With the arrival of the 5G era, we can expect to see an increase in the use of video by general companies. The challenge here is to mass-produce video, but technologies and services that will make ‘democratization of video production’ a reality are being born every day. This time, we invited Mr. Ueno from Shootsta, a subscription-based video production service provider based in Singapore that started business in Japan in 2020, and Brightcove CEO Kawanobe interviewed him about the company and its services.
## A service that supports the production and marketing of video content for BtoB
__Brightcove Kawanobe (hereafter, Kawanobe)__ Thank you for taking the time to come to our office with your heavy luggage. Is Shootsta okay as the company name in Japanese? Also, could you give us a brief overview of your company?
__Shootsta Mr. Ueno (hereafter, Mr. Ueno)__ Thank you. Shootsta is fine. We are a company that provides BtoB video content production and marketing support services. We have 130 employees worldwide, with offices in 6 locations around the world.
__Kawanobe__ Why did you decide to expand into Japan at this time?
__Ueno__ We were founded in Australia in 2015, and then moved our headquarters to Singapore, and expanded into the US, Europe, and Asia. Thanks to this, the growth rate in each region was very good, but the coronavirus pandemic has also spurred many companies to accelerate their digital shift, and we have decided to launch our services in Japan as well.
__Kawanobe__ I see. So you are the first Japanese employee. Why did you decide to work at Shootsta as the first employee?
__Ueno-san__ Actually, I’ve had experience working on the launch of several overseas tech startups. One of the biggest experiences I’ve had was working on the launch of Shopify, which provides an e-commerce platform, as their first employee. After that, I thought I’d like to go overseas for a while, and while I was trying out various things, I got to know the people at Shootsta, who were considering launching their service in Japan, and I received an offer.
## Uploaded videos are edited and delivered within the same day
__Kawanobe__ You have a lot of experience, and you have had a lot of opportunities. So, could you tell us about the services that Shootsta offers?
__Ueno__ We are a company that supports the production of video content for companies. However, we are not a video production company. We are a company that develops a platform that accompanies the branding and production and operation of video content together with our clients. Basically, it is an annual service, and we are developing a business targeting BtoB companies.
Up until now, I think that companies have often outsourced all aspects of video production, but Shootsta first lends out a video kit to help you produce your video. The kit includes various equipment such as cameras, and even if you have no experience operating them, we will provide support so that you can carry out the filming. After that, our employees will edit the video and deliver it to the client.
Kawanobe: I see. So rather than taking on the entire video production process, you have the client do the parts they can do.
Ueno: That’s right. We have a system where we return the edited videos uploaded by the client within the same day at the latest, and within two working days at the latest. This speed and cost are Shootsta’s strengths.
## The cheapest option is around 60,000 yen per video
Kawanobe: I think the cost will vary depending on the type of video, but what is the cost of producing a video?
Ueno: It varies depending on the annual contract, but the cheapest option is around 60,000 yen per video. We can handle a wide range of videos, from CEO comment videos used by major companies, event review videos, and even TV commercials. We can also create designs and fonts that take into account the client’s branding, as well as motion graphics.
Kawanobe: This is the video kit that is sent when you use the service.
Ueno: That’s right. There are also video kits that can be used for lighter purposes depending on the contract, but this is a kit for a professional level.
Kawanobe: It includes not only a camera, microphone and stabilizer, but also a prompter. But even if this is sent to you, don’t you think “How do I use this?
__Ueno__ Yes, I would (laughs). For that reason, we give lectures to first-time users and film with them. We provide support until they can stand on their own.
__Kawanobe__ This is a mean question, but there are people who don’t have time to film even if they receive a video kit, right?
__Ueno-san__ For those people, we also offer a service where we take the video on their behalf. We have a network of videographers all over the world, so we can film in any remote location. We can also provide voiceovers in a wide range of languages, including Japanese dubbing.
## Linking high-quality videos to efficient marketing and sales activities
__Kawanobe__ What kind of development are you planning for the Japanese market?
__Ueno__ Actually, we have been used by Japanese companies in Singapore for some time. Therefore, we would like to start by developing for Japanese companies that are expanding overseas. In the next phase, we would like to develop so that companies with deep roots in Japan can also use it easily.
__Kawanobe__ I hear that you also frequently hold joint seminars with Brightcove in Singapore.
__Ueno-san__ We also hold co-hosted seminars, and we have also achieved API integration with the Brightcove system. With the cloud service Shootsta Hub, which I mentioned a little while ago, clients can upload videos and communicate smoothly with our editing staff. And the finished video can be uploaded directly from Shootsta Hub to Brightcove’s Video Cloud. This saves the trouble of having to download the video from Shootsta Hub and upload it to Video Cloud in order to publish it, and makes it possible to manage it more efficiently.
Kawanobe: I didn’t know about the feature integration (laughs). Finally, could you tell us what kind of customers would benefit from using this service?
Ueno: Offline events have been canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic, and face-to-face sales are becoming more difficult. I think everyone is trying out services like Zoom, but I hope that by using Shootsta to create high-quality video content, you will be able to connect with more effective marketing and sales activities.
__Kawanobe__ I understand that the strength of this service is that it can respond to various needs for filming at low cost and can be implemented quickly from editing to delivery. The workflow can also be simplified through collaboration with Brightcove. There are already several customers in other regions who use the services of both companies, and I hope that we can create common customers in Japan in the future. Thank you for your time today.
__Ueno__ Yes, thank you for your time.
