A Simple Content Framework To Use Before a Video and Photography Shoot

You have the location booked. The photographer and videographer are ready. The products are packed. The talent is confirmed.  But there’s one question that should come before all of that:

What content are you trying to create, and why will someone care enough to watch it?

After years of leading marketing teams and producing video content, ad creative, brand campaigns, interviews and social content, I’ve learned that some of the most important decisions happen before the camera ever starts rolling.

A beautiful location, great lighting and high-quality production can make content look good. But they can’t make a story interesting, a message relevant or an offer compelling.

Before your next shoot, here are 5 things to plan:

• AUDIENCE
• STORY
• OFFER
• FORMAT + DELIVERABLES
• CTA

Here’s how to think about each one. 

1. Audience: Who needs to care?

One of the easiest mistakes to make is creating content from the brand's perspective instead of the audience's. Brands naturally want to talk about what they want people to know.  The viewer is thinking: Why should I care?

Before deciding what, you're going to say, identify exactly who you're saying it to.  What do they already know about your brand? What problem are they trying to solve? What would make them stop scrolling? What would make them keep watching after the first second?  That last question matters.  You don't necessarily need a flashy hook (but, we always like finding one!). But you do need to give the viewer an immediate reason to stay.

2. Story: What are you actually trying to say?

Every piece of content needs a reason to exist.  It doesn’t have to be an elaborate narrative or highly produced script. In fact, some of the best-performing content is incredibly simple and non-scripted.  Your story could be:

• Why your founder started the company
• A customer describing a problem your product solved
• A behind-the-scenes look at how something is made
• A product demonstration
• An expert answering a question customers ask all the time
• A new product or service announcement

Before the shoot, try completing this sentence:

“After someone watches this, I want them to understand ______.”

If you can't answer that simply, the content probably isn't ready to shoot.  And remember, the story comes before the shot list.

3. Offer: What's in it for them?

Your offer isn't always a promotion. It can be the value exchange between your content and the person consuming it.  Maybe you're offering:

Information.
“Three things to know before you travel to Greece.”

A solution.
“Here's how we eliminated five steps….”

Inspiration.
“See how we transformed one space into four different living areas.”

Proof.
“Here's what happened when this client tried it.”

A product or service.
“Here's what makes this different.”

Ensure there is a piece of value in your story for the audience.  Before you ask someone to give you their attention, know what you're giving them in return.

4. Format + Deliverables: How should the story be told?

This is where the setup on production day matters.  The same story can become very different depending on where and how it's going to be used.  I myself have made the mistake in the past of saying, “Let’s just shoot alot of content and then we can figure out the different videos we need and what format in post-editing.”  No!  I don’t recommend that path.

After you have answered the questions for steps #1 - 3 above, decide what type of formats or deliverables you want.   Keep in mind the following:

• New ideas happen organically on set, but walking into that shoot with a plan of a minimum set of required formats will make your post-editing and your end content so much more valuable. 
• Need a 15, 30 and 90 second reel for social? A longer-form video for YouTube and the website?  A 60-second founder origin story? A customer testimonial? A product demonstration reel? Photography for video thumbnails, OOH ad, landing page, ad creative, print? A paid social ad? An episodic series of short clips?

If you're already interviewing the founder, for example, don't just capture one two-minute brand video. Think about what else you could capture while the cameras, lighting and talent are already there, such as:

One hero video story + three short social clips + five sound bites + portrait photography + behind-the-scenes footage + paid-social variations.  Boom!

Then develop your shot list for the shoot. Your shot list is where the strategy becomes the production plan. Map out the specific shots, scenes, interviews, b-roll and photography you need to capture to create every deliverable on your list. This also helps identify opportunities to capture one setup in multiple ways, so you get more usable content without adding more shoot time.

One production day then becomes a content library for use across many marketing channels and content that lasts for months, rather than one finished video or a couple photos.  That's why formats should be considered before the shoot, not after someone asks, “What else can we make from this footage?”

5. CTA: What should happen next?

This is the step content often forgets.  Someone watched your content. Great. Now what?

Your call to action doesn't always need to be BUY NOW or BOOK TODAY.  Or even a button on the video or image itself, it can live in the description accompanying the piece, but that action you want the audience to take, needs to be known. 

Depending on the objective, the CTA or action could be:

• Learn more.
• Follow us.
• Watch the full story.
• Meet the founder.
• See how it works.
• Download the guide.
• Request a demo.
• Book a consultation.
• Shop the collection.
• Share your experience.

Sometimes the right CTA is simply getting someone to watch the next piece of content.  But decide before production what action you ultimately want the content to inspire. It can influence everything from the interview questions, script and shot list.

 Put It All Together Before You Press Record

Before your next shoot, write these five questions at the top of your creative brief:

• AUDIENCE: Who are we trying to reach?
• STORY: What are we trying to say?
• OFFER: Why should they care?
• FORMAT + DELIVERABLES: What's the best way to tell it?  What are all the mandatory deliverables we need?
• CTA: What do we want our audience to do next?

If your team can answer all five clearly, you're already setting the shoot up to produce stronger content.  Because great production isn't just about what happens on shoot day.  It's knowing what you're trying to accomplish before shoot day begins.

That's Part of Why We Built AFTR

At AFTR, creative planning is part of the production process because we believe the goal isn't simply to leave a shoot with beautiful footage and photography.  It's to leave with useful content.  Content that tells a story. Content designed for the people you want to reach. Content that can work across channels and formats. And ultimately, content that helps move your business forward.

Ready to shoot your next story or want to discuss a project?  Email us: support@aftr-studio.com