TL;DR:
When creating a school marketing video, it’s tempting to include everyone who agrees to be interviewed—students, parents, teachers, alumni—but cramming too many voices into one video overwhelms viewers and weakens your message. Focus on telling a clear, emotional story with intentional strong voices. Film more than you need, but don’t feel pressured to use every clip. Prioritize connection over inclusion. Unused interviews can always be repurposed later for other video content.
So, you’re planning your school’s video marketing campaign. You’re thinking about the concept, the themes, the shots you want to capture. Naturally, you start thinking about who should be in the video. You come up with a solid list: students, parents, alumni, alumni parents, teachers, leadership. You invite them all to campus to take part in the project—sharing their stories, talking about why your school has meant so much to them, and helping with marketing and admissions.
I’m a big believer in filming as much content as you can. But that doesn’t mean everything—and everyone—needs to make the cut for your main video. That includes interviews. Let me share a story.
A few years ago, we were reviewing some old videos a client had produced with another company. Quality-wise, it looked great. Nice visuals, clean audio, vibrant color. But there was a big issue: it was overwhelming. In the first 25 seconds alone, there were at least 10 different voices crammed in. Just short soundbites one after another. I felt exhausted before I even hit the 30-second mark of a “well-produced” video.
The school didn’t have the watch-time data, but I’d bet most viewers dropped off around the 15-second mark. It was just too much. You couldn’t follow who was who. It broke what I believe is one of the most important principles of school marketing video production: creating a deeper connection with your audience.
I watched the rest of the video. The pacing never settled. In total, it had about 18 different speakers jammed into it. It started to feel less like a story and more like a fast-paced highlight reel of quotes. No emotional rhythm. No time to connect. Just constant transitions.
And here’s the thing: too many voices means too many characters for the viewer to process. Think about Stranger Things. The later seasons got a lot of heat for having a bloated main cast. So many characters made it hard to focus on who the story was really about. That confusion affects pacing, emotion, and ultimately, the impact of the story. The same applies to video production for school admissions or branding. You lose focus, and you lose your audience.
So, here’s my advice: be intentional about who’s in your video. Don’t put yourself in a position where you’re sifting through 40 interviews and trying to cram all of them into one piece. Some might make the cut. Some won’t. And that’s okay.
Those unused interviews might be perfect for a different project—maybe a series of short student testimonial videos, or a School Fundraising Video Production piece down the road.
Focus on the story—not on the politics of “we have to include them because they gave their time.” You’re creating something meant to connect, not just check boxes.
