Posted by Lisa Hochgraf
Even from afar, this telecommuter could tell that CUES was recently abuzz with the making of its first-ever Web video.
It felt like my colleagues were saying, "Wow! We're doing our first video. We have to make it really creative. Maybe we can make it funny. Let's make sure it's just right for promoting the launch of our online challenge and our new membership offering."
And I have to say they accomplished just what they set out to do.
I am really proud of the work of CUES President/CEO Fred Johnson and other CUES staffers on the Next Top Credit Union Exec video, which lets the world know that CUES is running an online challenge looking for a young rising star in the CU movement.
I figure credit unions starting out with Web video might experience the same little bit of worry that fueled the buzz at CUES about this project. So I talked with CUES Art Director Ellen Bartholomew, who spearheaded the project, to see how she set things up for success. She gave me these great tips to share:
- Leverage your staff's experience. CUES' video team included Ellen, who has done a lot of photography; CUES Graphic Designer Theran Michaelis, who has experience with video; and Fred, who is accustomed to speaking in front of people and cameras. It also included CUES staffers in the same age demographic as the contest entrants will be.
- Get several takes. Every person in the video was filmed doing all the short bits, such as "Really, Fred?" This provided lots of choices to Currency Marketing, CUES' partner in the Next Top Credit Union Exec project, and the video's editors. Plus, having many takes means you get the most for your set-up time, and serves as insurance against needing to set up again and re-shoot, Ellen explains. It's also a good idea to shoot more than one person saying the long lines in your script. "It's easier to smoothly splice from one person to another than from one person to the same person," she says.
- Plan more time than you think it's going to take. "We scheduled 2.5 hours with Fred," Ellen notes, and people thought we were crazy. "We used all of that." The staff shoot was all day the next day.
- Take really good care of your on-camera talent. "We tried to minimize who was watching," Ellen says, noting she escorted several visitors away from the shoot. This was essential to helping the on-camera staffers maintain a high level of comfort. "They were just doing it in front of Theran and me," she notes. Ellen and Theran also took care to ensure that the blooper reel remains private.
- Use good lighting. According to Ellen, good lighting makes the difference between your video looking professional or amateur. She purchased a floor light and a screen diffuser to help with scene lighting. She says you can also rent lighting.
- Do some research. For example, choose places where you plan to shoot ahead of time. "Live there" for 15 minutes; take the time to sit down and observe light and sound over an extended interval. That way, you won't set up and start shooting only to learn that hearing the compressor in the water fountain kick on is really distracting. In addition to scouting locations in advance, Ellen also did online tutorials about lighting Web video.
- Watch your brand. Make sure your Web video speaks to the image your credit union wants to portray.
Have you already made your first Web video? Please share your best tips in the comments. And, if you're thinking of participating in the Next Top Credit Union Executive challenge, these tips may help you make great video part of your entry.
