Yikes! I Have to Produce a Corporate Video! Now What?

I would venture to say that most people do not produce corporate videos as part of their daily routine at work.

As a matter of fact, my guess is that most folks probably never even created a video for their department or organization.

So when I posted "Is Corporate Video Art?" on LinkedIn's "Answers" and received an amazing collection of answers...

I decided to re-open this question: "Yikes! I Have to Produce a Corporate Video. Now What?" Check out the answers...pretty neat stuff.

If tomorrow you were faced with creating a video for your company, what questions are going through your mind now?

Perhaps you are thinking:

• how do I know what producer to hire?

• what's their style?

• what's expected of me?

• how involved do I need to be?

• who can I trust?

• will the producer I hire help me understand the production process and make me feel comfortable?

Let's say your video will be used to: (pick one or make up one)

• give to your sales force to show their customers your uniqueness

• create an awareness about certain HR issues...diversity and employee orientation

• capture a virtual tour

• show potential customers "who you are" in five to ten minutes

• show new hires your corporate culture and values

• roll-out a "change management" initiative

What questions are buzzing around your head that you want answers to?

What questions do you want answered that will bridge the gap from feeling confused to feeling comfortable?

I'll tackle the answers to some of these questions in a future post.

Post your comments here or at LinkedIn's "Answers." Thanks!

---Tom

Yikes I Have to Produce a Corporate Video Now What

Is Corporate Video Art? Part II

If you have a moment, head on over to LinkedIn's "Answers" section where we're kicking up some dirt.

A month ago, I posed this question: Is corporate video art?

Of course, how you define art will determine your answer. To jump start the conversation and get you thinking, I copied a few art definitions from Wikipedia:

"...art is a (product of) human activity, made with the intention of stimulating the human senses as well as the human mind; by transmitting emotions and/or ideas."

"Leo Tolstoy identified art as a use of indirect means to communicate from one person to another."

"Art is something that stimulates an individual's thoughts, emotions, beliefs, or ideas through the senses. It is also an expression of an idea and it can take many different forms and serve many different purposes."

So...is corporate video art?

After reading Wikipedia's page on art, I decided to post the question again on Linkedin's "Answers" section.

You'll be totally amazed at some of the answers.

Swing on over to LinkedIn and see what the buzz is all about. If you are a member, add your own ideas.

---Tom

Is Corporate Video Art Part 2

Corporate Video Producing Frenzy!

A pretty good view of my past two weeks for two major corporate videos coming up.

Three weeks on the phone. 100 emails. Scripts. Tweaks to scripts. Conference calls with board members.

All for two days of filming.

This is the producing part I talked about in an earlier post discussing the differences between producing and directing.

Successful corporate video stories seamlessly integrate both left and right brains.

---Tom

Corporate Video Producing Frenzy

Uh-Oh! It's the CEO!

Funny how a title effects people.

For example, C-E-O. It's just three letters.

But when the CEO arrives on a film set, the energy quickly shifts from warm and friendly to "Uh-Oh!"

Everybody scrambles. Fear strikes the heart. People are uneasy. Unsure of themselves. Unsure of what to say. Unsure of how to tell the CEO they need another take. And another. And another.

C-E-O. Three powerful letters, right?

Think again.

The camera doesn't care who's in front of the lens.

The camera can't differentiate between people and titles. Which, in a funny way, is truly liberating--for the CEO and the marketing team. Expectations can be re-set. New opportunities can be created.

The camera creates a level playing field for anybody that stands in front of it. Everybody gets the same treatment.

Forget the titles. Drop the fear. Take a breath and relax.

What does the camera care about? Emotion. That's it.

So the next time your CEO is going to be on-camera, remember what C-E-O really means...

"Chief Emotion Officer."

---Tom

Uh Oh The CEO

The Single Biggest Mistake Clients Make

FILE UNDER: "Better Think Twice"

It's tempting to tell your corporate video producer how much time is needed to complete your project.

Telling your producer how many days of filming and editing your project needs is like telling your auto repair shop how many hours they have to fix your car.

Bad move.

Here's the question: How do you know how much time a project needs before discussing it with a producer or director?

Fact #1: You don't.

Fact #2: I don't, either.

That's why I start with understanding your story.

What is your video story going to accomplish when it fades to black?

If you can answer this single question, the time needed to tell your story will take care of itself.

---Tom

The Single Biggest Mistake Clients Make