This is the first part of a 3-part blog series focusing on producing dynamite video footage for your website while getting the most bang for your buck.

The tips I provide below are based on a conventional corporate-video formula intended to yield about 5 minutes of final, edited video footage. They are just guidelines and as such, you can tweak them to fit your situation.

Pre-Production

Secure 5 Interviewees
3 happy customers and 2 expert employees. Getting customers is often challenging because people are busy, but testimonial footage from raving fans is gold. Choose people that are outgoing and vivacious.

Secure 1 Location for a Morning, Afternoon or Evening
Of course, this will often be one’s place of business. Budget is burned moving between multiple locations, so schedule everyone to come to one place. It may be a scheduling challenge to get everyone there, but saves a lot of money. When you first meet with your video producer for the project, do so at this prospective location and ask him or her to scout it with you to see if it is indeed suitable for shooting.

Choose 3 Enduring Themes on which to Focus
For example: quality, honesty and customer-service. What you choose should flow from your business’s particular strengths and objectives. This will give your video shoot focus and the final video footage clarity.

List Talking Points for Each Interviewee
These talking points should synthesize the 3 enduring themes with the unique stories and perspectives each interviewee has to offer. Discuss these with your interviewees when they arrive for the shoot. The point is not to put words in their mouths, but to keep the shoot focused so you get the footage you need quickly.

Make a Shot List
On shooting day, when you are not shooting interviews, you will be shooting B-roll, i.e. the visual footage to be inserted on top of the interview sound bites in the final edited piece. First list as many shots as you can that match what you expect interviewees to talk about. Then make a wish list of other shots that might be archived for future video projects.

Part 2 of this series focuses on what to do on shooting day. Until then, start dreaming about what YOUR video would look like, who would be in it and what wonderful things they would say about your company.