Many videos feature people in the visual component or the audio component or both. Choosing the right people is critical to the success of the finished product. Some of the ways in which people can be used in a video are:

• narrating, reporting or presenting – visual and audio, or audio only (voice-over)
• interviewing or being interviewed
• live action, ‘reality’ or documentary-style observation of real activities
• acting or dramatising in scripted or posed scenarios
• directly addressing the camera as an essential or core content
• as background imagery, providing context or examples, or as visual fillers accompanying audio narration
• as real people or animated characters, doing any of the above.

As with all design decisions, when casting people for your video, you should consider how the choice of particular people supports your message and creates an effective rapport with the audience. It can be useful to think about the people in your video as characters and answer the following questions about them:

• What is their purpose? (eg providing expert evidence, bringing credibility, representing different socioeconomic demographics)
• What or who are they representing? (eg a profession, organisation, ordinary person)
• How should they behave? (eg casual, friendly, stern, authoritative, excited, sombre)
• What do they need to do or say? (ie what are the key messages they need to communicate?).

Graphic elements are commonly used in video, often in combination with text, such as in title or credit sequences, segues and labels. More elaborate graphics can be used as an alternative to, or in combination with, filming people and live action. Graphics might be a more feasible approach for abstract or technical content where it is not possible to film the detail, such as explaining a chemical reaction, mapping a policy process or demonstrating a medical procedure.

Graphics in video can be as simple as a series of still images, as in a slide show, or as complex as a 3D computer-generated animation. The graphics may include any form of data visualisation, from simple tables or graphs to complex data-driven maps or models. Video is an ideal format for exploring extensive multidimensional datasets that can be animated – for example, a time-series map of global disease outbreaks.

The same design considerations should be applied to graphics and data visualisation for video as for print – that is, clarity and accuracy. Key considerations are as follows:

• Ensure legibility of all text.
• Choose the most appropriate form of graphic or data visualisation.
• Design the graphics using standard conventions for the chosen form of data visualisation.
• Plan sequences of information in bite-size chunks, presenting a single idea at a time. For example, present a simplified overview of a process, and then delve into the detail of each step by highlighting or zooming in on specific areas.
• Plan the duration and speed of sequences or animation so that viewers have enough time to perceive, digest and understand what is happening. Hold critical moments on screen for long enough for the audience to read text twice or grasp key data points.

Showing methods, processes and operations is ideal for video; anything associated with the idea of motion or progression will suit video more than other media. However, ‘action’ needs to be captured in a visually appealing way.

It is important to think about the best angles to capture action visually. If the action involves someone operating something, time needs to be taken to find the best angles that will keep the person and the activity in frame.