Top 5 Videography Trends of 2019

The dominance of video as the ‘King of Content’ makes it a compelling time to be in the video production industry. Emerging technologies are disrupting the way we create, consume and share content. We have seen a huge increase in the adoption and use of video by businesses and consumers alike, and we couldn’t be more excited. Today we are highlighting our top 5 videography trends to be on the lookout for in 2019. Our insights into these trends will cover Vertical Videos, Accessibility and more. We hope this provides value and you will be back for more!

Videography Trend 1: Vertical Video

How many times have you “checked” your social media today? If you haven’t noticed, vertical videos are now a thing. The meteoric rise of social media, coupled with the mobile phone revolution has led to increasing demand for videos optimised for mobile. The 9:16 might seem weird at first, but holds many overlooked benefits, mainly...users don’t have to flip their phone. Other benefits of vertical video include, capturing the viewers attention through filling the entire screen, and providing one point of focus per frame.

MediaBrix found that vertical videos have a 90% higher completion rate compared to horizontal videos. Popular platforms like Instagram are capitalising on this trend by releasing ‘vertical first’ features like IGTV. Video is adapting to this new landscape (no pun intended) and brands who engage with a mobile-driven audiences are listening.

Here 5 examples of brands using vertical video. Featuring National Geographic, PureGym and more.

Videography Trend 2: Accessible Videos

According to the World Health Organisation 5% of the world have disabling hearing loss. Accessibility is an important issue as we move towards making the internet and it’s amazing content equally accessible to users of all abilities. When it comes to video accessibility, closed captions are at the forefront. Did you know that 41% of videos are incomprehensible without sound? Captions help with concentration, clarification and comprehension.

Captions are great for watching videos on mute - Digiday state that 85% of Facebook videos are watched without sound. Most importantly, captions are giving people with hearing disabilities the power to understand videos and participate in the conversation! Accessibility is something we at Habitual Media care about. We recently partnered with Uber and Lingoing to produce a content campaign series of videos, pictures & GIFs for deaf and hard of hearing drivers.

For more information on creating accessible videos, have a look at Sitepoint’s 8 Steps to Creating Accessible Video

Videography Trend 3: Long Form Content

There is a perception that modern audiences have short attention spans. This has been bucked by the recent rise of companies using long-form videos. A study by Wochit reported that longer videos received 74% more views, and 79% more shares compared to short videos. Long-form videos are usually considered to be over 25 minutes in length and provide many strategic benefits. Long-form content encourages storytelling, giving you a better opportunity to emotionally connect with your audience. It is also a great way to educate your audience, helping you engage customers at different points in their journey - whether it is product reviews, demos or in-person interviews.

Whilst long-form video content requires considerably more production juice, we believe it is worth it. In the age of ‘content saturation’,a well produced long-form video can help you connect on a deeper level. A great example of this is Youtube streetwear sensations PAQ. Since launching in 2017, they have racked up nearly 50 million views and over 550,000 subscribers. Their super engaged audience has led to PAQ being able to work with the biggest brands in streetwear, producing new forms of collaborative content with the likes of Nike, Adidas and ASOS.

Have a look at these 5 great examples of brands using long-form video.

Videography Trend 4: Live Videos

Live-streaming has opened up the field for brands and advertisers to connect with their audiences in a completely new way - live and direct! Modern day audiences expect more authenticity and experience-first content and live video does exactly this. The launch of Live-Streaming on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram and most recently LinkedIn allows viewers to comment and interact in real time. In fact, viewers spend 8x longer with live video compared to on-demand content. Live Video is authentic, cheap and credible to viewers, allowing companies to easily build an online community. We have listed 3 benefits of live streaming below:

Authentic - People who work for the company can be a literal voice of the company and convey their thoughts and opinions in a legitimate and naturalistic way.

Economical- Live broadcasting removes the need to do and pre-production. Live video is shared from the personal platform so is a cheap way to self promote.

Compelling- Perhaps the most important feature of live videos is that they are maintaining viewer’s attention, on average, 3x longer that pre-recorded videos. Potentially due to a novelty element of live videos, however in a world where people’s time span doesn’t last long enough to brush your teeth it’s crucial for brands to capitalise on this prolonged attention.

Download London Filmed's PDF guide on how businesses can use live video to their advantage.

Videography Trend 5: Virtual Reality & 360 Video

VR and 360 are the future of video. Immersive video experiences will change the way we work, learn and play. Whilst the technology is not 100% there yet, experts predict that VR will gain mainstream adoption within the next 5 years. That being said, what can be done with this technology today is already impressive. VR and 360 give viewers the ability to interact with and control their visual experience.

Allowing users control of the experience can build a sense of trust, since they can examine the finer details. Other innovative benefits include, creating stronger emotional reactions from viewers. Facebook found that 48% of people who watch charity content in VR are likely to donate. This is due to VR’s ability to transport users and place them in someone else’s shoes, creating stronger empathy.