"If
you fail to PLAN, your plan to FAIL" - Sadly, this well-worn quotation has
become the epitaph for many a video project that fell pitifully short of the
expectations raised before work commenced.
The
absence of proper planning for a corporate video production is rather like
setting off on a 100 mile journey to an unknown destination, in a car with a
near-empty petrol tank, no Sat-Nav or road map, 2 bald tyres and no roadside
cover. You're literally ASKING to run into problems!
... Yes
I know you could call for help on your cell phone, but you get my point, right?
So,
let's consider the following preparation essentials:
OBJECTIVES::
Purpose and Message
The
first question should be "What exactly do we want this video to
achieve?" What is its purpose, what is the message we want to
communicate?...
and most
importantly... WHO is our target audience?
A
corporate video should be a powerful business tool that communicates clearly
with your target audience, raises brand awareness, or helps to increase sales
revenue.
You must
have a crystal clear objective. If not, then the impact of your video
production is likely to be blunted. So, "Maybe it's about time we had a
new video" is NOT an objective. Yes, that old video may well be dated or
even embarrassing, but simply replacing old for new is unlikely to dazzle your
customers or inspire your employees.
There
are many tales of woe about videos that have left the viewer wondering what
message is being conveyed, due to an ill-conceived and poorly structured
storyline.
Start by
making a list of the main points you want to get across. Then develop some
detail for each of the main points. Obtain some input from employees and
stakeholders. Your video producer should also be able to add valuable input, so
long as you choose a qualified professional.
YOUR
TARGET AUDIENCE:: Whom are you addressing?
Make
sure you consider all the cultures you will be addressing in your video. Is
your message aimed at a specific age group? Is your audience global, or local?
Will you need subtitles, or even different language versions? And most
importantly, what do you want your audience to get out of your video?
All of
the above considerations will help you to decide on the communication style of
your production, as well as the personalities who will appear in the video,
such as a presenter and other supporting cast.
Production
Style:: TV-commercial? News report? Documentary?
There
are many different ways to tell a story. And that's exactly what your video
production is - a story.
It
should be sufficiently well structured to take the viewer through a sequence of
information, in much the same way that a book is written, or a feature film is
produced. It should have a beginning or opening sequence that gets the viewer's
attention and leads them deeper into the story (middle), and an ending sequence
or conclusion. If your video calls for some kind of response from your
audience, as in a product promotion, then you should have a clear
'call-to-action' sequence at the end.
So,
structure is very important. But what about the actual style of your
production? Unless your video is simply the recording of an event such as a
conference, where the structure and style is often determined by the event
itself, you may want to consider the various options for presenting, or
packaging your message. What production style would best match your
organization, your product you're your target audience?
Consumer
audiences have become more sophisticated. People seldom respond to the kind of
blatant, in-your-face sales pitch seen in TV commercials of 15+ years ago,
however you dress it up.
Nowadays,
a more subtle approach is often called for. As previously mentioned, people now
want to be "edutained". They want to be informed and educated about
something, in an entertaining way.
Now I'm
not suggesting that we dig out the stripy blazers and straw boaters and do a
song & dance act, or use a fake opera singer to annoy people into comparing
various products. Although amazingly, some of these styles do actually get
results!
Creative
video producers today can offer many different and highly effective production
styles. So, whilst a typical 3 to 4 minute programme might be introduced by a
professional TV presenter and feature shots of your products, include staff
interviews and customer testimonials, the video could actually be produced in a
news-report or documentary style, which comes across as impartial, and not a
thinly disguised sales pitch. Ideal if you want to announce a brilliant new
product range, or highlight the benefits of your service, through the eyes of
your customers. Remember, people like to BUY. They seldom like to be SOLD to.
Your
Corporate Video Production Services
should
possess the necessary skills and knowledge to advise you about the style, flow
and pace of your production, as part of the planning, or
"pre-production" stage. However, you know your company, product and
customers better than anyone, and it's YOUR video, so you must have the final
say.
