Corporate Videos - Part Two

We speak to Tony Lawrence, Managing Director of Sound Images in Maleny.  Sound Images is a local boutique production company.  In the last issue of Business Matters, Tony answered some questions from us about Corporate Videos including the difference between doing corporate videos yourself and getting a professional to do them.  We continue this issue by asking Tony some more in depth questions, like exactly who he has done work for and what he has done for them?

1. Can you give us some examples of what you have done and for whom?

In our 30 years we’ve produced thousands of videos and commercials for a huge range of clients. However, I’ll just talk about interesting projects that are currently in production. 

Australian Laboratory Services – ALS, a division of Campbell Brothers, offers an extensive range of analytical geochemistry services to operators within the coal and minerals sectors. They have over 60 laboratories located in key mining districts on six continents. We’re currently producing a corporate video for ALS, covering the full extent of their laboratory services and capabilities, and this DVD will be used to present their credentials and capabilities to mining companies worldwide.

Sedgman Corporation – Still on the mining industry, we’ve been commissioned to produce a corporate video for Sedgman Limited whose core business is the design, building and operation of coal handling and preparation plants. They  have multi-disciplined offices located in Australia, China, South Africa and Chile so again the DVD we’re producing for them will truly have international exposure. This DVD will involve a lot of aerial filming because the coal handling and preparation plants are very large and can be filmed successfully from the air. 

Sunwater – This client requires a detailed video presentation not to present their credentials, but to educate and inform potential pipeline contractors who will be tendering for the construction of a new 276km pipeline that runs between Moranbah and Alpha in Central Queensland. The final contract will be a very significant six figure amount and the more thorough the information provided, the lower the contingency amounts that contractors will include in their tenders.  Just through the provision of more detailed and complete information, Sunwater should recover the DVD production costs many times over. The project involves flying the pipeline route and then producing a very detailed information video about all aspects of the pipeline i.e. river crossings, rail crossings, access for the contractor etc. 

TAFE Queensland – Over the years we’ve produced many videos for the various individual TAFE Colleges, however this time TAFE Queensland as a whole have commissioned Sound Images to help deliver their core message to commerce and industry. TAFE Queensland focuses on driving an organisation’s success through tailored, nationally accredited workplace development and training programs, and this video will be put together with well delivered, credible testimonials from “captains of industry”.

Sunshine Coast Health Service – We consider ourselves to be a national company, with a Sunshine Coast head office, so a fair bit of our work happens outside the Sunshine Coast. On the local front we’ve been commissioned by the Sunshine Coast Health Service to produce a recruitment video designed to attract healthcare professionals to the Coast.  This DVD will not only cover the magnificent Sunshine Coast lifestyle and all the reasons we  choose to live, work and play here, but it will cover the new Sunshine Coast University Hospital and the professional opportunities available for healthcare practitioners. 

FKP – FKP’s origins are on the Sunshine Coast but it is now a publicly listed Queensland Corporation. FKP are developing “Gasworks”, a Brisbane riverside development at Newstead, which will feature the heritage listed Gasometer frame, 900 residential apartments, 20,000 square metres of retail and 65,000 square metres of office space. So it’s a substantial development. FKP see their best opportunity for sales in Asia, and commissioned Sound Images to produce a DVD for them, which will be narrated in Mandarin. This project involves a significant amount of aerial filming together with 3D animations of the entire site of residential apartment and commercial buildings. 

2.  Can you show us examples of this style of work?  

Many of the above projects are in still in production, however, when complete, I’d be very happy to show any of these DVDs that are in the public domain, to anyone interested. We also have a good selection of similar projects on our website where you can visit us at www.soundimages.com.au. You will find many low resolution examples of different styles of videos and commercials.

3. What’s your final message, Tony?

If a company wishes to present its credentials in the marketplace, it should do so at the very highest level, and then use that video across a wide variety of platforms.  Experience tells us that once a company has a high quality corporate video of which they are very proud, they’ll find opportunities to use their video that they hadn’t even thought about at the time of commissioning.

Once a corporate DVD has been produced, the cost of the printed disk and case is quite minimal and much less than a glossy brochure. My recommendation is that if you have a corporate DVD, every time you have half an excuse to show it to somebody, then do so.  Apart from clients and potential clients, other less obvious stakeholders can include joint venture partners, suppliers, government departments, employees etc. My message is that if you’ve spent a significant amount of money having it produced, then you should use it to the max. 

The last point I’d like to make is that a corporate DVD can have a significant life because they can be upgraded.  Many of the corporate DVDs we’ve produced over the years have had a life of five or six years with an upgrade every year or two to simply include or incorporate new facilities, equipment or people.

Take a look online www.soundimages.com.au