Creating a Thriving Video Culture Through Co-creation
Creating a thriving video culture in your organization doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. In fact, the simplest approach is often the most effective. While many businesses struggle to produce enough quality video content, a select few have discovered a powerful secret: co-creation. This collaborative approach to video production allows your team to focus on what they know best—your business and its stories—while leaving the technical aspects to professionals. The result? A sustainable system that multiplies your video output while maintaining professional quality. Let’s explore how co-creation can transform your organization’s approach to video.
What is video co-creation and why it works
Video co-creation is a simple yet powerful concept: your employees film the content, and professional editors transform this raw footage into polished, brand-consistent videos. Think of it as the perfect middle ground between expensive production companies and DIY video tools that often produce amateur results.
This approach works because it leverages the unique strengths of both parties. Your team brings invaluable internal knowledge, authentic perspectives, and immediate access to events and people. Meanwhile, professional editors contribute their technical expertise, creative skills, and ensure your videos maintain consistent brand quality.
Key Benefits of Video Co-creation
Benefit | Description |
---|---|
Cost-effectiveness | Eliminate expensive camera crews while still achieving professional results |
Authentic content | Videos made by colleagues feel more genuine than traditional productions |
Quick turnaround | Significantly reduced production times compared to traditional video |
Scalability | Create more videos across more departments without proportional cost increases |
Consistent branding | Professional editors ensure all videos align with your brand guidelines |
How co-creation builds a sustainable video culture
Building a video culture isn’t just about making more videos—it’s about making video creation a natural part of your organization’s communication approach. Co-creation excels here because it democratises video production across your entire organization.
Traditional video production often centralizes capabilities within specific teams or relies on external vendors. Co-creation, however, distributes video creation capabilities throughout your organization. Marketing, internal communications, HR, learning and development—any department can produce videos when they need them.
This approach removes the technical barriers that typically prevent wider adoption. Since filming can be done with smartphones and basic equipment, the learning curve is minimal. Employees focus on the content while leaving the technical post-production to specialists.
Perhaps most importantly, co-creation creates a repeatable system. Teams develop formats and templates they can use repeatedly, making each subsequent video easier to produce. This consistency encourages ongoing video creation rather than one-off projects.
Why do traditional video approaches often fail?
Common Pain Points in Traditional Video Production
- Prohibitive costs: Professional video production is expensive, often limiting video to only the highest-priority projects
- Scheduling challenges: Coordinating external crews requires advance planning, making timely video creation difficult
- Lack of authenticity: Outside production teams may not fully understand your organization’s culture and nuances
- Slow turnaround times: Traditional production timelines often span weeks or months
- Limited scalability: Budgets rarely allow for the volume of video content most organizations actually need
These limitations create a situation where video remains a special occasion activity rather than a regular communication channel. When video production is complex, expensive, and slow, it’s natural that organizations limit its use—regardless of how much they might want to create more content.
Getting started with video co-creation
Implementing co-creation in your organization can be straightforward if you follow these practical steps:
1. Equipment essentials
You don’t need expensive gear to get started. Most modern smartphones have excellent cameras, though you’ll want to invest in some basics:
- Smartphone tripod for stability
- External microphone for better audio quality
- Simple lighting solutions like ring lights
2. Training fundamentals
Provide basic training on filming techniques and script development. Focus on practical skills like proper framing, lighting basics, and audio considerations. Remember that the goal isn’t to create filmmakers—it’s to ensure team members can capture usable footage.
3. Create formats and templates
Develop reusable formats such as:
- Monthly update videos
- Employee spotlights
- Product showcases
- Event recaps
These templates make planning easier and help maintain consistency across videos.
4. Establish feedback loops
Create a clear process for communication between your internal creators and the professional editors. This ensures expectations are aligned and improvements can be made over time.
The Co-creation Advantage: Traditional vs. Co-creation Approach
Aspect | Traditional Video Production | Co-creation Approach |
---|---|---|
Cost | High (full production crew) | Moderate (editing services only) |
Time to produce | Weeks to months | Days to weeks |
Authenticity | Often polished but impersonal | Genuine content from real team members |
Volume potential | Limited by budget | Scalable across departments |
Accessibility | Usually limited to priority projects | Available to all departments |
By embracing co-creation, you can build a video culture that’s sustainable, cost-effective, and authentic. The approach leverages the best of both worlds: your team’s knowledge and our professional editing expertise. The result is a system that makes creating professional videos as easy as 1-2-3.
If you’re interested in learning more, contact our team today