Web Video

Musical group OkGo has had a few web video hits.  The "Treadmill Video" has over 50 million views.  Their latest video (above) features one of the largest Rube Goldberg machines I have ever scene and one long tracking shot that would make Scorsese quiver.

The thing I am most impressed about is State Farm's sponsorship of this video.  (OK, not literally. I am video guy and it was a really impressive video) But still, kudos to State Farm for being brave enough to sponsor a web video that only shows their branding briefly at the end and almost unnoticeable at the beginning. That is one of the most effective ways to market yourself online.  Realize that you are an insurance company and piggyback on something cooler.

     I remember my days as a kid, pre-cable, watching mostly PBS television programming.  One of the PBS stalwarts I watched often, was the unforgettable Bob Ross -- the gentle, nature-loving painter with the 'fro.  Not only did Mr. Ross (may he rest in peace) teach us how to paint, he also taught us a wonderful principle that is applicable to more than painting -- the principle of Improvisational Creation.

Bob Ross Web Video vs. Paint By Numbers Web Video

So many of us are used to doing the "Paint by Numbers" type of video.  What is that?  Well, it's the overly controlled, highly predictable video.  Before the cameras are turned on and the mics are checked, a script has been written, actors have been chosen, and a story board with pre-planned camera angles and blocking is created.  This is a very low-risk, very controllable style of video.  The downside of this type of video is that is not believable, relatable, or fresh.  Everyone sees "Paint by Numbers" video every day on TV and the internet.  People, however, are looking for a more candid and more fluid approach to the videos they watch.

If you've ever watched an episode of Bob Ross' The Joy of Painting you would know that Bob practices something called Improvisational Creation.  As suggested, this is free-form style of painting.  Instead of pulling out a canvas, knowing exactly what he's going to paint and where (like paint by numbers), Bob has a general idea of what he wants to paint, but allows himself to create integral parts of the painting on the fly, dependent upon how he feels at the moment (i.e. happy little trees).

Pretty much all of the great artists did this, and that is precisely why they are considered great.  Authentic, fluid video stories make a far greater impression than overly produced video.  Instead of relying on the rigid story boarding process of old, practice what is called skeletal story development.  List the things you wish to cover in your story, but then let the camera and the characters develop the details of that story as you go.  This makes for a far more interesting -- more engaging video story.  

If you don't listen to me, you'll surely hear what Bob Ross has to say.

Years ago, super savvy people decided that they their company needed a website to thrive.  The early adopters saw huge successes, and eventually everyone else (for the most part) followed along, some reluctantly and some still not at all.  So what's next? Video. Web Video. 

It seems like it is the obvious answer.  It seems like people would jump all over it.  Some people don't like change, they like doing things the way they've always been done and don't understand why web video and social media are important (I hope they wise up before it's too late!) Others just don't know where to start, well friends, I am going to tell you.

Let me be clear. You can start with 3 videos.  Now, they key word here is start.  The key to success is to continue these concepts into 3 individual series.

Video #1:  Our first video is about our industry, but not about us.  Let's use a fictional coffee company called "The Happy Pot"  For them, this first video could be about Tips on Using a French Press or short documentary on How beans get from the field to your Cup.

Why this works: This series proves you are savvy in your industry,  but isn't a sales pitch, so people are more likely to watch.  If a bike shop has a video on YouTube about how to change a flat tire, you will be more likely to go there next time you need a bike.  They video didn't try to sell you a bike, it just gave you information that you wanted/needed. If they then decide they want to learn more about you, then they can go to your website, where web video #3 is waiting.



Video #2: This video isn't about you or your industry.  Sounds weird doesn't it?  Think of "The Happy Pot"  They decide to do a video about bands and music.  However, these conversations take place in "The Happy Pot's" coffee shop, or any location and they are drinking from a "Happy Pot" coffee cup.

Why this works:  The audience that watches Video #1 really like coffee.  Why else would they be watching videos about coffee?!  However, Video #2 is targeted more to the casual coffee drinker. They like and drink coffee, but their loyalty is for sale because they aren't really serious about their coffee.  By targeting a broader topic, like music, you reach a broader audience of serious, semi-serious, and even non coffee drinkers.  Your web video is entertaining them, and the next time they want coffee (or want to buy a gift if they are a non-coffee drinker), they will probably remember the company that entertained them.


Video #3:  This is the transitional web video for the old school marketers.  It's a web video about your company, a good old fashioned "About Us" video.  There are many ways to produce this video in a more interesting way than "We here at Company X care about our customers blah blah..." approach.

Why this works:  Well, people that put forth the effort to come to your site want to know about you.  Volvo once did a survey and discovered that 88% of the people that bought a new Volvo had visited the website to research first.  This is where it's most important to be authentic and open. 

Ok, I have the videos...now what?

Get Videos #1 and #2 out there! Use Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, blogs, email blasts, whatever it takes to get an audience. They are the fishing net that you throw out to start pulling people back to your website.  Get people interested and keep them engaged by continuing the series. Create a new web video every month (at least!) so people can keep consuming and spreading them around!

Put Video #3 on your homepage. Now the people that the other two web videos filter to your site have something to keep them engaged.  They decided to take the next step towards being your customer, so don't let them down by only having text on your site!

There you go, a simple blueprint to get you on your way to a serious web video presence.

Cantaloupe.TV today launched its new breakthrough video platform, VideoHere(TM) to web application providers at the Marketing Sherpa Email Marketing Summit. VideoHere is a turnkey online video management system that providers can embed in any web application, uses no APIs, and requires no IT investment.

"VideoHere gives the end user their own online video management platform all within the web application they already use," says Stacy Billanti, President of Cantaloupe.TV, "and this is all done using scalable and reliable cloud-based technology." This product is particularly relevant for marketing applications including email marketing software providers, blogging software providers, and website content management systems, as their customers are demanding the ability to use video in their marketing communications to create more compelling online content. Further, web marketing application companies need to focus on their own platform development, and they don't have the expertise, time, nor development resources to effectively build and maintain online video capabilities.

VideoHere allows end users to point and click to upload, customize, embed video and play buttons, and track video viewership. Email service provider Net Atlantic, Inc. has just announced the addition of VideoHere to their suite of email marketing solutions. This integration offers Net Atlantic email marketing users the ability to seamlessly utilize video in their email campaigns. "Adding video to email campaigns will improve lead quality and increase conversions for our customers," says Bill Reich, President of Net Atlantic. "Studies show that video email campaigns increase click-through rates by 2 to 3 times, shortening the sales cycle and increasing revenues." "As video becomes pervasive across online channels, web application providers will need to offer video management capabilities seamlessly to customers," shares Stacy Billanti. "VideoHere offers a powerful extension to their existing suite of services, provides them with a competitive advantage, as well as allows them to generate incremental value from this new offering."

The Cantaloupe video team specializes in producing authentic web video stories for one-to-one marketing. Cantaloupe also provides online video management platforms, Backlight(TM) and VideoHere(TM), which are easy-to-use and powerful tools allowing marketers to integrate video into email marketing, websites, blogs, and social media.

Learn more about VideoHere

 I think my favorite kind of web video to produce is a 'journey video'.  The stories tell themselves, they are entertaining, and everyone usually has a pretty good time shooting them. (They are also pretty easy to put together from a Guerilla Video Producer's perspective).

Today, I developed a story for a client that could have been pretty boring, until we decided to do it as a journey video.  They are going up to Detroit to receive an award. The original idea was to make the web video just about the award, but we decided to film the trip up (we are in Indy) and talk to them about why they are excited, what the award is, and just have fun.  All of the same information will be relayed, but everyone involved (including the viewer) will enjoy it much more.

Just about any subject can be jazzed up with a little journey thrown into the mix.  The payoff doesn't even have to be that great!  It's the ride there that makes the web videos watchable.

Here are a couple classics:

Marketers tend to suffer from what I call, "The Wizard of Oz Complex."  They are standing behind the curtain trying to make you believe something that isn't exactly true.  Lots of bells, whistles, smoke and spins that try to hide their flaws and insecurities as a company.

What they don't seem to realize is that their customers are like Dorothy strolling down the yellow brick road to Transparency City singing "If I Only Had Some Truth." It's what they want, and they will get it from "Somewhere over the Internet" with the help of their "Google-slippers."

You may think your marketing mumbo jumbo is an Iron Curtain you can hide behind, but I promise that your web video curtain is just as flimsy and obvious as the Wizard's. And, just like Toto, viewers know that it's all just a show, and someone is behind the curtain.  Web video is about honest, transparent information that is entertaining.

If you are going to brave the world of web video (which you will have to sooner or later) be brave enough to follow the yellow brick road to Transparency City and avoid the Wicked Witch of Marketing Mumbo Jumbo.

 I love the internet. With infinite knowledge at your fingertips, the phrase "I don't know how" shouldn't be in a Guerilla Video Producer's vocabulary.  One thing I put off far too long is learning how to color grade.  

One day I decided I had had enough, and started scouring the interwebs for a web video that could teach me a little bit about color correction.  Within 5 minutes, I found this one.




I have been color grading my web videos ever since, and yesterday I shared the knowledge with the rest of the team!  They were excited to get the info (a few already knew it) and our web videos will now be taken to the next level!

On a side note, Reel Clever would know that their video has been embedded in my blog and how many of my faithful readers have watched it, if they had our online video platform, Backlight.

"You are not special. You are not a beautiful or unique snowflake. You're the same decaying organic matter as everything else."
                                               --Tyler Durden

 I swear if I hear one more company tell me that they are unique because they care about their clustomers (that's clients and/or customers) I might have a nervous breakdown.

Tell me who you are, and I (as in ME, as in the person that might potentially give you money) will decide if you are unique are not. This doesn't just apply to web video, but to all mediums.

Do a web video where I (the viewer) get to hang out with your staff for a bit. I'll get to see what you do and how you do it. Then I can decide your uniquity (no, this isn't really a word).



This type of web video drops the walls, humanizes your business, and lets the (potential) clustomers see the real you!

Show me that you are an expert. Show me that your widget is awesome.  Show me that you are unique, just stop trying to tell me!!

You can't skim a web video like you can skim text, so the worst thing you can do is have too long of a web video.

There are 3 major audiences that everyone needs to speak to, and coincidentally enough, their names tell you how long of a web video you can get away with.

1. Short Term Audiences need short videos (60-90 secs): Short term audiences are the people that know nothing or next-to-nothing about you.  They want to know who you are, what you do, and if you have any value to them. You have about a minute to get that message across before they check out.


2. Medium Term Audiences are hooked, give them a little more (2-3mins):  These people are into what you do, they just haven't committed yet.  They want a little more detail on how you do it, who you do it for and what are your successes. They will be willing to stick around a little longer to get that information.

3. The Long Term-ers love you! (Keep it under 4-5): These are your customers and your sneezers (a Seth Godin term).  They love what you do, and they want to tell others about you.  You have the most freedom with this audience. If your web video is interesting, they'll stick around up to 5 or so minutes because they understand you and want to learn everything they can about you. Vlogs and general storytelling thrive with this audience.

If you still aren't sure, just keep it as short as possible.  People would rather be left wanting more than boring them out of their minds.


Justin Gutwein

More about Guerrilla Video Production

organic |ôrˈganik| denoting a relation between elements of something such that they fit together harmoniously as necessary parts of a whole characterized by natural development

They say if it looks like a duck, and it sounds like a duck, then it must be a duck.  Well, with web video, this isn't really true.  All of our marketing friends that are used to producing commercials for TV have jumped over to web video.  Unfortunately for us, instead of making real content for the web, they have brought over the commercials, and put a web video skin on them!


The Internet is about truth, not marketing spin.  The previous was nothing more than a commercial skinned to look like a YouTube web video.  What does this mean to the average business owner that wants to get some online presence?  It means you are paying for a commercial...fullout...actors, writers, sets, the whole nine yards.

Instead of faking reality, just shoot things for real. The following video is about a nurse at a local hospital.  The guerrilla video producer didn't have a script, an actress, or a set-in-stone-this-is-the-way-it-has-to-happen plan.  He had an idea of what the story should be like, and let it develop naturally, organically, you might say.

A character was chosen and documented for a few hours.  By using minimal equipment, he was able to witness a true day in the life of this nurse, and allow the story to naturally tell itself.  This saves time, which saves money, and allows clients to have more web videos and more of a presence online.



There is something about the truth that always seems to attract people.


Justin Gutwein

More about Guerrilla Video Production

Tip #3 Don't be afraid to leave the tripod behind.

This one is pretty simple.  With movies like Cloverfield, reality TV, and even scripted shows like The Office becoming more and more popular, people are getting used to a little shake on the screen.  This fact is of great value to the Guerrilla Video Producer, so take advantage of this in your web video.

It seems like time is always against us in the field.  Our clients are busy, and so are we. Setting up and tearing to down shots takes a lot of time, and it prevents the subject (who probably isn't used to being on camera) from getting comfortable.

The biggest advantage is it makes you mobile.  Now you can do an interview in a car or walking down a hallway.  This adds a subtle sense of urgency to your web video, and often adds natural pacing to otherwise potentially dull topics.


Normally a story about handing out some awards probably wouldn't be a very engaging web video, but the constant motion (and a good character) tend to keep people engaged.

I'm not saying you don't ever need to use a tripod, but don't be afraid to leave it behind sometimes.


Justin Gutwein

More about Guerrilla Video Production

Check out this article by the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) on crisis communication.

There big takeaway, and I quote exactly: "Video dominates as online communications tool"

The article goes on to say:
Organizations need to already have an established video channel that informs — or entertains — your key publics so that you have built an audience and goodwill before a crisis hits. Having an online Web presence will increase the speed of distribution and reach of your crisis response.

This is exactly what our online video magazines at Cantaloupe.tv do. We specialize in producing authentic, online video content which is the exactly what you need when communicating a crisis situation. And our web video platform, Backlight.tv, makes it easy to get that video up immediately.

The last thing you want to be worried about in a crisis is about how to get your video online. Backlight handles everything you need to get that video up immediately. Things you don't need to worry about with Backlight:

• The file type. We handle mov conversion, mp4 conversion, mpeg conversion, flv conversion, and more
• The online video player. Backlight provides you with that as well as an easy to use embed code
• Online video hosting service. That's also included out of the box.
• Distribution. Backlight helps you get your video on YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, blogs, email campaigns, Twitter, partner websites, or wherever else you distribute online
• Video analytics. Backlight provides you with all the online video tracking you'll need to determine the effectiveness of your story.

So don't wait for a crisis to hit before you start thinking about online video marketing and the video platform you need to distribute it. Take a look at our offering now.

Guerrilla filmmaking refers to a form of independent filmmaking characterized by low budgets, skeleton crews, and simple props using whatever is available.

Robert Rodriguez (Desperado, Sin City) made this term notorious by making the film El Mariachi for $7,000, before digital editing made filmmaking cheaper.

These techniques, chronicled in the journal Rebel Without a Crew, have been very useful in the world of web video production.

The 4 steps to Guerrilla Video Production

1. Plan ahead - know what you want and how to get it before you go in
2. Be flexible - anything can and will happen, but you got to keep moving
3. Bring only what you need - equipment is heavy and expensive, do you really need a second light?
4. Get what you need and get out - be efficient, time is money

An average shoot, for me, is about 1-2 hours.  I go in knowing exactly what video and sound I need.  I bring bare bones equipment and staff, usually just one other guy. When we leave a shoot, I have everything we need to put a story together, most of the time.

By doing this, the cost of online video production is decreased dramatically. 

The look, feel and cost of web video is different than standard video production.  Don't get left behind and get stuck paying for it.


Justin Gutwein

Tip #1: Don’t Shoot into Windows
Tip #2: Organic Storytelling
Tip #3: Don't Pick up the Sticks

Tip #1: Don’t Shoot into Windows

Part of guerrilla video production is being adaptable and creative with what you have.

I very rarely get my pick of where I shoot an interview.  Most of the time, clients lead me into a interviewee's office or the local conference room, all the while beaming with pride of securing such a wonderful place for us to shoot.

In over 3 years of web video production experience, I have done lots of experimenting with shooting into windows. Usually, it's about the best option in Mr. CEO's office.  While I haven't always pulled off the look I wanted, I have continuously improved. (Keep in mind we only use 1 light, but more about equipment another time.)

                    2007  (Hotel Room)                                 2008 (Corner Office)



Playing with backlight and color balance can give you varying effects.  It's all about trial and error.

The following is from a web video I produced recently.  It was shot in a room full of windows, and my videographer thought I was crazy when I told him what I wanted to do it.

 
While there is always room for improvement, I think it turned out just fine.

What is Guerrilla Video Production?



Justin Gutwein

I've talked about video search engine optimization many times before, but one question that keeps coming up is does where I get my online video hosting affect my search engine optimization?

Our stance right now (and it's always subject to change since Google is in a constant state of flux, always trying to improve its service), is it does not matter where your video is hosted. It is not necessary to host your video on your own servers or even on your own domain to get the authority credit for your domain or to get your video to show up in Google's universal search.

Additionally, there are big advantages to not hosting your video yourself, like the ability to utilize a Content Delivery Network (CDN) which ensures an optimal viewing experience.

This is one of the tips that Mark Robertson, the Founder of ReelSEO a blog about "video search optimization, online video marketing, internet video advertising, and everything else related to online video" gives to his readers. He gives 9 other tips in a recent post titled "Web Video Marketing - 10 Common Marketing Mistakes" that I recommend all my readers check out. (Note: You'll see some back and forth comments I had with Mark about the subject of this post)

We get this question about video email marketing a lot, but it's usually not this direct. It usually comes in some form of "Can Cantaloupe.tv and Backlight put video in email?"

The answer is "No, we don't actually put the video in the email" and we state that the reason why is that there are a number of obstacles that make it an undesirable method.

This answer is once again reiterated by other marketing experts at BtoB Online:

"Most e-mail clients, including Outlook 2007 and the majority of Web-based providers, disable the scripting mechanisms that enable video to be played. This means few recipients will be able to view a video directly from an e-mail."

The writer goes on to say:

"...marketers should use a click-to-view link—whether in the form of a graphic simulating a video player or a prominent call-out—in the e-mail that directs the viewer to an external landing page that plays the video."

This is exactly what our Backlight web video platform does. It easily allows you to create online video "play buttons" to embed in your email. Need an example? Check out this Cantaloupe email below. The graphic to the left is the "play button." If this were a functioning email you would be able to click it to watch the video.




Stay tuned for more interesting news from Cantaloupe.tv about video emails. We already have a partnership with email software firm ExactTarget and another very interesting integration on the way.

 In this video:

• Export a video from the Backlight web video platform
• Upload it to a Facebook "Page"
• Tag people who appear in the video

Visit our Facebook page to watch "Cantaloupe in Friendship, IN" and become a fan.

To learn more about how Cantaloupe.tv uses Facebook to extend it's use of web video check out this post.

One of Cantaloupe's current clients is the Tony Stewart Foundation and we have been given the chance to actually work with Tony in a few videos. As a race fan myself I felt it appropriate to share the latest online video we produced for the TSF with as many race fans as I could because it's an actual "Day in the Life" of Tony. So, I shared the link back to the TSF video magazine through Twitter and Facebook hoping that as many fans would get the opportunity to see the video as possible.

Well, a day after posting the video to the video magazine and my social media networks I got the idea to just search Tony Stewart in Google and try and find some fan pages. I didn't have much luck with any fan pages, but i did find a Tony Stewart Forum. Who knew that forums even still existed? I created a username to login to the forum and started a new thread explaining what the video was and that Tony was the main character in the video. Should get some clicks, huh?

What I had failed to do was look down through the threads from the last few days. After posting my thread I soon realized that a fan had ALREADY found the video and had posted a link back to the video magazine. I noticed that there had been 22 replies on the other person's thread. So, I clicked the thread and was very excited to see the comments that were being made. Not only were these folks watching the latest video but they were commenting on the other three videos and how they had made some people cry and how proud others were of Tony. Read the comments here.

So why am I telling this story? I think this goes to show you how web video is allowing people to share others people's intimate, truthful stories with those who they know will enjoy it. And, I'm positive that had this video story been a blog post or magazine article the responses would not have been as heart felt. Internet video marketing is quickly becoming a must have for organization because it's a simple way for your fans and customers to spread your message to those who are interested and the fact that it's video makes them the COOL one amongst their friends.

Want to learn more about Cantaloupe and internet video marketing?

Video formatting is a complicated subject to understand, especially when you aren't in the video business. That's one of the reasons why we are here at Cantaloupe -- to help you make the most of your online video. Let me explain a little more.

I came across a web video a couple of days ago. The picture was stretched and pixelated (meaning boxy, unclear), and the sound was unbearable. To say the least, this video looked and felt unprofessional. If you are going to put video on your website, you want it to look sharp. If you disagree, let me know. It doesn't matter how great your site is, if their is one ugly video on their, it could ruin the entire experience. Here is an example snapshot of a video that is poorly posted to the internet:



Like I said, the video is stretched and pixelated, and the one I watched was jumpy (caused by a really low framerate). There are also two black bars on the sides of the video for no reason. Another thing that catches the eye is the video player. It is clunky and not very functional. There are a small amount of options, and a few a them I would never even use. I know this seems extreme, but search the internet and you will find videos similar to this image. So, now that I've addressed this poor video and poor web video player, let me talk about what Cantaloupe offers in these areas.

Cantaloupe's videos are always great quality, and look professional. We also have launched our own web video platform called Backlight that will do the online FLV Conversion for you and give you our sharp looking and great functioning video player. If you want to learn more about everything it can offer you, go here.

Now, let's look at a few snapshots of a Cantaloupe video so we can all vizualize this. These are from our most recent CantaSeries video.




The videos are clear, even the text. You can make it full screen, higher or lower the volume to any level, or use the menu to share, embed, or link to the video. There is much more the software can do, including tracking and converting, so I would suggest looking further into it.

If you are looking to strengthen your online video marketing, give us a holler and we will help you out. We shoot everything in High Definition, expanding the possiblities, and are constantly working on updates for our software, Backlight, which will eventually include HD internet streaming of your online videos. Of course, we know story and content are of utmost importance, which we also deliver, but don't underestimate the quality.

It seems Bluelock has found a way to establish themselves as experts in cloud computing, and it seems a big part of that is their internet video marketing strategy.

I recently wrote a post about how their videos have shown up on a social network for cloud computing. Now it seems that someone else has grabbed the embed code for their LEGO demonstration of server virtualization and embedded it in their blog.

The ability to let others grab this video and spread it around is made possible through Backlight, Cantaloupe's online video platform. What kind of impact is this video having on Bluelock's business? Well, Bluelock can see exactly how many views their getting from this video placement by checking out the online video analytics report also provided through Backlight.

Another valuable feature is Bluelock's ability to change the ads in this video, that is, to change in-stream calls to actions. Even though this video is already embedded, Bluelock can control and change the message to viewers. (Check out the 2:20 mark in the video) Now they can actually convert these viewers into prospects or even customers.

I also think it's worth mentioning this quote from the blog: