Feature announcement videos

The working approach

Name the audience affected.
Show the feature in its normal context.
Finish with the result and where to find it.

Show the change in familiar context

Existing users do not need a long explanation of the product category. They need to recognise the screen, notice the changed behaviour and understand why to try it. Begin near the feature’s normal entry point. Show a small task that makes the change visible. If the feature improves an existing flow, preserve enough of the familiar context to make the difference legible without an elaborate before-and-after montage.

Keep availability details accurate. A feature may depend on permissions, plan, workspace settings or a staged rollout. Do not place a universal claim in the video unless it is true for the audience receiving it. Details that change frequently can live in the accompanying release note, while the video focuses on stable behaviour. The final next step should help a user find the feature in the actual interface.

A concrete example

For saved filters, begin with a crowded list, apply a filter, save it and reopen it from the saved menu.

Before recording this scenario, write down what the starting screen contains and what should be different at the end. This gives the reviewer an observable result to check, rather than asking them to approve a general impression.

The mistake to avoid

Repeating the entire onboarding flow hides the announcement.

If the source cannot support the intended message, narrow the claim or capture the missing evidence. A transition, caption or voiceover can explain a real change; it should not manufacture one.

Put it into a production brief

Replace the bracketed fields before using this brief. The scenario is illustrative; keep only the actions your product actually supports.

EDITABLE PRODUCTION BRIEF

Purpose: Feature announcement videos.
Audience: [specify the viewer and their familiarity with the product].
Decision: [what should the viewer understand or do next?].
Approach: A feature clip can be narrower than a product overview. Assume some familiarity and spend the time on the changed behaviour.

Required evidence:
1. Name the audience affected. Show the relevant entry state, action and completed result.
2. Show the feature in its normal context. Show the relevant entry state, action and completed result.
3. Finish with the result and where to find it. Show the relevant entry state, action and completed result.

Reference scenario: For saved filters, begin with a crowded list, apply a filter, save it and reopen it from the saved menu.
Avoid: Repeating the entire onboarding flow hides the announcement.

Deliverable: [duration], [format], [placement].
Use only recorded product behaviour. Preserve the full original.
Acceptance: check each claim against its visible scene, review at actual viewing size, and test the final file.

Review before delivery

Evidence: can a new viewer identify the result described in the example without being told where to look?
Reading distance: are the relevant controls and labels understandable at the intended placement size?
Continuity: does each cut preserve the relationship between the action and its result?
Accuracy: does the final caption describe the visible product state, including any limits?

Using this with Demovela

The automatic URL workflow currently supports Postraid and Adfolio. Other product scenarios on this page are production-planning examples, not compatibility claims. Adapt the brief to your own recorder or editor. Demovela preserves originals and creates separate outputs; review the resulting file before publishing.

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