The Ultimate Guide to Producing an Animated Video

Erin Hayes July 23, 2015 Marketing, Video Marketing, Production, Tips & Tricks Leave a Comment

Animated video is a powerful communication tool. Humans have communicated by using pictures since the beginning of time.

Our ancient relatives drew Pictograms and Ideograms to convey their messages. And our love of visuals has not waned over the course of millennia.

Visual content is the key ingredient to make the marketers' coveted unicorn - online engagement. Posts with videos attract 3 times more inbound links than plain text posts. And videos increase people’s understanding of your product or service by 74%.

This is because people process visuals 60,000 times faster than they can read.

We're contacted about animated videos for two reasons:

1. Clients are looking for a highly shareable video. Most of us grew up watching animation and learning from animation. The threshold to inspire a potential viewer to click on an animated video is low.

2. They have a complicated product or service they'd like to explain. Animation lends itself well to explainer videos because it can make the complicated sound simple. And that is appealing.

'All right', you say. 'Sign me up. But how do I go about producing such an incredible communication tool?', you ask.

This is where our Ultimate Guide to Producing an Animated Video will help.

1. Know Your Goal

We love animation. Most people do. But chances are, you aren’t producing an animated video just for entertainment. Defining the goal for your video before you write the script is essential.

How do you define a goal? Easy. What action are you trying to inspire your viewers to take?

Sign up for a webinar?

Join an email mailing list?

Dive deeper into your website?

Sign up for a demo/free trial?

Share the video with their networks?

Choose just one goal. Define that one goal and list the ancillary goals under it.

2. Know Your Tone

Do you have a style guide? If you do, then it will outline the tone your animated video should take.

If you don’t have a style guide, then now is a great time to think about tone. How should your company handle communicating your message?

Should the tone be straightforward without nuance?

Should the tone be playfully smart?

Should the tone be academic?

Should the tone be colloquial and contemporary?

Trust us. Taking time to decide on tone before you start writing the script is a good idea. Knowing the tone will make writing the script easier. It will keep feedback cycles manageable. And it will help you communicate your vision to the production company you hire.

3. Know the Feedback Hierarchy.

Speaking of feedback, knowing who's involved in the approval process is a must.

Before you get into production, find out who needs to sign off on each stage. This may seem like a mundane task and one that can be pushed until the process begins. But trust us, it isn't.

We've seen it happen before. A client gets the approved script to us and they sign off on the storyboard. We deliver the final animation and suddenly there are changes to the voice over and/or the graphics. Not only does this delay the final product, it costs more money.

Clarifying exactly who needs to approve assets before you begin will limit surprises down the line.

4. Create A Through-line

Now that you know the video’s goal, its tone and the approval process, it's time to think about the storytelling.

A through-line is the structure on which your script's story hangs. Typically, this is a character’s journey. But you don't need to personify your character.

Your character may be your product's buying cycle or your service’s benefits. And that brings us to number 5.

5. Use Metaphor

Does your product create a speedway from A-Z for your customers? Then think about a driving metaphor to help tell your story. Does it give your clients a detailed view into their billing? Then maybe a scientist with a microscope could work. There are no wrong ideas.

The bottom line is this: If you have fun writing the story, your audience will have fun watching the story.

6. Keep It Short and Simple

Did you know that 20% of viewers will click away from a video in 10 seconds or fewer? That percentage only increases with time. According to Visible Measures, 45% of viewers will stop watching after 1 minute of video and 60% drop off by the 2 minute mark.

Animated video should be between :30 and 2:00. This means your script should be no longer than a single page, or about 300 words. Worried you can't hit all your key points in 300 words? Don't be. You got this.

And you know what? If you don't, then the production company you hire can help. We're happy to work with our clients during the scripting process.

7. Understand the Process

Animated video is a little more involved than live-action video. There are many moving parts (har, har).

Understanding the process will help you manage expectations across the board. Your team will feel more at ease and your production company will too.

The timeline to delivery depends on the complexity of the animation but the process is generally the same. Here's a breakdown of what to expect.

Step 1: Creative meeting with the production company

This is a good time to discuss goals, tone and any creative concepts you have for a through-line. It's also the time to talk about look and feel.

Step 2: Provide approved script:

Nothing can move forward without a script. If the production company is writing the script, build in at least two weeks to your production schedule. This time allows for iterations and your feedback cycles.

Step 3: Storyboard

Once you approve the script the production company will create a storyboard. The storyboard will show you how the visuals will tell the story. These are either simple sketched drawings or clip art, depending on the company’s preference. We prefer to sketch our storyboards.

Step 3: Voice Over

Once the storyboard is approved, the script will get sent to a Voice Over artist. This step generally happens after the storyboard’s approval. The visuals will help the production company give acting cues to the actor.

Step 4: Animation

Once the approved, final voice over is in-house the animators will begin animating. Animations are created to the specific timing of the VO. Any changes to the VO will change the animation. Changes to the VO and the animation will add to both production time and to production cost.

Step 5: Music and Sound FX.

Once the animation is finished the animator edits in sound effects for texture. This could be footsteps, wind, office background noise, etc. Then the video is scored with a music track.

Step 6: Delivery

The video is then encoded and exported. Depending on the complexity of the animation this could take 10 minutes or an entire day. Once it's exported, the animated video is delivered to you! Barring any mistakes on the production company's end, this version is the final version. Any extra changes after the final is delivered will need a new invoice. This is why it was so important for you to know your feedback hierarchy!

We hope you found this guide helpful! If you'd like to talk to us about an animation project we'd be happy to connect. Contact us here.

Marketing Video Marketing Production Tips & Tricks

4 Invaluable Tools Every Video Marketer Should Use

Erin Hayes July 09, 2015 Video Marketing, Tips & Tricks Leave a Comment

Creation is 20% of the video marketer's strategy. The final 80% involves publishing and optimizing. Here are four tools we find invaluable in our video marketing approach.

Creation is 20% of the video marketer's strategy. Publishing & optimizing are the final 80%.

Analytics

Every platform out there has some form of free analytics. Make checking them regularly part of your marketing strategy.

Evaluating analytics will help you understand whether your message resonates with your target audience.

Google Analytics is an easy place to start. Take a look at the page where your video lives. How long do your visitors spend on this page? What's the bounce rate? Where are they coming from? Keep track of this data and tweak your content according to your findings.

Host on YouTube? Take a look at your analytics there. The first three charts it shows are Performance (total views), Estimated Minutes Watched and Average View Duration. If you have a two minute video but the average view duration is 10 seconds, then you know you've missed your mark.

Vimeo shows you similar statistics. It includes whether the play was an embedded one or a direct one.

For more in-depth analytics, check out Brainshark or Wistia. These platforms give you the flexibility to see how viewers interact with your video. You'll be able to see the common drop-off points in your video and the places your viewers click back to re-watch.

Buffer

If a tree falls in a forest but no one is there to hear it, it still falls. If a video publishes in a vacuum and no one is there to watch it, well. It doesn't do anyone any good.

Promoting your content is part of that 80% we mentioned at the beginning of this post.

There are many great scheduling tools out there. But at MediaBoss we prefer Buffer. We manage many different accounts for ourselves and for our clients. Buffer is the best bang for our buck.

Create custom schedules for each social account and fill them up with awesome content. Keep track of the content that resonated with their easy-to-understand analytics. Adding content is simple with their free browser bookmarklet and smartphone app.

Evernote

MediaBoss's work flow would be tedious without Evernote.
Our team uses Evernote to keep track of everything. We have notebooks for on-going marketing efforts, production processes, inspiration, active projects and more.

This helps us organize creative and practical process without bogging our teammates down with emails.

Our Active Projects notebook is our universal notebook. This is where you'll find our many To-Do lists. We love Evernote's 'check' function. You can see it in the photo below. Everyone can look at the list and check off tasks as they complete them.

The work chat function is pretty neat too. This lets us send short messages to team members or share links to notes.
Here's a recent To-Do note we created to guarantee our process for our latest video blog on Live Stream Production:

Notebook

Yes, as in a notebook with a paper pages. Anyone in the creative field should have one by their side at all times.

It's tough to stay focused when you have the whole world at your finger-tips. The pull to check your email or re-read your latest traffic report can be too great.

There are plenty of apps and plugins to help you stay off the internet when working from a computer. But nothing beats not having the option. When you sit down to brainstorm, alone or in a team, you should be distraction-free. Paper notebooks help this process.

We give each new employee and intern a moleskine notebook when they join our team. It's our expectation that they will fill that notebook and need a new one in a month or so.

You need to catch and jot down your amazing ideas as they come!

Don't hesitate to contact us if you'd like help planning your video marketing strategy. And if you're looking for inspiration for a starting point, download our Guide to 7 Must-Have Videos.

Video Marketing Tips & Tricks

MediaBoss Selected Winner in the 36th Telly Awards for Ready, Set, Snow!

Erin Hayes June 25, 2015 Marketing, Creativity, Press, Video, Content Marketing Leave a Comment

This winter we sat down with people behind Framingham's Public Works. They wondered if we could produce a video that showcased their snow clean up and removal operations. Of course!

Although the Public Works story may seem mundane, we were up for the challenge to prove otherwise. A strong DPW is the key to any successful community. And the key to great video is great storytelling. Great storytelling is what MediaBoss does best.

We were honored to tell their story as their dedicated team worked around the clock to keep Framingham's roads safe and clear in the midst of the worst recorded winter in the history of Massachusetts.

And the best part is, we kept our word and we did produce an award-winning video.

Ready, Set, Snow! won a Telly Award for online informational video.

Check out the video below. The full press release follows.

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Framingham, MA June 24, 2015 - The Telly Awards has named MediaBoss Television as a Bronze winner in the 36th Annual Telly Awards for their piece titled Ready, Set, Snow!. With nearly 12,000 entries from all 50 states and numerous countries, this is truly an honor.

Ready, Set, Snow! follows the intrepid team at the Framingham Public Works through the snow clean up and management during the worst winter in Massachusetts’ history, the winter of 2015.

"When we sat down with Framingham Public Works we said we were going to produce an award-winning video that showcased their hard work and dedication,” Ian Barrett, MediaBoss Creative Director said. “We’re so excited that this story of an epic winter was captured and shared and that people have responded so positively to it."

“We’re proud to have partnered with MediaBoss Television to produce this award-winning video for Framingham’s Public Works. Their gifted and talented approach to informing the residents on our technology, equipment, and personnel, and the combined services that they provide to the Community, has achieved a high standard of excellence that is apparent in the quality of this video production, ” said Peter Sellers, Executive Director of Framingham Public Works.

[tweet_box]We’re proud to have partnered with @MediaBossTV to produce this award-winning video for @DPWFramingham[/tweet_box]

The Telly Awards was founded in 1979 and is the premier award honoring outstanding local, regional, and cable TV commercials and programs, the finest video and film productions, and online commercials, video and films. Winners represent the best work of the most respected advertising agencies, production companies, television stations, cable operators, and corporate video departments in the world.

“The Telly Awards has a mission to honor the very best in film and video,” said Linda Day, Executive Director of the Telly Awards. “MediaBoss Television’s accomplishment illustrates their creativity, skill, and dedication to their craft and serves as a testament to great film and video production.”

About MediaBoss Television

MediaBoss Television is a full-service television and web video production company that produces compelling video content for broadcast, corporations and start-ups alike. MediaBoss Television is based out of an 8,000 square foot converted industrial studio in Framingham, MA.

-END-

Marketing Creativity Press Video Content Marketing

Let Your Hair Down - Adam Ezra Group's Music Video Release

Erin Hayes June 24, 2015 Creativity, Video, Design Leave a Comment

This winter, in the midst of record-breaking snow fall, our friend Adam Ezra, of the Adam Ezra Group, reached out to us about producing a music video for his single "Let Your Hair Down."

He had lined up an incredible crew of talent for the project: Director Ben Tishler, Director of Photography Jason Thompson, Camera Operator John Cole and Editor Neil Miller. We were honored to join the team as a producer and were thrilled to open up our studio for the location of the video.

We've had the pleasure of working with Ezra for the last 3 years, live broadcasting his Ramble benefit concert. He's smart and talented guy and we just knew the team he had put together would be A-List.

We were right. It was an honor to work with Ben Tishler, Jason Thompson, John Cole and Neil Miller.

"Ben is an incredible guy to work with," Adam Ezra told us of Ben Tishler. "I'm always amazed by his work ethic, his vision, his talent, and most of all, what he ultimately is able to create on screen."

The vision for the video was a visual celebration of living in the moment and the "power of community and human spirit." Ezra reached out to cancer survivors and volunteers from some of the cancer organizations they work with every year and asked them to participate in the video. He wanted to capture the life and energy of this crowd as his band performed "Let Your Hair Down."

In 24 hours, our studio was converted into the ultimate music venue. We built a stage, we strung lights and we dressed the rest of our space in line with Tishler's artistic vision. Our favorite static visual for the video was the 'World' section of Framingham's historic 'Shopper's World' sign. The Framingham History Center put the sign in our care this fall and we couldn't be more pleased to see it in "Let Your Hair Down"!

[tweet_box]The vision for the video was a visual celebration of the "power of community and human spirit." [/tweet_box]

The video was officially released Sunday, June 21st, during the after party for the Adam Ezra Group's annual Boston Harbor boat cruise.

"I feel so honored, just to have been able to be a part of what happened that day," Adam Ezra told us. "I couldn't be more proud of what we created together."

When fans download "Let Your Hair Down" track or watch the music video, the proceeds are donated to The SAMFund. The SAMFund helps cancer patients and families who are struggling to make ends meet while recovering from treatment. Learn more about this on AdamEzra.com

Watch the video below. And for a Behind-The-Scenes peek of the Making-Of "Let Your Hair Down" take a look through our photo gallery!

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Creativity Video Design

5 Filmmaking Blogs to Follow

Erin Hayes June 18, 2015 Production, Tips & Tricks Leave a Comment

In this post, we've rounded up our top 5 filmmaking blogs to follow. We catch up with a lot of content throughout the day but it's the following 5 filmmaking blogs that we wouldn't want to live without!

Philip Bloom

"Philip Bloom is a British DP, Director and Filmmaker known for his DSLR filmmaking, blog and workshops."
If you pride yourself on being up-to-date on the latest and greatest in film equipment, Philip Bloom's blog is a must-read.

The world-renowned filmmaker also shares in-depth tutorials. His education section includes how-to videos covering subjects from Lighting to Editing to Workflow.

We love the accessibility of Bloom's blog. It's a fantastic trouble-shooting resource and a must-read for gear inspiration.

No Film School

"We post the latest tutorials, interviews, short films, and gear news to help all of us become better filmmakers — “no film school" required."

No Film School is an online resource for amateur and professional filmmakers alike. Their blog covers work-flow hacks for all stages of production and provides tutorials on a wide variety of software platforms.

The scribes at NFS also cover the latest news in film gear technology. It's a great place to look if you're hoping to hear about a sale or limited-time deal. And best of all, they feature long-format interview pieces from Hollywood heavy-weights.

Their feed is our morning paper.

Hurlblog

"Create. Innovate. Educate. A trusted and innovative learning authority for experienced and aspiring filmmakers globally. "

Hurlblog is the brainchild of cinematographer and passionate storyteller, Shane Hurlbut. He and his team of experts share an incredible amount of knowledge on his blog.

His tutorial videos cover the How-Tos of filmmaking in detailed but consumable packages.

You can expect to learn anything from lighting tips to DIY options and efficiency hacks to camera tricks.

This is a go-to resource for new filmmakers and seasoned veterans of the industry, alike.

MakingOf

“A gathering place and resource for filmmakers and fans of filmmakers alike.”

MakingOf is a YouTube treasure trove for filmophiles. It features behind-the-scenes b-roll packages from Hollywood’s biggest productions and intimate sit-down interviews.

The interview segments feature conversations with big names like Ron Howard, Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Natalie Portman.

And the b-roll packages are really fun to watch. They give you a fly-on-the-wall look at the production of films like “3 Days to Kill” and “Lego Movie.”
Definitely binge-worthy content.

The Black and Blue

The Black and Blue’s tagline says it all:
The site includes a blog and camera guide section. The Black and Blue boasts access to 30 camera pocket guides. Their intention is to help their readers shoot with whatever camera their production chooses. The fee to buy all 30 is quite affordable.

But it’s their blog that keeps us checking in for more. Posts include a hilarious GIF-ticle post titled “The Life as a Camera Assistant As Told Through GIFs” and “How to Prep a Camera Package with David Elkins."

“It’s what you learn after you know it all that counts.”
– John Wooden

We're passionate about our craft. If you looking for a video production partner, we'd love to talk to you about your project. Contact us here. :)

Production Tips & Tricks

Where to share Video: 4 Tips

Erin Hayes June 10, 2015 Video Marketing, Tips & Tricks, Content Marketing Leave a Comment

Now that you've invested in Video Marketing, it's time to take the steps to get the best ROI for your completed, perfect video.

How do you do this? You publish it and promote it!

Not sure where to start? Here are 4 quick tips on where to share video.

1. Landing Pages

In previous posts we’ve discussed setting clear goals for your video before you start production. Creating a landing page to help focus your goal is a good idea.

In fact, according to a recent study by webDAM, landing page conversions increased by 86% when a video was included in the content.
If you aren’t sure how to create an effective landing page, check out this resource:

The Ultimate Guide to Creating Effective Landing Pages

2. Email

Did you know that the ROI on email marketing averages $1 to $44.25?
Email marketing is also 40 times more likely to snag customers than Twitter and Facebook.

Now, combine email’s strength with the engaging power of video and you’ve got yourself a great way to reach out to your prospects and to stay top of mind with your customers.

In fact, a report by Eloqua found that including video in an introductory email reduced the number of subscriber opt-outs by 75%.

Here are a couple more fun statistics:

Tip: It’s important to note that your emails need to be mobile friendly. If they aren’t mobile friendly you’re leaving a lot up to chance. According to comScore, just as many people read emails on desktop as they do on mobile. If your emails aren’t responsive then a large segment of your subscribers won’t be able to read your message.

3. Social Media

Video and social media are a match made in heaven. Video sees 12 times more shares on social media than their text and link counterparts!
Social media is an opportunity to create a few custom, shorter videos to lead to a larger video and broader campaign. Think about posting a 7 second teaser to twitter with a link to your landing page or a 15 second teaser in Instagram.

And if that’s not enough to convince you that you should share your videos on social media, check this out:

Shares of Facebook videos increased by 43% in the first three months this year.

4. Blog

There’s no question that your business should make blogging a priority.

The next time your team is stuck for topic ideas, look through your video library. Publish your videos on your blog with written context.
You could write a quick synopsis of the video; include the transcription; or you could write an engaging behind the scenes break down of how the video was shot. After all, 1 minute of video is worth 1.8 million words!

Here’s a good read:

The Why: 12 Distinct Goals for Business Blogging

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Know you want a video but aren't sure where to start? Check out our Guide to the 7 Must-Have Videos for any content marketing strategy.

Video Marketing Tips & Tricks Content Marketing

7 Dos and Don'ts of Video Marketing

Erin Hayes June 04, 2015 Tips & Tricks Leave a Comment

The question is no longer if you should invest in Video Marketing. The question is when. Cisco's latest reports indicate that video will account for 69% of all consumer Internet traffic by 2017.

We've put together a list of Dos and Don'ts for marketing your products and services through video.

Do Hire a Professional

There are some good arguments for learning a new skill on the fly. But would you apply these arguments to a case that saw you rewiring your home?

While there is an initial cost to hiring professionals, in the end you save money and your time by getting it done right the first time.

A video is a sum of its parts and if one part is wrong, the entire video misses its mark. When it comes to getting your message out there you want it to look good. Your viewers want it to good look too. Your investment in great video will show your investment in your company and in them.

Don't Hire the Cheapest...or the Most Expensive

Hire the company that shows they can be your creative partner and deliver you the best quality video on message and on time.

We understand that video may cost more than you typically spend. But many times hiring your cheapest option isn't better than doing it yourself. You may find you'll have to redo the video because the footage doesn't look great or the audio is off or the lighting is terrible.

But that said, the most expensive option isn't always the best either. Big agencies have all the right equipment and the right people working for them. They also have A, B and C crews to help them manage their time and their clients' varying production budgets. If you meet with a bigger agency and love them, make sure to ask who will be producing your video. If it isn't the people you met with and felt really understood your message, you should ask why.

Do Have a Goal

Like most things in life, you will be more successful if you identify a goal and make the work focused on attaining this goal.

Once you identify the buyer persona you are targeting, decide what action you want the video to compel them to take.

(I mention the buyer persona because if your video attracts the wrong people no one wins.)

Are you driving them to download a product? Would you like them to sign up for a webinar? Are you hoping to grow your email list, your social media following or your blog subscribers?

Whatever your goal is, make sure your video's message, tone and visuals all support it.

Don't Focus on Views

Your video could get 10,000 hits but if only 5 viewers watch to its completion and just 1 person followed your Call to Action, would you consider the video a success? Probably not.
If you only concentrate only on the number of views your video receives you miss out on measuring another important metric: viewer engagement.

Viewer engagement is the buzz phrase that identifies how people interact with your perfectly crafted piece of content marketing.

So, how do you measure engagement with video?

1. Check the analytics on your hosting site.
Most hosts have analytics available to show completion rates.

2. Use Custom URLs for your CTAs.
If your goal is email sign-ups, put tracking in place so you can see who signed up from your video.

3. Pay attention to the comment field.
Are people asking for more information about your product before they take action? Are conversations between leads and customers happening organically?

If you want to dig deeper in this direction, check out this recent post by Marketing Land. They interviewed CMOs on what video marketing metrics they measure to determine the success of their video. (And please, watch the Baby Mudder video. You won't regret it.)

Do Promote Your Video

Congratulations! You've invested in video and you're now ready to share your company's carefully crafted visual message with the world! But your work's not done. Now you need to promote it.

How? Well, we'll tell you how not to first.

Don't Publish it Once

This is akin to printing out a flyer for an event and only posting it only at your favorite coffee shop. You know, the place that never gets too crowded but makes a fantastic latte?

In other words, not stop your publishing strategy at your website.

Your website is fantastic. Your product or service is the best. But chances are not everyone in your target audience frequents your website often enough to notice your shiny new video.

You may not hit your goal with this approach. Instead, try this:

Do Publish it Across Platforms

Remember your buyer persona? The one for whom you created a targeted message? Where do they like to hang out on the Internet?

If your audience likes Instagram, post a 15 second teaser of your video that points them to the full piece. If it's Facebook, post the video there and allow them to comment on your video through their Facebook accounts. Are they twitter users? Create a Vine that leads them to your video. Are they heavy snapchat users? Take a page from Madonna's book and post the video there and direct your superusers to it.

There you have it. Our 7 Dos and Don'ts of Video Marketing. what would you add?

Oh, and if you're looking for ideas for what type of video you should produce, take a look at our 7 Must-Have Videos for inspiration.

Tips & Tricks

6 Helpful Interview Tips for Your Next Video

Erin Hayes June 02, 2015 Video Marketing, Video, Tips & Tricks Leave a Comment

It’s Not What You Do. It’s The Way You Do It.

Imagine you scored a 20 minute, 1-on-1 interview with one of the hottest talents in your industry. Now imagine they’ve said yes to having it filmed. This is an opportunity that could make or break your career.

How do you prepare?

A bit of background:
For five years in my 20s I had the opportunity to interview some of the most talented people in the world for a Boston newspaper. I had the chance to talk to big names from Former Vice President Al Gore to screenwriter/director Nora Ephron. Some of the interviews I’m proud of (Mr. Gore told me I was his most entertaining interview!). Others haunt me (Nora Ephron had me tongue-tied).

My mistakes helped me develop 6 interview tips to guarantee a great end product and a great experience for me and the interviewee.

Here are my 6 Interview Tips for Video:

1. Do Your Research

Spend an entire day pouring over every article, video, online resource you can find on your subject. But remember to fact check the sources you find against other articles.

Search TED Talks. Look up their LinkedIn, SlideShare, Twitter and Instagram accounts. Get to know the type of content they choose to share. This practice will open a window into their personality. It will give you insight into how they like see themselves and inspiration for what your portrayal of them could be.

i.e.
The Person Behind the Myth or The Person with No Myth.

Personal experience:
I interviewed Tommy Lee Jones for a film he directed in 2005, The Three Burials of Melquaides Estrada. I had done plenty of research on the production of the film, the casting and his personal impetus for taking on a project that dealt with border issues between Texas and Mexico. However, I missed one crucial piece of information: Tommy Lee Jones is bilingual. I don't remember exactly what I asked him in regards to speaking Spanish, but to be frank, he was not impressed. Lesson learned.

2. Know Your Goal (Story Arc)

Don’t skip this step. It’s the step that many people overlook, my former self included. Take the time to sit down and write your Interview Treatment. Think of it as your Show Bible.

Too many interviews are open ended ramblings. This awkward for you, awkward for them and confusing for your viewer.

Plot out your storyline by combining the research you’ve completed and your own spin on the insight you’d like to glean from them.

This. Is. Critical. When you have a clear goal you are more relaxed and when you are more relaxed, your subject is more relaxed.

This step serves as the scaffolding from which candid conversational points will grow. It will serve as the structure your end product will need for success. When you are in the editing room, you won’t have to back into the story. It will be neatly laid out for you (and your editor).

3. Get the Bite

Sound bites are key. They are important for written pieces but they are crucial for video. They make your video stand out and perhaps even more importantly, they make it repurpose-able. Think blog series, video series and 15 second social promos (videos 15 seconds and shorter are shared 37% more than their 30 second counterparts).

In your head, make a list of 5 simple phrases that you’d like to hear them say so you can get your video done.

"Working at Good Will has been the greatest satisfaction of my life."
"The single most important day of my life was the day I met Bill Gates."
"The most transformative book I've ever read was Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott

You get the idea.

Now that you have a list of bytes you need, set your subject up to say them. Write pointed, passionately phrased questions. And this leads me right into Number 4.

4. Be Innovative

Don’t regurgitate interviews you’ve seen with this person. Don’t start listing off their achievements. They’ve lived through both, and you’re blowing an opportunity to create compelling content.

You’ve done your research, you know your goal, you’ve got this.

Imagine this talent has been the CEO of three successful startups. Imagine you know from reading the forward of his autobiography that he/she loved building with legos when he was a child. If it was important enough for him/her to share, there must be a story behind it.

Come to the interview with a lego set and present it to him or her.

'I read that you enjoy legos. Is there anything that you loved doing as a child that translates into your present career trajectory?'

I guarantee you that you'll get a smile and an answer you (and your viewers) haven't heard before.

Personal Experience:
I had the opportunity to speak with writer/director Robert Towne during his Ask the Dust film press junket tour. Ask the Dust is a book by John Fante that Towne adapted to film. Now, I'm a John Fante fan. A geeky, geeky John Fante fan. But somehow the fact that I had poet/novelist Charles Bukowski to thank for the knowledge of Fante eluded me until I sat down to do my research.
My first question was "How would you thank Charles Bukowski for giving you the opportunity to work Salma Hayek?"
He laughed and thanked me for not asking what it was like to work with Colin Farrell (who played the lead and Salma's love interest). We went on to have a great conversation about his friendship with Bukowski.

5. Make Eye Contact

Engage your guest. You are there to have a conversation with someone who has generously agreed to give you their time.

I know it’s tempting to check your questions while they’re talking. But while doing so may ground you, it disengages your subject. They were having a conversation and then suddenly, they are talking to the top of your head. Their entire demeanor will shift. At best they’ll follow your lead and look down at their feet or off-camera. At worst they'll sigh or roll their eyes in frustration.

It’s a great idea for any interviewer to engage their interviewee. To keep eye contact, to smile, to encourage their responses with facial expressions. But it is absolutely critical to do this for video. Your subject could say all the right things. They could hit every one of your must-have bytes, but if they aren’t engaged with you, they could gaze off camera. They could look around in the room or in the wrong direction and then it doesn’t work in the shot. You need to take an active role even if you are off camera.

Think of yourself as the host of a two-person party. Your job is to make your guest feel at home and appreciated. You wouldn’t welcome party goers into your home only to retreat into your bedroom to read a book; don’t invite someone to sit down and have a conversation with you and then not pay attention to their physical cues.

Personal Experience
I'm an Eye Contact Ninja and I've been one since I was a child. I'll tell you why: my auditory comprehension speed is sub-par, to be polite about it. If I'm not looking at you, I'll need seconds to figure out how I should react based on what you said. I'm terrible on the phone. If I am looking at you, my understanding is instantaneous. I'll be able to tell how you hoped I'd react to your statement and give you encouraging facial cues before my brain catches up to speed.

You don't want lag-time during an interview. Even a second of incomprehension can lead to visible frustration. These brief looks will render your footage unusable. Do not look at your notes mid-answer. Don't do it!

6. Keep Your Questions Short and Sweet

Think 10:1. For every 1 word you say, you should hear 10 words from your subject. In short, your questions need to be short.

When you sit down to compose your innovative questions, slap the writer and/or marketer in you on the wrist and remind them that writing and speaking are two very different mediums. You will not get points for complex thoughts and a large vocabulary in an interview setting.

Get to the point, and get there quickly, one, short question at a time.

The reason behind short and to the point questions is the same reason you put just one call-to-action on a landing page. If your questions are 2, 3 or 4 part-ers then you run the risk of confusing your interviewee about how you want them to respond and you get a convoluted answer that doesn’t effectively answer any of your points. And your editor will grumble about you under their breath.

Interview Tips In Summary:

Do your research and fact check
Know your story arc
Get the bite
Be innovative
Make eye contact
Keep your questions short and sweet

Bonus Interview Tip:

If you won't appear in the video with your guest and are asking the questions off-camera remember to ask them to repeat a part of your question in their reply.

Example: When did you know you wanted to become a submarine commander?

Answer: I knew I wanted to become a submarine commander the first time I heard The Beatles song, Octopus's Garden.

Now, what would you add to this list? What tip(s) has/have helped in your interviewing process?

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Video Marketing Video Tips & Tricks

7 Must Have Videos for Every Content Marketing Strategy

Erin Hayes May 21, 2015 Production, Video, Content Marketing Leave a Comment

You know that your marketing strategy isn't complete without a comprehensive content marketing plan. There are countless studies that show your visitors are looking for quality content before they make a purchasing decision and we all know that Google prefers real content to keyword-stuffed content.

Video marketing is a critical part of your business's content marketing strategy. Video is considered to have the second highest ROI (51.9%) in marketers content strategy according to a recent survey by eMarketer. They improve engagement rates, increase product knowledge and, according to Digital Sherpa, a whopping 1/3 of all online activity is spent watching video.

And these stats won't be decreasing any time soon. According to the KPCB Partners report, 74% of all Internet traffic will be video this year. And Cisco projects that global internet traffic from videos will make up 80% of all Internet traffic in 2019.

But video production can seem like an intimidating process to some and we've all heard sad stories of video investments gone wrong. Like all content, videos need to be vetted. They need to have clear goals and proper execution from pre-production to distribution.

Bad content can be worse than no content at all. In fact, 62% of consumers are more likely to have a negative perception of a brand that publishes poor-quality video.

Over the last decade we've produced marketing videos that have helped launch companies, get startups sold and have innovated blue chip businesses.

In that time we've developed a tried and true suite of video we recommend to all of our clients:

The 7 Must Have Videos for the Most Effective Content Marketing Strategy.

But we just call it the 7 Must Have Videos.

We've created a SlideShare for the quick hit, but for more in-depth advice read on below.

NO. 1: THE COMPANY OVERVIEW

Think of this video as a virtual introduction; it's the smile, eye contact and firm handshake of your website. It should give the broad view of what your company does and why it does it. The language should be simple and easily digested.

[Note: This isn't an Explainer video. An Explainer video gets down into the specifics of your service or product. Explainer videos are critical to your content marketing strategy but we'll cover that in a minute.]

The goal of this video is to welcome your viewer and entice them to learn more about how your company could simplify their life. It's a great home page or landing page video.

Landing pages with video see an 86% increase in conversions according to a study by WebDAM solutions.

A good length of this video is under 2-minutes.

Now, how do you boil down your incredible company in under 2 minutes?

Our Advice:

Brainstorm the 3 key takeaways about your company.
Write 1 page, double spaced.
- Break the page down by:
  - Intro paragraph
  - Key takeaway 1
  - Key takeaway 2
  - Key takeaway 3
  - Closing paragraph

It may seem tough to try and get 5 pounds of sugar into a 2 pound bag, but all you need to do is boil it down and it will all fit. Promise.

NO. 2: THE TALKING HEAD (or THOUGHT LEADERSHIP) VIDEO

The Talking Head video puts a face to a name and it's a great opportunity for you to leverage the insight of your C-Level execs while branding them as experts in your field. The more people you have out there talking about you, the more people will find you.

Now, why should you produce a talking head video when you have a white paper that reflects the insights of your C-Level Exec? Because Humans Like Other Humans.

In fact, according to Forbes:

"The Fusiform Facial area makes us pay attention to faces - this is an actual brain function that hard-wires us to use the human face as a gathering point for information and believability."

Also, there's this fun fact from Digital Sherpa: Videos increase consumers' understanding of a company's product or service by 74%.

Also, tapping into top internal talent will show your company's dedication to its customers travels all the way to the top.

Our Advice:

Write a script, and then write it again.
- Then, share it with the video production experts you hire for their feedback on language, too. Writing for the page and writing for video are two different animals and everyone has a different speaking tone. If you can say something with one word, don't use three. Try to be kind to your speaker and don't put 'X' sounds next to 'C' or 'S' sounds.
Use a Teleprompter.
- Most video production houses will have one. If they don't, they should because Teleprompt + makes a great app for the iPad.

NO. 3: LAUNCH VIDEO

A launch video can help build excitement around your launch and encourage social sharing.

Launches are major milestones for every company. Whether it's a company launch, a product or a service launch, it takes months of hard work and long hours to make sure you've got all your ducks in a row.

Maximize your promotion effort and produce a video to introduce the subject of your launch and tell the world why it will be a better place now that you are here.

Did you know that videos are shared 12 times more than links and text posts combined?

Ok, so people share video, but will that translate into leads? According to Entrepreneur.com, yes. After viewing a video, 75% of users check out a marketer's website.

Our Advice:

Keep this video fun and under 2 minutes.
If you have the budget, consider hiring professional talent or animating it.

NO. 4: CUSTOMER TESTIMONIAL

You know your product/service is the best on the market, but anyone will tell you that this sentiment carries more weight when shared by your customers instead of your VP of Sales.

Written Case Studies and Customer Quotes are fantastic, but in today's visual world it's important to include a video in this content marketing package.

If you scroll back up to No. 2 in this list you can re-read the factoid about the Fusiform Facial Area. Humans like to hear from other humans, plain and simple.

According to WebDam Solutions, Customer Testimonials have the highest effectiveness rating for content - 86%! And the marketing mavens at Econsultancy report that 70% of consumers trust the opinions of unknown users.

So, reach out to your happy customers and ask if they'd be willing to sing your praise on video.

Our Advice:

Come prepared with a single sheet of questions.
Keep eye contact and smile when you're asking questions.
- This will help your customer feel at ease and smile back at you, and more importantly, the camera!

NO. 5: ANIMATED EXPLAINER

If a picture tells a thousand words, then an animation will tell millions, right? Right. 1.8 million words per minute.

We love animations, and we know we aren't alone. According to Unbounce, Animated Explainer videos increase conversion rated by an impressive 20%.

Animations evoke emotion. Nearly every child grew up reading illustrated books or watching Saturday morning cartoons. This emotional charge entices us to click or push the play button when we see an animated thumbnail.

And then there's this:

93% of communication is nonverbal and individuals process visuals 60,000 times faster than text (ETC Web).

This makes sense when you consider that civilizations have been sharing information via illustration for literally thousands of years. Tap into this universal form of communication and explain your product or service with a custom 2D or 3D animated explainer.

Our Advice:

Give yourself some lead time with this project. Animations are time consuming and you don't want to incur a rush charge.
Keep the video between 60 and 90 seconds (about a page of double-spaced text).
Get creative with it!

NO. 6: PRODUCT OVERVIEW

Product Demos are immensely helpful to guide prospects through the buyer's journey. They help prospects become leads by familiarizing them with how to use your product; they create customers from leads because they show you'll have their back should they have questions; and they help create happy customers because your customers know they can count on you for support.

Product Demos also simplify the lives of your sales team and technical team. If your company has a robust resource page of videos, they can reference them during support calls and include links to them in their customer emails.

Speaking of email, did you know that an introductory company email that includes a video receives an increase click-through rate by 96%? (Digital Sherpa)

A Product Demo - or an Animated Explainer for that matter - make fantastic additions to introductory emails.

Our Advice:

Write a script and a corresponding shot list.
This will guarantee you get the shots you need whether you are producing a video with a host or voice over driven video.
If your product is software based, plan on running a screen capture while you host the demo.

Bonus tip for screen capture: Keep your mouse still until you need to use it.

NO. 7: SOCIAL VIDEO (or 'VIRAL VIDEO')

Produce a video that will inspire your audience to share your message organically. Easy, right? Well, with the right production partner and the right expectations, it doesn't have to be impossible.

The 'Social Video' is the savvy marketer's way of harnessing the elusive Internet Unicorn, the 'Viral Video'.

Hubspot recently wrote blog consisting of a compendium of data on how to produce a viral video. Laughter was an important factor (so was having a kid say something unexpected, but that's the problem with Viral Videos; they don't necessarily speak to people who could turn into leads).

Burst Media reports that comedy is the most popular form of online video content among all viewers, regardless of age, at 39%. And, it gets better. Posts with videos attract 3 times more inbound links than plain text posts.

Most importantly, people fall in love with video.

We'll leave you with this excerpt from an Entrepreneur.com article by contributor Lizart Margalit, PhD, a resident psychologist at ClickTale:

"When we watch a video, we become immersed in it and create an empathetic connection with the screen. If you want your visitors to fall in love with your content, it makes sense to deliver it via video. That’s because it’s much easier for us to become emotionally attached to something we watch in a video than something we read in an article.

Emotions are mediated by automatic physiological (motor-sensorial) reactions, which can be explained through a process called mirror-neuron mechanism. A mirror neuron is a neuron that fires not just when we ourselves perform an action, but also when we watch someone else perform that same action. Our brains mirror what’s unfolding before us as if we were part of the scene, even if we are just sitting passively on the sidelines."

Let people fall in love with you and your brand and include these 7 must have videos in your content marketing strategy.

Production Video Content Marketing

10 Inspiring Quotes from Our Favorite Filmmakers

Erin Hayes May 19, 2015 Creativity, Quote Leave a Comment

Great Quotes from Great Filmmakers

When we're in need of inspiration we draw from our favorite creatives.

To that end, we culled a SlideShare document of 10 inspiring quotes from 10 of our favorite filmmakers. So if you're feeling like you could use a fresh perspective, take a look - and if you're in a hurry, we've written the quotes below for an easy skim.

http://www.slideshare.net/MediaBoss/inspiring-words-from-our-favorite-filmmakers

"A good film is when the price of the dinner, the theatre admission and the babysitter were worth it." - Alfred Hitchock

"When people ask me if I went to film school I tell them, 'no, I went to films." - Quentin Tarantino

"The Secret to the movie business or any business, is to get a good education in a subject besides film - whether it's history, psychology, economics, or architecture - so you have something to make a movie about. All the skill in the world isn't going to help you unless you have something to say." - George Lucas

"There's nothing creative about living within your means." - Francis Ford Coppola

"Be conscious of the filmmakers that speak to you. Be shameless about stealing from the. Oddly, your own voice comes out." - Nancy Savoca

"If there's specific resistance to women making movies, I just choose to ignore that as an obstacle for two reasons; I can't change my gender, and I refuse to stop making movies." - Kathryn Bigelow

"There's nothing quite like the idea of failing spectacularly to excite a film maker." - Mike Figgis

"A film is- or should be - more like music than fiction. It should be a progression of moods and feelings. The theme, what's behind the emotion, the meaning, all that comes later." - Stanley Kubrick

"Whatever you choose, however many roads you travel, I hope that you choose not to be a lady. I hope you will find some way to break the rules and make a little trouble out there, And I also hope that you will choose to make some of that trouble on behalf of woman." - Nora Ephron

"A film is never really good unless the camera is an eye in the head of a poet." - Orson Welles

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Creativity Quote

Erin Hayes

It’s Not What You Do. It’s The Way You Do It.

Great Quotes from Great Filmmakers

Erin Hayes

Recent Posts

1. Know Your Goal

2. Know Your Tone

3. Know the Feedback Hierarchy.

4. Create A Through-line

5. Use Metaphor

6. Keep It Short and Simple

7. Understand the Process

Step 1: Creative meeting with the production company

Step 2: Provide approved script:

Step 3: Storyboard

Step 3: Voice Over

Step 4: Animation

Step 5: Music and Sound FX.

Step 6: Delivery

Analytics

Buffer

Evernote

Notebook

1. Landing Pages

2. Email

3. Social Media

4. Blog

Do Hire a Professional

Don't Hire the Cheapest...or the Most Expensive

Do Have a Goal

Don't Focus on Views

Do Promote Your Video

Don't Publish it Once

Do Publish it Across Platforms

It’s Not What You Do. It’s The Way You Do It.

Here are my 6 Interview Tips for Video:

1. Do Your Research

2. Know Your Goal (Story Arc)

3. Get the Bite

4. Be Innovative

5. Make Eye Contact

6. Keep Your Questions Short and Sweet

NO. 1: THE COMPANY OVERVIEW

Our Advice:

NO. 2: THE TALKING HEAD (or THOUGHT LEADERSHIP) VIDEO

Our Advice:

NO. 3: LAUNCH VIDEO

Our Advice:

NO. 4: CUSTOMER TESTIMONIAL

Our Advice:

NO. 5: ANIMATED EXPLAINER

Our Advice:

NO. 6: PRODUCT OVERVIEW

Our Advice:

NO. 7: SOCIAL VIDEO (or 'VIRAL VIDEO')

Great Quotes from Great Filmmakers

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