Pop Productions UKHomeLondon, UK corporate video production company: corporate communication videos, promotional video production, music video production and more!

Articles

Power of moving image

Moving image is the most powerful way to put across any message. According to web business consultancy firm Odysseyuk.co.uk, people remember 30% of what we see, 20% of what we hear but 70% of what anything we watch and hear at the same time. Phrases such as: "a picture is worth a thousand words", "actions speak louder than words" or "I'll believe it when I see it" exist for a reason. Moving image is the most recipient friendly and convincing way to put across any message.

Emotion

One of the reasons moving images have such power and are so memorable is their ability to portray and inspire emotion. Scientists have recently proven* what has long been suspected: the most memorable events are emotional ones. The 1984 Ethiopian famine report by Michael Buerk, 9/11, and the recent Tsunami in southeast Asia created an emotional response that motivated many nations across the globe. Blue Peter appeals, Bob Geldof concerts and the movement which followed would never have been started by a newspaper article or book alone.

History and Memory

The power of the moving image is such that contemporary history is composed not of events but of pictures. The fall of the Berlin wall, the Hindenburg disaster, 9/11, the 1980's miner strike and Neil Armstrong's moon walk are all deeply embedded in the public conscious not because they were important events, but because they were so widely televised. The Tangshan earthquake in 1976 or the North Korean famine from 1995 to 1998, while equally significant as events, has had far less impact because they were less widely televised. Similarly while JFK's assassination has become a legendary moment in twentieth century history, the murder of John Lennon is rarely mentioned. Why? Because it wasn't caught on film. Some psychologists have suggested that TV can account for up to 40% of a group's collective memory. Indeed ask young Briton to describe WW2 and they will almost certainly think of "World at War", the BBC series narrated by Lawrence Olivier. The power of the moving image to shape public perception is huge.

Accessibility

If you've got a message that you want to put across, moving image is the most accessible medium available. People are 75% more likely to watch a five minute video than they are to read a brochure or paper for five minutes. They are 95% more likely to watch a sales video than they are to meet with a sales rep. In short, this is becoming how people want their information presented. It is easy to digest and retain and requires little effort.

Changing Technology

The advent of digital technology has meant that there is now a variety of ways in which your message can be delivered into consumers' homes. Digital TV is one and the dawn of broadband internet means there is now even more flexibility. After the sign above your premises, your website can offer the best value for money advertising around. 95% of consumers and businesses expect reputable companies to have a website. The problem many of these companies are facing is that when everyone has a website it is difficult to stand out from the crowd. Video on your website is one way to stop traffic from flowing through your website and onto the next on Google's list. It can break the 3 second surf rule and keep users on your website long enough for them to engage with your message. It creates a "Wow" factor and enables businesses to offer their sales pitch in the most effective manner.

Many analysts are predicting that the increase in bandwidth will mean that in around two years businesses with only text on their websites will be regarded the same way that businesses without websites are today; as anachronisms.

*memory-key.com ** Affinity Internet, November 2005