How to Plan a Corporate Video: A Step-by-Step Guide
The best corporate videos are decided before anyone picks up a camera. A clear plan keeps the shoot to one day, keeps the edit on track and stops the budget creeping. Here is the plan we use with clients across Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Cambridge and London.
1. Decide what the video has to do
Pick one job for the video. Win new customers, recruit staff, train a team or explain a product. A video that tries to do all four usually does none of them well. Write the job down in one sentence and keep it in front of everyone.
2. Know who is watching
A video for possible customers sounds different from one for your own staff. Think about what your viewer already knows, what they care about and what would make them act.
3. Choose where it will be seen
Your website, LinkedIn, a trade show screen or an internal training hub all need different lengths and shapes. A two-minute film for your homepage can also give you three short clips for social media if you plan for it from the start.
4. Agree the message and the call to action
List the three things the viewer must remember, no more. Then decide what you want them to do at the end: book a call, apply for a job, visit a page.
5. Pick your people
The best person on camera is the one who knows the subject and can talk about it naturally, not always the most senior. Give them the questions a few days before, not a script to learn. Our guide on what to wear on camera helps them prepare.
6. Plan the day
List the locations, who is needed when and what shots you want: interviews, people at work, the building, your product. Book rooms that are quiet, and warn colleagues that filming is happening.
An example filming day
Every shoot is different, but a one-day corporate shoot with three interviews often runs like this:
8:30 Crew arrives and sets up lights, cameras and sound in the interview room
9:30 First interview
10:30 Second interview
11:30 Third interview
12:30 Lunch, while the crew moves kit for the next set-up
13:30 People at work, the building, products and close-up details
15:30 Any extra shots, drone footage if booked, then pack down
Talking pieces go first while everyone is fresh. Cutaways come later because they're quicker to move around.
Your planning checklist
One sentence that says what the video must do
Who is watching, and where they'll see it
The three things the viewer must remember
What you want them to do at the end
Who is on camera, and the questions they'll be asked
Locations, rooms booked and colleagues warned
Shot list: interviews, people at work, building, products
Budget, and the one person who signs off
7. Set a budget and a sign-off process
Most corporate videos we make cost between £3,500 and £6,000 plus VAT, and the biggest factor is the number of filming days. Decide who signs off the final cut so feedback comes in one round, not five.
Planning in practice
Herts Careline. For North Hertfordshire Council's Careline service, planning started with a storyboard and voiceover script. Instead of explaining technical features, the film follows two real people: an older woman considering the service and a young, active wheelchair user who already relies on it. With the stories planned in advance, we filmed both across two days on location.
Motherfit and M&S. Motherfit needed a full library of exercise and meditation videos for M&S, and every contributor was available for one day only. We sourced a studio in Hertford and planned the layout so it switched quickly between exercise and meditation sessions. The whole library was filmed in a day and delivered in both widescreen and vertical. Read the case study.
Frequently asked questions
How long does planning take?
For most corporate videos, one planning day is enough to agree the message, write the plan, scout locations and schedule the shoot.
Do the people on camera need a script?
Usually not. We send interview questions a few days before so people can think about their answers, which sounds far more natural than a learned script. For films led by a voiceover, we write the voiceover script during planning.
What does planning cost?
Pre-production and planning is £400 a day, plus VAT. See our corporate video cost guide for full prices.
Can you help find a location?
Yes. Scouting locations is part of the planning day. For Motherfit we sourced a studio in Hertford that suited the whole shoot.
Need a hand?
We plan, film and edit corporate videos from our base in Hitchin. Use our price calculator for a quick estimate, or book a free call and we'll help you plan yours.
