Whenever I hear the phrase “corporate video,” it always springs forth images of terrible green screen work or awful teleprompter readings. To be fair, that’s what a lot of corporate videos are. And, now that it’s “easy” to make video in all forms, we are seeing a lot of bland, mediocre work flood the marketplace. But, on the flip side, we are seeing a lot of amazing corporate videos as well. The game is changing and smart, talented visual creators are producing a new breed of corporate video that goes well beyond your typical talking-head fare. The future looks bright, indeed.
I won’t go as far to say that my recent work for the Optical Society of America is game-changing—it’s not. In fact, when it comes to the definition of corporate video, it’s pretty much by the book. Talking head expert interviews, b-roll, simple motion graphics—all the usual suspects are there. However, I will say that it’s a polished example of classic corporate video style—well-made without being revolutionary. Above all, it manages to tell a story without getting caught up in the soporific realm of jargon and tech speak. That’s something that so many corporate videos miss the mark on. As with narrative work, story is, and will always be, the most important component to a successful video. After all, even a corporation has a story to tell.
You can check out my first in a series of videos for the OSA below. Special thanks to Kathleen Drew for leading and scripting the project.
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