Motion makes up an array of services that deliver everything from corporate videos through to motion graphics and animated website elements.
Storyboarding
Every motion production whether big or small requires a storyboard. Think of it like a hand drawn sketch of different scenes in the animation, often simplified for speed but importantly to set the tone and structure for how the film or animation will roll and progress. Storyboards appear like a roughly sketched graphic novel, with dialogue or narrative also included with each key-frame illustration. The key benefit of storyboards is they provide a rapid way to illustrate ideas for the film or animation and tweak or change those ideas ahead of production.
Filming
Video production may often include filming. A film crew could be as small as a two man team or be bigger with individuals for camera, sound, presenting and also art directors from Carbon. Depending on the film type, budget and location we may elect to send a team from Manchester or commission a team in your area.
Location shoots can be arranged inside or outside, at a customer’s own office or place of work or alternatively we can hire studio spaces and shoot footage there. We’ll think about all the extras too, lighting, steadicams to avoid shaky footage and any sound and lapel mics that maybe required.
We will make the most of the shoot, getting as much filming as possible in the can. Multiple takes and a lots of video will give our editors a great array of filmed content to work with.
Integrating branded video content
From cute website animations to location filming and 3D we’ve taken an integrated approach to motion video. Our video experiences and content are crafted with care alongside our brand and web development teams so that every video compliments and supports all other work we may be doing.
Story to storyboard, location to narration
A great video experience has a great narrative thread running through. From the beginning, middle and end, we can help with this. We storyboard, script write, cast presenters or voice over artists, art direct video-shoots, edit, title and handle all post production processes.
Film editing
Editing is often the unsung hero of film-making. Taking hours of footage and distilling it down into minutes of compelling storytelling video which is perfectly timed to music and dialogue can be difficult to do. Especially when timing may mean cutting out a good clip in favour of another.
This post production process brings together filmed content, animated content, audio and titling. We may do a number of edits for various medias, for example a long edit for YouTube, a short edit for Facebook video, and an abstract loop with no audio for background web animation.
Animation and motion graphics
We love the fun and thrill of animated content whether it’s engaging infographics, character animations or special effects. Digital animation can truly breathe life into a brand, product or service.
At Carbon we are fortunate to have a team of expert illustrators, graphic designers and photo compositors that can provide all the digital assets our animators need to create something that is integrated with all other brand and marketing materials.
Script writing
We can help with basic script writing, drawing on messaging and tone of voice from brand guidelines and existing brand positioning. A script could be a simple number of messaging statements, a number of questions to promote a response in an interview situation or a voice over narrative for the duration of the video.
Voiceover and presentation
Sometimes our customers may want to enlist the help of a professional voiceover artist or presenter to help tell the story of their brand, products or services. We can help with the hiring of a presenter or voice over artist that feels appropriate for the subject matter. We feel it’s important to strike the right balance and tone of voice and we’ll use our experience to commission and cast the best person for the project.
Logo and brand idents
With social media sites making it easier than ever before to share video, many brands and organisations have taken to creating their own video content in order to showcase products, services, campaigns and instructional videos.
Logo idents help create an animated introduction and ending to a video segment. It’s a simple and great way to create brand awareness and ensure all videos have a consistent feel at the start and call to action at the end. Idents are usually only a few seconds long, typically 2-6 seconds and may include a memorable sound. They are relatively inexpensive to produce but worth their weight in gold in terms of brand awareness.
Next time you catch the start and end of an Intel, Microsoft, Audi or BMW TV commercial, keep an eye out for the logo ident and you’ll realise how it sticks in your mind.
Social media support
So we’ve created some beautiful animated video content, where best to showcase it? Small animations and videos for social media purpose are rapidly being adopted by many organisations. Facebook, Instagram and Twitter are the main drivers of this new wave of motion content but the original player YouTube is still the daddy of video.
YouTube company videos
If we’ve created a corporate video then perhaps the best place to air it first is on YouTube. We can help with the process of creating a channel, uploading the video and creating the descriptions and meta to encourage user discovery. Our designers can create complementary channel graphics such as branded YouTube banners.
Facebook video, twitter video and instagram animations
Whilst your YouTube video may be long and instructional, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram audiences tend to prefer shorter bite sized content. We can therefore edit and compress your animation or video into a more distilled version that’s focused on raising awareness or creating initial interest.
