Behind the Scenes…The Sperry Van Ness Difference Video
a guest blog post by Michael Bloch
When I was asked to help create a video for the Sperry Van Ness® that would complement their message of “difference,” it was clear that we needed to think outside the box. Kevin Maggiacomo, CEO & President of Sperry Van Ness International Corp. is a dynamic speaker with an innovative vision for the commercial real estate industry. Our challenge was to come up with a way to retain the words and voice tone that are uniquely Kevin’s while creating alternative visuals to body language elements that might not translate to video. A whiteboard video seemed like the perfect solution.
A whiteboard video is an artistic and creative approach to storytelling and which incorporates some pretty cool digital effects including graphic animation and stop-motion technology. Similar to the whiteboards available in meeting rooms and classrooms to visually support ideas being shared, whiteboard videos can be used to explain complex processes in a simplified manner or to give a more detailed understanding of the goods or services a company offers. Done right, whiteboard videos can be fun, engaging and informative. By combining Kevin’s voiceover with a whiteboard’s artistic flexibility, we could create something unique.
A whiteboard video may look simple when you watch it, but its creation is anything but. Like a Hollywood movie, we started with a compelling script. From there we had to create a storyboard that represented exactly what would be seen on screen for each line of Kevin’s recorded voiceover. With those elements in place, an artist needed to draw the images for the video in a special studio set up to film their every hand movement. In the editing suite, there were hours of video that needed to be digitally sped up to create a stop-motion video that was just a few minutes in length. Lastly, sound effects and finishing touches were added before rendering the final video. From beginning to end, the entire process took a couple of months.
The effort was well worth it. Now, Sperry Van Ness advisors have strong, visual marketing tool that helps explain the Sperry Van Ness difference.
Michael Bloch is the founder and CEO of Vision2Video a Boston-based company helps its clients create compelling messaging with measurable results by leveraging the power of storytelling through video, live presentations and other communication channels.
*All Sperry Van Ness® offices are independently owned and operated.