Videos bring the McMaster community to life.
Our videos should accurately and authentically depict the McMaster experience as seen and lived by the people in our community. Whether professionally produced or developed for social media on a smartphone, videography provides us with a dynamic way to engage with our audiences and share the stories of the McMaster community with the world.
Our imagery, both photography and video, must authentically represent McMaster’s diverse identities, including varied races, genders, ages, abilities and cultural backgrounds. Our brand’s visual expression should inspire unity and foster belonging.
In this section, you’ll have access to a project planning guide, social media production tips, brand and accessibility guidelines, and technical tips and tricks.
People are at the heart of McMaster’s brand. Videos give us the opportunity to tell their stories in a dynamic and engaging way. It also allows our faculty, students and staff from across campus to share their stories from their unique perspectives.
The stories we tell in our videos are unique to the McMaster community. Use McMaster locations, incorporate McMaster branded clothing and add a little pop of maroon to the shot if possible.
Keep expressive faces in focus and allow the backgrounds and foregrounds to be a little blurry. This is also known as shallow depth of field, and it draws attention to the person we want to highlight.
The key to executing a successful video shoot is proper planning.
Here are some best practices for you to do before, during and after the shoot.
Looking to create the best possible video? Set yourself up for success by planning as much as possible before your shoot.
On the day of your shoot, there are a number of things to do on set to ensure a successful video shoot.
You’ve planned your video. You’ve filmed all the content you need. Now it’s time to tell the story.
If you’re conducting an interview, preparing a script or list of questions ahead of time and sharing them with the people appearing on camera can help lay the groundwork for an engaging and insightful conversation.
Social media videos should capture the authenticity of the Brighter World brand.
Producing engaging, authentic videos for social media platforms often requires something other than professional camera equipment. Instead, most creators today just use their phones. Here are some tips to create videos for use on social media.
Here are a couple tips to help you create the most engaging social content possible.
Learn more about social media best practices by checking out our Social Media Guidelines.
Phones are advanced these days, so even if you don’t have access to professional equipment, you can still create some stunning visuals for your stories on social.
Social media content may not be professionally produced, but we cannot neglect adding captions. This is an important step to take to ensure our content is accessible for all audiences.
Videos help members of the McMaster community tell their own stories.
We commit to fostering diversity within our production teams to enrich our creative output and ensure a variety of perspectives are considered in every project.
Ensuring a uniform visual style across videos, regardless of the creator, is vital for brand consistency. To help with this, we have made a range of video brand assets available in the Brand Resource Library.
Lower-thirds are graphics at the bottom of the screen that display the name and title of a person in a video. Including lower-third graphics can improve viewer comprehension and retention. Two versions of the McMaster lower-third graphics exist – one with a white background, and another with a maroon background. Please use the one that works best in your scene.
To reinforce brand identity, use a McMaster logo outro, including faculties and departments, at the end of your video. During the video, place the McMaster logo or a McMaster logo lockup on the upper right corner, with the McMaster logo on the outer edge.
Accessible video is a priority at McMaster. To be in compliance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA), all content must be captioned in English. Captions can either be closed (where you select an option to display them) or open (embedded into the video file itself). It’s essential to proofread any auto-generated captions to ensure accuracy. Embedding the captions is recommended for social content that does not allow you to upload an SRT or other caption file. When embedding captions, ensure they are always legible by providing enough visual contrast. White text in Poppins font on a solid McMaster Maroon background is a great choice.
Music should contribute to the video’s tone and enhance the storytelling elements. It should not be distracting or interfere with the viewer’s ability to understand interviewees. Sound effects can improve the viewing experience and draw attention to key elements in the video. Departments are responsible for sourcing copyright-free audio for their productions.
McMaster has created a resource containing footage that includes drone shots of campus, student life and various spaces on campus. If you need to access this footage, please refer to the Brand Resource Library. Always ensure you have copyright or use copyright-free content for external stock footage.
Reach out to visualteam@mcmaster.ca if you are looking for something that does not currently exist in the database or are unsure about usage.
Options like YouTube or Vimeo host your video content for website distribution. However, regardless of the platform you choose, it’s imperative that your content complies with AODA standards and includes captions.
It is best practice to collect signed consent forms, called a Model Release form on the Brand Resource Library, from all participants before filming. Consent forms are required when video footage appears in paid advertisements. If hiring a freelancer, make sure that the contract stipulates that McMaster University owns the copyright for the footage.
By adhering to these guidelines, the video content produced for McMaster University will effectively communicate our brand story, maintain our high standards of quality, and resonate with our diverse audience.
Connect with the CMPA Visual Team at visualteam@mcmaster.ca before operating a drone on campus for video purposes.
Our videos should all have a consistent, branded feel across all channels.
There’s a lot to know about videography. This section includes detailed technical instructions for professional videographers and editors.
Most digital content adheres to a horizontal 16:9 aspect ratio. However, this may vary depending on the platform. It is crucial to adjust the aspect ratio and resolution to suit the platform where the content will be shared. For example, Instagram Reels use the vertical 9:16 ratio. To facilitate multi-platform editing, we recommend filming content horizontally with a wide enough frame to accommodate vertical cropping for an Instagram video if necessary.
Authenticity is key, so we should try to maintain an authentic representation of real-life scenarios. One way this can be achieved is by avoiding over-stylized colours and white-balancing the footage correctly.
What is shallow depth of field? It is a shooting technique that draws the viewer’s attention to a person that is in focus while everything else is blurry. To achieve this, consider using lenses or smartphone camera effects that can create a shallow depth of field wherever possible, typically aiming for apertures from f/1.4 to f/4. When shooting with wide apertures, it is vital to maintain focus on the people in the video. This may not be possible for all video footage, especially videos for social media.
The use of tripods or gimbals is encouraged to ensure smooth, stable footage. Feel free to include an element of movement in shots, but avoid the shaky, handheld look.
Videographers should always be aware of their shooting environment. Camera settings should be adjusted in response to the environment to ensure the footage captures a proper exposure. It is essential to film your environment in a way that showcases the space in the best light possible. Whenever possible, avoid high-contrast, moody setups, and strive for bright, airy, colourful spaces. The people in the video and their surroundings should be captured to advance the story. Use lighting, ND filters, and lens choice to achieve this.
When setting up the lighting, ensure it is bright enough to achieve a natural look. Similarly, control the light’s power levels, ensuring the background doesn’t appear excessively bright or overly dim. This balance helps establish a good exposure relationship between the subject and background. Enhance existing lighting by positioning your light to complement it. For instance, if there is a window on the right side of the room, set the light on the right side of the person in the video.
Additionally, avoid lighting units that flash or flicker, as this could make the set inaccessible to individuals who experience seizures.
For optimal audio quality, it’s crucial to position the microphone close to the person, ensuring it is facing them. This placement will provide clear and crisp audio. Additionally, monitor the audio levels carefully, ensuring they do not peak above -5db. Ideally, the audio levels should be maintained between -18db and -10db for the best sound quality.
Always ensure that horizons are level when filming. This seemingly simple aspect brings a professional touch to our videos and significantly enhances the ease of viewing.