Who Knows How to Make a Video Blog Not Look Bad

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Permalink Reply by John Karamanski on June 30, 2009 at 3:57pm

Get it done profesionally...Why do people think that just because they can point a camera the can create Video content that other people are interested in...The need to frame, expose, have a prepared set, a verbal outline, lighting, and then Editing and hoisting that is not the usual You Tube Quality...Obama and his campaign people understood that New Media Video needs both High Quality Content and Context...If a business is going to use this medium to promote their own profesional services they should expect that their promotional efforts are going to be part of the marketing expense to generat profit...Bad Video only makes the client look Bad...

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Permalink Reply by Ellen Dunnigan on June 30, 2009 at 5:27pm

Well said, John

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Permalink Reply by Jeff Kivett on June 30, 2009 at 8:33pm

Anybody can buy a $200 camera, shoot their own video and post it on YouTube. If you are projecting a professional image, hire a pro to shoot your video and a consultant to train you before you record your video. You get one shot for a first impression...and if your video looks like something an 8 year old could do with a mac and iMovie, how can anyone take you serious as a business. It's better to not do it if you can't do it right. You will cause more harm than good.

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Permalink Reply by Robby Slaughter on July 1, 2009 at 11:19am

The easiest solution is also the most obvious: "hire a professional."

But an alternate approach would be to pay attention and emulate success. Who are the videobloggers which most impress this client? Reach out to them and ask about their production model. Find out what model of camera they use, what software they use for editing, what video formats they utilize and which content networks they prefer.

As for me, the elements of video production that most readily impress me are simple cuts, graphics and backgrounds. Television is dominated by alternating talking heads surrounded by these visuals.

The aspect of content I prefer is getting to the point. The more quickly the expert provides wisdom the more I believe they are truly an expert.

Best of luck!

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Permalink Reply by Noah Coffey on July 1, 2009 at 1:24pm

Good points. Of course, hiring an expert is usually the best. They can get it done better and faster because they have the experience. However, if you are willing to take the extra time to pay attention, do some research, make mistakes (hopefully non-publicly), you can produce some great video yourself.

Of course, an expert will always be faster (and, often cheaper in the long run). But, if you are short on cash and long on time & patience, the barrier to entry is low.

A big problem I often see is that some people can't tell the difference between their crappy video and the one that someone paid a professional to create (or they think it's pretty close in quality). As with any project, seek the input of trusted peers to review your work and give feedback. Ask someone who knows nothing about video production OR your line of business.

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Permalink Reply by Ellen Dunnigan on July 1, 2009 at 1:57pm

Noah, great points...I enjoy reading your posts. And your baby is adorable!

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Permalink Reply by Tricia Meyer on July 1, 2009 at 4:22pm

In my business, it's actually preferable to have videos that do not look professional. It's less about coming across as an expert and more as a real person who is giving honest feedback. In fact, one of our videos (a review of the toy Bendaroos) was so good that the Bendaroos people flew to Indianapolis to have my daughter shoot a commercial at my kitchen table for them! Our videos are all shot with a plain old Flip cameras and uploaded to Youtube with very little editing. We then embed them in our videoblog.

I completely agree that you want to come across well in your videos no matter what the video is for. But I do think there is a counterpoint that the videos do not have to be professional looking in order to accomplish certain objectives. Some of the other things mentioned (eye contact, authority in voice, etc) will be essential no matter who shoots the video or how well it is edited.

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