Different Types of Shoot & Edit Video Productions
If you use the internet, watch movies or engage in digital education, you have undoubtedly notice there are a wide variety of types of video productions. The list can be exhaustive but we'll group them into the five major categories that we frequently deliver for client work, in order of decreasing complexity.
Those are:
- "Movies"
- Scripted
- Interviews
- B-Roll Video
- Slideshow
Note, the list covers shooting and editing type video production only. It does not include animation work.
Movies
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| Behind the scenes shot of actors on set for the Experience Jackson commercial |
We'll start with the easiest to comprehend -- Movies.
Hollywood style movies are most likely familiar to you. They feature actors on sets who play character to convey a story according to a script. While we're nowhere near Hollywood level of production, we can conduct a similar approach -- a scripted story that gets told by actors on sets playing assigned roles. This style of production is good for telling a story.
Example with professional actors
Scripted Videos
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| Behind the scenes shot showing businessman reading off a teleprompter while sitting in front of a greenscreen |
While movies are scripted, they also require expensive sets, crew and actors. However, we can also utilize scripts for non-actors such as a CEO delivering a speech, an educator teaching a concept, or a consumer testifying their positive experience with a service. What we do is write a script that meets approval, load it up on a teleprompter, and have the on-screen talent read it while still facing the camera. This approach is good for "talking heads" that need to be controlled in exactly what they say.
See an example of a scripted video here
Interviews
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| Behind the scenes shot of an interview being conducted with a 3M employee at a conference in Detroit. The interviewer is to the left and will be off camera. |
Scripts are good for control, but what if you're looking for a more genuine response or a person speaking in "their voice." Interview videos are excellent for helping a non-actor feel comfortable on camera. They aren't acting, they aren't performing, they are just having a conversation with an interviewer, who may be on camera (such as 60 Minutes or Oprah) or they may be off camera where their question and prompts get edited out (like in most documentaries). This common way to shoot videos for businesses is an easy and friendly way to shoot videos with non-natural performers.
See any example of an interview style video here
B-Roll Video
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| Behind the scenes look showing a b-roll shot of a VisionLab, a product demo for General Inspection |
B-roll videos are videos made up entirely of b-roll. B-roll is supportive footage to A-roll which is either a person speaking to the camera (like a newscaster) or the main action (two people talking in a movie scene). The b-roll is the cutaway shot that shows the aftermath of a car accident which the newscaster is reporting on, or it's the shot of an actor's hands clenching in frustration as the two characters have a tense conversation in a movie scene.
But despite being the "B"-roll, a video can be entirely made up of b-roll! The most common example of this a wedding highlight video. It shows quick clips of a bride walking down the aisle, the ceremony, the first dance and people having fun. Rarely is there a person speaking to the camera. Rather it's like a slideshow of video clips, the order of which can tell a story, or merely be a reel of highlights. It can be narrated by a voiceover, or it can have text on screen, or it can even stand on its own.
See a B-roll Video with voiceover here
Or a B-roll Video with no voiceover
Slideshow With or Without a Voiceover
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| Still shot from a video slideshow created for a company's year-end holiday party. |
The last is the least production intense, particularly since it can potentially not require any shooting at all! Imagine a slideshow of photos or video but with a voiceover and/or text on screen narrating. For this approach, we can shoot the photos and videos, or the client may supply media they already have on hand. A real-life example of this was when a client of mine wanted a celebratory showreel highlighting their employee activities, honors and accomplishments from throughout the year. They supplied Kohlitz with captured footage from these events that they had shot themselves (mostly on their smartphones.) Kohlitz then edited it down into an engaging narrative of that company's year of community-making, along with a holiday theme to match the year-end holiday party where the video would premiere.
See that video at this link (note this is a private link. Please do not share widely)
If you feel that one of these productions is right for your business, or would like to discuss a different approach,, feel welcome to reach out to Kohlitz at hello@kohlitz.com