enterprise video Archives

Remote Work: The Evolution of Enterprise Video

Posted on May 25, 2022August 21, 2024 by Fiona Ashe

How remote and hybrid work changed enterprise video

Video has long been one of the key communications tools for Enterprises to fulfil their business objectives. But when the pandemic dispatched us to our homes to work remotely, suddenly it wasn’t so easy to create, collaborate on, and broadcasting video. Work had changed. Leveraging video for business was about to change too.

What kinds of videos are enterprises distributing?

The types of videos that viewers are most familiar with — corporate brand videos, product demo videos, how-to instructional videos, employee training videos, customer training videos, case studies, testimonials, and employee spotlights — are still the red carpet of enterprise video strategy.

But the need for audiences to be able to watch, communicate and engage remotely sparked an evolution in business-related videos that centres on virtual dissemination.

Silverwood Partners’ Media Technology: Strategic Industry Analysis 2022 shows that virtual events and webinars are the fifth most popular type of video that serves business-critical functions.

Other events, which previously would have been real-world ones, have also fed this trend by moving online. These included panels and roundtables, recruitment events, C-suite fireside chats/interviews, town halls, and briefings.

If it’s that easy, why isn’t everyone doing it?

Creating, broadcasting and distributing video content was never easy, but the complication of disseminating it to remote or hybrid workforces and customers proved even more challenging. Unsurprisingly, time (37%) and budgetary constraints (36%) were the biggest problems encountered.

Additionally, nearly three in five respondents reported that they have to use so many different technologies to create, broadcast and distribute video content, they often feel overwhelmed.

So, what’s the solution?

Many of these problems — time/budget constraints, complexity of process, lack of in-house capability, lack of the right technology — can be addressed through media pipeline management. Overcast MAX saves you time and money with a streamlined workflow and BYO storage. Image recognition speeds up the process of finding clips. Transcoding to multiple formats is automated. Basic editing is so easy a toddler could do it. Your content is secure. And the best thing is: you can simulate your costs before investing. It’s a no-brainer!

Become a video Ninja

Come and see for yourself. Get in touch for a demo of our platform to see how it would benefit your business and make video easier.

Video Production (Part 2): Filming Your Enterprise Video

Posted on July 8, 2021August 28, 2024 by Fiona Ashe

Video production

It’s said that video content is made three times: once in the scripting, once in the filming, and once in the editing.

In the first part of this blog post series, we delved into the planning stage of video production: identifying your audience, scripting and shoot prep.

In this second part of our blog post series on video production, we’ll give you tips and tricks for a successful shoot.

Choosing your shooting format

You’ve probably heard plenty of publicity about 4K — and that PR might influence you to believe that you need to shoot in 4K.

If you are creating content that will be screened in cinemas or on an UHD (ultra high definition) TV channel, then you will need that 4K resolution, which is four times higher than HD (high definition) resolution.

4K is very accessible — even smartphones will film at this resolution — but you need to factor a few things into consideration when planning your shoot: the amount of storage (and back up) space required, the bitrate required for colour grading, data speeds for transferring video files, speed of playback in your edit suite, etc.

So, if you are shooting a promo video for online distribution, it would be worth having a chat with your videographer and editor about whether HD (1080p) would be a better fit for you.

Filming

The preparation that you did throughout the pre-production phase will significantly influence the success of your shoot.

Shooting style: Your storyboards and shot lists will inform everyone on your team about the style of shots that you want to capture. If you want to create a fast-paced video with lots of cuts, you might choose to film static shots. Whereas if you are trying to create a calm, relaxing atmosphere in your video — for example, if you are promoting a seaside resort — you might choose lots of movement within shots (pans, tilts and tracking shots).
Lighting: Another key element of the style of your video will be lighting. If you are shooting interviews, the standard style is three-point lighting, which creates a slight shadow on half of the interviewee’s face. There are very distinctive lighting styles used in films; however, these are rarely used in enterprise videos. If you are shooting guerrilla-style without artificial lights, you can still leverage natural light to create contrast within your frame. A note of caution, though: although most modern cameras handle low light conditions very well, the footage will look grainier than if filmed with plenty of light.
Directing the on-screen talent: If you are the director, you’ll need to direct the performances of the cast, for example, if you need them to be more animated, or calmer, or speak more slowly, etc.It’s important to ensure there is continuity from one shot to another, for example, if an actor’s hair is tidy in the first shot, ensure it is not tossed by the wind in the second shot — unless the first shot is in a building and the second shot is on a beach. Otherwise, you’ll run into problems in editing.If an actor/interviewee is delivering lines or speaking on camera, you’ll need to do multiple takes to ensure you get the performance you want. It will probably require a few takes for the actor/interviewee to settle into the performance. Patience is a virtue!
Order of filming: You may need to shoot the scenes out of order. For example, if your first and last shots are in the same location, it’s more efficient to shoot these consecutively. It’s best to consult with your crew in advance of the shoot to devise a filming schedule. Unexpected things can delay the progress of the shoot (weather, road works, etc.) so it’s a good idea to shoot the most important shots first, so that if you run out of time and can’t film the last few shots, you can still edit the video in a way that’s close to your original vision.

Next step: editing

So, once the shoot is over, you’re ready to take it to the edit suite, where a new type of storytelling magic will happen.

In our next blog post, we’ll delve into the post production process, including how to collaborate effectively with your team on video projects.

In the meantime, if you have any questions, please do reach out on info@overcasthq.com or click here to contact us. We’d be very happy to answer any questions you have about managing video production effortlessly!

DAM! Enterprise Video Is So Popular — Part 1

Posted on December 10, 2019August 27, 2024 by Fiona Ashe

Enterprise video is proving to be a critical asset to the digital enterprise and is on a collision course with digital asset management — that’s one of the key findings of the Aragon Research Globe for Enterprise Video 2019.

Video is proving its value to the enterprise in nearly every department and every use case. However, many enterprises are still struggling to make the shift. But with video use continuing to expand and more devices capable of capturing video, there’s an increased demand to manage video.

Why Video Is Critical for a Digital Enterprise

While video growth is largely organic, there’s still a need within the enterprise to have a comprehensive, measurable video strategy. An ad hoc approach just won’t cut it. In developing and implementing a video strategy, two groups of people are very important: your employees and your customers. Video can be a key tool in streamlining their respective experiences, if done strategically.

Enterprises need to evaluate their video strategy based on both customer and employee experience.

Video Powers Customer Engagement

Long gone are the days when you had to entice potential customers to your workplace in order to work your sales magic on them. Nowadays, you can convince them with a virtual video sales presentation or a webinar. But, this means enterprises need a video platform to manage this growth and deliver video to users through a variety of means.

The Battle for Talent

Since knowledge workers have more opportunities than ever before to work internationally, the battle to attract and retain talent is intense. But video can get employees engaged and keep them engaged — from the recruiting stage, during which videos can be used to entice candidates through what’s said about the company, to employment, during which they can learn more about the corporate culture through video. It’s also a fantastic training tool and is being leveraged by many companies to ensure consistency of learning for all of their employees, no matter where in the world the knowledge workers are based.

In Part 2 of this blog post series, we’ll explore how video DAMs facilitate global collaboration and we’ll reveal the secret weapon for enterprises who are using video.

Why Invest In Corporate Video Technology?

Posted on September 26, 2019August 27, 2024 by Fiona Ashe

Enterprise Video Explosion

The use of video as a business tool is exploding in popularity, but what’s also constantly expanding is the range of ways in which video can serve a business to foster more engaging communication with workers and share business intelligence with co-workers, customers, partners, prospects, vendors and shareholders.

However, as enterprises scale up their video production, many find it very difficult to manage, particularly in terms of making it easier for teams to collaborate and speeding up reviews and approvals.

“Killer Application”

Enterprises using video are all searching for that single “killer application”. In order to find a video management solution that matches your company’s needs; you need to take an honest look at the uses of the technology that will be most meaningful to your day-to-day business activities.

A recent study by Wainhouse Research entitled ‘Preparing Your Enterprise For The Intelligent Video Era’ identified the most common use cases for one-to-many video in the workplace.

What Do People Watch?

Figure 1: Viewership of Specific Online Business Video Applications

Employee training ranks as the most frequent application of online video viewed in a business setting. More than half of respondents (55%) reported they’d watched an online training video at some point in the year leading up to the survey. Another 51% of all respondents reported viewership of education courses supplied by outside providers.

The second most popular type of business video was executive presentations, viewed by 52% of all respondents. Marketing applications were also widely consumed with marketing webinars (48%), descriptions of products for sale (47%) and product launch events (44%) all drawing widespread viewership in the workplace.

Investment = Results

The increasing consumption of live video by business professionals illustrates the need to invest in top class streaming technology. The survey found that 19% of respondents watch live business video via their PC on a daily basis, while another 28% watch at least weekly.

Figure 2: Frequency of Viewership of Live Business Video via PC — Segmented by Organization’s Annual Streaming Technology Budget

It emerged that the higher an enterprise’s investment in video streaming technology, the greater the number of people who viewed live business video on a daily or weekly basis. That figure was a cumulative 25% at companies whose annual spend was less than $10,000. But these viewership totals proliferate at organisations spending more than $100,000; 33% of respondents reported daily viewership of live business video via their PC with another 36% saying they watch live video at work at least weekly.

What To Invest In?

Wainhouse Research concludes that those seeking to champion the implementation of video within their organisation should pay specific attention to the communications priorities of top management and implement technology solutions best-suited to address the key issues they have identified.

Future-proofing video technology investments needs to be a key consideration. Therefore look for solutions that feature an “open” architecture for integrating with other technology solutions.

When To Invest?

But when is the right time to make this investment? Enterprises may procrastinate on this decision for any number of reasons, including fear workers aren’t skilled enough in video production or because they’re waiting for the “perfect technology”.

However, any delays in deploying streaming solutions mean losing chances to enhance corporate communications and build a competitive advantage. The video revolution is here and the time to invest is now!

Does Size Matter?

Posted on October 8, 2018August 28, 2024 by Fiona Ashe

“Video consumption grows 100%+ every year” — YouTube.

The global online video platform in media and entertainment market is projected to grow at an annual rate (CAGR) of 17.5% from 2018 to 2025 (— Allied Market Research). Businesses will ignore it at their peril.

In our last two blog posts, we explored search and collaboration, as well as management and video production. Once created, video needs a home to live in (storage) and a destination to go to (distribution). Today we are talking about one of the fundamental challenges — size of video files.

Size matters

How big is Big Video?

1 hour of 4k (cinema-resolution) video shot for a 30-second TV ad is equal to 300GB — this is more than can fit on the average computer! To put it in further perspective, 1 year of CCTV video for an average police department amounts to 1.5PB (which is approximately 80,000 Harry Potter movies in HD)!

PB? What on earth is a PB? Well, a petabyte — or PB — is a crazy large chunk of data. You’re on first name terms with a gigabyte (GB), right? And you may have been introduced to the terabyte (TB). A TB is 1,024 times bigger than a GB. Sounds like a lot? Think about this: the Hubble Space Telescope generates about 10 terabytes of new data every year.

So, getting back to the question: what is a petabyte? A single PB is 1,024 TB — or more than 1 quadrillion bytes! That’s a heck of a lot of data.

“1 PB is equivalent to over 4,000 digital photos per day over your entire life.” — Lifewire.

So if you’re generating a lot of video content, it’s easy to work out that you’re going to need a lot of storage space and the cloud might be your best option.

Cloud is the champion

Using a cloud-based platform provides more advantages than just storage. It facilitates you to share media across projects, groups or channels and to respond quickly to partners, distributors or clients.

No doubt you’ll be channeling a particular promotional campaign though your social profiles, website, email marketing software and you’ll want it to look amazing on mobile. So you need all of these to work off the same set of base assets for that campaign.

Getting your video out there

And then there’s outputting. How many versions of your video do you need? Disney has to create 234 versions of every film it produces to accommodate the aspect ratios of the various distribution channels (cinema, broadcast and streaming) and to supply versions in different languages for worldwide distribution.

Once you’ve decided on the number of versions you’d like to create, then there’s the quandary of formatting each one. How do you export your video file in formats optimised for YouTube, Vimeo, Facebook and all of the other different platforms without a degree in transcoding or bribing a highly-skilled technician? The secret is (shhh, don’t tell anyone): choose a platform that does all of this heavy lifting for you. And preferably one that automates it.

“81% of businesses say video increases sales.” — Optinmonster

Saving $$$

With the time saved on collaboration, reviews, approvals and outputting of your video assets — not to mention the cost savings on sending “urgent” DVDs/drives via FedEx or UPS — it’s a no-brainer to use a streamlined platform to manage your video projects. One login, one solution, one happy you!