3 post-WFH video storytelling mistakes

Videographers are eager to get back in the field to shoot higher quality brand stories after months of being relegated to Zoom and other WFH constraints.

But that doesn’t mean you should just hit the streets with camera in hand. In fact, that could be your first mistake. Here are some others to keep in mind before rushing in, er, out:

 Mistake No. 1: Shooting from the hip. Run-and-gun may work for cinema verité and documentaries, but most corporate video requires more planning.

“Creativity without structure is just chaos,” video producer Drew Keller shares in a recent Ragan webinar. “Thanks to cognitive bias, stories feel better than randomness—even when randomness may be the truth.”

Mistake No. 2: Not starting at the end. “You need more than a neat story and an iPhone,” says Keller. “Start with your end goal. Know what you want to achieve before you shoot. There’s just too much competition for a probable viral video to wing it.”

 For example, is your goal to:

• Grow your social presence?
• Drive traffic to your site?
• Generate revenue with content?
• Boost brand awareness?

“Those goals determine what type of video you’re shooting,” he adds.

Mistake No. 3: Failure to budget. “Be sure to invest in your plan, regardless of the direction you choose,” says Keller.

“Plan to spend three times your production budget on paid ads, influencers, video SEO and press outreach for a truly viral campaign,” he offers as an example.

That also goes for editing software.

“Each platform has benefits, liabilities, fans and haters,” says Keller. They’re not inexpensive, so he advised asking yourself these questions before purchasing:

• Does your organization have a preferred application?
• Does your organization support only one type of operating system?
• How much time do you have to learn an application?
• How new is your computer?
• How powerful is your computer?
• Again, how much time do you have to learn an application?

He concludes with these recommendations, but cautions that it depends on your  specific needs:

Brian Pittman  is the Dean of Ragan Training and a Ragan Communications event producer.

Get more storytelling strategies on July 29 at Ragan’s Employee Communications & Culture Virtual Conference.