When the camera moves and takes us with it - even in a corporate video - it's thrilling. And, each type of camera movement carries its own meaning in film language. Understanding the code can help you tell your story. https://vimeo.com/857296633?share=copyEdited by: Liz Soolkin Filmed by: Ted King
Concepts Every Producer and Client Should Understand We call it Corporate Film School because, after a couple of decades of producing videos for top companies, and coming from a film school and broadcast background, we’ve realized that the basic (and fascinating) elements of film language not only help you make better videos but enhance the collaboration with your creative partners. #1. Film Language To figure out how a video or film is working (or, crucially, not working), it’s essential that you understand that film is a kind of language with its own particular grammar based on the placement and/or movement of the camera, editing and other production elements. Being able to “read”…
So, it only took a global pandemic but you've mastered Zoom for meetings. But, Zoom has also transformed corporate video; if you can capture Zoom recordings effectively, you have instant access to voices and expertise all over the world. https://vimeo.com/832688064Here's our handy buying guide to the tech mentioned in the video with links to purchase. Edited by: Angelo Tantuico Filmed by: Ted King
In this new episode of Corporate Film School I appear as a talking head, referencing the Talking Heads to talk about the problems with talking heads, including the prevalence of so many people like me as talking heads. It will make more sense when you watch it. Editor: Liz Soolkin Cinematography: Theodore King Filmed at the Pickerel Pie Loft https://player.vimeo.com/820893347
I gave up on trying to find the right metaphor for the role that graphics play in corporate videos; are they the furniture in the house of your narrative? The wardrobe on the avatar of your story? The signage on the Vegas Strip of your immersive experience? Whatever. Graphics are a crucial signifier of production values, sophistication, and a powerful reflection of your brand. They should not be applied as an afterthought or (mis)handled by amateurs. Open the book, as it were, on Graphics in this latest episode of Pickerel Pie’s Corporate Film School. Editor: Liz Soolkin Graphic Design: Greg Rusling /AARMADA ENTERTAINMENT Cinematography: Theodore…
https://player.vimeo.com/video/563771121 If just capturing scenes in the camera was all it took to make a great video, we’d all have a shot at being Fellini or Zhao. Editing, and its’ fascinating psychological effects, is what makes film narratives sing. But, maybe you don’t want to be Zhao or Fellini (why, are you busy?), you just want to make a video that is engaging and crisp. Understanding how film editing works, the magic of pictorial juxtaposition and the grammar it creates is essential to making and talking about high-quality video. In this episode of Corporate Film School, we explore the mystery and actual magic of the…
If producers spent nearly as much time actually trying to cultivate it as they do faking it, we might see a lot more of it in corporate videos but authenticity is one of those qualities, like charisma, that is devilishly difficult to define, much less achieve. Yet, it’s considered to be among the most important characteristics of a successful appearance in a video. Almost everyone I talked to while putting this episode of CFS together had a different take on authenticity; some thought it’s innate and could not be learned, others have various tricks they use to conjure it and one colleague is convinced that…
https://vimeo.com/486119015 As corporate communications diversifies, what should the “Voice of God” sound like? And do we really believe that someone (anyone) can tell us the way the world works? In this episode of Corporate Film School, we address some of the issues confronting the use of voice-over - the (typically) unseen narration heard over images - that sets the tone and, to an unacknowledged degree, the authorial personality and background of a video. Who do we hear when your company speaks? Filmed By: Christian Carmody Edited By: Amos Damroth
In this fifth episode of Corporate Film School we look at an essential element of film language, particularly in documentary, that, despite its snappy name, gets very little attention: B-Roll. We propose that, in fact, B-Roll is so elemental to filmmaking and yet so invisible in the discourse around it, that it is the Dark Matter of the film universe, holding everything together and determining the shape and texture of every film and video we watch. We also get to use this phrase, “like androids in some brightly-lit dystopia” which we feel has also been too rarely deployed in connection with Corporate Video. https://vimeo.com/478961517
Yes, I’m upset about how cavalierly many productions now treat this vital signifier - where is the person on camera looking - but, I’m not nearly as angry as Travis Bickle is about this issue so, count yourself lucky. In this episode of Corporate Film School, we pin down the meaning and importance of eyelines. The thing is that eyelines are one of the MOST powerful aspects of a filmed presentation. It’s the difference in impact between shooting a bullseye or just shooting in the air. I get that directors and producers have become bored with the traditional straight-to-camera or just-off-camera eyelines and want to…