Every December, a familiar video gets made in companies globally.
It opens with a drone shot of the head office. It features the CEO thanking everyone for an incredible year. It includes a montage of events set to inspiring music. It runs for six minutes.
Most staff stop watching long before the end.
These films are made with good intentions, and often with real budgets. They deserve better results.
Why year-end films fail
Most year-end videos struggle for the same reasons.
They are too long. Every department wants to be included, so the film grows until it includes everything and says nothing.
Too much Thank-You, Thank You. Gratitude matters, but a list of thanks is not a story. Viewers can't remember a list.
They have no tension. Good stories have a challenge and a change. "We had a great year" offers neither.
The CEO is uncomfortable. Reading from a teleprompter in a boardroom rarely shows a leader at their best.
Three better formats
You don't need to abandon the year-end film. You need a better shape for it.
1. The one-moment film. Instead of covering the whole year, tell the story of a single moment that captures it. A project that nearly failed and didn't. A team that solved something difficult. A customer whose life changed. One story, told well, says more about a company's year than any montage.
2. The year told by employees. Hand the story to the people who lived it. Short, honest reflections from staff across different teams and markets, edited together around a single question, such as "What did you learn this year?" Real voices are more credible than any corporate script, and colleagues actually watch them.
3. The 60-second letter. A short, direct message from the CEO, filmed in a natural setting, saying one or two things that matter. What we achieved. What we're focused on next. Thank you. Done in a minute, with genuine warmth, it often lands harder than six minutes of production.
Making it work for a regional team
For organisations across several markets, the year-end film carries an extra challenge. Staff in Singapore, Hanoi, Jakarta and Sydney experienced the year differently, and they may watch the film in different languages.
A few approaches help.
Feature people from several markets, speaking in their own language with subtitles. It signals that the whole organisation is seen, not just head office.
Choose a theme that travels. A single question or idea that everyone can relate to holds a regional film together better than a list of country achievements.
Plan versions early. Subtitles in several languages, and possibly regional cuts, take time. Build them into the schedule rather than discovering the need in January.
Keep it short. The more markets you include, the more tempting it is to let the film run long. Resist. Shorter films get watched in every language.
Getting the best from your CEO on camera
If your film includes a leader, a few things make a big difference:
Interview them rather than handing them a script. Natural answers beat reading.
Film somewhere they're comfortable, such as their own office or a familiar part of the business.
Brief them on the one message that matters, not ten.
Allow enough time. Rushed executives look rushed.
This is a real anecdote: A new global CEO of a major MNC had to do a welcome to the global staff – the comms team prepared his presentation, we had a large set up overlooking London with 3 cameras etc etc etc. Oh and a teleprompter. The presentation was 1 min 30 sec’s, after 2 hrs it still not correctly delivered. At the break the CEO came to me “Andrew, what am I doing wrong” I said “ you’re the boss how would you introduce yourself”. He replied no jacket no tie, relaxed sitting on the desk” I said “then do it”. 15 mins later the comms team came in and surprise surprise said “ the CEO wants to do it differently”. We rolled camera, no teleprompter all done in two takes in 10 mins, exactly as he wanted to do. He then came to me shook my hand and said “ why am I paying all these comms people when you helped me in a short chat”.
Moral to the story – No need to over produce these just let people be themselves.
How to brief it in December and still publish in January
December is busy. Year-end films are often left until the last minute and then rushed. A better approach:
Early December: agree the format and the one story or question at the heart of it.
Mid December: shoot, ideally in a single well-planned day.
Late December to early January: edit, approvals and subtitles.
Second week of January: publish, as the year starts and people are paying attention again.
A film released on 10 January, framing the year ahead, often gets more attention than one lost in the end-of-year noise.
Think beyond December
A good year-end film doesn't have to disappear after one viewing. Short clips can feed internal channels for weeks. Staff reflections can be reused in recruitment and onboarding. A strong CEO message can open the year's first town hall. Planned well, one December shoot gives your internal communications team material well into the first quarter.
Make it worth watching
The test for any year-end video is simple. Would your staff choose to watch it and share it if weren't sent from the CEO's office?
If the answer is no, change the format.
Not sure last year's video worked? Send it to us, and we'll suggest a sharper format for this year, there is still time to save it.
