1. Discover
1. Discover
1.1 Setting and tracking goals
Before getting started, it’s important to clarify why you are creating this project. Perhaps it is to promote an event? Is it to teach someone something? Maybe you are aiming to impact your audience’s behaviour or thoughts in some way, or to recognise the work or achievements of someone? When you unpack things, you might realise the ‘why’ is different to what you expected.
Try to define this 'why' using only one sentence and consider a couple of goals you might use to measure its success.
1.2 Considering your audience
Taking time to understand the needs of your audience will help you tailor your content to resonate with them. As a passionate expert in your field, it can be hard to put yourself in the shoes of the people who will be viewing your material.
It is likely that your audience has very different level of understanding about the topic of your project. They may be interested in the subject for totally different reasons – or they may not yet even understand why it’s interesting at all. Either way, by understanding more about them, you’ll have much better chances of achieving your goals.
To get in the right headspace, start by asking yourself (or members of your audience if you can) some basic questions such as: What are your audience’s daily habits? Challenges and frustrations? Content consumption habits?
Now try to define the following:
The Market/Cohort/Demographic
- Find the commonalities and plan your content around these – how can you achieve your goals for this general group?
- Provide options where possible to cater for diversity. This might include incorporating relevant content from different languages and cultures, using respectful terminology, correct pronouns and considering different learning preferences.
The Knowledge Level
- Is this likely to be your audience’s first interaction with this subject matter or can you assume some level of prior knowledge?
The Size
- Will people be viewing this on their own or in a group?
- Are any questions that you ask for discussion or rhetorical?
The Reach
- Is this video designed to be viewed online or in-person?
- Will people view it synchronously (at the same time) or asynchronously (at different times)?
Remember, with large audiences, it’s unlikely you will be able to meet every need of every person watching. However, this will help you make informed prioritisations where necessary, and perhaps utilise other mediums to support the needs of others.
1.3 What’s possible?
Now it’s time to think about the practical considerations of your project. Remember, simple done well is generally better than ambitious but undercooked.
These considerations include:
- Timeline – When does your project need to be completed by? What other commitments do you have over this period and how much time can you afford to dedicate to the project?
- Funding– How will your project be funded? Have you considered applying for funding streams proportionate to the scope of your project?
- Key stakeholders –Who are the people or teams involved in this program and what approval processes will you need to go through to ensure all of their needs are met?
- Copyright and other rights – Consider the logistics of obtaining any legal rights you might need for music, filming locations or other media you want to use. You might also consider whether you need to copyright your final product.
- Technical skills & resources – Resources and high-level technical skills aren’t everything, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t utilise the equipment and knowledge you have access to. You can certainly learn skills on the go, but it’s important to incorporate the time this will take into your planning.
Considering the practical elements of your project will help you find the parameters in which your project must be made and allow the specifics of your project to take shape.