Organizations often approach us requesting a single video that will do everything for them. It must communicate the nuance of what they do and how, in an emotional and engaging way. “Oh, and can you do it in 2 minutes or less?” Instead, we recommend a collection of video assets that can serve different purposes on multiple platforms. That means using different approaches. Here are 5 types of video every organization needs and why.
There are no hard and fast rules to storytelling. This is especially true when using video as the medium. The opportunities, tools and platforms we as production companies have to tell visual stories rapidly change, especially in the last decade we’ve been doing this work.
Think back to your favorite stories, what you remember and love about them most. In Winnie-the-Pooh, I fondly recall Pooh’s naivety and Eeyore’s persistent pessimism. As a pair, they were charming antidotes for the other’s limitations. Quirkiness and the exposure of fatal flaws are what make great on-screen moments, but it’s really action that makes character come alive. What decisions do the characters make at moments of trial that reveal something about who they are? Perhaps it even reveals something about ourselves? If you can achieve both, you’ve achieved storytelling gold. And that’s what effective nonprofit videos are all about. Below are the questions you should ask when casting good characters for your non-profit video production:
This Fall, we teamed up with German based NGO Malteser International to produce an identity video that would introduce their organization to an American audience, just as they open new offices in Miami, FL. Click through to view the video and read more about our approach.
This November, we were tasked by Georgetown University’s Office of Advancement to conceive of a short video that would be sent to alumni at the end of the year to thank donors for their support and encourage others to consider Georgetown in their end-of-year giving. As alumni of the University ourselves, we look back and remember our experience at Georgetown as a series of moments, big and small.
We recently produced a 3 minute animation together with our partner Joe Moccia on behalf of the Results for Development Institute. They wanted to tell the story of one of their programs, the Joint Learning Network, a platform for exchange between low & middle income countries implementing health financing reforms aimed at achieving universal health coverage. In order to communicate such a large & complicated idea in a short video, we decided to employ the medium of motion graphics animation. Below are a few tips for telling stories using motion graphics animation.
We’re finally settled into our new offices in the lovely Josephine Butler Parks Center in NW Washington, DC. We wanted to be in a space that was historical, inspiring and energetic, and this building is all of that and more. It was built in the 1920s as a potential site for the Vice President’s home but now houses a multitude of local non-profits, creatives and community builders. Below are some photos of our office, which comprises two adjoining rooms. Please come and pay us a visit!
We’re often approached by non-profit organizations who say they want to produce a video about their organization but they can’t seem to answer why. It’s the main reason why we’ve recently developed a questionnaire that we bring with us on all initial client meetings. It came as a bit of a surprise to one client we’ve had for several years who looked at it and joked, “what’s this, a personality survey?” And we responded, YES! It’s a personality survey for non-profits to try to get them to articulate who they are, what their story is, what they want to achieve, and why. Below are five of the most important questions non-profit organizations should ask themselves before commencing a video production: