They say “If you fail to plan, you’re planning to fail”.

This couldn’t be more true when it comes to creating videos.

Even with half a decade of experience under our belt, we still find that there are times when we’ve got to think on our feet and have confidence in our ability to create the best work possible when things aren’t going to plan.

Take a look at our February TLDR {Too Long, Didn’t Read} video for those of you who are in a rush:

Plan for the unpredictable ✍🏼

On a recent project with Starrett, we’d prepped for snowy conditions, a lack of electricity, no internet, and the fact we’d be shooting in a working barn.

Whilst all of these were true, we didn’t expect the products we were filming to change on the day.

Due to a last-minute shift and new products taking priority, we needed to capture these instead of what we had initially planned.

There was an instant moment of panic, as we’d maliciously planned the products we were filming within timeslots to ensure the day ran as smoothly as possible - which, when you’re filming 25+ products in one day, there’s always bound to be at least one product that runs over.

The solution? Don’t panic.

Whilst it’ll be rare that you’ll be filming tools on a farm in Scotland, it may be that you’re about to film a ‘meet the team’ video where a key team member of the team falls ill, or a ‘software overview’ video where the software glitches on the day and halts any filming.

It sounds like a standard thing to check before filming a video, but you’d be surprised by the sudden changes that have popped up in some of the unlikeliest situations.

So, here are a few ways to reduce your stress when problems do, and will, pop up whilst filming your videos:

1. Always have a Plan B for when Plan A doesn’t work out.

2. Take a 15-minute breather to react calmly and be solution-focused.

3. Talk openly with your team about how the end video will be affected.

4. Make a constructive approach to create the best video possible.

Planning for the unpredictable will alleviate stress, and enable you to steer your thinking into a solution-focused mindset, as opposed to having a paddy and calling the filming off because things haven’t gone to plan.

…and yes, we’ve heard horror stories about this exact situation.

Lesson Learned: If you’re filming a video for your business, always be prepared for the unexpected. Have a Plan B for when Plan A doesn’t work, and be solution-focused in your thinking. That’ll be the difference between throwing in the towel early and making the most of the valuable time that you have on set.

Odyssey: Month Two

It’s been yet another brilliant month for us at Odyssey.

With our rebrand getting a lot of traction, and our trio of new services officially lifted off, we’ve been inundated with businesses wanting to find out more about The Odyssey Subscription (More Info Here).

After five months of searching for the perfect person to join our creative team, Illy, our new Videographer & Editor, will be joining us on the 4th of March to take our projects to the next level.

We celebrated the success of one of our latest clients gaining 20,000+ new visitors to their websites from a series of paid adverts we created, with the next set of videos planned to film in March 2024.

We have another busy month ahead. With new projects beginning, old projects finishing up, a handful of shoots all over the UK, and new members joining the Odyssey team - we’re in for a wild four weeks!

Until then, we’ll update you with more exciting news in March 🚀

You Ask, We Answer 🙋🏼‍♀️

Every month, we give you a breakdown of a handful of questions we’ve been sent over the month. Here are the top three questions and answers:

• Emily Chen: “What are the best practices for scripting videos for social media usage?”

  • A: Times are changing quickly, and consumers are currently preferring long-form videos that build connection as opposed to hyper-edits. Be personal, yet concise. Focus on your ‘hook’ at the start of your video to reel viewers in, but frequently change up the pace to re-engage lost attention.

• Alex Nguyen: “How can I effectively add subtitles to our videos?”

  • A: Years ago this was a difficult process, but it’s easier than ever as it’s integrated into Adobe Premier Pro. Head to captions, click ‘create new transcript’, and the software does 99% of it for you. You’ll just need to tweak the design, and a few incorrect words here and there.

• Laura Adams: “Where do you source copyrighted music to use in paid adverts on social media?”

  • A: We use a platform called Epidemic Sounds, as they are subscription-based, affordable, and have the best library of SFX and music to use either for fun or for commercial use. We’d recommend getting a commercial license if you’re using this for your business, and not just personal use.

If you would like to have your question answered, send your email alongside the title ‘My Question For Odyssey’ to [email protected] and we may include it in our next edition.

Start your video journey 🚀

If you’re looking to start your video journey and or improve your videos, here are a few ways that we can help:

1) Book a free 15-minute creative session with us and we’ll come up with a handful of extraordinary content ideas that will skyrocket your marketing. Click this link to book a time that works for you. 

2) Hire our Launch Directors, Jack and Ross, to train your internal marketing team to create a powerful video strategy and social-first videos that make an impact online, with The Odyssey Workshop.

Until then, we’ll see you in next month’s newsletter!