Post on 01-Dec-2014
description
Creating a Seamless Video Strategy on a Budget
@TimWasher
Creativity StoriesProduction
Salt Lick BBQ, Austin
Creativity StoriesProduction
“Create moments of inspiration that send people on a journey” -- Andrew Davis
“The main evolutionary significance of humor is that it gets us from the closed mode to the open mode quicker than anything else. I think we all know that laughter brings relaxation and humor makes us playful, yet how many times have important discussions been held where really original and creative ideas were desperately needed to solve important problems, but where humor was taboo because the subject being discussed was ‘so serious’.”
-- John Cleese
https://vimeo.com/89936101
Improv Rule #1There are no mistakes, only gifts.
“When you're in the open mode, nothing will stop you so effectively as
the fear of making a mistake.”
-- John Cleese
#1 TV network website #1 kids video site 15 YouTube series7 Webbies Views/Mo: 2M to 225M
To encourage creativity, PBS Digital Studios added a ‘failure quota’ to employees’ performance evaluations. And the results:
Improv Rule #2Take care of your partner.
“Collaboration” • Caveat: Nobody gets fired for saying “No”• Keep the committee small• Build 1:1 relationships. Use coffee. • Find a champion• Learn how your “partner” is measured on
success, and help. Be genuine.
Improv Rule #3Follow the Fear
-- Del Close
The Power of Humor• Making someone laugh is the most intimate
connection you can make in a business context • Humor based on customer pain points demonstrates
empathy • Being playful (and not always so serious) is an
endearing and charming quality. It shows authenticity.
• Laughter is a wonderful gift to give your audience
http://youtu.be/MSqXKp-00hM
“The tone of the video is in keeping with the kinder, humbler image IBM now seeks to project.”
http://ow.ly/B6qy7
http://youtu.be/Z1xKpm0nURk
Avoid Common Myths• “On brand” means it looks exactly like all of
our product videos• Must be packed with messaging • Everyone must love it• Objective of :60 video is to sale $1M product• Must fit perfectly with our target market
Lessons from Standup Comedy• Above all, be truthful and vulnerable • Shift focus from what you want to say to
what the audience will hear• Comedy comes from pain • The more specific your story is, the more
universal it becomes
“They said in 4 minutes something that I’ve been saying for 10 years ”
http://gu.com/p/3pb3c/tw
Creativity StoriesProduction
• Story trumps messaging.• Story creates an emotional connection,
descriptors don’t. • Narrative structure builds tension.• Don’t try to change how people speak --
change how they think.
Story….
Finding Stories• Customers • Employees • History • Invention• Redemption
Interview Q’s • What inspired you to get into this career?• What was your biggest failure, and what
insight did that lead to?• What is your team most proud of? • Tell me about the “eureka” moment that led
to your invention ?
Employees• Give employees a concept that
they can create as a slideshow, using photos and narration.
• Post the videos internally, and post the best ones on youtube.
• Helps you identify storytellers, and gets people comfortable with producing
http://youtu.be/D7JRoQWh0SU
History• History is always interesting,
especially the spark of inspiration that inspired an invention. And the failures that led up to it.
• Produce a mini-documentary by recruiting an industry influencer to be the narrator.
http://youtu.be/WHaQY2MlHV8
Think Visually • Find inspiration for stories by
considering what you want to watch on YouTube, like sharks. .
• Don’t burden the story or process by forcing your company on it. Rather tell a broader story about how the technology makes an impact. http://youtu.be/Pn-yB5IyTYE
Edutainment • Be a good steward of the
audiences attention span, and they will subscribe.
• People love to feel smart, so share knowledge about an industry problem. They will be more likely to share it too.
http://youtu.be/1DAR5wW19Eg
Redemption • Redemption is the most power
theme in storytelling. • We’ve all experienced the sting of
failure. Seeing others experience struggles, and overcome them, gives us comfort and hope.
• Business stories don’t need to be overly dramatic, but everyone loves even a light turnaround story.
http://youtu.be/HW3MJhwTV2k
Discover Your Voice• Write about what you love or
strongly dislike. The strong emotional connection helps you to speak authentically.
• Start by blogging and writing captions for photos. Progress to a slideshow, then a short video.
• Don’t worry about any business connection yet. In time, you’ll discover the intersection.
Comedy & Cheeseburger blog
Creativity StoriesProduction
• Get budget from sales event; partners • Be consistent, but not repetitive of strategy• Consider posting “off-property” • Start small and do it right• Pitch a film school internship project
Become an Independent Filmmaker
SmartPhone Video Studio• A mini-tripod makes it easy to
record steady video. No need to provide the audience with Dramamine http://bhpho.to/RwHwCd
• Lavalier microphone reduces background noise. Helpful for spontaneous interviews at conferences. http://bhpho.to/tzOrHX
LED Light Kit• This adjustable light works
incredibly well for an interview (about a 6’ range)
• LED prevents harsh look for most office lighting.
• Helpful if you take video conference calls from your basement.
• Vidpro K-120 On-Camera LED Video Light Kit - $80 http://bhpho.to/JASPDA
Clamp Light • At Home Depot or Lowes
for about $7. • Add an LED bulb for $20-
$25• A regular soft light bulb will
work too, and you can use a translucent white shower curtain as a diffuser to reduce shadows / harshness
Monopod • Small enough to toss in your
computer bag or man-purse.• Your prepared for an
impromptu shoot anytime, without producing shaky video.
http://ow.ly/Bp5Pk
Recording webcam interviews • Upgrade to an HD webcam, such as the Logitech 920 (approx
$70), or one of the newer models. • They make a big difference on the visual quality. • Most will include an upgraded microphone, but I prefer a lav mic
to reduce the room echo. • Find a blogger or influencer to interview, and record by Skype or
Google Hangouts. • A tool such as VodBurner allows you to record the video of both
sides of the call. However Skype has dropped some support on the Mac version
Logitech HD Pro Webcam C920 http://amzn.com/B006JH8T3S http://www.vodburner.com/
Webcam Show Example • An experimental show that
Ann Handley and I produced. • You can see the difference in
quality from the first episode (no webcams)
• Recorded with VodBurner (her side) and a camcorder (my side) because we didn’t like the look of the split screen. https://www.youtube.com/user/BMTBD/