News video production and editing: Tips and tools

What is news video production?

News video production is the process of producing high-quality videos for linear TV, OTT, and various digital platforms. Today’s viewers expect information and insights instantaneously due to the digital channels they already engage with. For news stations and digital publishers looking to stay competitive, it’s important to accelerate video production and editing. In this article, we cover the challenges associated with news video production and tips to improve this process.

What types of content are used in news video production?

Visual

Visual content includes weather graphics such as emergency weather alerts, graphs and charts, forecast presentations, weather maps, 3D augmented reality, as well as the use of branding across a video. Visual elements serve to engage your audience and facilitate the transfer of important weather information. 

Audio

Another vital aspect of weather video production is the ability to tell a story. Traditionally performed by the meteorologist, it is their job to break down the forecast in a way that is easily understood by an audience that is not familiar with how weather works. Additionally, it is important to engage an audience through proper storytelling, helping build brand loyalty by becoming a trusted voice within the weather space. 

Challenges with news video production

There are many challenges for teams looking to improve their presence across their OTT platform and digital channels. These include the following:

Not enough content

For digital publishers and news stations trying to engage audiences on new platforms, it can be difficult to create content on a regular basis for each channel. An easy-to-use video production tool that makes it easy to incorporate insights from experts can be valuable for generating more content. Teams can also utilize weather content to fill in gaps on their digital platforms, since weather is always top-of-mind for consumers, since it affects their commutes and daily activities. For Ashton Altieri of CBS4, weather content is a key component of their OTT stream and social channels and it helps them create consistent content.

Content native to each platform

Just a few years ago, many stations were just creating content for their linear TV channels and publishers were just focusing on printed newspapers. However, digital platforms have become more prominent and disrupted the way consumers seek information. If these organizations wish to remain relevant, it’s important to update information across platforms, resulting in videos that need different sizes and dimensions catering to viewers in their preferred medium.

Up-to-date content

Audiences expect updates instantaneously especially when it comes to breaking news. As a result, news stations need tools that allow their teams to quickly respond to updates happening globally without needing huge levels of production, if they want to keep their audiences engaged and informed. By accelerating the video production process, your organization can gain trust and credibility and be the go-to source for information.

Unique content

The competition is fierce in terms of information sources, so your content must stand out. You have to utilize captivating visualizations, bring in experts, sponsors or even viewers, and tell interesting, relevant stories that viewers crave such as health-related topics, climate change impact or lifestyle anecdotes.

Ashton Altieri from CBS4 noted that it has become critical for his team to create unique content for linear TV and their other digital platforms. Unique content helps improve engagement across channels, since online viewers may suffer from time constraints or have different interests. When promoting videos digitally, consider jumping straight into breaking news or weather updates. This information can be paired with insights that can’t be gained on linear TV, to improve engagement.

What are the stages of news video production?

Pre-production/planning

Includes the planning stages of a video as well as the accumulation of existing assets to be used in video production. Most importantly, this is where the script is drafted and refined to help guide the video. 

Production

The act of video production itself includes the entire recording process, as well as the incorporation of the meteorologist to help guide the video broadcast. This stage can include the addition of assets that are available with the click of a button, especially in the case of live-streaming content. 

Post production/editing

Depending on the video and capabilities, post-production would include the insertion of assets as well as branding within the broadcast. Editing would also consist of making sure the recorded video meets the guidelines of all distribution sizes and formats. 

Distribution

Once the video production is complete, the final step is distribution. Whether that be through TV, OTT, or other digital platforms like smart devices. Planning when to launch a video and what medium to share it through is important when considering timeliness as well as audience reach.  

What are the benefits of professional news video production software?

Enhances brand

Professional news video production software can elevate your brand. Incorporating it across all ranges of video, while also being coherent and cohesive alongside your video’s message. Most professional software will enable your organization to pre-set templates, helping to streamline your brand and cut down on editing time. 

Retains audience

Professional news video production software enables your organization to be engaging and accurate in the presentation of weather information. Being able to provide both immediate and insightful information first helps to instill brand loyalty in viewers. So much so that they know to come to your organization first to get the information needed to help plan their day-to-day schedule. 

Streamlines video editing efforts

Ashton Altieri from CBS Colorado noted that weather content drives engagement across their OTT platform, with audiences averaging 30 minutes or more. Viewers, however, expect to see frequent and fresh content. For news stations and digital publishers looking to increase viewership, it’s important to have accurate weather information that can be easily implemented into video format. Weather can change quickly and the right tool can easily incorporate these updates, so your team can get content live faster.

Helps boost accuracy

Max Velocity makes it easy to incorporate accurate weather data into videos. In fact, The Weather Company was dubbed the most accurate weather forecast provider worldwide, according to a study by Forecast Watch. As a result, your team can be rest assured that you are providing accurate and reliable information when severe weather strikes.

4 tips for improving the news video production process

Below are some tips to improve and accelerate your video production workflow:

1. Use templates

Professional pre-created templates can help your team push breaking news and updates live quickly. Teams can populate these templates with vital information, without straining internal resources or needing specialized training. These templates can be formatted according to what your team needs. With Max Velocity you can show two speakers or incorporate brand logos onto the lower part of the screen. Test out different templates to determine which works best for your audience.

2. Showcase industry experts

In an age of misinformation, showcasing industry experts poses a few additional advantages. According to Deloitte, 70% of US consumers are concerned about fake news. Misinformation can be easily spread on social media networks, making it difficult for consumers to discern what is true or false. In spite of this, a quarter of those interviewed noted that reading or watching news is one of their top activities on these social platforms.

Leveraging expert opinions can help your team create more credible digital content, while building trust with audiences. With the right video production tool, your team can easily bring in the right people at the right time with a click of a button regardless of their location.

3. Drive more monetization & bring sponsors to air

Accelerating the amount of videos your team produces can lead to more revenue, since there are more sponsorship opportunities. Your team can also offer special digital sponsorship packages such as native advertising where the sponsor can be interviewed live giving them more local exposure and message flexibility. Your video production tool should easily enable this without adding a strain on internal resources. This type of digital content is more engaging and thus the campaign effectiveness tends to be more lucrative to the advertiser. It’s a win-win for everyone, allowing you to boost monetization on an ongoing basis.

4. Leverage weather data & maps in severe storms

Weather impacts every decision made by consumers and is the original influencer. As a result, weather content is a critical component of any strategy. With the influx of severe weather events and disasters related to climate change, viewers are tuning in to see how the weather will impact their commute, weekend, or plans. Being able to leverage weather data in the case of severe weather puts your team at the forefront of your audience, allowing you to become a trusted voice even outside of severe weather emergencies.

Produce compelling news videos with Max Velocity

News video production is a vital component to any digital strategy. To boost traffic and increase audience engagement, it’s imperative to produce high-quality videos on a consistent basis. Deployed on the security-rich Max Cloud, Max Velocity makes it easy for teams to respond to breaking news or produce day-to-day evergreen content without specialized training. To learn more about our news video production and editing tool, contact us today.