The Do’s of Producing a Corporate Video

Over the past 10 years, video technology, equipment and personnel have improved dramatically and most business people are struggling to keep up. Video is undisputed as the most effective way to communicate other than face to face. In fact, video is sometimes better than face to face because you can completely control and standardize your message. But what stumps many corporate executives is how to create a video message they like, whether the production is done by an in-house department or outsourced to a production company.

In seven years of corporate video production we’ve learned quite a few lessons, some unexpected and some predictable. In the hopes of saving some companies, and even some competitors, from having to overcome these pitfalls, we have complied a list of Do’s and Don’ts in producing a corporate video. This post we will focus on the Do’s. Next post we will discuss the Dont’s.

DO’S

1. Identify the appropriate quality level ahead of time.
Does the importance of this particular project justify a Mercedes or a Ford Escort?

Very few buyers expect the same results from these two cars. Does the image
of your company and its product or image demand a certain quality for your
brochures, offices, etc.? Apply the same standards to your video. There are times when your company needs a video of the highest
quality and times when you may be able to cut a few corners. Be sure to define your expectations from the get go.

2. Focus on your primary audience
The decision maker who approves the budget for your video must have
a clear idea of the primary audience and the exact results they want to achieve. Only if this is communicated to the writer, producer,
videographer, and editor will they be able to help you realize your goal.

3. Let the professionals demonstrate their knowledge and creativity.
Try very hard not to slip over to “playing producer” by dictating camera shots
angles, and techniques to be used in the video. It is very important that you not
get into the details unless you have more experience producing videos than your
video team. If you keep your mind on the big picture, and if you’ve chosen
the right team, they’ll bring you a video that is even better than you envisioned.

4. Let the real people tell their own story
Whether its employees, managers, clients or suppliers, they will generally tell a
better story than you could write for them. In most cases, the people that work closest with your products or service will give your
company much more credibility than actors. The secret to getting
the most out of the folks “in the trenches” is to have a producer who is very experienced at interviewing people. They may be a little awkward and uncomfortable at first, but we have found that after 10 or 15 minutes with a good interviewer asking them questions about something they know a lot about, we are able to get excellent sound bites from almost anyone.

5. Shoot all new video.
Trying to incorporate someone else’s video or a random video shot with different cameras and lighting can make the final product look very rough.

6. Get at least two good takes of every interview
There are many times when the editor wants a choice of shots; the
person being interviewed sounds or looks just a little better in the second take or
when there may be a distraction (such as someone talking in the background,
phone ringing, or horn blowing on a car). Just five extra minutes to get that
second take can save hours in production.

X2 can help you realize your goals of creating a professional, affordable video that can help your messaging or sales process.