Several types of postproduction editing and effects software are available to bring all your video sequences together for a professional finish. If you are not familiar with video software, it might be worth using a video production company to help provide the finishing touches to your product.

The same principles of communication design apply to video as to any other method of showing information – clarity and accuracy. Fancy special effects should not be allowed to distort or obscure the information you are presenting, and no amount of whiz-bang graphics or camera effects will disguise a poorly crafted narrative or lack of substantial content.

Key guidelines to consider in postproduction include:

• ensuring that the style and mood of all elements are appropriate for both your subject and your audience, and are consistent with any related material, such as print products or online content
• editing and proofreading all text, and making sure it is legible
• adhering to the standards for tables, graphs, maps, illustrations and diagrams
• checking that important messages are easy to understand.