We've been on a visit to Rossiter & Co a leading UK based producer of corporate videos and long standing Cinephonix customer. We caught up with owner Kevin Rossiter to talk to him about corporate video production and using music in their films. 

What areas of business does Rossiter and Co deal with today?
We currently deal with marketing videos, training videos, multimedia presentations, web video production services, and Emarketing. Along with these things we also work with flash animation and 3D animation.

Now, talking about corporate video production specifically. How does a company decide whether or not they should commission a corporate video?
There are a few questions that should be asked when deciding whether or not to commission a corporate video. What goal do you want to achieve with the making of this video? Who is it for/ what type of audience? What do you want them to get out of it? What is your budget? How many times are you going to use this video? These are all really important questions for someone to ask themselves early on. Initially, we sit down with our clients and ask these basic questions. This helps us gain a clear understanding of the foundations for the film, its aim, its audience and its style. From this, we conceive initial ideas and budgets.


Shooting is often the most complex part of the production process.

What characteristics of corporate video production make it different from other types of film and video production?
One of the main aspects that makes corporate video production distinct from other types of video production is that we are mainly in the business of producing informational/instructional videos for companies, corporations, or any other type of business organisation. This means that we approach a film in a slightly different way to say a conventional TV advert. However, whilst our films are not commercials or adverts, we still have to “sell” the message/information to the audience and we spend a lot of time planning the best way to get this message across. This requires the client, production crew, and the actors to work very closely together to make sure that the information is communicated in the right way.

What are the key points to consider when creating a corporate video?
When creating a corporate video, obviously the interests of the client is paramount. We take the clients instruction and aim to convey their message in the most compelling and accurate way. It's also important to make sure that the video is made in a way that will allow it to have continuous relevance/impact for years after it is made. Corporate videos are often made with this intent. If a client seems to be describing a project that will be for a one time use, I'd say that its best to create a muti-media presentation instead.

Why are corporate videos becoming more popular and what advantage does this have over the traditional ways of presenting information within companies?
I think they are becoming more popular because of their efficiency and effectiveness. Because of the growing size of companies, people are finding it more efficient to produce corporate videos as a method of  sharing information and ideas within the business setting. This allows companies to communicate quickly and effectively.


On location during production

Talk us through the key steps of corporate video production.
First, there is the planning. Good initial planning is key to the ultimate success of a corporate video. In this stage of things, there has to be a clear time schedule for the production of the video, and a clear understanding of the content of the video. Everyone that is involved in the production process should be present during this time because it helps things run more smoothly later on in the process. Second, we have Production. When you actually get into making the video, the production crew and the client work closely together to make sure that the vision of the video remains consistent. A crew can be as small as just a camera man and a director, it depends on the size of the project and the cost of the project. This can be the most lengthy and demanding part of the process because it often requires many shots to ensure that we’ve got flexibility in the edit to portray the right message. While it is the most challenging part, it is also the most entertaining. Finally, Post Production.  The first part of this is for the video editor to decide which pieces of film they actually want to use and for the client to decide this as well. Voiceovers and sound clips/music are then added in if necessary. It’s important to think about music at the start of the edit as it plays a key part in the final film. We’ll allow 1-2 hours to consider music for the video at the start of our post production. Often, library music is used for this, which is where Cinephonix comes into the production process. Finally, there is the rough cut, in which the video is mostly made, but allowing for a few amendments, and then the final cut, which is the finished product.

You mentioned using music in your corporate videos above. How important is music to you when making a corporate video?
Music plays a very important role in corporate videos. The earlier a director or editor can consider the music elements that will work for a film the better. Music will compliment the film and enhance the message. Depending on what the video is for, music can set the tone. There are several options when selecting music for corporate videos. The more expensive routes are commercial recordings of pop or classical music and music that is written to order. Often though, we find that quality production music from a music library such as Cinephonix works perfectly. We can source commercial sounding music from them and also music that works perfectly as background music. Using a music library means that we can try out a selection of different tracks or a combination of music so that we can get the tone of the film spot on.

One other thing when using music for corporate video. Compression may be needed to squash the signal for laptop playback, as the dynamics are very rich - which means quiet parts, or bass riffs aren't so clear - while high end like cymbals, the top end of synths or instruments can be a bit shrill. This isn't a Cinephonix problem - whose production standards are consistently world class. It's the "laptop playback" problem.

Do you find that you use the same track in lots of films, or do you select individual tracks for each film?
I find that most of the time I select individual tracks for each film, as opposed to using the same track. Each film is unique and is trying to portray a different message. Because the track included is such a major part of this, it is often necessary to continuously select different tracks.

So, getting back to corporate video production as a whole, of the different steps involved in the production process, which of them is the most challenging?
I would have to say that the actual shoot is the most challenging part. It takes the most time and often requires multiple attempts to get a shot that everyone is happy with. It can be stressful because the production crew and the client each have a particular thing that they are looking for, and the client may feel as though they need things changed on the spot. Working together and preventing many disruptions in the process produces a more smoothly run environment!

Thanks for your time Kevin!

Kevin Rossiter can be contacted via the Rossiter and Co Website. www.rossiterandco.com

Rossiter and Co: Video Multimedia Web for Business

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