Choosing A Video Producer

A quality video is the result of paying attention to some very basic issues right from the start: Who is your audience? What is their age range and level of education? What do they care about? Why would they take the time to watch a video? What is the most important thing they need to get from the video? Is video the best medium to reach them? In what environment will the video be watched? How will it be duplicated? How will it be distributed? As a first step, you and your video producer need to determine the answers to these and similar questions - they form the basis for all your subsequent actions which flow from this original base of decision-making.

The key component of every video is a good "story" - content which creates an emotional connection with the audience. No matter what the topic, the viewer has to feel involved and to have his or her imagination stimulated. Even if the video is about something as cut-and-dried as training on a new filing system, the person receiving the training has to feel like what they do is important, that the content has direct relevance to their lives, that their work is appreciated and that their time is being respected. That can be accomplished by a video that tells a good story - in this example, a story about a new filing system that involves the viewer and gives them a reason to want to invest their time and energy in learning something new. And if they can see people they relate to, doing the same kind of work they do, and benefitting from the new training, then that becomes a great story for them - and for you!

There is an old saying among production professionals: "It should all be downhill by the time you pick up the camera." That is because most of the crucial work and decisions are made in pre-production - scheduling, scripting, negotiations, location selection, production design, casting, etc. If your planning is done carefully and precisely, it gives your production crew the confidence and ability to bring your video to life. A carefully planned, yet realistic production schedule gives them the tools and resources to do quality work. However, this doesn’t mean a lack of flexibility. In fact, a well-planned production allows your crew to take advantage of unexpected creative opportunities without losing sight of the big picture.

In the best interviews there is a moment - a magical moment - when the person speaking seems to forget they are on camera and starts speaking openly and naturally, just having a conversation from the heart. And that creates an instinctive bond with the audience because they understand they are listening to someone who is sharing a real-life experience. This creates the two most important components a video can have: relevance and credibility. The skill to help a person open up during an interview and have the confidence to share his or her thoughts and feelings has been developed from hundreds of on-camera interviews. A crucial component is trust - we make sure every intervew subject knows the recorded footage will only be used in the most respectful manner, and that it will be edited in a way that presents each person in the most postive light.

Editing is a creative experience where your concept takes on form. But even the shortest video involves thousands of "assets" - video footage, music cuts, interview segments, graphics, sound effects, animations, titles, etc. So, your editor needs to have the patience and experience to log and label all your assets in a workable system so that each can be pulled up and dropped into place easily and quickly. That working environment allows creativity to flourish so that your video sparkles with life and motivates your audience.