What makes a great video

Written by Matt Hamilton

Think about this…what makes a great video?

Is it the way the story holds your attention? Or, maybe it’s the way the camera moves that keeps you guessing what’s next?

All of those things are needed, but what separates a good video from a great video are details most people don’t think about.

As an editor at Hoegger Communications, one of the most important aspects of my job is slowing down and focusing on small details. The right music to fit a project is a small detail that is extremely important. Music is one of those small details you never think about but are almost always affected by it. Try this…the next time you see a video that impresses you, go back and analyze what exactly that you liked about the video. You’ll often find its the song, and the way the music drives the edit forward.

Choosing the right music is important for three reasons.

Tone – The music that is used sets the mood for the entire video. You can make or break a video by being lazy and using one of the first tracks you try out. Find a song you actually like and could even listen to, even if it wasn’t for your video. Notice in this video how the music perfectly matches the way the main character is feeling. It’s slow but gives a hopeful feeling that carries throughout the video.

Emotion – The right song can bring positive emotion to the video and put your brand in a positive light in consumers’ eyes. For a holiday spot for Frank and Joes Coffee, we used an updated Christmas song to tie in memories with getting ready for the holidays. This was released right before Thanksgiving as everyone was starting to get excited about the holidays.

Memorable – Choosing the perfect track can really take a video to the next level. We created a video for the city of Wichita Falls that almost had an entirely different feel. Our first instinct was to use a song that had a fast pace filled with drums. We changed the song at the last minute and changed the entire feel of the video.

Details matter when creating a great video for your brand and choosing the right music is crucial. No matter what video you are trying to create, we can find the right song to make a lasting impression on your customer.