Why we use a video planning template

An idea usually makes sense when we've just had it. The problem is coming back to it three days later.

We might remember the general subject, but not the angle we had in mind or the example we wanted to use. And if someone else is working on the project with us, they definitely can't see what was happening in our head when we wrote "video about organization".

A little planning gives the idea enough context to become something we can actually work on.

It also helps us separate two things that used to get mixed together: deciding what the video is and writing the actual script.

We prefer to make the main decisions first. Then when we start scripting or filming, we're not still trying to figure out the whole point of the video.

Our video planning template in practice

We don't fill in every part for every video. A quick Reel might only need a goal, an angle and a few notes. A longer YouTube video might need much more.

But these are the main things we like having available when a project needs them:

That might look like a lot when it's written as a list, but most of these can be answered in one sentence. We're not writing a marketing report. We're giving ourselves enough context to make the content.

1. What are we trying to do with this video?

We start with the goal because it changes almost everything else.

Are we trying to explain something? Show a feature? Share an experience? Make someone laugh? Get people interested in a product? Answer a question we keep receiving?

A video can obviously do more than one thing, but we like having one main goal. Otherwise it's very easy to keep adding ideas until the video is trying to do everything at once.

2. Who are we talking to?

We don't need a giant audience persona with a name, favourite coffee and twenty pages of demographic information.

We just want to know who we're speaking to well enough to explain the subject properly.

A beginner doesn't need the same explanation as someone who already knows the subject. A creator working alone doesn't necessarily have the same problems as an agency managing ten clients.

Knowing who we're talking to helps us decide what needs explaining and what we can leave out.

3. What's our angle?

This is the part that turns a broad topic into an actual video.

"Video scripts" is a topic. "How we write scripts without sounding like we're reading" is an angle.

"Content organization" is a topic. "Why our videos kept getting stuck before publication" is an angle.

The angle gives us a direction and stops the video from becoming a collection of everything we know about the subject.

4. What's the one thing we want people to remember?

This is our main message.

If someone watches the whole video and remembers only one thing afterwards, what do we want that thing to be?

We try to write it simply. It doesn't need to sound like a slogan. It's mostly there to help us notice when the script starts drifting away from the point.

5. What problem are we talking about?

Not every video needs a dramatic problem, but a lot of useful content starts because something isn't working as well as it could.

Maybe creators keep losing track of their videos. Maybe writing scripts takes too long. Maybe they reach editing and realise they forgot half the shots.

In Peliku, we call this the Pain point. It's simply the problem, frustration or difficulty behind the content.

6. What does someone get from watching?

This is the other side of the problem. If someone gives us their time, what are we giving them back?

Maybe they'll understand something better. Maybe they'll have a process they can try. Maybe they'll save time. Maybe they'll simply feel less alone because we've had the same problem.

We call this the Main benefit. Again, it can be one simple sentence.

7. How do we want the video to feel?

We added this because two videos can say almost the same thing and still feel completely different.

Do we want the person watching to feel reassured? Curious? Motivated? Amused? Like we're having a normal conversation with them?

Thinking about the emotion can change the writing, pacing, visuals and even the way we speak on camera.

We don't need to overthink it. It's just another small clue that helps us make choices later.

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Then we decide what the video actually needs

Once the idea itself is clear, we can start thinking about production.

This is where the planning becomes more practical. What format are we making? Which platform is it for? Do we need a full script? Do we need B-roll? Is there a filming date?

We don't necessarily answer all of those questions immediately, but having the content direction clear makes them much easier to answer.

Format and platform

A vertical short video and a longer YouTube video might start from the same idea but become completely different pieces of content.

Knowing the format and platform early helps us think about length, framing, pacing and what we'll eventually need for publication.

Script or talking points

Once the planning is clear, we can decide how much scripting the video actually needs.

Sometimes we write every word. Sometimes we only need an outline. The preparation gives us enough context to choose instead of automatically writing a full script for everything.

Our video script guide explains how we handle that part.

Shots and filming needs

We also start thinking about what people need to see. Do we need screen recordings? Close-ups? B-roll? A specific location? Equipment or props?

We don't necessarily build the full shot list during the first planning session, but we can already spot anything that might affect the production.

Then, when the project gets closer to filming, we can move into proper video shoot planning.

Important dates

If the content needs to be published on a specific date, we want to know that before we're already late.

We can work backwards from the publication date and decide when preparation, filming and editing need to happen.

That's the part we cover in more detail in our video production timeline guide.

A video planning template shouldn't make every video identical

This is important to us because templates can easily become rules.

You create a template with twelve fields, so suddenly you feel like every project needs twelve answers before you can start.

We don't work like that.

If we're making a simple video and we already know what we want to say, we might only use a few pieces of the planning. If we're preparing something larger, we can go into much more detail.

The template is there to give us somewhere to put useful information. It isn't a checklist we have to complete for the sake of completing it.

The planning mistakes we've made ourselves

Most of our mistakes came from either planning too little or trying to plan absolutely everything.

Starting with a topic instead of an actual idea

"YouTube", "productivity" or "video editing" aren't really enough to start a useful project. They're subjects.

We need to decide what we're actually saying about the subject before the rest of the planning becomes useful.

Trying to answer everything in one video

Once we start planning, it's easy to see all the related things we could talk about and keep adding them.

We try to come back to the main message. If another idea is useful but doesn't belong in this video, we'd rather turn it into another piece of content.

Filling fields because they're there

This is exactly what we don't want Peliku to become.

If a field doesn't help us with a particular project, we don't need to invent an answer just to make the planning look complete.

Planning so much that we never start

At some point, we need to stop preparing and actually make the video.

We want enough clarity to move forward. We don't need to predict every decision we'll make during filming and editing.

Not updating the plan when the idea changes

Sometimes the project changes while we're working on it. We find a better angle, remove a section or realise the original format isn't right.

That's fine. The plan isn't something we're locked into. We'd rather update it than keep following an idea we no longer think is good.

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How Peliku becomes our video planning template

We didn't want to create a separate planning document for every video and then copy that information into the rest of the production later.

In Peliku, the planning stays with the content itself. We can start with an idea, turn it into a project and keep adding the information we need as the project becomes clearer.

The General section can hold things like the goal, audience, angle, main message, pain point, main benefit and target emotion.

Then the same content can move into the next parts of the workflow without starting over:

That's the part we find useful. The planning isn't a document we finish and forget. It becomes the starting point for the rest of the production.

We can add more detail when we need it

Once the project grows, we can add a script, tasks, notes, shooting information and important dates without losing the original idea and preparation behind it.

That also means we don't need to decide everything on day one. We can start with the information we already have and add the rest when it becomes useful.

Other people can understand the project too

This becomes even more useful when we're not working alone. If someone joins the project to help with filming, editing or another part of production, they can see what we're trying to make without us having to explain the whole idea again.

The goal, message, script, tasks and production information all stay connected to the same content.

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FAQ about video planning templates

For us, the best template is the one we actually use

We could make a video planning template with thirty fields and cover every possible situation. It would look very complete. We'd probably also stop using it after a week.

What works better for us is having the useful questions available and answering the ones that make sense for the project in front of us.

Sometimes we only need to know the goal, angle and main message before we start. Other times we need a script, shooting plan, tasks and several production dates.

The important part is that the planning helps us move forward. When we finish preparing a video, we should understand what we're making well enough to start the next stage without having to figure everything out again.

That's what we want from a video planning template. Not more paperwork. Just a clearer starting point.