What is it they say – never work with children or animals?
Well, in this blog, we will be sharing our insight into how best to prepare pupils and teachers alike for a school promotional video. From encouraging them to be open about their own views and experiences, to ensuring that the content flows as naturally as possible.
But first, why might you need a school promotional video in the first place?
School promotional videos: the how and the why
There are a number of different reasons why you might decide to film a school promotional video, and all of them are focused on the growing need for schools to engage with their community online. Covid-19 forced schools to embrace digital learning, with our services focused on supporting schools in creating and hosting virtual open days, tours, sharing student testimonials. This all helps as part of the wider strategy of keeping the community up to date with school news from home.
In some cases, school promotional videos can help underpin the job of a physical open day, in an even more accessible and user-friendly way. Potential pupils and parents can view your content online and find all of the prospective information they may need to get a taste of life at your school.
Tips on preparing the school community for filming
The best videos are organic and as natural as possible. When we worked with Harris Academy Clapham, we used high quality videography to compile a visual and engaging online portrayal of the school. This was designed to capture the imagination and interest of website visitors, and to support the overall branding message. Meanwhile, our work with Burnt Ash School put emphasis on video to showcase the school environment and surroundings, as well as pupils both inside the classroom and enjoying extra-curricular activities. Read more about both filming projects.
Our main piece of advice when considering a school promotional video is to think about who you are reaching out to and what you want to communicate. Is it important to highlight and showcase the academic nature of the school, the heritage and history of the school or do you want to focus on the environment and atmosphere within the grounds? By knowing what you want to portray and to who, you can use your promotional video to capture the right tone and mood.
Our top tips to consider:
- Identify what makes your school unique and then work out how to portray that in the video.
- Use a first-person lens that makes the viewer feel like they are moving through and interacting within the school itself. This creates an immersive video experience.
- Use video interviews to create a direct connection with pupils and staff and let them share their own views and experiences within the school.
- If you’re creating a long video, ensure that it can be broken into shorter snippets for social media, and short video campaigns.
If you’d like to know more about our school promotional video capabilities, you can contact our friendly team today.
Bringing it all together and showing your school at its best
When it comes to compiling a great school promotional video, footage should focus on both the school syllabus and experience, and the facilities available at your disposal. From enticing potential parents, to welcoming new pupils and drawing in potential staff members, spotlighting the overall school experience means picking out the things which make your school different, as well as inspiring.
Our team are highly skilled in delivering visually spectacular, targeted, and informative promotional videos for all different types of schools – supporting you through the planning, preparation, and filming process from start to finish.
For more information on how we can work with your staff and pupils to create the very best promotional video for your school, get in touch today.