Film Production - 7 Steps to a Great Company Video

Film and video are great online marketing tools.  Here's a quick how-to guide for creating a successful biz focused video.

1) Start with the end in mind.  What do you ultimately want to produce? Use laser focus to tell that story.  Too many businesses try to show everything in a brand film.  This result is a very long, watered down, generic film that nobody will watch.

2) What is your company's best asset?  Is it your product?  Years of experience?  A-List customer references?  You?  This will be the star of your film production efforts.

3) Check your indusry buzz words at the door.  Nothing kills an online video faster than jargon and marketing-speak.  Please don't leverage anything, synergize, or best-of-breed yourself into oblivion.  Speak from the heart using real world terms.  Above all else, be authentic.  Authenticity is the key of successful online video.

4) Look at a lot of online videos to get a good idea of what you want.  I'm not telling you to steal ideas, but it's good to at least have an idea of the type and style of video you want to produce.

4) Know your budget.  Video production can get pricey very fast.  Know what you're willing to spend going into the project.  All creative ideas need to be based on a realistic budget.  This helps define what is actually possible.  It also helps define whether or not you'll be hiring a production company, doing it yourself, or working with a few people to assist in the process along the way.

5) Keep it simple.

6) Remember, video is not supposed to replace you, your website, or your marketing materials.  It's no silver bullet.  Done well, however, video reinforces your most powerful messages, communicates your mission with emotion, and informs viewers of what you have to offer.  That's not so bad, right?

7) Here are a few examples (ranging from amateur to professional).

Simple Video Tour.  This simple, amateur video was produced in a day (for free) with a hand held camera and Final Cut Pro (you could easily use iMovie).  It's far from perfect, but gets the job done.  You can see the product, understand the offering, and see testimonials of past guests.

Testimonials.  Thanks to really horrible late night get-rich-quick TV spots, testimonials get a bad rap.  They can actually be quite effective.  Biznik produced a very effective testimonial/information driven video that's featured on their homepage.  Do your clients think you're great.  Get them to say so on tape.  Don't script anything out.  Just have them talk about why they like your stuff and have it edited together in a cohesive fashion.  Again, authenticity is paramount.

Product Video.  Show em' what you got!  This sample was developed as a research film to show shareholders what this type of skateboard could do.  Guess what, customers wanted to know, too.

Company Mission.  Sometimes, your mission is what really separates you from your competitors.  If that's the case, use video to highlight how you are unique.

Viral (Warning - Profanity). Ah, the viral video.  What is it about CEO's that make all of them want a viral video?   I'm not sure.  Hardly any every get produced, though.  They just don't have the guts to go for it.  With virals, you gotta go all in.  That said, the link above is to my absolute favorite viral spot from last year.  Here's the thing with viral spots.  They have to be very (and I do mean very) funny, weird, sexy, unique, gross, ect. to work. 

Commercials and Brand Films.  The cost of full blown commercials and brand films put them out of reach for most small businesses, so I don't want to put too much time into this category for this article.  However, if you think it's something to consider for your company, be  sure to talk to several vendors, see a  good portion of their work, and make sure their style fits with your personality and budget.

I hope this has been a helpful guide in thinking about how to incorporate film and video into your overall business strategy.