When Spectrecom began trading at our offices and studio in Deptford in 2005, the idea of operating a small film/TV studio in Deptford was dismissed by doubters as being non-viable. Given the location in South East London, and with our comparative inexperience in studio management, it was easy to see why. However, fortunately it proved to be an instant success, and we were right in at the deep end with our very first shoot – the music video for Miss Dynamite's Judgement Day. In the earlier years especially, when the corporate video side of our business was still growing, our studio provided much-needed regular cashflow and stability. To view some of the productions we've hosted here in the last few years, just click on the video above. 

However, as our business has continued to expand, we've outgrown our space and recent visitors have seen just how cramped our offices and studio facilities have become. Small picnic tables have become an all-too-regular supplement to our office desks! So I'm very pleased to announce our relocation to much larger premises in Waterloo on 4th January 2010. Construction work has already begun and soon we'll be able to offer our clients:
•    4 x sound-proofed studios, 2 with drive-in access
•    4 x green rooms
•    3 x make-up rooms
•    3 x wardrobe rooms
•    3 x production offices
•    2 x kitchens
•    Shower facilities

I believe that our studio at Deptford was so successful because not only were the hire rates attractively low, but we also kept the pricing structure as simple as possible. The support facilities, lighting, studio manager – all were included in the basic hire rate. And of course, we had a memorably striking green room. So we'll continue the successful format with our new studios. Although yet to be confirmed, I expect that we'll be able to hire the smallest (420 ft²) for less than £400 per day, and the largest (2,100 ft²) for under £900 per day. And all of this just 5 minutes walk from Waterloo Station. We'll be publishing full specifications, studio images and prices on this site in January. 

New Waterloo Studios

And what of our studio in Deptford? It remains open for business in the short term, although we plan to re-assign the lease and sell on the basic contents as a going concern once the Waterloo Studios are fully operational. We'll be happy to consider any reasonable offers from interested parties.

In the meantime, may I take this opportunity to wish all of our clients and friends a very Happy Christmas and a prosperous New Year!
 

Nikesh Arora, president of global sales operations and business development at Google, has predicted that the marketing industry will shift to online video ads within the next three to five years. Here's a link to the Reuters article in full.

Arora said that although "advertisers are still figuring out how to take advantage of the online video phenomenon, many companies are already shifting ads made for TV to the Web. And as marketers become more sophisticated at targeting consumers interactively,  ad formats for online video will inevitably evolve and improve, making video a more attractive way for brands to pitch their products." 

Google made a big bet on online video with its 2006 acquisition of YouTube for $1.65 billion. If currents trends continue, it looks like that bet will have paid off!

For information about Spectrecom's £600 video advert package, please click on this link.

Hotels Marketing Videos & The Benefits of Online Video Production

Visibility is absolutely crucial to the travel industry and if a hotel really want to get their messages across to as wide an audience as possible, video needs to be an integral component of its online marketing strategy. If not, even good quality hotels will struggle to get noticed online and soon find themselves behind the competition. Here’s why;

(1) Internet shoppers are becoming increasingly savvy and have come to expect an abundance of information about a hotel before making a booking. Video is the perfect medium to deliver this information because it allows potential guests to view a hotel’s rooms and facilities in action, providing much greater insight than still photos and / or static text, greatly increasing the possibility of a booking. 

(2) By featuring its staff, video offers a fantastic opportunity to provide any hotel with a much-needed human face. People connect with people. 

(3) By providing an authentic, engaging and realistic portrayal of hotel, video can have an emotional impact that the written word struggles to match.

(4) Videos are far more authoritative than the written word. People tend believe what they can see, far more than what they read.

(5) The human mind is programmed to remember pictures and images far better than the things we hear or read.

(6) Video improves the 'stickiness' of a website and increases conversion rates.

(7) Video streamed online is an environmentally friendly communications tool. It reduces paper usage, as well as the enormous carbon footprint associated with large scale mail-shots.

(8) Videos are great for SEO. They can be repurposed and propagated online, driving highly-targeted traffic to a hotel's website.

(9) Video production is increasingly affordable and accessible. A high quality video can be made for a relatively small amount of money



(10) Videos are incredibly versatile and therefore highly cost-effective, allowing any hotel to make its marketing budget go further. Videos, for example, can be streamed online, included on e-mail signatures, duplicated onto DVDs, used in one-on-one meetings or at large scale events. The right video can serve a hotel's needs for a long period of time and the footage can also be easily re-edited for use in future productions. 

    

(11) Free hosting websites continue to emerge and when used in tandem with these sites, videos can become even more powerful marketing tools. 

(12) The viral potential of videos means that information can be distributed much quicker and much farther than conventional methods. 

(13) Videos can be specifically tailored to appeal to hard-to-reach demographics.

However, to capture the attention of an online audience notorious for its short attention span, it is very important to produce unique and creative videos with production values that mirror the standards of service on offer. That's why it’s usually a job best left to the professionals.

Spectrecom produce videos for a wide range of hotels right across the budget spectrum; and our clients include SAGA, Cunard and Best Western.

To find out more about our work with hotels and view a selection of videos produced by Spectrecom, please click on this link. You can also view a film about SAGA's Coastline Hotel in Malta by clicking on the link above.
 

If you're worried about getting Christmas dinner right this year, here's a series of videos produced by Spectrecom in which  Antony Worrall Thompson demonstrates some of his favourite yuletide recipes, cooked with the help of some of his own Breville products.

Shot over two days in Antony's home kitchen, the videos are currently being hosted on a specially created Youtube Channel - "Cook at home with Antony Worrall Thompson & Breville" - and show viewers "how to carve turkey like a pro", "the secret to perfect roast potatos" and reveal Antony's "ultimate stuffing recipe".

For more information about Antony Worrall Thompson's range of Breville products, just click on this link.

And good luck for Christmas dinner this year! Hope these videos help.

Here's the third and final CHANGEit Awards film produced by Spectrecom for Common Purpose.

Christina, 16, has been volunteering in Sheffield with the Action for Stannington group since the age of 12 and has revolutionised the way young people perceive their surrounding environment. Zumming up and down Stannington on her 50cc scooter, Christina helps organise activities and tasks, keeping her peers out of boredom.  Jobs such as gardening for older residents, looking after the local park, art and craft, recycling or simply chill out afternoons are often led by Christina and her dedication hasn’t gone unnoticed!  Christina has had the opportunity to meet every Sheffield’s Lord Mayor for the last four years, the Chief Constable of South Yorkshire Police, Nick Clegg MP, South Yorkshire’s  Lord Lieutenant, South Yorkshire’s High Sheriff and HRH The Duke of York.

Same as any other young volunteer in Action for Stannington, Christina comes from a socially disadvantaged background, yet she has been able to put her energies and enthusiasm to good use.  The photograph submitted to CHANGEit was taken, alongside others, to prove to anybody that the work in Action for Stannington is real, truly grassrooted and task focussed.  Christina was the winner in this year's Photography category.