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Humans. Can’t live with ’em, can’t live without ’em, can’t read this blog without being one (hyper-intelligent dolphins aside). We’re a weird animal who finds meaning in pondering our own existence, and joy in watching unreal events display to us on very large or very tiny boxes of metal and wires. But why do we love to watch videos with an almost voyeuristic enrapturement, and what joy do we get from seeing stories unfold that we have no part in?

By understanding the philosophy behind why we watch videos we can better cater to those deeper needs with our own video content.

In such an oversaturated job market it can be tempting for companies to ask: Do we really need a recruitment campaign at all? The biggest flaw with this thinking is assuming that the best-suited employees will not only magically find your job ad, but that they will automatically want to work for a company they know nothing about. Good recruitment videos offer fast and effective company awareness specifically aimed at people within, or looking to get into, the field of work. So how do you go about crafting a video strong enough to nab your dream employees?

Ah yes, the corporate training video. More ridiculed than the recruitment video, and only slightly less reviled than the school project video. But little do most people know it doesn’t have to be this way. Indeed, your training videos can be eye-catching, funny, or even – dare I say – interesting. Don’t believe it? Check out our eight tips for making great animated training videos and decide for yourself.

When the Department of Finance released a three-minute ad for their graduate program in late February, it made headlines. Unfortunately they weren’t the kind of headlines many government departments would want. Indeed, when the extreme awkwardness of The Game Changers spread virally around the interwebs, it left some of us wondering if the production company were in fact subversive comic geniuses, hell-bent on bringing down the finance department by revealing how truly mind-numbing it is to work there.

The biggest complaint was how wooden the whole thing was. Stilted actors speak unrealistic dialogue in tedious scenarios, and at the end all we’ve learnt is that financial sector employees love walking around empty corridors, holding empty coffee cups and having empty conversations about banana bread. It’s worthwhile asking: could anything have saved this video?

By taking a look at the biggest flaws in The Game Changers, we’ve determined some ways in which using animation could be a saving grace in future government ads.

One of the best pieces of advice I’ve heard if you’re considering taking up a new hobby is to Google, “Things I wish I’d known before trying [hobby]”. This is a quick way to scope out potential downsides you may not have previously considered. Likewise before undertaking a new project, whether creative or corporate, it’s wise to consider what questions you need to ask yourself to be prepared for the oncoming production.

Today we’re looking at six questions to ask yourself when considering getting an explainer video made for your brand, and why you need to be asking them.

Whether it’s dodging the crowds at the night noodle markets, putting your hand on the water wall at the art gallery, or practicing your contained look of disgust for next time you have to travel to Sydney, there are a whole host of cultural phenomena that draw Melbourne-dwellers together. (Melbournians? Melbournites? Melbunnies? Yeah… let’s go with Melbournites.)

If you’re looking to create video content for your brand and you want to target a Melbourne audience, you’ll need to dive deep into the lifestyle and aesthetic of your viewership. After all, being one of the most liveable cities in the world, the sporting capital of the world, and the second-most fun city in the world (who knew, right?) takes a strong sense of ideals and standards.

Today we’ve got just the thing to get you started: we’re looking at three of the major social factors in the Melbournite way of life, and how we can use these things to better communicate with a Melbourne audience using animated video.

Large, expensive mistakes are often more effective teachers than small, affordable ones. But at the end of the day, who wants to throw away their money and time on a poor decision? Nobody. And don’t be fooled when people tell you “nobody’s perfect”, because that ‘nobody’ guy really likes to talk himself up. He’s far from perfect. It’s a much greater mark of wisdom learn from the mistakes and experiences of others than to dive in unprepared and uneducated, all but begging for mistakes to come to you.

Corporate video is one such area where it’s easy to see your money disappearing without seeing a return in customer conversion. However, being aware of the biggest pitfalls in developing a corporate video will give you your best shot of creating a successful campaign. Let’s take a look at four of the most dastardly mistakes many corporate videos make.

What exactly is a startup? Everyone and their mother seems to have their own definition. Some define it as a new business designed for rapid growth, others consider technological innovation as key in identifying a startup, while others believe it describes the opening phases of what may become a larger company.

Whatever your definition, it’s fair to agree that startup companies come in many different forms. Lacking any best practice rules, it can be difficult to know how to advertise such an immeasurable type of business, let alone what type of advertising medium will work best. However, there are a few common features that most startups share when compared with other types of businesses.

Today we’re taking a look at four common startup features and determining how well animated advertising holds up against them.

If you’ve ever produced a digital video of any kind, you’ll know the feeling of satisfaction you get from finally completing a great-looking film. And most likely, you’ll also know the feeling of intimidation, frustration and/or seething rage when first confronted with the huge selection of video render settings.

I hear you: ‘All I want is to get my video out of the editing program looking as good as it does inside the program so why do I need to know if it’s lossy or lossless and what’s a H.264 and why can’t I click a button and it just goes?’

Search for answers on online forums and the prevailing response will inevitably be along the lines of No single setting works best in all situations. And while this is indeed true, it’s about as helpful as a Slushie machine on the Titanic. Conversely, an in-depth description of every codec available in today’s technology would only confuse matters. That’s why today we’re taking a brief look at some of the more popular codecs and formats used in compressing digital video, and the recommended uses for each.

We’ve all been there. You sit down in front of your computer/notebook/carrier pigeon ready and raring to fire out some ideas. Why, just last night you had about fifty-seven brilliant ideas right when you were trying to go to sleep. You can’t remember any of them now, but hey, that’s fine. Coming up with ideas is the easiest thing in the world, right?

Then the blankness of the page and the cold, heartless stare of the carrier pigeon start to mock you. The enormous potential for failure shrivels up the seedlings of any ideas you might have thought of pursuing and suddenly a quick five-minute Facebook break sounds extremely appealing. But it will never just be five minutes, and a blank page will never just compose itself (…hyper-intelligent robots withstanding).

Coming up with ideas can seem like hell if you’re in the wrong mindset, especially if you’re under the added pressure of developing ideas for a new company marketing video. Figuring out how to promote a product or service in the clearest possible way can be a daunting task. However, there are a few trusty methods for getting the creative juices flowing. Here are just five of our top suggestions…