InterVid Productions:

This article is about InterVid Productions a startup business we have been working closely with since 2010.

Watch this video to see more about InterVid Productions

or visit www.intervid-productions.co.uk

Background

InterVid Productions is the brainchild of Barrie Blackmore a web video entrepreneur and professional cameraman for over 25 years. Barrie first had the idea for InterVid after watching a BBC programme with Sir Alan Sugar about recruitment, the problems faced by business and specifically the limitations of the CV and the need to see the candidate's body language and enthusiasm.

We met Barrie when we were speaking at the Birmingham Growth show back in 2010 and have worked with him to get his idea to market as a commercially viable product. We have created a business plan with commercial business model, helped him scale up to a full production environment, designed a new website, wrote all the copy and looked after his sales and marketing activity.

 

Business Model

Like many great ideas one of the biggest issues we had was how we could monetise it and create a successful and viable business. It is important to remember that just because something is a good idea doesn't mean it can be a successful business.  Whilst all entrepreneurs need a lot of drive and enthusiasm for their latest venture so that they can keep going when things get tough, which they will, but they need to maintain a close grip on reality.  It is far too easy to get carried away with your idea without properly thinking it through.

One of our key challenges with InterVid was a pretty fundamental one.  Originally our target customers were jobseekers, most of whom are going to be unemployed, so clearly they often won't have money to invest in a new concept that is largely unproven, so expecting them to part with money to be filmed was always going to be a hard one to sell to them.

In order to make InterVid a success we needed to find another way to create revenue for the business.  We know that once the business has developed a large database of jobseekers we will be able to attract employers looking to save time and money on the shortlisting stage of recruitment but we're not there yet so we are concentrating on B2B sales at the moment, working with other businesses who can benefit from InterVid's infrastructure to help place their candidates effectively.

MiW Business Consulting InterVid Productions

Early Days

In the early days developing the business we concentrated on three key areas - marketing and research, product development and testing, and our internet presence.

Building a website that worked the way we wanted it to on a limited budget was very challenging at times. We knew we needed a quality product to stand out from the video wannabees crowd and quickly ruled out things like You Tube as a means of displaying our clips. We used a number of different embedded video players before we finally settled on JW Player. Early versions of the site had some issues and wouldn't allow videos to play on iOS devices but this latest player allows us to create small file sizes that will play on virtually any device and on any bandwidth while maintaining good picture and sound quality - so you can even watch our videos on a mobile phone if you want to.

 

Video Quality

The way the video is shot is extremely important and we go to extraordinary lengths to get the production right, not just in terms of using high quality equipment but also in the format of the interview.  It is vital that we are able to put the candidate at ease and get the best out of them.  Body language is a key element in the videos as it helps to convey their energy and enthusiasm to the viewer.  We have seen the sort of DIY webcam CVs some other sites are putting on the internet and quite frankly they do more harm than good.  We understand that the logistics of filming interviews makes it a real challenge on so many levels but it is one of those things that you either do right or you don't do it at all. 

There's so much video on the web these days and a lot of it may be fine for talking dogs and dancing cats but for business use is totally unaceptable.  If you want to use video to market your business then unless you are going for some sort of viral marketing campaign that can work with your brand, I would suggest you use a professional and get the job done properly.

 

The Future

We are currently gearing up to start filming with an apprentice training company from Bimingham later this year and are talking to other interested parties in the West Midlands.  We're also discussing a unique joint venture with another company.  Interest in the business and what we are trying to do is increasing steadily.

InterVid is a stand out product for the recruitment industry.  We passionately believe that one day everyone looking for work will have one and that most people will be recruited in this way.  The CV just doesn't cut it anymore! 

InterVid showcases jobseekers and allows them to present themselves to employers in a professional way.  Employers can get through the shortlisting process in hours rather than days or weeks because they get to see the candidates before inviting them for interview.  When you stop to think about how long it takes to read hundreds of CVs and that in many cases the candidate that comes for interview doesn't really meets your expectations from reading their CV, it is no wonder that there is so much interest in the product.

 

Visit www.intervid-productions.co.uk to find out more about InterVid

 

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