Earlier this year, we worked with amazing mentalist and presenter Paul Brook to create some fresh new video for his business. Paul is creative and full of ideas, so we worked closely with him to make sure that the finished videos met his requirements. He asked for two snappy trailers that promote his skills and services and set him apart from his competitors. We decided to film in and around Birmingham to give Paul and his skills a fresh, trendy and approachable feel. It gives the videos a corporate yet cosmopolitan vibe, just like the city itself.

The magic of mentalism is in the live performance, so we saw an opportunity in the challenge of capturing it well on camera. As we planned Paul’s ‘Mind/Play’ promo, our research deduced many people in his field have videos between 5 and 17 minutes long. They feel drawn out and can lose the interest of the audience. We know potential clients want to see quick examples of what they will be booking, presented in an exciting way. With this in mind, we aimed to consolidate all the best bits and still keep it under the 1 minute 30 mark. You can see there’s a real focus on the participants’ facial expressions and reactions at the pinnacle of Paul’s tricks.

Above you can see some feedback Paul received, including remarks from fellow professionals in the magic and mentalist circles.

For the second promo, we had the opportunity to make the most of Paul’s personality since that’s what sells him as a presenter. Again using a couple of locations central to Birmingham which we cut between, Paul introduces himself and what he offers directly to camera. Be sure to check this one out too; there’s even a neat time-lapse in the street where Paul met the challenge of staying stock still…we don’t even think he blinked once!