How to prepare for a launch video

Start with the moment, not the video

A launch video serves a specific moment: a product release, a funding announcement, a new category, a rebrand. Before thinking about style, write down three things in a sentence each: who needs to see this first, what they should understand after watching, and what they should do next.

If you can’t agree on those three sentences internally, the video will try to say everything. Settle them first; every later decision gets easier.

Choose one message

Most launch videos fail by explaining too much. Pick the single idea the audience must remember, then decide what supports it and what can wait for a demo, a help article, or a follow-up post.

• The problem, described the way your audience would describe it.
• What changes when they use the product.
• Why your team is the one to build it.
• One clear next step: try it, join the waitlist, book a demo.

Gather what production will need

Delays usually come from missing inputs, not from editing. Collect these before kick-off:

• Access to a stable product or demo environment with realistic sample data (never real customer data).
• Brand assets: logo files in vector format, colours, fonts, and any existing guidelines.
• Existing footage, screenshots, photos, and past videos you’re happy to reuse.
• Names of everyone who must approve the work, and who has the final say.
• Any legal requirements: claims that need checking, trademarks, or wording your industry restricts.

Decide formats and channels early

Where the video will be watched shapes how it is made. A website hero, a social feed, a sales deck, and an investor update each need different lengths and framing. List every place the launch will appear, then agree which versions you need: the main film, shorter cutdowns, vertical versions for mobile feeds, and captioned versions for viewers watching without sound.

Deciding this at the start lets the team frame shots and design animation that work in every ratio, instead of cropping awkwardly at the end.

Work backward from launch day

Put the launch date at the end of the calendar and plan backward. Leave room between each stage for review, because feedback always takes longer than expected.

1. Brief agreedAudience, message, objective, and deliverables signed off.
2. Script and treatmentWords and visual plan approved before production.
3. ProductionFilming, screen capture, and animation.
4. First cut and reviewConsolidated feedback from the named approvers.
5. Final versionsAll agreed cuts, ratios, and captions delivered.
6. BufferTime to upload, test links, and fix anything before launch day.

Treat the schedule as a plan you agree, not a promise. If an input arrives late, move the dates openly rather than squeezing review time.

Plan the launch around the video

The video does its best work when everything around it is ready: the landing page it links to, the posts that carry it, the email that announces it, and the people who will share it. Prepare tracked links for each channel, test them, and decide who posts what and when.