As an independent video producer and consultant, Sam is frequently approached by advertising agencies, nonprofits and brands for his expertise and advice on the best practices of creative development. It is important to note that every successful production needs first to have a well-mapped out narrative structure in place for it to be successful.
Film, Video & 360 VR Video Concept Development
Some of the services Sam consults on and delivers to his clients are: Scoping Session, Research & Insights, Brand Strategy, Script Writing, Copywriting, Consulting, Creative Concepting & Ideation, Moodboard Composition, Storyboard Drafting, Animatic Production, Messaging Audit, Theme Definition, Character Identification, Budget Estimation, and Proposal Generation.
A full description of each of these creative concept development services is provided below.
+ Scoping Session
This initial meeting between the client or agency team may include other key individuals such as a project manager, art director, or cinematographer as well as other critical decision-makers. This video production scoping session is essentially a brainstorm session during which all the aspects of the project are hammered out. Sam maps out the process, timeline, budget and deliverable requirements of the video production.
+ Research & Insights
At the start of each VR or video production, Sam conducts research and forms insights on your brand; it’s history, value proposition, customer demographics, products, services, and overall objective. Having this data is crucial in the development of your video production process.
+ Brand Strategy
A clearly defined brand strategy is a central pillar to any video production. Sam looks at the marketing strategy of your organization and ensures the video production aligns with other brand objectives - that the look and feel will be consistent for your audience.
+ Theme Definition
Sometimes you can't plan out all the narrative elements of a video production in advance. This is especially true for documentary projects, vox pop interviews or live events. However, it's still important to define the underlying messages you're looking to highlight with the video and how the audience will interpret it, as this will help to shape how the production process is executed.
+ Character Identification
Whether your video is branded content, a corporate industrial, an employee recruitment video or a documentary production you are going to need to identify the characters who will be central to your story. Sam applies methodology for determining who the characters are that will most appropriately connect with an auience while also being presented with an onstacle to overcome and a resolution to follow - basic ingredients of any engaging narrative.
+ Concepting & Ideation
Creative iteration can be a crucial component when it comes to developing and communicating new ideas for a campaign or video. Sam performs ideation exercises to spark lateral thinking and inspire out-of-the-box solutions. The original concept and ideation stage of your production can be exciting and rewarding if executed with the help of a seasoned VR expert, filmmaker and storyteller.
+ Video Production Consulting
It’s only natural for you to have several questions when it comes to your company’s video production. Some of the world's largest brands and most reputable agencies trust Sam to consult on their projects because of his grasp of marketing strategy & storytelling as well as his intimate technical understanding of the filmmaking process - inluding the nuances of camera operation and video editing. He understands what is possible to accomplish with the budget at hand. Sam Baumel is a seasoned video and VR production consultant based in New York. He also provides video, VR virtual reality production consultation in Miami, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Washington DC, Boston, and Philadelphia. You can rest assured with Sam on the team.
+ Budget Estimate
Before we begin your video production, we discuss the budget your company has in place. This will determine the scope of the project. We work with organizations of all sizes to set realistic expectations regarding the magnitude of the project - and how this informs anticipated expenses over time.
+ Proposal Generation
Once adequate information is gathered about your project, a formal and in-depth proposal will be generated which will outline all aspects of the project so that objectives, budgets, schedules and deliverable details can be approved.
+ Script Writing
Scripts and Key Message Point Outlines are often required in order to create the most concise, effective videos. Sam works with talented screenwriters to develop scripts. These script writers take the most basic ideas for your VR project, short film or video production and expand them to identify the characters, dialogue and narrative arcs required to convey your story.
+ Copywriting
Your marketing message needs to be loud and clear. The Copywriting employed here should deliver value, purpose, and clarity as it relates to your product or service. The primary objective of a good Copywriter is to create more brand awareness that connects with your audience to the point that they’re ready to make a purchasing decision.
+ Mood Board
Whereas a storyboard offers a visual representation of your intended video in the form of sequential sketches, mood boards are usually a collection of media that guide the look and feel of the production helping . These can take many forms. Often Sam will create collaborative moodbopards with clients using intuitive and familiar interfaces, such as Pinterest, Canva Google Slides, drawing inspiration from a varitety of media - everything from color palettes, to reference videos, photographs, songs or even paintings.
+ Animatic
Animatics give you a better rhythmic representation of how your final video production will flow by matching storyboard elements or location photos with a soundtrack, pacing edits as they'l likely be paced in the final cut.
+ Storyboard
Storyboards are visual mock-ups of your video (usually in sketch formats) that help you to preconceive the sequence of scenes before starting the actual production. Storyboarding gives clients an idea of what each scene within the video, film, or commercial could look like with still images first. Sam Baumel works with experienced storyboard artists and tools such as Boords. He incorporates storyboading for video, 360 VR, virtual reality productions in New York, Miami, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Washington DC, Boston, and Philadelphia.