Strategy, Script,
Shot List

Phase Two of a Video Production with Aidan Hennebry

 Here are the questions and processes we’re going to use to guide us through this stage:

1. Strategy & Direction

  • What is the original problem our company is facing that led us to making a video?

  • What sort of feeling do we want our viewers to have after finishing the video?

  • What sort of tone should our video have? Upbeat? Serious? Slow? Catchy? Quick? Heartfelt?

  • If we could distill what we want our audience to remember after watching our video into one concise sentence, what would it be?

  • Within the scope of this project, what do we do better than the competition? And/or how do we do things differently?

  • What do we hope this video will do for us in the end (outside of money)?

2. Script

  • What adjectives or words do we want associated with our brand?

  • What phrases—distinct from those of our competitors—most align with our company?

  • What logical train of thought can we work through in the process of a video?

    • For example:

      • What common issue(s) do our customers experience?

      • How do we approach that issue in a way that makes our customers’ lives easier / better / more profitable?

      • How can our customers achieve success with the use of our products?

      • What do we do differently or better our clients cannot achieve elsewhere?

  • Have we successfully avoided clichés and overtly sales-focused language?

  • When read aloud, does our script conform to the length of final video we hope to have?

  • When read aloud, does our script flow like it might in a natural conversation?

  • Have we created a script that aligns with our goals for the project?

  • Have we created a script with the same tone as we intended to write?

  • With what we believe to be a nearly finished script in hand, have all of the decision makers approved what we’ve developed?

3. Shot List

  • Based on our approved script, what visuals are immediately coming to mind?

  • If our script represents abstract ideas, what are metaphors we could use to illustrate the thesis of our script?

  • Based on the resources currently available to us, how could we begin to pull this together?

  • Of all of our proposed shots, what are the most important to convey?

  • Are the logistical challenges surrounding certain shots easy to overcome? Is there a simpler alternative?

  • Have we prioritized must-have shots over supplemental shots should we run into time constraints on the day of production?