The right video format

Help is on the way

We are often asked: could you do a video for us and what’s it going to cost? The short answer is: yes of course! But to calculate the cost we first need to know a few things. Because no two videos are the same. In fact, there are hundreds of types of videos you could make. From a simple slideshow to a reporter video. Or an influencer-style clip. Or what about adding motion graphics, you could really go wild. But how do you determine the type of video that’s right for you? Let us help you with that!

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Time

All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us. (Gandalf, LOTR)

Time and budget are intertwined. Does your budget allow for shooting different scenes, at different locations? Things like this can take up a lot of time. Clearly, a slideshow video is the far easier option: you probably have all text and images already. That will certainly reduce production time! But will it capture your audience? Powerful storytelling can do that, but can take quite a bit of writing, driving up time needed even further. Also, you have to factor in the timeframe in which you need the video. The old adage: time is money… Which brings us to the next part.

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Money

It's all about bucks, kid. The rest is conversation. (Gordon Gekko, Wall Street)

The larger the crew, the bigger the budget needed. Filming on a specific location could be another important factor. Sometimes one camera is not enough, stretching the budget even further. Want those fancy animated graphs or a thumping background music track? The possibilities are as endless as your budget allows. So there is your real starting point: how much am I willing to spend?

It needn’t be a Hollywood production to make an effective video. There is one concession that you should never make, however. What brings us to our third and final part.

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Quality

If people are given quality stuff to watch, they'll watch it. (David Warner)

It is the single most important factor: quality. You might think of expensive camera’s, famous presenters, or expensive locations. But now, with more content than ever competing for eyeballs, what gets and keeps attention is much less straightforward. The most popular content today often breaks all the conventional rules. Creating quality video isn’t about the hardware you have, it’s about how well you use it to tell a story. You can tell great stories with a small camera in the palm of your hand. The real quality lies in the understanding how to balance budget, time restrictions and  choosing the right format for the job.

So when considering making a video, bear the triangle time-budget-quality in mind to decide.

Marcus Alkemade
marcus@parcourslearning.com