Yesterday I was perusing one of my thrice daily emails from HARO (Help A Reporter Out) which lists all kinds of queries from reporters looking for sources for stories they’re working on. One that I found particularly intriguing was a reporter asking for opinions on what is acceptable when it comes to the production value of online video.

Here was my response:

I’ve been in the advertising/marketing industry for nearly 30 years. For the last 15 of those, I’ve owned a video production and web site design firm that services a wide variety of corporate clients.

Don’t let my resume fool you though — I actually DON’T think all online video has to meet the same levels of production value. For instance, some of the best viral videos have worked partly because their production values were so low. Often low production value adds a level of credibility to a video that purports to be “bystander video” of an actual event caught in the moment. For spoofs, low-brow comedy and even promotional videos and web-ads where it’s hip to be grungy — low production value can be cool.

However, audiences today are more sophisticated than ever about the quality of what they see on screen — regardless of whether that screen is attached to a computer, mobile phone or their home entertainment system. Even kids know good lighting, editing and acting when they see it — or more to the point — when they DON’T see it. They may not have the vocabulary to express it — but they definitely notice and make a judgment call.

To me, the best way to decide how much production value is required for your video is to start by thinking about who your desired audience is. If it’s hipsters and 20-somethings looking for something fun — that requires one kind of approach. If, on the other hand, you’re hoping to sell thousands of dollars of software to medium-size businesses — that’s a completely different message that needs to be presented in a very different way.

Gary Vaynerchuk is a great example of someone who successfully used low production value video. His goal? Grow business for his parents’ wine store. His target (and this is what made his approach make sense) was younger audiences who knew nothing about wine — and maybe even felt a little intimidated by snobby “wine culture.” Gary’s personal style is irreverent, fun, and “in your face”. Yet, he really does know wine. He’s just not afraid to be enthusiastic, profane, rough edged, etc., in his wine reviews. I’ve heard him tell his audience that a particular wine is so bad its aroma reminds him of the smell of a county fair men’s room. His Wine Library videos were massively popular with exactly the crowd he was aiming for. His parents’ business sky rocketed.

But Gary will also tell you that he knows his style of presentation is a complete turn-off to older, more conservative audiences who have money to spend and are interested in wine. That bothers him, but not enough to compromise his focus on the young, hip market that connects with him.

What plagues me is all the discussion going on in chat rooms and on blog postings about how no business should ever have to worry about production value. Don’t hire that expensive production company — just set up your camera and go for it. Really? It’s one thing for hipsters to be drawn to a hand-held Flip video production about a new brand of jeans. It’s a completely different story for the CIO of a corporation to watch your cheaply produced, rambling video and decide to spend $10,000 on a software license with your company.

The point is, the audience makes the decision. There are just some things that I want to buy from a professional, solid-looking company. No passes for being on-line. On-line is your business’ number one way of connecting with me. That’s where you get to make your first, best and in many cases, ONLY impression. If your video looks amateurish — guess what? That’s now the impression I have of your company.

Think about it. Haven’t you ever seen one of those awful, locally produced TV spots for say, a tire company or furniture store and thought — “I will NEVER shop there. That Mom and Pop operation can’t even make a good commercial.”

The same thing applies to web sites. You know you’ve landed on a site that was so poorly designed that you thought “these people have to be working out of their basement”.

I could go on and on — and maybe I already have. Thanks for exploring this topic — it’s important.

Well it happened again. I ran across another online discussion — this time on Hubspot, one of my very favorite SEO blogs and was dismayed to read the following:

“Gone are the days when you have to spend $10,000+ on a video by acquiring a crew, hiring a director, booking a studio, etc. Creating online video doesn’t have to be hard, nor does it have to look amateurish. If you follow these few basic steps, you can — quickly and easily — create a video yourself that shines…”

If you follow that line of thinking — it should be no problem using your own snapshots of the company executives in your next annual report, right? I mean, look at the great digital cameras that are available today. And iPhoto makes retouching so easy!

Here was my response to their blog:

Don’t ever forget that your brand is judged everyday by the quality of the messages and images you put in front of your audiences.

It may not be fair, but if your web site, printed materials or video look amateurish — that’s EXACTLLY the impression your prospects will now have about your organization. Amateurish. Unsophisticated. Unprofessional. Small. Not a major player.

You know you’ve thought the same thing about other companies’ sites when you’ve been online.

So, it’s true — the low cost of HD video cameras and laptop or even web based editing software is making video production much more accessible to everyone.

And, for video testimonials and simple short messages from executives — most companies can and should be able to create good video on their own.

But before you take on a video project with no outside professional help, remember some of the tough lessons companies had to learn back in the 90s when Desktop Publishing was all the rage.

I actually worked with a company that purchased Corel Draw and a color printer and told the RECEPTIONIST to learn how to use both so that they could “spice up” their proposals. Care to guess how that all worked out?

OK, so the point is this: just because you CAN layout a brochure — or point a video camera in the general direction of your CEO — doesn’t mean you SHOULD.

It sounds trite, but it’s true — you only get one chance to make a first impression.

A guest posting by Steve Clements
Co-Owner, Executive Speak/Write, Inc.
www.executivespeakwrite.com
stevec@execspeakwrite.com

In the “good ole days” (a few years ago), there were two types of people—those who appeared on television, and those who didn’t. The people who didn’t “perform” criticized every statement, habit, tic and inappropriate line of those who did.

Then the world changed! Business leaders began appearing on streaming Internet video. Travel budgets were slashed and teleconferencing emerged as an inexpensive tool to do business without leaving town. Corporations turned to films and documentaries to tell their stories. Visual representation became synonymous with doing business.

Now everyone is a performer, having to create and maintain business relationships basically “on television.” Yes, the camera is different. Now it is situated in front of the corporate videographer, or mounted on your computer, or hanging from the ceiling in a hi-tech conference room with a screen big enough for several people to interact at one time. But the reality still stands. The ability to perform for the camera has become a necessary business skill.

So what do you need to know? The following 12 tips are just a start, but a very good start to helping you become your “in-person,” self-possessed, charming self while looking into a cold piece of metal and glass, called “a camera lens.”

1. Avoid staring into the camera and looking “possessed.” Blink. Be natural.

2. Glance down when you do look away. An upward eye movement conveys a “gazing at the ceiling” image, while that “to the sides” motion comes across as shifty and dishonest.

3. Pretend that strange looking object is really a person—a friend. Instead of talking stiffly to “A CAMERA,” talk to it as though it were your restaurant companion on a Saturday night. It will make you a more natural speaker.

4. Print your notes in a large font so you don’t have to bend to read them. Otherwise, leaning over to read that smaller type will bring that “clump of bed hair” or bald spot you spent 15 minutes hiding this morning into large focus on the screen.

5. If you’re not being interviewed, consider using a teleprompter. It takes just a little practice to get used to, but it can make the whole experience much easier on you and more enjoyable for your audience.

6. Be sure to follow the suggestions of your director and/or crew. It’s their job to set lighting and position you at just the right distance from the camera for your best look. Feel free to ask someone to “stand-in” for you so that you can take a peek at how you’ll look from the camera’s point of view.

7. Try to be “the best you”— the you who converses with friends and co-workers.

8. Put you – and your audience – at ease if you lose a word or become tongue-tied. Get angry and you make the audience uncomfortable. Joke or just move on, and the whole world laughs with you.

9. Dress for the camera. Bold stripes and patterns will strobe (that “waaaaaah look”), detracting your viewers from you and your message. Men, business-casual clothing is perfectly acceptable (just think about what you’d wear the first time you’re meeting a new client). But, if a jacket and tie are your style or your message is of a very serious nature, wear a solid jacket (a slight strip is acceptable but not plaid) and a subtle tie.

10. Women, the same goes for you. Avoid geometrics or any other strong pattern Wear solid colors that complement your own coloring, and keep your accessories simple and not shiny. Otherwise you too risk the “waaaaah look.”

11. Avoid the Richard Nixon or Morticia look! Unless it’s the style you want, men should be recently shaven to prevent “five o’clock shadow.” Women should use light makeup and subtle lipstick to ward off the garish look on television.

12. Maintain an animated and pleasant expression. Don’t let your face “go dead.”

Remember, these dozen points are just the start. You can’t become comfortable without training and practice. Invest the time. Find an experienced media/presentation coach who can help you with taping, critiques and re-doing as often as possible until you are at ease with the medium. Your business may depend on your performance in front of the camera. And, by the way, welcome to television!