Corporate New Year and end-of-year video: best practices

Business · 8 min read

The New Year video is one of the few pieces of content the whole company watches: employees, clients, partners, candidates. Done well, it fits in two minutes and sets the tone for the year. Done in a rush, it looks like every other one. Here is how to get it right, from the message to distribution.

1.Why a video rather than a card

A card is read in three seconds. A video shows a face, a voice, a team. It can be shared on LinkedIn, in a newsletter, on the intranet or at the opening of a kick-off meeting. It also works as employer branding content for candidates discovering the company in January.

2.Choose the right format

The CEO message

One person, facing the camera, thanking people and setting the course. The simplest format to produce and the most expected internally.

The duo or round table

Two to four people (management, managers, employees) talking to each other. More lively, and more representative of the team.

The year in review

Highlights in a few figures and images, introduced by a speaker. Needs archive footage and a separate edit.

Behind the scenes

A light, playful sequence shot with the teams. Works very well as a short format on social media.

3.Write a short, sincere message

Aim for 60 to 90 seconds for social media, 2 to 3 minutes maximum for internal use. A simple structure works:

• Thank: the teams, the clients, one specific highlight of the year.
• Share: a direction or a concrete project for the coming year.
• Wish: a personal greeting, without a list of clichés.

Write the way you speak. Read the text out loud and cut anything that sounds like a press release. One true detail beats three superlatives.

4.Prepare the shoot

• Timing: write in November, shoot in late November or early December, publish in early January. December is busy for everyone, including the CEO's calendar.
• Teleprompter: keeps eye contact with the camera without learning the text by heart.
• Clothing: plain colours, no thin stripes or small patterns, which flicker on camera. Avoid green if a green screen is planned.
• Versions: plan a French and an English version, or a long and a short version, from the start. They can be shot in the same session.

5.Take care of the image, and above all the sound

Clean sound matters more than a perfect image: people rarely watch to the end a video where they can't hear well. A broadcast microphone, an acoustically treated room and soft lighting that shapes the face make the difference with a video shot on a phone in an office.

Multi-camera (a wide shot and close-ups) makes a speech more dynamic, even when only one person speaks.

6.Adapt it for each channel

• Horizontal 16:9 for email, the website, the intranet and YouTube.
• Short vertical format for LinkedIn, Instagram and stories: 15 to 30 seconds with the key sentence of the message.
• Subtitles: essential, as many videos are watched without sound in social feeds.
• Email: a clickable image or GIF linking to the video, rather than a heavy file attachment.

7.Publish at the right time

In France, New Year greetings are sent throughout January. Publishing in the first two weeks gives teams and clients time to watch and share it. An end-of-year video, on the other hand, goes out the week before the December holidays.

8.Checklist

• Message written and approved internally
• Speakers and versions (languages, lengths) defined
• Studio slot booked
• Clothing checked
• Distribution plan per channel (email, LinkedIn, intranet)
• Subtitles requested

9.Shoot your New Year video at ForCast

The studio, between Gare de Lyon and Bastille, is ready when you arrive: cameras, microphones and lighting set up, a technician on site, teleprompter available.

• Live Cut (€229 incl. VAT per hour): 3 cameras switched live in the control room, titles and logo, edited file handed over at the end of the session.
• Pro Edit (€149 incl. VAT per hour): 3 4K cameras, linear edit of the full recording, colour and audio mix, delivered within 48 h.
• With both packages: 15 social media shorts per hour recorded, SRT subtitles on request, files delivered via a Smash Pro link.

In one hour, a CEO can record a French version, an English version and a short version. For a year in review with archive footage, the editorial edit is done separately, for example with ForCut.studio, at the same address.

FAQ

How long should a corporate New Year video be?

60 to 90 seconds for social media, 2 to 3 minutes maximum for internal distribution.

When should the New Year video be shot?

In late November or early December, for publication in the first two weeks of January.

Do I need to learn my text by heart?

No. The studio teleprompter displays the text in front of the lens, so your eyes stay on the camera.

Can several versions be shot in one session?

Yes. In one hour you can record several languages or several lengths.

How much does a New Year video shot at ForCast cost?

From €149 incl. VAT for one hour with Pro Edit (3 cameras, linear edit, delivered within 48 h), or €229 incl. VAT with Live Cut (edited file handed over at the end of the session).