Visual PR creates bespoke studio at new offices

Visual PR – which uses an innovative approach to video to help businesses and organisations engage more authentically with their audiences – has relocated to new premises, to create a bespoke studio for filming, recording and editing.

The company, founded in 2023 by professional motorsports commentator and public speaking trainer Chris Dawes, has taken over office space on the top floor of accountancy and law firm Optimum Professional Services’ premises at Vicarage Court in Stratton, Swindon.

Chris said the move was another step in the evolution of Visual PR, which has rapidly expanded its services beyond its original offering of creating talk or panel show-style broadcasts for clients, which are streamed live or prerecorded, and available to view and interact with via YouTube and social media channels.

“Moving to the Optimum building gives us more than triple the space we had before, and the opportunity to create our own studio for the first time,” said Chris.

“Optimum are our accountants, as well as a Visual PR client, so it’s great to be in the same building, and shows they really believe in us and want to help us take the business to the next level.”

Visual PR’s branded programmes, including Optimum’s regular ‘Optimum Live!’, have led on to a whole raft of other marketing services.

The shows themselves – all unscripted, and using an engaging and natural interview style - help bring brands to life, by showing authenticity and not being overtly promotional, so driving deeper engagement with audiences.

The first shows were created using Visual PR’s virtual studio. Now they can also be filmed either on-site with a multi-camera setup, or at Visual PR’s new studio, or they can even be a hybrid with on-location filming and other guests beamed in remotely.

“While we can still go out to our clients to film on-location, they now have the choice to come to us, and take advantage of a purpose-built, dressed space, with comfortable seating,” said Chris.

“We are installing decorative soundproofing which will look good – not the eggbox foam-style product people are used to seeing. We will also add furniture and decorations to make it look nice, and a media wall, which can display their branding.”

Video clips from the shows can be used for social media posts; transcripts can be edited by Visual PR’s software and turned into longer blog posts and/or copy for social media posts. The software can also add captions to the videos, and create and send out emails to promote episodes in advance, as well as post-show newsletters summarising each episode.

Visual PR’s new studio is also being used as a venue for companies wanting to record podcasts. The team can film the podcasts, to add a visual dimension.

Chris added: “We have scope to take over more space in the building, which gives us the opportunity to expand further. We believe we have a unique proposition, which more and more organisations are wanting to tap into.”

Visual PR plans to start creating additional branded material – including training videos, webinars and induction videos for new recruits - to make content more engaging and effective.

Working with Chris in the business is video editor and producer, Tom Cottam, who joined last spring. Chris hopes to recruit additional team members during 2025.

For more information, visit www.visual-pr.co.uk.