Let's be real - corporate videos often get a bad rap for being dry, dull, and full of clichés. But the truth is, sometimes you can't avoid making one for your business. Maybe it's for an investor pitch, an internal training module, or a marketing campaign. Whatever the reason, you're stuck having to produce a corporate video.

The good news? There are ways to elevate your corporate video game so it doesn't feel like a total snoozefest. As someone who has made my fair share of these videos for clients, I've picked up a few tricks to help make them more engaging and watchable.

Here are my top 5 tips:

#1 – Get out of the office

If you're filming interviews or talking heads, get them out of the stale office environment. Shoot outside or in an interesting location. The change of scenery instantly makes it feel more natural and less staged. Frame up your shots creatively instead of the typical corporate headshot style.

#2 – Skip the stock footage

I know the struggle of needing b-roll footage to cover statements. But please avoid the temptation to use those cringe-worthy stock clips of people shaking hands or pointing at graphs. Not only is stock footage overdone, but it often clashes with the quality of your main footage. Get scrappy and creative - sketch something out, use animated graphics, or recreate the scenes yourself.

#3 – Keep it snappy

Modern attention spans are shot, so don't waste people's time with a long, rambling video. Aim for 2.5 minutes or less. If you can't convey the message concisely, break it into a video series instead of one long slog. The Beatles wrote hit songs in under 3 minutes - your corporate video doesn't need more time than that!

#4 – Let the music set the tone

Before you start filming, pick an energetic soundtrack that fits the vibe you want. Listen to it on repeat, and let the rhythm and flow inspire your shots, edits, and pacing. Music has a clever way of elevating visuals and adding structure and movement.

#5 – Pay for color grading

This one requires a bit of budget, but color grading can be a game-changer. It adds a professional, polished look that separates amateur videos from high-quality productions. A skilled colorist can transform flat footage into something rich and cinematic-feeling.

You get it - the name of the game is doing whatever you can to make your corporate video feel less...corporate. You can overcome some of the typical pitfalls by getting creative with your approach and production.

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