Selecting the style you will use is essentially identifying the personality of the project. What is the flavor or feeling you want the program to convey? Is the presentation essentially formal or informal? Is it serious or silly? An interview, for example, can be formal (the 6 o'clock news) or informal (Oprah). A documentary can be narrated or it can utilize real people telling their own stories. In a lecture format, the speaker or topic will dictate the tone. A video magazine program like 60 Minutes is less formal than the Nightly News, where an anchor throws to field pieces.

Once you've determined the format and style, you can decide which elements are appropriate for your project. Does any footage related to the subject already exist? Be sure to examine all possible existing footage before final planning. Even if you don't use it, you might learn something about how the subject is best shot. If your subject involves following a process (remodeling a room, painting a picture, losing weight), consider before and after shots. These can be quite inspiring. I once shot a video designed to get the Mayor of a city re-elected to a fourth term. By showing what the city had looked like before he took office and what it looked like after, voters could see the difference he had made.

Aspirational shots ("aspirational" is an adjective in advertising lingo) can be created by simply locating a model who has the right look or by searching the Internet for inexpensive stock footage shots. When your video is talking about how wonderful it is to live an active older life, you cut to your aspirational shots (perhaps stills even) of attractive older models playing golf or sitting by a pool.

Product Demonstrations are often useful, where appropriate. A comparison between the old way and the new product can be a great element. Product demonstrations are straightforward, with possibly an expert performing the demo, or they can be light and fun (or even outrageous), as long as the power of the demo is maintained.

Since the development of pop-up video (interesting or pertinent information that overlays the video), the use of factoids has become popular. A factoid is simply an element related to the subject that is popped on in text or portrayed in both a voiceover and text.

Testimonials are particularly powerful. There are a few ways to incorporate testimonials into your project. The first is to interview a real group of everyday people who are doing the activity or using the product. The cheapest and easiest way is to bring all the people to one location and shoot them with the same background. However, this can look visually dull after a few shots. You may be able to get three or four usable locations out of the same room by picking multiple set-ups within the same general location. Sit just left or right of the lens and establish strong eye contact with the person. Don't have them look into the lens unless they are very comfortable on-camera and even then only when what they are going to say is a personal appeal to the viewer. Talking right to a camera can be uncomfortable to the performer, (no human contact or feedback) and to the viewer, (the person is looking right at me). If you identify a particularly strong testimonial, you might want to arrange to shoot B-roll (shots without sound) of that person doing what they talk about and build it into a full feature for your piece.

If you shoot before an audience, you can ask for their reaction to what they've seen. You can do instant testimonials or a mall intercept, where people try your product or activity and you shoot their reactions. You can also shoot man on the street pieces. Make sure that if you shoot real people for testimonials that you have them sign a simple release which states that you can use their image and not pay them.

Expert testimonial is usually shot a little more formally. Keep in mind that having an expert might provide material that substantiates your belief in your topic, but an expert can also be a dynamic video presence. Sometimes a little science can go along way. You can choose to shoot the expert as a stand-alone testimonial or have him interviewed by a host or hostess. An expert can also analyze the action or perform a play-by-play description of an event.

Pre-planning your video project and creating a project essence that acts as your reference, along with a realistic time-line and budget, will help you select the right format, style and elements for your production. Once you start shooting with expanded creative visions, your palette will keep growing and growing. As a Creative Director, one of my favorite exercises is trying to match the format and elements to the project. I think you'll find as much fun in this as I have, and your videos will look better and be more effective in influencing your audience.

Randal K. West is the Vice President/Creative Director for Hawthorne Direct, a Direct Response Television Advertising Agency.

Here is an example of a video essence brainstorm for a Public Service video for a local Kiwanis Club:

• Needs to portray the focus of the club as one which helps children by raising money and distributing it to children's causes and individual kids.
• Needs to show that the club is both local, regional and nationally based.
• Needs to seem fun and fulfilling to be a club member.
• Needs to seem like the club is open to all ages, all types and both men and women.
• Needs to be engaging, visual and dynamic.

Three factors usually limit whether an element will work in your production:

• Time
  Does the production timeline allow you to spend the time required to add this element?
• Money
  Will the budget allow you to expend the money required for the element?
• Style
  Is the element stylistically appropriate in the piece?