Dec 06 07
Self Creation
By Renn Vara
Oh, the good ol’ days. When you needed a video shot or wanted to capture a demo on your desktop, you’d review your list of corporate approved vendors for audio/visual companies or new media web creators. You’d make a few calls to get bids. The pricing would come back and after you picked yourself up off the floor, you’d strategize how to talk them down or how to get more budget from your boss. Then you’d get moving.
Times certainly have changed. With the default expectation of visuals on everything coupled with the reality that customers, employees, partners, investors – everyone - don’t read anymore, the need for video and visual creation is exploding. There isn’t enough money in anyone’s budget these days to hire the big guns. So what do you do?
You could go out and hire professional videographers. That’s their hope. They need the jobs. The problem is you’ll lose in two big ways: the cost will almost be as high as hiring contractors, and you’ll be getting last year’s solution to a unique problem of today. Ah yes, and there is a third problem: you’ll be limiting your creative pool to one or two visions of a creative process. Never a good idea.
So here’s a solution you may want to consider. With HD video cameras getting cheaper and a very high percentage of current college grads possessing impressive video and web skills, include video and web creation in their job descriptions. Get them all on board. Don’t make the mistake of having one or two people responsible for the creative process. One person can manage the content, but get multiple “shooters.” Then challenge them to create.
Use this self created video for everything from internal fun mp4s, to YouTube corporate blog entries, to customer demos. Create, create, and create some more. Then go back to your vendor list and find a partner who will enjoy your process and help dress things up when needed with motion graphics, music and anything else you need to meet audience expectations. You’ll still need these vendors for the big show – sales meetings and customer facing branding projects. But in the meantime, you’ll get your story out and do it without breaking the bank.
I should duck. My team of videographers, web creators, and graphic artists hate me for saying this. But the real winners adapt rather than fight change.
Let me know what you think.
Tags: audio, corporate blogging, corporate communications, corporate media, employment, executive communications, google, innovation, marketing, millennials, new hires, presentation skills, renn vara, snp communications, social media, video communications, web 3.0
