The Importance of Location for Your Next Video

At Storyboard, we always talk about the importance of a few things. Namely, script, message and length. But here’s something that can be just as important depending on what your video content is about: Location, location, location.

Location sets the tone, gives the viewer an idea of what your content is about, the tone you’re setting, and it can even match your brand colors which furthers your content’s connection to your brand. So in a way, the location is a character in your video - even if it speaks in a different way than the people in your video.

This screenshot is from a spec ad we shot for an outdoor lifestyle brand. We and the client were very happy with how much the location added to the look and feel of the content.

How Important Is Location?

This depends on your content. For example, if you’re creating an “About Us” type video where you’re sharing your company’s history, products and services, and team then your offices are most likely going to be perfect for this. There’s no need to look for a location, pay for a location, and go to a location to see how the production is progressing. Those are true benefits that make things quick and easy when you shoot in your own location.

Taken from the same video as above, our actress is using our client’s product to bird watch.

However, there are times this isn't enough. For instance, if you want to create a product video you might want customers to see your product being used in the real world. Maybe a park, a woods, or a road in the mountains or in the desert. It’s going to depend on the product. But if you’re an outdoor lifestyle company, you want your setting to be the outdoors. If you’re a company that sells BBQ grilles you probably want to have things take place outside. If you’re a company that installs windows you want to show your windows being installed at a real location.

We’ve shot in County parks, State parks and National parks. Restaurants, factories and apartment buildings. And we’ve shot on rivers, oceans and next to little streams. We work with our clients to suggest and inform them of the best places to show off their product or service whether it be their office or a field in Ohio.

Since expanding to Europe, we can even offer European landscapes, architecture and locations. In fact, the photo above is a screen shot from an outdoor lifestyle brand shoot we’re working on. It was shot in west Europe where pine forests are abundant and offer a very surreal and mysterious atmospere.

So when you’re planning your next video, think about the location and what you need the location to do or say for you. And don’t be afraid to ask for help. This is what we do.

Happy location hunting!