with any other medium. Thus, videos should not be left behind in considerations when it comes to internal communications as well.

Internal Communications

The bigger an organization is, the more challenging it typically becomes to make sure that everyone is in the loop about what is happening across the organization. Is there a big change happening in your company? Are there new procedures? Is there an important announcement you want to make to your employees? Or is there simply a project that you really want them to know about? In these kinds of situations, internal communication is crucial. And what better way to communicate these sorts of things than an engaging video that will captivate the viewer and ensure the retention of information?

Using videos can be the perfect way to handle these situations! Creating videos allows you to communicate the news to your employees in a unique and memorable way. This will let them know and keep them up to date about what is happening with the organization. A video for internal communications is a great way to share your big changes, important events, or the achievement of milestones with your entire organization, ensuring that everyone is in the loop on what is happening.

Internal Marketing

However, at times using videos for internal communication can have another motive than sharing news and developments: Sometimes they can be a great tool for internal marketing. Oftentimes when talking about marketing, the focus of the conversation ends up being on external marketing. However, in the modern marketplace internal marketing should not be left behind! Internal marketing is about engaging your employees in your story, your company, and your brand. It is about reminding everyone in the organization about the bigger purpose of their work and consistently binding them to the company and its values.

Employees are generally regarded as the most important asset of every company. Thus, continuously making sure that they can identify with the organization they are a part of is extremely important. In the modern marketplace, people do not only want to work, they want to work with a purpose. This makes it necessary to communicate and reiterate this purpose from time to time. Reiterate your values, your mission, and your vision to make sure everyone is on board. Creating a video is an easy and effective way to do so. With this tool you can convey your message in an engaging way that people will remember. In addition to these advantages of using videos for internal marketing, some of them will be reusable when it comes to the training and onboarding of new employees.

What Could a Video for Internal Communications look like?

As is always the case with videos, their creation offers a wide range of possibilities in their creation. And with the different goals your internal communication videos can have, they will likely look very different from each other. If the video should be more about explaining a process or conveying other more complex information, then perhaps an animated explainer video would be the best way to go. These videos are notorious for explaining more complex subjects in an easy way that ensures retention of the information.

If the objective of the video is more about being personable and building a strong relationship among the members of your organization, then it might be more beneficial to make a video in the style of an interview or a short presentation or speech given by an executive. This format is very good for making people feel approached personally, thus engaging them directly.

Whichever format or specifics you choose, you should make sure to choose an adequate video length. With attention spans consistently getting shorter, you want to ensure that you do not lose your audience halfway through the video. Of course you should take the time to adequately express the message. Rushing through the content will definitely be counterproductive. But try to avoid making it unnecessarily long. The perfect video length for internal communication is just long enough to comfortably share what is meant to be shared. Try to boil it down to key points in order to avoid an information overload for the viewer. Ensuring a good and informative experience when watching the video will enhance its effectiveness.

Conclusion

When it comes to internal communications, video is an amazing tool that can greatly improve experience and effectiveness. Creating a video for the people in the organization can be a great way to express your appreciation and dedication to them, in addition to motivating them by reiterating the purpose the company is working towards. Communication within an organization is undeniably crucial. So get started today and make use of the most efficient communication tool that engages viewers, enhances retention and creates an experience for your organization!

Want to find out more about how you can use videos to enhance your internal communication? Get in touch now!

Want to find out more about the world of videos? Check out this post on the many types of video and discover the great variety of ways in which businesses can use videos to boost success!

Creating Explainer Videos For Different Products

June 16, 2022

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Explainer videos are a great tool to introduce, reintroduce, or simply to boost your product as a company. The combination of audio and visual elements creates an experience that your audience can enjoy comfortably and efficiently. The viewer receives and retains the information you intend to convey while simultaneously being entertained by an engaging video. And due to the many possibilities in the creation of video content, it is a great tool for many different kinds of products. There is a wide array of possibilities to adapt an explainer video to the product you intend it for. But what considerations should you make to determine how to adapt the video? What should you pay attention to when creating videos for different kinds of products? Let’s take a look at some basic considerations!

Who Is The Target For Your Product

Who should be targeted by the product is a crucial determination to make. In determining this, the perhaps first question will be if the target is a business or a consumer. As the way these two groups make their purchase decisions varies greatly, the right way to approach them will likely be different. While the purchase decisions of consumers often depend on the behavior and motivation of one person, businesses tend to pass the decision through multiple layers, which will make factors such as quantifiable value creation more important. Thus, whether your focus is on selling B2B or B2C will have a big impact on your video creation process.

In addition to the basic distinction between B2B and B2C, consider your target in more depth. The creation of a target persona can be very helpful in this step. The question is: What does your target want to know about your product? What value does it provide for them? What are the target groups’ concerns when it comes to purchasing your product? Which features and benefits will be likely to convince them? Knowing the target audience you are catering to with the product can massively help you in creating the video. Because when creating a video, making sure it will resonate with your target audience is crucial!

What Kind of Product Are You Selling?

The industry you are in will also likely play a big part in the creation of your video. The product you are selling is, after all, the key factor. A video for an online banking service will look vastly different from a video about cleaning supplies. An explainer video for an artificial intelligence tool will look different from one for a catering service. You want to make sure that you create an appropriate atmosphere for your product that enables you to demonstrate its features and benefits.

The Complexity of the Product

When it comes to making considerations about how to create the best possible explainer video for your product, its complexity will likely be a major factor. How much explanation will be needed for your target audience to understand your product? You want to make sure that the viewer will truly understand the features and benefits you present, not just hear them. Thus, you will need to assess how much explaining will be needed.

In an explainer video, you can put the focus more towards the product itself or more towards the reason people need it. If you have a highly complex product, you might need to focus more on explaining it and making sure that the viewer understands your concept. If your product is easier to understand, you can turn your attention more towards creating and enhancing the audience’s emotional need for your product. However, in order to feel that emotional desire, the audience must first understand what you are selling.

The Nature of Your Brand

In the creation process of an explainer video for a product, you want to make sure to express your brand in the video as well. The video might look very different depending on your brand personality. As the brand associated is also a crucial part of the product, make sure it comes across. Customers in the modern marketplace do not just buy physical products – they buy the brand and values associated with it. For more information on how you can transport your brand in a video, c heck out this blog p ost!

Conclusion

When creating an explainer video for your product, there are a lot of opportunities in the creation process. Thus, you want to make sure to choose the right way for your unique product. For this, it is important to consider the group you want to target with your product, the product itself and how it can be best presented, and your brand. These factors will help you in determining the artistic direction that would be the best for your product. When it comes to explainer videos, there is no real one-size-fits-all approach, because one of the main benefits is the individualization that is possible, creating a unique experience for your audience. Thus , make sure that your explainer video presents your product in the best way possible – The way that is unique to your product!

Videos offer a huge array of possibilities. Thus, when creating explainer videos for different products, you want to make sure to use them in the right way for your product!

Want to find out more about creating an explainer video for your product? Contact us now and let our team of professionals help you!

Want to find out more about the world of videos? Check out this post on the many types of video and discover the great variety of ways in which businesses can use videos to boost success!

Approaches to Localize Your Video Content

June 9, 2022

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In the last post, we talked about the localization of videos, what it is, and how it can help you business. Localizing your videos means adapting them for the different markets you serve. Enhancing mere translation, the process of localization factors in cultural nuances such as language, references, and even visual signals. This is extremely helpful for companies, as it makes the different audiences feel addressed individually. Thus, it makes it easier to create an emotional connection between your brand and your audience. But how can you localize your video content? Which options are there and which one is the best for your business? Let’s take a look at three common approaches.

Captioning and Subtitling

Captioning and subtitling are both approaches in which you display the content of the video as text on the screen. In most cases, they are displayed on the bottom of the screen. While they are similar, however, they are not the same. Subtitling typically refers to putting the spoken part in text, typically because the video audio is in another language. Captioning goes beyond that and also includes a visual description of other sounds (for example when a phone rings and the text shows “Phone Ringing”). This is because captioning is designed to make the content accessible to people who cannot hear the video. So basically, captioning is more of an enhanced form of subtitling that further improves accessibility.

Using subtitling or captioning to localize your video content is perhaps the easiest approach to use with the lowest cost in comparison to the other approaches. You only need to localize the script and take the cultural nuances of the target market into account. Thus, this approach is a great way to save resources. However, there are some disadvantages. Since you don’t change any of the audio in this way of localizing your content, the audio is not adapted to the new market. One of the key advantages of video content is that it is extremely easy and comfortable to consume. However, if you have to constantly read the text, then you might not be using this advantage to its full potential. Also, focusing your attention on the subtitles might take away from the visual experience the video offers.

Be careful in the creation of captions and subtitles

Also, you want to be careful about how you create the captions/subtitles. While several services, such as YouTube have the option to create automatic captioning, this might not be the optimal way to do it. It is typically recommended to let an expert in the target market review the captions to make sure there are no linguistic mishaps or overlooked cultural nuances.

Dubbing

Dubbing goes a step further than subtitling. In the dubbing process, you create a new audio for the target market. This includes getting fluent or native speakers of the target language to recreate the audio part of the videos. The visuals, however, are usually not changed in a major way. Dubbing is generally very popular. Especially when it comes to TV shows and movies, this is a very common approach to make the content available in different markets.

While this way of video localization requires more resources than captioning or subtitling, it does have many benefits. The viewer gets to enjoy the video experience in their own language without having to read the text. This also allows you to keep nuances in tonality and emphases in the video, which will help you in captivating and really forming a connection with your different audiences.

Recreation

If you have the desire to go beyond dubbing to adapt your video content to a new market, then recreating the video or parts of it to better fit the other culture might be the way to go. This gives you the option to also change some of the visual signals included in the video. While this approach is not as common as dubbing for example, it is used in some cases. In addition to being the most adapted to the target culture, it is an amazing way to subtly show that you are willing to go the extra mile for your audience. This creates an even more personable relationship with your customers and ensures they feel approached and appreciated.

Mind the Culture

These are the main options there are for the localization of video content. Choosing the right one is an important decision which will largely depend on available resources, the desired impact that you want the video to have, and of course – the target culture.

In some cultures, such as Germany or France, dubbing is very widespread. You will notice that for example on German television, pretty much all content from other countries is dubbed with barely any exceptions. Thus, the people in this market are used to having the comfort of an adapted audio for most content. This might make it harder to reach them on an emotional basis through subtitles.

Other markets, however, might have more of an affinity for subtitling. This is especially the case in many Eastern European countries. There, it might not be necessary to go through the dubbing process as these markets are used to – and often even prefer – the subtitling and the resulting authenticity of the original audio. Thus, when localizing your video, you want to make sure that the approach you use also considers cultural differences.

Conclusion - Localize Your Video for Maximum Impact

Video Content allows for different localization approaches. They vary in the resources they require, the impact they will likely have, and their effects in different cultures. Thus, these approaches all have their own benefits and disadvantages. When choosing one over the other, it is important to consider the different factors mentioned. This will ensure a fruitful localization to the different target markets and help you in creating meaningful relationships with customers from various countries.

Want to find out more about how you can create and localize a video to address different markets with it? Get in touch now!

Want to find out more about the world of videos? Check out this post on the many types of video and discover the great variety of ways in which businesses can use videos to boost success!