Category Archives: Video Production

The Most Important Video You Never Had?

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How online health and safety videos really work…

In this article we are going to tell you exactly why it is so important to have a health and safety video, before I do that find out how this quiet coffee turned into a near disaster for one of the world’s largest companies….

Nearly 3 years ago today I was given a piece of incredible advice. It changed the way I thought about health and safety forever.

So here I was sat in a world famous coffee shop (my home from home) working on a customer and employee engagement website for a client, probably a client just like you.

The coffee house was empty with the exception of me and 2 members of the service team and you will not believe what happened next…

As I am sat working away the lady behind me is walking around the shop collecting cups, her manager yell’s at her to hurry up.

The next thing I hear is an almighty bang as she hits the floor.

She had slipped, rather painfully by the sounds of it.

I got up to help but the manager had already made it to the crash site, but it became obvious that we had a real problem right away.

The manager was in a panic, sweat already dripping down the side of his glasses and a reddening face betraying his understandable attempts to present a cool exterior.

The problem was that although he had been given health and safety training as part of his induction to work course that was 4 years prior to this day.

Luckily for everyone I was able to give the lady the right health and safety support and it seemed she was pretty much unhurt at this point.

Phew.

The manager of this coffee shop was becoming a little angry at this point, probably due to the adrenaline and fear of what might have just happened.

He kept repeating phrases such as:

“She could have been really hurt and I would have been helpless”

“The company could be sued for this”

“The coffee shop could be shut down by health and safety”

I managed to calm both of them down and due to the fact that I still visit this coffee shop on a regular basis I can tell you that she not only made a full recovery but is also now the manager.

Ok, so what did I learn that changed the way I think about online health and safety videos from this point on?

Companies of all sizes across the UK recognise the legal and ethical need to have the very best health and safety provisions.

The traditional thinking had always been to take a “train and refresh” approach to health and safety, but the “refresh” does not always happen.

Is there a solution to this risk that is simple and ensures that a refreshed is available 24/7 and that health and safety knowledge throughout the company is universally understood to a much greater level?

Health and Safety videos on your intranet are now recognised by many as the most efficient & cost effective way to deliver your company health and safety framework.

With an online health and safety video employees and colleagues will have instant access and can keep up to date with official information.

In the event of an accident the chances of someone knowing what to do in the scenario of the usual 1st aider being out to lunch are massively improved.

It is also now rumoured that insurance companies take the deployment of health and safety videos for company websites as a rating factor for policy sales.

In this instance let just sum up the 3 key benefits of having a health and safety video on our websites:

1. It protects everyone in the company from colleagues to customers in a more enhance way than modular training alone.

2. It increases employee engagement and in turn productivity and retention.

3. It impresses clients we all know the value of ‘promoting the right culture’.

The overall point of this article is that video a very powerful medium for delivering a message on your website; it is a known fact that people pay more attention to a video.

Every company should have a good mix of videos on their website, but at the least a health and safety video is a great idea.

I am sure we agree on the benefits of an online health and safety video.

If you do not have a health and safety video – contact us today to talk about the services we provide, we would love to hear from you.

 

How Video Content Can Boost Profits

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Why video is the most effective way to get your message over…

Research has shown that people remember only 10% of what they see or read and just 20% of what they hear. Before running screaming out the door, consider this additional fact; 50% of people will remember what they see and heart at the same time. Cue video content and a quick step on the road to better brand retention. But, while a recall rate of one in two is a convincing enough reason to consider video production as a way to boost sales, there are other ways that a video or collection of videos can assist with sales and marketing and ultimately, a healthier bottom line.

A picture is worth a thousand words: Multimedia content is considered a much better catalyst at the crucial point in the buying cycle for the simple reason the viewer can see the benefits for themselves. That’s why some studies suggest retail sites with product videos can increase their sales by as much as 30%.

Seeing is Believing: Video content builds a level of trust and credibility that is hard to attain through text or still images; consumers can build a rapport with the business through this content, instilling a sense of mutual interaction and involvement. One reason for this is that 60% of consumers are thought to prefer video to text based content. That means they stick around longer to actually absorb your marketing about the product.

Using optimised video content is as close to communicating live with someone as possible for many businesses, and this standard of almost personal interaction often results in sales increases and profit boosts.

Number Crunching: Sales are often said to be a numbers game. YouTube logs around 4 billion hits per day. According to Experian Hitwise, Brits spent an additional 100 million hours watching video content online this February compared with last and the number of UK hits to video sites expected to rise to 1.25 billion per month by February 2014. In contrast, sending a team out into the field at a trade show or onto a high street localises the impact that a marketing push can have.

Video content can go viral overnight and be exposed to millions across a much broader area. Still need convincing? The electronic cigarettes brand e-lites made a Gangnam Style video that didn’t mention it’s product, show a cigarette, talk about its product or explain how to use it due to strict anti-tobacco advertising regulations. It counted more than one million views in two weeks and a massive product buzz that would have been hard to generate on a similar scale using other mediums.

Cost Cutting: Video content can also have the effect of cutting operational costs, which effectively boosts the profit of an organisation. Sending sales staff to different locations to demonstrate a product or service might be effective to a point, but the costs incurred via expenses take large chunks out of a budget. A ‘How-To’ clip can have the same promotional effect for nothing more than the cost of outsourcing video production.

It’s Almost as Good as Being There: Adding video content to a company website or a social networking feed also allows for a greater level of interaction with consumers. A ‘clinic’ style video, in which clients send in their queries or problems to be answered by a company expert can ignite an exchange between consumer and company which can prove beneficial in the long run. A company which is approachable, with easily accessible content and easy-to-consume promotional material will always find a higher level of success and profit than a business which is out of touch with their core client base.

If you’re thinking of getting yourself up there by using video content to boost sales then we’d love to help. We’re a trusted video production company based near Birmingham in the West Midlands. Speak to our friendly experts today on 01527 910050 or contact us using our form.

 

The Top 3 Reasons to Outsource Video Production

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How your website video production affects your business

High-quality video production has been proven to boost sales and increase interest in companies or brands of all sizes. Whether a recognisable national brand or an SME, every organisation can benefit from the addition of superb video content to websites, blogs and social media channels. But not every business has the means to constantly churn out broadcast-quality clips at a level that will be considered effective, which is why deciding to outsource video production is a viable and useful option. Here are the top three reasons why outsourcing corporate videos can be beneficial.

1. Budget Constraints

The so-called ‘age of austerity’ has seen most organisations making cut-backs in different areas. In Q3 last year, the Direct Marketing Association reported that direct marketing spend was down 6.2%, below the line spend had fallen by 16.1% and sales promotion spend had dropped 2.9%. With record redundancies and unemployment also taking their toll, austerity measures are very likely to have impacted on in-house video production capabilities.

Budgets now might not be able to facilitate hiring an expert solely to provide high-quality videos for a company, or if an existing video team is already in place, they may find that their work has limitations as a result of financial constraints. Outsourcing for certain video projects can ease the way from a cost perspective while delivering high-quality results for less than the price of taking on extra staff or new equipment.

2. Freeing Up Time

Here’s the scenario: the first batch of videos have been wildly successful and the company wishes to capitalise on this niche by producing more content and distributing it more widely. Unfortunately, the team is so tied up in producing actual web content, mailing lists or other promotional tools that devoting time to video content ends up as a burden no one wants to shoulder. Outsourcing frees up time for employees to go about their given roles without worrying about the extra video content that must be completed out-of-hours. Employing another agency to concentrate on video content also frees up the in-house team to concentrate on what it does best.

3. Perspective

As a manager, outsourcing video production to a production company can actually lead to a deeper understanding of the business and the chance to see things through a fresh pair of eyes. Relaying a message to an audience creatively is one thing, but relaying a message to another team in order for them to communicate the message to an audience using superior tools can force communications teams to look at things differently. This dynamic enables everyone involved to get a new creative view of their own brand, and allows for a greater level of effectiveness in marketing and promotional output.

If you’re looking to commission a video for your business then we’d love to help. We produce a wide range of videos for companies of all sizes. You’ll find us creative friendly and professional. Contact us today on 01527 910050 – we’d be delighted to talk to you.

Why Your Web Video Needs to be Mobile Ready

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Mobile ready web video to drive sales…

Web video production is a vital part of many companies’ marketing strategies. Web videos can convey vital product information easily and entertainingly. Videos are also much more likely to be shared by viewers than text pieces are by readers, meaning that companies with video demonstrations are more easily able to take advantage of network effects.

When creating a video, however, it’s important to take not only those viewers watching on their home internet connections but also those watching on mobile devices into account. More and more people watch online videos on their smartphones or tablets, and producing a video in a format these users can’t watch means leaving them out of the audience.

Recent years have seen a dramatic increase in mobile web video watching in the UK, as more and more consumers have access to mobile devices and fast mobile internet. According to a recent survey, 63% of mobile device users in the vital 18-44 demographic watched videos on their smartphones or tablets. A survey in early 2013 saw a 14% increase in the number of online videos viewed from the previous year with the number of mobile video users more than tripling.

With this striking increase in mobile video viewing, web video production needs to take the needs of mobile users into consideration. This means thinking about connection speeds, file formats and screen size.

Some video hosting services already take mobile viewers into account. For instance, videos hosted on YouTube can be quickly mobilised by selecting an option in the Syndication menu. For companies handling web video production in-house, making a mobile-friendly video means choosing the right file format. The most common mobile video formats are MPEG-4 – also a common format for web video – 3GP, and Flash Lite. These fomats encourage small file sizes that download quickly to mobile phones.

Video production needs to take more than just file format into account when creating a video for mobile users. Some elements that will work well on a laptop screen won’t be as helpful for mobile users. Text may be too small to easily read, for instance, and mobile sound performance can lack the clarity of desktop speakers. Testing a new video on mobile devices as well as personal computers is a vital part of the production process.

For advice an help on any aspect of web video production then talk to our friendly team on 01527 910050 or use our contact form.

Explainer Video Production Company Guide

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How to find the right explainer video production company

In this FREE guide we’ll look at what is an ‘explainer video’ and what to look for when commissioning an explainer video production company and the best ways to use these types of video.

What is an explainer video?

As you’d expect, an explainer video provides an explanation of what a business is selling or maybe an explanation of what a business does or a specific function.

For example, as an explainer video production company, our explainer videos show the various benefits of using our service to you, our potential customer.

What’s the best way to use an explainer video?

Explainer videos are great for short, concise ‘elevator’ style pitches. With the attention span of an Internet viewer limited to around 54 seconds you need to be able to get your value proposition over quickly – this is what explainer videos are best at.

They give a great intro to your business and show what you can offer

Explainer videos are ideal for differentiating you from your competitors and showing how you do things differently.

They have been proven to increase website conversion rates, i.e. converting prospects into sales.

Types of explainer video productions

There are varying ways that an explainer video production company will approach your video. For example, animated explainer videos use quirky and memorable animation to get over the messages in a remarkable way. These are what’s usually considered as an explainer video.

Other explainer video formats include ‘web presenters’ – these are usually live action presenters that pop up on a web page. While these have been popular they are becoming commonplace and less effective as time goes on.

Thought leader videos are used quite a bit to add social proof to websites. These could be a leader in a particular field that is commenting on how something works. The net effect is that it seems like a lecture as opposed to a sales video.

The best ways to use explainer videos

There are many ways to implement your video and your explainer video production company (if experienced) should be able to help you with the best strategy.

As an example, you may decide to put your explainer video on your home page to instantly explain who you are and let your prospect get a fast and positive first impression. Because of the nature of explainers they can be ideal for sales pitches and presentations where you want to get over your whole value proposition from the get-go.

One of the biggest benefits of explainer videos is that they increase website conversion rates. In recent studies it was shown that a person was 85% more likely to buy a product or engage a service if the webpage had an accompanying explainer video.

Pain – Agitate – Solve. How to structure your explainer video

The ‘pain, agitate, solve’ formula is a tried and tested direct marketing technique. It’s been adopted by explainer video production companies and is a proven to be very effective.

This is how it works:

Pain – The video opens with a scenario where we talk about a problem that the audience is experiencing. By presenting the problem the audience engage and listen for a solution.

Agitate – this is where we further agitate the pain by spelling out the consequences of inaction. This purposes further and deeper emotional engagement and further opens the audience to a solution.

Solve – This is where you present your solution, and explain how it works. It’s vital that this final section includes a strong call-to-action.

How do I find the right explainer video production company?

The right explainer video production company will understand all of the above points and will be able to create an effective video and help you implement the video. It’s always worth checking out their portfolio of samples. And check they are actually for companies and not just ‘demo’ videos they have created. It’s one thing creating an explainer video as a demo compared to one that actually is measured on business benefits by a client! Usually, if an explainer video production company has created 10+ videos for well-known brands as well as smaller clients then you’re probably not going to go far wrong.

If you’re considering an explainer video then we’d love to talk to you. We’re an explainer video production company based near Birmingham in the West Midlands and have offices in Poole in Dorset. We work for clients just like you all over the UK who want compelling animated explainer videos that boost sales and help sell more stuff!

Talk to your friendly experts today on 01527 910050.

How to Produce a Website Video on a Budget

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Website video production for small business

Online video has never been more important as part of a company’s marketing strategy. As more and more people have access to high-speed internet and video-capable mobile devices, website videos gain a larger and larger potential audience. If you’ve never created a video before, however, it can be a daunting prospect. You may be wondering if it’s something you can afford. In fact, however, you probably have most of what you need already. You’ll be surprised to find how inexpensively website videos can be created.

High-quality digital video cameras can be expensive, but the cameras contained in many mobile phones or tablets are good enough for explainer videos or other simple website videos. Inexpensive flip cameras provide a slightly wider range of options without breaking the bank. If you’re demonstrating a piece of software or a website, you may not need to use a camera at all.

Script and presentation are the most important parts of a video, and these needn’t cost anything if you’re going to do them yourself. The success of a low-budget video depends on being able to clearly communicate your passion for the product to the viewer, so make sure that your script is direct, to the point and short. If you have a lot of material to cover, you may find it easier to present it in several small videos rather than one long one.

Although it doesn’t seem like much, research has shown that the videos that hold an audience’s attention tend to be in the 30-60 second range. Naturally, a more complicated subject requires more detailed coverage, but try to make sure that your video isn’t any longer than it needs to be.

Editing and production require video editing and formatting software; a number of useful applications are available either free or at low prices. Editing and video production software like ScreenFlow, Camtasia and iMovie all off the ability to record and edit videos; Camtasia and iMovie both also allow you to screencast, recording what appears on your computer screen. If you only want to screencast, try Jing, a screencast app with a useful free version.

If you’d like help with producing a website video then we’d love to talk. We produce website and explainer videos that help companies achieve the online success they deserve. We’re based near Birmingham in the West Midlands and work for delighted customers all over the UK. Contact your friendly experts today.. we’d be happy to talk to you.

How to Increase Sales Through Online Video Production

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Guide to boosting your revenue with online video production

Whilst a great online or web video can massively boost your sales revenue, a poor video can put off your prospects. Here, we’ll show you how to increase your revenue with great video marketing and how to avoid the most common pitfalls.

In this guide:

Learn how to win new business with web video

How to create a web video strategy that works for your business
Turn your customers into advocates for your brand

How to drive marketing with good quality web videos

Video marketing is one of the most powerful ways to boost your business. Studies have shown that website videos, such as explainer videos, can make a big difference to your sales conversion rate. If you combine this with the relatively low cost of production and the fact that Google favours video in the search results then you’ve got very compelling reasons to use online video production.

The great news is that you don’t have to be a budding Steve Spielberg to make a successful marketing video. You can, of course, hire a professional video production company but you may also want to consider having a go at producing your own video first.

If you are a small business owner considering producing your own online video then here are a few insider tricks that you can use to help make your video a success. This includes info on how to make your video stand out and how to ensure you get your message across.

Planning your video

The most important part of any video production process is in the planning stage. This will help you stay true to your goals, make the filming more efficient and result in a video that works.

The planning of a video production can take a number of forms. For the most part this involves mapping out what you want to achieve from the video (e.g. get more sales, explain what you do etc.), producing a script and designing a storyboard.

The storyboard and script will help you understand your story better and will allow everyone involved to share in the message. It also helps in planning the filming to make it as efficient as possible as well as the edit.

If you’re producing something like an explainer video then keep in mind that audiences are very fickle. The sweet spot in terms of duration is around 60 to 90s so be brutal in getting rid of stuff you don’t need.

Many explainer and online videos follow a standard format. This is to present a problem, provide a solution, explain how it works and then give a call to action.

Production kit you’ll need

Video production equipment is now more affordable than ever. But before you rush out and buy a shed load of professional kit then you may want to consider that you may already own equipment that is good enough for the job. For example, a lot of DSLR cameras and camcorders deliver superb quality for web video production. These are leaps and bounds from the old ‘tape’ based video camcorders and can deliver HD video quality.

In addition there are some absolutely essential extras that can make the difference between a professional looking video and an amateur movie. One of these is the tripod. This will make your shots steady and remove the hand-held shots that lots of amateur video makers use. There are also other great bits of kit, such as dollies that help you create dynamic tracking shots – these can make your video look like a piece of work by a pro.

Pay attention to the editing

The editing of your video is one of the most important parts of the video production process. You also should try and be a merciless as possible in the process and cut out anything that does not enhance your story. Think about what your viewers want to know and don’t assume that they understand your business.

There are lots of great video editing packages available for free or just a few pounds. Many operating systems ship with some form of editing software, one of the best on the market is Apple’s iMovie. This delivers professional video production editing tools and an easy to use interface.

With digital video editing software you’ll be able to quickly create a logical and coherent story. Before you start filming and editing you may want to consider creating a storyboard and script. This will help you organise your production and stay on message.

When editing, don’t be tempted to fill your video with flashy transitions and effects. This can distract from your message and screams ‘amateur video’ to the audience. Instead concentrate of the key messages.

If you’d like to discuss any aspect of professional video production or would like additional help or advice then we’d love to help. We’re based near Birmingham in the West Midlands and have video studios in Warwickshire and Worcestershire. We work with clients just like you across the UK and help them achieve online success and sell more stuff!

Contact your friendly experts today on 01527 910050.

How to Create an Explainer Video Storyboard

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Explainer video production storyboard hints and tips

Storyboards are the basis for most explainer videos. They are used as the blueprint for the production and allow you to be able to visualise the end product before the animation process begins. This is usually the starting point for most explainer videos, and pretty much any video production.

Not only does a storyboard help you (the client) visualise the end product but it also lets the entire production team see how your video should look and sound.

Why do I need a storyboard?

A storyboard will make sure that the animation process or filming process is organised

It helps everyone involved in the production visualise your value proposition

Storyboards are a great way to see if the story flows and help you spot any potential problems

They allow you to experiment with different storylines

A storyboard will save you valuable production time

How are storyboards created?

Back in the day, storyboards were all hand drawn by illustrators. Today, storyboards vary in their levels of sophistication. They can still be created by specialist storyboard artists, however increasingly they are created digitally. There are various packages that can be used to help you.

Saying this, if you are looking to create an explainer video or, indeed any video production, then any storyboard can be useful. You don’t need to be an artist and even ‘stickmen’ can provide a useful guide for filming or animation.

Here’s a sample of a ‘standard’ storyboard template:

Storyboard template design

Standard storyboard template

Here’s a good example of a ‘simple’ storyboard:

Basic Storyboard

Example of basic video storyboard

Here’s a more sophisticated storyboard

Explainer Video Storyboard

Sophisticated storyboard for an explainer video

Help with storyboarding – top tips.

1. The first thing to do with a storyboard is make sure that you number all your shots. This helps to avoid confusion and provides an easy to follow flow. If you need to further explain shots then use a sub system of numbering, for example 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d etc.

2. Clearly identify all of your locations. This then allows you to quickly organise the filming so that you’re maximising the film crew time in each location.

3. There are a number of simple acronyms that video production companies use to identify the different shot sizes. These are useful in helping your team visualise the type of shots to use.

Here are some of the most common that are used:

ECU – Extreme close up

BCU – Big close up

CU – Close up

MCU – Medium close up

Wide – Wide shot

LS – Long shot

GV – General view

4. Another great thing about a storyboard is that you can indicate motion. Use lines to indicate speed or arrows to show a direction of travel. It’s also good practise to include notes about the motion in the text area of the storyboard.

5. The explainer video storyboard will be used by the whole film crew and in particular the cameraman and lighting director. So you should try to include instruction on the camera angles required as well as how you want the lighting to look.

6. To help in the post-production process you should include information on any video effects, graphics as well as sound effects.

If you’re looking to commission any sort of video production then we’d love to help you. We work with lots of clients like you to create engaging and effective videos.

Speak to your friendly experts today on 01527 910050.

 

Video Production, Animation and Web Design that Gets Results

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Call stormnet media on 01527 910050

More than your run-of-the-mill video production company

With an extensive collection of happy clients under our belt, including some well-known brand names, we like to think we’re a little bit more than just a top-notch video production company.

The great news is that we don’t work only with big brands. Our clients include many small-to-medium-sized businesses as well.

We’re awfully proud our reputation for broadcast-quality video and film, not to mention exceptional value for money. But did you know we also offer a comprehensive range of digital media services?

Once you work with Stormnet, you’ll understand what makes us different. We don’t just produce films, animations, websites and such; we create results. And more often than not, exceed expectations.

Experts in all areas of video production

And by all areas, we mean everything! From animation, special effects, graphics through to corporate, promotional, health and safety, explainer and website videos, we always produce broadcast-quality videos that consistently wow our clients – and their audiences.

Here are a few of the videos that we produce:

Promo videos
Training videos
Corporate videos
Explainer and website videos
Health & Safety videos
Marketing videos

and much more…

With a stable of thoroughbred design and production talent in our studio, we’re always pushing the boundaries of creativity, quality, value and service. We understand that you’re not just hiring us to make an awesome video, stunning animation or high traffic website – you’re looking for a media partner to help you boost sales and increase productivity – day in, day out.

As a Stormnet customer, expect to enjoy all of these benefits and more besides:

Clear commercial focus – when it comes to fulfilling your business goals, we never take our eye off the ball

Clear, regular communication – geek-speak is banished to the editing room floor. When we’re talking to you it’s plain English all the way

The best value we can offer – whatever your budget, we always offer the same focus and commitment, to give you unbeatable value for money

A range of highly-recommended digital services

In addition to high-performance video productions, many of our clients benefit from our expertise right across their digital operations.

Here’s an overview of our other services, designed to help you achieve your business goals:

Animation
Website design
Mobile app development
SEO, social media and conversion rate optimisation

We’re conveniently based near Birmingham in the West Midlands and have video production and digital media facilities in Warwickshire and Worcestershire. We work for clients all over the UK and Europe.

For a friendly, no-obligation chat, call Stormnet Media today on 01527 280 100 or use our contact form – we’re looking forward to hearing from you.

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The Importance of Training Videos for your Business

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How training videos can help your business soar

Lots of companies like you use training videos successfully. Gone are the days when the company training video featured awful actors and sets that looked like something from crossroads. Nowadays, training videos are engaging, compelling and interactive. They can be delivered in a number of ways from DVD and online through to E-learning. And the great news is that they are more affordable than ever!

Let’s look at how they’ve changed and what it means for your business.

Video is flexible

Video offers unrivalled flexibility in the way it can be delivered. It can be used on a DVD that has interactive features, as part of an e-learning platform, as a video file on a PC and online on your website or intranet. These are all very low cost ways to deliver the training to your learners.

Interactive learning

One of the most powerful features of video is the ability to make it interactive. Video can be set up to encourage the learners to interact with the video content. Typically this is when the video is played via a computer. This increases the retention rate of the learner and cements the key learning messages. This is especially useful for health and safety training videos where safety critical information needs to be retained.

Accessibility

Video is highly accessible and can be viewed via lots of different platforms. This includes online via PC or mobile. The beauty of this is that learners can access your training video from almost any location and it allows you to carry out training before people arrive on site.

Engaging media

Video is the most engaging way to deliver training information. Learners are 8 times more likely to retain information that’s delivered via a video. This means that your critical training information is absorbs and implemented. It also means that your training messages are consistent.

Save money

Training videos save significant amounts of money for lots of companies. They save having to hire expensive trainers or tying up company resources. They save on travel time and downtime as well as improving productivity that makes your business more competitive.

If you’re considering commissioning a training video then we’d love to speak to you. We help lots of companies achieve business success with a wide range of training and safety videos. Call us today on 01527 910050