Video is increasingly becoming a central part of content marketing strategies. The statistics are everywhere: video will account for 79% of all consumer internet traffic in 2018; 73% of UK content marketers use video, and 82% are experiencing success with video marketing initiatives.
So creating video seems like a no-brainer, but commissioning a production company can be a daunting task. Whether you know exactly what you want or just have a vague objective, how do you turn ideas into that slick video you’re imagining?
Provide a good brief
The same briefing rules apply to video as to any content. The quality of the video depends on the quality of the brief. It’s important to know your aims and let the production company know exactly what you’re trying to achieve.
If you’re not sure, discuss your ideas and ask for advice. They should have plenty of experience producing similar videos, so should be able to help tweak your ideas to bring them to life. Ask yourself if you want a simple “talking head” video or something more creative. Are you after a great corporate video? Look at competitors and show the production company examples of videos you like.
Discuss what you want the video to achieve and the look and feel you’re after. Ultimately, good communication with the production team will make or break your video and determine whether it comes in on budget and meets expectations.
Think of your audience
As a guide, a simple talking head video to go on a website should rarely be longer than three minutes. Any longer and people won’t stick around to watch the whole thing. Of course there will be exceptions, but consider who your audience is and how much time they have. Also be sure your speakers know who they’re talking to and can tone down any technical jargon if necessary.
Read through your script
Stuart Kershaw, director of video production company In The Dark Productions, says the most common problem is overly long scripts. “If your video has a script or voice-over, you can help the production company by reading through the script out loud and timing yourself in advance of the shoot day. It’s a mistake everyone makes, but a script that takes five minutes to read is never going to fit into a two-minute film.”
Shorten the script with a tight edit. If you think you just can’t cut down on material (and most of the time you definitely can) consider breaking up the message across more than one video.
Pick an interesting location
Remember, even the simplest talking heads video will benefit from a background that adds context. “Shooting indoors in front of a pretty view is a popular setting, but it can be a nightmare for us to light,” says Kershaw. “The camera needs to be exposed for your skin tone not the background, so a pretty view is likely to be washed out. Shooting outside can be better, but you need to beware of changing weather and lighting conditions.”
The best thing to do is discuss options with the camera team and try to find locations with good background detail, such as someone’s office, rather than a bland meeting room.
Secure permits
Kershaw acknowledges that his worst-case scenario for a shoot day is everyone arriving only to find you’re unable to film because the necessary permits haven’t been secured. He says it’s vital to obtain a location release from the property owner. Generic release forms can be found and adapted easily online.
For shoots in public locations you’ll need to check local regulations. For those filming in London there’s a handy guide available online: bit.ly/1DYFJ1b
Tell the video editor what you need
Before the video editor starts work on the footage, highlight any shots or snippets you definitely want included and supply all branding materials in advance, with a copy of the brand guidelines. Kershaw requests clients to preferably supply logo images in RGB format for video and not CMYK (which is used for print).
He adds: “If you are including still images, supply these as high-resolution JPEGs. Check the image size before sending, as an image needs to be close to 1MB to sub in with a high-definition video. A tiny 44kb image ripped off Google won’t suffice.”
Many production companies happily provide two rounds of video edits on the first draft, but try to get everyone’s feedback before requesting changes. You will want to avoid exceeding this or you could be charged extra.
Ultimately, a good production company will be able to help you avoid many of the common traps and make sure they have everything they need to produce the video on brief. But communicating well and following these tips will save both you and the production company time and (possibly) money, too.
Extra tips: Stuart Kershaw’s best practice for the day of the shoot
Take time: Try to arrive early, but anticipate running over time. Planning a contingency list and allowing for a time buffer is helpful, especially if you encounter technical difficulties.
Don’t dazzle the camera: Make sure the outfit worn by whoever is in front of the camera is appropriate. Don’t wear patterns that will interfere with the visuals, such as stripes or metallic/shiny items. Plain, neutral colours are best. Ask the camera crew to check you’ll look OK on camera (they have done plenty of interviews and many will advise you to straighten a tie or tuck in a stray label or collar).
Give clear answers: One technique for editing an interview is to cut out the person asking the questions. This means your answers need to be in full (avoid answering, “yes that is correct”). A crude way to do this is to repeat the question as part of your answer, but try to be more natural if possible.
Sound check: Make sure you say more than “testing” or “hello, is this OK?” to help the sound team get it right. A couple of sentences are best, so talk through your journey or something similar, it will also help you to relax into the interview process.
Keep still: Try not to fidget while you are on camera. It can be tricky for the camera crew to film you properly if you are always moving (and that includes looking around, as well as moving in your seat). Sit or stand straight and keep a good posture – it will help you to sound and look sharper. If you want to be seen as an authority on a subject, doing this will help you will come across as believable.
