Good Video Should Solve Something

“We need a video.”

It’s often where a project begins. But before deciding what that video should look like, how long it should be, or even what needs to be filmed, there’s a more important question to answer:

What does the video need to accomplish?

Maybe customers don’t fully understand what you offer. Maybe you’re trying to build trust with an audience that doesn’t know your organization yet. Maybe you need to recruit the right employees, communicate the impact of a program, launch something new, raise awareness around an issue, or turn a complicated idea into something people can actually understand.

Those are all reasons to make video.

But they’re very different problems — and they shouldn’t automatically result in the same kind of content.

Start With the Goal, Not the Deliverable

It’s easy to begin a project with a format already in mind:

We need a two-minute video.

We want three testimonials.

We should make some social media reels.

Sometimes that’s exactly the right approach. But when we begin working with a client, we also want to understand why those deliverables are being created.

Who needs to see them? What does that audience already know? What don’t they know? What should they understand or feel differently after watching? And, ultimately, what would make the project successful?

Those conversations can completely change how we approach a production.

A client who wants “a testimonial video,” for example, may actually need to establish credibility around a particular service. That affects who we interview, the questions we ask, which parts of their story we emphasize, what supporting footage we capture, and how the final piece is structured.

The goal gives the creative decisions a reason.

One Problem Can Have More Than One Creative Solution

Once we understand what a client is trying to accomplish, we can think more strategically about what content will actually help.

Sometimes the answer is a polished brand film that brings the entire story together.

Sometimes it’s a series of shorter videos, each answering a question your audience regularly asks.

Maybe it’s a customer story that lets someone else explain your value instead of your organization explaining it about itself.

Or perhaps the smartest approach is capturing enough strategically planned material during one production to create a library of content that can serve several needs over time.

There isn't one formula that works for every organization.

That’s one reason we like being involved early in the process. We can think through the goal with our clients before the concept, production plan, and deliverables are locked in.

Production Decisions Should Support the Goal, Too

Strategy doesn’t stop once filming begins.

Who should be on camera? If the goal is building trust, hearing from a real customer or employee may be more powerful than hearing the same message from an executive.

Where should we film? A beautiful location isn't necessarily the right location. The environment should reinforce the story rather than distract from it.

Should the message be scripted? Some projects benefit from precise, carefully crafted language. Others become much stronger when we create the right interview environment and let someone speak naturally.

What should we capture beyond the interview? B-roll shouldn't simply make a video look good. Ideally, it gives the viewer information, context, emotion, or proof that supports what they're hearing.

Even decisions about pacing, music, framing, lighting, graphics, and editing should ultimately connect back to what the audience needs from the piece.

That’s the difference between making something visually polished and making something purposeful.

Think Beyond a Single Video

Defining the goal early can also reveal opportunities clients might otherwise miss.

If we're already bringing a crew, equipment, and people together for a production, what else could be useful to capture?

A primary video might also create opportunities for shorter social edits, individual interviews, recruitment content, vertical footage, an updated bank of B-roll, or material that can support future campaigns.

That doesn't mean creating more content simply for the sake of having more.

It means thinking ahead about where video could be useful and designing the production accordingly. Done well, one thoughtfully planned shoot can sometimes solve several communication needs without turning into several separate productions.

The Question We Keep Coming Back To

Video is easier than ever to create, and organizations are under constant pressure to produce more of it.

But “we need more content” isn't necessarily the same thing as “we need this content.”

Before thinking about cameras, locations, scripts, or deliverables, start with the problem:

What do we wish our audience understood, felt, or did differently?

Once we know that, we can work backward — shaping the story, creative approach, production, and final content around accomplishing it.

Because the goal isn't simply to make a video.

It's to make a video that does something.