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The Bantal Pillow project is the longest one in my practice. It took almost two years from the moment I received the first pillow samples for the crowdfunding video production to the launch of the campaign on Kickstarter. This project was commissioned by one of my regular clients, with whom I have also created many other videos.
The story of the Bantal Pillow began in 2020 when we started working on the crowdfunding campaign. However, we launched the campaign in 2022, during the active Russian invasion of Ukraine. There was a risk that we would not be able to release the finished crowdfunding video due to the destruction of our office and the theft of our filming equipment and server storage. Nevertheless, my team and I found solutions.
Let's check how was the crowdfunding video production for this project.
STARTING FILMING IN 2020
The main reason why the video production took so long was that the client’s team completely redid the script several times and changed the look of the product itself.
I received the first batch of pillows in January 2020. The creative managers and I started writing the first script for product video production. But as we all know, a pandemic began in the spring of that year. And the whole world came to a standstill. Of course, our work also stopped for a while until we adapted to the new normal.
For six months, my team and I focused on designing the campaign and capturing photographs. Subsequently, the client opted to switch suppliers, resulting in a change in the pillows’ appearance. At the end of 2020, we resumed working on the crowdfunding video production for this project.
The end of 2020 we started crowdfunding video production. For this project, we needed to shoot a lot of scenes of a sleeping actor. The filming was conducted in a rented hotel room. As always, a complete team was involved in the production of the video, including a director, cameraman, production designer, photographer, and lighting specialist. Naturally, we had all the essential equipment, such as cameras and lighting.
SHOOTING IN 2021: THE COMMERCIAL PROJECT CONTINUES
Crowdfunding video production continued in 2021 with a new script version and other scenes. We needed to have one more day of filming. The main task was to ensure that the guest actor looked precisely the same as in the previous shooting, which took place a year ago.
ACTOR IN 2020
ACTOR IN 2021
To capture the overhead scene, we build the set around the bed. Then, during post-production, we refine the shot by removing any unnecessary details from the frame. Check out how crowdfunding video production was executed during this phase.
In the fall of 2021, we completed the product video production of this video.
However, the story did not end there. The client decided to change suppliers once again. Consequently, we received a new batch of pillows at the end of the year that looked drastically different from the previous ones. They were not just white, but black and white. The project was put on hold.
EDITING THE PROJECT IN 2022: CRAFTING THE FINAL COMMERCIAL
On February 24, 2022, russia launched a full-scale attack on Ukraine and targeted cities with missiles. In March of the same year, a rocket struck the building where the office and studio were situated. Although the place survived, it fell victim to marauders who stole filming equipment and server storage.
This story of crowdfunding video production for the Bantal Pillow could have ended, but fortunately, I made one crucial and correct decision. In the first month of the war, my local NAS server (32Tb) remained in the office and worked (thanks to the fact that the provider gave us the Internet). I connected to the server remotely and synchronized all the footage with the NAS storage of my client (we are talking about 1.2 terabytes of information and this is not so fast to do). Thanks to this decision to save all the footage.
By the summer of 2022, we had agreed with the client to complete this project. Despite constant rocket attacks and danger, we continued with the post-production of the video. We were unable to shoot additional footage, so we utilized ready-made footage and rewrote the script accordingly. Unfortunately, we had to cut some of the cool scenes from the finished material. To compensate for the missing frames, we decided to incorporate cool motion graphics into the scenes.
UNUSED GRIPPING INTRO SCENE: FRUSTRATION
As previously mentioned, we had to cut some cool scenes from the finished material. One of these scenes was an intro scene with a funny transition. I’m really sorry that this piece was not included in the final video
However, I am pleased with the overall production of the crowdfunding video for this project and its final version. As with all of our projects, this video includes a significant amount of motion graphics, animation, and VFX effects.
VFX EFFECTS AND CLEAN-UP IN VIDEO PRODUCTION
In professional video production, the final image may differ from the original frame. Sometimes, shots are created from a photo through animation. In this project, we have some exciting scenes to showcase this.
Another important aspect is the actor’s face cleanup. At times, there may be defects on the actor’s face that the make-up artist cannot fix on set. In such cases, we perform a clean-up during post-production. Here is an example of the actor’s appearance before and after the clean-up video.
BEFORE CLEAN-UP
AFTER CLEAN-UP
CAPTURING PHOTOS FOR THE CROWDFUNDING CAMPAIGN
During the crowdfunding video production, our professional photographer captured many high-quality photos. These images are crucial for promoting the product in global worldwide, showcasing its features, and demonstrating its daily use, particularly when it comes to innovation for crowdfunding projects.
I always advise my clients to schedule commercial photo production alongside video shooting to save on actors and locations. Our skilled photographer knows how to capture shots that complement the video production without causing any disruptions.
FINAL VIDEO
The Bantal Pillow crowdfunding campaign was successfully launched in the summer of 2022, raising over $230,000. My team and I are pleased to have had the opportunity to be a part of this project and create a crowdfunding video for this product, despite external circumstances such as war and changes in the script and product.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQs)
How to Make a Good Crowdfunding Video?
Crowdfunding video production is a process in which we do not just create and rotate frames among ourselves. It makes a story because a successful crowdfunded video lets people know one and experience it for themselves. A good story always has a beginning, middle, and end where the person sees how they can solve a problem thanks to the product from the video. But what is also very important is to show the actual product and how it works and is created. When I’m writing a script for a crowdfunding video production, I’m always thinking about how we can show people not just a product but its features, functions, and creation process. In this case, it turns out to win more trust.
What are the Post-production Works?
Why Do You Need a Video on Your Crowdfunding Campaign?
