Short form video is being touted as the latest and greatest of film production trends, and it’s not difficult to see why. Digital channels, and particularly social media platforms, are changing the way that brands and consumers look at content.

As we scroll through our feeds, we’re becoming accustomed to an endless stream of videos. Social media channels have therefore disrupted the ways in which film content is consumed, and challenged brands to develop shorter, more reactive and more personalised content.

As a film production company, we’ve seen a huge spike in demand for ephemeral content. This is experiential, opportunistic and responsive to consumer interests, and often airs over a short period of time. Not sure what we mean? Think about all the short advertising campaigns that ran alongside the Superbowl – or here in the UK, look at Missguided’s adverts that played around episodes of Love Island.

New research by Olapic and Worldwide Business Research (WBR) proves just how fast the demand for short form video is mounting. In fact, 64% of those surveyed aim to increase their short form video budgets by 20% or more over the next 3 years alone.

However, before you get faster with film production, let’s review some of the basics…

Where does short form video content perform best?

Short-form video content was made for social media, and unsurprisingly this is still our favoured platform today. The vast majority of companies - 93% in fact - consider Facebook to be the best-suited channel, followed by Instagram (65%).

However, don’t pigeon hole yourself. Short-form video also suits other contexts. Websites (55%) and display (51%) are also considered valuable places for this content to be shared. Clearly, it pays to look at the bigger picture when playing to film production trends. Consider how content can be reused, repurposed and re shared to elicit the best possible response and provide your brand with an impressive return on investment.

What does short form video do for brands?

Valuable engagement opportunities are on offer when brands make film production snappy. When respondents shared how they felt short-form video helps their brand, engagement was the clear winner…

• 78% can convey product or brand messaging more effectively

• 58% can tell more compelling brand stories

• 66% can cut through the noise on social channels

• 74% can engage wider audiences

So short form video content can help brands to stand out from the crowd, engage their audience and share their brand values – but only if their storytelling is on point. The success of any video content relies on a strong foundation of scripting, styling and directing, so brands must procure the right film production team to create their vision.

How can your brand create the best short form video content?

Short-form video now plays a huge role in digital marketing, as brands look to drive more dynamic experiences for online leads through engaging ephemeral content. A resounding 90% of those surveyed are currently using short form video for their brand.

This doesn’t come without problems though. When respondents were asked about some of the obstacles they faced, concerns around film production capabilities took centre stage.

• 66% of respondents cited a lack of quality in production processes

• 48% claimed they lacked the technology to scale production

• 54% mentioned time constraints - a common problem for marketers

No wonder then, that 76% of those surveyed are currently managing short-from video content with the support of an agency, with just 24% managing it through an in-house team.

Who should you turn to?

There’s no shame in asking for help, and working with an expert film production company can provide the creative muscle for your campaign ideas.

The Gate Films has decades of experiences working with brands in various sectors, creating all kinds of short form video content. For instance, we’ve produced several campaigns tailored specifically for Instagram Story feeds, the new favoured format for short form video. We sit down with brands and plan out all the assets we need to produce on shoot, so we can film everything you need rather than cutting and cropping clips to suit.

Let us know how we can help.