Alternatives To Filming a Video
The blueprints for a video aren’t black and white and the final product should be as unique as the company it’s for. Some of those plans don’t involve filming anything at all! There’s many reasons why you could want an alternative to film crews when making a video – whether you’re working around a tight budget, have scheduling complications, covid protocols, or closed worksites. Below are four alternatives to enhancing your project when a film crew isn’t an option.
Organic Content
Create your video using content that comes naturally. Content collected by peers and co-workers adds authenticity to your message. It can also produce a unique look that stands out.
When the Minnesota Zoo wanted consistent content on their social media platforms, they reached out to their own zookeepers. These employees are face-to-face with adorable animals and have interesting daily routines, so the marketing department asked the zookeepers to document and share their workday. Clips of feeding and grooming the animals were a goldmine for content and boosted overall social engagement.
Animation
Animation is a great alternative to filming, and probably the most common replacement for footage. It can be diversified to include graphics, illustrations, and skits. The semblance of varied media, all built with animation’s vast capabilities, keeps the audience engaged. Many worry that taking this approach feels cartoony, but working with an experienced animator to properly represent your organization will ensure the project isn’t mistaken for Nickelodeon.
Photography
If a picture speaks a thousand words, a video composed of photographs is a great choice for strong messaging. Videographers can capture short clips and pull screengrabs, or photographers can come in to document the content you need for your video project. Don’t want outside crews around at all? No problem! Get creative with the photography. Use pictures from customers, google reviews, social media tags, etc. Pro tip: voiceovers complement this style well, and will help drive your message home.
Stock Footage
Don’t let stock footage’s cheesy reputation turn you off to the idea of using it in your projects. The ability to access a diverse collection of stock footage has never been easier. Seasoned professionals (and skilled novices) are now leading the helm and producing the stock footage available on the market. What they make is more creative and far less bland now than it has been in the past. Stock footage can also supplement existing content to repackage any old footage to make something that feels new to the viewer.
Video production is very flexible. With so many options available, filming more content isn’t mandatory anymore. Instead of bringing in a crew experiment with these alternatives! You can always reach out to the Blue Key team for a free, no pressure consultation to learn more about unique approaches to your next video project.
