Employees expect to see video being used inside a company because of its frequency of use outside of the company. The commercials, movies and videos that most of us see use professional actors, crew, directors and producers. The challenge with creating compelling videos for internal communication purposes is the fact that you can’t use actors. Even in a large company, employees will know if the people that appear in the video are real employees or actors and this will determine if the video engages the employees to convey the intended message.
Because budget pressure is often a top concern, you also can’t use professional crew, directors or producers. Fortunately, videos that used to cost on average $1,000 a finished minute now can be done much more expensively without sacrificing significant quality.
While pocket-sized video cameras, inexpensive editing programs and web-based display avenues make it easier to film and share videos, there is one key to a successful production that is true of an internally produced video or a box office hit.
The key is quality writing. Quality writing allows the employees to be engaging by appearing natural and engaged in the video’s message. There are several keys to quality video writing.
One key is writing a script in a conversational tone. Conversational means a voice that is a voice with which your audience will relate. If the audience is a group of doctors, medical jargon would be acceptable. If the audience is a group of patients, words that explain the medical jargon in plain language would be the better choice. The idea of conversational tone in script writing should not be mistaken for profane or street language. That type of writing is always unacceptable in corporate videos and will distract from the message.
Another key to quality writing is preparation. Preparation is what makes it look natural, but it likely isn’t what you expect. Preparation doesn’t mean providing the employees with the script days in advance so they can practice. In fact, that will have the opposite effect. They are more likely to appear cold and staged.
If they practice the night before it makes their segment longer. If they practice an answer, then the next day their minds play tricks on them. They will start to give the answer, and when it doesn’t match the script exactly, they struggle. They don’t think what they said so far is good enough, so they think they need to keep talking to provide what is needed.
The key is to interview them a few days in advance of filming or script writing to understand the tone of their voice. During a 5-10 minute phone interview, you can ask the questions that cover the same topic that will be addressed in the video. By doing that, you can understand what words and phrases they would naturally use to respond to those questions and incorporate those into the script. By using those pieces of their voice, the script is less of an interview but more of a prompting session that comes across as natural and enthusiastic because it is familiar. In addition, you can script questions and phrases that will naturally invoke answers they previously provided in the pre-interview.
Part of a good pre-interview is asking the right questions. The right questions should include the words that you want them to say in their answers. We learned to speak by mimicking those around us. We continue to do that as adults. If an interview says to an employee, “It really sounds like you are proud of where you work,” the employe will likely respond with a sentence that includes, “I am proud.”
Like a good design benefits from properly used white space, a good script benefits from a break in dialogue. It is important to include pauses to allow the speaker or narrator to breath. This creates contrast in the script, which retains the viewer’s interest and helps create dramatic moments. These moments can also be enhanced by a quality soundtrack, which could include natural sound or music. Building those into the script will make the filming and editing of the video much easier and more successful at delivering the message in the intended manner.
Another essential part of creating a quality script is considering the visuals that will be shown while the employee or narrator is speaking. Script writing software such as Final Draft or Celtx (my preference because it is free) allow you to format the script into two columns. This allows you to write the dialogue in one column and describe the visuals and sound in the opposite column. It is important to understand what will be shown while the employee or narrator is speaking. The words should match, describe or explain what the viewer is seeing.
It is important to remember that video done well can be a powerful storytelling medium. As a story, it is important for the video to have a beginning and an end. Sometimes, it is important to think of the end first. Is the end going to be an employee comment, a narrator reading a final message or a call to action for viewers? Based on that answer, it may be easier to work backwards from the story’s end. Otherwise, you may find yourself several minutes into the script and still far from the conclusion. By working backwards from the end, you can be sure to include the key points that will ensure the viewer arrives at the end with the right amount of information to receive the message and act accordingly.
Short, easy to say dialogue is the secret of successful videos
The key to a successful video is remembering what it isn’t as much as what it is, explained Ed Hunter, a former TV producer and current PR professional.
“The video should evoke emotion, not provide every last detail about the product, project or program,” Hunter said. “A video isn’t a replacement for an entire campaign. It should be part of an overall campaign.”
“Because I came up through broadcasting, I learned to write short,” Hunter said. “This rule holds true for corporate and other videos. I will write something for a client now, and they will ask for more. I always try to keep clients from putting everything in the video.”
One of the biggest mistakes Hunter sees with script writing is unintended alliteration.
“There are some words that just don’t read well,” he said. “And it isn’t always the big or complicated words that can trip up people.”
It is important, Hunter said, to read the words out loud if you are writing for video. A practice that sometimes has made others in the office question his sanity but essential to success.
“If you didn’t read it out loud, you would have never figured it out and realized that it didn’t work,” he said.
Ed Hunter, creative director for Toledo-based FLS Marketing, worked in television news production for eight years before transitioning to public relations in 1988 where he has used his video skills for advertising, communications and marketing productions for small businesses and Fortune 100 companies.
Tips to creating quality scripts for internally produced videos
- Spend time and budget developing a consistent intro and ending for your videos, including graphics and music. These can make a significant impact and can be reused for a series of videos.
- Some words just don’t sound natural when spoken. When writing for video, it is best to read it out loud as you write it.
- Keep it short. The script for each video should be less than two minutes. According to research conducted by http://www.tubemogul.com, most videos steadily lose viewers once "play" is clicked, with an average 10.39% of viewers clicking away after ten seconds and 53.56% leaving after one minute.
- Use the words in your questions that you want the employee to use in his or her answers.
Resources:
http://celtx.com/ - Free script-writing software
http://www.vericorder.com/ - Tools for mobile audio and video capture
http://vimeo.com - Hosting and educational site for online video
http://www.dvinfo.net/ - Professional filmmakers site, including script writing
http://www.multimediashooter.com - Techniques for using multimedia in storytelling
http://www.ragan.com - Tips for using video in internal communications
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