Finding your (video) type, part 2
Videos that stay in their lanes
Part 2 of “Finding your (video) type” focuses on animated or mostly-animated videos. To learn more about our live-action video types, click here for part 1.
The Sizzle Reel:
Purpose: Generate interest and excitement
Length: 30-60 seconds, max
Use cases: social media, live events
Style: Varies but generally includes animation and an impactful soundtrack, with limited or no voiceover
Audience: Purchasing decision makers, investors, press, potential end users/customers
The “sizzle reel”, sometimes called a hype reel or teaser, is generally the most stylized and similar to a TV commercial. Often, it’s shown for the first time at a live event like a press event or scientific conference, either before a presentation begins or as part of one. Sizzle reels generally focus on the most significant value proposition of the product and the impact it will have on a customer who purchases it. They're also great for sharing on social media since they’re brief and engaging.
What they’re meant to do: excite the audience and make them interested in the product so that they’re motivated to visit the product website or talk to a company representative to learn more.
What they’re NOT meant to do: Describe features and benefits in detail, describe the experimental parameters / protocols, show data (unless it’s in the form of a beautiful, impactful image), educate the audience on how the product works.
What the viewer should feel:
(A potential customer): “This is an exciting product and might be what I’ve been looking for. I want to learn more about it.”
(An investor): “This is an exciting product and fits a need in the marketplace. I’m confident that it will do well.”
An example of a sizzle reel
The “How it Works”:
Purpose: Marketing, with some education
Length: Under 3 minutes
Use cases: Sales consultations (in-person or online), YouTube, product website
Style: Usually 3D animation, sometimes 2D animation. Rarely some live-action clips are included.
Audience: purchasing decision makers, end users, lab managers, etc
“How it works” videos are one of our clients’ favorites, and with good reason. This is the type of video that explains how the entire product/solution (most often an instrument) works, its features and benefits, and why it is the right choice for their customers. It can include beautiful photo-real 3D animation of the instrument, both static and dynamic (great for showing automation), zoom in to important components and show how they move, etc. If the underlying chemistry/molecular biology/technology is shown, it’s very brief– generally it is only mentioned as one of the features and benefits of the entire product solution.
What they’re meant to do: Give an overall view of how the entire product/solution works and features and benefits at a relatively high level. This is the macro-scale tour of the product.
What they’re NOT meant to do: Explain protocols; include related products; go over every possible application for the product; show full instrument schematics
What the viewer should feel: “This product works differently from its competitors, and I understand how it works and what its advantages are. I’m excited about what it might be able to do for me.”
An example of a “how it works” system video
The Explainer:
Purpose: Educational, with some marketing
Length: Under 3 minutes
Use cases: Product website (generally under the header of “resources”), YouTube, cutdowns for social media.
Style: Generally 2D animation; sometimes with a live host
Audience: purchasing decision makers, end users, lab managers, etc
An “explainer” video is distinct from a “how it works” video in that it shows the process that is going on at a micro level– such as sequencing chemistry– rather than how the entire product works (such as the DNA sequencer). It generally involves a simplified 2D animation of molecular biology, chemistry, schematics of how components of a software stack fit together, or a similar process. If features and benefits of the product are mentioned in this sort of video, they’re limited to the process being shown rather than the full product solution.
What they’re meant to do: Help the viewer visualize the steps that happen when using the product but which cannot be seen because they’re at a molecular scale, or inaccessible in some other way. They will also understand the benefits of using that particular process and how it fits into the entire product solution. It’s a microscale tour of the product’s fundamental technology.
What they’re NOT meant to do: Instruct the viewer on the technical details/nuances of the field; give an explanation of the full product suite’s features and benefits; show a full instrument tour; describe experimental parameters of data; demonstrate protocols.
What the viewer should feel: “I understand how the chemistry/molecular biology/technology fundamental to this product works, and why the vendor chose to use it. It’s now easier for me to evaluate whether this product is right for me.”
An example of an “explainer” video
The Product Launch/Product Video:
Purpose: Drive excitement and sales leads
Length: Under 2 minutes
Use cases: conferences and other live events, YouTube, company website
Style: Generally 3D animation, with some 2D as well
Audience: Purchasing decision makers, investors, press, potential end users/customers
Product launch videos are often developed in tandem with a sizzle reel– they are often released at around the same time and should echo each other in look, feel, and tone. However, the longer format allows you the time to include things like more features and benefits, pain points that the product will address, proof-of-concept data, comparisons to competitors, new applications for the product, and so on. Every topic needs to be touched on at a fairly high level to avoid excessive runtime.
We feel that a launch video should have longevity far past the actual launch, so we usually develop them with that in mind, avoiding language like “new” that will date the video. That generally makes the best use of your budget– but we’re also more than happy to help you create a video with that language if that’s what you need!
What they’re meant to do: Introduce a new product or drive excitement for an existing one
What they’re NOT meant to do: Go into protocol details, show proof for every feature and benefit, tell your company’s origin story
What the viewer should feel: “This is a great product and it’s better than its previous versions and/or competing products in ways I understand and that are relevant to me.”
An example of a product launch video
Wrapping things up…
While this list includes the most common styles of videos that we produce, it’s not comprehensive. We always consult closely with our clients to make sure that our product meets their unique needs and situation– so don’t hesitate to email us at dca@dcasf.com to let us know exactly what you need.
We’ll leave you with a quote from Dr. Anthony Fauci that has become our writing team’s North Star: “The goal is not to show how smart you are. It’s to get people to understand what you’re talking about.” ... though we might add “succinctly” to the end of that sentence.
We hope this has been a useful reference, and see you next time!