As a keen sailor I am constantly on the look out for the latest videos from yacht designers and manufacturers such as Azimut, Sunseeker and Marquis. These companies produce some of the most advanced and stunning vessels ever to grace the oceans and the level of attention that goes into every aspect of building these yachts is astounding. Yet I’m always surprised when their videos do not reflect the quality found in their products. Therefore I thought I’d write a short blog on how, with a few minor changes, an Azimut corporate video could be brought up to a level of quality that these incredible products deserve.
Pacing
Yachts tend to be built for speed, videos for the most part are not. Unless you’re producing a 30 second TV advert and you need to grab the audiences attention then you can slow down. If someone is watching this video then it’s a fair bet they’re interested in the subject (and at 8 minutes long they’d better be) therefore you need to give them time to absorb what’s being said. This video throws an awful lot of information at you and doesn’t give you time to breathe before we’re on to the next point. By slowing down you’re giving the audience a chance to learn and admire.
Interviews
I’ve covered interview filming techniques in some detail in another blog and clearly it would have been helpful for the film makers here to brush up before they filmed this video. I’m all for experimenting with different angles but I’m afraid here nearly all the interviews are poorly framed, poorly lit and…well poor. The interviewees either seem to be standing in front of a window (back lit) or in a hole (too much head space) or are talking to a dwarf (bad eye line). Whatever the case, these interviews make up the bulk of the video and therefore should have been given the time and energy they needed to make them look perfect.
Cutaways
The cutaways are generally of a high standard in this video and include a good range of techniques and equipment. It’s especially nice to see the footage from the drone cameras flying over the factory and the yachts out on the water. For me, as a bit of a yacht enthusiast (geek), I would have loved to see loads close ups of things like carpenters fitting out the interior or electricians installing all the navigation and diagnostic systems. This would have really helped to show the attention to detail that goes in to every Azimut yacht.
Conclusion
There we have it, three fairly minor but also fairly major points that I feel really could have benefited this video. It’s a pity that the production company spent such a lot of time and effort trying to produce a great video but were let down on some fundamentals that all film makers should know.
If you would like to discuss yacht videos further please get in touch with me on 01273 911345 or will@echovideo.co.uk.