Corporate Videos Can Be Creative

It's a misnomer really. Writing a corporate video is not about writing at all. Not as most people think of it. I don't think I could ever have done it if I hadn't been a director first.

I came from the world of TV before I ever wrote a single corporate video script. If the truth be told, I was a little disdainful of corporate videos. That was until I found a production company who took a different approach to them. They decided a corporate video should have the same production values as a TV show and be just as entertaining.

That doesn't mean that the CEO should be jumping through fiery hoops, wearing a clown's shoes. But it does mean the video should be stylish, inventive and not boring. Even if you're just announcing the year's financial results.

Boredom is the enemy of communication. If people are bored, it reflects on the message you are trying to convey. Videos can be entertaining and serious at the same time.

That journey begins with the script. Let's understand what a script is. It's a blueprint. It's like the architectural plans for a building. When the video is finished the script can be thrown away. It's done its job.

To draw up a blueprint, the writer has to understand the nature of video production. Videos are made of shots. A good writer will be thinking of shots all the time. Even if shot suggestions are not put into the script, the text should indicate them. For instance, if your presenter says: "The most important thing to remember..." - that automatically indicates a close-up.

Every corporate film needs a combination of different shots or scenes. You need to exercise the viewer's eye as well as his intellect. That's why it's important to work with the director. In too many production companies, the writing of the script is carried out in isolation. If the writer doesn't have any directing experience that can be tough. Too often the script is written and then handed to the director with the instruction: "Do something creative with this." But, to go back to our architectural analogy, if the drawings have been made it's too late to alter the foundations.

Also, remember the limitations of video. It does certain things well and others not so well. I've seen corporate videos written as if they were powerpoint presentations. If the content would make a better powerpoint presentation than a video, then turn it into that. Don't make a video.

Corporate videos can be creative and that starts with the writing process.