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Sports documentaries have become increasingly popular over the last decade, giving viewers a behind-the-scenes look at athletes, teams and organisations. Programmes such as Drive to Survive have shown how interviews, behind-the-scenes footage and carefully structured storytelling can turn real events into engaging stories.
While corporate video and sports documentaries are very different types of content, there are several storytelling techniques that can be applied to business video production. Instead of simply telling an audience what a company does, businesses can use some of the same techniques to show the people, challenges and experiences behind their organisation.
The aim of this post is to explore some of the storytelling techniques used in sports documentaries and how they can be applied to corporate video.
A sports documentary isn’t usually just a collection of footage showing people competing. The strongest examples give the audience a reason to care about what happens.
They introduce people, establish challenges and show what is at stake. Interviews provide context, while footage from training, meetings, competitions and behind-the-scenes moments helps build a much more complete story.
This approach can also work well for businesses. A corporate video can become more interesting when it focuses on the people and experiences behind the company rather than simply listing products, services and achievements.
• Interviews. Interviews are often used to allow athletes, coaches and other people involved in a story to explain what happened from their own perspective. In corporate video, interviews can be used with employees, customers, founders and other stakeholders to provide a more personal view of the organisation.
• Behind-the-scenes footage. Sports documentaries often show what happens away from the main event. Training sessions, preparation, team meetings and conversations can all help the viewer understand what goes into achieving the final result. Businesses can use the same approach by showing their workplace, production process, team or day-to-day activities.
• Building a narrative. A sporting season naturally contains challenges, successes and setbacks. Documentary filmmakers can use these events to create a narrative that keeps the viewer interested. Corporate videos can also benefit from having a clear beginning, middle and end rather than simply presenting a collection of company information.
• Real people and real experiences. Sports documentaries usually focus on real people rather than actors. This gives viewers an opportunity to see the personalities behind the sport. The same principle can be useful in corporate video, particularly for testimonial and case study videos, where customers can explain their experiences in their own words.
• Music and sound design. Music plays an important role in creating atmosphere and helping to build tension or emotion. Corporate videos can also use music and sound design to support the story, although it is important that these elements complement the message rather than distract from it.
One of the most recognisable examples of sports documentary storytelling is Formula 1: Drive to Survive. The series doesn’t simply show the results of Formula 1 races. It gives viewers access to the teams, drivers, rivalries and decisions happening away from the track.
The trailer gives a good example of how the series combines action, interviews, behind-the-scenes footage and personal stories to create an engaging narrative:
What makes this particularly interesting from a video production perspective is the way all of these different elements are brought together. The footage isn’t simply showing what happened. It is being edited to make the audience interested in the people and the story behind what happened.
Businesses are made up of people, but corporate videos can sometimes focus too heavily on products, buildings and company information.
Introducing the people behind an organisation can make a video feel much more personal. Employees can explain what they do, customers can talk about their experiences and company leaders can explain why the organisation exists.
The finished product or service is only one part of a business. Showing what happens behind the scenes can give potential customers a better understanding of the work involved.
For example, a manufacturing company could show its production process, while a professional services business could show how its team approaches a particular project.
This type of footage can also provide useful material for websites and social media alongside the main corporate film.
A good corporate video needs a clear purpose. If the viewer cannot understand why they should continue watching, simply adding more information is unlikely to solve the problem.
A stronger approach is to give the video a story. This could involve a customer with a particular challenge, a business working towards an important goal or a team preparing for a major event.
The story doesn’t need to be dramatic. It simply needs to give the audience something to follow.
One of the reasons documentary storytelling works well is that viewers get to hear directly from the people involved.
This can be particularly effective for businesses because customers can explain the problems they faced and how a company helped them. This is one reason customer testimonial videos can be such a useful marketing tool.
Rather than telling potential customers that your business provides a good service, you can allow an existing customer to explain their experience.
Taking inspiration from documentary filmmaking doesn’t mean that every corporate video needs to become a full documentary.
The techniques can be used in many different types of production. A corporate promotional video could include employee interviews and behind-the-scenes footage, while an event video could use interviews and real moments from the event to create a stronger narrative.
The important thing is to choose the storytelling techniques that fit the purpose of the video.
Although documentary-style video can feel natural and spontaneous, there is still a considerable amount of planning involved.
Before filming begins, it is useful to understand who needs to be interviewed, what story the video needs to tell and what supporting footage will be required. This gives the production team a clear direction while still allowing genuine moments to happen during filming.
Our video production process explains how planning, filming and editing work together to create the finished video.
Sports documentaries demonstrate that audiences don’t necessarily need a complicated story to become interested in something. They need people to care about, something to follow and a reason to keep watching.
Businesses can apply the same principles to their own video content by focusing on people, showing real experiences and creating a clear narrative.
A corporate video doesn’t have to simply tell people what your business does. It can show them.
Sports documentaries have changed the way audiences experience sport by giving them greater access to the people and stories behind the action.
Corporate video can use many of the same techniques. Interviews, behind-the-scenes footage, real experiences, strong visuals and clear storytelling can all help businesses communicate their message in a more engaging way.
At CMA Video, we create professional video content for businesses and organisations, including promotional films, testimonial and case study videos, event videos and training content.
If you’re planning a corporate video and want to explore how storytelling could be used to communicate your message, get in touch.
