7 Tips for Creating Amazing Videos

As a marketer, I have an appreciation for videos as a key content marketing tool.

When I watch a video that makes me laugh or cry or think, a video that stays with me long after I’ve seen it, I am in awe of the pure genius that went into making it.

So, I was eager to hear what TMG’s video and digital experts had to say at their presentation, “The Unbreakable Rules of Video (And a Few You Can Bend),” at the annual Association Media & Publishing conference on June 12. 

Kate Ottenberg, director of video services and media relations, Michael Wolcott, lead producer, and Andrew Hanelly, director of digital strategy, discussed five different video genres, and showed short clips from each of the genres to illustrate their points and inspire the audience. Their tips will get you on the right track planning your next video. Check it out:

• Genre: Inspirational montage.

A montage is a series of images put to music where you tell a story with few (or no) words. This type of video can be a powerful way to deliver your message. This inspirational montage, called “Moments,” more than 500,000 views.

TIP #1: When shooting video for your montage, use the 80:20 rule, says Wolcott. That is, 80% close-ups and 20% wide shots. This will give your video more action and emotion.

• Genre: The testimonial.

I think of the testimonial video as either being great because it uses a celebrity, or boring because it’s just an unknown person talking about something. But it doesn’t have to be either. Many of us don’t have the budget to get a celebrity or expensive footage. But you can use a simple approach to create a powerful video that will tug at the emotions of the viewer.

Here’s a great example of a testimonial without the use of a celebrity or expensive footage. (Get your Kleenex ready).

 

TIP #2: Get a lot of “b-roll” – extra footage that shows your subject doing something other than talking to the camera. This will add dimension to your interviewee, which helps viewers connect with him/her. So keep your camera before and after the interview. You might use 2-5 seconds of every spot that you spent 2-5 minutes shooting, says Wolcott.

TIP #3: Make sure your get good quality video. Bad audio is worse than a low quality image. More people will tolerate a video that has a poor quality image. But bad audio makes the video completely unviewable, advises Wolcott.

• Genre: Documentary, news, and events.

This video genre is a shoo-in for associations, says Ottenberg, because many of them already have editorial staff working on news for their members. Plus, most associations have annual conferences – the perfect venue for shooting this style of video. For example, TMG creates JCKTV, which streams content coverage from the show floor to audiences both at the show and watching from home.

Here’s a great example of a documentary video, “Detroit Lives,” that uses various techniques to send a powerful message.

 

TIP #4: For interviews, use open-ended questions so interview subjects elaborate and tell a story instead of giving you a yes or no answer. Start questions with “tell me about ______” so you’ll get more material to work with.

TIP #5: “Put your story first, and use your brand as a backdrop,” says Hanelly. “For good video, people will seek out the brand that created it. You don’t need to beat them over the head with your logo.”

• Genre: Artistic film technique.

This style consists of animation, stop-motion photography, time-lapse video, and other film techniques. High-end animation can be very expensive – but you don’t have to spend a fortune to create a video in this genre.

An excellent example of how the time-lapse technique can be used in a very creative way to convey a powerful message is the Topsy Foundation video, which got more than 303,000 views. (More Kleenexes needed.)

 

TIP #6: Pre-plan, test, storyboard, and then shoot. This way you can make sure it’ll look the way you envision before you shoot the whole thing.

• Genre: Comedy and entertainment.

The hardest genre to do is comedy and entertainment, says the TMG team. It has the highest reward but also the greatest risk. If you decide to do a comedic video, make sure it’s for the right reasons and you have a call to action at the end. Ask yourself what you are trying to achieve with the video and what action do you want people to take. Will your goals be achieved best with a comedic video?

TIP #7: Steal from everywhere, advises the TMG team. You can get great ideas from things that inspire you. Try doing a parody for your comedy skit. Check out this great parody video from TomTom, which got more than 2.6 million views.

While the thought of creating a video that goes viral sounds exciting, it doesn’t matter if you aren’t reaching the right people. So make sure that you define your goals up front, know what point you want to make and what action you want people to take.

Put your video to the three E’s test and ask yourself: 1) Is it entertaining? 2) Is it educational? or 3) Is it emotional? “If you can win on one of those fronts, you’ll be alright,” says Hanelly.

 

[Image: jonathanb1989]