Video has become a huge part of how companies market their business. With more and more video content out there, and huge amounts of other advertising assaulting consumers every day, it's getting harder and harder to stand out from the crowd. What some companies have been discovering, or rediscovering is that story works. As a commercial filmmaker, it's not simply enough to tell a good story though, you also have to keep in mind the end goals of your clients or your own business. Stories work, but how do stories work for your business, how do they work for your clients? These are the questions I deal with everyday, these are some insights into what I've learned.

1. Balancing Strategic and Emotional
Value in Business Video

2. What are
we talking
about?
✦
The documentary-style production process
✦
Why emotion is important in storytelling
✦
The business value of emotional connection
✦
Proving this value to clients with metrics

3. W H O A M I ?

6. W H AT I S D O C U M E N TA R Y - S T Y L E V I D E O ?

7. Key
Elements
✦
A creative depiction of reality
✦
Combines an interview or narration and b-roll
✦
Lightly promotional

8. W H Y D O CO M M E R C I A L D O C S WO R K ?

9. ✦
Focus on story, not product
✦
Creating emotional connections
✦
Efficient production style

10. PITCHING DOCS TO CLIENTS

11. ✦
Collaboration is key
✦
Vision + Strategy matters
✦
Clear communication is vital
✦
Concise proposals

12. Sell your vision. Why is this
story worth telling and how
are you going to tell it?
PRODUCTION TIMELINE
What are the different steps
of production and how long
do they take?
DELIVERABLES
Specifics on what you’ll be
producing helps determine
the scope of a project.
BUDGET
Breaking down the costs of
a project sets expectations
and provides transparency.
OVERVIEW

13. S H OW I N G T H E VA LU E O F A S TO R Y

14. Views, engagement, and
conversion data gives you
clear indications of what’s
working.
EVERYTHING ELSE
Audience comments, client
feedback, internal critiques,
and intuition provide
context for the numbers.
METRICS

15. Client
Reporting
✦
Compiling metrics
✦
Present numbers + context
✦
Gathering anecdotes and comments

16. METRICS + STORYTELLING

17. Identify
problems
✦
How effective was your hook?
✦
Did you retain your audience?
✦
What caused drop-offs in engagement?

18. Test
strategy
✦
Did the story resonate with your audience?
✦
Did your video accomplish the brand’s goals?
✦
What did you learn about your brand strategy?

19. CASE STUDIES IN BRAND DOCS

20. I A M A L L S T E E L

23. H A N D S LOV E S TO R I E S

26. 100+ MEN & WOMEN WHO CARE

29. 100+ MEN WHO CARE BOARD
…the videos are having a very touching
and powerful impact.

30. W H AT D O I D O N OW ?

31. H OW C A N I H E L P YO U ?