Consult the Web Team! We have expertise and standards which all our videos need to meet. We must be involved in any videos you are intending to include on our website, whether hosted on our Archives Media Player or our YouTube channel.
The first step is always to ask the question: Do we need a video? The answer is "No" more often than it's "Yes". Videos are not good for delivering lots of information and detail (that's done better with words and graphics). Videos are good for explaining ideas, showing new services, or introducing teams or people.
Before picking up a camera, make sure we know:
- exactly what the video needs to say
- who is the audience
- what is the user need
- how will it be delivered (on YouTube? Media player? Something else?)
The video must have:
- a direct link to our records (preferably with catalogue references) and/or our purpose as an organisation
- value – eg help users with research, educational value
- appropriate credits if funded by/created by us, and copyright statement if it is ours
- integrity – be of a high standard that we are proud to promote on our site
Each video does one thing - demonstrate one service, introduce one team, or explain one particular point. If there's more than one thing to explain, make more than one video.
Script or storyboard the video, but keep it loose or ‘agile’ enough to respond to change. A storyboard could simply be a list of shots.
In most cases the video will be an interview scenario. Script out the questions and topics you want the interviewee to discuss.
Do not choose unusual locations. Utilise locations in and around The National Archives. If you decide to shoot outside, pick a day where the weather conditions are consistent. Shooting with semi-overcast means the light source is always changing. This could look very odd when edited down.
No videos longer than 2 minutes. If we can't explain it in 2 minutes, it's probably already too complicated.
Content creators must meet the 2018 accessibility requirements. This reflects the legal duty to ensure our services are accessible to users.
Please visit Web Content Accessibility Guidelines: Making Audio and Video Media Accessible.