Introduction
In truth, there isn’t a ton that can be done to democratizing media production that isn’t already out there with ready access. If you want professional-level media, you need that training, equipment, and expertise. But we’re aware that media can be expensive and time consuming. So here’s what IFC Studios doing to make democratizing media a little easier on you.
Social Media Cuts
Something that we’ve started doing recently is creating social media-ready videos for some of our clients. We’ve done this one of two ways:
- Setting up a shoot specifically to capture footage for social media. This usually entails a simple background, and a representative from the company answering FAQs or giving helpful tips. This minimizes the amount of time any individual needs to spend filming, and makes it easier to edit.
- After creating a larger “about” video, we’ll cut it down into smaller bites for social media with captions and the client’s branding so that the long video can go a longer way from a marketing perspective.
Website Photography
While the website photography shoot exists to make the website as effective as possible, our clients still get access to those edited images. This means they can use them across social media and in ads as necessary. This gives cohesion to the relationship between a client’s website and social media accounts, and also allows for multiple uses for the same photos.
Another perk of the way we package our photography is that every image that you get is already edited and ready for use. We know that it sounds like a great value when a photographer says they’ll give you “all the raw images,” but for most people it ends up being a hassle, not a boon. Unedited images need to be, well, edited. And having 100 “okay” images that you need to sift through, make decisions about, and then edit is ultimately less useful and impactful than have 25 killer, professionally edited images.
Photography/Video Checklist
Say that you aren’t able to hire a professional photographer or videographer to do your media on a regular basis, but you still need that content. Our Media Director, Nate Houts, is working on a photo/video checklist to go in our Project Closeout Packet. The list will help you set up great shots that you can use as-is, or send to us to edit together later. Things like how to use light to your advantage, what situations provide the best sound, etc. (We’re also planning on turning it into a blog post of its own, so stay tuned for that!)
Conclusion
While there is no substitute for a professional photographer or videographer, there are plenty of ways to help you stretch your media budget in creative ways. At IFC we’re putting as much power in your hands as possible so that you have top-quality media, expert advice, and the freedom to capture the spirit of your organization however you see fit.
That said–we’re always here if you need us. If you’ve got a photo or video project that needs professional planning and editing–contact us today.
