The following is a blog by Kate Tallent, of KTD Creative.
Creativity is a funny thing. For that matter so is graphic design. It inhabits a weird netherworld of a profession where it looks really easy when done really well — I think of it as figure skating in that way — but is actually pretty demanding: requiring research, analytical thinking, discipline, constant practice, and ample amounts of intuition. All that before any knowledge of software.
Many clients have no idea, nor appreciation for, what we designers go through just to pull decent ideas out. We are an underappreciated profession, and thus our work is not valued as much say as a lawyer or dentist, but I think we are all savvy enough to know the value we creative types bring to a brand.
Nike gets it. For every item sold in a store a huge percentage of the cost of that running shoe covers design and marketing. Look at what Under Armor spends to compete with Nike in terms of marketing. Gobs of cash. A lot is at stake as brands compete for market share.
Though Jessica Piscitelli Robinson’s primary job is producing videos for, and let’s not forget, running, Capture Video, in her spare time she is a storyteller and a storytelling coach.
Through Better Said Than Done, Jessica hosts and performs in shows that revolve around storytellers sharing true and personal stories. Better Said Than Done has recently celebrated it’s 2 year anniversary, and was voted one of the “Best Performance Acts in Virginia” by Virginia Living Magazine for 2012 and 2013.
Over the past two years, Jessica has worked with many students of the art of storytelling in Better Said Than Done’s storytelling workshops. In each workshop, students learn the basics of good storytelling – from structure, to character building, creating drama, to figuring out where to start. Jessica’s background in screenwriting, fiction writing, and storytelling are all part of what make her a qualified storytelling teacher, and her experience conducting interviews for client videos make her a great coach.
Here’s what one student had to say about the storytelling workshop:
“I really enjoyed your class. It was so interesting learning about the nuances to storytelling. And the way you get us right into it was great! Great class for those that need a new hobby, or for those that want to increase their speaking impact!” -FD
Jessica will be leading a storytelling workshop on May 11th.
Spotlight on You – Telling the story of your life
May 11th, 2013
11:00AM – 3:30PM
2709 Hunter Mill Rd.
Oakton, VA
$75.00 (Lunch Additional)
A half-day workshop where you will learn structure, character building, and how to win the audience over, through our teacher’s method of storytelling coaching. For storytellers of all levels. Students should come with an idea for a story and will leave with a story ready to tell.
For more information, click here.
To register, click here. Read the rest of this entry »
One of the aspects of planning a video that often gets cut is the pre-production phase. Budgets are tight. The video your company is planning is relatively simple.
Or is it? How do you know?
You’ve come in with a plan and a general idea of what you want your video to be like. When we set up the schedule, you’ll get what you ask for to create the vision you have and what you believe you need. The question is, will the video you’ve envisioned do the job you really need done?
Pre-production services provide your company with professional guidance and understanding of the process beyond what is included in your free consultation. Pre-production covers fundamentals such as helping you develop a budget that will really deliver the finished product that you need, script consultation and writing, storyboarding, scheduling crew and equipment that may go beyond the standard one man camera package, or finding you the right on screen or voiceover talent, if that is what would be best for your end product.
How many people are going to be involved in the approval process before this video can go live? If you’re going to need the approval of a board or committee, how much money would ultimately be saved if the entire creative plan were developed and approved before a single frame were captured?
If your video production is going out to the public, think about the things you don’t know about video production and ask what pre-production services would be right for your project. Proper planning and design up front often saves money in the long run.
Jessica Piscitelli Robinson is giving a presentation this Friday, April 19th, at the Women’s Network of Alexandria Luncheon.
If you’d like to learn a few trade secrets on using the best free marketing tool in the world, come to the luncheon.
Details and Registration here.
In 2013, Capture Video Inc. celebrates 13 years of providing the DC Metro area with video production and management services.
Jessica Piscitelli Robinson is the owner of Capture Video, Inc., a media production company specializing in online video since 2000. During Capture Video’s first decade of business, Jessica has produced educational and promotional videos for such diverse clients as the U.S. Geological Survey, Georgetown University, Capital One Bank, Cisco Systems, and DC Superior Courts. She has been named one of Washingtonian Magazine’s best videographers through her wedding video venture Jessica Pi Productions. An accomplished writer and storyteller, Jessica is the CEO of Better Said Than Done, Inc., a Virginia based storytelling performance group voted one of the “best performance acts in Virginia” by Virginia Living Magazine 2012 – 2013. She was recently selected as a Finalist in the “Emerging Leader” category for the Fairfax Chamber of Commerce Outstanding Citizenship Awards.
Capture Video, Inc. has finally reached maturity. We are celebrating 13 years of video production.
Back when we first started producing corporate videos, some of them still went on VHS tape. DVDs were around, but not everyone was using them, and certainly, most corporations did not have DVD drives in their computers. THAT would’ve been crazy. So we made VHS tapes for conference rooms and trade show displays. These days, we produce a mix of DVD, Blu-Ray or all digital masters for our clients. The only VHS requests I ever get are for converting old VHS tapes to a newer format.
We have been producing video for online content since the early months of 2000, but back then, it was very important to keep file sizes down to 4MBs or there was just no way anyone would be able to download and view it on their computer. These days, companies need to have video on their website or a YouTube channel to be relevant, to the search engines at least, but also to their clients, sponsors, donors, and investors. And the file size is not so much of a concern anymore, thanks to high speed internet. It really is nice to not have to listen to that annoying dial noise while trying to “connect.”
One of the pre-productions services we offer is casting.
Very often a customer will intend to use in house people. This can be fine if it’s an internal training video. Trainers have experience in their expertise and adding a camera won’t really change their presentation. On the other hand, if the video is for external use, like to encourage donors and sponsors, or act as your marketing demo, real actors are worth every penny in the polished performance they can deliver.
Actors have experience in front of a camera. You’d be surprised how often people are intimidated by knowing a camera is recording them. It can change everything about their body language and their delivery. They are uncomfortable looking directly at the camera rather than at a person. If it is important that a certain person be on camera, such as your CEO, there are ways to make the process more comfortable. The session can be scripted as an interview, for example. Unfortunately, there is no way to know if there is going to be a problem until the crew and cameras are already in place, and being paid.
Real actors understand how long the process will take. If you’ve never made a video, you are only thinking about how long it will take you to actually say your 30 seconds worth of information. It is never that easy. It will always require multiple tries even for something simple. Try it this way…That word is awkward…Sorry, how does it start again?… there are always factors that will require multiple takes. Experienced actors are prepared for this and ready to do the job for as long as it takes to get it right. Informal talent aren’t always prepared for the time investment and potential frustration of multiple takes. And really, after the first few takes, people without the training have a hard time taking the process seriously. That’s going to affect your end result. Read the rest of this entry »
The size of the crew who will shoot your video can vary widely according to the finished product you need. Some of the jobs will be very obvious, and some of them might not.
Camera Operators- How many cameras will be recording depends on the number of people and locations that need to be shot and how much they overlap.
Lighting Director- Sometimes natural light or office lighting are sufficient for a production. But if you need a scene to create a certain feel, or if you want your interview subjects to stand out, in a good way, or you want to make a bland background look just a little nicer, you need a great lighting director.
Director- Do you need a director? It is recommended if you have multiple camera people who need to be coordinated. They can be critical if you’re recording scenarios with actors, or really any time your production is more complicated than individuals talking directly to the camera.
Sound Engineer- The sound engineer runs the sound mixer. When there are multiple audio streams, they’ll go through the sound mixer so that the volume of all the speakers is consistent, the background noise stays background, and the final product sounds clear, balanced, and professional.
Teleprompter Operator- People often think the teleprompter is completely automated. The operator is actually what makes the system work well. They can adjust the scroll speed or pause the text if the reader stumbles. It’s a bit like having a DJ over just running a mix tape, they can customize on the fly and adjust as the situation changes.
Talent- Usually this means actors or hosts, people who are experienced in delivering a camera ready performance. Sometimes, it’s the interviewer. People rarely realize what it takes to conduct a good interview. The interviewer has to be able to really listen to the responses given and then ask the right follow up questions to bring out the really important or interesting information. That’s what will make or break a daytime talk show, and sometimes it can make all the difference in the effectiveness of your video production. Give this some consideration when you are deciding who will do what for your corporate video. Read the rest of this entry »
A lot of what we do at Capture Video is capture live events. There are a ton of reasons to do this – archival, because it will never happen again, to study, for training, and, of course, for marketing.
We recently produced a few videos for Miles Stiebel Band, a modern jazz band. We recorded several performances for Miles to review, and then edited a few separate videos to be used on the Miles Stiebel website as well as on YouTube.
This gives people the opportunity to see the kind of work that the band is capable of doing. It also gives the website an SEO boost, since it has video on it. Many people don’t realize that your website has a 50 times greater chance of being on the first page of a Google search if you have a video on your website. In other words, you will be found faster and sooner if your website includes video.
By having the video on YouTube, the band also has an advantage. First of all, they have created more links to their website, from their videos. But also, YouTube is the world’s second largest search engine, and it is owned by Google. So, if people don’t immediately find your services from searching on Google, the second place they look is YouTube. That’s why you need to have a presence there as well.
The International Coaches Federation, DC Metro Chapter,(ICF – DC) had a problem I see from a lot of my clients. They needed to be able to explain what they do to those who don’t know. The solution? Show examples of coaching in action.
Capture Video crew set up two cameras in an office of one of the ICF – DC members, and we videotaped three separate coaching sessions. Afterwards, Capture Video edited the video, incorporating feedback from ICF-DC on which sections best expressed their mission.
The ICF – DC has been showing the video both in their offices, to interested parties, and has also made it available for their members to use online, to show their member’s potential clients different coaching styles, and what happens in a coaching session.
The below is a shortened version of the 40 minute video, produced by Capture Video, Inc.
Next time you need to explain something to a potential client or partner, what better way than to show them? Video is the perfect tool for show, not tell.
Putting together a video that works isn’t quite as easy as it looks when you see the end product. Just showing up and throwing something together, well, it often looks very much as if you showed up and threw something together. Story telling is an art.
Better Said Than Done is a local Virginia group that offers professional storytelling. They host their own shows, put on at least 2 charity events a year, and are available as speakers and entertainment for large events, social and professional. They also offer classes that teach you how to find and refine your story so that it is interesting and compelling.
Better Said Than Done storytelling shows start with a theme, and each performer tells their story based on that theme. This is what you are doing when you put together a presentation for your business, building a story (what you do and how you do it) around a theme (providing superior services). Talking about your business can seem simple and straightforward, but are you getting an interesting and compelling result from your efforts? Have you thought through your points? Does your concept have a beginning, a middle, and an end that sums up your points and leads the viewer to the conclusion you’d like them to reach?
At Capture Video we offer a full complement of pre-production services, including concept development, script writing, and story boarding. Pre-production covers all the pieces you need for building a video, whether for your marketing or your training departments, to make it interesting and compelling so your audience stays engaged to the end.
