Employing Flexible Processes to Produce Effective Videos
Some video projects require rigidly following a storyboard and script. Some require a more spontaneous working environment. The 4 videos below from Anthro's archives show my ability to adjust my planning and shooting process in order to meet the needs of the campaign while staying true to the brand.
1. Mirroring the style of the larger campaign
Luxury. That was the feeling I tried to evoke for Anthro's family of high-end reading room tables for diagnostic imaging. Instead of supplying the agency with a storyboard, I provided mockups of our web and catalog designs, still photos of the product functionality that we needed to capture, and samples from luxury car ads that we were attempting to emulate.
2. Capturing every detail within a storyboard
For videos that require a narrative, I develop detailed storyboards and scripts so that videographers, talent, and editors are all on the same page with the angles, emotions, and actions that I want to convey. (This also ensures we use our studio time efficiently.) As the launch video for Anthro's YES Charging Carts, this spot needed to immediately show our EdTech prospects that they can now charge different types of devices within the same cart, an improvement over every other cart on the market designed specifically on one type of device. The video then needed to walk through the series of simple adjustments that customize the interior to suit a range of devices.
My favorite memory from this project:
With the YES product launch looming, I didn't want to siphon off an additional team member for on-camera talent. So I volunteered to step in front of the camera to play the part of a school IT admin, with the team helping select my fun shirt -- whale illustrations in a paisley print.
3. Teasing great performances from non-professional talent
This video needed to be produced quickly in order to counter a false rumor that was being spread by our charging cart competitor: the plastic dividers in Anthro's YES Charging Carts were easy to break and wouldn't withstand a classroom environment.
My favorite memory from this project:
All Anthro photos and videos utilize employees and their kids as talent (my son is the one on the right in the blue t-shirt). The kids were little professionals, reviewing the storyboard beforehand to understand the action they needed to deliver and mirroring my goofball antics behind the camera in order to truly convey how much fun we were having on set.
4. Planning and setup for spontaneous footage
As part of the MoveMore social strategy, Anthro shared simple ways to incorporate healthy movement into your workday. This video taps into our active childhoods and tests whether adults -- Anthro employees in this case -- will spontaneously interact with a well-placed hopscotch course.
My favorite memory from this project:
This simple idea lit a fire in my team. They gathered cameras, scoped out locations, and created some very fanciful hopscotch courses. It was fun to review the footage together, wagering on who would simply walk past and who would actively engage in some hopscotch.
