So, You Want to Shoot a Brand Video: Tips to Make it What You Want with Ale Vidal

"What Exactly is a Brand Video and Why do I Need One?"

We, as humans, love stories. When you are captivated by a great story, everything else seems to slow down; you are fully present to the moment – listening. A brand video is one of the most captivating ways to communicate and intimately connect with your audience – giving them a glimpse into what their experience with you will feel like. It allows you to fully express the essence of your brand within minutes, conveying meaningful and highly sensory information that sometimes can’t be expressed through a single image or sentence. Brand videos have the potential to show the full emotion of your brand, rather than a moment in time. It creates context around your work and everything that is a part of making that come together. I can’t think of a more powerful way for someone to fully understand and truly experience your vision than a story in motion.

"What do I Need to Know Before Approaching a Videographer?"

First, you have to ask yourself: Do I truly understand who I am? What my brand is about? You don’t have to know how to tell your own story, you just have to know it. Then, you must be able to articulate what you are trying to say with this video and what your ultimate goal is in creating it. In other words, what is it specifically about video that images and words cannot capture for what you would like to communicate? Is there something intangible about your work that you’d like to express? Is there something unique about your process that video will be able to capture? Because when you can define that – you will have clarity on why video is the necessary medium and this will allow your videographer to know what needs to happen in order to create that message. Many of my clients want to capture the emotion of their client’s experience that is often very hard to convey through words and images alone. By knowing this, then I can ask very intentional questions about their process to put myself in their client’s shoes and then create a story based on that. My goal is to capture and more importantly, bring to life, their unique experience in a way that people will immediately connect and understand in those short couple of minutes.

"What Does a Videographer Need From Me to do Their Best Work?"

Your videographer needs complete clarity about your brand and your hopes for this video. You should both walk away after a very in-depth phone call, feeling excited that you both understand your vision and purpose for this video. Your videographer is going to be the eyes for your brand and the one expressing it in video form. You should truly trust the person you choose. I always send a storyboard to my clients with visuals that will strongly resemble the mood and ambience of our filming. We won’t be replicating each visual, shot by shot, but the storyboard will absolutely paint a picture of what their final piece will look like. For me, it is only a success when my client has responded with a strong and exciting “YES” to the mood board or something along the lines of “you get me” “this is so me/my brand.” Our conversations should always feel that way, with complete trust and an excitement of what’s to come. My clients feel heard. Knowing that we are on the same page, we can then move forward with logistics (stylists, models, vendors, venues, etc.).

"Do You Have Any Tips to Make Sure the Shoot Goes Smoothly?"

Review each other’s work and have a full understanding of each other’s approach. Get to know each other. Clarity in the beginning is an absolute must. Make sure you know who is managing the entire team (such as stylists, make up artists, models, etc.) that is bringing this vision to life so that everyone is on the same page. And always, always have a storyboard.

"How do I Make the Most out of the Video Content?"

To me, a brand video is a journey in evolving and creating the type of content you aspire to create. It is not only a glimpse into what your brand stands for now, but also what you want it to stand for years from now. So that means you should use this as an opportunity to start talking about your story and brand message with your audience as you are exploring it with your videographer. Bring your audience along for the ride. Don’t wait for the video to be complete, start sharing what you are learning about your brand and reminding your audience of what makes you unique. Share previews of your storyboard on Instagram through a post or on stories to build anticipation. Before the day of filming, make sure everyone is on the same page regarding sharing content and behind the scenes visuals (Do you want vendors to share content? Who needs to be credited and how?). Excitement can cause chaos and create tension if people aren’t on the same page. A lot of this comes down to clear communication about hopes and expectations. Finally, here’s a little cheat sheet of some questions and ideas to guide you on making the most of your content:

Remember, your videographer is your partner in this project. Never be afraid to ask them for guidance on what looks best for video, and if you’ve prepped the best that you can – trust them and enjoy the process!

Want to connect with Ale or see more of her work? Visit her website ale-vidal.com!