It’s no secret that video is an effective means of communicating. Just look at YouTube, Vimeo, and Facebook, and you’ll see just how far-reaching video content can be. The best part? Anyone with a camera or smartphone can learn to be a competent videographer.
So, it’s time to start your first project. But where do you begin? Generally speaking, we recommend starting with the end in mind. What do you want the final product to look like? Who should it attract? What message will it convey? When you know who will be watching your masterpiece, you can better come up with a plan of action.
With that being said, coming up with a vision can be more complex than it sounds. Luckily, CIESC Media Services is here to give you all the tips and tricks for creating an engaging video. We never start a video project without the following six things in mind:
1. Determine Your Audience and Focus
Knowing your target audience is the most important aspect of a successful video. Define who will be consuming the content and identify their concerns. The more focused you are on your audience (ex. family with children under five who live outside your district), the more effectively you can communicate with them. After all, one of the reasons that video works so well is because a target audience can more easily consume and connect with it.
2. What is the Central Theme?
Would you like one theme or message to be carried throughout the video? Maybe you’re building off of an organizational tagline? While picking a theme may seem odd, it’s actually a great way to connect a single video to an overall campaign, as well as highlight what you want your audience to think or care about. Themes are woven throughout a story and can be expressed through the characters, plot, or narration.
If you don’t need a theme to tell your story—that’s fine, too! Let’s move on to number 3.
3. What Topics Will be Covered?
This is what you’ve been waiting for. The meat and potatoes of your concept. Will you cover one topic in-depth or glaze over several points? Create a list of what needs to be in your video. Figure out exactly what you’d like to communicate. Perhaps you want to inform, or maybe you’re looking to attract new job applicants with a well-done video. Whatever the case for you, make sure these topics come through in the final product.
4. Who is the Talent?
Do you prefer voiceovers, interviews, or on-camera segments? Voiceover will need to be scripted and approved before being sent to the pros. Interviews can provide heartfelt, real-world insight that can feel a bit more natural than voiceover. However, you never know what will come out of someone’s mouth! Talking directly to the camera gives a face to the name of many CEOs and superintendents, but they need to feel comfortable in front of the lens.
5. Where Should You Film?
Location, location, location. Think of spaces that showcase and represent your message. Video is a visual medium, and you need to keep your audience engaged. Stay away from dark, noisy, and messy places. You don’t want your viewers to be distracted and miss your message completely!
6. What’s Your Timeline?
Is your video due tomorrow? If so, you need to pare down the content and your expectations. High-quality video production takes time for planning, scripting, rewrites, approval, filming, and editing. If you’re worried about deadlines, you may want to find a reputable video production company. As a general guideline, at CIESC we typically need 2-3 weeks after all filming is done to deliver a final edit.
BUILD A STRONG FOUNDATION WITH CIESC
It’s never been easier to use video to your advantage. Although it’s easy to get out your smartphone camera, creating quality can be a bit more challenging. We encourage you to consider our six things before starting any kind of video project. The end result will thank you! Download our comprehensive guide to give your video content a strong foundation.
