Some of the best-looking videos I've made are the ones I'm least proud of. The quality is there, but I don't feel proud of the story, and I feel like we could have done better. Usually it's because I didn't ask the right question in the kickoff meeting, or I didn't push back when the client wanted to add more to the video on top of the core message. The question is: what do you want people to feel when they finish watching? How should they walk away feeling?
Sometimes they can't answer, or they say many things. "We want them to know about the company, our history, that we're a leader, that we grew."
So I usually say, okay, that's a goal for the video. But what do people need to feel when they watch it? What do they need to walk away with? Not information, not numbers, but feel something.
When I don't push back on that, I'm doing a disservice to the client and to myself. I'll deliver a video that checks all the boxes, and they'll be happy with it at the beginning. But it won't be as effective as it could be.
Because the story carries the video. Story beats numbers and messaging. The story is the message.
P.S. This is Bilbo. Nothing to do with the post, but he's so cute, isn't he?
David Balista is the video director and co-founder of Puggers Video Production, a Vancouver video production company that makes films for foundations, health care organizations and associations, each one built around one real story.
See the work: puggersvideoproduction.com/work
First posted on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/davidbalista
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