So you’ve decided to make a video, now what style should it be? The first consideration should be the purpose of your video and what your audience needs, is your video for training, promotion or brand building? Then where will it be watched? On your website, TV, or social platforms? In this blog we look into the best styles for your video campaign.
Educational/informative videos
We’re all curious and love to learn new things – and there’s no better way to do this than with a video. For example, you can learn a new recipe, a dance move of why the sea is blue. Below is a great example from our Skylark Originals series about how our digital addiction is destroying the planet.
Commercial videos
Commercial videos, often known as ‘adverts’ are a way of promoting a product or service on digital or TV. To persuade your audience to buy, you’ll need to get them engaged with a compelling storyline. Then make it memorable with a clear call to action, a great example would be the TV ad below that we created for vegan charity, Viva!
Documentary-style
Documentary style videos are slightly different to the other types of videos above; they are usually longer and focus on a topic in depth. This can range from nature to education and are usually viewed on by an audience that is sitting back, ready to be entertained. They are shown on TV, YouTube, Netflix and other social platforms. This type of video is my personal favorite as you can learn about a single topic in-depth. They can be used to educate, inform, and enlighten the viewer and are based on real-life issues. A documentary is unscripted as the sole purpose is to observe and report on real world events.
Our example below is about how I-Phyc is using algae to clean wastewater.
Entertainment videos
Best for a social campaign, entertainment videos are fun and engaging, something you can watch again and again that is not trying to sell anything. They are best for YouTube channels, Instagram stories, and travel videos. There doesn’t always need to be a purpose for an entertainment video sometimes if it is visually appealing enough and fun to watch that would be enough.
360-Degree Video Style
Sometimes your style can be driven by a new piece of kit. We came up with this fully immersive concept for UWE Bristol using an Insta 360 camera on an extendable pole. It sits within the stitch line which then becomes invisible in post-production. The result is a fully immersive film that mimics a FPV drone – flying around from location to location or locking into subjects for detail.
This format is a good choice for brands looking to put an interactive spin on their content and works best when there is an immersive scene that includes multiple points of interest from a single person’s point of view.
Animation
If you’ve got an abstract topic, or one that is difficult to film, then animation is the way to go. It allows you to combine bespoke pictures and words in a charming and engaging way.
In this example our animation allowed us to play out a charming bedtime story scenario and bring to life a potential dystopian future. Something that would have been impossible with stock or filming.
Filming on location
This video style allows you to show off your facilities or your team to the world. This can really show your audience what you’re all about, and they are more likely to buy from people they trust.
The example below was made for a trade show, so that potential partners could appreciate the investment in equipment and the craftsmanship of the team.
So, which one would work best?
It really depends on what message you are trying to get across to your target audience. Hopefully, this blog has helped you decide which would be best for your marketing campaign.
Get in touch with us if you would like to discuss your video requirements.
Becky Lomas