Making-of Video for Advertising: What It Is and How to Shoot It for Maximum Value
What a making-of video for advertising is, what it's for in organic and ads, and how to record it during the session without slowing down the main shoot.
When you shoot an ad, a VSL or a batch of Reels, you pay for a whole session: equipment, space, people's time. What appears on screen is the ad. Everything else, what happens between takes, gets lost. A making-of recovers that material and turns it into another piece of content.
I see it as a second output from the same investment. It doesn't add a session or a separate budget, it just requires deciding before you shoot that you want to capture it. Here I explain what an advertising making-of is, where it really works and how to record it without getting in the way of the shoot.
What a making-of is and why it matters
A making-of is a short video showing how another piece was made: the preparation, the lighting, the failed takes, the direction of the person on camera. It isn't a documentary. It runs between 30 and 90 seconds and is cut from footage recorded in parallel during the session.
It matters because behind-the-scenes content has something the polished ad doesn't: it looks real. For a personal brand or a small company, showing the process builds closeness and credibility. For a marketing team, it's extra material to fill the organic calendar without shooting again.
There's also a less obvious use in paid. A making-of works as proof of production: it shows there's a team, a studio and a process behind the ad, and that helps in retargeting people who already know the brand and hesitate before buying or booking.
How to record a making-of you can actually use
Decide the goal before the session
A making-of for LinkedIn, one for Instagram and one for retargeting aren't shot the same way. The first needs the person's voice explaining why the piece exists, the second needs pacing and quick shots, the third needs proof of process with little text. Choosing a single main output avoids ending up with hours of footage and no direction.
A second device, without stopping the shoot
The making-of can't ask for anything to be repeated. At A0Studios we capture it with a second camera, usually a handheld Sony A7 or a phone on a tripod, while the main camera keeps shooting the ad. If you have to stop to film the behind the scenes, you end up shooting the ad worse and the making-of worse.
Capture specific moments, not everything
With a 3-hour session you don't need 3 hours of behind the scenes. Five moments are usually enough: the lighting setup, a script run-through, a shot at the monitor with the director talking, a funny failed take and the final result. Everything else is cut in the edit.
When it makes sense and when it doesn't
A making-of pays off when the session has something to show: a VSL with a crafted script, a batch of ads with several versions, visible camera direction. It doesn't pay off when you're shooting a single 20-second clip or when the person on camera is uncomfortable and doesn't want the process shown. In that case it's better not to force it.
- You have a session of 2 hours or more with several pieces: there's plenty of material for a making-of.
- You want to feed the organic calendar without organising another shoot.
- You need trust-building material for retargeting or for your website.
- The person on camera is comfortable with the process being shown.
- No confidential information is visible on screen or in the script.
Frequently asked questions
How much extra time does a making-of add to the session?
None if it's planned well. It's recorded in parallel with a second camera while the main one keeps shooting the ad. What it does add is editing time, around 2 hours for a 60-second video.
Does a making-of also work for paid ads?
Yes, especially in retargeting. It reinforces trust with people who have already seen your brand. As a cold-acquisition piece it usually performs worse than the direct ad, so I'd use it as support, not as a replacement.
Do I need different equipment to record it?
No. A phone on a tripod or a lightweight second camera is enough. Image quality matters less than in the ad, because the value of a making-of is that it looks real.
Can it be requested with any of your services?
It can be added to Recording Only, Recording + Editing and Full Production. We discuss it before the session to decide the main output and cut it with a sales mindset, not just as a nice video.
If you're going to shoot ads, a VSL or organic content in Madrid and also want a making-of from the same session, write to us in /#contacto and we'll plan it from the first briefing.
If you want to record premium content in Madrid, let's talk
From a quick Reels session to a full production day with editing and delivery, we can scope it to fit.