What is your goal for creating and using video?

Some possible things to consider:

• Are you trying to generate new leads?

• Do you want to engage/re-engage your current audience?

• Are you trying to build brand awareness?

• Are you trying to educate your audience?

• Are you trying to build your email list?

• Do you want your website to better convert leads?

What would success look like?

Some possible things to consider:

• Having an idea of how your video would be successful will have a positive impact on how the video is produced.

How do you plan to use the video(s)?

Some possible things to consider:

• Are you going to use the video in paid advertising?

• Will the video be on your website?

• Do you plan on using the video on social media?

• What platforms are you considering?

Who is the audience you are trying to speak to?

Some possible things to consider:

• Age, location, gender, interests

What is your budget for the video(s)?

Some possible things to consider:

• This can be tricky if you haven’t created videos before, but it is very helpful for planning to have at least a rough idea, so that you have a baseline to work from.

• If you are planning on doing advertising, make sure you also have a separate budget for ad spend.

Where are you going to film?

Some possible things to consider:

• Are you able to film at your office and/or business location?

• Do you need lifestyle footage at a public or private location?

Depending on where you are filming and the size of the production (how many people are filming, size of the crew, etc) you may need to get a permit from the city you are filming in.

Do you want graphics, text or animations added into the video(s)?

Some possible things to consider:

• Depending on the kind of video you are creating, having text or animated graphics can be a great way to help the viewer better connect and understand the story and information that you are sharing.

• Thinking through what kinds of graphics you would like added to the video can help give a more accurate budget for your video(s).

Will you need hired talent (actors/actresses) in your video(s)?

Some possible things to consider:

• Some types of videos can benefit from using professional talent:  When showcasing a product in a lifestyle situation, having a spokesperson who is used to talking on camera, when you want to not have yourself or other employees be the focus of the video to name a few.

• If budget is a concern, you, your employees or even friends and family can be a part of the video.  Many of our clients do this and with a little coaching, most people do great.

How long do you want your video(s) to be?

Some possible things to consider:

• Video length can vary greatly depending on the type of video you are creating.  1-3 minutes is usually a good starting point.

• There can also be a lot of value from creating content videos that are long form as well.  Some brands and businesses do very well with creating 5, 10, 20 even 30 minute videos that share a compelling story, just make sure that you really think through and plan these out before creating videos that long.

When do you want the video(s) to go live? How long do you have to produce the video(s)?

Some possible things to consider:

• Depending on how many stakeholders are involved in the video(s), make sure that you give enough time to do the entire video production process.

Are there examples of videos that you aspire to create? If so, what is it about those videos that you like?

Some possible things to consider:

• Watching video content that other people are producing, even your direct competitors, can be a great way to help you plan your video.

• WARNING: If you find a Nike or other large brand’s video as your example, make sure that you understand that their video likely had a budget of $100,000 or more to achieve it.  That doesn’t mean there aren’t great ideas to pull from it but just be aware that certain things require large budgets.

Should you create one video or a series of videos?

Some possible things to consider:

• Sometimes creating multiple videos at the same time can be just as easy as creating one big video. We always try to help our clients think through how to make their budget as effective as possible, and that may mean creating a series of videos rather than one.

What kind of music do you want to use?

Some possible things to consider:

• Music can have a drastic impact on the feel and emotion of a video.  Think through what style and feel of music you want to best bring your video to life.

Who are the stakeholders involved with the video? Who needs to give their approval?

Some possible things to consider:

• The process of producing a video is far easier when all stakeholders are identified early and are on the same page from the beginning. There have been a few occasions where an unknown stakeholder asserts their opinions at the end of a project and it ends up making a mess of the video.

Extra Credit Questions

(For the over achievers who LOVE planning!)

Are there any emotions that you are trying to evoke?

How do you plan on telling the story?

Some possible things to consider:

• There are many different ways of telling a story through video.  Some of the most common are:

  • A visual narrative with music

  • Voiceover driven narrative

  • Talking head

  • Interview

  • A collective interview narrative (cutting together multiple interviews to tell one story)

  • Animated video

Will you need consent forms?

Some possible things to consider:

• If you are creating a video with anyone in it besides yourself, we recommend having a simple consent form saying that the person agrees to be in your video.  This will help save you from headaches later.

Will you use stock footage in your video(s)?

Some possible things to consider:

• Sometimes usings stock footage in a video can be helpful and even save money.  

• For example, if your video is telling a story and needs one shot of Iceland to get the point across, it is probably better (and far more affordable) to license a clip that is already filmed than to send a film crew to Iceland.

How long do you want the video(s) to last? What should the video(s)’ shelf life be?

Some possible things to consider:

• We obviously want your video(s) to be usable as long as possible, so make sure that you don’t put too many things in a video to date it.

• Make sure to balance video shelf life with staying relevant.  If you create a brand video and that is the only video you use for the next 10 years, you won’t really be getting the value out of the video that you could be.

Are there any people or organizations you want to partner with in the video(s)?

Some possible things to consider:

• One of the projects we did in the past partnered a musician, with a guitar company and a guitar amplifier company.  By all three collaborating, the videos brought value to all of them and it also allows for splitting the video production budget.

• If you do collaborate, just make sure you have communicated what the decision making process will look like so that it won’t become a headache in the end. 

Is video resolution important? Do you prefer 720/1080/4K/6K/8K?

Some possible things to consider:

• 4K video is currently the standard and what we tend to produce video at.  It can easily be downscaled to 1080 or 720 without losing quality.

• If your videos require higher resolution, that is definitely achievable but will end up increasing your budget.