How Do Video Production Companies Identify Training Objectives Before Filmi

Let us clear something up right away.

When people think about training video production, they usually picture cameras, lights, and someone nervously repeating lines. What most people do not see is what happens before any of that. And honestly… that part matters more than the filming itself.

A training video can look amazing and still fail if it does not teach the right thing. That is why good video production companies spend a lot of time figuring out the training objectives first. No shortcuts there.

It always starts with understanding who the video is for

This is the first real conversation we have.

Who is watching this? New hires on their first week? Staff who already know the basics? Managers learning a new process? That changes everything. The tone, the pace, even the words used on screen.

Imagine explaining advanced software steps to someone who has barely opened the program before. Frustration. Confusion. Fast forward button pressed.

That is why production teams often ask questions, run short surveys, or talk directly with staff. Sometimes they even watch how people work day to day. Not to judge… just to understand where the gaps really are. Because what leadership thinks employees need and what employees actually struggle with are not always the same.

Getting clear on what people should learn

Once the audience is clear, the next step is locking in the learning goals.

This is where things can get messy if it is rushed. Saying “we want to train staff” is too vague. Good training videos answer very specific questions like…

What should someone be able to do after watching this?

What mistakes are we trying to reduce?

Does this video support safety, speed, quality, or consistency?

Some teams turn these into simple bullet points or checklists. Nothing fancy. Just clear outcomes. This keeps everyone aligned… clients, producers, editors, and presenters.

And yes, it saves a lot of time later. Filming without clear objectives usually means reshoots. Nobody enjoys that.

Working closely with subject matter experts

This part is huge.

Subject matter experts are the people who actually do the job every day. They know the shortcuts, the common mistakes, and the things that never make it into manuals.

Video teams usually sit down with them early. We ask questions. We listen. We watch how tasks are done in real life, not just how they are supposed to be done on paper.

This is often where storyboards come in. Nothing fancy. Just a rough plan of scenes. What needs a close-up? What needs a screen capture? Where would a simple graphic make things clearer?

Without this step, even the best production quality cannot save the video.

Picking the right format for the message

Not every training objective needs the same style of video.

Some topics work best as hands-on demos. Others are clearer with animation or screen recordings. Sometimes a mix works best.

Attention span matters too. Studies show engagement drops sharply after about 10 minutes for most training videos. That is why objectives help guide length. If the goal is simple, the video should be simple too.

Short. Clear. Easy to replay when needed.

Why all this planning actually matters

At the end of the day, a training video is not entertainment. It is a tool.

When video production companies take time to understand the audience, define clear objectives, collaborate with experts, and choose the right format, the result is something people actually use. Not something that sits unwatched in a folder.

So if you are working with a media production company, look for one that asks a lot of questions before filming. That planning is not slowing things down. It is what makes the final video effective.

Because the best training videos do not just look good… they work.