cringey
[crin-jee]
adjective
1. Causing one to cringe in discomfort or embarrassment
A corporate video can be a fantastic way to liven up internal communications, diversify your company website or explain your product clearly and concisely to customers. A corporate video can hugely benefit your site and your brand, and may even help your site reach a whole new customer demographic.
But how can you avoid making a video that turns out to be just a bit cringey?
Here are TellyJuice’s top tips for making an effective and engaging corporate video:
Ensure that everyone wants to be there
Genuine enthusiasm cannot be bought and is difficult to fake (unless of course you hire actors). If you cast employees in your corporate video make absolutely sure they are happy to participate and are as eager as you are for the video to be a success.
If corporate video-making were taught in schools, the above video would be lesson one of “how not to do it”. Not only is the tone of the video completely off-message for the demographic that Mitsubishi would generally aim for, it is also clear that most participants in the video are far from fully committed to the project.
Beware of bad acting
Bad acting can be a humorous device in the right hands, but more often than not it makes the viewer uncomfortable and detracts attention from the subject of the video. This can be an awkward conversation to have with friends or colleagues, and may depend on exactly the form you want your video to take.
A video with more serious acting, such as the Java ‘License to Code’ launch video, will require a higher level of acting than a video explaining your product or service in more straightforward terms.
This corporate video parody humorously highlights some of the typical pratfalls of corporate video, including bad acting. A solution to this problem can be voiceovers, accompanied by animation or stock footage to give your video a slick, professional feel without breaking the bank.
Beware of rogue amateur animators
The early years of computer slideshows were a blur of complicated transitions and rainbow-coloured backgrounds. A number of corporate video-makers have followed in this tradition by adding in every cool effect and flashy transition they can find.
If you are interested in animation for your corporate video, make sure you find someone who knows their motion graphics from their graphic design (or perhaps get in touch with our animation team!).
Less is more
A graphics overload accompanied by music at an oppressively loud volume will do your video far more harm than good. Tone down any extraneous elements of the video to ensure that your message is being clearly understood.
Tight editing can work wonders for the overall feel of your video, making it seem slick and professional, as well as possibly helping to knock a few seconds off the overall length.
Corporate videos are not the place for lengthy explanations or complicated jargon, keep your message clear and concise and the viewer will want to learn more.
Stick to what you know and do it well
A corporate video is a chance to show your depth of knowledge and expertise. Unfortunately, Fred and Sharon Spencer, a married Canadian couple made a corporate video that is so ostentatiously awful, many viewers assumed it was a hoax.
Although the video has more than a million views, we don’t imagine many viewers have taken them up on their offer!
If the thought of making a corporate video is still making you cringe, then give TellyJuice a call. We are experienced in all levels of corporate video production and will work with you to create a video that is exactly right for your business.
