We’ve been doing videos at Absolute Agency for over 10 years now, and I can tell you that many of the clients who have come to us were so busy with their activities and responsibilities that they didn’t take the time to pause and go beyond the fact that they wanted (or their N+1 had ordered) a video. It’s important to take the time to ask yourself the fundamental questions before embarking on a video project.
Here are a few elements that will guide you and make you ask the right questions, in order to be able to provide a professional and ultra-clear briefing to the agency you will be working with:
What type of video do you want?
Corporate video, didactic/explanatory video, emotional/intimist video? Ambassador video? Documentary/reportage? Interview?
What is the objective of this video?
Do you want to convince? Raise awareness? Shock? Make people laugh? Engage? Sell? Reinvent ? Unite ?
What is your target audience?
Your end customers? Your partners? Investors? The media? Internal employees? Intermediaries? your network? your subsidiaries?
What style of video do you want?
In film/real footage mode? Pure motion design? A mix of both? Augmented reality? Virtual reality? 3D video? In video animation based on photos?
Do you have and/or are you constrained by a graphic charter for your group or company?
If so, don’t forget to communicate your graphic charter to the video agency you are going to work with from the outset, as it must take this into account from the start of the project.
Who will be in charge of the script for your video?
Is it you directly? Or do you give this responsibility to the agency? Or a mix of both? This is something that needs to be clarified at the start of the project so that it can evolve smoothly 🙂
What languages will be used for this video?
Only one language and if so, which one? How many language versions do you want? Do you want to use voice-overs on this video? Do you want to have subtitles?
What media/channels of communication will you use for this video?
Facebook, Linkedin, Insta, TikTok, website, youtube, TV screens, smartphones, projections…
This information is crucial so that the agency you are working with can anticipate and plan the specific formats for these different types of uses.
What file formats do you need?
.MOV ? .AVI ? .MP4 ? .GIF ? .gif? > Other? Be aware that some video renderings can take several hours, so it is important to be able to discuss your needs and expectations with the agency you have entrusted your project to, so that they can recommend the best formats.
How long do you want the video to be?
Obviously, the agency you are working with will tease you about this, so don’t worry about it. But it is always interesting to know your initial intention/estimate so that you can then challenge it if necessary.
Who are the decision-makers on your side of the mirror?
It is important for you, as well as the agency, to be clear about which team is going to make decisions and give feedback. Make sure that before you embark on this type of project, you clearly define who will be able to give their opinion, otherwise you risk ending up with all the collaborators behind your screen, who will all have millions of things to say, millions of opinions that are of no interest to you because they don’t even know the initial briefing, the strategy and scope of the video, etc.
At Absolute Agency, we have 10 years of experience in the video industry and we can help you turn your video into a real success.
