The 7 Main Types of Video Production Explained

A music video is a creative, performance-driven piece built around a track, usually 3 to 5 minutes long. This is one of the most demanding types of video production because it blends storytelling, choreography of the shoot, lighting and edit timed to the beat. Expect a mix of performance shots (the artist singing or playing) and narrative or stylised b-roll, often across multiple locations and lighting setups in a single day. The edit is where a lot of the value sits: cutting to the music, colour grading for mood, and matching the visual tone to the artist's brand.

Who it is for: recording artists, bands, labels and managers releasing a single. If you are booking one, be ready to share the final mastered track early, because the whole shoot and edit are built around it. Our director of photography, Jason Mildwaters, has filmed music work with artists including Jessica Mauboy, Taylor Henderson, Nathaniel and Dino Jag, so this is well-trodden ground for us.

A wedding film documents a real, unrepeatable day, which makes it a very different discipline from a scripted shoot. There are no second takes for the vows or the first dance, so experience and calm under pressure matter more than anything. Coverage usually runs from preparation in the morning through the ceremony and into the reception, and the finished film can range from a 3 to 5 minute highlight edit to a longer documentary-style cut with full speeches.

In and around Adelaide this often means filming across several settings in one day: a getting-ready location, a ceremony in the Adelaide Hills or the CBD, and a reception at a McLaren Vale or Barossa winery. Ask any wedding videographer how they handle audio (lapel mics on the celebrant and groom are the difference between usable and unusable vows), whether they work with 1 or 2 shooters, and how long the turnaround is. Good wedding work is often booked 6 to 12 months ahead, so start early.

Corporate video is an umbrella term for films that sell, explain or represent a business: brand stories, testimonials, product features, recruitment films and social content. The goal is almost always commercial, so the brief should start with the outcome (more enquiries, a stronger About page, a recruitment drive) rather than the format. A tidy interview-led brand film with supporting b-roll of your team and premises is the workhorse of this category and suits most Adelaide small and medium businesses.

The main variables that move the quote are the number of filming locations, whether you need talent or staff on camera, how much scripting is involved, and where the final video will live. A 60 to 90 second brand film for a homepage is a very different job from a suite of short vertical clips for social. If you are not sure which you need, describe the business problem and let the studio recommend the format.

Training and explainer videos exist to make something clear. That covers staff induction and safety content, how-to and product walkthroughs, and animated or graphic-led explainers that break down a service or idea. The defining feature is structure: the script and running order do most of the heavy lifting, and the visuals serve the message rather than the other way around.

This category often includes on-screen text, screen recordings, simple motion graphics and clear narration. If you have a process that you explain to every new customer or employee, an explainer video pays for itself by saving that conversation dozens of times over. When you brief one, come with the key points you need viewers to understand and, if possible, an existing document or slide deck. That gives the studio a script backbone to build from, which keeps the shoot short and the cost down.

Live event coverage captures something happening in real time: a conference, an awards night, a live music performance, a product launch or a stage show. Because the moment only happens once, this type of video production leans on multicam, running 2 or more cameras at once so the edit can cut between wide, close and detail angles without missing anticipated action. Clean audio, usually taken directly from the venue's sound desk, is critical.

JLM Studios has covered live performances for acts including the Hindley Street Country Club and Local Revolution, where the challenge is capturing energy and crowd reaction while keeping the sound broadcast-quality. If you are booking event coverage, tell the studio the run sheet, the venue lighting, whether a feed from the sound desk is available, and whether you want a same-week highlight cut or full-length recordings of each segment. Those answers set the crew size and price.

Property video showcases a home, development or commercial space to help it sell or lease. The most common formats are a walkthrough tour and a short cinematic hero video, often combined with drone footage for exterior and location context. The craft here is lighting and movement: making rooms feel bright, spacious and inviting, and moving the camera smoothly so the viewer can read the flow of the property.

This is a fast-turnaround category by nature, because listings are time-sensitive, so ask about delivery speed up front. If aerial shots matter for the block size or the view, confirm the operator is set up for drone work and that the location allows it. For agents and developers, a consistent look across a portfolio of listings is worth asking about, because a recognisable style becomes part of your marketing.

Short film and documentary is the most cinematic and narrative-heavy category, and the one that most rewards a specialist eye. Short films are scripted, story-driven pieces, while documentaries follow real people and events over time. Both demand strong direction, careful lighting, interview technique and a long, considered edit. This is craft filmmaking, and it is where an award-winning background genuinely shows on screen.

Jason's own work sits here: Best Director of Photography for the feature documentary I Am Markita, Best Short Film for Cracks, and 22 plus international festival nominations across his projects. For businesses and organisations, a documentary-style approach can also lift a brand film, telling a real, human story instead of a polished pitch. If you are drawn to this style for a commercial project, say so early, because it changes the shoot pace, the crew and the edit timeline.