How to Make a Corporate Video that Doesn't Suck

In the famous words of Douglas Adams, “don’t panic.” It can be an intimidating process if you are entering the world of corporate video production for the first time, or even the hundredth time. There can be a lot of production jargon, and talking design with a pretentious creative director type can be a little overwhelming.

Here are a couple of things you and your team should consider:

1. AUDIENCE. Who is your audience? Who are you making this video for? If you are creating an instructional or celebration video for your employees, the tone should be very different then a sales pitch or say, a PSA.

2. LANGUAGE. What language is your audience comfortable with? Is this the first time you are introducing your company or product to an audience? If it is, you’ll need to ensure that your video is clear and concise; your pitch should only last 15 seconds and then reiterate that information 2 or 3 times to keep it “sticky”. This is also a good time to think about whether you need a piece in both English and French.

3. CONTENT. How do you want to deliver your message? I believe real people and real stories are the most powerful way to deliver any message and showcase the proof of your success. This can be done through a series of interviews with key people within your business, structured around the information you want presented.

4. TALENT. Who do you want on-screen? Is your CEO an amazing public speaker? They could be a great person to deliver information to camera. Perhaps you have several people in your office who are very passionate about their job and your company. I recommend a relatively small crew, to ensure every employee or volunteer feels comfortable in the “hot seat” for on camera interviews. Or perhaps the people who benefit from your services are your best spokespeople? This can be extremely powerful for non-profits, but for businesses as well.

5. LENGTH. More and more we are seeing short format video. A 3-minute video is now considered an extremely long piece of content. YouTube stats now indicate that viewer interest drops off at the 1-minute mark. Viral videos are rarely longer than 1-minute. If you think you have 10+ minutes of content that you need to get across, consider breaking it up into 3-4 bite sized pieces of video, each one focused on a different topic/theme.

You will be amazed at how sitting down with your team and answering some of these questions will open up some great dialogue about the type of corporate video you want to produce.