Creating a suite of Course Videos – as cost-effective as impactful
How do you go about selling something arguably ‘intangible’, such as a future, academic experience? There are many reasons for which people decide to invest in a university degree, but the scope and content of the course on offer is undoubtedly one of the most important. At the end of the day, this is the product on the table and the raison d’être for the existence of the institutions themselves! But when it comes to communicating what your course can offer and how you excel in approaching the subject in question within your respective academic teams, there’s only so far text on a webpage can succeed.
Enter video content.
By bringing courses to life via video, you have the chance to not only deliver key messaging regarding the programme, but you can also take the opportunity to fill in some other gaps that prospective students might be asking themselves, such as the ethos and approach of your university as a whole. Are you keen to showcase your course but equally the fact that there’s abundant support available for when academic pressures set in? Or is your university particularly proud of the groundbreaking research that’s being conducted on site by an impressive roster of staff, with whom your students will be learning from?
What is more, by introducing the course via video medium, prospective students are able to access a real feel for how studying the programme in question might look like. Only video can truly capture the atmosphere and essence of student life. As we always say, university is all about “people, place, and purpose”—and course videos are one of the best ways to bring that to life.
A course video can therefore act as a useful 'trojan horse' in this sense, and in addition to that, if produced well, they can be delivered in an efficient and cost-effective way…
What’s that? Both a producer’s and a client’s dream?
You heard right! If you’re looking for a coherent suite of course videos, then it makes sense to take a holistic approach when it comes to pre-production. This doesn’t mean a draconian standardisation across the board, but rather the chance to construct an overall narrative arc that best conveys the university’s values, which can then be applied to each course as a solid framework within which to operate.
Working to a structured narrative arc also allows for tighter scheduling, which means that filming can take place in solid blocks with ease and relative flexibility (always a bonus when competing with student timetables!).
And if it makes sense production-wise to be capturing a number of videos in one go, it also makes sense budget-wise to be pricing accordingly. Ie, these videos really are cost-effective to produce in bulk.
A glance at various routes that can be taken:
Edge Hill University course videos
Here are three examples of 20 videos filmed within two weeks! Alongside the team at Edge Hill University, h10 agency produced a suite of short, student-led, digestible content to provide a snapshot into Edge Hill’s academic programmes, whilst also showcasing the Edge Hill approach to supporting students with their studies. You can read more about this specific brief here.
- Media BA (Hons): course page – see video here
- Law LLB (Hons): course page – see video here
- Plant Science BSc (Hons): course page – see video here
UEL course videos
UEL commissioned us to create course videos that are primarily academic-led, with a touch of student testimony, giving prospective students a quick insight into the course content and experience. You might not believe it, but each of these course videos have been filmed in half a day! Our approach was to focus on two courses at a time, filmed across one day.
- Psychology BSc (Hons): course page – see video here
- Business Management BSc (Hons): course page – see video here
- Sport and Exercise Science BSc (Hons): course page – see video here
Imperial Business School programme videos
Imperial Business School is a prestigious global institution, and this needed to be reflected in their programme videos. Filmed in a single day, our approach combined a structured script delivered by both students and academics. This not only optimised messaging but also maximised our time on set. By directing mini-scenes throughout the day, we brought to life the vibrant student experience at Imperial, offering prospective students an authentic glimpse into the feel and prestige of what studying there feels like.
- MBA: course page – see video here
- MSc Global Health Management: course page – see video here
- Executive MBA: course page – see video here
Conclusion
To sum up, if maintaining a consistent rate of applications is on the priority list, then creating a strong catalogue of course videos is definitely the first step to consider.
As an HE specialised video production company, in collaboration with your team, h10 agency can refine and communicate your departmental key messaging and deliver your course information in a way that inspires excitement at the academic possibilities on offer whilst also conveying the spirit of your institution.
If you’re interested in exploring what a suite of course videos could look like for your university, feel free to contact us and we’d be happy to offer a free consultancy call and look through the various package options available together.
Want to create more effective and engaging video for your institution?
At h10 agency, we specialise in creating video content for higher education marketing. This ranges from higher end promo videos, through to user-gen and social.
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If you’d like to chat about producing videos for your institution, we’d be happy to have a call to chat. Drop us a message below.
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