Creating B2B video content to use across all your digital channels is more important than ever. It's also more accessible than ever for anyone to become a video content creator. No matter your skill level (or even your role), this production guide will help you create great video content from pre-production through to the final product. You can dive deeper over on the Vidyard blog: https://bit.ly/3vtk6a4

1. The Complete Guide to Video Production

2. Creating video has never been easier.
Video isn’t difficult or expensive.
You already have the skills, scripts, and devices you need to
build pipeline and attract audiences with video.
This guide will teach you how to produce great videos on the fly…
no agency required.

3. PART 1
Video Equipment
and Software
PART 2
Video
Pre-Production
PART 3
Video
Production
PART 4
Video
Post-Production
Table of Contents
Plus:
6 Tips for Making Great Videos

4. PART 1
Video Equipment and Software

5. What video software and equipment
do you need?
Your needs depend on three factors: Budget, skill, and team size.
Business still in startup mode? A single producer with a smartphone is probably plenty.
As your team and budget grow, you can make room for a strategist, director,
and scriptwriter, as well as more advanced equipment.
(Read the full video equipment guide here!)

6. Great for creating videos on a budget,
like user-generated videos or videos for your
blog.
Option A:
● Smartphone with a lavalier microphone
● Tripod
● Ring light
Option B:
● Laptop
● 1080p webcam
Beginner
Video Kit
Budget: $200-300

7. Provides higher-quality footage for flattering
customer testimonials, scripted videos, and assets
with medium-to-high production value.
● DSLR camera
● 50mm lens
● Wireless microphone
● Tripod
● Lighting kit
Intermediate
Video Kit
Budget: $1,500-1,700

8. Captures some of the highest-quality images and
sound you can get. Perfect for brand videos, TV
commercials, and bigger productions.
● High-quality video camera
● Lens adapter
● 50mm lens
● 24-105 f4 lens
● Shotgun microphone
● Wireless lavalier microphone
● Tripod
● Full lighting kit
Advanced
Video Kit
Budget: $9,000-10,000

9. Don’t forget about software. You’ll need it to
arrange scenes, trim clips, and adjust footage.
Low on budget? Try QuickTime or iMovie.
Looking for more production value?
High-end video software like Adobe Premiere
is available with just a small subscription fee.
But advanced video software is only worth it
if you invest the time into learning to use it well.
Video Editing
Software
Budget: $0+

10. PART 2
Video Pre-Production

11. Pre-production prep is key.
Think producing your video should take the most time? Think again.
You should be spending more time in pre-production.
The more you plan out your script, storyboard, and casting ahead of time,
the more you can streamline the production
and post-production phases.
(Read the full video pre-production guide here!)

12. Choose a video producer you can rely on.
Their efforts determine the finished video’s
quality.
They’re responsible for every production step,
from creating the script and storyboard
to making the video to overseeing post-
production.
Working on a solo project?
Congrats on your new “producer” title!
Tip:
Nominate a
Video Producer

13. ● Create a production timeline.
● Build a creative brief. Identify the video’s
purpose, audience, tone, budget, and materials.
● Set a budget. (Hint: Determine the video’s ROI
in terms of lead or pipeline, then work back.)
● Write the video script.
● Lay out the script in a shot-by-shot storyboard.
● Recruit talent—actors, extras, etc.
○ Low-budget? Recruit from your network or company.
○ High-budget? Spring for professionals.
Video Producer’s
Responsibilities

14. PART 3
Video Production

15. It’s time to shoot!
If you planned well in pre-production, production should be quick and painless.
When shooting, remember to capture more than you need.
You can always cut things in the editing room, but you can’t add them.
Here are our top tips for the production phase.
(Read the full video production guide here!)

16. Make a checklist before you head out.
Be sure to include:
● When scouting locations, film them to make
sure they look good on camera.
● Charge all your devices the day before.
● Bring extra batteries.
● Mark off the areas where you’ll be filming.
Let everyone in the location know what time
you’ll be shooting.
Video Production
Setup Tips

17. Rule of thumb for smaller productions:
Natural light is best.
If you’re using an indoor lighting rig, use a classic
three-point setup to eliminate any harsh
shadows:
● A key light on the subject’s “good side"
● A fill light to illuminate the other side
● A backlight behind the subject to make them
pop against the background
Lighting Tips

18. Follow the rule of thirds:
● Divide your screen into 3x3 grid.
● Place your subject at a spot where the grids
intersect.
● Avoid placing your subject in the middle of
the frame.
And DON’T shoot in portrait mode
(unless you’re filming for Snapchat, Instagram
Stories, or other social platforms).
Tips for Shot
Composition

19. ● Test the audio in the area you’re shooting.
(Sometimes passive noises get amplified.)
● Instruct actors to speak into the mics and
to not tap them.
● Record a minute or two of ambient noise.
If you have to cut actor’s words, you can fill in
the silence with that natural sound.
Audio Tips

20. ● Have the director (or, on a small team, the
producer) run everyone through the
storyboard shot by shot so they know what
to expect.
● Capture a few extra takes of each scene.
It makes it less likely that you’ll discover an
issue in post-production and have to re-
shoot.
Directing
Tips

21. ● Understand your focal length. If you’re
shooting on a phone, you might distort your
subject when shooting up close.
● Level out your shots. Don’t take tilted shots.
Gridlines are your friend.
● “Tap” into your phone camera’s capabilities.
Tap the screen to focus on your subject,
then lock the focus.
Camera
Tips

22. ● Use video conferencing software to show
speakers on-screen.
● Use stock footage. Our video team likes
Adobe Stock, Artgrid, and Envato Elements.
● Add animation. Popular animation tools like
Vyond don’t require any experience.
● Using existing footage. If you’ve produced
videos before, recycle old clips in a new
context.
Remote Video
Production Tips

23. PART 4
Video Post-Production

24. Time to edit your footage.
In post-production, you’ll choose shots and assemble them.
Then add graphics, animation, music, or captions.
Post-production is often the longest phase.
You may have to correct lighting and audio or rethink transitions.
Your planning work in pre-production and production will pay dividends.
(Read the full video post-production guide here!)

25. Before you start editing, create a dedicated
desktop folder for the project.
Name each file using the same convention,
such as “Project name - item name - date.”
This makes it much easier to find a specific clip
(especially if you have to come back and make
edits later).
Tip:
Organize
Footage

26. ● Upload footage to your software and match
aspect ratio (i.e. 4;3 and 16:9).
● Trim clips as needed.
● Arrange clips in the correct order.
● Add effects like transitions and graphics.
● Get feedback from someone else.
● Edit and correct audio. Smooth sound levels.
● Correct the color to make dreary shots pop.
● Export and save. Make sure to back up to an
external hard drive or the cloud.
Editing
Workflow

27. Your goal in post-production is to get it done,
not to do it perfectly.
Don’t spend ages editing out every little pause
and “umm.”
Once your video is at a stage of “good enough,”
ship it.
Tip:
Know When
to Let Go

28. Video’s done. Where do I put it?
You’ll want to host your videos using an online video platform.
This gives you somewhere to store your videos where you can share them,
as well as keep them organized.
Some online video platforms let you track who’s watching your videos,
then feed that data into your sales and marketing activities.
(Hint: Vidyard does all of this!)

29. 6 Tips for Great Videos

30. 1#: Speak Lower, Slower, and with Certainty
Maintain eye contact with the camera to build a connection with viewers.
Speak one octave lower than normal. Voices can sound higher on camera.
Be deliberate with your delivery. Memorize your script or wing it using bullet points—
whatever makes you feel the most confident.

31. #2: Dress Right (and Wear Solid Colors)
Dress in a way that will resonate with your audience.
Making a video for financial services firm? Don’t wear streetwear.
Making a video for startups? Don’t wear a suit and tie.
Pick clothing with solid colors. It’s easier to view on screen and is less distracting than
patterns.

32. #3: Let Interviews Flow
Chat with your interviewee before you start recording your interview.
This helps get them comfortable before you launch into recording.
Keep your questions as short as possible.
Let your subject do at least 80% of the talking, and try not to interrupt.
Viewers are watching because they want to know what the interviewee thinks, not the
interviewer.

33. #4: Tell the Who, What, and How
When recording a customer story video, structure it in three chapters:
● Who the customer is
● What problem they ran into
● How they solved it
If your production scope allows, interview several people to get multiple perspectives,
and record each of them from multiple angles.
A two-camera setup is a good option here to cut away and switch between shots.

34. #5: Shoot in Well-Lit, Quiet Locations
This is probably obvious, but when shooting at locations like conferences, it’s a must.
Convention halls lack the lighting and acoustics for good video.
Film subjects looking into natural light, not with their back to it.
Avoid filming on the trade show floor unless you have a really good microphone.

35. #6: With Social Videos, Get to the Point
People scroll through their social feeds at high speed.
They don’t have time for artsy, mood-setting intros.
Get right to the point with your social media videos.
Do what podcasts do:
Start with the most surprising clip as a hook, then go to your intro sequence.

36. A guide by
Read the full version of this guide here