5 Important Elements of a Successful​ Video

There are dozens of elements that make up an effective video campaign, but here are 5 really important ones...

1. Good Organisation and a Clear Brief

A coherent creative brief needs to be in place before any shooting takes place. This will ensure there is a clear purpose for the video, as it’s important to know in advance what you want the video to achieve, who your target audience is and what content you want to feature in the video. Perhaps you want to show the quality of your handmade products or your great customer service, increase traffic to your website or attract new social media fans? Are you using the video to train or induct staff, promote a product or simply give an overview of your business? It’s also a good idea to talk to your video production company at this initial planning stage about the platforms you’d like the video to appear on - will your video be shown at trade shows in busy halls (in which case you might want on-screen titles instead of a voiceover), or will it be shown on an in-house plasma screen, shared on social media or embedded on a branded USB stick? All these platforms will dictate the style of video you’ll need.
The planning stage will also dictate what type of kit is used on the shoot and how many crew members are needed. Will the video include animated elements and will these be integrated into the live action elements, using blue screen techniques? Good organisation will make for a smoother production process and will save time and money in the long run.
Other pre-production tasks will typically involve choosing locations, performing health and safety checks (prior to flying drones, for instance), writing the script or storyboard and planning the shot construction.
Good organisation will also help prepare for remote locations, challenging outdoor shooting conditions and aerial shoots - especially in Scotland (unless we're lucky enough to have a summer like 2018 every year!)

This animated medical video took careful planning as the live action shots of the actor had to be integrated with animated body parts.

We decided at the planning stage that this outdoor product video required a combination of aerial cameras and action cams.

2. Original, Creative Content

Gone are the days of boring corporate videos. Cinematic techniques, good lighting, clever editing and a great imagination are what’s needed for a really polished, original production. There’s a vast amount of media content out there, so your video needs to stand out.  
The footage also has to be of professional quality to really make an impact, so although you may have a brand new iPhone you’d love to shoot you new company video on, the quality might reflect on your business, so it’s always best to use a professional video production company if you want professional results.
Be original, avoid using stock footage unless absoutely necessary and dont be afraid to use the latest technology and techniques - for example, if you have a great new location perhaps an aerial flyover would make a fantastic opening for your video! Glass Bullet Media uses sliders, steadicams, drones, actions cams, fancy lenses, motion graphics and original ideas to make each production unique! For example, we used a combination of drones, steadicams and action cams to show all aspects of the green-keeping machines when making a series of videos for a groundcare manufacturer.

3. Great Audio Quality and Professional Music

Viewers will be put off by audio that is unclear, distant, tinny or bad quality, so it’s important to use the right mics for the situation. Glass Bullet Media has a large colllection of boom mics, reporter mics, radio mics, fluffies, boom poles and rifle mics, depending on the shooting style and situation. For example, the mic we’ll use a for an interview will be different from the mics we’ll use to record a concert. Your video producer will know the difference between a condenser mic and a dynamic mic, and knowing this will make a huge difference to the quality of your sound.
You’ll also need to choose the right voice for your video (whether a presenter or voiceover artist, commercial style or factual documentary style). Male or female vocals will also have a different impact on the video’s tone and style. Accents and delivery will all make a difference to how your product or business is perceived, so you’ll want to get those elements right by taking the advice of your video production company. There’s no point in having a professionally produced video if the rock music you’ve chosen is totally innapropriate, or you use a strong regional accent for a product intended for an international market.
You also need to make sure all music licenses are cleared as the video could be taken down by You Tube for example if you haven't paid a license to use it. We clear all music licenses for our clients.
You also need to know when NOT to use sound - for example, if you’re producing a tradeshow video or a web advert targeted at mobile phone users, you may need a version with on-screen text and no sound so that viewers can watch it silently on their phones or at a busy trade stand.

Glass Bullet Media use special techniques to capture audio during a stage show, like this one we filmed for a dance performance.

We use professional mics to record crystal clear sound on our interviews, like this one for The Fife Group.

4. Integrated Branding and Motion Graphics

A local company making handmade furniture will have a different vibe to a multinational tech company and the video needs to reflect that through the style of music, the voiceover, the graphics and the overall feel of the production. Each company will also have a clear brand with their own logo, fonts, tagline and a palette of unique company colours.
Glass Bullet Media are experienced in working with the marketing departments of large organisations and the public sector, where its important to tie in the company branding across all their visual communications. We are very careful to make sure the video perfectly matches the style of any existing printed materials, to help maintain an integrated brand experience. Animated logos, annotated text, the voiceover and the style of music can all be tailored to suit the brand image and ‘feel’ of the organisation.

Our client’s logo and corporate colours were integrated into the animated chapters for this health and safety video for Kettle Produce.

We designed the look of this NHS video to match the corporate style of their printed exercise guides, maintaining a coherent marketing style.