Three things to think about before shooting video
Here’s a checklist of three things to think about before shooting, to make sure you’re sowing your story on emotionally fertile ground to create emotionally engaging video.
1. Visual Setting
We had to capture the story of the Samburu Girls Foundation in Kenya, which works to eliminate female genital mutilation and educate communities. Rather than just filming static interviews, we constructed a school lesson outside where the girls would share an emotional show-and-tell. We felt that the school setting is familiar to all of us. It also establishes an age and context for the girls, providing us with an anchor and reference point for our story. Once we have this visual information, the sharing becomes more personal because we can relate to their context and their stage in life.
2. Choice of Character
Erik Ellison, The Guardian’s prison correspondent, is also an ex-prisoner. He was the right person to relate to us how the prison population is being systematically let down—because 50% of inmates struggle to read and write. This example, coming from someone else, wouldn’t have been as relatable—because Erik has first-hand experience of teaching fellow adult inmates how to read.
3. Scripting and Choice of Narrator
Never underestimate the importance of a script that can draw us all into a shared problem. When we were lucky enough to work with David Attenborough, who brings a lot of authority to a message, we made sure the script demanded something of us—the viewer. A voice of authority, as well as a well-understood public message that plays into climate change and wildlife loss, helped to drive home the emotional impact of The Wildlife Trusts’ message.
To Recap
- Combine a trusted, relevant voice to deliver your campaign message.
- Setting can change how we perceive testimony and gives us more to relate to.
- Find characterful testimony from someone with real experience.
Consider a storytelling strategy that keeps your audience engaged with your communication campaign with regular video updates on social media.
