Pete Fergusson, founder of video production agency Nemorin Creative, gives tips for a great video, insight on the process from brief to finished product and his favourite bits of the job
Formerly the head of commercial video at The Telegraph, Pete Fergusson set up Nemorin Creative (initially called Create Film & Video) in 2014. Since then, the company has partnered with agencies, publishers, brands and media companies to create video content for businesses such as Net-a-Porter, Nationwide, AutoTrader, Tesco, GiffGaff, Global Radio and many more. You can take a look at the 2016 showreel here.
The brief
With a wealth of experience creating engaging and effective content, Fergusson is well placed to give insight into the briefing process. For content marketers commissioning videos, what things are vital to include?
“We’re so used to every type of brief or non-brief…it’s absolutely fine to just start the conversation,’’ says Fergusson. “We just need to know roughly what sort of budget there is available, because that dictates the complexity of content we can make. But we really don’t mind if a client calls us to say ‘we don’t know what we need, but we know we need a video’. Then we work together on the details, whether it should be live action or an animation for example. Also who is the target audience? What is your brand’s tone of voice and how does that translate into film? What is the purpose for the video? General awareness, purchase, sign up, click through? We can help with this too.”
Fergusson encourages commissioners to communicate as much as possible with content creators, even without specific ideas of what the video should comprise. That’s a normal part of pre-production and wider creative development.
Reference videos, often grabbed from YouTube, can be particularly useful for giving a sense of things you like. Once a dialogue has been established to flesh out the top line – whether it’s live streaming an event, creating an animated explainer, making a TV commercial, etc, Nemorin sends out an online briefing form to nail down the details of what the film is, why it’s being made and what success in the project looks like.
The company’s input varies for each project. The team can develop concepts if required, work alongside any of the client’s in-house creatives, put together storyboards, scripts, as well as arrange the complexities of pre-production logistics. A video production agency such as Nemorin Creative can be expected to take the lead in anything from coming up with the creative ideas to the practicalities of arranging the camera crew, so clients can focus on the day job.
B2B on video
B2B videos are delicate balance between corporate intention and keeping the interest of the audience.
“The default corporate video would be a chairman or marketing manager being interviewed in their office about why their organisation is the best in the world,” says Fergusson. “In the past that might have been fine, but audiences are now media savvy and expect decent video content in return for product placement and brand messaging.
“If you want have a talking head interview, then at least film it in an interesting way and don’t oversell a product or service. Perhaps try ‘Top five tips’ rather than just saying that your business is the best. The video is essentially an advert – so inspire the audience or tell them something new. Educate them. Entertain them.”
The team at Nemorin Creative has been busy filming all over the UK and globally. They were recently in New York and Milan filming high profile shoots. Live streaming an event in Scotland is the next project. A few months ago they were filming aerial sequences around the Tower of London. “Lots of paperwork and permits needed for that…it’s all pretty varied really,” he says.
Lights. Camera. Relax
Filming people not typically accustomed to being on camera is a specific skill – much needed in the world of B2B videos, for example.
For Fergusson, it’s a case of establishing a relationship. “It’s always good to make sure there’s a rapport between the person asking the questions and the interviewee. Remind them that they can do it more than once. It’s okay to make mistakes, talk naturally and generally be human. Fluffs and inaccuracies won’t make the edit and we’ll send rough-cuts for sign off too. We have their interests at heart, so there’s nothing to worry about.”
The best bits
Video content remains a vital component for a business or brand and one that content marketers must embrace to build engagement. But it can appear overwhelming.
“Video can be scary for people if they’re not used to it,” says Fergusson. “It seems big, confusing, intimidating and expensive. But my favourite part of the job is reassuring the client that we’re on their side – part of their team for the duration of the project. We like to think we’re breaking down boundaries to make video production more approachable and fun. It should be enjoyable.”
You can find hundreds of talented content creators, such as Nemorin Creative, on Content Cloud – our free platform that links leading brands to freelance video producers, writers and more.
You can find more information on Nemorin Creative, including a list of clients and current showreel, at www.nemorincreative.com.
