One Education’s Videographer and Design Assistant, Emma Callaghan, explores the importance of video for all businesses and organisations.
Today, people are consuming video content more than ever, a trend that is here to stay. It is said that 90 percent of customers say videos help them make buying decisions showing video isn’t just a means for entertainment but a powerful marketing tool. While video marketing isn’t new, it is constantly evolving, challenging and pushing the medium to its limits (SOURCE: DIGITAL 22).
Video sharing platforms are more popular than ever. There are over 2 billion video views on Twitter each day and Tik Tok has over 1 billion users as of February 2021. The pandemic has made people more tech-savvy, virtual parent meetings, school tours and open days are now the new normal. With the sheer power, reach and longevity of video content, incorporating video into your marketing strategy is a must, especially at a time when these in person events are heavily restricted or not possible at all (SOURCE: TWITTER BUSINESS).
Film has always been a passion of mine; it was something that helped me understand the world. As a child I would sit and watch adverts in between television programmes, fascinated by how each one would make you feel a different way. That is the basis of film, regardless of genre or purpose – feeling.
This led me to studying English and Film at Manchester Metropolitan University. My degree focused on the important elements of film. Analysing, style, genre, and representation. This helped me understand how to convey tone of voice through video. Who you are, your purpose and how to best convey that to your audience. For my dissertation I wrote about my favourite television series, Black Mirror, and how its film elements come together to explore our relationship with technology in the modern age.
Working at One Education helps me bring my passion for film and editing to life. Taking the fundamentals of filming: shot composition, sound, lighting and adapting that to a school environment. Bringing to life the school culture, individual personalities and environment though the power of video. They say never work with animals or children! I disagree. It’s so much fun meeting a variety of pupils, helping them show their authentic selves and talking with such natural enthusiasm about their school. One of my favourite days was working with the wonderful pupils at St Ambrose RC Primary School and Bernard, the school dog. There should have been a camera crew there just to film Jeff and I chasing him round with our camera as he happily ran through the school corridors!
Particularly at the moment film can give parents and pupils a feel for your school without attending an in-person open day. A video can make your audience feel like they are there, imagining their child attending your school and making your school their first choice.
We have worked with a number of schools to produce professional videos that are full of enthusiasm and give an insight the school’s community and ethos. Particularly over the lockdown periods, video has proved to be a very useful tool in offering prospectus parents with a virtual school tour. We ensure that our videos include footage of the children, which can include both in and outside of the classroom, as well as interviews with the head teacher and other members of staff.
Take a look at one of our latest videos of St Ambrose RC Primary School:
