Production Guide
Video News Releases and Electronic Press Kits are close enough in format that people frequently confuse them. But they serve different purposes, target different audiences, and succeed or fail for different reasons. Understanding the distinction helps you brief your production team correctly and build a package that actually gets used.
A Video News Release is a video package produced by an organization and formatted for pickup by broadcast news stations. It is structured exactly like a news segment because that is what it is designed to look like when it airs. The goal is to give news stations ready-to-use content that fits seamlessly into their broadcasts without requiring them to send their own crew.
The VNR originated in the 1980s as organizations realized they could increase news coverage of their announcements by producing broadcast-ready material and distributing it directly to assignment desks. A well-produced VNR on a genuine news story can earn national broadcast coverage at a fraction of the cost of traditional advertising.
A complete VNR package typically includes four elements: the produced package with narration, a natural sound version with narration stripped so stations can voice it themselves, a B-roll reel of supplemental footage, and a suggested anchor intro script written in broadcast style. Each element serves a different editorial workflow at different types of outlets.
An Electronic Press Kit is a produced video package formatted for media distribution on behalf of an artist, entertainer, or brand. While a VNR is built around a news story, an EPK is built around a subject: a musician, an actor, a film, a product launch, a residency. The EPK tells the story of that subject in a way that is useful to entertainment media, PR campaigns, and press coverage.
An EPK for an entertainment client typically includes an interview with the artist or key talent, B-roll footage of the performance or behind-the-scenes environment, and a produced package that weaves these elements into a coherent narrative. Like a VNR, it is delivered in multiple versions to accommodate different editorial needs at different outlets.
Subject matter. VNRs are used for corporate announcements, public health messaging, product launches with genuine news value, and organizational milestones. EPKs are used for entertainment, artists, films, events, and brand stories with a strong narrative component.
Target distribution. VNRs target broadcast news assignment desks and are sent via satellite or digital distribution platforms to meet news cycle deadlines. EPKs target entertainment programs, lifestyle shows, digital media, and streaming platforms in addition to traditional broadcast.
Tone and structure. VNRs are written in broadcast news style: objective tone, journalistic structure, the kind of pacing you would expect from a news segment. EPKs can be more stylized and personality-driven because entertainment media has different editorial expectations than hard news.
Regulatory considerations. VNRs distributed to broadcast news stations carry specific FCC disclosure requirements. Stations must disclose when video news releases from outside organizations are used. EPKs distributed to entertainment media do not carry the same regulatory framework.
A VNR makes sense when your organization has a genuine news story and the resources to produce broadcast-quality material. The best candidates are announcements with clear public interest: new facilities, major partnerships, public health initiatives, significant product launches, and organizational milestones with community impact.
Timing matters enormously. A VNR needs to be produced, distributed, and in the hands of news producers before the story cycle moves on. For most corporate announcements this means coordinating VNR production with the press release timeline so the video is available when journalists are first covering the story.
An EPK is the right tool when you need media outlets to cover a subject without sending their own crews. For an artist announcing a new album, a film launching its press tour, or a brand entering a new market with a compelling story, an EPK provides the material that makes coverage easy.
EPKs are also used proactively, sent to outlets before a launch to build awareness and generate advance coverage. In Las Vegas, where artists and entertainment brands are constantly competing for media attention, an EPK produced to broadcast standard can be the difference between coverage and none.
The production requirements for a broadcast-quality VNR or EPK are identical: a professional camera package delivering broadcast-spec HD or 4K output, dedicated audio at broadcast levels, proper lighting, and post-production that meets delivery specifications for the target outlets.
Turnaround speed is a real constraint for both formats. VNRs tied to news cycles need same-day or next-day production and delivery. EPKs for press days and residency announcements often require same-day edits to meet PR distribution deadlines. An experienced Las Vegas production crew that understands broadcast spec and can execute fast turnaround is the operational requirement that separates a package that gets picked up from one that does not.
Mr. Camera has produced VNRs and EPKs in Las Vegas for over 45 years, for corporate clients, PR firms, entertainment companies, and artist management teams. If you have a press package coming up, get in touch with us here.
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