YouTube Ad Production Techniques Video Project

The goal of this project is to find multiple Creators who can produce how-to videos that demonstrate specific video ad production techniques. The content created here will be presented as part of a pre-recorded livestream for International Small Business Week, in partnership with Grow With Google, to help small businesses as they look to turn their creative marketing ideas into best-in-class videos, whatever their production budgets. These videos will be permanently and publicly available for small businesses and all viewers at YouTube.com/ads.

Each Creator whose pitch is selected will be producing two videos. These videos should be up to 3 minutes long, very direct and very clear. If selected, you should speak directly to camera, and demonstrate the technique you’re teaching. Topics include everything from how to setup and light a simple backdrop to recycling existing content into a dynamic new ad, and each represents a different basic production skill that small business can use to create their own video ads.

There are 9-10 techniques total, below, and your pitch should rank all 10 in order of which you’re most interested in producing; though you are not guaranteed to receive your top choices. Some talking points for each technique are outlined in the Background section, but more will be provided with an outline to greenlit Creators.

Simple Backdrops – With paper and light alone you can get started today
Text Overlay – Good copy can go a long way
Voice Over – A great voice can make all the difference
Top-down/Table Top – Show your product from the user’s POV
Point & Shoot – The bread & butter of production;
In Action – Show your product in action
Selfie-Style / First Person – Talking-head videos
Re-Edit / Re-Use – How to create new content from existing assets
/ 10. Animation & Motion Graphics OR Videos Built from Stills (please denote which technique you are more interested in teaching in your pitch)

Before walking viewers through each topic on-camera, you’re encouraged to introduce yourself and your production company, and you may also include your logo or a link to your YouTube page in each video that you produce. In addition to playing a part in supporting small businesses during this critical time, you’ll be positioned as an expert and gain visibility with thousands of small business owners & the larger YouTube community. In 2020, Grow with Google OnAir trained 15K+ learners through events & virtual workshops.

There is a chance that one Creator may be selected for more than two videos, so if you’re interested in creating more than two, we strongly encourage you to submit multiple pitches. Together, we will elevate, celebrate, and inspire small businesses looking to start creating content on YouTube.

DELIVERABLES:

Two up-to-3 minute videos (16×9) per Creator pitch

TIMELINE: For the full project timeline please see the Assets section.

EXPOSURE:

YouTube.com/ads
A pre-recorded livestream that will launch as part of International Small Business Week through Grow With Google.
Please review the platform best practices page.

TARGET AUDIENCE: Small businesses looking to break into video ads for YouTube. These businesses are generally new to both digital video advertising and to YouTube, who are looking for some expert, accessible guidance to get them started.

TONE: Informative, educational, and accessible for production novices; but also, engaging and inviting. Show off your expertise and encourage small businesses to try out your technique!

EXECUTIONAL MANDATORIES:

Creators MUST be available to join a 90-minute group tech walkthrough + pre-production call with the Google and YouTube teams on on May 18, from approximately 2-3:30pm PT.
Each video must cover one of the topics/techniques listed above.
You must rank all 10 production techniques in descending order of which you’re most interested and able to produce. While we will try to match each greenlit Creator with their preferred production techniques, you should be willing to produce a how-to video on any of the 10 production topics, unless that skill is outside of your area of expertise.
You may bring in talent to demonstrate the techniques on-camera; diversity in casting is strongly encouraged.
Be personable in your videos: introduce yourself to the Small Business guests at the start, let them know who you are, etc.
You must not wear or show any third-party logos or IP in your videos, and you must not disparage YouTube competitors (Facebook, Instagram, etc) in your videos.

Shooting live action or stop motion? Our priority is ensuring everyone’s safety, and we’re now requiring a COVID safety protocol plan for all relevant productions. Please review our COVID-19 Production Safety Guide and check federal, state, and local rules before and during your shoot to make sure your on-set protocols are up to date. We’re working hard to keep people working during this extraordinary time, and you should ensure your submission is executable within the anticipated timeline and budget, while also ensuring everyone’s safety.

Background/Additional Details

Research shows that small businesses appreciate and depend on step-by-step guidance in an easy to understand way. COVID-19 has added many financial hardships on them, so they do not have a lot of funds (or time) to invest in video production. They want to know how to produce a high quality video in the easiest way possible.

Check out the below videos for examples of how YouTube has approached these, or similar production technique topics, for organic content in the past:

Then, here are some key talking points to get you started for each of the 10 production techniques:

Simple Backdrops – With paper and light alone, you can get started today
- A flat surface (a wall, a white screen, or colored paper) can all be a good, affordable, and accessible backdrop for a product or person
- How to hang a backdrop for a clean, flat background
- Lighting for a flat background – Simple lighting techniques to make products or people pop in front of a solid, flat background
Text Overlay – Good copy can go a long way
- Use of visual text/copy as a primary technique, not just a CTA at the end of a video
- See and say – Supporting voice narration with text to highlight product features, promotions, etc.
- Using text/copy to tell a story or share information without a voice narration or soundtrack
- Using text/copy to keep visuals (video or stills) engaging
Voice Over – A great voice can make all the difference
- Defining voice over: dialogue that comes from an off-camera presence vs someone talking on screen
- Allows you to explain the features and benefits of a product while showing it in action, or how your business caters to a depicted user
Top-down/Table Top – Show your product from the user’s POV
- Video shot from above, with the product laid flat on a surface in front of the camera
- Can also be a “POV” shot with hands visible, as if filmed from the user’s direct POV while interacting with the product
- A great way to bring tactile sensation to a contactless world
- Also great for demonstrating what a product can do and give viewers a sense of how to interact with it in real-time
Point & Shoot – The bread & butter of production
- Any shot that isn’t:
  - Facing a person (we’re defining this as “Selfie Style”)
  - Focused on a product in front of a backdrop or laid flat on a surface
- Any shot that is:
  - A product-focused shot with some movement: zooming in, panning across, etc.
  - A shot that captures a static product – so, not a demo of the product in action – in an environment (indoor, outdoor, on a stage, in a home, etc) that isn’t a flat background or a table top angle
In Action – Show your product in action
- Showing the product “in action,” being used naturally, or “in the wild” vs an overview of the product’s features in static Table Top or Simple Backdrop setup.
- Examples could include a woman walking down the street in a coat from your apparel company, or hands demonstrating how to use a chef’s knife at a kitchen counter.
Selfie-Style / First Person – Talking-head videos
- First person: Subject holding camera and speaking directly to it
- Filming a subject: Talking head shot, where the focus of the video is on a tight shot of a person speaking directly to camera or demoing a product directly to camera
Re-Edit / Re-Use – How to create new content from existing assets
- Creating new content “in edit”
- Pulling together stills, video clips, and other assets and making them feel cohesive
Animation / Motion Graphics OR 10. Built from Stills
Animation / Motion Graphics – Using animation and/or motion graphics, alone or in combination with live-action or stills:
- Use of animation and/or motion graphics to build videos
- Animation as an overlay or in combination with video and/or stills
  Built from Stills – using static images, text, or stock assets to craft your video:
- Using static images, text, and/or stock assets to give the appearance of a live-action video
- How to use stills, alone or with video, to create an engaging ad

Submission Requirements

In order to be considered for this project, you must include the below materials in your pitch submission. For examples of effective pitches, check out this gallery.

TEXT (REQUIRED): 500 or fewer characters synopsizing how you plan to approach and execute this video.
TREATMENT (REQUIRED): A detailed narrative description of what’s going to happen in the video. If it’s helpful to you, we’ve provided a treatment template, which you can find here.
LINKS (REQUIRED): To your previous video work. Please specify your role (producer, director, cinematography, etc.) and DO NOT INCLUDE LINKS TO YOUR SHOWREEL. Please link to individual videos.
RANKED TECHNIQUES LIST (REQUIRED): You must rank all 10 production technique topics listed in the Objectives section in descending order of your interest in producing them. If a technique falls outside of your area of expertise, you can indicate that on your ranked list.
COVID PROTOCOL (REQUIRED): Please let us know your team’s COVID safety protocols for production. If you’re doing everything yourself, or your team will be working 100% remotely, let us know that this won’t apply. Otherwise, at the very minimum, your safety plan must include information about:
- What city and state you plan to film in
- Whether you are filming interiors or exteriors
- Approximately how many people you plan to have on set
- How you’ll account for testing, PPE, and distancing on set
- How you’ll handle talent and backup talent, including any hair, make-up, and wardrobe needs
- Whether you’ll have a dedicated compliance officer on set
SCRIPT (Optional): This should include dialogue from the video you intend to create.
STORYBOARDS (Optional): Additional concept art, storyboards, shot list, anything that helps get your point across. You can download the Tongal storyboard template here.
HEADSHOTS/CASTING BOARDS (Optional): Casting notes or concepts, headshots of actors, etc.
PITCH VIDEO (Optional): This is your opportunity to be face-to-face with the Sponsor and show them what you’re capable of. Consider submitting a pitch video in which you tell the Sponsor what they can expect should they choose your pitch. Also, test videos, animatics, etc. are welcome. For some examples of effective Pitch videos, check out this gallery. All Pitches will remain private until after the Sponsor gives creator(s) the green light to move forward.