Let’s face it, these days we can all shoot video or take photos whenever we like thanks to smartphones. However, if you compare and contrast these with a more professional product, they still have a ‘home movie’ feel. The key reason why this is so is due to the level of photo and video production that went into each product.
When we talk about photo and video production, what do we mean though? Well, compare these 2 scenarios. On the one hand you have a quick snap or video taken on your phone as you’re out and about - and the other, a professional shoot designed to generate images and video for an ad campaign. In both cases we’re using cameras that have way more megapixels than is needed for a clear image. What will separate them is the amount and quality of photo and video production that goes into them.
On phones it’s often a case of ‘see it, shoot it, send it’ - that’s all the photo and video production the average person puts into it - but it IS possible to take good photos just using a smartphone if you take some time to set up the shot before you actually take it… We’re talking about things like keeping yourself steady, using the right focal length, and getting your flash settings right here.
Of course on the professional shoot the photographer will be armed with better kit, and have much greater control over things like light and shadow, the position and angle of the shot etc. but for us things like lighting and positioning do fall into the ‘photo and video production’ category, because they do affect the quality of the end product.
Good photo and video production doesn’t stop there though, as once the images have been captured its off to post production. On a phone you may well just ignore this part – ‘see it, shoot it, send it’, remember? – but you can’t afford to do this if you want a professional-looking end result. Even on phones there are preset filters that can be applied as well as other basic photo and video production operations that you can do.
The professional shoot will have a full suite of photo and video production software and facilities at its disposal, and almost any photo – as good as the raw image may be – can be improved with such software. In the majority of cases we’re not talking about ‘airbrushing’ either. rather operations like removing ‘colour casts’, increasing or decreasing colour saturation, contrast or exposure, either across the image as a whole or to certain areas or colour tones. In the case of video, an edit will be required at the professional level and again – as they all affect the quality of the end product, for the Pocket Creatives team, all of this counts as photo and video production. Don’t forget of course that if you ARE shooting on smartphone, there’s nothing stopping you from uploading the file to a PC and using any photo and video production tools you may have on your computer to improve your smartphone pictures or video.
As we mentioned above, the camera itself is less important these days than it used to be. Instead we really think that the talent and knowledge of the photographer and the amount of photo and video production time that goes into a project is what really matters these days. That’s not to say that top-of-the-line kit like ours doesn’t help too – it does, but it’s not an absolute must.
Where can you get the talent and knowledge that’s needed on your next project though? That’s easy… Call us – the Pocket Creatives team – and let our group of experts weave their magic on your behalf. From initial pre-production tasks like prop and model sourcing, to the shoot itself and yes, even post-shoot photo and video production tasks – we’ve got you covered. Get in touch today by calling 020 3633 8494 to find out more about us, and how the expert photo and video production services we provide can help you!