Today, businesses tend to spend a lot of their budget on multimedia content creation, from their websites to streaming platforms like YouTube and social media outlets.In this blog post, Oscar Lutteroth, Chief Creative Officer, gives you some tips on how to go about multimedia content creation for multiple platforms and introduces you to his approach to pre-production, shooting, and post-production.
What You’ll Learn:
- Understanding the Needs of Multiple Channels
- Begin the Pre-Shoot Planning Process
- What to Do During the Shoot
- Post-Shoot Optimization
- Best Practices for Photographers and Videographers
- Case Studies and Examples of Multimedia Content Creation
Our Expert Insight Into Multimedia Content Creation
Despite businesses’ focus on maximizing reach through various channels, photographers and videographers tend to focus on developing content for a particular channel or application. They might think they’re creating a long-form video specifically for a traditional YouTube video, for instance, neglecting to consider how it could work in YouTube Shorts or provide static image content for a blog or social media post.
Understanding the Needs of Multiple Channels
Before you set about developing your multimedia content, consider the various channels you’ll post this content on after production.
The different types of multimedia channels could include:
- Websites
- Social Media
- Email Campaigns
- Print Materials
- YouTube
- Podcasts
- Ads
For each of these channels, you’ll need to consider the specific resolutions and other requirements.
For example, each social media channel will have specific ad specs for videos and images, while Google Responsive Display Ads will have others to account for in your content. Proper formatting will be critical in getting the most from your content on each channel.
Also, consider which types of content resonate most with each audience, which could influence the topic and the approach to that topic and visuals for each channel.
Begin the Pre-Shoot Planning Process
To set off your next project, start with an organized pre-shoot planning process to guide multimedia content creation, which will entail:
Collaborative Briefing
Make sure everyone is on the same page by involving marketing teams, multimedia content creators, and channel managers in the planning stage. Each team and individual should know what the cross-platform content strategy will require and be able to communicate all needs to keep the entire project efficient and capable of meeting all goals.
Create a comprehensive project brief that outlines the goals for each channel, which will further guide your multimedia content creation.
For example, you may have goals in place to boost brand awareness, increase website traffic, educate audiences, improve engagement, or build a sense of community on different channels.
Versatile Shot List
Based on the kinds of multimedia content you want to develop, you can then have your photographers or videographers put together a complete shot list that can account for all platform formats.
The many types of shots could include:
- Wide Shots: The wide shot, also called the “long shot” or “establishing shot,” can stage a scene and provide an all-encompassing view of the people or locations appearing in your videos or photos.
- Close-ups: These shots can capture various elements more personally, whether you want to make a persona, location, or object the center of attention. For example, you could have a close-up of a team member talking about your brand in behind-the-scenes videos or highlight a specific product from multiple angles for product videos or images.
- Vertical/Horizontal Orientations: Depending on where you intend to post your multimedia content, you may want to film vertically, horizontally, or with both orientations. Channels like Instagram and Facebook Reels favor vertical orientations, while traditional YouTube videos and other platforms will work better with horizontal shots. Consider using a blend of the two to make repurposing content for social media easier.
- Medium Shots: These shots can help create a balanced look with the subject and background in your shot. The medium shot is great for most ads and tutorial content, along with lifestyle shots and behind-the-scenes footage.
Different Types of Multimedia Camera Shots
What to Do During the Shoot
Once you’re ready to move on from the pre-shoot phase, you can begin your shoot using the shot list you’ve prepared.
Here are some professional videography tips to keep this process smooth:
Maintain Efficiency in Shooting
Use a blend of video and still photography to help produce static and dynamic content for a convenient cross-platform content strategy.
The more effectively and efficiently you capture all necessary shots, the more you’ll be able to avoid potentially time-consuming and costly reshoots later.
Incorporate Versatility
To meet the needs of each channel with multimedia content creation, shoot with various backgrounds and settings. For example, you might want to shoot your product against a plain white background for clean and clear product images, while the setting of a home or another intended environment for the product could work for explainer videos or social media posts.
Also, shoot a mix of candid and staged moments to meet each platform’s marketing needs, as social media channels and others will benefit from more organic interactions, while multimedia content for presentations, tutorials, or other content might need some additional staging.
Post-Shoot Optimization
After your multimedia content creator has finished shooting, it’s time to enter the post-production phase.
Here, you can take the following key steps:
Editing for Multiple Channels
With appropriate shots for all of your targeted channels, you can edit the footage captured to create compatible multimedia content for each.
Be sure to edit content to adhere to the specifications of each channel, including:
Aspect ratios
When producing video content, the aspect ratio should ensure the video fits within the respective screen, with the ideal aspect ratio being 1:1 for social media platforms, 9:16 for mobile devices, and 4:3 for regular content like YouTube videos.
Video length
Generally, videos should be neither too long nor too short, with the ideal length sitting at around two to five minutes. However, content like YouTube shorts will benefit from videos less than a minute long, while some videos like webinars can exceed an hour in length.
Stylistic preferences
With conventional YouTube and other streaming content, try to avoid too much stylistic flair and keep your visual language consistent. On the other hand, with content on YouTube Shorts, Instagram, and other platforms, consider adding elements like stickers and effects that appeal to audiences on those platforms, as flashier tends to work better there.
Resolution
For most platforms, the ideal resolution for videos is 1080p, which can easily compress without compromising video quality. If you want to create a video with pristine quality for a platform like YouTube, you can go up to 4K resolution, which YouTube supports.
File size
Make sure your videos are of the right file size for their corresponding platforms. For instance, YouTube’s file size maximum is 256 GB, while the maximum is 4 GB for Facebook Reels and Instagram. Typically, the smaller the file, the better, as it will take less time to upload and process, as long you don’t compromise quality.
Once you’ve decided on the different types of multimedia channels you want to use, you can also automate this process by creating templates for each channel. Using these templates and setups, editors can easily and instantly reformat content accordingly to keep projects on time and minimize the risk of errors across platforms.
Repurposing Content for Social Media and Other Platforms or Content Types
To develop a solid cross-platform content strategy, you may want to repurpose your content for all of the channels you want to use.
In addition to repurposing for social media or other channels, you can repurpose content for different types of multimedia content, such as seasonally relevant campaigns, certain marketing initiatives, or product launches.
With sufficient footage, you can easily rework your content to meet your requirements without the need for a complete reshoot, maximizing content efficiency.
Best Practices for Photographers and Videographers
To get the best results from multimedia content creation, here are some additional professional photography tips that can help with photography and videography:
Stay Updated on the Latest Trends
Be sure to keep up to date on what’s popular on various platforms and their specific requirements. Specs and formats for Facebook Ads, Instagram Stories, and other channels will vary and could change over time, making it important to stay compliant.
The various trends and requirements could also inform your general approach to multimedia content creation. You might want to prepare a professional photo shoot for LinkedIn content to make it especially appealing to B2B customers on this platform, for instance. Many of the images and videos on this platform are of superior quality to connect with serious professionals.
Implement the Right Equipment and Techniques
Another professional videography tip is to use the best equipment available for multimedia content creators, from adjustable lighting systems and versatile camera lenses to the best video editing apps for content creators.
Generally, equipment should allow for instant changes as needed for optimum efficiency, and editing tools should be intuitive and compatible with all content formats.
Additionally, shoot in Raw Audiovisual Workflow (RAW) format, which allows for more control in editing when it comes to changing brightness, contrast, and other elements.
One helpful professional photography tip to keep in mind is to use green screens to allow for interchangeable backgrounds. While on-location shoots can help produce top-quality multimedia content in many instances, a green screen can make repurposing easier than ever, such as when adding different backgrounds for product showcases.
Case Studies and Examples of Multimedia Content Creation
If you’re not sure how to approach multimedia content creation, take a look at some of the following stellar examples that might just inform your cross-platform content strategy:
Buffer’s Versatile Multimedia Content Campaign
Buffer, a top social media management platform, uses all types of content to connect with its audience.
For example, Buffer’s main YouTube channel features a wide range of short- and long-form video content, from tutorials showing how the platform works to talking-head-style videos from many multimedia content creators on the Buffer team.
Much of this content is professionally shot with multiple angles and plenty of editing tricks.
Buffer also incorporates this video content into its social media content, including videos and images on its Instagram page for more bite-sized content.
Apollo’s Conversion of Webinar Content and More to Shorts
Another killer example of a brand doing well with its multimedia content is Apollo, an end-to-end sales engine that often shoots webinars, guides, courses, and other content, posting them in full on YouTube.
To appeal to audiences who prefer short-form content, Apollo compresses videos into snappy Shorts, with adjusted formatting that works well for the vertical format on this platform.
Airbnb’s Beautiful Local Shoots
Rental booking app Airbnb also knows how to create great-looking content that works across its various channels.
On the Airbnb blog, for instance, you’ll find high-quality photo content supplementing blog posts and creating an atmosphere of everything from warmth and coziness to exoticness and excitement.
Its social media presence reinforces that sense of comfort and excitement, highlighting specific locations with highly presentable images and videos. Much of this content looks professionally shot to present Airbnb as a business that deals in making luxurious locales accessible to its users.
Apple Product Showcases
Apple is another brand that knows how to market its products, often through the use of visually stimulating images that just exude quality.
On the Apple website, the homepage opens up with a flashy video showing off the iPhone 16e’s capabilities, including Apple Intelligence, with plenty of people shown discussing and using the product to lend a human touch to the content.
Apple also has plenty of social media posts to showcase its offerings, including professionally shot Instagram Reels that make the latest iPhone look even more enticing.
Plan Your Multimedia Content for All Relevant Channels
By properly planning multimedia content creation based on the platforms and content types you want to use, you’ll stay ahead of the competition and get the best results from your content marketing efforts.
Adopt all of these practices to get the most from your content and optimize marketing efficiency, connecting with audiences while cutting down on time and costs.
Whether you want help with a professional photo shoot for LinkedIn or top-quality footage for your YouTube channel, contact us for a professional consultation to discuss your needs.
