In the spring of 2005, the very first video was uploaded to a brand-new website called YouTube. Titled “Me at the zoo” the 19-second, low-quality clip showed cofounder Jawed Karim describing how interesting the “really, really, really long trunks” of the elephants are. Fast forward to June 2011 and that same online video has received over 5 million views. YouTube has grown into one of the mainstays of Internet culture.
For communication professionals wanting to harness the power of online video and social media, it will take a lot more than a shaky video clip of elephants at the San Diego Zoo to pull in viewers. As technology has become more sophisticated, so has the online audience requiring would-be producers of Web videos to make sure they fully understand the process. This article provides an overview of each step on the way to producing effective video as part of a broader online communication strategy. It also defines terms commonly used by video professionals and provides tips about the production process.
Step 1: Preproduction
Preproduction describes the planning phase that is the most critical component of any video production. This is the time to make sure a production meets the objectives of the online communication strategy. During preproduction basic questions related to the message, medium, and resources are answered. The flow of the video is established through script and storyboard. A production timeline is scheduled. Who will appear in the video is also established. A solid, effective preproduction period will help the entire process flow more smoothly and will increase the likelihood that the video hits the intended mark.
Preproduction Questions Checklist:
To begin an effective preproduction process, answer these three questions.
What is the message we are trying to communicate?
Focus in on a narrow, specific message. For example, instead of highlighting the entire range of products a company manufactures narrow the message to focus on the most innovative product that has the most interesting story. Save other messages for subsequent videos. Think about what message most powerfully meets strategic goals. A specific and narrow message also keeps the overall video shorter in length. Online audiences are reluctant to watch any web video over three minutes. The most successful online videos are usually under a minute.
When establishing your message, keep in mind that people are more likely to share an online video that conveys emotion. Viewers will want to share the feeling of a video more often than they will want to share the content. If the viewer identifies with the video, she will want to share with others as a way of self-expression. The video will reflect back on her sense of humor, intelligence, style or other interest with which she wants to be identified. No one will ever share a video to which they don’t relate.
Another common pitfall is misrepresenting your intent in communicating the message. If you are creating a promotional video, be upfront about it. If the message is purely educational make sure the audience understands the intent is not to sell a specific product or service. The last thing you want to do is leave the audience feeling misled, manipulated or cheated.
Is the message appropriate for the medium?
Understanding the nature of online video is important to matching the message with the method of distribution. Professionals inexperienced with online video often make the biggest mistake in trying to communicate messages that are overly technical, difficult to visualize, contain large amounts of numbers and data or explain detailed processes, which are not well suited to video. The audiovisual nature of video works the best in conveying emotional messages. Ask yourself: “Is the message I want to communicate simple enough that someone watching my video will be able to explain it without referring back to the source?” Presenting a company’s financials in an online video would be a bad idea; however creating a message that emphasizes with emotion the positive growth of the company would be perfect for the medium. Written materials are much better suited to presenting detailed information that contains statistics, directions or complex ideas.
What resources are available for the production of my video?
Answering this question will determine how the message is translated to video. If you’re George Lucas you will answer this question differently than you will if you are a small startup in your garage. While any message can be adapted to fit any budget, it is important to begin with an understanding of what resources are available to make certain that the video is as effective as it can be. This is a great time to bring in experts from a video production company who will meet with you to discuss your project. They can offer guidance with budget requirements. A good production company will explain what levels of service can be provided at various budget levels and will tailor a quote to your needs and resources. This is also the time to think about what resources may be already available in your organization. Many times individuals who are familiar with production techniques or have acting experience can be found internally. An inventory of available video equipment should be made along with a list of additionally needed items.
QUICK TIP: Working with Video Production Companies
The biggest advantage you can give yourself when creating an effective online video is to hire a professional company that specializes in the type of video that you are creating. Professionals understand the importance of creating high quality visuals and even more importantly, have the ability to capture high quality audio. They also understand the fundamentals of filming and editing, which results in a polished production that doesn’t distract the audience as amateurish. Even if you feel comfortable tackling the production of an online video yourself it is valuable to identify and meeting with video production firms that do similar work. You will learn more about the process and may find that it is more cost effective to outsource the production, especially after taking into account the learning curve that most digital editing software requires. When choosing a production company it is most important that you feel confident in the communication process. Make sure to review similar, recent projects that were completed by the company. Specifically, ask to see examples of video developed for the web. Even online video that is supposed to appear “home-made” benefits greatly from the experience a production company can bring.
Scripting and Storyboarding
After evaluating the suitability of your message for online video, it is time to plan out the words and visuals you will use to communicate your message. Scripting for video requires a communication professional to often rethink how he or she writes. Writing for spoken narration, or voice over, requires simple, natural speech patterns. The scriptwriter should eliminate unnecessary conjunctions and focus on short, simple sentences. Phrases that require commas should be evaluated and rewritten if necessary as a comma indicates a pause to the voice over talent. Someone that is new at writing for video voice over will often have the impression that the writing is oversimplified. This is exactly what good script writing is. Another way to check a script is to read it aloud to yourself and others. It will quickly become apparent if the script sounds natural or needs to be reworked. This is also true for dialogue in a script.
The most common format for video scripting is to create a two-column table in a word processing program and script the audio on the left including the voice over and on the right describe what the corresponding video will show. When describing what the audience will see the terms close up (CU), medium shot (MS) and wide shot (WS) are frequently used to determine how much of the scene is framed or filmed by the camera. Using these terms is helpful when filming begins as it allows the director and camera operator to know exactly what the writer envisions.
When thinking about what type of shot to call for in the script, keep in mind that the close up is the most powerful framing shot while the wide shot is most effective at establishing the locale for the video. Often an opening wide shot is called the establishing shot. The medium shot is probably the most commonly used shot and is particularly useful when more than one person is interacting in a scene.
When scripting for video it is important to remember to allow the camera to transition from shot to shot naturally. For example, filming two people speaking from a camera positionto the right and then suddenly jumping to a shot taken from the left of the same scene is unnatural and confusing as is transitioning between shots of the same scene that don’t visibly change in direction and framing.
Online video presents special challenges related to framing. Wide shots are not as effective as close ups due to the generally smaller size at which web video is viewed. The detail of wider shots is also more easily lost due to lower quality video that occurs as a result of the reduction in file size when video is compressed for the Web.
Working from the script, create a descriptive list of all of the shots that will be needed to complete the video. This shot list will serve as a checklist during filming to verify that all of the visual material that will be needed in the editing process will be available.
In order to start thinking visually, it is often helpful to create a storyboard or series of hand drawn sketches that will describe that key scenes in your video, often including whether the shot will be close up, medium or wide. While a professional storyboard artist can create beautiful detailed storyboards, it isn’t necessary to have artistic talent to develop an effective storyboard. Stick figures or other simple drawings can just as readily establish a guide for how the video will flow. Even written descriptions can be use in place of sketches in a storyboard. The storyboard sets the feel and flow of the video and provides an opportunity to further develop the concept.
QUICK TIP: Using Natural Sound in Place of Narration
When scripting a video, don’t overlook using the voices of real people to tell the story instead of a voice over narration. This is called utilizing natural sound meaning using the sound that is recorded along with the video. When done effectively, natural sound is a powerful tool that adds authenticity and interest to the production. It can create more emotion because often those directly impacted by the message tell the story in their own words. It is also a great way to stretch a production’s budget, as the talent fee for a professional voice-over artist isn’t required. When planning to use natural sound it is even more critical that a well thought-out script is written to keep the story cohesive. The script should allow for the featured persons to speak in their own words, but should still contain the concept and detailed story direction.
Scheduling and Casting
Once the script is written, move on to setting the schedule. While experience is the best way to determine how much time is needed between key points in the production process, an easy way to establish the schedule is to work backward from the anticipated due date. Generally preproduction should require the greatest amount of time with filming requiring the least. Also allow adequate time for review of all video edits so that changes can be made before the due date.
If you are using onscreen actors, or as commonly referred to, talent, it is important to find individuals that are comfortable and natural on camera. Investing in professional paid talent is the second best decision that can be made to increase the effectiveness of an online video behind hiring a production company. Professional talent has the experience necessary to confidentially represent the message the way it is described in the script. Talent that is adept at performing allows the filming and editing stages to progress much more quickly as a result of requiring less tries and do-overs.
Step 2: Production
After completing the preproduction process, the stage is set to begin the filming or production stage. While mastering the art of directing digital film and video is something that takes years to develop, a few simple guidelines can greatly improve how an audience perceives an online video.
• Use a tripod. This is the single most important guideline. Unless you’ve spent the last three years filming episodes of Lost you shouldn’t even think about filming any professional piece without a tripod. Not only is shaky video distracting, it is downright unprofessional. Shaky handheld video is even more of a problem when viewed online due to the compression required. Shaky video creates more artifacts or blocky patches of color than smooth video when viewed on the Web. Friends don’t let friends film without a tripod.
• Audio quality is more important that video quality. It is a universal truth that the audience will accept subpar video quality, but if they can’t hear what is being said, they will instantly turn away from the video. Poor audio quality is the most amateur mistake that can be made. It is also the most frequently made mistake. It is easy to run to the warehouse store and buy the latest and greatest HD camera, but it is a lot more difficult and even expensive to assemble an audio kit that will allow for professional sound. This may be the most important reason to hire a professional company to handle the production.
• Ignore the zoom and don’t move the camera. That fancy zoom feature on the video camera is best left alone. Notice the next time you go to a movie how many times you see a scene that zooms in or out. Chances are there won’t be one. Also resist the urge to swing or pan the camera back and forth on the tripod. Plan still, static shots with logical edits in between for the most professional production.
• Turn off the autofocus. Autofocus is only your friend when filming your kid’s birthday party. Unless you want your video going in and out of fuzziness, turn off the autofocus. Learn to focus manually by first zooming in all the way and then zooming back to set up the shot you want.
• Turn off the auto exposure. Learn to use your camera in manual exposure mode meaning that auto exposure adjusting for the amount of light in the scene is turned off. Set the exposure for each scene. Otherwise your video will appear inconsistent and will visually shift in and out from light to dark randomly.
QUICK TIP: Which camera to use?
There are more choices than ever for a producer of online video when choosing the right camera for the job. Many highly successful YouTube video bloggers even use low-priced point-and-shoot digital still cameras set on video mode to film their segments. When choosing a video camera it is best to first look at the audio capabilities of the camera. The most important question is: “Can an external microphone be connected to camera for higher quality sound?” High-definition capabilities are becoming more critical for quality online video and can now be found in devices as ubiquitous as cellphones. Viewing of HD video online by far exceeds consumers’ use of HD Blu-ray discs and has largely been cited as the reason for much slower than expected adoption of Blu-ray technology. The recent emergence of DSLR still digital cameras that incorporate HD video capture capabilities has literally brought the cost of Star Wars cinema quality video from the $500,000 price point to the $500 range.
Step 3: Postproduction
Once all of the scenes have been shot according to the script, it is time to edit everything together into the final piece. Postproduction includes the categorizing or logging of media filmed, editing the media using dedicated software, mastering the video for final delivery and uploading to an online video server. While many editing systems such as Apple Final Cut Pro, Adobe Premier and Avid Media Composer have a fairly steep learning curve there are options such as Apple’s iMovie that allow an inexperienced person to edit together a simple video. Regardless of the editing system used a few guidelines can improve the delivery of an online video.
• Avoid using every transition the editing software offers in the same video. Resist the urge to add one every type of edit transition into the same video. For example don’t use cube spins, crossfades, wipes, pushes, zooms, ripples, page peels and every other crazy transition that you can click. Choose one transition and stick with it. You will never go wrong with a simple dissolve or even a straight cut. You can most certainly go wrong with a zig-zag, clock-wipe, page peel. Transitions should never distract.
• Avoid jump cuts. We’ve all seen edits that just don’t make sense. Jumping from one side of the room to the other. Jumping from one scene to something in another scene and then back to the first scene. The purpose of editing is to serve the story being told. This is often a case of less edits are better than more edits. Try to allow the audience to anticipate where the next edit will take them.
• Text and graphics should be bold for web video. Thin, serif fonts generally don’t translate well to online video. Fonts and graphics should be bold and easily read. Text should take up enough space on screen to be distinguishable even in a small viewer window.
• When in doubt, cut it out. Remember, one of the keys to effective online video is being less than three minutes in duration with an ultimate goal of around 30 seconds. Try to convey the message in as little time as possible. Edit out as much as you can and still keep the message intact. Trim narration and scenes to be tight and compact.
• Think about the thumbnail frame. The online video viewer will display a thumbnail image that will represent your video. As you are editing, think about which frame is the most intriguing or dynamic and will motivate the audience to click on the video. Avoid using text or graphic only frames as the thumbnail. Look for close up frames of good-looking people or other content that excites the target viewer.
• Understand the delivery format best suited for your video hosting service. While advances in technology have made most common video hosting services such as YouTube and Vimeo able to ingest pretty much any file you throw at them, your video will be presented in higher quality if you understand the best format to use when exporting your edit. Check on the hosting provider’s help pages for more information, or if using an in-house server system, talk with an IT representative to learn how to best prepare the video file.
Step 4. Optimization of the Online Video
So you’ve created the most-targeted, well-produced online video possible and you’ve uploaded it to a video hosting service. Now what? Your video isn’t effective unless someone sees it. This is where a solid online communication strategy kicks in by creating interest in your video. While the buzzword for online video is “going viral”, the reality is that many viral videos are based on well-thought out strategies that create a snowball effect of people sharing the video. A few guidelines can serve as the basis for an effective online video strategy.
• Reach out to blogs, forums, Facebook and Twitter. Search for relevant sites with related content and look for opportunities to post links. The goal is to seed the video’s URL as far and wide as possible to encourage sharing through social media. This is a great reason to have in place an effective social media strategy before adding online video to the mix. Create forum threads with a link to your video. Consider paid placement on top blogs. Be creative in reaching out.
• Optimize the title and key words. Take a look at the top videos on the video hosting site where your video is found. What words or combination of works seem to be attracting the most views? A catchy, even sometimes misleading title can be intriguing enough to motivate a viewer to click on your video.
• Allow for comments and interaction with the audience. Comments on your video are a great way to involve and excite viewers. Start the conversation yourself and update it as necessary. Don’t be reluctant to remove negative comments that could taint the image of your organization or brand.
• Release all videos at once. If a viewer is engaged watching one of your videos, don’t make them wait to watch more. Release all of the online videos at the same time rather than staggering them by day. Don’t squander the opportunity for additional contact with the audience.
• Make certain your video can be easily shared. It is absolutely critical that the video player interface allows for easy sharing to social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter. A viewer should be able to with one click share your message with friends and associates.
• Choose an appropriate video hosting service. While free sites such as YouTube are easy to use and have a large audience, they don’t often allow you to present your video how and when you choose. For a professional website splash page for example you may want to look into products such as those offered by Sorenson Media that allow more control over your video without the clutter of ads and links from outside sources.
QUICK TIP: Viral Video
Dan Greenberg, the cofounder of Sharethrough, a platform for driving viewership and sharing of online video, suggests the following guidelines for creating a viral video.
• Keep it short: 15-30 seconds is ideal; break down long stories in to smaller clips.
• Design for remixing: Create a simple video than can be remixed over and over.
• Don’t make an outright ad: Viewers won’t share an ad unless it is amazing.
• Make it shocking: Give the view no choice but to investigate it further.
• Use fake headlines: Make the viewer question, “did that really happen?”
• Appeal to sex: If all else fails, hire the most attractive women available to be in the video.
Creating Effective Web Video
There isn’t a shortcut to producing the best Web video possible to communicate your message. Understanding the four steps of preproduction, production, postproduction and optimization will provide you with the framework for creating an effective online video. When it doubt, remember the simple tips below:
• Focus the message.
• Keep it short. Three minutes or less with under one minute being ideal.
• Use emotion to motivate sharing.
• Match the message to the medium.
• Read your script aloud to make sure it sounds natural.
• Steady the camera with a tripod.
• Record the highest quality audio.
• Don’t zoom, pan, or move the camera too much.
• Turn off the auto focus and auto exposure on the camera.
• Edit with a natural flow.
• Create bold text and graphics.
• Optimize your video for views after uploading.
Q & A with Communication Writing Professionals
Sarah Dallof • Reporter • KSL 5 TV News
As a television news reporter in Salt Lake City, Utah, Sarah Dallof understands how to effectively write for video often while on a tight deadline and sometimes under extreme circumstances.
Q: What is the most important tip you can give someone writing for video? If possible watch the video first even if you shot it. Sit back and just watch it. Don’t type. Just watch the visuals and think. Words and phrase will come into your head making it much easier to write. Pay attention all aspects of the story. Never try to imitate someone else’s style otherwise it will sound contrived. Eventually you will develop your own style. It is important to gain experience by just doing it over and over. Just shoot a piece and write the voiceover to practice even if your not sure you’ll use it.
Q: Any suggestions about how to become a better interviewer? Most people find it odd, but I don’t go into an interview with a list of prewritten questions. I do create bullet points with background information that allows me to start a conversation with the person I am interviewing. People relax more when you go where they take you which leads to an interview with more substance. Let the story flow naturally. Stay engaged with the person you are interviewing. Of course when shooting for video I can’t talk, but I can nod my head in agreement or shake it if something the person says is inappropriate. These forms of non-verbal feedback are important to staying engaged during the interview.
Q. What do you most enjoy about your job? See things and doing things that other people do not on a daily basis. I’m able to be back stage at concert, with chefs in kitchens, on helicopters and meeting all types of people that I wouldn’t otherwise. Just last week I was in L.A. at the Warner Bros. Studios back lot. I have moments where I think, “Seriously, this is my job!” Of course this is punctuated with all kinds of normal work, but sometimes I can’t believe I get paid for this.
Q. How has the Internet changed your job?
I’m no longer just a TV journalist. Employers want people that can work across multiple platforms. That’s why it is important to gain experience in as many mediums as possible. You can never have attitude I’m just on TV if you want to be successful.
With the online presence there is a demand for news 24 hours a day. I feel like I never have enough time. Deadlines are tighter and tighter. For example, a few days ago we were looking all day for flooding as part of a story and couldn’t find any. An hour before the air time we got a call that there was flooding up the canyon. So immediately the story is dropped in your lap. We had a 30-minute drive and then10-minutes to shoot, 10-minutes to write and 10-minutes to feed to make the deadline.
The Internet allows the audience to participate instantly which is good and bad. You can have conversations with viewers that often help you think more about a different angle to the story. At the same time people online can have a nasty mean streak that sickens me. I had to stop reading online comments on my stories because it is too difficult for me when people in the stories are personally attacked. For example, a child drowns and people are split down the middle with one-half offering condolences on the tragedy and the other half saying send the parents to jail.
Jennifer Adams • Senior Editor • Gibbs Smith Publisher
If you’ve ever thought about writing a book, you’ll want to listen to what Jennifer Adams has to say. Not only is she a seasoned acquisitions editor for a national publisher, but she has also authored 12 of her own titles. She answers a few questions that provide guidance for aspiring book writers.
Q: What advice would you give someone that wants to write a book?
The most important advice I can give someone interested in becoming an author is to first figure out why you want to write a book. What do you want to accomplish? Are you writing a book for the money or are you writing because you have a great concept? You may even just want your name on something to give friends and family. Do you want write a cookbook as a personal project to have all of your recipes in one place or do you want to be Rachel Ray? You have to figure out what is your motivation and set your expectations accordingly.
A big misconception most people have is that writing a book is a way to make a lot of money. Generally writing a book a lot more work than pay off. That’s why it is so important to know your motivations so you are not disappointed. People usually have too high of expectations because we usually hear about the one-percent of one-percent of authors like John Grisham or David Baldacci. A good reason to write is because you want to explore a topic or express yourself and you think it’s fun. That’s an expectation that is easy to meet and ultimately the book will be better.
Q: What suggestion would you give someone who is submitting a book proposal?
Research your publisher before you submit a proposal so you know if your genre of writing fits in with the types of books they publish. For example, I receive submissions all the time for Mormon fiction. We don’t publish LDS titles and we don’t publish fiction so of course I automatically reject those submissions. It wastes my time and the authors time. Find the publishers first that print your type of writing and target your efforts.
The proposal must be professional. Never say things like “I read this story to my grandkids and they love it.” You could read your grandkids the phonebook and they would love it. Don’t send your proposal on bright-colored paper with cute stickers. Most editors pride themselves on their professionalism. Another big red flag for me is if an author is rude or critical in the pitch letter they send with the proposal. I want to work with authors that are open-minded and communicate well.
Make sure your idea for your book is new and original. Avoid common themes. When I receive proposals for a children’s book about going to school for the first time, a lost wild animal or trying to go to sleep, they tend to go to the bottom of the pile. I’m looking for fresh ideas. You should also have enough awareness of the market to know if your book will work financially. Spend time in the bookstore and online finding out what similar titles are out there and how they are selling.
Q: What is the best training for someone that wants to be an acquisitions editor?
Most editors have a general curiosity about the world and are interested in all kinds of topics. A degree in English, journalism or communications provides you with the best foundation although some editors have other educational backgrounds. You should really like reading and writing. Look for volunteer opportunities writing and editing. My interest in writing started in high school on the yearbook staff. Any opportunity that is taking concepts and translating them into writing, imagery and design is great preparation. Creating books is really a hands on process and it is best to learn by doing.
For more information:
The Web has a wealth of information for professionals interested in improving the online videos they produce. A few help references are included below.
A simplified overview of the production process:
http://www.library.kent.edu/files/SMS_Promotional_Video_101.pdf
Mistakes commonly made when creating a promotional online video:
Great insider information from Dan Greenberg about viral videos:
http://techcrunch.com/2007/11/22/the-secret-strategies-behind-many-viral-videos/
http://mashable.com/2010/10/19/viral-video-science/
An interesting look at how to evaluate the success of an online video:
http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=140938
Insights in social video marketing:
About the Author: Zac Williams is a partner of Williams Visual Inc. a strategic communications firm that specializes in creating visual media for advertising, marketing and public relations. He has created digital films and visual media for clients such as Dean Foods, The Kroger Company, Qwest, Swire Coca-Cola and other national brands. More information can be found at www.williamsvisual.com
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