DIY Epipheo: How to make a kick-ass product video for under a grand
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Create an animated marketing video. Ummm...
It’s a problem every startup runs into. Sooner or later, you’ll probably want to take a shot at going viral with your own short video. Epipheo Studios is named after the idea that a video can cause an epiphany. The problem is that this epiphany can cost as much as your new car: $20 grand, give or take, for a 90 second Epipheo-produced video. The alternatives can be as much as $10 grand. Still want to go viral? Kiss that seed check goodbye.
There IS a solution, though, to every costly service: do it yourself. Surprisingly, it’s not too painful to produce your own pitch video. We had three things going against us: no experience, little time, and less than $1,000. So we threw caution to the wind, gave it a go, and were reasonably successful in doing so.
Here’s how to make your own animated pitch video for under $1,000:
1) Script/ Screenplay
This is the first and the most important step. You can do this in a few hours and we highly recommend you do this yourself, since you know your product best. You can always get your aspiring writer friends to give it a gander for edits and to check that people get it.
Our format for this was:
1. User has need
2. Prospective user trying existing/competitor products
3. User getting screwed/losing money/being frustrated
4. Eureka moment! There’s an answer!
5. Introduce and pitch your product
6. Quick run-through of product
7. A great outcome for user
Write out your story first and then break it up into chunks much like a storyboard or screenplay.
2) Sketch Video frames
Here’s a dirty secret: artists usually need money. Find one. Friends, family, design students - all it takes is a doodle. You know what? Doodles are hot now anyway. Plus, here’s the beauty, you can pick whose style you prefer. Once you have your one person Pixar, have them draw up images based on the storyboard you created. You probably need 30-40 screens for a 90 second pitch. An artist can whip up a doodle in a few minutes (it’s a doodle after all), so this will probably take them a few hours - let’s say $200. Add in a little more for correction, and time on your part to review.
Your time: 1 hour; Your cost: $300
Someone’s got to talk, unless you are making a silent film. But you don’t need to go from Charlie Chaplin to Don LaFontaine (Don’t know him? Google, and you will). It’s surprisingly easy to put on your narrator voice, and besides, you want a more ordinary voice so it stays relate-able. Ask your pals to do the voice over; my roommate did it and it only cost me $10 in beer. You can get your sound effects and background music for free by Googling. We recommend Creative Commons licensed work, all of which are free and many of which can be used commercially.
Your time: 1 hour; Your cost: $10
You have the screenplay, the images, and the audio. But now, you have to put it all together to make the video. If you’re a whiz in After Effects, you got this! However, not all of us are so Hollywood. You can count us in the latter category, so we contracted it out. But you don’t need to hire Michael Kahn, just someone who has done this sort of thing before. If you only ask them to stitch your 90-second film together, it won’t take much more than 2 days for someone who has done this before. You can use a freelancing site to land the person. Again, we’ll add some time and money for review and corrections.
Your time: 2 hours; Your cost: $650
Lets add it up. The grand total is, drumroll please:
Your time: 8 hours; Your cost: $960
