A while ago, Sian came to me because she had an old video on her website that needed updating and she loved the photos I had taken for her business.
She didn’t feel the video gave the best representation of her and her business, so she avoided directing people to her website to look at it.
I really wanted to help her, but it was a conundrum. She needed a video to introduce herself, to explain what the process of colour and style analysis involves and its many benefits. She also wanted to show off her beautiful studio space.
She knew, as most of us do, the statistics that show you get 90% more engagement with video than any other form of media.
But, she felt awkward on camera, she hated the feeling of being put on the spot being videoed and wasn’t sure she could remember off the top of her head everything she planned to say.
Then I remembered the SewOn – Memories of the Sewing Box art exhibition I did with an artist friend of mine a few years beforehand.
We wanted to capture the memories that came to people when they opened their sewing boxes. So we interviewed people with their sewing boxes and recorded their comments. A fascinating range of fond memories emerged; long forgotten schooldays, being taught how to sew by their grandmother, the need to sew in the war when clothes were rationed, and many more.
I took portraits of people with their sewing boxes, the ribbons, threads, buttons and other paraphernalia they contained. Then I found a way of putting the photos I took together with the interviews we recorded to make a visual and audio display. We showed it on a loop on a television screen along with examples of the sewing boxes.
It brought back memories for people attending the exhibition and they told us their sewing stories. The personal reminiscences, along with the photos of the things that had evoked those memories had an impact on people and opened up their emotions and memories. We had a steady stream of visitors who loved the exhibition.
I thought about what Sian as a business owner needed for her business and it came to me that I could develop the technique I used for our art project to create a solution for her. I evolved the process to make it work for a business situation.
Sian was delighted when she realised that with a written script to work from, she didn’t need to remember what to say.
And because we were all just chatting during the photoshoot Sian felt relaxed and we got some fabulous photos of her and her client as a result.
When I showed Sian her Brand Story Photofilm I think we were both surprised how well it worked. I chose every photo carefully to work with Sian’s words so her message is reinforced and the whole thing flows. It shows her smile, the brilliant relationship she has with her clients, her colourful studio and above all we hear her voice. It is so much more than a slideshow of images with audio attached. It enables people to understand how she works and how she helps people.
Other clients since then have cried when I first showed them their Brand Story Photofilm, their emotions overflowed when they saw how it encapsulated them. One client even said she it made her feel like a movie star.
I am delighted! A beautiful, professional video that showcases my business and conveys my personality.
Now Sian is proud to share her Brand Story Photofilm and has no hesitation in directing people to her website to see it.
Have a look at it here:
If you want to know more about how a Brand Story Photofilm works in practice and what is involved for the business owner, my next blog gives you a bit of a behind the scenes look at what’s involved.
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