Business Internet Video: Your Promotional Solution via video power

If you own a business of any sort without a website you know what that means. If, however, your business has a domain site, then the business is getting somewhere. Welcome to the world wide web, the inexplicable space of infinite opportunity.

The human fascination with the moving image goes back a long time. Hollywood could be construed as the ultimate expression of that fascination. Hollywood is usually the fist impression of the United States outside this country. Check: the awesome power of the moving image. It goes without saying that the best travelogue is traditionally the poetic imagination of a great story teller...which is word of mouth. The human inner-vision, in spite of its imaginal density, always departs too far afield from the reality of place, scale, time and dynamics. I have traveled around the world a few times. I have never once imagined with adequate clarity the true nature of a place I read about, was told about, thought about. A cinematic travelogue is an exquisite visual tool. So, although the traditional word of mouth and textual presentations have served humans immeasurably, the advent of pictorial renditions jolted the human imagination, expanding the optics through which we experienced our world.

The idea of human understanding is stylistically predicated upon specific principles. I shall not, in the interest of subject-specificity, venture into the nuanced sphere of motivational psychology. It lies outside the scope of this presentation. But it is important to grasp the basic related concepts. In the realm of information-acquisition there are (at least for our purposes here) three (3) types of people: those who love to read; those for whom reading is a tedious task; and those for whom text, imagery and sound provide a dynamic experience. Needless to say: most among us neatly converge at the third example.

Video Content and Presentational Quality

I would be remiss if I did not state the following categorically: Bad video promo is worse than non. You are better served using an audio embed than a badly made video. Please desist from the assumption that bad video clips work on Youtube and so are perfectly fine for your business. It is a mistake because people watch TV and know the difference very well. Unless you are a professional or inspired cinematographer, you should not attempt to do it yourself. You can take a chance being your own plumber, but your promotional video serves as the transactional container for what your company does.

If you are willing to hire a professional content producer, your efforts will be better served. Make sure to find one who is in a position to stay within your budget if you are a small business. It is true that internet video does not mean a compromised production quality. Your videographer or video producer will be a professional for whom a DVD or web content is only a formatted version of professionally produced program. There is contention as to whether a broadcast level presentation is the standard. or a corporate video as the mean. But the important consideration is couched in: "the video conveying the requisite power of presentation to sell your service or product."

Sound: capturing the immediacy of viewer response

Do not eschew, underestimate or take for granted the vital efficacy of the audio component in your video presentation. This feature makes or breaks the emotional response to your pitch. It is imperative that the dialogue be recorded at optimal resolution and presented at stereophonic sonic quality for the intended result. One of the reasons that the film, The Secret, is generally noted as a great cinematic effort is the sound manipulation. You do not need to go that far. You only need to have good sound. As an independent documentary producer I am convinced that sound production is the most misunderstood realm of film producing. Most high-end audio post producers will tell you that if you screw up the sound you have no picture. The sense of hearing is the single-sense-modality that tells you everything you need to know. In the beginning was the Word...

Methodology: the process of selection, omission and emphasis

At the onset, figure out what you wish the world to know about your service or product. Who are your competition? What makes you diverge from the crowd? Resolve to accept that even though times are tough, advertising is still key. We all know that in business: If You DO NOT Advertise you DO NOT Exist. C'est la vie...

It may not be a bad idea to cruise the web making note of promos that impress you. Now find your video composer or videographer. I have a disdain for the word videographer: because it is misunderstood. Most wedding videographers are not professional, trained motion-picture producers. There are skilled cinematographers and editors who do fine wedding event products. However, it is imperative to know the difference. A business promo is akin to a short film, a TV commercial, requiring the concentrated zeal for detail that mirrors surgical precision. Films are made by a group of individuals who honor their craft. It is a concentrated acquisition and understanding of Script, Photography, Light, Sound, Drama, Literature, Sculpture, Visual Art, Music, Characterization and Painting. Just to name a few. When you hire a professional to present your business media promo, you are essentially requesting the actualization of years of transactional effort amassed by you to be delivered in cinematic form. Note that the shorter your media presentation is, the more viable. If information persists, break it into shorter clips. If you watch an infomercial on commercial Television you will see a lot of repetitions. They are produced as 30 minute TV programs for half-hour slots. Your promo should be so much shorter with no repetitions. It requires intensive editorial handling for maximum effectiveness. Use plenty of graphics and related artifacts, and finally, use a professional Voice-Over presenter They are cheaper than you think. No high-pitched voices. For great female voices, find radio broadcast presenters. They are the best in media. Stay away from models as voices. Just because they are pretty does not mean they must speak on camera. Some are actually good, but rare. Good looking models should be used effectively, seriously and for the correct reasons. I photograph women for a living. I make films. All that glitters is NOT gold. My point is that although prettification, beauty and sex do sell, these cosmetic affectations may not fare well for your promotional video. You may in fact draw the wrong traffic to your content.

Conclusion

Internet video is a rich resource. Web traffic can not get enough of video on the web. A great video can turn your business or product around real fast. Google gives you traffic for free because you have video content. People will visit your site just to play your videos. Go figure... A well crafted media in motion-picture form can not be ignored as a requisite condition for virtually any website on the internet. Not if the future of digital media has its own mind. Video is Content.

Godfrey Silas

Digital Television Producer/Cinematographer

Digital Glamour Television Inc - San Francisco / San Diego

http://www.digitalglamourtv.com