Every organisation has a unique story to tell. And every story starts with a great video production brief.
With video proving an increasingly popular and impactful medium via which to tell those stories, it would seem a no-brainer to start introducing video content to your channels in some capacity (if you haven’t already!)
The main stumbling block is that often you know your company’s story too well. If you’re living and breathing something every day it’s difficult to separate yourself, take a step back, and decipher exactly what your customers or other stakeholders need to know to understand who you are, what you do and what you stand for.
That’s where being able to turn to an outside expert in harnessing the power of video with the skills to tell a strong story and build relationships with viewers can prove invaluable.
Whether it’s a large agency campaign, corporate videos for staff training or short video snippets for social media or digital marketing, with the right brief an external video agency and production team can remove the hassle and complexities, and tell your organisation’s story in a way that will ensure the results you are seeking.
What exactly makes a good video production brief?
From the very earliest stages of your project, writing a video production brief that’s clearly defined will play a vital role in producing content that will bring your concept to life.
There are lots of considerations to be made here, so we’ve compiled a helpful list outlining all the things you may or may not have thought of, but that are all crucial to the success of your production.
Video Brief Objective
First, it’s important to consider your objective. What type of video do you need? Is it instructional or promotional? And what do you ultimately want the audience to do after they have watched your video?
Video Narrative style
Next, consider how you want to create the narrative. Keep your audience in mind here, and try to think about what style they are likely to respond most positively to.
For instance, is it going to be a live action piece or an animation? Will the story be told using audio from a scripted voiceover or recorded interview, running over live action footage? Will you include pieces to camera (otherwise known as talking heads)? Or would a music-driven montage with captions and titles be a better and more engaging approach for your demographic?
Then there’s the question of whether you will be writing the script and/or interview questions, or whether you need an experienced video production professional to help curate this content.
Consider whether you have these skills in house at a level that is going to ensure a polished and professional end result! If the answer is no, it’s probably best to leave it to your external video production partner.
Another consideration when deciding on the narrative style is duration. Are you looking for something short and snappy that can easily be watched from start to finish during your commute (or not, for those of us currently in lockdown!)
Or does it need to be something lengthier in order to tell the entire story and create a video that gives the viewer all the information they need?
At WeMOV, we are experts when it comes to creating engaging narratives. Watch our Corporate Communication showreel below that showcases a wide variety of video narratives and visual treatments.
Spokesperson or figurehead
Equally as important is consideration as to who should deliver the specific messages contained in the video on behalf of your business and to the target audience.
The big boss? A team member working on the front line? A well-known organisational ambassador? An academic expert?
If you’re going down the interview or piece to camera route, you might also want to think about whether you would like an experienced producer on-site to ask the questions, or whether a member of your organisation is equipped to take on this role.
Video Brief Example – Show us what you like … and what you don’t!
Visual references can be an incredibly helpful element of a video production brief. If you’ve seen something similar done effectively elsewhere, send it through.
Equally, if you’ve seen a poor quality attempt, let your producer know about that too. Sometimes it’s just as helpful to know what you don’t like!
Timeline, budget and deadline
It may sound obvious, but make sure to include any deadlines or milestones that need to be factored into the project. For instance, is there a product launch event during which you are planning to give the video it’s premier screening?
An indication of budget is also a useful piece of information to provide, so your production agency can work within any financial constraints.
Other considerations might include the number of hours or days you foresee needing for filming, the locations, and whether you require props or external talent (such as a professional voice over artist).
Answering the above questions will help guide the direction of the production and allow your crew to determine exactly what is needed, when and where. However, if you’re new to the world of video production, we totally appreciate some of these questions might be difficult to answer.
But don’t panic! Any good video production company will talk through your vision and offer guidance to help you fill in the blanks.
Your video production brief in the different phases of production
Having a solid brief is crucial for informing the preliminary phase of any video content creation – pre-production.
This encompasses everything needed to ensure a smooth shoot and edit, from project timelines, to shot lists, call sheets, scheduling, crewing, scriptwriting, talent sourcing, safety reports, style frames and storyboarding.
This is where your brief becomes an invaluable tool that will make sure all logistical considerations are made to ensure your concept can be brought to life on the screen.
Once this phase has been completed (with your input throughout, of course), it’s time to put the plan into action and shoot your perfect video!
Your brief will come in equally as handy during what we see as the most fun part of the process … the production phase! This is where your video production crew will be out on-site shooting all interviews, piece to cameras, voice-overs and other footage.
This is swiftly followed by a period of post-production, during which skilled editors and/or animators will add their special brand of magic that will ensure your video and its messages have maximum impact on the audience. And again, all roads lead back to your brief!
If video content is a communications tactic you think could add value to your business, let’s talk! Call WeMOV to discuss your requirements, and you can be sure of receiving the best advice around video production Melbourne has to offer. We’ll even send you one of our video brief templates as a starting point
And the best news is we practice what we preach! Check out this awesome video to find out a bit more about who we are, what we do, and how we can help, whatever your video project needs.
If you’re searching for video production Brisbane, Melbourne or Sydney, you’ve come to the right place.
