Video has become an indispensable component of any business’s marketing strategy due to its immense power and effectiveness. Firstly, video content captures attention and engages viewers in ways that other mediums cannot. With its combination of visuals, audio, and storytelling, video has the ability to evoke emotions, deliver information, and leave a lasting impact on the audience. Secondly, videos have a higher likelihood of being shared and going viral on social media platforms, expanding the reach of the business and generating organic brand exposure. Moreover, videos can effectively convey complex messages and showcase products or services in action, helping to build trust and credibility with potential customers. Furthermore, search engines tend to prioritize video content, making it more discoverable and improving the business’s online visibility. Ultimately, incorporating video into a marketing strategy allows businesses to connect with their target audience, foster engagement, boost brand awareness, and drive conversions in a compelling and memorable way.
Want to find out more? Get in touch to see how Farsight Films can help.
Here’s our latest showreel of video production projects we completed last year. 2023 was a busy year for filmmaking in Cardiff and beyond with various clients asking us to produce all sorts of interesting and varied films. From event videos to promotional films to informational pieces we worked on all kinds over those twelve months.
If you need a video for your business or organisation, please get in touch to discuss how we might help.
January was unusually slow for us this year. No doubt the post-Christmas period, combined with a cost of living crisis and the country’s economic challenges was having a knock-on effect on how businesses were allocating their budgets. However, things soon picked up and we have been working on numerous projects, some of which are still in progress.
We started out filming a promotional film for Wales Leadership Forum and then did some editing for a music student who needed to produce a piece of evidence for their final projects.
We took a trip to Newmarket to film an historic occasion where Ellen Chaloner (one of Justin’s ancestors) was given recognition for her role as the first female horse trainer. She was the first woman to obtain a permit to train race horses in 1886 – and there wouldn’t be another woman allowed to do this for another eighty years. The film will be completed in the winter after a second filming trip in October to film the unveiling of her new gravestone.
Alongside this, we have been working on a series of animations for NHS Wales. Animation can be a lengthy process and this particular project is no exception. Because of the nature of the films, it is important that medical information provided gets approved and signed off by key people. This has added an important step to the process but does mean the estimated completion time will likely be the end of the year.
Another trip took us to Colwyn Bay in North Wales filming for NHS Wales, with AME Productions helping us out.
We’ve also been producing some content for the networking group we joined back in December. BNI Cardiff Bay meets each week (three times a month online and once a month in person) and it has been great getting to know the other businesses.
Alongside video, we have been working on numerous audio books for our friends at Candy Jar. This has involved combining narration with music and sound effects to create an immersive storytelling experience.Our charity of the year is Bullies Out – a charity that provides help, training, support and information to individuals, schools, youth and community settings affected by bullying. We were happy to work on some video resources to help promote their work and we filmed in a Welsh school in Cardiff to capture a training session in progress.
We’ve been supporting Terry Cooper on his low-budget horror comedy Bloody Students which will begin filming in September.
Finally, we also managed to get the drone out on a few occasions (when the weather was kind!).
It’s been a slightly quieter period at Farsight compared to autumn but there’s still been lots to do.
We had a meeting at the Sky offices in Cardiff to talk about their impressive AdSmart service, offering low cost, highly targeted TV advertising for small and medium businesses. We’re excited to be one of Sky’s partners in the South Wales region and you can find out more information on our website here: www.farsightfilms.com/sky-adsmart/
Justin’s younger brother Gyles is a musician and is putting the finishing touches to his album – a labour of love that has been several years in development. Justin is in the process of making a music documentary to capture the final stages of this process which will hopefully be released at the end of next year.
We got to film in historic Bath for DHI (Developing Health and Independence), a charity working in the South West region helping disadvantaged people and those living on the margins of society turn their lives around. We filmed their annual event, showcasing their achievements and hearing stories from those who have been impacted by the work of DHI.
We have been working with fellow videography company AME Productions working on several commercial film projects: filming drone footage at an aerosol factory in Newport, capturing the graduation ceremony for Gower College Swansea, shooting the Royal Mint Christmas Experience and filming a drug rehabilitation centre in Bristol.
We are also excited to have joined BNI (Business Networking International), as a member of the Cardiff Bay chapter. We look forward to the New Year, working in partnership with other small businesses to help each other grow and prosper.
As well as all this, we’ve been editing some seminars for a diabetes organisation, filmed some footage in central Cardiff for a planning consultancy and created some antenatal graphics for NHS Wales. Finally, just before Christmas we filmed Jonathan and Jemma’s wedding ceremony in Swansea – congratulations to the happy couple!
Farsight has been busy this autumn, filming in locations both far away and close to home. In September, we had the amazing opportunity to film in Geneva, Switzerland for AMM Research Global Institute of Management – an international business training provider serving the francophone nations of Africa. Farsight was there to capture the graduation ceremony with photos and video.
Farsight was involved in filming four events over September and October: two healthcare conferences, a church leadership conference and a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a bio-tech company.
We also travelled to Liverpool with AME Videography to help film the new Royal Liverpool University Hospital on behalf of the building contractor. This £1billion facility was hugely impressive and it was a great privilege to see it before opening fully to the public. We got to put our new DJI Mini Pro 3 drone to work filming exteriors of the site – this proved a bit of a challenge in the afternoon when the wind picked up, but thankfully we had recorded lots of great footage earlier in the day.
Other projects include a series of BSL videos for Public Health Wales, editing some Zoom meetings and filming some teaser videos for an upcoming indie zombie film (hopefully shooting next year).
Recently, we upgraded our cameras to the new Canon R5 C Cinema EOS models. This will enable us to greatly improve the quality of our output and give us greater flexibility when working on different film and video projects.
Here are the specs:
The R5 C is Canon’s smallest most versatile Cinema EOS Camera, combining 8k video capturing with 45 megapixel still image capture at 20fps. Featuring Dual Pixel CMOS Autofocus and extensive professional recording formats, the EOS R5 C is a compact and powerful camera, providing high-level performance with advanced connectivity, revolutionary RF mount technology and lens flexibility.
The EOS R5 C features a high-resolution OLED viewfinder, bright articulating 3.2-inch LCD monitor, and 13 user assignable buttons. A new active cooling system enables long duration recording, while its magnesium alloy body ensures professional durability.
The EOS R5 C can capture stunning 8K DCI RAW video at 30P (up to 60P with external power supply) internally to a CFexpress card, using the whole width of its full-frame sensor for a truly cinematic look. Focus tracking is also available, for footage that looks slick and professional. 8K RAW provides the highest level of image quality and flexibility: capture four times as much resolution as 4K and change parameters such as white balance after footage has been shot, using Canon Cinema RAW Development software or your favourite non-linear editing application.
Alongside its 8K capabilities, the EOS R5 C captures 4K DCI (full frame) and 4K UHD at frame rates up to 120fps with audio and auto focus, with 4:2:2/10-bit quality, enabling smooth slow-motion with stunning high resolution. The EOS R5 C also oversamples the full-frame sensor for exceptional 4K and Full HD clarity with increased sharpness and colour fidelity, and low noise.
The EOS R5 C features internal cooling thanks to a brand-new design which allows heat build-up to be dissipated and expelled via a built-in fan and exhaust at the rear. This enables long duration 8K recording in Canon’s smallest and nimblest Cinema EOS camera.
Sometimes we need to get a fresh perspective on things so that we can see them differently – how about we take a look from the air?
Farsight Films is able to offer drone videography and photography services to clients who require a more unconventional angle. In partnership with Steel City Drones, we are also able to offer dynamic fpv (first person view) drone material that offers seemingly impossible shots – take a look at the video above!
Our drone of choice is the DJI Mini 3 Pro, which is designed to go where most other drones can’t. At under 250g, regulations allow the drone to be used in built-up areas and among people – as long as it is flown safely. Our drone operator Justin is a registered drone operator with the Civil Aviation Authority and we have full public liability insurance.
If you need drone footage for your project, please get in touch so we can discuss how we can help you.
If you need to promote your business or brand, we can help craft content for social media sites that you can use to get noticed. Whether it’s short or long form, we can combine stock footage, graphics and animations with your own material to help you stand out on the internet. Interested?
Give us a call, drop us a text (+44 7968 033 089) or drop us a message here.
Farsight Films is proud to have helped produce an annual review video for DHI (Developing Health and Independence), working in the South West of England. Highlighting the challenges of supporting the most vulnerable during the Covid-19 pandemic, the video was put together using a range of material to highlight the various services DHI provides.
Farsight Films 