Public Information Act Video Checklist: Make It Clear Fast

If you need to explain a public notice, you do not need a lecture. You need a clear path. People should know what changed, who it affects, and what to do next. If the video does that fast, you are on the right track.

Quick checklist for today

1. Step 1

   Pick one action. Decide what you want the viewer to do: read, apply, attend, call, or check a map.

2. Step 2

   Write one plain headline. Then add one sentence that says what changed. Skip the legal throat-clearing.

3. Step 3

   Keep it short. For a notice video, aim for about 80 to 120 words if it is under two minutes.

4. Step 4

   Show the facts on screen. Names, dates, places, and deadlines belong in the picture, not only in the voice.

5. Step 5

   Use one visual per idea. A map, sign, form, envelope, phone number, or screen is enough.

6. Step 6

   Make it readable on a phone. Use captions and large text. If you squint, it is too small.

7. Step 7

   End with one next step. Say exactly where to go, who to call, or what to do first.

8. Step 8

   Start from what you already have. A script, document, template, voice recording, or website address can become the source.

What makes this kind of video different

A public notice video is not a brand film. It has a job to do. The words need to be exact enough to trust, and plain enough to use. That means four things matter more than style.

• Accuracy. Dates, names, addresses, and deadlines must be right.
• Official wording. Keep the required words where they matter, but do not bury the main point.
• Deadlines. Say when something starts, ends, or changes.
• Public clarity. The viewer should know what to do without hunting for it.

Think of it like a sign on the door, not a speech at a podium. The point is to help people move, act, or respond.

If you have the public notice already written, turn it into a film from a script or document. If the website is the cleanest source, paste the web address and start there. Nine reads the colours, lettering and words on the page, so you can try your own look on the front page without an account.

For one good example of a service change explained plainly, see the spec film The metro closes, buses and trams take over. It keeps the message simple and direct.

Common mistake: too much legal wording

People try to sound official and lose the room. The result is a video that is accurate and hard to use. Nobody wants to hear every clause before they know if their bus stop moved.

Fix: Say the rule in plain words first. Then use the formal wording only where it matters. Put the official text on the page below the video if you need it.

Try this order: what changed, who it affects, what to do next. That is the part people remember.

Plain version: The office closes at 3 p.m. on Friday.

Formal version: Pursuant to the posted schedule, the office will close early on Friday.

The first version does the job faster. The second can sit on the notice page if the official wording is required.

If your team repeats the same kind of update often, keep one approved script document and update only the details. That saves time and keeps wording steady.

Common mistake: the video explains, but never directs

A notice video is not just information. It is a pointer. If people finish watching and still wonder where to go, the video missed its job.

Fix: End with one action, one deadline, and one contact path. If there are three ways to respond, say which one comes first. Do not make people choose a maze.

For longer internal guidance, a procedure video can work better than a public notice clip. If that is your case, this guide on training and safety videos may help.

Common mistake: every detail gets equal weight

When everything is important, nothing stands out. A route change, a service interruption, or a public meeting notice needs a clear top line.

Fix: Rank the content before you script. Put the main change in the first 10 seconds. Put background later, or leave it for the full notice page.

If the notice is about service changes, show the impact first. Then give the reason. People care about what happens to them before they care about the internal memo version of the story.

Common mistake: the visuals are generic

Stock shots of people pointing at laptops do not help much. They are polite wallpaper. For public service work, the viewer needs to recognize the place, form, sign, map, or screen.

Fix: Show the real thing. Use the building, route map, application form, letter, phone number, or website screen they will actually meet.

If your city colours matter, start from your website address. If you want a fast preview, you can paste a web address on the front page and try your colours for free, with no account.

Want a public notice with a real service feel? This spec film, T-bane, people who walk like people, shows how a transit brand can look like itself on screen.

Common mistake: no one checks it before release

A public notice video needs one careful review, not ten vague opinions. Ten people can make a small correction feel like a committee meeting.

Fix: Ask three questions: Is it accurate? Is it clear? Does it match the official notice? Then check names, dates, phone numbers, and any wording that must stay exact.

If you are working with others, send a private review link so people can leave notes on exact moments. Keep every saved version, so you can undo a change if a late correction goes sideways.

Common mistake: the video is made for one screen only

Public information often needs to live in more than one place. A website, phone screen, lobby display, and social feed are not the same shape.

Fix: Make a version that fits the main place first, then adapt from there. One film can come in wide, tall, and square shapes, so it can fit a website, a phone, and a feed.

If your video also needs to sit over a website or some footage, a transparent version can be layered on top. That is handy when the notice needs to share space with other material.

How to tell whether it worked

Do not judge it only by views. A public notice can be watched and still miss the point. Better signs are boring ones, which is good news here.

• People ask the same question less often.
• Fewer people show up at the wrong place or time.
• Fewer forms come back with the same mistake.
• People can repeat the main point in one sentence.
• The first 15 seconds answer what the video is about.

If the video is for staff, ask a few people to say the main action back to you. If they can do that after one watch, the message is probably clear enough.

If it is for the public, watch the first 15 seconds. If they need the rest just to know what the video is about, the opening is too slow. Put the change up front and save the context for later.

For a short public notice, long is usually a tax on attention. If you want a rule of thumb for timing, this guide on how long a short animated film should be gives a clean, practical range.

A simple way to start today

Write the notice in one sentence. Then turn that sentence into a 75-second film script. If the text is already approved, start from the document. If the website already says it well, start from the website. If you want to move faster, Nine can make a short animated film with voice, music and sound effects from any of those starting points.

A film of your own comes with a plan. Plans and what they include are on the prices page at /pricing. If you only want to test the look first, try the front page with your website colours.