Uncategorised

The Best Movies of 2020 to Date In the strange and turbulent times of 2020, where a global pandemic hit, whole countries shut down and most time was spent indoors, it might surprise you to know, that movies were still released. Yes, lots of the big-name, big budget films were put on hold to be released when times were less strange, but it didn’t stop everyone. Perhaps this is a time for lesser known actors, directors and filmmakers to break through onto the scene? If you haven’t been getting your hit of cinema releases, here’s our list of the top movies, 2020. Choose a comfy spot on the sofa, grab a bag of popcorn and settle down for some top viewing. Maybe once you’re done with the top 10, you can move onto the best 50 movies of 2020! The Scent Release date: 1st December 2020 (UK) Cast: Aidan Whytock, Jet Jandreau, Rick S Carr, Ned Doherty Directed by: Lawrence Jacomelli Movie  Genre: Horror Thriller The plot: In this modern horror thriller, THE SCENT, Planet Earth is destroyed by an apocalyptic event and taken over by an Alien Species that hunts by scent alone the only food source left…HUMANS. The story follows a father who abandoned his teenage autistic son and is now re-united because of the death of the boy’s mother during the apocalypse. They, along with a handful of other survivors must contain their scent by wearing isolation suits to avoid detection by the Aliens. But the suits are both their saving grace and their prisons. They have to take them off to eat, drink and interact and it is at these moments when they can be hunted. The suits also have a fragility that is a metaphor for the plight of the human race and also an ever-present danger on their journey. This terrifying new world begs the questions; does the human race deserve a second chance? and is life worth living anyway? What makes it great:  This is a claustrophobic Hide and Seek Monster Movie: “End of Days” meets “Alien” (that’s the original Alien and none of the sequels). There is a clear emphasis on character design and careful build in tension that keeps you absolutely gripped with fear and desperate for any glimmer of hope in a world that is burnt to the ground and shrouded in perpetual darkness with monsters that can appear at any moment. There’s nothing like a good old-fashioned hide and seek monster movie and this one is a smash hit and terribly zeitgeist, almost eerily so given the isolation that most of the world has experienced in 2020,  and this is what makes The Scent one of the best horror thriller movies to watch in 2020. Official Movie Trailer – The Scent The Assistant Release date: 3rd April 2020 (UK) Cast: Julia Garner, Matthew McFadyen, Kristine Froseth, Makenzie Leigh Directed by: Kitty Green The plot: A stark and pointed look at that world surrounding a serial abuser. This movie follows a day in the life of Jane (Julia Garner), a college graduate who has landed a job as an assistant to a powerful entertainment mogul. The world the movie mogul has created around him, protects and allows denial of what’s really happening. Sexual harassment, abuse in the workplace. The Weinstein references are clear. A tense look at the culture surrounding the Weinstein case and Miramax and a cringing recognition of seemingly small incidences, over time becoming so much more. What makes it great:  If you like movies which push you outside your comfort zone and address issues, this is one of the movies to watch 2020. Mostly though inference, you take a deep dive into a day in the life of Jane. Subtext, along with dropped hints and missing information, that could be something (or equally, nothing) come together to create an evident and simultaneously obscured bigger picture. This movie is closer than even first person, which is a huge directional feat. It’s beyond impressive and well deserving of a place in the top 10 movies of 2020. Sorry We Missed You Release date: 6th March 2020 (UK) Cast: Kris Hitchen, Debbie Honeywood, Rhys Stone, Katie Proctor Director: Ken Loach The plot: A poignant look at the harsh reality of the gig economy and the human impact of your online order. Zero-hour contracts, no worker protections and lack of basic human interaction are all addressed in this movie. Rickey delivers online purchases, his every move dictated by technology. Abby, a carer on a zero-hour contract, not paid for breaks, holidays, illness or even travel, but cares for people like they are her own family. There’s a lot said about the failings of modern society and the way language is used in these industries to make you feel like you are getting a good, flexible deal, which actually just means you need to sell your family car and you can never take a day off. One of the movies to watch in 2020, no questions asked. What makes it great: This film makes you realise what could be behind something as small as an online order, or the carer coming to look after a grandparent. Something which most people wouldn’t even think about, it makes you think more deeply about the people you come into fleeting contact. Perhaps we need to consider the strain people who alleviate strain on your life, are under themselves. It’s certainly a ‘thinker’ and it immerses you in the life of the characters – one of the best films on Amazon Prime Video in 2020.  Onward Release date: 6th March 2020 (UK) Cast: Chris Pratt, Tom Holland, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Octavia Spencer Director: Dan Scanlon   The plot: Two elf brothers Ian Lightfoot (Tom Holland) and Barley Lightfoot (Chris Pratt), journey to discover whether there is any magic left in the world, so they can spend just one last day with their dad. Magic spells, cryptic maps, seemingly insurmountable obstacles and unfathomable discoveries plague their journey. Mythical

Read More

You wanted to know Beast London’s pick of the best Digital content agencies in London, UK? We’ve done a little digging, and come up with a couple of class acts when it comes to small digital agencies in the UK. These guys are award winners and they have proved their worth, and I promise they are worthy. From video content production and content services to brand story video production and website production, these guys are smashing it. INK Digital Agency In 15 years INK Digital Agency has gone from 1 person on a cramped desk with a computer, to an award winning small digital agency with offices in Halifax and Melbourne. They come across as a really friendly bunch of people who know their stuff. You get a great vibe from their site and I was tempted to swing by for a cuppa, well, I would have done if I had happened to be in Halifax, which I wasn’t. But the promise of childhood biscuits nearly made me make the journey for a chat about digital content and how much clients love trackable data! I doubt there are any digital marketing troubles that can’t be solved with a good cup of tea and a custard cream (oh, and I guess you need the digital content stuff too). They want to immerse themselves in your brand and deliver creative solutions and you can’t help but trust that they will deliver. INK Digital Agency were voted the number one digital agency in the UK for client satisfaction, in The Drum’s Independent Agencies Census in 2016. And it wasn’t just in 2016 either; it was two years in a row! They also won Best Website at Creativepool’s 2016 awards. They won this award for their work with Princess Yachts, a luxury manufacturer of yachts. And having spent a little time looking around that site, I can see why they won the award for it. The site is super swish and simplistic, all clean lines and elegance – just like you want from your yacht. You can tell that a lot of love and pride goes into everything they do. Whether you are just browsing through their site or you are looking at the projects they have on the go at the moment, you can tell that they love what they do, and that they are good at doing it. They were also finalists in a whole host of things at the RAR Digital Awards 2016. Finalists in categories ranging from Digital Strategy, Email Marketing and Strategic Thinking, to Effectiveness, Value for Money and On Time. On top of that, this was the fifth year running in which they had been nominated in the Effectiveness category – these guys were seriously slaying. There are no judges for these awards. Everything is voted for by people who have actually had experience with the agencies, that’s pretty meaningful stuff. If someone you have worked with is spending time and effort on voting for you to win an award, then you must have made an impact. Impression Impression was nominated as one of the best small agencies in the UK at the UK Agency Awards 2016. They were shortlisted for this award two years on the bounce, so they must be good, right? Their managing director is a guy called Charlie Hartley and over the last year or so, new team members have been joining and they have become a registered Google partner! Recently they have been working with the luxury events company Villiers London. They have been working with them on their branding, website and photos, amongst other things. The site is looking great, and navigating through it you can really see that these guys know their stuff. They specialise in using creative thinking to grow brands, and they have a “digital first” approach to their marketing strategies. In 2017, they picked up an “honourable mention” at Awwwards Website Awards for the work they did on their project with Villiers London. To get to that point, the project went to a public vote, before being put in front of a panel. The panel was a specialist panel formed by bloggers, designers and agencies in the industry. The judging criteria includes design, content and creativity, amongst other things. Also in 2017, Impression received “special kudos” at the CSS Design Awards. The CSS Design Awards panel is made up of a panel of international judges. These judges are professionals leading the way in the industry, and together, they judge the best websites and digital content in the world (wow!). The Special Kudos award is awarded in recognition of great creativity, coding and usability in website design. Impression won this award for their new website. Having spent a bit of time on this site scouting around, I can see why it won an award. Its great! Easy to use, clear, simple and it looks amazing too. You can tell some serious thought has gone into it for sure. They have a great bit of video content on their site which explains exactly what they are about, and you can take a look at here if you are interested. They start by analysing your brand, content and current strategy, before they start looking ahead. It’s important to recognise where you are coming from and where you want to get to, before you start making your journey with your digital content agency. They want to look at your customer base and competitors, and from there, they will start setting goals and creating a pathway to get you to where you want to be. You really get the feel from these guys that they know what they are on about. They come across as clear cut, knowledgeable and on the ball. As a video production company it is always a great pleasure to work with creative agencies that are working hard to make great work that is meaningful and effective. Both of these guys are well worth taking a look at. Without

Read More

We all know that corporate videos, and talking head video case studies can be a bit boring. Here are some tips on how to make videos more creative. Corporate videos can often be dull and cumbersome.   But it is because there are thousands of corporate videos produced on a daily basis that now even the corporate video has become the subject of creativity and imagination. The sea of visual material makes it really difficult for your company videos to stand out. A wise person once said, that originality is non-existent, but you should strive to make everything you do unique. Corporate videos are no exception, the more unique your video is, the better the chance that it will convey the messages of your corporate values, or whatever other messages you wish your customer to receive. Regardless of your area of business, there will always be a requirement for video production. Corporate video production can have many different approaches. In some instances, your brand may need a video for advertising purposes. These videos can air on television, or they can be streamed on the web for online advertising. There are many businesses that also use video production to help them reach new clients and business partners. These are business-to-business videos, which are better known as B2B videos. These videos will be promotional and targeted to speak to potential partners with a different language than you would use when wanting to engage with customers. Another exciting use for corporate videos is for training purposes. Training videos are a great tool because they allow for affordable and standardized training communications. How much does a corporate video cost? So, how much does a corporate video cost? Most people think, that just by pouring money into a video production you’ll get the outstanding video. Whilst having a healthy budget is important we know that as a video production company and video agency, that it is the idea itself that counts the most. While it is true that the latest equipment might add the visual edge to the video, the big budget is by no means insurance, that the final product will be a success. There are simply too many moving parts in the equation, to rely solely on the financial aspect of the matter. Let’s dive into the secrets of the corporate video production that will help you create engaging material that attracts clients and creates a compelling reflection of your brand. Best corporate videos 2016 Ideas are cheap in our world unless you are able to make them come true. Nonetheless, without ideas, there would be no videos, which places an idea at the very beginning of the process of creating a commercially successful video. A well-written script sets the course of an entire production, and is also vital for the video production company to calculate the cost of video production. Thus it is of utmost importance to have a script that speaks clearly to the audience about the topic. At Beast we are known for our award winning corporate videos. We very proud to announce our recent award winning video for Cambridge Audio, which was a winner at the inaugural London Brand Film Festival awards this year. The most common mistake is to have a generic voice-over or a dialogue; most clients will forget minutes after watching the video. The words you are using must be carefully chosen, well-crafted and above all compelling, since that is the best way to ensure that you are not just producing another video that follows the same beats as thousands of others. Everything in the video you are producing needs to make your product or brand stand out. Locations, actors, dialogues are all equally important, and only if you manage to create a perfect balance of all these elements you can look forward to a smooth production that will result in a high-quality visual product. Great examples of corporate videos It can be hardly stressed enough how important it is to know everything there is to know about your competition. What it is their video marketing strategy? What are they doing differently than you? If you are able to stay ahead of your competition, then your chances to position your brand on the market better are significantly higher. When producing a corporate video, you need to know what other companies are doing and try to do something differently that will make you stand out. For example, we as a corporate video production company are very conscious of our competition. It is important to us to study the most professional corporate video production companies. Being inspired by our competitors keeps us hungry and we love to see great work and enjoy other great examples of corporate videos. Learn from the best, study all the best TV commercials or marketing videos that advertise similar products. Try to figure out what can be done differently or more efficiently. If you can do this, you will place your brand ahead of most of your business rivals. Also, don’t be afraid to copy the strategies of other companies, just be mindful of copyright infringement. Corporate video tips The best corporate video tips…is actually really just the one tip. Try not to say too much. Trying to say too much often results in a diluted message. Corporate videos are often time-limited and placing too much information in them can be overwhelming for the audience. Less is more. It is better to develop just one stream of thought than to have overlapping ideas that try to achieve a lot, but due to their complexity, fail to do so. Our clients always ask us for our corporate video tips. But really this is the common mistake and this is the main Be concise and specific about the message you want your potential client to receive and focus everything on making it as transparent as possible. People will give your brand and your products a limited amount of time, make their time worthwhile and tell them a story they will not forget so easily. The best

Read More