Video and Animation Pre-Production Guide
Content With Purpose:
Making Video Work for Your Brand
Introduction: Making Video Work for Your Brand
In today’s fast-moving digital landscape, video is no longer optional; it’s essential. While newsletters, blog posts, emails and social media remain valuable marketing tools, it’s visually compelling video that truly captures attention, builds emotional connection, and drives action.
The numbers speak for themselves. According to industry research, video now accounts for over 80% of global internet traffic. It’s the format most customers prefer when learning about a product or service, and it significantly improves message retention and engagement across platforms. From boosting website dwell time and email open rates to outperforming static posts on social media and improving SEO rankings, video is the most effective way to make your message stick.
However, in a crowded landscape, not just any video will do. For video content to deliver real results, it needs to be strategic, targeted, and aligned with your brand’s voice and goals.
This guide is here to help.
We’ll walk you through what makes a strong video strategy, offer tips on crafting a clear and effective brief, and share real-world examples from our past projects to inspire and inform your approach.
Whether you’re working with us on producing an explainer animation, brand story, campaign content or internal comms, this guide will give you the confidence and clarity to commission content that resonates and gets results.
Defining Your Video’s Purpose
Before a script is written, a storyboard is sketched, or any style is chosen, it’s crucial to define why you’re making this video. A clear purpose is key to a successful video project. It helps guide creative decisions, ensures alignment with your wider marketing goals, and ultimately determines how your audience will respond.
Here are the key questions to ask yourself.
What is the Purpose of the Video?
What do you want this video to do? Is it to:
- Raise awareness of your brand or a specific product?
- Explain a complex service or idea?
- Drive traffic to your website or landing page?
- Generate leads or sales?
- Educate internal teams or onboard new staff?
Be specific. A video created to build brand awareness will look and feel very different from one designed to convert leads. If your goal is unclear or too broad, it can lead to mixed messaging or diluted results.
Who is the Audience?
Understanding your audience is key to making content that resonates. Think about:
- Are they current customers or potential ones?
- Are they industry specialists, general consumers, or internal stakeholders?
- What do they already know, and what do they need to understand?
- What kind of tone, style, or pace will appeal to them?
Tailoring your video to a specific audience ensures it speaks directly to their needs, challenges, and motivations.
What Platforms Are You Targeting?
Where your video will live influences everything — from its length to its aspect ratio, tone, and even the first few seconds of content. Consider:
Website or landing page – great for explainer or testimonial videos, often longer-form.
Social media (Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, Facebook) – short, punchy, and scroll-stopping. Captions or on-screen text may be essential.
YouTube – ideal for SEO-optimised, longer content like tutorials or thought leadership.
Internal channels – such as intranet or team meetings, where tone and clarity matter most.
Knowing where the video will be seen helps shape how it should be made. Here’s a general overview of which social platforms connect with different demographics:
- Largest Age Group: 25-34
- Gender 43% Female 57% Male
- Community-driven engagement
- Largest Age Group: 25-34
- Gender 48% Female 52% Male
- Professionals, B2B decision makers, industry experts
- According to LinkedIn, 65+ million business decision makers are on LinkedIn.
- 57+ million businesses have a LinkedIn page.
- LinkedIn was also rated the #1 platform for B2B lead generation.
- Largest Age Group: 18-24 and 25-34.
- Gender: 48% Female, 52% Male
- Gen Z and Millennials — these groups make up roughly two-thirds of their base
- Lifestyle-focused consumers
TikTok
- Largest Age Group: 10-19
- Gender: 61% Female, 39% Male
- Nearly 40% of Gen Z say they’re directly influenced by products they see on TikTok, and brands should take notice.
- Short-form content lovers
There could be benefits in placing the video on your website, too. It can help to elevate your position in Google search and can form a dynamic way to convey key information about your product or brand. Engaging video content can be a great way of building trust with your audience and keeping users on your page for longer, increasing the chances of conversion.
Which Elements of Video Do I Need to Consider?
Depending on your answers to the above questions, you’ll be able to decide on the following video elements:
Length: If you are designing a social ad, a shorter video will work better, as users tend to spend less time on each post they see. However, be sure to take the time to explain all stages of your process, or a range of case studies, if you are making a webpage video.
Animation, Green-Screen or Live video? Depending on the content of your video, there are a range of visual choices you can make. If you want to talk about your previous work or showcase your team, using video of your clients and team is preferable. However, if you are promoting a new concept or prototype product, animation is a dynamic, visually appealing way to represent content.
Narration: Are you using animation or video for visuals and not sound? Instead of using non-descript music, consider narrating your video for better information retention. Have you considered whether you need a voiceover, and if you’d like to explore this, what gender and accent will help express your brand?
Script: If you already have a script planned out, it can be helpful to time yourself speaking it out loud to see if it matches up with the planned length of your video.
Text on screen: If you are having a narrated video, or one with informational sound, highlighting the key points on-screen conveys the important information to your audience.
There are other decisions to make in collaboration with a video design team, including, but not limited to, colour scheme, animated character design, tone and production. A low-budget video is easily noticed by consumers and will affect their perception of your brand.
Understanding the Stages of Video Production
To avoid the low-budget look, it’s good to understand the basic stages of video production. That way you’ll know the importance of time and money investment at each stage of development.
Phase 1: Pre-Production
This is where all of the preparation needed to create a successful video takes place. Here you can expect to:
- Write a script
- Create storyboards
- Prepare a production schedule
- Arrange equipment, actors, locations, crew and wardrobes
Pre-production is where you’ll make decisions that determine the quality of the final product. It is important to spend the right amount of time here to get each decision you make right.
Phase 2: Production
This is the main task, principal videography, where you’ll film all the footage needed or create the animations, which will become your final video. You’ll begin to envision what the final result will look like.
Phase 3: Post-Production
In order to guarantee a polished final look, at this stage you’ll edit the video you took during production to turn it into a final product, adjusting sound and colour, and adding titles, text, and publicity materials. As well as adding music, audio effects and voiceover to bring the whole production together.
If you invest in the right people and products during these stages and position your video right, you’ll be sure to create successful video materials and reap the benefits of the medium.
Animation Briefing Template
If you are wondering how to communicate your needs to an agency for an animated video, our template will guide you through creating a thorough brief to start the conversation.
What is the purpose of the video? Inform, entertain, educate, explain.
Who is your target audience? Internal use, existing customers, new leads.
What is the style of the video? Explainer, educational, promotional, social media.
Does it require 2D or 3D animation?
What products or services need to be featured? Are there primary products/services that need to feature, or all.
Where will the video be used? Social media, website, TV, landing page, other.
Expected duration of the video?
Will there be any narration/voiceover required?
Does a script need to be created?
Will sound be required? Music/sound effects.
Do you have any brand guidelines? Link to your website.
Is there a project deadline?
Is there any key messaging?
Video Briefing Template
If you’re still unsure where to start, or would like to follow a structure when developing an initial plan for your video, here’s a briefing template that’ll ensure you have every question covered. Don’t worry if you cannot answer every question; our exploratory sessions will have our team guide you through our recommendations based on your goals and objectives.
What is the purpose of the video? Inform, entertain, educate, explain.
Who is your target audience? Internal use, existing customers, new leads.
What is the style of the video? Animation, stock footage, film-based, webinar, live-stream.
What products or services need to be featured? Are there primary products/services that need to feature, or all
Where will the video be used? Social media, website, TV, landing page, other — please specify.
Expected duration of the video?
Will there be any filming involved?
Any specific visuals that need to be captured?
Is there any important key messaging?
Will there be any interviews? If so, how many?
Does a script need to be created prior to filming?
Will sound be required? Music, voiceover, sound effects.
Are people readily available to be filmed, or will it require actors?
Do you have any brand guidelines? Link to your website.
Is there a project deadline?
Need Help with Video Production or Animation?
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