Video killed the radio star

While I will always believe in the power of great wordage (see what I did there), there is no ignoring the rise and rise of video as one of the most effective ways to reach your audience and tell a story.

The internet is awash with impressive video statistics. Did you know that social video generates 1,200 per cent more shares than text and images combined? (Brightcove, 2016). Or that by 2019 video will account for 80 per cent of global internet traffic? (Wipster). That’s mind-blowing, and should position video as an essential part of any effective communication strategy.  

But (there’s always a but), actually making a video can be a daunting prospect for many. How do you do it well and where do you even start? These are some of the common questions we often hear from people considering video production.

That’s one of the reasons we’re excited to share an office with Nimbus Media, a boutique video production agency we’ve worked with in the past (and love). We took the opportunity to pop out to lunch with executive producer David Woodcock, to get his take on some of the video-related questions we often hear from clients. Here’s what he had to say.

Why video?

Good video helps tell stories. People want to see, hear and feel something, and video can make them laugh and cry. There are so many layers of engagement and information – animation, voice over, text on screen, images, music. You can do it all at once and do it quickly, with the ability to tell a really long story in a short timeframe.

Video has the ability to bring people’s work and ideas to life, telling their story in an engaging way. It’s the antidote to death by PowerPoint. A great example is companies that have to prove engagement in health and safety.  Making induction videos that are real and relevant to people effectively shares that information in a way that gets a response.

Where do I start with the video production process?

Know who your audience is and what your message is. How do you want people to feel, and what do you want them to take away from your video?

Apart from that, you don’t have to have a fully formed idea. We most often create the story around what we discover. We listen, come up with ideas and suggestions and develop the story through an organic creative process, from concept through to finished product. We find what’s there.

What are your tips for really great video?

The best videos are short in duration with high production values, good copy, and a mixture of text on screen, motion graphics, animations, creative visuals and emotive music. And fun out-takes.

Pre-production and post-production are key (and as always if you pay peanuts, you get monkeys). Most of the work isn’t actually in the filming, it’s in the preparation and editing. Another major element is the quality of audio.  

There are also often ways to get more value out of your video – we might suggest making several smaller videos for use online or in social media, for example. 

I really don’t want to be on camera. How does that work?

Telling a story is very seldom about talking heads. There are lots of ways to tell a story that don’t involve putting people on camera. If you do need to be on screen, the key is to make it easy and fun.

Thanks David!

At Wordage, we often help clients determine their audience, messaging and objectives before they get started with video production, as well as providing great content to support video use. We know from experience that authentic, creative video storytelling used as part of the communications mix is worth every dollar. Get in touch if you’d like to talk it over.

Photo by Mark Hamilton photography.