Live-action x 3D promotional explainer for UK cloud-based HR software company, Breathe HR. Animated and edited by Dreaming Fish Productions.
The client and the project
Towards the end of last year, BreatheHR, a UK based cloud-based HR software company, got in touch with us with the need for a promotional video for use on their website and social channels, as part of their latest ‘breathe easy’ campaign. With years of experience working within the HR and recruitment sector, we were excited by the prospect of this project.
After a few calls with the Breathe team we knew exactly what success looked like to them and what we needed to do to make sure we achieved that. With a brief in place and the go ahead from the client, we got started on all things pre-production and first things first, scriptwriting. Breathe provided us with their brand guidelines, tone of voice document and key messages needed for the video. Perhaps unlike their competitors, Breathe’s tone of voice is much lighter, conversational & engaging – without being ‘over the top’. With all of this in mind, we wrote a script that they loved! After the voiceover artist was chosen and the script was recorded, we got started on the storyboard which would help explain the flow of the overall video. To match Breathe’s branding and to keep within their fixed budget, we opted for a stock and animation approach for this promotional video. To ensure the video flowed and was consistent, it was important to use the same person/main character throughout the video. This can sometimes be a difficult task as stock footage can be quite limiting but our Head of Production, Ben, did an amazing job in piecing it all together!
The production
Because the video was going to be shared on their website and across social media channels, we needed to create different versions of the promo to suite each desired platform. This meant creating the video in different formats (1:1, 16:9, 9:16 etc) with alternative calls to action. In the end, we made approximately 50 different versions of the video. Additionally, the stock footage from the video was also used as still images for other parts of their campaign, to maintain brand identity.
Once we had the stock all chosen and edited in time to the voiceover, our Motion Graphics Designer, Josh, got started on the animation part of the video. “The idea was to show the smooth flow of Breathe, and how it brings everything together into one simple place. This was represented by the glowing line moving around footage of someone struggling with their work, bring everything together to improve their life. The main challenge was comping the line into footage, which was done using rotoscoping to pick out areas to light and create the depth of the visuals. It helped give the feeling that the beam of light was naturally in the scene.”
The delivery
Breathe were super happy with what we created for them and that makes us happy too! Check out the full promotional video below or you can see one of the social cutdowns we created over on Breathe’s instagram here! Don’t forget to give it a cheeky like once you’re there. 😉
FAQs about promotional video production
What are promotional videos?
Promotional videos are short, engaging videos designed to promote a product, service, or even a brand. They are a super beneficial marketing tool as they can help to increase product/brand awareness, generate interest, and drive sales by highlighting certain key features, benefits, and unique selling points. Interested in having your own? Get in touch with us today to see what we could do for you. 📞 💻
How do promotional videos help in reaching a wider audience?
Promotional videos can be easily shared across multiple platforms, including social media, websites, and email campaigns and as a result, has the potential of reaching a larger and more diverse audience, expanding brand awareness and attracting new customers.
How long should a promotional video be?
The length of a promotional video varies depending on the content, platform and audience, but at DreamingFish we’d suggest between 60 seconds to 2 minutes (max) if the video is being added on websites or YouTube. If the video is going to be shared on social media, we’d encourage much shorter durations, usually around the 15-30 second mark; sometimes less is more!
