This week's videos explore a return from the stringent protocols dictated by the pandemic in the worlds of sport, entertainment and corporate communications. For more updates about #CommunicateLens, follow @Communicatemag on Twitter.

Formula E

As sport gets back to normal, Formula E – the environmentally friendly circuit from the FIA racing body – unveiled a campaign designed to communicate its purpose. The ‘Positively Charged’ campaign featured a film that brought together employees and participants from across the Formula E community, from drivers to catering staff and everyone in between, in a moment of reflection. The words ‘Positively Charged’ were rendered in neon as the assembled colleagues lift the lights on their phones as one.

“United in light, this community stand as one behind this powerful message of inclusivity and a common desire to drive positive change,” says the narrator as the community recognises those affected by the coronavirus pandemic. Formula E said in a release, “#PositivelyCharged, as part of the FIA’s #PurposeDriven movement, represents our sport’s commitment to not only create an extraordinary racing spectacle, but to make a positive impact on the world.”

Kaptcha Films

Corporate film can connect companies, even across the great divide of Covid-19. Kaptcha Films, a Buckinghamshire-based company, has offered a short film as a means of educating communications professionals about the options available for creating remote video.

Cleverly filmed using the same techniques which are being described by the primary speaker, the ‘How to make engaging film during lockdown’ video explores three options available to communicators: user-generated content, animation and talking heads. The film explores the ways in which these pieces of content can be developed remotely to ensure safety measures are upheld while still putting out high-quality, engaging content to a remote working audience. The agency has also posted a series of films entitled ‘How to present well on camera’ that delve into further areas of interest for communicators seeking to develop video content.

Kinder Eco and Jasper Films

Derbyshire-based production company Jasper Films worked with sustainable children’s brand Kinder Eco on a narrative-driven brand story designed to educate consumers about the ethos behind the small business. Primarily told through an interview with Kinder Eco’s founder, the film integrates scenes from her home life, workshop and design process. The friendly imagery and soft focus complement product shots and the moving storytelling to deliver a film that offers an intimate introduction to a company with an interesting point of view. Highlighting the values and positioning of the company in an approachable way allowed the founder to tell her story while avoiding outright promotion. Designed primarily for use on social, the film was unveiled on the Kinder Eco Instagram account last week.

Nike

With the shutdown of the world’s sporting events – from grassroots games to the Summer Olympics – the landscape for athletes and the brands that serve them may have been bleak. But sport is nothing if not resilient. That message is put forward boldly in Nike’s ‘You Can’t Stop Us’ film series, the third of which debuted recently to coincide with the return of the NBA. The film uses a split screen to unite motion from one half of the screen to the other, indicating a unity of all athletes. Motion is what brings each of the 24 sports represented in the film together.

US Women’s Soccer team captain Megan Rapinoe narrates the film. She said in a press release, “Players may be back on the pitch, but we are not going back to an old normal. We need to continue to reimagine this world and make it better. We have all these people in the streets, using their voices, and those voices are being heard. I ask people to be energised by this moment and not let up. I believe it’s everybody’s responsibility to advocate for change.”

Starstruck

London-based video agency Starstruck unveiled its ‘Let’s Get Back’ film as a celebration of the agency’s clients, employees and work. The minute-long film offers a somewhat wistful depiction of Starstruck’s pre-pandemic work in entertainment, sport, medicine, news and more. It showcases the small things that have gone missing from daily life like a chat over coffee or an interview in close quarters.

Starstruck, like many, have adapted to remote working – by introducing a virtual control room to facilitate social and broadcast media production. This film is a sort of tribute to all the people who were involved in continuing to develop content during the lockdown. Creative director, James Delow, says, “In this film we wanted to thank our clients and celebrate our team members who have worked remotely throughout lockdown to allow us to continue to thrive during this difficult time. It’s a simple message of thanks as we couldn't have done it without the fantastic people we work with. We look forward to getting out and about filming and creating content for them, now that it's a little safer to do so.”

We’re out and about once again creating content, with our signature passion and experience. The only difference is that these days we’re 100% COVID-19 safe. We’ll see you soon. pic.twitter.com/umRVBk2XCD

— Starstruck (@StarstruckCorp) July 23, 2020