Promotional Video Analysis

Manchester University Promotional Video

I decided it would be useful to analyse another institutions promotional video as it would give us lots of ideas on what works well, and also pick out things which we think we could improve when creating our video. One thing that stood out for me when watching this video was the vast majority of shots they used when filming the campus. By using different techniques such as panning and fade in and out, I was able to see the campus at different angles, and it also made it more interesting to watch. By slowing down some of the shots of the campus, I was able to view the campus for longer, which made the University look more appealing, which is the main goal for the creator of the video. The video as a whole was very light which makes it more appealing to watch, also it portrays the University as a very positive and happy place to be. If for example the video was very dark or filmed on a dreary day, it will not only present the University in a negative way, it will lessen the audiences chances of engaging in the video. There were a few shots which incorporated nature, for example there were a lot of shots of trees and flowers. This is effective as it gives the idea that the campus is a nice place, and also sets a good atmosphere. There were a number of shots of people socialising and working, this was effective as it provided an idea of what University life will be like. Also by having shots of both socialising and work, its a good balance and presents the University as somewhere appealing to go to. By having more than one location it gives the audience more to watch and also surprises them when it changes.

Things I would improve?

One thing I would change is the music, this is because I found it slightly repetitive and also it was very relaxed which slightly prevents the audience from engaging in the video. However it did fit in well with the shots, which is something our group hopes to achieve. Although the shots of the campus were very effective as they portrayed the University as a great place to be, I think that there were too many shots of the campus, as I slightly lost interest half way through. Also I believe it would of been effective to include some text in the video, to really engage the audience. Overall from this promotional video I learnt that using a range of shots and editing techniques is useful as it helps the audience to engage in the video and also makes it look more professional. Also I have noted that the music is a very important part of the video, as that is what most people will relate our video to.