It seems to me that people outside of radio don't get the immediacy of our medium.  We audio-only types are used to writing, voicing and producing content same day, heck, even within the hour.  So when it comes to creating video for radio station website, we have to apply the same skills and sensibilities we use for sound to video. 

This past November, I had a conversation with a former APD who's now a morning host at another cluster.  It was near Thanksgiving and he was venting about how the web department was still editing footage shot at Halloween and too busy to knock out a quick video opening for his weekly tailgate feature.  Their web department employed three film school grads and had thousands of dollars in "toys".  And for him, all of the manpower and resources, as he put it, "didn't add up to one 'Drake' and that video isn't even your full-time gig!"  I was at once flattered and disgusted.

I've always been a visual producer, seeing the images in my mind and then creating the sounds to fit the scene.  Thus, the transition to creating visual content has been easier for me.  Whenever I begin a project, whether it's a :10 pre-roll or a 5 minute web video, I always think about how I'm going to tell the story.  What shots will I need?  What kind of coverage should I get to mask my edits?  What kind of audio do I need to support the narrative?

Traditional video and film types shoot tons of footage and catalog the shots for editing.  That's necessary for long form shows and films, but for 5 minute web videos, it's overkill.  I make mental notes about what I need.  Usually, there is a main narrative: an artist performing a 3-4 minute song, a contest execution, an interview or an event recap.  Then you'll need some sort of setup or open and a closing or wrap up.  I make sure to get all of these up front.  Then comes the coverage, i.e. any video you can get to that will support your main narrative and cover any edits you'll need to make.  For instance in an artist performance, you can get shots of the audience, close ups of the singer or musicians (especially solos).  If you're filming a tour or a recap of a station event, use signage, scenery, or crowd shots.  If you have a talent providing a voice over, note what they're saying and get shots of things they talk about to punctuate the narrative.

If you think about how your video should look before you begin, the editing process will move along very quickly.  I've always said that radio is not instant, but it is immediate.  If you can't get videos produced and on your station sites and social network pages quickly, there's little benefit for the amount of effort you put in.  Who wants to watch the Halloween costume party at Christmastime?  Twenty-four to forty-eight hours after the fact seems to be the limit.  Some things will have a longer shelf life, but if you can't capitalize on the buzz then it's just not worth doing.