Video Production For Foodservice During Challenging Times

In this week’s interview, we catch up with Nick Clancy, PR Account Director at Jellybean Creative Solutions, to discuss video marketing approaches to foodservice brands in the pandemic.

Nick shared some candid thoughts on the massive impact of the Coronavirus, but also how the situation presents an opportunity to connect with previously difficult to reach customers online.

He also gave us an insight into the types of video content that he thinks work best in the here and now – and how we have to be ready for this to change in the future. Enjoy!

3 More Top Tips For How To Look Good For Video Conferences

We all know where to put the camera and how to light ourselves for a decent looking video call these days (and if we don’t, check out our earlier vlog), but now that everyone is used to meeting online, we’ve noticed some of the more subtle traps that people are falling into.

In this update, Dead Ready Director, Chris Tongue, takes us through his top tips to make sure you come across perfectly in your web conferences.

Here’s the transcript for fun:

Hello! Back at the beginning of the lockdown I posted a tips video on how to look good in video calls. Since then, we’ve recorded hours of interviews for several clients over the web and have noticed a few extra traps people can fall into, so thought I’d post a short update with a few more tips.

Extra Tip #1

Be mindful of reflective surfaces and how they have a habit of giving away ugly or embarrassing things in the rest of the room. This applies not only to windows and mirrors in the background, but also to those who wear glasses – a bored attendee may choose to make your window full screen, where it might be obvious through reflections that the discussion doesn’t have your undivided attention… (I’ll then zoom in on my glasses which will show that I’m playing solitaire or minesweeper).

Extra Tip #2

Remember to keep eye contact. This doesn’t mean that you have to look at the camera, just that you should keep looking at the people you are talking to on screen.

It can be tempting to look away while you form your responses, but you’ll lose your audience’s attention if you don’t appear to be talking to them. This counts double if you’re being interviewed or are delivering a presentation as you’re on screen for much longer.

If it helps, have your notes on screen, it’ll keep your focus in roughly the right place.

Extra Tip #3

Value your production values. If you’re being filmed taking part in an interview or you’re a guest speaker at a virtual conference – remember that your video quality reflects whoever is posting the video, so getting your setup correct is more than just a vanity exercise and can affect whether or not you’re invited back.

Good luck out there and thanks for watching!

How Med Comms Brands Can Use Video In The Pandemic

Continuing our interview series exploring the impact of Coronavirus on marketing and content generation, this week we catch up with Gary Nolan, Deputy MD of Scientific Education Support.

Gary is refreshingly upbeat about the way his business has adapted to substantive change and he takes us through the way he’s not only been able to sustain effective communications, but actually improve them through the use of video.

He also has an interesting perspective on how he feels marketeers will have to embrace producing quick, dirty content for the short term, but to be ready to get back to producing high quality content soon.

How Trade Bodies Can Use Video During The Coronavirus Pandemic

Over the past few weeks, we’ve been interviewing our clients from various sectors, to find out how they are using video to help deal with the disruption that Coronavirus has caused.

Our conversations cover a range of topics, from the unexpected benefits of video comms platforms, to the future of large scale events.

In this first episode, we talk (virtually) to Milda Manomaityte, of the Railway Industry Association about how trade bodies and membership organisations can continue to make meaningful contact with their customers during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Milda takes us through some of the stickier points they had to deal with at the beginning of the crisis around the disruption to communication and shares her thoughts on how to leverage video in the future to engage with new customers – she also has a few pointers on how to behave appropriately on camera.

How To Look Good For Video Conferences

Web conferences are the new normal and all of us are bound to need to collaborate over Skype, Zoom, Gotomeeting etc over the coming weeks/months. This vlog from Dead Ready Director Chris Tongue, offers three tips on how to make sure that you stream/webcast yourself clearly – and look good doing it!

Transcript below:

Hi. With most of us working from home now and all events and meetings taking place online, it’s important to not only know how to look good in a web conference, but to also make sure that you can be clearly seen and understood. This counts double for anybody who is used to presenting at a large scale event, where there might be a whole technical team there to make sure you’re both lit beautifully and can be heard very clearly by everybody in the room.

Online, you’re going to have to get used to being your own technical team, but fortunately, the essentials are pretty easy to get right. So here are three tips on how to look good for video conferencing.

Tip 1.

It’s essential to get your light source falling on your face, to make sure you don’t appear as a silhouette, so make sure you don’t shoot with your back towards a window. Natural light is often most flattering, so try to set your camera up underneath a window, where the light from outside can illuminate your whole face. This isn’t possible for everyone, it’s not possible for me, so alternatively, to increase the light on your face, consider just putting in a household lamp behind the camera. It really does make a massive difference.

Tip 2.

Poor quality audio is arguably worse than poor quality visuals as people have a far lower tolerance for content they can’t hear. Most laptops have built-in microphones, which are usually pretty good these days, but just remember that the further you are away from your laptop the worse the sound quality will be. I’m shooting this video with a professional microphone that I happened to have in the house when the lockdown was announced but your laptop microphone is usually ok. I would just consider buying one of these options if you’re going to be doing this on a regular basis.

Tip 3.

This one isn’t the most important, but a standard approach is to put yourself in the middle of the frame, with a little bit of your shoulders showing. It’s also a good idea to try to keep your camera at eye level, because shooting from a low angle is pretty unflattering.

Remember also to have a look at what you’re capturing in the background to make sure that you’re not capturing anything sensitive, personal or embarrassing. Neutral backgrounds are usually a safe bet, but just try not to put yourself right up against a wall, because it’ll make you look like you live in a broom cupboard.

So there you go, three simple tips to make sure that you represent yourself clearly in a video conference and look great doing it.

Stay safe. We’ll see you next time.