Start with a Roadmap!

Nine times out of ten, new clients that come to us wanting a video or animation to help push a campaign for their brand or product do not have the information we need to respond properly or quote the work accurately. Folks are usually excited and want to jump into pricing to get the ball rolling. The problem is, every video project is different in scope depending on the category of video required. Every project is unique and requires a tailor-made approach— so before we power up a camera or keyframe a layer, the DropDrop team likes to start with a roadmap.

Some of our larger clients come to us prepared with a creative brief, but most do not. But that’s okay! Over time, we’ve developed a methodology that works well for acquiring the information we need if a brief isn’t available. We start by asking lots of the right kinds of questions. Will this video or series be part of a larger campaign? Will it improve your standing or presence in an emerging market? Will it provide insight into certain demographics or customer types? Questions like these will guide us to answers that give us context and a fuller, clearer understanding of your project from the get-go. A slick, stylish piece can be a great watch, but it’s ultimately a flop if it misses the marks.

If we don’t have a map when we hit the gas, it’s quite easy to get lost in the fog. So first, let’s list all the reasons your project is in the works, making sure to provide clear and well-defined objectives. It’s easy to hastily bash out classic buzzwords in this phase: “To increase awareness”, to “educate”, to “inform”, etc.

We need to shift our mindset here and really analyze the end result of this video. What do we want our viewers to do? What type of action do we want them to take based on this new information they just learned? All this verbal preparation has been shaped into something decent, but to become great it must be easily finessed into something that is both easy to comprehend and entertaining (or, at least, compelling) to watch. 

Who is this video really for? Who is the customer type? We want to attract the most valuable viewers. It’s easy to lose sight of this. If the audience is wide, it’s tough to pinpoint attributes, likes and dislikes, the potential attraction to the product or service, and the incentive for participating.

When you can really nail down the target audience, you’ll gain more traction and interaction with viewers. Couple that with a clever, poignant, and relative narrative that appeals to your audience uniquely, you’ll increase the investment viewers put into the video. That means stronger and more authentic engagement, and an inclination to follow through with the intended result— be it a call to action, raised awareness, increased brand loyalty, etc.

Confidently expressing who you are and what you do is a decent start, but it’s not enough to differentiate you from the rest. There needs to be a resonating emotion that more deeply connects your viewers to your organization. This may be linked to your long-term aim or mission statement. Some questions to ponder: why are you here for this audience? What problem do you exist to solve and why does it matter in the future? What makes your heartbeat and your soul breathe? These answers will give us a sense of what your brand has set out to accomplish.

This is your opportunity to share the truths you and your organization live and die by. A strong depiction of these values will propel your story into clarity, captivate attention, and prompt action. ‘Stick a flag in the sand’ and make your mark.

Each organization has (or, should have) its own unique voice. No two eyes or fingerprints are the same. What are some of the words you use when entering genuine conversation as it relates to your brand? The personality of the video can be strongly expressed in a unique way with the right tone. How can you infuse your product or company with a sense of character, style, and persona?

Film is a visual medium. More often than not, it’s not what you say, but how you say it. Showing takes precedence over telling. Are you friendly and civil, thoughtful and contemplative, or bold and cheeky? However, you describe yourself, make sure that these personality traits translate into the visual plane.

Who else is already out there? To make a meaningful splash, you must examine the gaps. These can be informed hunches, as easy as, “I like that, or “that kind of misses the mark”. How does your target audience perceive your competitors’ brand? Is there something they haven’t done, somewhere they haven’t gone, that perhaps you would thrive in exploring?

Don’t be afraid to think outside the box here. Having a sense of fearlessness and open-mindedness can pave the way to entirely fresh ideas. Scrap what’s inauthentic and clutch what is ‘real’. When it calls for it, maybe a more down and dirty tone, versus a highly polished one, can be celebrated.

A competition audit can pave the way to authenticity steering clear of advertising cliché.

A mood board can aid in the process of taking ideas, words, actions, emotional subtext, attitude, and all other forms of non-verbal communication and render them in visual expression. It’s a mixture of tones and palettes that can hint at prospective locations, wardrobe, styling, sets, and lighting that add layers of meaning and subtext to your video.

The key assignment is to craft the beginnings of a visual world for our characters or talent to inhabit. In documentary form, depending on the story, the setting and world often already exists and it’s our job to find it.

How and where will the video be distributed? Scripting several minor adaptations of the main video for each anticipated platform can be a very economical way to extend the life of your video’s campaign.

Will the main video exist on your home page? Is this a TV spot that is limited to time constraints? How about vertical 15-second edits for Facebook and Instagram’s ‘Story’ feature?

There are lots of variables and best practices for each platform. We need to know how the video will function on each.

What’s the deadline? Our workflow generally consists of the following phases: Creating and finalizing a project schedule, kick-off meeting, scriptwriting and storyboarding, crewing process, locations process, casting, shot listing, shooting boards, pre-production meeting, travel if required and finally production.

As you can see, it takes a lot of effort to arrive at the production stage (I left out many subtasks for your sanity). After production, we transfer the footage to a couple of drives and get to work.

DropDrop usually works in three rounds of feedback, depending on the scope of work and due date with one final ‘sign off’ after the color grade and final sound mix has been completed. The typical timeline for live production generally falls between 40 to 120 days.

Companies with experience in spending and hiring out for video production typically have an idea of the costs associated with the job. But, if you are new to the process, we can help you create a budget based on your needs and vision.

It’s good to know upfront if there are any financial restrictions in determining the approach for your project before we dive in too deep. The cost of video is determined by so many variables, and it’s almost never determined by length. If you ever ask someone what the cost of video is per minute and they give you an answer, run for your life.

What happens in that minute? Does talent stand in front of a white backdrop and mumble some corporate jargon? Or are there buildings exploding in the background as a car whips past frame while a monster chases after the driver Jurassic Park style?

Those two 1-minute scenarios have entirely different production scopes. So, it’s good for us to know which one you need… we hope it’s the monster one… monsters are awesome.

Article by Cassidy Bisher, Monster storyboard by Ryan Brady, special thanks to Michael Medici

Idea's inspired by Michael Johnson's 'Branding: In Five and a Half Steps"