Video fit for the internet

Viewing a made-for-the-internet video on a desktop is not the same as experiencing a programme destined for HD DVD playback on a high res television screen. So the traditional television tools used to produce video can seem rather OTT.

Incredibly good cameras with HDV are available incredibly cheaply. OK, its still best to be able to use better lenses. You can often get away without lighting too. Sound is more important than ever - what you can’t see on your 320×240 screen can be compensated by good sound from a properly placed mic not set to auto. Editing gear likewise is cheap and powerful.

You can be up and running with a decent little production studio for about £6k. This is all fine, but what can get lost amidst the constant demand for “content” and “assets” is the idea of story and structure. Never has it been so important before lifting up a camera to sit down and think about what we’re going to say and how we’re going to put it into pictures and sound that will . If we do, then with all the affordable hardware at our fingertips we can produce something more easily and with more quality than it’s ever been possible to do before.

But even if the equipment is relatively easy to use and isn’t expensive, just how much are the skilled professionals worth to get the most out the production? Internet or not, the video is still going represent your brand or your company?