A lot of people noticed that the music was from the Paul O’Grady show – it wasn’t deliberate, and I think I was actually first.

For the tech- heads out there it was all edited on an Avid Xpress, the graphics were done in Photoshop, and the online was done on an Avid DS. I’m not sure who mixed the sound, but I remember the late Mike Carter – a bit of a Pinewood legend – walking in and giving a few of his thoughts on the mix.

Happy days…

An example of how a great bit of motion graphics can liven up a presentation

Video has become a must have weapon of the PR armoury. From showreels to event filming; mood reels to video news releases, there are now plenty of ways that a video production can help you and your clients stand out from the crowd.

Here are 10 ways that you can use a video production in PR:

1. Bolstering an online press release
   • Video that’s clearly aligned to the story of the press release can reinforce core messages in an engaging way.
   • Video is easy to share – blogs, micro-blogs, forums and viral emails spread information and create a buzz about a story.
   • Video attracts attention from search engines, especially when supported by a keyword-rich title and a paragraph about its content.

Assuming a press release is genuinely newsworthy; adding video to the package increases its impact and widens opportunities for exposure. Here’s how:

2. Creating a VNR – video news release
   A Video News Release is a press release in a video format. Usually running 90-seconds, it’s distributed to television stations for airing in news programs. Quality content, striking footage, strong interviews and powerful sound bites are a must. A VNR is worthwhile if you have a launch, event or new research findings to publicize. The key is that the story must be newsworthy enough for inclusion in television news bulletins.

Program editors sniff out shameless publicity stunts a mile off, so there must be a very strong ‘hook’ that passes the “So What?” test.

3. A promotional tool on your website or blog. Alert clients & new business prospects to new video content on your website or blog. There are myriad ways in which you can use it as a tool to showcase your credentials as an effective, creative PR business; or to create a personality for your brand that reassures prospective clients that you’re a good bunch:
   • Upload a show reel of recent, impressive campaigns.
   • Conduct short interviews to introduce key personnel.
   • Create a video tour of your company office.
   • Post video testimonials from existing clients.
   • Create “how to…” videos that demonstrate your expertise.
4. Creating jaw-dropping moments at events. Want a powerful opener to a conference? A dramatic montage for awards ceremonies? An eye-popping attraction at a road show or launch? Professional video production brings an extra dimension to events; creating instant kudos for a brand, product or service; presenting information & emotion in a glorious cinematic package. The video can be transformed into other life forms once the event is over – for example, a DVD show reel or web cast.
5. Go guerrilla with marketing video. YouTube is chock full of guerrilla marketing ads, the best of which attract attention from newspapers and TV news, as well as enhancing the page ranking of featured brands’ websites. Making a video and uploading it to a site like YouTube is relatively cheap, but the exposure for a client’s product or message can be amazing.
6. A pitch tool to wow potential clients. With new technologies launching every day, PowerPoint doesn’t look that ‘powerful’ anymore. Agencies that want to reinforce their forward-thinking approach need to invest in smarter ways to present to clients. A video can create the ‘wow factor’ needed for PR agencies to grow their business. A package might include market research such as Vox Pops, talking-head interviews, montages of news coverage, ‘mood reels’ capturing the essence of a product and client testimonials. And, instead of static tables to present data, motion graphics bring facts & figures to life.
7. Evaluating campaigns. A video presentation that demonstrates business benefits achieved for a client by a campaign could be the key to building an ongoing relationship. Presenting the brief given, the strategy developed, the tactics used and, most importantly, the results achieved, an exciting video presentation leaves clients wanting more. A journalist endorsement captured on film, or a street Vox Pop demonstrating a shift in public opinion, delivers rock solid proof that PR is working.
8. Show reels. The plasma screen in the office reception can be an advert for a PR agency. Instead of playing daytime TV, blast out a show reel highlighting the agency’s best work.
9. Team building & client bonding. Create a video record of an office away day, or a hospitality event for clients. Play the film at the end of the day, or send it on a DVD to attendees after the event. The entertainment value will be a great boost to the bonding experience and sense of camaraderie between colleagues and/or clients.
10. A lasting record of a launch. Capture the vibe at a celeb-studded launch. Video can offer a lasting who’s who of attendees and a testament to the atmosphere of the occasion. The PR or events team responsible for staging the event can use it as a promotional tool to secure further similar projects. And clients can also utilize the film – perhaps to big up their brand to retailers or attract sponsors for future events.

And the Innovation Center has already come up with Ball Track -

A Doppler radar hit-tracking system that has the ability to track home runs showing the distance and height of the ball in-flight, updating continuously during the ball’s flight

and Snap Zoom -

A freeze-frame technology that brings the fan closer to the play by zooming in an area of interest and providing insight to a current action on the field, thus giving the viewer a different view on a particular focus of play.

If nothing else it will be fun to watch hundreds of hardened England fans watching the World Cup at their local pub whilst wearing 3D glasses.

Little did I think that 25 years after Reg’s body was found in the first ever episode I’d be watching a live production of the show. And there were no punches pulled. It played out like a proper TV show, not a play. There were multiple locations, stuntmen, drama and even some fake blood.

It may not have had the drama of the Ang and Den years, but it was still a real TV event – one of those really rare moments that are normally reserved for England losing in the World Cup, or a Morcambe and Wise Christmas special.

Let’s hope the BBC can carry on being this brave.

I have to admit that I’m not convinced by 3D in the home.  I get it when you’re watching a movie at your local multiplex and the place is set up for the spectacle of 3D.  But will the world really be convinced to put on a pair of glasses to watch their TV? I think a family may find it strange to all be sitting around in their super-specs watching the latest Pixar movie. The alternative is a lenticular screen that shows 3D without glasses – but this suffers from all sorts of problems – the biggest being that there are a set number of viewing angles, so even if you can see the 3D, the person next to you may just see a blur.

There’s no doubt that the big movers in the marketplace want this to happen.  Sony has teamed up with FIFA to broadcast up to 25 games from this summers World Cup in 3D. Dreamworks Animation and Pixar are going to make all future productions in 3D and Panasonic has been showing off a 3D Camera prototype that would make filming much simpler.

When I got home I pumped a search into Google and was directed to YouTube where there was a version of the song along with the title sequence from the show.

The song was still great the second time round, but it was the title sequence that really blew me away. It looks really modern-fast edits, jump cuts, freeze frames-its got it all! I especially like the sped up helicopter footage that zooms into a balcony, then cuts to Jack Lord turning his head.

Enjoy…

1. Alan Partridge showing why he’s the most popular man in Norfolk.
2. The creepy Jim Cunningham (Patrick Swayze) in Donnie Darko.
3. Peter Purves in the UK Office.

If you can find any more let me know.