
An industrial video is a
video
Video is an Electronics, electronic medium for the recording, copying, playback, broadcasting, and display of moving picture, moving image, visual Media (communication), media. Video was first developed for mechanical television systems, whi ...
that targets
industry as its primary audience. An industrial video is a type of
sponsored film
Sponsored film, or ephemeral film, as defined by film archivist Rick Prelinger, is a film made by a particular sponsor (commercial), sponsor for a specific purpose other than as a work of art: the films were designed to serve a specific pragmatic p ...
(such as an
educational film
An educational film is a film or movie whose primary purpose is to educate. Educational films have been used in classrooms as an alternative to other teaching methods.
History
Determining which films should count as the first educational fil ...
) which prioritizes pragmatism over artistic value. While the primary purpose of an educational film is to inform an audience, the purpose of an industrial video can vary depending on the client.
Purposes
An industrial video may be used for:
*
Marketing
Marketing is the act of acquiring, satisfying and retaining customers. It is one of the primary components of Business administration, business management and commerce.
Marketing is usually conducted by the seller, typically a retailer or ma ...
, communicating to potential clients the value of services or products.
*
Customer
In sales, commerce, and economics, a customer (sometimes known as a Client (business), client, buyer, or purchaser) is the recipient of a Good (economics), good, service (economics), service, product (business), product, or an Intellectual prop ...
s, such as a video that explains how to use a product
*
Fundraising
Fundraising or fund-raising is the process of seeking and gathering voluntary financial contributions by engaging individuals, businesses, charitable foundations, or governmental agencies. Although fundraising typically refers to efforts to gathe ...
, such as for informing potential investors about the merits of a company, or generating capital for a charitable cause.
*
Corporation
A corporation or body corporate is an individual or a group of people, such as an association or company, that has been authorized by the State (polity), state to act as a single entity (a legal entity recognized by private and public law as ...
s, such as a video that shares a CEO's vision with his employees, or a video that warns employees against improper ethical behavior.
Industrial videos have become more prevalent in the market than industrial films because of the lower cost of producing video content.
Content creation

Like all
filmmaking
Filmmaking or film production is the process by which a Film, motion picture is produced. Filmmaking involves a number of complex and discrete stages, beginning with an initial story, idea, or commission. Production then continues through screen ...
, industrial videos go through the stages of development, pre-production, production, post-production and distribution. During the development stage, a sponsor chooses a video production company that they believe can best meet their needs. Producers of industrial videos can hire
technical writer
A technical writer is a professional communicator whose task is to convey complex information in simple terms to an audience of the general public or a very select group of readers. Technical writers research and create information through a vari ...
s. These technical writers attempt to translate difficult technical information from "subject matter experts" into a script that is more understandable to a general audience. Alternatively, other industrial video production companies target a specialized niche where the producer, director or writer already has expertise. Once a production company is contracted, the project enters
pre-production
Pre-production is the process of planning some of the elements involved in a film, television show, play, video game, or other performance, as distinct from production and post-production. Pre-production ends when the planning ends and the co ...
, when the script is written, talent is hired, and materials are obtained.
These individual elements are used during production, when a video camera records the talent and audio is captured by a microphone. During
post-production
Post-production, also known simply as post, is part of the process of filmmaking, video production, audio production, and photography. Post-production includes all stages of production occurring after principal photography or recording indivi ...
, the footage from the production phase is assembled into a coherent whole. Finally, the final product is distributed and exhibited. If the project was a training video, the video may be included with the product, so the buyer can learn to use it most effectively. If the project was a marketing video, it may be directly mailed to potential clients to encourage them to buy the product; or, if the product was designed for
exhibition, it may be shown at a
trade fair
A trade show, also known as trade fair, trade exhibition, or trade exposition, is an exhibition organized so that companies in a specific Industry (economics), industry can showcase and demonstrate their latest Product (business), products and se ...
. The use of industrial videos for corporate use has been increasing,
A NewsMarket article on increasing spending on corporate video
/ref> suggesting that industrial videos will continue to be produced in the future.
See also
* Video production companies
* Corporate video
Corporate film refers to any type of non-advertisement based film/video content created for and commissioned by a business, company, corporation, or organization. Today, the vast majority of corporate film content is hosted online and is published ...
* Technical writer
A technical writer is a professional communicator whose task is to convey complex information in simple terms to an audience of the general public or a very select group of readers. Technical writers research and create information through a vari ...
* Technical communication
Technical communication (or tech comm) is communication of technical subject matter such as engineering, science, or technology content. The largest part of it tends to be technical writing, though importantly it often requires aspects of visual ...
References
External links
{{Wikiversity, Technical writing
Film genres
Industrial video