- 1. Sketch -A check list A check list for making better films
and leaving your audience refreshed, entertained and informed
2. Contents
- What are you filming and why?
3. About Sketch
- Sketch producesfilm contentfor companies, charities and
NGOs
- Our clients include:British Council, Hearing Dogs for Deaf
People, The London Library, Romsey Mill, Penguin UK, Safestore,
Kind Consumer, Reprieve, Open Cinema and The Boston Consulting
Group
- We make documentaries forChannel 4andCurrent TV
- We recently wonthe Britdoc Co-operative Its good to know
award
- We work with award winning documentary makers
- Focused on anorganic investigative documentaryapproach
- Our aim is to make a film that responds to the brief and draws
in a captive or fresh audience
- We areflexible and passionateabout films potential across new
media
4. How we work
- We talk to clients as early as possible
- We clarify budget and resources available
- We pinpoint the visual content of the film and the tone
required
- We encourage clients not to use scripts
- We let the event or people or company speak for itself
- We urge clients to resist heavily branding their film
- By letting contributors speak for themselves in a natural style
- we create transparency and build trust
- We encourage a two way conversation with the audience-
generating comments, calls to action, ratings, sharing
5. Trends in online content 6. Where are we today?
- How we consume content is rapidly changing - we have to ensure
that the films we produce catch up
- The collective personalised voice is gaining strength - we
listen to our friends and like-minded people more and more - rather
than searching through media
- The medias power is decreasing/changing - they are being cut
out of the loop e.g. UK election
- People who share similar interests are able to find each other
far more easily than before
- Your audience should be able to find or discover more about
your organisation or event very quickly
- Twitter- the pulse of the planet or a just a fashion
- Facebook- about to make the web very social with the
ubiquitousfacebook likebutton and the Open Graph project
7. The audiences attention span is very short 8. What does this
mean?
- The context in which people are introduced to media (facebook,
twitter, email) is alsmot more important than the source
itself.CONTEXT is now king
- There is a huge amount of content online - your shared audience
acts as your first filter and your first referee
- People dont like to be lectured or told what to think
- Look at us and what we dois no longer enough
- You need to surprise and move people -only connect
- The audience is smart and you need to earn their trust
9. How to be audience led
- Keep a film short. If you make a long film - cut it down and
release the film as a series
- Ensure that the film can be shared and rated (where
appropriate)
- Make it easy for the viewer to find out more through related
content
- Produce text and comment to accompany the film
- Package the film in the right category - dont push everything
into one folder and assume that your audience is interested in
everything
- Use multiple platforms e.g. vimeo, youtube. Ensure that all
content on these channels is relevant and fresh.
- Link to the film on your own blogs
10. The Filming Process 11. What are you filming and why?
- Ask yourself a series of questions:
- What are you filming and why?
- How will people react to being filmed?
- Will something happen/develop over time?
- Where is it happening? Any implications for filming?
- Are the people likely to be changed by their experience?
- Are there any stakeholder issues? Who has final cut?
- Who is the target audience? How do they consume media?
- How will this film be distributed online?
12. The check list
-
- Think about when the exciting things will happen and make sure
that we are there to filmthem
- Choose carefullyWHOwe will focus on and select only a few
contributors
-
- Big Brother type casting vs. dull but safe casting
- Allow contributors to beNATURALandHONEST(with gentle
prodding)
-
- Keep the camera crew small and give contributors cameras to
film or do video diaries
- Create the structure for aJOURNEY
-
- Think of it as stops along a tube line - at each stop something
is going to change
- PREPARE PEOPLE- let everyone know that a film crew will be
present
- SHOWthe action, dont report it or TELL us what just
happened
- THINK FIRSTabout distributionask yourself why the audience will
watch, why the film will generate positive word of mouth
- What would the headline of a review of the film be? Think about
linking print to the film and generating media coverage
- Overt branding is not important
13. Common mistakes
- Poor communications with partners and people on the ground
- Looking inwards -pleasing the boss but not the audience
- Not knowing whom to please (Who is the boss? Who is the
audience?)
- Going over budget - by not knowing what you want before you
start
- Uploading content online simply to have something up there
- Not promoting your filmsonline with text and tags
- A series of people talking at camera telling uswhat they have
just done
- Overly obvious enthusiasm - Everything is great is a bit
boring
- Filming events that are greatLIVEbut not so great on screen as
you had to be there
- Letting people get nervous and stilted on camera
14. The wish list x 10
- Segment the audience (different films/channels for each
audience)
- Know what you want - develop aresult orientated strategy
- Let people know what you are doing and what you are trying to
do
- Communicate constantly with us
- Show human relationships at work or human stories/journeys
- Refine your film - get feedback from outsiders and make
changes
- Get a high impact still image and ensure the film has clean
sound
15. A quick summary
- Audience, Audience, Audience
- Surprise people- dont use the same old, same old approach
- Do something different this time
- Make it snappy, make it simple
- Allocate resources sensibly
- Commission investigative films rather than event coverage
- Think about distribution first
- Obtain objective feedback
16.
- Web: www.sketchfilms.co.uk
Questions? If you want to meet to discuss any filming
requirements you may have please get in touch.Thank you.