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Corporate video for the public sector: what changes compared with private companies
What changes when the client for a corporate video is a public administration: the approval chain, institutional tone, timelines and accessibility, compared with a project for a private company.
The first time I filmed for a city council, I realized the process was nothing like working with a private company. There wasn't a single point of contact making decisions on the fly: there was a communications officer, a press chief and, finally, a political sign-off that reviewed every line of the script before the shoot was approved. Since then I handle these projects on a different schedule from the one I use with a small business or a private brand.
Working with public administrations (city councils, regional government departments, autonomous agencies, public universities) follows a different logic from working with a company. It isn't inherently worse or slower, but if you treat the project like a standard corporate video, you'll run into timelines you didn't expect and approvals that don't depend on a single person. The fiscal calendar matters too: if the project is paid for out of the current year's budget, there's a hard closing deadline you can't miss.
What it is and why it matters
When I talk about corporate video for the public sector, I mean institutional pieces: presenting a strategic plan, an agency's annual report, a campaign for a public service, a welcome video for new civil servants or coverage of a publicly funded conference. The goal is almost never to sell directly; it's to inform, report on how public resources have been managed or explain a service to citizens.
It's important to understand this from the start because it changes the editorial criteria. For a private company the video can be more commercial, with a strong brand voice. For a public administration the tone has to be neutral, avoid any partisan reading and be accessible to every citizen, not just the brand's usual audience.
The approval chain changes too. With a small business I can sign off a script with the manager on a single call. In a public administration the script usually goes through communications, through the technical department supplying the data and, in many cases, through the minister's or mayor's office. Building that into the quote avoids timeline surprises, and it's worth asking at the first meeting whether the project needs to go through a public procurement process.
How to do it well
Get the institutional tone right
I avoid superlatives and anything that sounds like a campaign slogan. A well-made public sector video describes verifiable facts and figures: budget spent, number of people served, project timelines. If the client asks for a tone closer to advertising, I flag it, because it can create an image problem if it's perceived as propaganda, and that often ends up holding up publication at the last minute.
Plan for approval times
I always add two or three extra weeks on top of the schedule I'd ask for with a private client, specifically for the review rounds on the script and the first cut. Each level of the chain (technical staff, communications, political leadership) tends to request different changes, and you need room to reconcile them without squeezing the shoot. I also avoid scheduling final delivery during fiscal year-end or election campaign weeks, because approvals slow down even further during those periods.
Take care of accessibility and transparency
Subtitles in the final video, plain language free of administrative jargon and, when the agency requires it, a full transcript published alongside the video. Many public administrations have accessibility obligations that private companies don't, and failing to meet them can block publication on the official channel. In Spanish regions with a co-official language, I also ask at the script stage whether dubbing or subtitles are needed in both languages.
Common mistakes
- Treating the script as final after the first technical approval, without allowing for the political review round.
- Using an advertising tone that can be read as government propaganda.
- Not leaving time for public procurement procedures if the project requires a tender.
- Filming testimonials from elected officials without checking that official communications has authorized it for that format.
- Forgetting accessibility requirements, such as subtitles or plain language, before publishing on the official channel.
Frequently asked questions
Does a video for a public administration need to go through public procurement?
It depends on the amount and the agency. Many city councils and autonomous agencies require a procurement procedure (a minor contract, an open procedure or a negotiated procedure) above certain financial thresholds. It's worth asking at the first meeting, because it completely changes how long it takes to get the project started.
Does the price of a corporate video change if the client is a public administration?
The production price doesn't change because the client is a public administration, but management time can increase because of the additional approval rounds, and that should be reflected in the quote if you bill by the day rather than a fixed project fee.
Who approves the final script for a public sector video?
Communications usually coordinates the approval, but the final sign-off typically goes through senior management or the political office before the shoot. It's common to have more than two review rounds, so it's wise to agree in advance how many rounds are included in the quote.
Does it need a different tone from a private corporate video?
Yes. The institutional tone should be neutral, verifiable and accessible to every citizen, avoiding anything that could be read as partisan propaganda, especially if the video is published close to an election.
If you need to film a corporate video for your agency or department and want to avoid timelines spiraling at the last minute, get in touch via /en/contacto and we'll plan the whole process, from script to accessible delivery.