New for 2020: mtstudios video & filmmaking services
From September, mtstudios is now available to hire for video and film production, either at your premises or on-site at our Discovery Park Studio in Sandwich.
Why is a web company offering film production?
If you've been paying attention to the internet for the last 20 years, you'll have noticed that as home, office and mobile internet speeds increased we all started consuming online video as an important source of both learning and entertainment. This trend has brought us to the point where consumers expect to gain information about the products they are considering buying - or the companies they are choosing to work with - by watching videos.
Video for Marketing
When a visitor lands on your site, you’ve literally got seconds to impress them and get them engaged with what you have to offer. This is the whole point of a landing page - but these days, people are so used to seeing rich and visual content on the internet that, quite frankly, text content often doesn’t keep them engaged. Having a video on your landing or home page conveys information and trust in a form that is hard to resist.
Video and Search Engine Optimisation
Video now also plays a huge part in Search Engine Marketing. Not only are video results increasingly being shown above normal search results for many categories, but also web pages with videos on them are shown higher in search results as consumers tend to click "Play" in preference to wading through text. Google measures how long people are on each page, and the longer people are on a page, the more interesting or relevant that page must be, so they promote the page more favourably on subsequent searches.
Also, subtitles are now both automatically generated by services like YouTube and indexed by Google - so if you're the kind of business owner that finds it far easier to talk about their products or company than to write about them, video will give you another advantage.
"Online video is the biggest revolution in consumer behaviour we've seen since commerce became e-commerce."
What kind of film and videos can mtstudios make?
Product Videos
Product videos are perhaps the most common way that retailers increase the conversion rate of their website. Hundreds and thousands of retailers are making use of product videos these days, and it’s easy to see why.
According to Invodo, 52% of consumers say that watching product videos makes them feel more confident about going ahead and making a purchase.
Introductory Videos
Obviously, not every business with a website has a product to sell, as many businesses are service-oriented.
For these, you can increase conversions with the use of introductory videos. We work with you to produce a video that explains/introduces your business effectively and in an engaging way and lets visitors see the people behind the business.
Video for Social Media
If your company is launching a significant promotion, diversifying or celebrating a successful major project, a short video is a great way to get your message out.
Video makes a huge impact when shared by a local company on Facebook and Twitter - it appeals to people to get a "peek behind the curtain" and see what a familiar name is up to and maybe even spot someone they know.
"87% of major brands use video to build trust and spread their message yet it is still almost unknown for small and medium sized UK businesses. This is a huge opportunity for small UK companies to punch above their weight online."
- FSB
How does the video creation process work?
Initially, we'll talk on the phone to get an outline of what you are after and make sure we can help. If we'll be shooting at your premises, we'll do a site visit to try and identify any opportunities or problems we might have and to get to know any subjects that will appear in the video.
If a script is required, we'll work together to create something of an appropriate length and work out what shots will be needed (and at what locations) to bring the envisaged video to life.
If the shoot is to take place in our Discovery Park Studio, we can usually just pick a date, but for outside shoots, we are at the mercy of the British weather and some flexibility is required.
On the day of shooting we will provide all equipment and staff required and make-up, if needed. Shooting days can "go long" so expect an early start and try to ensure your availability for as long as possible.
After shooting we will typically spend up to 14 days editing the footage, mixing sound and working with you to make sure you are completely satisfied. We will also help you use the video online, on Social Media, your website, YouTube, Vimeo or whatever destination will create the impact you're after!
How much will a video cost?
Predictably, costs vary, but to give you some ball-park figures:
- A 5-minute corporate "introduction" video shot on-premises requiring scripting, storyboarding, shooting and editing starts at £2,999 + VAT.
- A series of 1-minute product videos shot at our studio could cost as little as £100 + VAT each.
- A one-minute video consisting of one or two "talking head" shots with some contextual footage to make it visually interesting starts at £350 + VAT.
In all circumstances, once we understand exactly what you need we will provide a fixed quote with half payable up-front and the remainder payable after delivery.
I'm interested, where do I begin?
Simply start by using our Project Planner Form and selecting "video and film production" as the type of project. A couple of sentences outlining your project would also be helpful before we get in touch.
"By 2022, online videos will make up more than 82% of all consumer internet traffic which is 15 times higher than 2017."
- clickz.com
Gear List: some customers have expressed an interest in purchasing the same equipment we use and shooting videos on a regular basis as part of their marketing. See our Gear List.