Corporate Video Production

After analyzing the situation, we proposed to use a combination of corporate video and animation to deliver the committee’s key messages in a much more succinct and dynamic way. The footage would come from UEFA’s archives and we would handle the animated elements. This was corporate video of a different ilk than we were used to producing, but the challenge was stimulating, and our creative team was up to it.

Given the stakes, the quality of the production had to be top-of-the-line, so 3D animation was a no-brainer. Together, we decided to create an introduction with children getting together on a football field. There, they pull out a magazine, which we did up in a panini sticker book style. This became the pretext to introduce each committee chairman, as if they were players.

We then animated in text to deliver certain key points, and then segued to video footage that illustrated the achievements being enumerated by the voice over. To keep things fresh and varied, we opted to toggle between a man and a woman’s voice. It was a big success, especially with the top brass, who immediately gave their green light to make this an annual production.

We have since been at it each year, and we are now working with UEFA to provide other, complementary, services to improve the event’s digital coverage and experience for participants. This includes augmented and virtual reality elements, as well as other creative communications solutions. The final corporate video was shown on a large screen at the congress and posted on the UEFA website.

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We wanted at all costs to avoid the classic approach to this kind of video, i.e. shoot 2-3 interviews and integrate the highlights with cutaway images. With a scenario that links trail running in the mountains and the relationship between a Bobst representative and his customers, we create a parallel with this video that is not only captivating in terms of visuals, but also in terms of emotion.

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But that first gig together in the Alps remains a highlight, not only because of the setting, but also because of the atmosphere at the event and the success of the relationship with the Pepsico marketing team, which has since grown to mean more than just getting things done together.

The mandate called for capturing the beauty and inspirational aspect of the mountain resort hosting Pepsico’s The Next Big Idea event. A drone was a must, clearly, but so was a Steadicam to allow us to capture much more dynamic footage than would otherwise have been possible during the awards ceremony. Several team of employees had been shortlisted for the concept they developed as Pepsico’s next big product. Our job was to capture footage of them pitching their innovation, explaining it to the top brass and holding a sort of outdoor trade show where everyone could taste their prototypes with a view on snowy peaks.

We shot interviews, statements, sales pitches, product demos and a live event held at the W Hotel. We then put together various corporate videos for the communications and marketing teams at Pepsico, who were very pleased with the results. Pepsico needs a lot of corporate video, to speak to its community of consumers on a B2C basis, of course, but also to communicate at the B2B, and even B2E level. We cover all those corporate video needs and more.

Having evolved from just a video production company into a fully-fledged creative communications company, SmartCuts can now offer customers like Pepsico a much more holistic service than just corporate video production, which is something that big companies like this are looking for more and more: a one-stop creative communications service.

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Corporate Video for Medtronic

The biggest challenge in producing this video for Medtronic, a multinational medical company based outisde Lausanne, Switzerland, was the sheer amount of content they wanted to show in about a minute. We could only see one way of doing it, without creating a video that would feel rushed and overly busy: split-screen.

This technique is well-known and, some would argue, hackneyed. We would tend to agree but, as with bell-bottoms and polkadots, fashions come around. It has been a while since multiscreen became popular in video production, and now what no one has used it much for a while, viewers are ready to rediscover it. We also made sure it was dynamic and adorned with motion graphics to make it more modern and visually appealing.

The shoot took place all in one day at Medtronic’s HQ in Tolochenaz, near Lausanne. Needless to say it was a hectic day, but we got it all in and everyone was very pleased with the outcome. The introductory drone shot was very painful. It was a windy, grey day, and we had to shoot the scene over and over again to get it right. Once inside, it was smoother sailing.

SmartCuts Creative has been collaborating with Medtronic since 2016, when we were asked to stream video live for them during a webinar, as well as to shoot a series of product demo videos. As you can read in the reference letter Medtronic was kind enough to provide, the relationship has been very successful and it’s still going strong after all this time.

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