Rowland s Motion Graphics Video Process You know it s essential to tell your story as clearly as possible. Getting it right isn t as easy as it sounds. There s always one more product spec or customer success story to share. How can you get the message across while being authentic, informative and, dare we say, entertaining? And most important of all, brief. The solution? Video. At the most basic level, videos combine the aural and visual parts of our brains meaning that when it catches our attention, more of our brains are involved. More importantly, presenting information via video lets us tell clear stories about complex problems which is what Rowland does best. Complexity is what Minitab s Companion software is designed to solve. The leading provider of statistical software needed to introduce their new process implementation product in a clear and visually engaging way. So they turned to Rowland. We used our signature motion graphics style to create a video that triumphantly announced the product to the world. And we made sure everyone knew why it mattered. rowlandcreative.com 814.308.0358 1
Phase 1: It might seem like overkill to do in-depth research into your audience and competitors for just a video project. We firmly believe it s not. Here s why: even the best visual execution won t reach your goals if there s no meaning behind it. That s why we devote time before we start writing scripts and designing storyboards to define personas of your customers and to research your competitors marketing and communications. If we ve been working with you for a while and have already completed discovery work or if you ve completed the effort internally this process is likely not terribly time-consuming. But the ideas behind it are very necessary for a successful and strategic final product. A deep dive into product positioning and potential users and decision makers for Companion by Minitab had been conducted by their internal team. We leveraged their work to guide us into pre-production knowing exactly who we were speaking to and what we needed them to know. rowlandcreative.com 814.308.0358 2
Phase 2: Our creative process begins with a story. The goal we identified during determines the story we need to tell. Since most of our videos introduce a new offering and the unique problem it solves, we usually start there. No matter what, we can t move forward without a compelling tale to tell. Once we have the story nailed down, we ll draft a script that tells it well. At this point, it s also important to emphasize key details and phrases that will instantly connect with your customer. Marketing plans and materials were readily available for Companion by Minitab. This allowed us to quickly dig in with their team and define the challenge that the software solved: tracking progress within a quality improvement initiative. Managers needed the ability to instantly see how their team was progressing toward their improvement goals, and the team needed a solution that didn t require wasted time entering their progress into a program. We drafted a script that introduced this idea, detailed the specific selling points that the customer would respond to, and restated the ultimate solution to make sure viewers got the message. rowlandcreative.com 814.308.0358 3
Phase 3: Creating a storyboard bridges the gap between words and images. We break down the script into bite-sized chunks and show what should be represented visually in hand-drawn storyboards. Technical details and cues are also noted in these storyboards. Another important step in this phase is to establish a visual style. This creates a look for the video that aligns with your brand and industry. We show this in a series of style frames that represent the overall look and feel of the completed piece. Because our videos are animated with motion graphics, this part of the process is critical. Our storyboards for Companion by Minitab helped determine what graphics and images would best suit the customer. We highlighted key elements of the software, visually demonstrated the ease with which roadmaps and other product elements were created, and added flair with large, graphic transitions. Familiar phrases and names were included in the software images to better relate to the customer s world. rowlandcreative.com 814.308.0358 4
Phase 4: Following approval of pre-production elements, narration can begin. Finding a voice to perform the narration that appeals to our audience is a part of the process that s sometimes overlooked. There s nothing worse than a mismatch in video content or style with the voiceover artist. To achieve the perfect fit, we identify key qualities the voice should have, like empathic, persuasive or high-energy. We ll listen to hundreds of voices, send our favorites your way and work with you to pick the perfect voice for the piece. For Minitab, the Companion by Minitab video needed to have a calm, knowledgable voiceover. We imagined it comforting a frazzled manager and staff, letting them know that a solution was possible for their process improvement tracking woes. rowlandcreative.com 814.308.0358 5
Phase 5: Once we have the voice recorded, we can move forward with the actual animation of the piece. Each frame of video is carefully designed, taking our initial storyboard and style selection into account. We share a preview of the piece midway through, to ensure that everyone is still in alignment with our chosen visual direction. (Popcorn and theater seating might be included in that meeting.) While we ve spent time describing our motion graphics expertise, we re also skilled at incorporating photography and live action video when the time is right. All of our animation and video projects produce broadcast quality, 1080p HD content using industry-leading Adobe software. We flexed our motion graphics muscles in the Companion by Minitab video animation process, using our animation software in new ways to bring the software to life in a 3-dimensional environment. This technique allowed us to bring more visual interest to what could be a simple software walkthrough video. rowlandcreative.com 814.308.0358 6
Phase 6: Once you re totally happy with the piece, we ll complete final edits for color and sound, and we ll begin rendering the approved video in a variety of formats, ready for you to show in places like your website, social media, on an ipad in a sales meeting or on a trade show monitor. We ll also work with you to determine where to place the video, where it can be shared and what marketing activities we can do around the video to help it get its full impact in the market. Because we re always thinking strategically, we want your video to be more than just beautiful. We want it to be effective. Click here to watch the video or visit vimeo.com/rowlandcreative/ companionbyminitab rowlandcreative.com 814.308.0358 7