Introduce Yourself : Mike Sanders, Corporate video maker, Create Media Partners Ltd UK by Mike Sanders

I never know what's coming next, a colection of material already shot, some still pictures to animate, a promotion to create from scratch, some client testimonials or a product launch, a documentary record, health and safety made interesting, but one theme has to run through it all, where is the story? What is the call to action? What are the points needed to hit home, and the most difficult question of all where or what is the unique selling point? Many a head has been scratched after that question and a stunning period of complete silence follows from the client. So really I find I have to help them understand that before we shoot anything, as the answer will change their pitch or approach. My job as I see it is to make short films that are informative and entertaining with clear messaging, and somebody does something as a result of watching it. So many clients have little or no creative concept imagination and I often have to show a series of things to determine what they DON'T want, then its possible to tease out what is wanted. Sometimes too a family member has done some footage you are handed, now that really is trouble, firstly making a silk purse out of a sow's ear and being diplomatic about the filming , probably adding some of my own so there are a few shots still there that were shot by the family member. This is quite a different area to making films from script, and sometimes innovative and flexible on the fly has to be the way ahead. You would be very surprised how many business owners there are that when asked can't easily tell you what their business does. Then we come to the corporate image or graphics. The logo is on the website! Yes we can see that but where is the high quality file? We don't know is often the response, so we end up re-drawing it. Every film has therefore a completely uncharted unplanned set of challenges, which can only be got round by thinking out side the box. So that's the sort of thing I do. I can now edit and monitor in 4k but still holding back buying a camera as they change faster than you can look round at the moment.