Use our Video-Marketing Prep Checklist for stress-free production and brand brilliance!
Download the checklist below!
Our clients are highly successful entrepreneurs. They’ll tackle significant challenges that would make most people run in the other direction. Yet they cringe at the thought of having a video crew show up to record them in video.
Creating a company video doesn’t have to be intimidating or overwhelming.
We worked with Craig LaPierre, owner of Precision Die Cast, to rebrand PDC. When it came to the company video, we guided his team through the process, from concept, script, and shot list to prep, shoot, and final production.
Preparation is vital to producing a video with visual quality that achieves the objective from start to screen. [Watch the Precision Die Cast Company Video here.]
A company video on your website lets you greet visitors and invite them to get to know your brand anytime, day or night. A well-planned and produced video requires upfront planning. It’s worth the prep!
Preparing for your company’s video shoot
When the camera crew shows up, that’s not the time to take a look around your space.
As soon as you decide to create a company video, walk through your location with fresh eyes. (You will do this again with the video production manager before the shoot in the planning process.)
List everything you want to have cleaned, repaired, removed, or installed.
We use this checklist below to help our clients, and we’re sharing it with you!
Preparation Makes for an Outstanding Marketing Video
Company On-Site Video/Photo Shoot Preparation
1. Calendar: When does the video need to be completed? Work backward for production, plus revisions, and schedule a date for the shoot.
2. Identify the purpose of the video. Then answer these questions:
Who needs to be on the video to accomplish this? What tension do we want to create that will make our viewers interested? Start here. What is the primary message we need to communicate to accomplish this? Say that next. What do we need to say or show to build credibility? How are people feeling when they start to watch the video? How do we want them to feel after watching it? What action do we want them to take?
3. Review with video production manager:
- Storyboard with a shot list
- Script | Onscreen text
- Voiceover talent
- B roll shot list with your video team
- Shoot day schedule (including breaks and meals)
- Musical overly
4. Schedule a walk-through to confirm all shots
5. Prepare the location (see below).
Tips to present the best version of your brand in video!
Apparel:
If no suit is required, wear solid-colored shirts with a collar. If your company logo (w/collar) apparel is available, wear it! Avoid patterns, and especially logos of other companies or sports teams
Equipment:
- Walkthrough equipment areas to be recored
- Identify propriety content or customer information that should not be published
- Prepare a list of equipment, products, processes, and personnel you would like to have filmed or photographed
- Have any products ready and clean for product shots
- Clean glass doors, windows, and floors near areas to be filmed
Location shots:
- Move clutter from entries, offices, and hallways
- Do a walk-through with your video team for a fresh eye view
- Empty parking lots will keep your location shots from becoming quickly dated
- Flags and signage are in good condition
- Landscape is maintained, and planters have plants!
Preparation Tips for an Event Highlight Video
Special events give you the opportunity to let people see another side of your business. Find ways to maximize events and tell a more powerful story. It can motivate people to action and create a solid connection with your brand.
1. Make sure you have the feel & message the company wants to convey, for example, welcoming, casual, formal, educational, high-energy, relaxed, etc.
2. What is the purpose of your event and what do you want viewers of the video to do? Donate? Sign up? Will there be a call to action at the closing of the video?
3. Provide the video production manager with contact information from the event coordinator at the event location. (They will have questions about sound setup, lighting, early entry, etc.)
4. Will there be a projection screen that will need to be captured on the video?
If yes, have your presenters provide their slideshows to the video production manager. (it’s preferable to insert the slides into the video than to record a projection screen with a video camera).
5. Are there exhibits that will need to be recorded? When will they will be set up? How will these be included?
?6. Participant Interviews:
- Total number and list of people to be interviewed. Include names and titles
- Contact info for the person coordinating gathering these interviewees at the event
- When and where interviews will be recorded
- Will there be “Man on the street” interviews to capture attendees’ experience
- Interview questions to be asked (Craft questions to get the answers that you would like in the video)
7. B roll List:
- Shots to include to support the message
- Assign a coordinator who will be responsible for gathering/identifying these VIPs
- When and where they will be recorded
8. Talent release forms at check-in – Signed by interviewees
Participant notice: Notify participants that photos and video will be taken for future promotion.
9. List of items and event highlights to capture in the video.
10. List of items to avoid/not capture in the video
Take the Checklist with you!
Download it here.
