People tell us all the time that video is the medium to be in - and we think they’re right. Video is incredibly versatile, making it fun for us and engaging for the viewer. From documentary-style profiles to narrative shorts to commercials, the possibilities are endless.
Big Tree’s founder and namesake, Taiki, started creating videos for school projects and as a hobby in childhood, and went on to study Cinema Studies and Video Production at Northeastern University. After graduating and spending a year living in Japan, he traveled west to Portugal entirely without planes, and documented the journey in a series of videos called Full Circle. Through his studies, work experiences, and travels, Taiki built a foundation of skills and passion that would lead to the creation of Big Tree.
Back on Cape Cod, local businesses were hungry for the cinematic visuals that Taiki could provide. He started creating promotional content of all kinds, from restaurants to artists and even music videos.
Filmmaking is a collaborative medium, and that’s a key part of our mission at Big Tree. We’ve gathered some of the most talented and forward-thinking cinematographers, storytellers, producers, and visual content creators on the Cape. Together, we provide each client with a unique, moving, and beautiful final product.
At Big Tree, we believe that video is one of the most effective and captivating ways to communicate your message. It allows you to showcase your product or services, and most importantly your passion, in a way that other forms of marketing just can’t. Our video production services are designed from the ground up to engage website visitors, social media followers, and newsletter subscribers.
Our shoots can range from a simple, single-camera setup with basic audio, to multi-camera coverage with a full crew, audio, and lighting. We’ll work with you to craft a personalized plan that fits your vision and your budget.
And our services don’t stop at video. While we can capture gorgeous interviews, b-roll, and drone footage, we can also provide motion graphics, podcasts, and photography services.
If you’re reading this, you’re already on the right track. Inquire about how we can help you by emailing us at manxtaiki@bigtreevideo.com.
FAQs
What are the differences between Big Tree versus a video production agency?
Some of the benefits of using a company like Big Tree versus an agency include working directly with the people who are producing the product, with no middle man. With agencies and marketing groups, the information can get muddy, and it’s a big benefit to circumnavigate that, which saves you money and time. An agency can do more with marketing, but our job is to create the actual product and the actual content. We believe that creating that content is the most important part of a marketing plan.
What should small business owners look for in a video production company?
First, you should look into the personality of the video producer to make sure their work fits your style. Look into the budget of what the video production company offers to make sure it fits into YOUR budget. We have a very diverse portfolio and a very flexible budget system to accommodate a lot of different needs for businesses.
Why did you want to start a video production agency?
I believe that video production and filmmaking is the coolest thing in the entire world. You can do anything in the realm of video creation. You can literally make anything from commercials to a documentary on homelessness. In my short time doing this, I’ve had so many experiences and I think that’s an amazing thing. It’s a hugely collaborative medium and art form that requires so many different people. It’s not just writing or photography. It’s mixing all these things together; it’s working with clients, and I really love that whole aspect of it. The reason I started Big Tree was because there weren’t a lot of groups in my area that wanted to do this bigger mission with bigger collaboration, so it was kind of a necessity.
Do you see a difference between corporate video production versus nonprofit video production?
We like to look at the emotional core of any business, nonprofit or school, and I think that emotional core leads to an emotional engagement from the audience, which is ultimately the goal of any product we make. Regardless if you’re an insurance company or a pizza maker, each has an emotional core that we try to draw out. The other side to it is, if a company is trying to get a particular sort of video, whether it’s internal content they will use with their own employees, or if they want to target a particular audience, like potential donors, those would determine the direction of the video. If they want content for their website, whether it’s some short clips for social media or videos that will live on their website forever, those things will determine the differences in the product we make.
What are the key elements of healthcare video production?
The bread and butter of our tier of video production is interview content, and those are big in the healthcare industry. They need clean, concise, high-quality video and audio interviews and that’s something we can provide in any project we work on. That is something we can easily create to fit the needs of this or any industry.
What about promotional, social media, or advertising video production?
Every client who comes to us wants to make one particular video. Often, to make one particular video, you have to overshoot. Just like when you make a Hollywood movie, you have to overshoot. You have to do so many takes and use different perspectives and you’re shooting for hours to get a minute of footage. It’s a similar concept when you’re making content for a business. I try to encourage clients to have us shoot other content that might be used in their 30-second video. That extra content might not be used in the end, but you’ll have it just in case.
Why do I need a professional video for my business?
There’s a huge market for wedding videos, and that’s something which provides no financial return on investment, and they’re crazy expensive. Think of your business video as your investment. It’s an emotional time capsule of your business, or the front sign to your business, which is what we try to convey. It’s not always about making money. Like a wedding video, it’s about making a beautiful representation of your business.
Do clients have to write their own scripts?
Oftentimes, with most business clients, we develop the script as we shoot the content through the interview phase. We also like to push the client to have a lot of prep in mind, including perhaps developing their own script. I personally think it’s more beneficial for us to develop the script for clients because we understand the process of video making, which a lot of people don’t know, and it’s why they’re hiring us. We can develop the concept of their video from start to finish. We’ll work with the client to help develop specific verbiage and developing a framework of how the video will look, what footage we’ll need, and what content we’re looking for. We have people on our team who can help with this.
What’s the secret to staying calm on video?
Remember, the video is not for you, it’s for your audience.
Be genuine. This helps bring a more organic feel to the video.
Wear a comfortable outfit - something that makes you feel confident.
Get a good night’s sleep. Being well-rested is always a good thing.
Remember that our job is to make you look as good as possible!
Do you do photography too?
Absolutely! We do headshots, interior and exterior shots, and drone photography. Our website has some great examples. Drone photography looks incredible. It can get to places where you wouldn’t normally be able to reach. You can have all your footage done within an hour, if it’s just one location (longer for more locations).
Retainer Program
Many of our clients continue to work with us over months and even years, developing new content and reimagining existing content. We want to reward those partners, because not only is it awesome to have a growing relationship, but it’s beneficial to the client to build a living library of footage that continues to grow. With your commitment to purchase at least $5,000 of our services in one year, you will receive an additional 15% of work for free within the contract year. (That comes out to at least $750 in free video services/year. For example, an $8,000/year contract receives $1,200 in additional services.)
Why should your company consider the retainer program?
In addition to free video services, this program allows you to plan your entire video marketing budget for the year rather than requesting budget approval every few months. It also allows us to continue capturing dynamic content over the course of a year, leading to a diverse library of content that can be utilized in many ways for years to come.
This program starts at $5,000 and cannot exceed more that 40% of the committed budget per month.