These 5 creative approaches will help you decide what type of video fits your needs:
1. The Controlled Documentary
This typically features interviews with 1-3 individuals whose dialogue is edited into a story. Additional B-roll footage is shot to illustrate the topic visually and bring the story to life. We call this a Controlled Documentary approach as we always head into productions with a clear idea of what we want to achieve. We don’t just turn up, shooting everything in sight and figure it out in the edit room. While the end result always looks and sounds spontaneous, the method we use is actually very scripted and pre-planned. The ideal running time for this approach is 3 minutes.
2. The Narrated Documentary
Instead of using people “on-camera” we use an unidentified narrator to tell the story. This narration is tightly scripted and the footage, though “documentary” in nature, is carefully planned to fit the script. These videos can be up to 3 minutes in length or as short as one minute if the piece is used more as a promo.
(Steve directed this video while working at the agency Agenda.)
3. The Brand Video
Typically 1-2 minutes, these videos introduce a brand’s vision with inspirational imagery, music, graphics and narration. The footage can be documentary in nature using real people, products and locations or it can be more impressionistic where actors portray business people or consumers in a staged setting.
4. The Presentation Video
Commonly used for corporate communications or B2B presentations, these are talking head videos where company executives and experts talk about their products or services. They are illustrated with B-roll footage and animated graphics.
5. The Training video
Online education or training videos may or may not feature a host but they do feature well designed animated bullet points and graphics.
