When making video for the web there are four broad roles that it is likely to play: it might illustrate a story; add to it; distil the story; or tell it.

In the video below, made for students on the MA in Multiplatform and Mobile Journalism at Birmingham City University, I talk through examples of each type of video, as well as some tips on considering variety of shots, and sequence. You can find links to the examples below.

Videos mentioned:

• Footage to illustrate a story 1
• Video illustrating a story 2
• Video illustrating a story 3: Romanian presidential elections
• Video that adds to a story 1: Snow Fall
• Video that adds to a story 2: These men wore heels for a day and hated life
• Video that adds to a story but can also be used as a standalone series: Fortune’s video series
• Video that adds to a story but can also be watched alone: These men wore heels for a day and hated life
• Video that adds to a story told through a Twitter thread
• Video that distils a story: Radio 4’s Today Programme on Twitter
• Video that distils a story: The Economist on Twitter
• Video that distils a story: Earwolf podcast on Twitter
• Examples of audio turned into video: Headliner gallery
• Video that distils a TV story: BBCWM on Twitter
• Editing in 6 seconds: Vine example
• Video that tells a story: AJ+
• Video that tells a story: Guardian on Instagram
• BuzzFeed’s use of video to tell stories about identity: Why Disney princes make terrible boyfriends
• Stylist’s use of video to tell a story first, then a second story about the video

This video is shared as part of a series of video posts.