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VIDEO TIPS FORCHARITIES

wildwoodmedia.co.uk

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WelcomeAt Wildwood Media we pride ourselves on high-end, quality video content at affordable

rates. We also offer special discounted rates to charities so they can have the

professional video production content that they require and deserve.

Why the e-book?We wanted to create this

e-book because we

realised that despite our

special rates it was still not

possible for charities to get

the regular video content

they required, often downt

o budgetary issues.. Also,

like in business, the char-

ity sector is large and

varied and some charties

have substanial marketing

budgets whilst others have

none. So this document

helps all those achieve a

certain level of video con-

tent - whether a one-off or

multiple projects

Why video?

Video is essential in todays

world. Social Media and

SEO favour video and, most

important of all, your target

audience expects video.

We explain on later pages

why video is so important

and present some really

interesting facts and figures

to back it up. Just know

going in that video will im-

prove your connection with

your audience and help

market your charity like no

other format can.

What will you learn? This book’s central idea is

that you won’t have the

best equipment but that

with understanding of

technique and a few tips

and tricks you’ll be able to

produce video that may

not be Oscar worthy but

can at least connect with

your audience and deliver

your messages in a clear,

concise, way. It’s not a com-

plicated ‘film school in an

e-book’ approach, it’s the

very basics that will make

a huge difference to how

your videos are perceived

and recieved!

Do I need equip-ment? Other than a phone or

tablet, no - that’s the short

answer. Obviously the

more equipment you have

the better but we’re here

to teach you how to make

basic films on basic equip-

ment. As a video produc-

tion company we’re proud

of the level of service we

offer - our attention to

detail, story and quality

is what stands us apart.

A big part of what allows

us to produce films that

connect with people is the

equipment we use, but

we appreciate the reason

you’re reading this is that

you’re unable to purchase

that equipment or use our

services on a regular basis.

So therefore there are two

ways to look at the content

within this book; one is to

use it to improve the video

work you’re producing on

your phone. The other way

is to get excited about the

possibilties of video

prodction and use these

techniques but with more

advanced equipment.

Later in the e-book we will

discuss some possible low

cost additions you could

make to improve your

set-up and ultimately the

videos your produce.

Chris Newberry, Managing

Director, Wildwood Media.

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About Wildwood Media

| Why are we qualified to tell you how to make a film? It’s a fair questions! We’re a creative media company based in the

South East of England but work internationally. We’ve been running six years but have over 20 years of experience.

We work with a wide range of clients from large brand names such as Vanity Fair, National Grid and CBRE through to

various SMEs. We also work with a wide range of not-for-profits such as NHS, United Nations Women, National Careers

Service, National Citizen Service, Street Soccer Foundation and local government organisations and emergency services.

Who we are... Wildwood Media is a full production

agency that can help guide you

through the maze of creating a film

for your company. Whether your

video project is for an online promo,

advert, training video, social media

content or you have an event that

needs filming, we can provide not

only the services to realise this but

also the expertise and personal

touch to make it easier on you and

your business and create something

beyond your expectations. We’re

based in Maidstone, Kent but we

travel far and wide, so no matter

where you’re based, feel free to get in

contact! So if you need video in Kent,

London, nationwide or international,

we can help.

As an award-winning company we’ve

had the pleasure of working with

many fantastic clients, from blue-

chip, household names through to

SME’s and sole traders. In addition

to helping all this organisations gain

powerful and effective video content,

we also offer a focus on corporate

social responsibility (CSR) films and

charity video production.

If you’re after CSR promotion or a

charity wondering if you can get the

video content you require, then get in

touch and we’d love to discuss your

project with you.

Services

We offer the full range of video

services, from classic on-site filming

through to animation, aerial filming

and photography, CGI graphics,

motion graphics and live streaming.

Types of videosIf you need a video - we can produce

it! That’s the long and short of it, there

isn’t a type of video we can’t produce

or likely haven’t work on! Typical

productions include:

• Promos

• Social media films

• Branded content

• Training films

• Communication/Awareness films

• Live event streaming

• Corporate films

Our ExperienceWith over 20 years of

experience, we offer a

knowledgeable and friendly

approach to business video

production. We’re creative

but with an understanding

that each video and company

is different and requires a

bespoke approach.

We’re an award-winning

video production company

based in Kent, working

nationwide, producing videos

for businesses of all sizes. We

also offer aerial filming and

photography, media training,

animation and motion

graphics.

Our PhilosophyOur company prides itself on

the work we do. We don’t just

make films; we look at finding

the emotive and connecting

tissue between the film, the

client’s organisation and the

target audience. We believe

the best way to engage

viewers is through films

that resonate – high quality

aesthetics are a must, but

our ability to create emotive

and cinematic content stands

us apart and is one of the

key reasons our work is so

effective.

Our Approach In addition to our looking

for the heart and soul of a

client’s film and story, we also

stand apart by our approach

to the production process.

We have an incredible

collection of creatives

who can help bring your

vision to live. In addition

to that though we plan

thoroughly, from meetings

and in-depth planning that

includes scheduling, regular

client updates and sign

offs, through to in-depth

post-production process

that in addition to editing

can include colour-grading,

sound design, music licensing

and production and motion

graphics and FX work.

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Video Essentials aka ‘The Key Basics’

| This is the most improtant section in this e-book. What you will learn here will make all the difference to your video

production and it’s usefulness in helping you achieve your marketing and messaging needs.

How we set up a camera, where we look and how we come across are the essentials. With the techniques included on

these next couple of pages you’ll be able to put the book down and go make your films! Of course, if you keep reading

you’ll learn even more, but these points here are what you need to know to add that simple quality difference.

APPEARANCEGet a background to match the

subject where possible, be neat

and clear.

LANDSCAPEUnless filming for a vertical

platform, always film in

landscape.

FOCUS!Sounds simple, but it’s often

forgotten! Check the subject is

in focus!

INTERVIEWSPlace the subject on one side

of the camera and have them

look to just off the camera.

Where to put the camera. Where you place the camera is the single most

important point. It invovles so much that it’s

more than one lesson. We’ll come back to this

point a few times, but as a start point we’ll look

at where to put the camera in relation to the

person being filmed.

Other areas this will cover will include

background, other people in the shot, accidental

hidden messages, lighting (or lack thereof) and

sound.

The Set Up So you’ll need your filming device, we’ll presume

it’s a phone or tablet - but a HD (at least) home

camcorder would even better - and something

to put it on - a cheap tripod is fine. We’ll have

one in our equipment recommendations, but

you can get creative with a stand if you don’t

have one. For a simple, ‘classsic’, set up we

advise against this being handheld. Place the

subject of the film to one side of the frame and

have them look to the side of the camera lens,

just off it, not looking into it. For interviews and

general information, this set up is the best,

however if you have someone who is going to

talk direct to the audience then they can talk

right into the camera. The best way to

understand how this works is to watch the news

- the presenters talk to the camera, the experts

talk to someone off screen.

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76%Animoto reveals that 76.5% of

marketers and small business

owners get results with video

marketing.

78%78% of people watch online

videos every week, and 55%

view online videos every day!

(HubSpot). Make sure your

video is one of them!

93%A staggering 93% of marketers

say they’ve landed a new

customer thanks to a video on

social media (Optinmonster,

2019).

Where to look and why.

| A common mistake with filming without a professional crew is to

always have the subject looking into the camera.

If making a personal film, such as a vlog, then talking into the

camera is fine, but if you’re making something a little more detailed

or with multiple people talking, then you want them talking off

camera. If you’re doing an interview then you want them talking off

When to look into the cameraYou may be thinking ‘I’ve seen loads

of people talking right into the

camera’ what’s wrong with it?

It’s all to do with how you want your

video to come across and your

message. If it’s a very personal video,

talking right into the camera can bring

that connection. However, if you want

to create a more in-depth video that

has multiple people talking it can be

quite off putting and hard to take

everything in with all these people

talking at you! Imagine being in a

room and different people, one after

the other, talking at you.

If your CEO is doing a talking head

for your sponsors, it probably makes

sense to do it right into camera. But if

you’re making a film about what your

charity does or discuss an event, it

would be best to have them talking

off camera.

Why the rules?Corporate video is simply an

extension of cinema. The art of

the movies has been evolving for

well over a hundred years now and

whilst there’re always developments

some of the basic rules remain the

same. This includes eye line (where

someone is looking) and the direction

someone walks off camera and into

the next shot - get them the wrong

way round and it’s confusing and

takes the audience out of the film.

Rules can be fun to break - and we

sometimes do that here at Wildwood

Media, but if you’re trying to create

the strongest visual content possible

on limited equipment and no budget,

you’re going to get the best results

from sticking to the basic rules.

Even if you don’t light a scene or can’t

control the background etc, if you can

get the shot basics right and get clear

sound then you’re well on your way.

What are cutaways?Cutaways, sometimes know as

b-roll, are shots that aren’t from

the interview or presenter and are

layered over the top to help tell the

story.

So if you’re making a film about a

sponsorship event that you’ve just

run, you may have someone talking

in an interview situation giving us

the main story. You may then have

some quick interviews (also known

as voxpops) of people at the event

talking positively about it and why

they’re there and then, to back all this

up, to show more info and to help

with engagement you’ll put some

cutaways over the top. If your event

was a sponsored run it may include

the race starting, spectators, people

laughing and joking, the run and of

course people coming in at the end.

Edits in a film, changing to something

else, always help keep people’s

attention.

Know where to look

Here you can see a classic interview set up - the lady in red, the interviewer, will not be seen. On camera will be the man in the grey shirt and his eye line will be just off camera.

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What else to consider

| Background and sound are two highly important essentials you should consider when filming.

If you have a fantastic visual quality but no one can hear what you’re saying then you’ll loose your audience and your

hard work would have been for nothing. Whilst background is slightly less important it’s still something that can make

the difference between a nice video and a good strong piece of content.

SoundWhen we look at where we’re going

to film one of the main things we

consider is sound. Is there roadworks

outside the window or a building site

next door? Is there a loud fan or air

conditioning unit in the room.

Also think about how sound matches

what you’re talking about. If you’re

discussing a building site, it’s fine to

see and hear the sounds of that. But

if you’re discussing something more

calming or a serious matter then you

might not want to do it in the middle

of a busy office.

If we can’t hear what’s being said

by the host or the interviewee then

the viewer will disengage and your

video will have been a waste of time -

despite how important your message

may be.

Background

When choosing your location to

film think about what will be behind

you. If it’s at work does it show your

branding or give a sense of what

your charity does (ideal), if not then

is it clean and representing your

organisation in a way that you want it

to be.

A bit like you did with the sound, think

about how it reflects and matches

what you’re talking about.

If you’re talking from your office

then make sure you’re happy with

what can be seen. Is it messy? Are

any personal items on show you

don’t want to be seen? Every little

detail matters. When a proffessional

crew come in this is what they

should be considering, so in their

place you need to be thinking about

background, sound and light...

Lighting

Light is the very basis of film and

video. It is light that allows the image

to be seen on the sensor (or film

in the old days!) and then on our

monitors. The first place to start with

lighting, a perfect carry on from the

background section, is don’t film

someone in front of a window! This

is because without a decent light

source in front of them to balance

it out you’ll almost certainly end up

with a silhouette of the person on

camera. You’re probably not going

to want to spend out on lights and

so it’s essential that when picking

your filming location you think of

somewhere that is bright, this can

be from a window or from decent

interior light. Often ceiling light strips

can give a dirty green tint to videos

if they’re not carefully set up so be

aware of this. As you’re dealing with

background as well you might be

limited to your options here, but if

you can either have the light source

just off centre of them or direct onto

them it will help greatly. We could go

into additionial light options such as

key lights and fill etc but that will be

somewhat overboard for this basic

intro!

Permissions / GDPRGDPR is something we must all be

aware of now. However the key

part to tremember for video is this:

have a filming permission form set

up for the person on camera to

sign. When someone is on camera

unless permission is given don’t

allow personal details to be revealed.

“Sound, background and lighting are essential to film - it’s what can make the difference between

true engagment with your film and having a ‘dead’

video sitting on your social media channel or website.

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Editing

| So you’ve filmed your masterpiece and want to get it out to the world - but wait! There is one more essential step - editing!

Keep it simpleWith editing you can get carried away

with lots of crazy transitions (cube

spins!) but it’s usually best to keep it

simple - just go with a hardcut. As

you edit your footage find the story

first - edit the interview or piece to

camera and cut out any unrequired

parts. Then if you have cutaways /

b-roll to overlay then place it in the

timeline above the interview and

that will be what is seen. It’s best to

start with the interviewee on screen

firsts, see who they are, then after

they’re established cut to some of

your other shots. If you’re talking

about your charity in general it

might be a nice idea to cut from the

storyteller on screen to a shot of your

main building/reception and then

cut into show your team at work. If

it’s about a fundraising event, after

you’ve established who’s talking then

you can cut to shots of the day. If

you’re using voice over, record it into

the computer - or into the camera,

which ever is easier or better quality

depending on your equipment, and

then place the images you want to

use over it - there should be no blank

spaces!

Graphics

Two simple graphics you might want

to consider are a ‘lower third’, which

is where you have the name and role

of the person talking on the bottom

of the screen, usually to the left. And

you logo and a call to action at the

end of the video.

CHARITY PROMOS

We can produce a high-end

promo for your charity that

can exceed budget restrictions

and really connect with your

audience.

EVENTS

We can come and film and

event to make an awareness

film and help raise additional

money. We can even live

stream events onto the

internet!

VLOGS

A low cost video option is to

make regular vlogs - often with

a chief executive - to connect

with potential sponsors and

help keep pople connected and

involved.

Editing Software

| Editing software can be very expensive and there’s a lot out there. Here we discuss the basics and offer you a handy link!

You really don’t need anything too complicated, you just need something that allows you to do basic cuts and simple

graphics - such as over-laying your logo.

If you use a Mac then iMovie is free and highly recommended. It’s simple and pretty easy to use - there are plenty of

online tutorials out there.

Whilst researching free editing software I came across this fantastic resource that I thought would make sense to copy.

The kind folks at Shutter Stock have done the job for us and created a list of the best free edit software and the pros

and cons. Feel free to take a look here.

www.shutterstock.com/blog/best-free-video-editing-programs

The next steps

| We really hope you’ve found this little e-book useful and that it will help your video production requirements. However, if

you have ideas that require additional input or more equipment then please do not hesitate to contat us.

We offer special rates to charities and always try to find affordable ways to achieve the video content you require. This

e-book should help you understand the basics but if you have a project that requires a little more scope or experience

then please do not hesitate to contact us. We always like a good chat, so get in touch - our advice is always free!

Whether you contact us or not, we wish you the best with your moviemaking!

wildwoodmedia.co.uk - contact@wildwoodmedia.co.uk - 01622 200 567

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AdditionalEquipment

If you enjoy the filming process but want to increase the production value then there are certain key elements you can purchase which won’t break the bank but could really help in certain areas - as with this document most of these will be with lighting, sound and background.

Products can be purchased at all good professional video retailers and some are even available on Amazon.

Simple lightLighting

Lighting can make such a difference, improve the overall look and help highlight your subject with this small but affordable light - check it comes with a stand!

Lapel MicrophoneBetter interview sound

Make sure your subject is heard better with this microphone that you connect to their top in the mid chest area. Works with mobile phones and tablets.

On-board MicrophoneBetter sound for on the go

Increase the all important sound quality with an on-camera microphone when filming at events. Great for quick events.Works with mobile phones and tablets.

BackgroundImproved look

If you’re unhappy with the backgrounds you have to choose from then one of these collapsable style backgrounds can really make a difference. There any many styles out there.

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