Video production and branding glossary
Production, creative and brand terms explained in plain language. No marketing jargon, written from inside a studio.
14 terms
Video production
B-roll
B-roll is supplementary footage cut over the main shot, typically over an interview. It hides edits, illustrates what is being said and holds the viewer's attention.
Colour grading
Colour grading is the adjustment of colour and contrast in post-production. First shots are matched so they cut together, then the footage gets the final look that fits the brand.
Creative brief
A creative brief is a short document that defines a video's goal, audience, core message, budget and deadline before shooting starts. It is what a production company prices and plans against.
Post-production
Post-production is everything that happens to a video after the shoot: editing, colour, sound, captions, graphics and exporting for each platform. It usually takes longer than the shoot itself.
Showreel
A showreel is a short montage of a studio's or creator's best work, usually under two minutes. It is a calling card for capability, not a case study of one project.
Storyboard
A storyboard is a frame by frame sketch of a video before it is shot. It shows what each shot contains, in what order and with what copy, so the client sees the film before day one of the shoot.
Branding
Brand guidelines
Brand guidelines are the document defining how a brand may be used: permitted and forbidden logo usage, colours, typefaces, writing style and photography. It is the binding reference for suppliers and employees alike.
Key visual
A key visual is the central visual motif of a campaign from which every other format is derived. It holds a campaign together so the billboard, the social post and the banners read as one thing.
Rebranding
Rebranding is changing a brand, which can cover the name, logo, visual identity and communication. It is done when the current brand no longer matches what the company is or who it sells to.
Tone of voice
Tone of voice is the defined way a brand speaks: vocabulary, sentence length, how it addresses people and what it avoids. It is the verbal counterpart to a visual identity and keeps communication consistent no matter who writes it.
Visual identity
A visual identity is the set of visual elements a brand communicates with: logo, colours, typography, image treatment and graphic principles. It is more than a logo; it is the rule for how everything looks together.
Social media
Content plan
A content plan is a schedule of what a brand publishes, where and when, usually a month ahead. It lists topics, formats, dates and an owner, so content is not made at the last minute.
UGC (user generated content)
UGC is content made by users or creators rather than by the brand itself. It works on social because it reads as a recommendation from someone you know rather than an ad, even when it is paid.