For as long as I can remember I have always been passionate about Arts and Crafts, so when the opportunity to create promotional videos for Craft NI arose, I was delighted as it combined my personal interests with my technical strengths as a Broadcast Production student. In the digital age, where attention spans are ephemeral, and competition is fierce, creating a compelling promotional video has become more crucial than ever. It’s not just about showcasing a product or service; it’s about telling a story, creating an experience, and engaging your audience in a way that leaves a lasting impression. This blog post will focus on my initial experiences during the intricate process of creating my first promotional video for Craft NI, with particular reference to Gibbs’ Reflective Cycle.
Gibbs’ Reflective Cycle focuses on six stages to “guide you through the stages of the reflective process by asking a series of cue questions.” (Jasper, 78):
(2013)
In relation to Gibbs’ Reflective Cycle, I will demonstrate my process and analyse the key aspects of my journey in creating my first ever promotional video for Craft NI.
Stage 1- The Vision
Yejun et al explain that self-evaluations act as “an antecedent of creativity” (257), suggesting that those with higher levels of self-evaluation may be more likely to exhibit creative behaviour. This may be because they exhibit factors that are conventionally associated with creative thinking such as pitching ideas with confidence, taking risks, and exploring unconventional solutions. With that being said, my first task included creating a promotional video for Craft NI’s website, so in order to successfully do this, I had to carry out an intensive planning process which involved brainstorming video ideas, drawing up storyboards, coordinating with store colleagues and deciding on the video’s content and style, with the main goal to attract potential customers by showcasing the wide range of unique products and atmosphere of Craft NI, and to encourage customers to shop locally.
At this early stage, I felt ecstatic about immersing in this project, however as the planning progressed, I experienced brief moments of stress and pressure. Having the responsibility of accurately representing Craft NI’s identity and products in a visually appealing and aesthetic way added to the challenge. Nevertheless, I found that collaborating with the store owner brought me back to feeling excited as well as creating a sense of camaraderie, which put me more at ease.
This pre-production stage provided me with the opportunity for creative expression and to work collaboratively with Craft NI team members. I believe my ability to communicate with the Craft NI staff was effective as I provided my input as to what I thought the end video should look like whilst also taking on their suggestions. However, a challenge I faced was the balancing of artistic vision with the promotional objective.
This taught me that whilst communication is a crucial aspect of creating promotional videos, I learned that I am not conveying a message to viewers to visit and purchase products from Craft NI, but doing so in a way that resonates with the audience. I believe my initial planning stages were well-executed, and the involvement of the Craft NI team ensured a comprehensive understanding of selling points.
This experience highlighted the importance of thorough planning and flexibility in creative projects. It reinforced the value of effective communication and collaboration in bringing a vision to life. Additionally, understanding the balance between creativity and practicality is crucial when aligning the promotional content with business objectives.
In the future, I will make sure to allocate more time for contingency planning, ensuring that I am fully prepared to move onto the production stage without any doubts, and that I am fully prepared for any curveballs that may arise, which, ultimately, would help with future projects.
Stage 2- The Filming
Moving onto the production process, I was now ready to gain hands-on experience. I was tasked with setting up equipment and rolling the camera to capture the footage for the promotional video.
As filming is my main interest, I initially felt excited about this process- the anticipation of bringing the planned vision to life ignited a spark in me and I could not wait to get stuck into capturing the beautiful craft pieces. My enthusiasm and belief about my competence relate to Anand et al findings that “core self-evaluation (CSE) provides a unifying trait theory (Johnson et al.,2008) and impacts personal and job characteristics. It also represents individuals’ fundamental self-evaluation of ability and the control they have over their lives” (2125).
Positive aspects included successful collaboration with the Craft NI team to ensure that my vision met theirs, capturing aesthetic shots, and adapting to unexpected changes in the environment, such as poor lighting and crowded customers. However, challenges included managing time constraints, ensuring the lighting was optimal for each scene, and addressing unforeseen disruptions that affected the filming schedule. Another challenge I faced was that some shots were out of focus so I did have to return the following week to reshoot some footage.
I could have taken more time setting up the equipment and ensuring that the camera settings were adjusted accordingly. Taking this precautionary measure would have prevented me from reshooting videos that were not shot to a professional standard. Implementing this would have saved valuable time.
The filming process emphasised the dynamic nature of video production and the importance of adaptability. It underscored the need for a well-thought-out plan but also the flexibility to adjust in real time. Additionally, the experience highlighted the significance of maintaining a positive and collaborative atmosphere on set to enhance creativity and productivity.
In future filming projects, I will enhance my production planning by taking any potential disruptions into account. This could include, bringing backup equipment (such as lighting) and filming during less busy hours. Moreover, I will continue to prioritise my effective communication skills and team collaboration to ensure that all team members are aligned with the creative vision and that any changes or challenges are addressed. I will also ensure that I double-check that the camera settings are properly adjusted.
Stage 3- The Editing
After the planning and filming process, I was tasked with editing the promotional video to a professional standard, to showcase the variety of products and highlight the unique aspects of each professionally crafted art piece that sets the store apart from competitors.
Initially, I felt excited about this process as the editing process is where the raw footage comes to life. It is the stage where the artistry of creating a promotional video truly shines. The pacing, transitions, and seamless integration of visuals and sound all came together to create a polished and professional final product. However, as I delved into the raw footage and carefully reviewed the 73 videos I took, I became slightly overwhelmed by the amount of content and the need to condense it into a concise and engaging video.
Challenges I faced included making decisions about the overall narrative flow of the video and the content selection, however, after considering the target audience and the main messages myself and the Craft NI team wanted to convey, the outcome of the edit reflects a thoughtful and effective approach. Despite the challenges, I found satisfaction in the creative aspects of the editing process. Positive aspects of the editing process involved experimenting with different techniques until I was happy with the final result.
I realised the importance of a structured approach when it comes to the editing process, after reviewing the raw footage and experimenting with different editing techniques. I learned the importance of prioritising the most thought provoking and visually pleasing content. By doing this, I captured the essence of Craft NI, whilst also keeping the audience interested by keeping the video to 2 minutes long with fast-paced cuts and smooth transitions.
After completing the final edit, I had successfully created my first promotional video. This was an extremely satisfying and rewarding experience. I developed a greater sense of compelling video editing techniques that are used in promotional videos.
Moving forward, I aim to improve my efficiency in the initial stages of the editing process, such as organising and categorising the raw footage. I would also plan to seek feedback from colleagues or peers to gain different perspectives on the final product, which could enhance the overall quality of my future projects.
Overall, I have faced many challenges and have developed a sense of creative achievement at my placement at Craft NI. From the initial excitement in the planning and filming process to the slight panic during the editing phase, Gibbs’ Reflective Cycle has helped me dissect and fully understand my experiences so far at Craft NI. The first stage of planning revealed to me the importance of an extensive planning process and communication with the Craft NI team members to meet their expectations. The filming stage has taught me that it is okay if something does not turn out right the first time and the importance of adaptability in facing any unexpected challenges. In regard to editing, I aim to implement my lessons learned by organising myself better and improving my efficiency levels to avoid unnecessary feelings of stress and anxiety. Not only has working at Craft NI made me appreciate making promotional videos in the digital age, but also helped deepen my technical skills in planning, filming and editing.
Work Cited
Anand, Payal, and Sushanta Kumar Mishra. “Linking Core Self-Evaluation and Emotional Exhaustion with Workplace Loneliness: Does High LMX Make the Consequence Worse?” International Journal of Human Resource Management, vol. 32, no. 10, May 2021, pp. 2124- 49
Jasper, Melanie. “What Is Reflective Practice?” Beginning Reflective Practice. 2013, pp. 77-83
Yejun, Zhang, et al. “Linking Core Self-Evaluation to Creativity: The Roles of Knowledge Sharing and Work Meaningfulness.” Journal of Business and Psychology, vol. 35, no. 2, 2020, pp. 257-270.