As we went into Lockdown we setup a local interactive TV station and trained people to self produce their own shows.
I was interviewed by Rob Watson of Decentered Media for a podcast on the role of film making during lockdown.
Listen here or subscribe to the excellent Decentered Podcast below...
We discussed the tools of democratised film making in enabling people to connect with others but also with themselves - lockdown as a tool of self discovery.
A community TV station on FaceBook Live
BBC news coverage of Isolation Station Hastings.
How we did it
Hastings has a thriving independent bar and cafe culture, regular live music and a festival almost every weekend from May to October.
The world became hyper-local when lockdown began. Familiar signs of life disappeared from communities and cities and roads and public spaces were rendered as ghost towns.
We wanted to move the culture of Hastings online during lockdown
We were part of a small team of producers and executive producers who came together to map out an 8 hour a day live programme that would bring the culture of Hastings online through FaceBook live.
Results
We secured funding from groups including Hastings Voluntary Action, the Common Treasury and Leisure and Learning so we were able to commission and train people to produce music, local news, online classes and general entertainment shows through FaceBook live.
The BBC news report above does a great job of what Isolation Station Hastings is.
Watch the channel: https://www.facebook.com/isolation.station.hastings/
Executive:
Ramshackle productions
We all want to create videos that engage our audiences emotionally.
I've found that paying attention to:
- setting
- character choice, and
- aligning voice with a message
...can help enormously in your video planning stage.
Watch my three tips films to find out more...
Consider a storytelling strategy that keeps your audience engaged with your communication campaign with regular video updates on social media.
The sales bit... :)
Partner with us to keep consistency through your year-long social video output and keep production costs right down.
Call us (020 3575 1210) to discuss annual content packages starting from £6k + VAT. hello@campaignfilm.com
Helpful? Please share....
The content creators dilemma
You've spent 5 months making your beautiful shiny new video.
You've had 5 of your best people plus an agency working on it around the clock.
You've made 5 minutes of gloriously plotted, perfectly arched storytelling that will leave your audience gasping with self-realisation and hunger to donate but...
...when you put it live, a high percentage of viewers drop off after just 5 seconds.
Try this storytelling telling strategy...
Long videos aren't a bad thing, but you should put all the important information near the start. Think about what you want your audience to do as a result of watching the film and try to convey it early on.
Set up a clickable call to action
Consider using a clickable annotation or a very clear CTA (Call to Action) within the first 3 seconds as a graphic on-screen.
In YouTube Studio, go to the video details editor, click on 'Cards' and 'Add Card'.
To link to an external site (i.e. a donation page or petition) you'll need to be part of the YouTube partner program.
Put your key message or story hook at the very start
Try to condense the key issue and solution of your campaign into less than 5 seconds; if that can't be done then consider just stating either the problem or the solution - whichever is most intriguing.
We made this short for Humane Society - we front-loaded the film with a hook that positions a problem to be resolved. Take a look >>
Consider a storytelling strategy that keeps your audience engaged with your communication campaign with regular video updates on social media.
Partner with us to keep consistency through your year-long social video output and keep production costs right down.
Call us (020 3575 1210) to discuss annual content packages starting from £6k + VAT. hello@campaignfilm.com
Helpful? Please share....
