Video Production Blog

Title image of a makeup kit spread out on shiny black velvet. Text reads: What's in your makeup kit?

By Chris Karel published August 15, 2017

What’s in your video production makeup kit?

“Does his forehead look a little shiny?” Jenn says, pointing at the monitor.

I nod in agreement and look at Dave, who looks back at me and nods. Dave, my Key-Grip-value-add-go-to-guy, walks over to the gear cart, unzips a small black pouch, and pulls out an oil-absorbing sheet. He deftly maneuvers to the on-camera talent and kindly explains what we saw on the monitor.

Problem solved! No more shiny skin thanks to a single oil-absorbing sheet, and Dave of course!

In this “Ask a producer” post, I offer Pro-Tips for creating and using a small makeup kit to elevate the look of your corporate video. As a marketing manager, training professional, or business owner you can use this post to create a makeup kit to ensure your on-camera talent looks great! Continue reading →

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By Chris Karel published August 8, 2017

How do you scout locations for a business video shoot?

Scout locations for your next corporate video shoot with these eight Pro-Tips, especially if you are a marketing manager, training professional, or business owner. Searching for the right place to record video is vital to a successful production. Even though Scout Locations is #11 on my pre-production checklist, it’s just as valuable as the other items and should not be overlooked in the interest of time or budget. Continue reading →

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By Chris Karel published August 1, 2017

Making a Business Video: 5 Questions – 5 Answers – 5 Pro-Tips

Over the past 20 weeks, I’ve focused on answering questions related to corporate or business video. In each post, I try to provide professional advice for marketing managers, training professionals, and business owners. My goal each week is to be your go-to knowledge source for corporate and business video production. Every ten weeks, I create an index of the previous posts. If you are a CRAFT subscriber, consider this an index to weeks 11 through 20.   Continue reading →

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Do you need to make a corporate video on a budget?

By Chris Karel published July 18, 2017

Do you need to make a corporate video on a budget?

While sitting in Nano Brew on West 25th Street, sipping a Gose the Gosarian, a producer friend of mine said, “We wasted so much time today. You should write a blog that tells people how to get the most out of us.”

“Mmmm. Mr. Gosarian is delicious.” I said out loud. Continue reading →

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ProTips for B2B Voice Actors

By Chris Karel published July 11, 2017

Pro-Tips for B2B Voice Actors

If you are a voice actor looking for B2B jobs, this post offers you an insider’s perspective on creating a professional B2B demo that will reach the client. If you are a marketing or training professional, consider these Pro-Tips as background information to aid you in the process of choosing the “right” voice for your upcoming video or training course. Continue reading →

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Picture: Can I make ONE video for THREE target audiences?

By Chris Karel published July 4, 2017

Can I make a video that reaches three target audiences?

If you are in a marketing or training role, have you ever had a conversation like this?

Manager: “We need a video that will appeal to everyone (employees, customers, and shareholders).”

You: “OK. Have you considered making three videos that target each of those audiences?”

Manager: “Yes, but we only have the budget for one video.” Continue reading →

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Title image: I just made an amazing corporate video! What should I do now? (on a computer monitor with google window)

By Chris Karel published June 27, 2017

I just made an amazing corporate video! What should I do now?

If you are a marketing manager, training professional, or business owner and you are in the middle of making a corporate video, or you just completed a video, then this post is for you. In this post, I offer some tips on distribution, measuring success, and blogging. Continue reading →

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By Chris Karel published June 20, 2017

PRO-TIPS for POST-PRODUCTION: A checklist to ensure your edited video is on-message and looks great too

If you are NEW to a marketing or training role and you need to make a professional video, then this blog post is for you. This is part four in a four-part series designed to help you make your first video production. Continue reading →

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By Chris Karel published May 23, 2017

Making a Business Video? 10 Answers to 10 Questions

The purpose of this post is to provide you with links to 10 separate blog posts that answer 10 specific questions about making professional video. If you are a CRAFT subscriber, consider this an index to the past 10 weeks.

 

Ever since I made my first video in high school, I’ve been teaching people about video production. I love teaching and I love video. So, it has been Continue reading →

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By Chris Karel published May 16, 2017

What do you mean a JPEG of my logo won’t work? 

If you are a marketing manager, training professional, or business owner and you need to make a video, then “The CRAFT: Video Production Blog” is for you. The purpose of this post is to explain the difference between vector and raster graphics and give you pro-tips for using both types in a video production. So, please comment and let me know your experience. Continue reading →

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By Neil McCormick published May 2, 2017

PUT STORYTELLING TO WORK FOR YOU

Storytelling is NOT rocket science, but telling a story with a purpose IS a form of brain surgery.  You need to get inside the target audience’s brain, leave a lasting impression, and change behaviors.  Story can do that.

Now how do you get inside your audience’s heads and change their minds, soften their hearts, or move them to action? Continue reading →

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By Chris Karel published April 25, 2017

How much will a business video cost? Use the Time:Talents Ratio

The purpose of this post is to provide you with consumer wisdom on the Time:Talents Ratio, which may help you determine how much a business video will cost. If you are a marketing manager, training professional, or business owner and you need to make a video, then this blog is for you.  Continue reading →

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By Chris Karel published April 11, 2017

What type of video do I need? 12 Business Video Types

If you are a marketing manager, training professional, or business owner and you need to make a video, and you want to explore video types, then this blog is for you.

Are you planning to make a video for your business? Simply stated, you need a video that satisfies your business need. Refer to the 12 business video types below to aid you during your planning process.  Continue reading →

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By Chris Karel published April 4, 2017

Pro-Tips: Conducting Interviews for Video

If you are a marketing manager, training professional, or business owner and you need to make a video, then this blog is for you.

The purpose of this post is to provide you with advice on how to conduct a video interview, The purpose of this post is to provide you with advice on how to conduct a video interview, and generate a conversation about technique. So, please comment and let me know your experience. Continue reading →

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By Chris Karel published March 21, 2017

Wardrobe? What should I wear on camera?

If you are a marketing manager, training professional, or business owner and you need to make a video, then this blog post is for you.

“Wardrobe” is a performing arts term that refers to costumes, shoes, undergarments, hats, and personal props such as gloves, jewelry, etc. (wiki). In our business video production world, we are generally talking about the clothing that you wear on camera. Continue reading →

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By Chris Karel published March 14, 2017

How do I handle the narrator? Can I narrate?

If you are a marketing manager, training professional or business owner and you need to make a video, then this blog post is for you.

I always suggest using professional voice actors, also known as voice talent, voiceover artists, or VO talent. A seasoned pro brings years of practice and mastery that leads to a smooth, articulate recording that will elevate the perception of your brand. Continue reading →

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By Chris Karel published March 7, 2017

So, I need a business video script. Do I have to write it?

If you are a marketing manager or business owner and you need to make a video, then this blog post is for you.

The simple answer is yes. If you want to make a professional video, you will need to write a script. Don’t freak out! If you work with a video vendor that acts like a business partner, Continue reading →

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Top five things that separate amateur from professional video

By Chris Karel published February 28, 2017

Top five things that separate amateur from professional video

If you are a marketing manager, training professional or business owner and you need to make a video, then this blog post is for you.

Gear, script, audio, lighting, and distribution are the top five things that determine the level of professionalism in a video product. Sometimes a homemade cell phone video can get Continue reading →

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By Meagan Lawton published August 26, 2015

“The Perfect Basket”

Everyone’s heard the old saying that you should never put all of your eggs in one basket. Whether you have relationship eggs, money eggs or real eggs, you want to put them in different places to minimize your risk of losing all of them at the same time.

As a non-risk-taker, this makes sense to me, and I usually follow this advice. However, this past spring I didn’t, and I ended up getting pied in the face, sitting in a cell block, and collecting brains.

Continue reading →

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101: What type of video should I put in my eLearning?

By Dan Keckan published August 8, 2014

Begin with this premise:

Video is one of many assets available to instructional designers.

By 2018, per Cisco Systems, 84% of internet traffic will be video content. What does this mean for training professionals? We need to establish a training video lexicon. It is a proven fact that a firm grasp of word meanings is a strong predictor of successful writing. That being said, designers and clients that share a common language will be more effective and efficient in satisfying business objectives. Furthermore, choosing the type of videos for your eLearning course should be based on your learning objectives.

Continue reading →

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201: When is it the Right Time to Marry eLearning and Video?

By Dan Keckan published August 28, 2012

When is it the right time to marry eLearning and video? We get this question all the time from clients. As technology has advanced and internet bandwidth has increased, training professionals are eager to enhance their offerings with more engaging, multimedia rich content.

So when is the right time to use video in your eLearning projects?  Simply put, when you want your audience to learn a particular behavior, otherwise known as behavioral modeling.  And, when you use it in an eLearning course it can be quite effective.

Continue reading →

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