As we all know, it is very important to apply video advertising in your marketing campaign. We believe that looking at what successful brands do is a good starting point to get inspired. In this article, we will explain the process of video advertising marketing.
Pre-production
As with any other video, the making of a marketing film also goes through pre-production. It will be necessary to focus on the type of video to be created and its message.
1. Define the purpose
Video advertising is part of a marketing campaign. Therefore it must have a specific goal. Since this tool will represent an important investment for your brand, it is necessary to understand from the beginning what you can do with video marketing and, above all, what you want users to do after seeing it. Here are some of the main purposes of video advertising:
- Push to purchase;
- Push to download something;
- Contact the company;
- Remember what the company does;
- Associate the company with positive feelings or emotions;
- Share the video with others.
Whatever the message of your video, you can decline it in In-stream video ads, In-page video ads, or In-text video ads.
2. Define the Target
In outlining the message of video marketing, it is essential, as we have seen, to focus on its purpose but also a specific target. This will help us choose the most suitable verbal and visual language for our target audience. The goal is to stay focused on the brand, the message, and the audience while finding an original idea.
3. Prepare the Script
Once the target audience has been defined, we can focus on the story of our commercial. The first step is to develop a script: a sketch that will then be transformed into a screenplay containing information on the shots, lines, and location.
It will be perfectly normal to write and rewrite the same idea several times in these early stages: the creative process is long and should not be forced. Remember that video marketing will be your brand’s image, so it must be done to enhance your brand to the fullest.
For this reason, most contemporary commercials try to capture the user’s attention in the first seconds with a hook. This can be a comic stunt, a moving image, or a detail to which it will be necessary to combine a story that appeals to the public by exploiting empathy. It is no coincidence that the best video advertising is those that make the most of the power of storytelling to push users to action.
4. Prepare the Storyboard
During the pre-production of video advertising, the right importance must also be given to the storyboard. The storyboard is a very useful tool both in the filming and editing phases as it provides visual indications on the shots and the sequence of the scenes.
The storyboard doesn’t need to represent every single shot that will have to be shot, but at the same time, it is good to prepare the material carefully so as not to waste time.
5. Choose the Crew
Before going to the set, you also have to decide who to bring with you. As we have already mentioned to you, for high-quality work, it is necessary to turn to professionals in the sector who can set up the set correctly and manage post-production in all its phases.
The crew for creating a video advertising is composed of professional figures, from the director to the photographer, the sound engineer and the lighting operator, up to the colorist and the editor.
6. Choose the Locations
Another crucial step before picking up the equipment is identifying the best location for filming. This depends greatly on the type of story we want to tell: an apartment or a street might be enough, but we might also need to shoot in the studio in front of the green screen if the video includes special effects in post-production.
Production
Once all the material has been prepared, shooting can begin. As we have already mentioned, the work on the set will not last long. For this reason, it is crucial to have everything you need (script, technical cast, storyboard) already available to work at best by optimizing the times.
It is essential to be very precise at this stage, shooting in the way that was decided in pre-production, perhaps with a couple of more takes to be sure.
1. Preparation of the Set
It doesn’t matter what kind of video advertising you want to shoot: setting up the set is very important to create the right scenography, whether it is a realistic scene or a medieval setting.
2. Film Cameras
You may hear from many people that today you can do everything with a high-end smartphone. This is not entirely wrong, but it is also not suitable for the simple fact that video advertising is a professional product and must be made with equipment of a certain type. At the same time, shooting a video with professional cameras relying on an amateur team is entirely not recommended.
3. Lights
Whatever the set you are going to shoot, it will be necessary to light it in the right way to obtain quality footage. To do this, the lighting operator will have to arrange the lighting in 3 key points that involve using the main light, a rear light, and a fill light.
4. Sound
In video advertising, not only the image must be of quality, but also the sound. This is why the crew must be equipped with professional microphones capable of recording a clean sound live, without echoes or rustles. This will make it easier for you to mix the track with effects and music during the post-production of the video.
Post-production
Once the shooting is complete, it is possible to rework the shot to make the necessary improvements. This phase, called post-production, is important to give the video marketing the definitive aspect and see experts intervening on the editing, music, and color grading.
Remember that the first few seconds are essential to capture a viewer’s attention and the video does not necessarily need to exceed one minute. It is also good to remember the importance of choosing quality software.
There are a range of good programs with all the necessary functions. Openshot and Adobe Premiere Pro are great for professional editors. FlexClip and Canva are friendly for beginners.
1. Color Grading
Surely you know that in cinema and photography, each range of colors is associated with a particular emotion which, in turn, can be used to describe a particular situation. This trick is also essential during the post-production of video advertising since a certain color palette greatly affects the incisiveness of the final CTA and, therefore, the performance of the video itself.
2. Music
Music, in turn, mixed with live audio and sound effects, is very important in building the soul of your video. You can choose to make the music the protagonist or use a track in the background depending on the type of video. However, any choice must be well calibrated as it can overturn the efficiency of the video itself.
