A project results video has to answer four questions for someone who wasn't involved: why the project was needed, what was done, what it achieved and what participants say about it. Plan three to five minutes for the final report and a one- to two-minute highlight for the public, and start keeping material from the first month of the project, not the last.
Many project officers know the situation: a year of work is done, and only at the close does it turn out that a results video is required. The phone holds hundreds of event photos, but no one is sure how to turn them into something a review panel, a supervising agency or a funder can watch. This applies to grant-funded schemes, commissioned work, university projects and community projects alike. A results video doesn't need to be lavish. It needs to let someone who wasn't there understand, in a few minutes, what the project did, who it helped and what changed.
Four questions the video answers
- Why it was done: the problem the project set out to solve, opened with a concrete situation or one person.
- What was done: the main activities; pick three to five representative ones.
- What it achieved: participants, sessions and outputs, shown in simple charts or title cards. Figures follow the project's official records.
- What participants say: a line or two from trainees, residents or partners is more convincing than narration.
Start keeping material from day one
The usual difficulty is discovering at the close that there isn't enough material. From the start of the project, ask the delivery team to:
- Film every event: the venue before it starts, the interaction during it, the group photo at the end. Phone horizontal; ten to thirty seconds per clip is enough.
- Record video at key moments, not only photos. A burst of laughter or one participant's comment is often what gives the whole video its warmth.
- Set up one shared cloud folder, organised by date or event name.
- Shoot before and after: the same spot from the same angle, once before work starts and once when it's finished.
For practical filming tips, see filming an event with post-production in mind.
Length and versions
- For the final report or review: three to five minutes, covering the background and results in full.
- For publicity: a one- to two-minute highlight for the website and social media.
- Vertical shorts: 30 to 60 seconds, each telling one story or one result.
If the funder or commissioning body has rules on length, format or opening and closing slates, send them at the start.
Check before submission
- Figures, the project name, and the full names and logos of the funding or supervising bodies follow the project documents; the project officer should confirm them.
- Get consent before participants appear on camera, and parental consent for anyone under 18.
- Use licensed music, typefaces and images.
- Proofread all the subtitles once, especially the names of people and places.
What to prepare before handing over
Sorted photos and video, a project summary or results report, the three to five points you want to emphasise, the funder's requirements and the submission deadline. We don't offer filming; we specialise in editing, post-production and AI video. Filming can be done by your own team or a crew you hire, and the original files then come to us. We arrange the material into a video based on the content you provide. For uploading, see how to send large video files.
Frequently asked questions
We only have photos, no video. Can it still be done?
Yes. Photos with camera movement, title cards and charts can make a complete results video. A clip or two of participants speaking adds warmth.
The deadline is tight. Is there enough time?
It depends on whether the material is already sorted and how long the video is. Tell us the deadline and the state of the material first; see can video editing be rushed.
Can one project have both a report version and a public version?
Yes. Both can be cut from the same material. Say so at the start, because they are planned differently: the report version covers the full background, while the public highlight picks a few strong moments.
Other kinds of school and public sector video are covered under school and government video production.
