A few months back, we announced that Systemato is throwing its hat into the video marketing ring and that we are teaming up with TV and film director Vanessa Vella to produce high-quality video campaigns for our clients.

Although we’ve had our fair share of video-based projects in the past: mainly writing scripts, editing short clips and shooting interviews, we’re doubling down on this medium in 2019 as video is fast becoming the most effective way to share and consume content across digital marketing channels.

That’s why one sunny afternoon last December, we got most of our team away from their remote, online posts and spent an afternoon offline shooting a short video about Systemato.

Words mean the world to us

The idea behind the video is to illustrate how we at Systemato can deliver every kind of digital job, while working remotely from around the world.

I further conceptualised this idea as a sequence of shots showing several people coordinating on the same project from different locations.

The video emphasises three things that set Systemato apart from other agencies, namely:

All this can be summed up in the following basic premise: Words mean the world to us—the same words that appear towards the end of the video.

Words aren’t important for us only because they are our livelihood, they are also our keys to a lifestyle that isn’t confined to any single place.

After I shared these thoughts with Vanessa, we quickly worked on a script and a storyboard which we then pitched to Mark and Diane.

Following some lively discussions about the initial draft, we were able to finalise an outline that included the initial sequence of drone shots, the main action of the video, and the end tag featuring Tesla.

Once the crew, locations and scheduling were a lock, we were ready for action.

Plan like Hollywood, shoot like a guerrilla

The shooting day was divided into two parts: an early morning shoot in Valletta and another in SmartCity. The drone shots at the beginning of the clip were taken by Mark on different days.

As often happens on video projects, even during the simplest shoots, things on set don’t go exactly as planned during pre-production, which is why in Vanessa’s words: “you need to have a plan B, C… all the way to plan Z” and adjust creatively to the circumstances.

Time restrictions, people’s availability and the fact that we were filming in an uncontrolled environment were all limiting factors that we had to account for and actively adjust to during the shoot.

In our experience, most limitations facing cast and crew often end up being the spark that encourages them to try something unexpected, which turns out to be superior than anything that has been scribbled on paper. Behind every creative problem, there’s always a creative solution waiting to be discovered.

(Psst… have you seen the blooper reel? 👇)

How would your business benefit from the video multiplier effect?

Video marketing is set to continue being a dominating force in the online marketing landscape; that’s why the team at Systemato is here to help you transition to this exciting medium if you haven’t done so already or find ways to improve your current video strategy.

Investing in video marketing means getting your customers invested in the story your company wants to tell them.

It requires a different kind of mindset that is geared more towards thinking in terms of narrative lines and dramatic functions, which is exactly what you get when you work alongside a creative visual director who has plenty of experience in bringing powerful emotions to screens big and small.

Let video multiply the reach and usefulness of the content you already have, amplify the lessons from the stories you’ve already experienced, and expand the influence that your brand enjoys in the digital arena.

Like popcorn at the cinema, your audience will be begging for more. 🍿🍿🍿