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The Art of Storytelling in Video Production: Captivate Your Audience

By Tips & Tricks

The realm of video production, the art of storytelling emerges as a crucial skill in captivating audiences and leaving a significant impact. Beyond the technicalities of cameras and editing software, it is truly the artistry of crafting narratives that breathes life and passion into successful video content. Be it a short film, advertisement, or documentary, storytelling possesses an undeniable prowess to immerse viewers on profound emotional levels.  

In the realm of storytelling, a profound connection with the audience’s emotions resides at its very core. Throughout history, humans have shared tales, transmitting knowledge, culture, and values from one generation to another. However, when a video artfully weaves an enchanting narrative, it goes beyond mere visuals and words. It becomes an immersive experience that profoundly resonates with viewers.  

An impactful video story comprises several vital elements. Firstly, a relatable protagonist serves as the anchor of the narrative, enabling viewers to connect and sympathize with their journey. Moreover, every captivating story revolves around a central conflict that propels the plot forward, engendering tension and suspense to actively engage the audience.  

The resolution holds equal importance in a narrative. While it doesn’t require a happy ending, it must bring closure and provide answers to the key questions raised throughout the story. Through evoking emotions like joy, sadness, fear, or hope, storytelling forms an emotional bond that profoundly impacts the viewers.  

Understanding the target audience is the basic step in crafting a compelling narrative. Conducting extensive research and creating audience personas can help tailor the story to suit the interests and preferences of the intended viewers. 

The process of crafting the story involves defining the objective, presenting a protagonist, outlining the central conflict, and structuring the narrative efficiently. Supporting characters and subplots add depth and complexity to the storyline, enriching the viewer’s experience. 

Visuals and sound play vital roles in storytelling. The cinematography, art dimensions, and soundtrack enhance the emotional impact of the narrative, creating a mesmerizing sensory experience. The editing process gives life to the story, ensuring its flow and coherence, ultimately delivering a powerful and seamless narrative. 

In conclusion, the art of storytelling is the core of video production, capable of captivating audiences and leaving a lasting impression. With a well-crafted narrative, we can transcend the boundaries of time and culture, connecting with viewers across generations. By understanding the target audience, structuring the story, and leveraging visuals and sound, we can unlock the true potential of their video productions and create impactful storytelling experiences. 

Top 7 Tips for Video Marketing on Facebook

By Tips & Tricks

Facebook video ads are set to give brands with the available budget a new way to market on the social network. Unfortunately, brands will have to wait a while longer, as Facebook just pushed back its intended October unveiling of the new feature and has not yet provided a new launch timeframe. Regardless of the official launch date, there are many other video marketing tools that already exist which can help businesses grab the attention of Facebook fans and be more successful with video campaigns on Facebook. Here are some tips your brand can start marketing with video on Facebook now before the launch of video ads.

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Use Video for Recruitment (8 ways)

By Tips & Tricks

If your organization is looking for a way to amp up its recruiting brand and improve candidate quality, it may be time to consider incorporating video into your recruiting and hiring processes. To get you inspired, we’ve put together a list of eight ways your organization can leverage video for attracting top talent. Identify what avenues make the most sense for your recruiting, so you can start converting engaged viewers into your next best hires.

Here are eight ways to use video for recruiting:
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How Fundraisers Can Successfully Use Video

By Tips & Tricks

Today, people perpetually use Instagram and social media and love the instant gratification they provide.  For nonprofits, this means that to connect with their target audiences, they must quickly achieve with a video on their website’s home page what telethons formerly allotted hours and celebrity spokespeople to do. This is How Fundraisers Can Successfully Use Video

Video has traditionally been relegated to that gala centerpiece and staple, reinforcing good work, pulling at heart strings and opening wallets of a room full of loyalists. Well, it’s time to think outside the ballroom! With video’s reach eclipsing what conventional collateral can communicate, nonprofits must integrate video as a tactic in fundraising and marketing strategies.

Whether you need an organizational video to increase awareness about your mission, a fundraising video to garner contributions or a recruitment video to incite volunteerism, nonprofits of all sizes can leverage the power of video to tell their story and connect with viewers.  A successful video will spark interest, evoke emotion, inspire sharing and prompt advocacy.  iPhone footage posted to YouTube can be compelling and has its place, but for the nonprofit to fully utilize video as a platform to build credibility and a brand, here are some key things to consider:

How Fundraisers Can Successfully Use Video

Plan your video:

Map out what your video needs to accomplish for your organization and determine your audience. Is the objective to engage constituents—donors, members, alumni already versed and vested in your mission—to fortify and steward their commitment? Or will video serve as an introduction to your organization, provoking universal appeal and branding? Will the video be housed on your website and require evergreen messaging, or will it drive a campaign with a time-sensitive call to action?

Consider what the tone needs to be as it will communicate the personality, culture and resources of your organization. Would a service recipient or trustee testimonial best convey your message? Celebrity endorsement? Still photos and voiceover, or would animated statistics set to music be most persuasive?  It’s important to answer these questions and define the vision and outcome objectives of your video before starting production.

Multi-task:

Gone are the days of sponsorship proposals in folders. Savvy nonprofits facilitate advocacy through social fundraising—enlisting constituents to create videos declaring support of the organization and soliciting donations from their individual networks.

Bridge that digital divide by sending video sponsorship kits on a thumb drive and give potential underwriters a dynamic visual expectation of the event and marketing exposure that printed proposals cannot achieve. Often, prospective donors occupy a table of ten and play in a foursome, but leave not knowing ‘the good cause’ for which they donned a tux or spent a day on the links. Don’t expect people to pick your brochure out of a goodie bag. Furnishing your organization’s video to a supporter who has organized a third-party fundraiser ensures accurate representation of your nonprofit. This is an excellent way to ensure you are controlling your organization’s message at gatherings that your staff has not had a part in planning. 

Creating your video budget:

You don’t have to break the bank but you do need to recognize video production as an investment of time, talent and financial resources. Anticipate and incorporate it into the budget as this will be a marketing and development tool. Nonprofits always teeter between wanting communication pieces to look good without looking like you’ve spent a lot of money. Whether using a high-definition camera and Mac editing suite, a production company or ad agency, you will be most efficient and cost effective if you understand what goes into video pre-production and post-production.

Working with video “professionals” implies they have the capabilities; but be sure to ask how long they’ve been in the business. A more experienced production company will have greater knowledge of how to work with limited budgets. They typically also have more contacts and connections to stretch your budget even further.

Also, be sure there is “chemistry.” You want a professional to share your passion for the project or programs they will be bringing to life. Interview multiple firms and come up with questions to be sure you’re satisfied they “get it.” Ask how many rounds of revisions they will provide and what your role is in the editing process, and be sure they will adhere to any brand standards so you have complete confidence in the working relationship before making an investment.

Messaging and final touches:

Don’t talk about what you do. Show what you do, why you do it and the impact your organization makes. This is the beauty of video—it engages more senses to create an emotional bond to the wonderful things your nonprofit does. To use this medium as a jazzed up brochure is not a good investment. Save the list of services for your website. Convey the impact and accountability of the organization and avoid jargon, acronyms and other insider references. Speak to the viewer and address their emotional needs.

Carefully pick the music and narrator’s voice that will be the bed of the pictures and words.  Think about the difference Morgan Freeman’s voice makes in a narration or what a score by John Williams does for a Spielberg epic. Set aside some funds for the right music bed and a professional voice talent. Be active in the selection process for both. You will realize a greater return on your video investment when you focus your attention on showing the impact, not telling, and connecting on an emotional level with your audience through just the right narrator and music.

Quality, not quantity:

Keep it short. Remember, you are not making a documentary. If it is too long, viewers will miss your call to action, statistics, contact information, etc.  Production value adds appeal and credibility, and will ideally make people watch until credits roll.  Remember that people will watch it online too, and attention spans are even more truncated in that medium. Keep the video to three to five minutes max.

Metrics:

What do you want the viewer to do upon watching your video? Whatever your call to action, make sure they can do so from wherever they are watching. Are you leaving them with a way to advocate: contact info, a website address, a response mechanism, or leading viewers to other content or sharing existing data? Incorporate measurable objectives. Have a distinct URL and activation code, and incorporate a drop-down that asks ‘How did you hear about…’ to track the effectiveness of this communications tool.

Shareable:

Let viewers serve as ambassadors. Post on multiple video-sharing sites. If YouTube is the gold standard, shorten the link and share it on your Facebook Page and Twitter. Optimize through tagging the video with key phrases: industry, video content, and cause. These annotation features allow constituents to endorse and further the conversation on your behalf. To that end, consider formats for screens of all sizes when producing and err on the scale of the smartphone. Mobile’s screen size is how a majority of recipients will view videos these days.

Click on the portfolio to see the video

Videos can accurately SHOW people who you are, what you’ve done, and what you can do for them.

Video Can Show Accurately

Video – Communications Tool Of Today

By Tips & Tricks

Video -The Premier Communications Tool Of Today

The human mind has an inherent unfulfilled need for information and interaction.  Before the advent of the printing press, handwritten word and oral tradition dominated the preservation and communication of cultures, ideas and beliefs.  Then in 1450, Johannes Gutenberg helped changed the world.
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