Would you watch your own company video if you didn’t work there? It’s a slightly uncomfortable question, but a useful one. You know the people, the product and all the effort that went into making it. Someone scrolling past knows none of that.

Give them a reason to stay. It might be a question they want answered, something unexpected or a person with something worth saying. A long logo animation followed by “we’re delighted to…” is asking quite a lot of a stranger.

Start with the people you want to reach, then give them a reason to keep watching.

That opening starts with knowing who the film is for. A new customer may need to see what the product does. Someone already using it might be more interested in a particular feature or a better way to work. Trying to cover both in the same short film can leave neither with much to take away.

Once you’ve got their attention, follow through. If you open with a question, answer it. If you show an intriguing detail, let us see what it belongs to. Give the viewer somewhere to go with you.

The pictures should help that along. A close-up can explain a detail far more quickly than a paragraph of voiceover. A wider shot can show where we are. Camera movement and lighting are useful when they direct attention to something that matters.

Then be a bit ruthless in the edit. Cut the repeated points and the introductions that take too long. Leave time for an expression, an answer or a shot that deserves it. Faster isn’t always better; a film can be full of cuts and still take ages to say anything.

Listen as carefully as you watch. Dialogue needs to be clear, and music should leave room for it. Then try the film on mute. Can someone follow the conversation from the captions and understand what the pictures are showing?

Check it on a phone as well. Captions and graphics that look fine on an editing monitor can be tiny in your hand. Different platforms may need different crops, lengths or openings, so plan those versions before the shoot.

When the film goes out, look at where people stop watching. Are they leaving during the introduction, or at a point where the explanation gets tangled? That gives you something specific to revisit.

Keep the purpose of the film in mind when looking at the numbers. Views, completed watches and enquiries tell you different things. A useful product explanation might help someone make a decision without being the most widely shared thing you’ve ever posted.

Sometimes the footage is already there and the film just needs a tighter edit. If you’re too close to it to see what could go, we’re happy to take a look.