How We Work

How we work

· How We Work

Welcome to Hunting With Pixels!

  It’s always a buzz to welcome a new client to our company, and we are passionate about making sure you have a great experience working with us. Our success is defined by yours, so we’d like to run you by the various steps in production so you get the best possible result from your project

Collaboration

At Hunting With Pixels we have a collaborative approach to projects. This means that both you and HWP commit to a workflow that will ensure it’s smooth sailing all the way! c2  

Before we start

Before we edit we need the following from you: 1. All up to date assets. Your current logo in high resolutions, all images in resolutions over 600 pixels wide, ideally HD so 1280 plus width. 2. A list of stake holders and one appointed person to sign off. It’s essential everyone is involved in the reviews. 3.  Sign off on a production timeline we all agree on. This includes milestones for reviews, so it’s important to check that stake holders are available on those dates 4. Correct titles Getting everyone’s titles right can be time consuming, so it’s important to check with interviewees on time. Titles need to be delivered as a text document with the exact titles and names of everyone in the video. You can also add those to the shared Google doc. It’s essential to check with interviewees what their title should be in the context of this video; it may be different from what’s on their Linked In page. Check spelling and capitalisation. For example, Linked In is used as one word with a capital in it, so ‘LinkedIn’. Never ever make assumptions about titles. Changes further down the track may incur a cost if we can’t combine it with a V02 edit.

Three versions

We base our pricing and planning on delivering three versions of the video to you: V01: this is a draft version that you can make unlimited changes to (except if you want Brad Pitt’s head CGI’ed on; that may need a slight adjustment to the budget) V02: Refining the changes you required on V01. Slight tweaks, minor changes. V03: Final version. We fully commit to budgets and timelines for your project, which is why we adapted this three step process to ensure we get you there.

Version 1:

For editing, we send you Version 1 of the videos, which is a roughly cut clip, that you send to all stakeholders (read: Mark!) and everybody makes their comments etc, which you collate all in one Google doc, which we will set up. Google docs allows all changes to be made across everyone’s versions so there is no risk of double up or cross referencing required. Google docs is easier for feedback documents than Dropbox, as more people can be signed into the doc and you can view the version history. This is the longest feedback stage and we encourage people to watch each clip at least 3-4 times.

Getting reviews right

Reviewing video is a skill. Here are some steps to ensure you don’t miss anything in your first review: https://www.huntingwithpixels.com/how-we-work/video-reviewing-get-right/

Comments on version 01

Comments and feedback need to be specific and time coded, like “at 3.34-3.45 there is a drop off in audio”; “cut this shot of Jenny at 2.57 out (insert screen shot)”; or “Can the music sound more like the this: (include example)”. Comments that are non specific like “I don’t like the sound of the background music” or “I don’t like how video 4 ends” or “Can you make me look younger/thinner/like Angelina Jolie, etc” aren’t helpful as it requires our editors to second guess what you may be thinking. If you have any trouble with this, give us a call. Sometimes being old school and actually talking may help!

Version 01 is a big review!

Video production is very labour intensive; a tiny tweak like a spelling mistake to all your ten videos will take an editor a full day or rendering, checking, encoding, uploading and checking again. If you play it by ear, you’ll run out of budget pretty quickly, so we don’t start implementation until all V01 feedback is signed off Of course we can make any change necessary at any point, but we can’t guarantee it will be included in the budget. The feedback Google doc can include screen shots to illustrate a feedback point, but do not attach asset images to the google doc. 

Keeping order

zootje Comments also need to be listed in chronological order, under a per video header, for example: ‘Video 1: What is LPTC’ Background music: we would like it to be faster paced and more funky sounding, like Daft Punk’s Get Lucky. 0.10-0.12 cut out moving of hand 1.01-1.23 irrelevant comment please remove 1.45 insert this image: “1_what is LPTC_ 1.45”

Delivering assets

It’s essential that you send us all relevant branding documentation and logos before we edit. If you send us images, please ensure you have the copyright, which means written permission in some cases. We can help you with the copyright process if you’re not sure

How to deliver images

ASSET IMAGES (images that are used in the videos): All background / video asset images need to be labelled as such “{image number}_{video title}_{timecode}” For example: “1_what is LPTC_ 3.21” if they’re added on after V01. Otherwise, it would be good if you can add a description on what you want to go where in an email or the production document we share with you. That way we know exactly when to insert what image and you don’t spend time explaining to various producers what you’re after. All asset images can be emailed or we can create a folder in the dropbox if you prefer.

 Version 02: tweaks, refinement

Here we implement all the changes supplied, thus creating a Version 2 of the clip. We then return this clip to you and you look over it to see if the changes were all implemented correctly. Any V1 changes missed on our part are included in the budget, **any additional changes are extra cost**. We will happily edit and make tweaks and changes ad infinitum, however, we find this more ‘locked off’ approach tends to focus people, which results in budgets being kept and videos getting delivered; a better outcome all round!

Version 03: Final

Step 3 / Version 3 Delivery: This is the completely signed off and agreed on version of the clip, which will be uploaded to the site.

What if I need more versions?

In some cases three versions may not work for you. For instance, if you’re an agency you’d need three versions to get it to sign off before you send it to your client. Government or large educational organisations may require more reviews too due to their organisational structure. In those cases we’ll create the extra versions at an hour rate that we will discuss with you beforehand.    

Video reviewing: how to get it right

· How We Work

Getting the most out of your reviews

We can appreciate that our video production project is added to your already busy full time job, so here’s how we make sure you get the best results in the shortest possible timeframe. appr

Get it right the first time

The number one ‘time suck’ and cause of overblown budgets and timelines is not getting the review right, so reviewing properly requires you to be fully mindful of the task.

Here’s how you make it happen.

Get a cuppa. Get Pen and paper. Block out 10 minutes of time, close the door.

Time your review well

There’s a good body of research showing that after about 14.00 our brain’s ability to process information rapidly declines, so try to avoid reviewing in the afternoon. You’ll do a better job and spend less time if you review in the morning.

Wearing different hats

Even for experienced video producers, there is no way to spot every detail in on go so it’s important to run the video a number of times while concentrating on one aspect of the video.

First run: overall impression

You can only make a first impression once; the same counts for getting a first impression. Screen Shot 2015-01-30 at 2.44.57 pm  

Put the ‘big picture’ hat on

On your first run, don’t stop the video or get into the detail yet. Use your first impression to look at the big picture; does the message of the video connect to what you want to achieve? Does the structure make sense to you? Are there things that confuse you?

Pen and paper

penpaper A good way to do this first run is to have a notebook and pen so you don’t have to switch applications or move things over the screen to capture your thoughts. Don’t stop the video, don’t touch your keyboard. Watch the video in realtime and jot down the ideas with a few words.

Second run: titles

One of the most common issues we see in reviews is getting titles wrong. Do one run of the video just concentrating on titles; is the spelling exactly as you briefed? Is the capitalisation correct? Be especially careful with brand names; for instance ‘Linked In’ has to be spelled like ‘LinkedIn’ with no space. Never make any assumptions about titles, always check them with the person involved.

Third run: other details

Have one last run where you look at details. Are some shots darker than others? How do the colours look to you? Are there any cuts to seem to fast or slow to you?

Audio

Can you hear all the speakers clearly? Do you feel the music reflects the content and your brand correctly?

Titles

Is the spelling correct? Does the font match your other branding?

Deliver feedback effectively

Once you have overview of what you jotted down on paper, put it into the shared Google doc that we provided so everyone can comment. This way you can easily keep track of changes and reviews.

Did you involve all the stake holders?

Last but certainly not least; has every stake holder reviewed the footage? Are you on the same page about what changes are required? Did the branding people/ CFO/ marketing director share their thoughts?