COVID-19 has forced us all to invent ways we can remain connected when we are asked to isolate. This is particularly true for us producers of video content about people. Organizations need video more than ever to connect and mobilize their now home-bound constituents, yet producing videos about people often means we need to be close to them. While that’s not possible at the moment, there are ways to use existing footage to tell a new story using voice over and/or animated text. Below are some tips to doing this:
- Use the Footage you have for emotional moments: Use archival photos and footage for the video’s emotional highs and reserve key information for the VO & text. Find moments from interviews, podium speeches or events that really hit home on the goal of the video from an emotional level. And seek images that pack visual punch.
- Consider Stock Footage: Establish the setting. Where is this work done? Why is this place important? Your archival footage might not have this imagery so consider using carefully selected cinematic stock footage from your library or others.
- Use the VO & Text For Information and to Connect Ideas: Once you’ve identified what content you have from existing footage, as well as your goals and audience for the new story, create effective VO and/or on-screen text that will weave together the images and footage. Focus on providing information that is missing or less clearly articulated in the existing footage.
- Original Music makes a difference: We typically produce original music for pieces like these that are short in form and make quick transitions between ideas. The music can help to cue the viewer that we are moving on to a new idea or emotional tone. While there is fantastic stock library music available, the pieces don’t transition exactly on the moments you’ve crafted and would require careful music editing to even approximate what original music can do.
Here are some examples of how we’ve used clients’ existing footage to tell a new story:
Example 1: Archival Video & Kinetic Text
Malteser International sought to create an identity video using existing footage of varying quality gathered over the years. We reviewed the footage, identified the most compelling and usable moments, and scripted a compelling story that wove together the footage with thoughtfully scripted animated text and an original score. At the very end, we identified still photos that we could design along with text concretely defining Malteser’s impact.
Example 2: Archival Video & Scripted VO
Sons of Italy sought to produce a video to reflect on 30 years of their annual NELA gala and its philanthropic fundraising. We combed through high-profile podium speeches to find the best moments that could flow from one speaker to the next and tell a heartfelt story about connection to the Italian American experience. Next we identified the organizations who benefited from fundraising and asked them for footage from their existing videos showing the individuals they serve. We wove it all together with scripted voice-over and original music.
Example 3: Archival Video & Scripted VO
Georgetown’s Wall Street Alliance sought to tell the story of the 20th anniversary of their annual dinner, which raises millions in scholarships and functions as a networking opportunity for students interested in careers in business and finance. We utilized archival photographs and footage of the event, b-roll footage from previous videos about scholarship recipients, and footage we’ve captured in the past of NYC and Wall Street. We scripted a VO narration that would weave these elements together and talk about the importance of this gathering and used original music to make it pop.
