Are You Asking These 11 Stimulating Interview Questions to Capture Your Company’s 'Honest-to-Goodness' Video Story?

• Are your video interviews compelling?

• Does your audience feel naturally connected with the people featured in your company’s video?

• Are you asking questions that create “one-of-a-kind” responses your viewers will remember for a long time?

If not, you’re not alone. Remember…

Appearing on-camera is NOT natural

It’s not everyday that we appear on-camera for an interview. That’s exactly why the questions you ask your “heroes” need to be framed in a way that makes them forget where they are. Ask questions that allow the person on-camera to share their story in a natural way.

Self-editing is NOT helpful

During an interview, it is completely natural to edit what one is saying. The interviewee is thinking of the “right” answers. That’s a recipe for disaster when trying to capture honest and real emotions from someone.

Telling our story IS natural

In capturing a story for a company through personal interviews, simply ask questions that are, well, personal. It’s that simple.

How do you get around these common traps? Easy. By asking questions that frame a business through a person.

Over 24 years of interviewing hundreds of people, I’ve developed a cache of questions I keep on hand at all times.

These are my favorite questions. These are the ones I use over and over in almost every interview, regardless of the story. You can use them, too. Just tweak them as needed.

I love them because they work. Every time.

11 Stimulating Questions to Capture Your Company’s Video Story

1. In simple terms, what did your life look like before you worked/volunteered/here?

2. Describe your “Ah-Ha!” moment that shaped your decision to work here/start this company/join to volunteer?

3. What was your biggest fear before starting this job/position/company/idea?

4. What have you learned from that experience?

5. What does this means to those watching this film?

6. What do you love the most about what you do?

7. Do you have a metaphor for what it’s like to work/volunteer here?

8. In your mind, who would be a great fit for this company/product/service/team?

9. Can you imagine a world without this company/service/product/idea?

10. If you could destroy one myth about this company/job/culture, what would it be?

11. What’s at stake?


Of course, there are plenty more you could ask. But you get the idea.

Steal these questions. Use them. Spin them to make them yours. Put ‘em to use in the real world.

Oh, yeah. One more thing.

Let me know how they work for you. Drop me a comment. I’m curious.

---Tom

11 Stimulating Questions to Capture Your Company's Video Story

Can It Really Be This Simple?

Maybe we didn't understand the power of television.

Maybe we did understand television's power but ignored it.

Maybe we forgot about our emotions.

Maybe we forgot about storytelling.

Maybe we thought videos were produced to sell stuff.

Maybe we forgot there's more to life than our stuff.

Maybe corporate video storytelling is about "enlightening" one another.

Can it really be this simple?

---Tom

Can It Really Be This Simple?

Thomas Clifford Interviewed on TalkShoe

Scott Andrews, CEO of ARRiiVE Business Solutions, invited me to participate in a one-hour interview on TalkShoe.

Scott is the host for ARRiiVE: Innovations in Business Weekly Radio Talk Show! Each week, Scott packs his show with some amazing guests sharing a variety of different business strategies. It's great to be a part of his roster...thanks, Scott!

You can get log in details here.

Date: Wednesday, March 26
Time: 5:00 P.M. EST

I'm not sure what Scott has in mind for the interview but I hope to be covering a wide range of topics including:

• secrets to create a successful on-camera interview

• common myths surrounding corporate videos

• tips for companies to successfully partner with a filmmaker

• how I got into filmmaking when I never watched TV as a kid

• the importance of language and the role it plays in video storytelling

If you can't make the call, you can download it later. Tune in if you have some time :-)

---Tom

Filmmaker Thomas Clifford Interviewed on TalkShoe

3 Steps to Make Your Corporate Video Jump Off the Screen!

I've seen them. You've seen them.

Boring, unemotional videos from companies.

You roll your eyes, look at the clock and check yourself out.

If branding is about creating emotional experiences and connections between you and your audience, it's no wonder boring corporate videos haven't been an integral part of the branding conversation.

But now it's your turn. You've been charged to produce a video for your company. Perhaps you need to tell your product story or service story.

But you have a small problem: you're not a filmmaker and you don't know anyone who is. You're also not sure what ingredients are needed to go into a memorable film. What do you do?

Discover a hero who overcomes a problem that changes the world.

Here are three simple and easy things you can incorporate into your video to make your brand story jump off the screen and into your customer's hearts.

1. DISCOVER A HERO.

Every corporate video needs a "face" or a "hero" to provide a point of view. Without a hero, your audience is easily confused. Your hero should be someone your viewers can identify with; someone they can quickly feel connected to.

In "Elements of Persuasion," Richard Maxwell and Robert Dickman share the role of the hero as one who "grounds" the audience.

Where do you discover your heroes? Right under your nose!

Say for example, Human Resources needs a film. If the goal of your video story is to attract and retain top talent, then discover three or four employees whose personal story reflects those stories of potential candidates whom you want to attract to your company. Those three or four personal stories are actually holograms; tiny slivers of the larger talent pool you are seeking.

2. SHOW ME A DRAGON!

The single biggest issue facing your corporate video is the lack of emotions. How do you generate an emotional response from an employee, or hero, in your film?

Easy. Find a dragon. Ask, "What's at stake?" Every hero needs a dragon or an obstacle to overcome. Without it, your viewers will secretly be wishing for it. Besides, they probably won't talk about it because the story is "sugar-coated."

Following our HR example, let's say one of your heroes:

• Discovers a medical condition limiting their career opportunities.

• Discovers the future business of a large client is at stake.

• Discovers they are overwhelmed with their new job; perhaps it wasn't the right job.

• Discovers their project funding is being severely cut.

While each "dragon" takes a different shape and form, your hero creates an emotional response for your audience in each situation. That is exactly what you audience is hungry for!

3. REVEAL A TRANSFORMATION.

Whether the dragon has been successfully defeated or not, does not matter. What matters is that your audience gains a deeper appreciation of your hero. They now understand the hero's journey. The audience has a sense of empathy they did not have a few minutes earlier. Their world has been changed.

And that, in the end, is what telling your video story is all about.

There you have it. Three simple steps to make your corporate video story jump off the screen:

1. Discover a hero who is comfortable telling their story.
2. Show the hero's struggle.
3. Reveal a new world.

Jumping off the screen isn't THAT hard :-)

---Tom

3 Steps to Make Your Corporate Video Jump Off the Screen

Caution! 7 Signs of Lazy Corporate Video Stories

Time for a "gut check." Ready?

If your company video story disappeared tomorrow, who would miss it?

Everybody? Just a few people? If your gut is starting to sink, you're not alone.

Corporate videos have a long tradition of being lazy. Why? Steve Pressfield in "The War of Art" shares two main reasons:

• Resistance
  

• Rationalization

Resistance sounds like:
"I know what needs to be done...but I'll start tomorrow. Maybe."

Rationalizing resistance sounds like:
"Let's justify the resistance. Not many people will see this video, so let's take the easy way."

Defeating these two forces will help you tell your video story in a way that will get people talking about you.

If your video story won't be missed by your community and audience, it might be due one or more of the "7 Signs." There are more, for sure. But these seven always raise their ugly head on every project.

Here are the seven common signs of laziness you need to watch out for when getting ready for your next project.

7 Signs of Lazy Corporate Video Stories

1. Lazy Purpose. Clear intentions create clear goals. Be absolutely clear in what you want to achieve when your video story fades to black. Most videos pack too many objectives into it with the result of confusing the viewer. Remember, one goal per video works beautifully.

2. Lazy Emotions. Even a little emotion can go a long way in helping your story connect with others. Find a hero with a problem that is overcome, and you'll instantly create a connection you'd otherwise not have.

3. Lazy Storytelling. Think about this: every product or service has a story associated with it. There was a time when a product or service did not exist, then it did. I call that "The Gap." A great place to find one of your stories is in that "gap."

4. Lazy Cinematography. There are times when you can capture remarkable footage when it's not planned. But don't count on this technique to carry your entire story. Spend time thinking, planning and designing scenes or transitions that will make your video "pop" and be memorable.

5. Lazy Music. While custom music score is ideal, you can't always afford one. Create a compelling soundtrack by digging deep into the vaults of stock music. Find unusual and different sounding tracks. You can't do this quickly. It takes time but is well worth the effort. Once you find a number of tracks, change the music every 30 seconds. Our brains are programmed to see and hear different things often, and music is no exception.

6. Lazy Narration. Avoid using a narration track all the way through the video. The ear will begin to tune it out and your mind will begin to wander. Use a narrator sparingly and purposefully. Change the sound of your audio track using different voices frequently, just like your music soundtrack technique.

7. Lazy Graphics. Design rules. Work with a dedicated motion graphic artist to weave your company's logo, colors, fonts, themes, etc. together into an organic looking story.

I hope you're not too lazy after reading this to drop me a note :-) I'm interested in hearing your stories.

What keeps you awake while watching a corporate video? (besides a cup of coffee!)

• What techniques worked for your corporate video?

• What didn't work? Why not?

• What would you do differently next time?

Feel free to post your thoughts here.

---Tom

7 Signs of Lazy Corporate Video Stories