Video Strategies and Channels

Updated: 26 October 2022

2012-2024

Remember the Golden Rule

The Golden Rule in any audiovisual experience is user control.

Providing a Good Experience (346-47)

Provide important details

For both embedded and channel (e.g. YouTube) videos, "Try to give the users the title, some caption description, and the overall length of the video" (346). Although the book doesn't use the term, this kind of information is called meta information or metadata, which Wikipedia defines as "data [information] that provides information about other data."

A video for the Atlanta Community Food Bank's Hunger Walk/Run could use some help in this area.

Do not autoplay

Even if Facebook can get away with this (and that's debatable), we cannot. Again, the ACFB offers a not-so-good example in this area on its YouTube channel. (On the plus side, they do included good detail for this opening video.)

Providing a Good Experience, continued (346-47)

These two recommendations are probably the most important points made in this section.

Keep it short: As Figure 12.1 documents, people don't watch long videos. A recent study suggests, for example, that 4-6 minute videos generate the most watchtime.
Get to the point: "Fast-start" introductions are vital, and remember the inverted pyramid structure.

Good Example 1: Dollar Shave Club

Good (Content) Example 2: ACFB Hunger Walk/Run (web page)

Not So Good Example: Living in Minca (web page)

Providing Alternatives for Audio and Video (347-48)

A text version of the audio track makes your video content more search-friendly, accessible, and discoverable.

Like the potato peeler example, this is a case where doing the right thing for people with disabilities ends up helping everyone.

This will only happen if you plan for it. As the authors state, "Like good lighting, talent, and equipment, providing video alternatives should be just another facet of producing quality video" (347).