Professional Video Productions Offer a Boost for SA Wildlife Resorts

Given the financial climate with which South Africa’s businesses must contend today, finding ways in which to generate hard currency has seldom been more important. Blessed with a combination of exceptional climatic conditions and an unparalleled array of natural scenic beauty, flora and fauna; tourism offers one of the best means with which to bring home those coveted US dollars, British pounds and euros.

There are, however, only a limited number of slices, even to the largest cake, so how can the owner of a safari park or game farm ensure securing a worthwhile share? As always, it pays to advertise and, in this instance, what could possibly impress a potential visitor more than a professional video production designed to showcase the wildlife viewing opportunities at a resort? One point, however, cannot be overstated. In this endeavour, the emphasis needs to be placed fairly and squarely on the adjective “professional”.

Almost anyone, armed with nothing more sophisticated than a mobile phone, should be able to produce some shaky, hand-held footage of the family cat chasing its tail. It is then a simple matter to upload the results to Facebook or YouTube, and collect a couple of hundred likes overnight. If, on the other hand, the objective of your online post may be to attract a steady stream of overseas visitors who are willing to spend many thousands of rands to spend their vacation or even a long weekend at your game lodge, then it is likely to take a good deal more to impress them.

While one should never underestimate the power of the social media, sites such as these are best used as an adjunct to a dedicated website. The latter, most certainly, should be the work of a professional web designer who has the skill to create a perfect platform for the video productions to market your resort and its resident wildlife. Once in place, these short films could also be linked to versions hosted on YouTube or Vimeo, and this will increase the reach of your website significantly. It can be a good idea to use these third-party sites to host high-definition versions, which may be viewed in full-screen mode, and to minimise download times on the main website by using smaller, low-definition, framed versions.

Never forget that, whatever the nature of a website, the fact remains that “Content is King” and this includes, not just the visuals, but also the written word. So, whether you stick with still shots of scenery and wildlife, or decide to include a video production or two, be sure that you allocate these tasks to an established professional, and that you check out samples of his or her work before doing so. In addition, it is important to stress that, unless this is an area in which you have had the appropriate training and experience, you will be well advised to employ a professional copywriter also.

There can be few people among the developed nations who have not, at some time or another, been enthralled by the works of the world-famous naturalist, Sir David Attenborough and his team. Apart from such iconic TV documentaries as “Zoo Quest for a Dragon”, “The Blue Planet” and “The Private Life of Plants”, he is also well known for his amazing contributions to print magazines, such as National Geographic and Nature. While you might not be able to hire his services to promote your resort, South Africa is also home to an expert famed for his wildlife photography and video productions of which numerous awesome examples are to be seen in many equally famous international publications, as well as online.

Employed first as a game warden in Zimbabwe and later by the South African National Parks Board, Martin Harvey has since dedicated his career to photographing and recording the beauty of things, both natural and man-made. With the backing of 20 years of experience and an exceptional talent for composition and the visual arts, Martin Harvey Productions offers its clients a range of quality photographic services that are the equal of the world’s best. To ensure the best value for money, however, our services are offered at prices that you will find considerably more affordable.

We discuss the needs of our clients in detail and tailor photographic shoots or video productions to meet them. These may include the premises, its surroundings, and wildlife in its natural habitat taken on the ground or from the air.