Choosing a construction project for a case-study film: a selection worksheet

1. Start with the question a buyer needs answered

Write the question you want the film to help answer. “How did this team coordinate a difficult handover?” is more specific than “How do we show that we are good builders?” The question gives you a reason to choose one project over another.

Name the audience and a real setting where the film could be used, such as a relevant capability conversation or a project page. Avoid choosing a story only because there are attractive photographs of it.

• Audience and their likely question:
• Where this film would be used first:
• What the viewer should understand about our contribution:
• Which existing case studies already cover that point:

Adobe’s creative-brief guidance identifies purpose, audience and key message as inputs to video planning. Here, use those inputs to compare candidate projects before writing the full brief.

2. Make the same short record for each candidate

Choose a manageable shortlist and use the same fields for each project. Record what your team actually delivered, especially where the finished result involved several contractors. A film should not leave viewers guessing which part of the work was yours.

Separate the finished appearance from the story behind it. A distinctive result may be relevant, but it still needs an explanation of the decision, constraint or contribution you want the audience to understand.

• Project name, completion status and date:
• Our specific role and boundaries:
• One situation or decision worth explaining:
• Why it matters to the intended audience:
• Person with direct knowledge of that work:
• Record or approved information that supports the account:
• What can be shown now, or through existing material:

3. Identify gaps that could prevent the story being told

Before ranking the shortlist, check whether each proposed story has a realistic route to evidence and access. A strong idea with an unresolved dependency should be marked as conditional, not quietly treated as ready.

For each gap, record what is missing, who can resolve it and when you need an answer. For example, the proposed speaker may have left the business, a key detail may be hidden by later work, or the client may not yet have considered the filming request.

• Can someone explain the team’s contribution first-hand?
• Can the important statements be checked?
• Are useful views or suitable existing images available for discussion?
• Who can confirm the project, participant and material permissions?
• Is there a workable opportunity to film without assuming access?

Do not let a good total score hide a missing permission or an unsupported central claim. Keep unresolved items visible even if the project is otherwise your preferred choice.

4. Compare relevance, evidence and readiness separately

Use three short assessments rather than a single numerical score. This makes the trade-off easier to explain when one project has a better story but another is easier to arrange.

• Relevance: strong, partial or unclear connection to the audience’s question. Give the reason.
• Evidence: clear account with checkable support, a specific gap to resolve, or insufficient support for the proposed story.
• Readiness: ready to discuss production, waiting on named decisions, or unsuitable for the current window.

Then write one sentence: “We would choose this project because …, provided … is confirmed.” Do not turn readiness into a filming booking or assume the production team can meet an internal deadline.

If two projects are equally suitable, consider which adds something useful to the stories you already show. A different type of contribution may be more valuable to your chosen audience than another example making exactly the same point.

5. Work through a fictional comparison

Suppose the audience wants to understand coordination in an occupied building. These are invented planning examples, not Live Images projects or client results.

Project A is a prominent new building with strong finished photographs, but its proposed story is about external finishes. Its connection to the audience’s coordination question is weak.

Project B is a smaller refurbishment. A project manager can explain a sequence agreed around building users, and the team can identify the supporting records. Client access and the proposed interview still need confirmation.

Project C appears relevant, but the team cannot yet identify who made the decision they want to describe. The available pictures show the result without explaining that decision.

For this brief, B is the better candidate to investigate. The next step is to resolve its named permissions and availability, not declare it ready. If those conditions cannot be met, revisit the shortlist or the story question rather than filling gaps with assumptions.

6. Record the decision and move into briefing

Keep the selection record short enough for the project and marketing teams to check. Retain the reason for any deferred candidate so the next discussion does not restart from memory.

• Preferred project and audience question:
• Reason for selection:
• Conditions that must be resolved first:
• Decision owner and review date:
• Alternative candidate and when to reconsider it:
• Next step: investigate, brief or defer:

Once the project is chosen, use the construction project video brief to agree the production’s purpose, people and outputs. Develop the interview and filming arrangements after that choice has been made.