Reaching people with emotions and history

A good movie lives through its story. (Image from Encore Pictures) Moving images arouse attention. Content can be absorbed better, faster and more sustainably if several senses are addressed simultaneously. Society has developed into an entertainment community and is more media-savvy than ever before. In addition, today's addressees do not want to spend a lot of time on research, but want to be presented with the relevant information right away. The average time spent on a website today is less than ten seconds. For these reasons, more and more companies are turning to image films to draw attention to themselves and/or to present their products and services. For this, companies turn to experienced production companies such as Encore Pictures, Manoaz Film Production and Slewing gear.Specialists at work"The image film is no longer a product reserved exclusively for large corporations. It is now almost standard practice for SMEs to have a film presence on their website. Films have become a mass phenomenon," says Katja Eicher, production manager at Manoaz Filmproduktion. The company specializes in getting the maximum out of a given budget. It achieves this through its close and extensive network of good cinematographers and post-production specialists. Nowadays, it is hardly possible to maintain permanent staff for all areas in this industry. Since Manoaz Filmproduktion also focuses on international television reports and documentaries in parallel to image films, it is essential to have a team of experts to carry out a professional shoot.Drehwerk and Encore Pictures also manage a freelancer pool that is used on a project-by-project basis. While Drehwerk specializes in image films about technical services, films for personnel recruiting or documentary films, "mixed media projects" are Encore Pictures' forte. "These are films that bring together shot, photographed, animated and graphically designed elements into a whole," explains Jürg Steudler, executive producer at Encore Pictures. They cultivate a multimedia approach and realize touching stories, virtuoso animations and fantastic brand worlds for TV, cinema and digital platforms.An example of a successful image film by Encore Pictures:

Storytelling and dronesA good team is one aspect of many to produce a successful video. A good film grabs the viewer's curiosity and should communicate a company's message in such a way without being intrusive. The strength of video is to convey emotion. This must be harnessed by telling good stories. "People are addressed by people," Stefan Staiber, Managing Director of Drehwerk, is convinced. "When the product manager presents his product with heart and soul or the CEO stands in front of the camera for his company, these are pure emotions. Even if the sentence is not perfectly polished. When the visual language and visual grammar are right, and the lighting and sound are professional, the strengths of video are evident," Staiber continues.The trends are evident in short clips for different channels such as social media. "Viewers no longer want to spend several minutes watching a video. Accordingly, the important content must be condensed into the shortest possible time and translated into images in such a way that the main message is clearly recognizable," says Staiber. Jürg Steudler of Encore Pictures has also observed this development. "We are also seeing corporate and commercials becoming more and more aligned," says Steudler.Trends are also emerging in terms of technology. "For us, the so-called cinema look is generally in vogue. That means shooting as often as possible with as little depth of field as possible. But that's no longer a trend, it's an upscale standard," says Katja Eicher of Manoaz Filmproduktion. She also sees a trend in camera drones, which visually complement films on a completely different level.A successful video from Manoaz Filmproduktion:

Preparations helpCustomer needs are diverse, whether at agencies or end customers. "On the one hand, the customer has a high expectation of the effect of a film; on the other hand, there is still an extremely high need for consultation in advance to explain to the customer exactly what may or may not be useful in his film," explains Eicher. Every project begins with a detailed preliminary discussion to identify early on what the customer's "taste in film" is. After that, a concept is drawn up on how the message or product can best be conveyed to the audience. "The client often doesn't realize how much time the planning takes up front," says Stefan Staiber from Drehwerk. He uses a checklist in the conversation. Who is the target group, what are the core messages, how can these be anchored in terms of images? These and other questions should be clarified before production. "Comprehensive shoot preparation helps to save costs during the shoot," emphasizes Staiber. "In addition, the customer should find out what he can get for his money," adds Eicher. She advises comparing offers. However, it's not just the final figure that matters, but how it's made up.Quality workThe high demand for image films also raises the question of the stability of attention. "If a client wants to communicate independently and with pinpoint accuracy, he will have to package his messages in an increasingly creative and entertaining way," says Jürg Steudler of Encore Pictures. Quality awareness has likewise changed due to demand, as Stefan Staiber of Drehwerk says: "Today, anyone can produce audiovisual content with a smartphone and software and upload it somewhere. Customers tend to assume that even with a professional provider, the effort and costs are low. But a professional realization with high technical and especially content quality has a certain price due to the intensive elaboration and creation. "A successful image film from Drehwerk:

Set own accentsMany don't realize enough the benefits of years of expertise and therefore don't take full advantage of the video medium. "Every shot, every image has an underlying anchor that flanks the message. So does the voiceover or soundtrack. Specially composed music creates additional accents, which makes the film even more personal," explains Staiber.Individual elements and special storytelling are what distinguish the various service providers. Technically, they are all on the same level. Katja Eicher from Manoaz Filmproduktion, for example, tries to develop content stories for and with the customers. "The pure filming of products or the presentation of a company with the listing of columns of figures will have it increasingly difficult as image films in the future. Our films should not be a 'standard trade fair film mush'. Our films should be fun, eye-catching, enjoyable and convey the messages that are important to the customer," says Eicher.