New Podcast: SOBCon09 Radio Show

I recently completed a 30 minute interview for SOBCon09 Radio which was a blast and I thought I'd share it with you.

SOBCon09 Radio

I covered a lot of ground with Michelle Vandepas who asked some interesting and thoughtful questions. We covered the role of a director in a corporate films, how blogging and twittering have helped spread my ideas, and lots more.

Being interviewed to help promote SOBCon was something I wanted to do to encourage others to go. Not only that, check out the amazing list of people who are part of this incredible community.

I've been fortunate to attend SOBCon, The Successful Outstanding Bloggers Convention, twice; in 2007 and 2008. Whether you're a newbie to blogging or not, this event is a blast. It will stretch your thinking while creating and extending new friendships. Can't beat that!

Grab some tea, kick back and enjoy the show.
I'm partial to homemade chai, but hey, whatever works...just sayin'. :)

I'd love to get your feedback.

Over to you. In the future, what do you want me to talk about? Did I miss something? Not clear on certain ideas? Let me know in the comments. Thanks.

---Tom

Corporate Filmmaker Thomas Clifford on SOBCon09 Radio Show

Five in the Morning

In the "...and now for something completely different..." department, I bring you...

"Five in the Morning"

My good friend Steve Woodruff writes a daily series called "Five in the Morning." Each morning, Steve links to five interesting posts he's recently discovered. Steve has begun reaching out to various writers to guest post "Five in the Morning" on their site.

When Steve asked me to post five interesting links for the series, I couldn't wait! I figured this would be a great opportunity to share with you some of my other interests in addition to corporate filmmaking.

(Sorry, Steve, for breaking the rules. I think there's more than five links here. Dang, there I go again. Breakin' them rules!)

OK, time to rock 'n' roll...

1. "An Invitation to Quantum Activism"

Are you a "quantum activist?" You just might be and not even know it. Dr. Amit Goswami is a theoretical quantum physicist who has the remarkable gift of decoding complex quantum physics concepts into simple and meaningful ideas that will literally flip your current thinking and change how you "see" your world.

Amit: "Quantum Activism is the idea of transforming ourselves and our societies in accordance with the transforming messages of quantum physics and the new paradigm."

I personally believe consciousness is the new frontier in our evolution and quantum physics will lead the way.

Don't miss Goswami's "Quantum Activist" new documentary. It's still being produced but you'll love this trailer!

2. "Can You Float Your Way to Creative Flow?"

Floating? You're kidding, right? Nope. Ever hear of float tanks? Believe it or not, I use to build float tanks during my college days in New Orleans while also studying yoga and meditation.

So when Mark McGuinness posted the benefits of floating, my jaw just dropped. I haven't floated in over 20 years and Mark's post brought back wonderful memories. Float your way to creativity? You bet. Don't miss this one, folks.

3. "Failure: The Secret to Success"

Have you seen Honda's new "Dream the Impossible" corporate documentary series? It's simply stunning, engaging, moving, captivating. The whole nine yards. Dang, they nailed it. Hat tip to JP Holecka who I met on Twitter and told me about the series.

4. "Daniel Pink’s Travel Tips"

Do you travel? Then you'll dig these cool, super-short video riffs from the man who brought us "A Whole New Mind."  

5. "The Anatomy of a Tweet: Twitter Gets a Style Guide"

The NYTimes covering Twitter? About a Twitter styleguide? Yup. Who da thunk? Check it out. Hat tip to my friend Judy Martin for tweeting about this.

BONUS: Beatle News

Of course, you know that this post wouldn't be complete without anything Beatle-related, right? :) Here's where you can go to get all things Beatles. Just sayin'.

Thanks for this neat opportunity to guest post for you, Steve. Oh...be sure to hook up with Steve before you leave here, OK?

     Subscribe to Steve Woodruff's StickyFigure blog

     Follow Steve on Twitter: Steve Woodruff

---Tom

Five in the Morning

Are You Asking These 11 Questions Before You Film Your Company's Story?

"What we call the beginning is often the end. And to make an end is to make a beginning. The end is where we start from.”  T.S. Elliot

 “Are we in sync?”

“I hear what you’re saying.”

“Are we on the same page?”

Perhaps the hardest part of any video project for a client and a filmmaker is discovering a vision together.

If you are about to begin a video project or are thinking about one in the future, these questions are designed to help you focus and frame your direction. Starting at the end is the easiest way to get to the beginning.

Does Your Company’s Video Story Answer These 11 Questions?

1. Why do you want to tell your story using video?

• Capture emotions and visuals in ways that print cannot?
• Bring information to life?
• Capture personalities, character, and spirit of your people and facilities?

2. Who will see the video?

• Define your target audience.
• One major audience is best, while a secondary audience is fine.
• More than two audiences can dilute your message.

3. How will the audience see the video?

• Will it be a private viewing?
• Group viewing?

4. What is the difference between your video story and your printed material?

There is a difference, right?

5. How will the video be distributed?

• DVD?
• Internet?
• Intranet?
• Mobile?

6. What do you hope to achieve with your video?

• Change perceptions?
• Raise awareness?
• Raise money?
• Increase sales?
• Increase leads?
• Dispel myths?

7. Which heroes will tell your story?

• Employees?
• Leaders?
• Executives?
• Customers?
• Sales force?
• Volunteers?

8. If you want your audience to have an “A-ha!” moment, what would it be?

9. What’s at stake?

Asking “What’s at stake?” in your meetings as well as part of the on-camera interviews is a great way to give a project energy and focus.

10. Do you have a “dragon” in your story? Dragons like:

• Time
• Weather
• Money
• Disease
• Myths
• Distance
• Communication

11. “When our video fades to black, our audience will feel ………”

OK, your turn. This is a start. What am I missing? What questions are spinning through your head now? Jump in and add your questions to the list. 

---Tom

P.S. Originally posted on my FastCompany column, "Let's See That Again!"

Are You Asking These 11 Questions Before You Film Your Company's Story?

Hitachi's True Stories: Simple Lessons in Emotional Video Storytelling

Hats off to Hitachi and their team of filmmakers.

Why?

Because they used the simplest code in corporate filmmaking.

Here’s the code:
1. Real people.
2. Real stories.
3. Real emotions.

It's pretty simple, yes?

“Hitachi | True Stories” is Hitachi’s largest North America brand campaign ever.

Part of Hitachi’s campaign consists of seven on-line videos. These seven mini-documentaries feature “real” people sharing their stories of how Hitachi’s products have positively affected their lives. Each film is less than five minutes; perfect for web viewing.

“So what’s the big deal, then?”

It’s this. I find it refreshing to see how a large company can capture personal stories about their products and services in a way that matters to me; and I’m not even a consumer. But I might be one day.

These stories “stick.”

I get how Hitachi helps people. I get how their products dramatically improve our lives. I get Hitachi’s commitment to making a difference in the world. I remember seeing these videos when they were launched two years ago. The stories stuck with me over time and I haven’t forgotten about them.

But these kinds of videos look expensive.

It’s not (so much) about the money. And it’s not about the hi-definition format.

It’s about the story.

The documentary format is the perfect format for most organizations for several reasons. It’s usually affordable over other formats, it “sticks,” and is pretty easy to incorporate into a company’s communications strategy.

Here’s a simple approach:

You can use this process to get started. It's from a previous post I wrote called, “7 Sure-Fire Steps for Creating Your Company’s Documentary.”

While the documentary approach may be unique in advertising, it has been a successful format for filmmakers for many years. With the advent of video falling the hands of so many people, I’m hoping more organizations will incorporate the documentary approach externally, as well, as internally, for connecting with their audiences.

---Tom

P.S. Originally posted on my FastCompany column, "Let's See That Again!"

  Simple Lessons in Emotional Video Storytelling

Employee Videos: Where's the "Sweet Spot?"

Employees can be tough video critics.

Which makes producing internal videos that resonate with employees quite challenging.

How do I know? Because I spent 10 years as an employee and as a video producer with a Fortune 100 firm. My challenge was two-fold: produce the best stories possible that resonated with every employee. Not an easy task! 

Let’s face it. 

Producing videos that resonate with employees can be difficult.
•    Boring videos? Click. Gone. Forever.
•    Fancy videos? Click. Eyes roll. Skepticism enters.

So, where’s the “sweet spot?”

In your people. In their stories. In their voice. From their perspective. 

No doubt, having a regular stream of videos being produced that employees have access to is important. 

But more importantly, are the videos creating an “A-ha!” moment?

•    Do they allow employees to see the “big picture?” 
•    Do they give employees a glimpse into a new or different reality? 
•    Do they create an honest framework for employees to understand and believe in?

Employees love stories. 

So give them stories. Even if an organization has a systematic and distribution method for employees to see the videos, if those videos are missing a personal point of view, the chance to harness the real potential of video, the power of story, might be missing. 

Here are three things I discovered that might surprise you about the simple power of authentic video stories for employee communications. 

1. Understanding Context
What is our company’s vision? What are its plans in the near future? How are we all connected? Does my role really matter? How can we take better care of our customers?

Since many employees often don’t understand the “big picture” of an organization, questions like these swim around the corridors of companies all the time. 

Short video stories from either senior management, the “floor,” or even customers can give employees another worldview from which to see their role. In a matter of a few minutes, employees can see how their team or department is integrated into other remote areas of their organization. 

2. Boosting Morale
Companies are perpetually seeking ways to boost morale. Producing interviews in an open and honest way can go along way to reducing the rumors and lack of information in an employee’s mind. You’d be amazed how simple and effective this technique is in video. You’d also be amazed how infrequently it is used. Most employees don’t want to watch fancy videos; they simply want to see and understand the world around them in clear, simple, honest ways.

3. Feeling Connected
One of the greatest benefits video offers employees is the opportunity to feel connected to one another. For example, in many companies employees don’t have access to see or hear from senior management on a regular basis. 

Just imagine the response if employees had the chance to see candid, unrehearsed conversations from their leadership team. 

Or imagine seeing and hearing a team of doctors describing their five-year vision to create a ground-breaking facility to help future patients. Imagine employees sharing their dream of launching a new product or service globally. In just a matter of a few minutes, employees can feel connected in ways that matter to them.

Looking for another way to increase employee engagement?

Consider capturing simple authentic video stories for your organization. I’ve been surprised many times. You may be, too. 

---Tom

P.S. Originally posted on my FastCompany column, "Let's See That Again!"

Employee Videos: Where's the "Sweet Spot?"