How Sotheby’s & Tripadvisor Moved the Cultural Sector Online Webinar
Treasured sectors of arts, travel, and culture must innovate to survive in industries built on drawing people together for unique shared experiences. Not only has the global pandemic severely disrupted these sectors, but it has also created a disparity between peak consumer appetite for content and limited operations for creators.
In this webinar you’ll learn how Sotheby’s and TripAdvisor are not only finding substitutions for real world events prohibited by the pandemic, but are maximizing the unique possibilities inherent to digital transformation and virtual domains. Our panelists offer strategies for engaging a global audience through immersive digital experiences. Discover how leaning into digital can reach consumers and create unique differentiation from competitors.
FEATURED PANELISTS
MITRA AMESTOY is the SVP and Head of Content & Creative Services at Sotheby’s. With a background in creative writing, Mitra has transformed Sotheby’s marketing strategy to invest in story-driven original content. Throughout her 20 years at Sotheby’s, Mitra has lead the brand’s award-winning global digital content strategy.
SUSIE CONLEY is the former Director of Video Strategy and Production for Tripadvisor where she built Tripadvisor’s in-house production division from scratch to scale. Susie oversaw ROI accountabilities, global production, creative partnerships, distribution strategy and social media video channels for B2C and B2B brands. Leveraging a deep network of relationships and expertise, Susie’s produced thousands of travel videos around the globe.
How Digital Experiences are Transforming the Cultural Sector
In a moment where traveling, wandering around a museum, and going to a theater are suddenly impossible activities, digital experiences are picking up the slack. For the cultural sector, there’s some catching up to do as far as the digital transformation, but the payoff is becoming significant. By using innovative video production, this sector is transforming their content and engaging new audiences.
Virtual art exhibits are only the beginning. By merging traditional art and travel experiences with technological innovation, there’s a brand new life for the cultural sector on the internet.
From Physical to Digital
Right now, not even your favorite travel blogger can satisfy your desire to see the world beyond the four walls of your quarantine. And, the celebrities we have idolized for so long have become just another group of people that are stuck at home.
For many of today’s internet users, online platforms have always been a place for expanding their experience of the world around them. But now, when the most we can find out about the world is how other people are spending their time indoors – from the hardest puzzles to finding the best sourdough recipe – it can feel like we’re all trapped in our own bubbles.
For the cultural sector in particular, this new reality has prompted a huge transformation of the consumer experience. As largely a B2C industry, the cultural sector has been extremely vulnerable to the lockdown. With people unable to leave their homes, and all large public gatherings having been prohibited, there was no obvious solution to encourage consumers to stay engaged with this sector.
However, one thing was clear: the cultural sector needed a digital transformation.
Keeping Up With Demands for Content
Digital experiences have become the priority, and are the best ways to keep up with consumer demands for content. Plus, digital experiences serve as a stimulating replacement for the activities that people are missing most right now.
According to JiaJia Fei, the consulting director of digital at the Jewish Museum in New York:
“For digital innovators, this is our moment to push the limit of our creative and technical vision, and a chance to openly experiment. For everyone else, it’s a crash course in digital marketing triage.”
Fei highlights an important point about the potential distance between digital innovators and traditional marketers. However, some industry leaders have been proactive in innovating old-school content to fit with the new digital landscape.
This is where big industry names like Sotheby’s and Tripadvisor come into play. When the coronavirus shutdown hit, both of these companies faced the same question: how would they stay engaged with their consumers? Nobody is visiting an art exhibit, let alone traveling anywhere new. But, these two companies house teams that were able to mobilize quickly to an all-online space. By leaning into their digital footprints, Sotheby’s and Tripadvisor have been able to differentiate themselves among their competition.
To hear more strategic insight from Sotheby’s Head of Content and Creative Services, Mitra Amestoy, and from Tripadvisor’s Director of Video and Executive Creative Producer, Susie Conley, watch Green Buzz Agency’s recorded webinar below.
Redefining the Customer Experience
There might not be anything that can replicate the shared excitement of an in-person experience among a crowd, but there are alternative experiences to explore. For example, digital formats like 360 video and virtual reality take the traditional experience of art and travel and throw them out the window.
In our real lives, we don’t experience the world in an instant 360 degree view or even in the same way that virtual reality tries to replicate. Still, these innovative digital formats provide a sense of a real-time experience that people are missing the most right now. Plus, they redefine the customer experience while still providing the desired content.
For example, travelers can explore the Swedish wilderness, walk through Egypt’s Pyramid of Giza, and fly over a Romanian National Park, all in one day with the help of 360 degree video.
Redefining the customer experience in this way not only takes an industry set in its ways to a new digital reality, but it also incorporates a highly advanced level of technology. Though this is impressive, it’s important to avoid alienating core audiences.
The Guardian writes that, “achieving this requires an eye toward egalitarianism: almost everyone has a mobile phone and computer at home, but very few have traditional VR headsets, which points to a rise in 360 video, Google cardboard, and conferencing tools that can easily be streamed at home.”
Staying Human, Digitally
While the shift to digital experiences in the cultural sector is crucial during this period, consumers are still drawn toward authentic messaging. Content like 360 video and virtual reality is enticing. But, these forms still might not permanently replace consumers’ emotional connection to what they’re missing out on by being stuck at home.
And, more importantly, your audience needs you to be in tune with the individual impact of the pandemic. For your company, this can just mean using your platform to promote a brand voice that is both proactive through digital innovation, and actually concerned with how they can best serve their consumers.
The cultural sector also has a particular responsibility to remember the core values of the content they produce, before rushing for high-tech formats. People won’t be stuck at home forever. When we can return to a new normal, it’ll be important to maintain agility and remember what the cultural sector really stands for.
Emily Herman, Marketing and Communications.
Exclusive Podcast: The Making of the New Kevin Durant Documentary
Co-directed by Jimmy Jenkins and John Beckham, Basketball County: In the Water documents the rise of Kevin Durant to the NBA, and dives into PG County’s unprecedented ability to pump out basketball prodigies.
Green Buzz Agency’s CEO Tod Plotkin, and lead editors Andrew Whipp and Matt Ehrichs, sat down to talk with the directorial duo about their creative process, why this documentary is so important, and who would win in a one-v-one face-off.
Podcast Transcript
Jimmy Jenkins:
Hey guys!
Andrew Whipp:
What’s up, man?
Matt Ehrichs:
Hey!
Jimmy:
What’s up?
Andrew:
The man, the legend!
Andrew:
So how have you two been? What’s been happening. What’s been shakin’ with the doc? Has other stuff popped up or is it just all doc world right now, for you guys?
John Beckham:
Yeah, for the last six months, I’ve been working on a documentary short about pizza and my brother’s pizzeria in Baltimore. We just wrapped that, pretty much done, getting it colored and getting audio mastered. Then trying to write a little bit.
Jimmy:
Well, it’s been a little crazy. I had another film that just came out last month. So I’m getting this done and preparing for what’s next, pretty much. Just working with that.
Andrew:
Do you have any plans for the premiere night?
John:
Yeah, sit my ass on the couch with my wife.
Jimmy:
Yeah. Same here. Sit on the couch. Maybe order some pizza or something.
Matt:
I came out of the project after I had been in Andrew’s hands for a few weeks at Green Buzz over the summer when we started working on it.
Matt:
And one of the things I was never really clear on was the story of all of this in terms of, how did it all get started? And then how you guys joined forces and then all the way to getting it to Showtime.
Matt:
If you guys could do that, I think that’d be a really cool story to hear in terms of people who are aspiring filmmakers to listen to this or others.
Jimmy:
You know, me and John, he started working on it in 2017. I started working on mine at the same time, but we didn’t know it. And then if somebody told him about what I was doing and I heard about what he was doing. And then we just met up.
John:
For sure. Jimmy put like a sizzle out for what he was doing on Facebook. And my buddy hits me to it. It was like, “Look at it.” What he said is, “Hey, is this your project?” And I looked at it, and I was like, “Hell no! This is not my project. Who is this dude?” But I watched it. And I was like, “Wow! This is really put together. And this guy has a vision. It’s very similar to mine.”
John:
And after I met him, it was like, “Wow! This guy is a guy from PG County. This guy is an athlete. This guy played basketball, and he’s a filmmaker and he’s been shooting. And it’s like, there’s two ways that this could go. One, it could be confrontational, could stall projects. Things can get in the way of the creativity or everything. Or, the other way is that we could just join forces and make the best projects we could.
John:
And it seemed pretty natural and pretty … It was an easy decision for me, especially after seeing his work and meeting with him and then realizing how passionate we both were.
Andrew:
Hell, yeah. So when you guys got together, you both find out you’re making very similar documentaries and you go, “We’re stronger together than we are doing this individually. So let’s team up. We both have a vision for how this thing wants to be.” And you start working together. When does Thirty Five Ventures and Kevin Durant get involved? When does Showtime get involved?
John:
Jimmy and Quinn were working on stuff. And I was working on some of them with Kevin Durant. So we both had NBA guys that are prominent. I sent Rich Kleiman, Kevin’s agent, a sizzle reel of some of the stuff that I was working on. I sent him that. Sent him a one pager and Rich called me back and was like, “Hey! We’d be interested in this.”
John:
And then we kept on building it out. And through, I think, maybe Quinn, Rich had heard about Jimmy too. And so it was a pretty easy decision for everybody to just be like, “Hey! Let’s just all team up on this and kill it.”
Matt:
What was it like working with these great basketball players? These are arguably some of the best basketball players in the country, in the world. And then you got Thirty Five Ventures getting involved. And then all of a sudden Rich Kleinman’s involved. What was that like for you?
Jimmy:
You know, I think me and John pretty much the sentiments are the same. It was great for us, because it was more supportive, because it was a community project. Like, “Hey! Look, what do we have to do to make this great? What do we need to do to come together?” And at the end of the day, it was a level of friendship because, Victor Oladipo, Quinn Cook, Kevin Durant all grew up in our neighborhoods. And we known each other since we were little kids. You know what I mean? We went to basketball camps and stuff like that.
Jimmy:
So, we get to this point, it’s just more like, “Yo! It’s great that people from our community is making a film.” And, of course, it was a lot of pressure too, because we were first-time directors. It was days that we had to go back to the drawing board a lot. And, at the end of the day, it just made us better filmmakers. And, and that’s what I’m excited about. I’m sure John is too.
Andrew:
And Jimmy, how, what’s the difference there between trying to direct a feature narrative piece and trying to direct a documentary like this? What have you learned along the way? What are some key differences that you found?
Jimmy:
Oh, man! I’ve learned a lot by doing both types of projects and just doing … I started doing a lot of small documentaries. I’ve probably done over 100 of small, little documentaries. And I’ve also told a lot of stage plays. And what I realized is whether it’s a documentary, whether it’s a stage play, whether it’s a narrative film, it’s all the same when it comes down to it. It’s all telling a good story that’s captivating and it has to be engaging. Of course, you have to understand the arms and the legs of dialogue and narrative storytelling. And how the inflections of the stage play cause reactions from the crowd. But, overall, at the heart it’s the same thing. And that’s why I think I’ve been able to jump from different genres and to create projects.
Andrew:
One thing I know in working on the film and this was both really daunting, but also really exciting for Matt and I, when we first got involved in the edit, was that you guys … I think you had over 100 interviews, right? In total?
John:
Yeah.
Jimmy:
Yep.
Andrew:
Was that a master plan? Like, “All right. We just know we’re going to get a lot of stories and then carve this thing down to the stuff that’s most relevant and stuff that’s the best?” Or was it, you were just talking to so many people in this tightly woven fabric of a community that you’re in, and you just went, “Oh, let’s keep this train rolling. Let’s keep talking to people.”
John:
Right. I think there’s a couple of factors there, but since the story is so important to not just us, but to the community … Telling the story about Prince George’s County, we needed to make sure we understood the story from the people that know it best, which are the people from the community.
John:
And there are so many prominent basketball players. There are so many prominent figureheads within the community, that we needed to talk to them all. So it was an interesting … I think it’s unique in a documentary form that … The story was revealing itself to us through interviews. So in a sense, part of our production method could even be lumped in with pre- production and development.
Matt:
And a followup on that. What is the thing that got left on the cutting room floor? Or, what’s something that you wish that could have made it into that final product?
John:
We got really excited about the community aspect of it, the history, the community, what really happened here that doesn’t even have to do with basketball. And a lot of that stuff … and, as it should … a lot of that stuff isn’t being included in the Showtime sports documentary. You know what I mean? At the end of the day, that’s what it is. It’s a Showtime sports documentary. So a lot of the stuff that we uncovered, and a lot of the people that we talked to in the community that aren’t centric to basketball, didn’t get included.
Tod Plotkin:
How would you guys describe PG County to someone who’s never been there or has never even really been on the East coast before? And not even necessarily in the lens of a basketball community, just PG County as a whole. How would you describe it?
Jimmy:
Well, you might laugh when I say this, but me personally, I’ll say it’s like a Wakanda. It’s affluent African Americans who … It’s just a place that I feel like it hasn’t been shown its just due. And it’s a community that … we know the American history … that has really thrived when it has come to African-American affluence. And I think it’s just a very unique place with a whole lot of unique stories. You’ve got great people from here, like Sugar Ray Leonard, one of the best boxers of all the time. And, it’s just a long list of great people that are from here. And, when people look at how Harlem was during the Harlem Renaissance, I think it’s a comparison to that. And it’s a unique county and I think everybody should come visit.
John:
I know that Jimmy and I talked about this. When we would go out of town and whenever we would play pickup basketball, we would find ourselves being one of the best players in the gym, if not the best player in the gym. But when we’re back here at home, that’s rarely the case. There are guys that are pros in Europe or college guys everywhere.
John:
So, that’s one of the things that got this idea cranking out. And also, for the longest time when guys would leave and go wherever, they would play ball and they’d say, “Where are you from?” They’d say “Washington, DC.” I’d be like, “No, you’re not. I mean, I get it, but, bro you grew up in Upper Marlboro and you’re from PG County.”
John:
So there were a lot of these things just percolating that gave us these ideas. You know, affluence, not getting the highlight shown on it and then basketball. There’s just all kinds of things that built this up into a project for us.
Tod:
So you kind of brought it to basketball. Obviously, the doc is about the basketball and this incredible community and so much success from so many different players. Biggest question maybe of the entire podcast, why? What does this all stem from? Where is all the success coming from for PG County when it comes to basketball?
John:
There’s a bunch of reasons. I’ll go through a couple. One is that we have the best parks and rec system in the world or in the country. We’re the only six-time gold medal winner for parks and recreation. There’s gyms and there’s courts everywhere. That’s part of it.
John:
Also basketball from an African-American perspective started in DC. So as people migrated from DC into Prince George’s County, they’d suck this history of the game with them. The affluence has a big part of it, too. There’s a lot of resources that the families in the communities can put into the game and start travel teams and make sure that people have the right gear on. And all of this culminates into just this competitive place, where basketball is just part of its blood.
Tod:
I have more of a question about it, as a followup. And I guess within my question is my guess. But, tell me if I’m wrong. Tell me if you agree. It seems to me one of the biggest factors is it is a magnet. So if you’re really good and you want to go test yourself against the best you go there and you join one of the high schools there. You join one of the AAU clubs there. And then you know for sure these folks that are on my team, these are top-level D1 players with potential to potentially go pro either in Europe or the NBA, similar to another sport like … If you happened to be really good at hockey and you were living in Atlanta, maybe you would move to Massachusetts. Or, if you were really good at tennis and you were based in Cleveland, Ohio, maybe you move to Florida and go to one of the tennis academies there.
Tod:
I’m just curious, is that a part of it? And if so, is that a big part of it? Or just a small part of it?
Jimmy:
Yeah, man. I think that it is a magnet and the biggest thing is the competition just rises so high, so that if you’re winning here … We are able to win here. We’re able to be one of the best here. You know, I tell this story a lot. I used to go down to Florida and stay with my sister over the summer. And I used to play basketball down there. And I used to dominate. I used to just score at will, but at back at home, I didn’t get in the game on my team. And I think it’s because the competition in this area is so different in all those things, just combined together.
Jimmy:
It’s like basketball was … it’s a stereotype, but it was a way out, a way to college for a lot of people. And, it was just during those times, it was just hard. People had to figure out, “How am I going to become something?” And it was basketball for a lot of young black boys. And it’s just all those things combined together. But I totally agree with that.
Andrew:
And one other component I just thought about too, that I don’t know if we brought up is the giving back. A lot of these guys who ended up making it … guys and girls … they come back to the community. And whether they’re teaching clinics or in Kevin Durant’s case, opening up an entire complex for kids to play at and having the summer camps and having … Because people are staying there and coming back there, even after their success, the younger kids get to grow up and have that sense of people that they’re seeing on a daily basis are quote, unquote, making it. They’re making a living out of basketball.
Andrew:
And I think when you’re in an environment where you see a bunch of success in anything, I think that that’s going to help you visualize how you can get there. And also helps, possibly, give you the resources to get there too.
Jimmy:
Agreed. 10,000%.
Tod:
So just pivoting this a bit, I’m really curious to hear what are you hoping the audience takes away? So someone watches this, they don’t know you, they don’t know PG County. They have no affiliation whatsoever and they come across it. They watch it. They weren’t intending to watch a basketball doc. What do you hope they take away after they’re done watching the film?
John:
That sports can be used to help empower communities. That sports just aren’t a pastime, but they can be something that can lift people up and bring people together. I also think that through our film, you get a little eyeglass into the history of basketball too. Naturally, because E. B. Henderson, who’s a guy that you’ll see in the movie learned from James Naismith. You’re learning a little bit about where the game came from.
Jimmy:
You know, people can see a very affluent community. And they can also see a community that struggles. But, they can see individuals that had these dreams and they work for them, every single day of their life. And you could accomplish that. And that’s what I want people to really realize and I think our film can do that.
Andrew:
Awesome.
Tod:
Cool.
Tod:
We haven’t talked a ton about you individually as directors and what this project means to your career and your career arc. I’m just curious, what are you hoping from this experience? How are you hoping this affects your career short term, long term, as directors?
Jimmy:
Well, I think I’m thankful and I’m grateful that I’m able to have … A project on television first and foremost is just, I think more than anything, it is a great opportunity. And it also is a great resume builder. Because last time I had a project on TV1. And on this month of May, I’m having a project on Showtime and I’m just happy to be able to get into my career now. So, as I’m going into my thirties … I’m 29. Next year, I’ll be 30. I’ll be able to have some credits, where look, I know I can accomplish a film. I know it’s possible. I’ve seen it through.
Jimmy:
And I also think it just gives you a little more credibility when you are in those discussions with those investors. It’s much easier now to talk to people with money about films, because a lot of people like to invest in film. So it’s just … I can have those conversations. And I’m excited that I’m moving in that direction, but you still want to get better, just keep getting better.
John:
Yeah. This project has been a giant learning experience for me. It’s made me realize that it’s something that I should just continue to do. It’s also just taught me so much about the kind of director that I want be.
John:
But, this has made me realize that I can say it an idea and see it through to the end. and then I’m going to continue to do it and I’m going to get better at it. And hopefully going to continue to see things through to the end.
Tod:
Cool. You guys mentioned, you didn’t know each other going into this process. Now you have worked together on a feature-length doc. Do you see yourselves working together again in some capacity, whether it be co-directing or just working on each other’s films in some way?
John:
Yeah. I see us for sure. For the right project, I can see us co-directing again, for sure. Specifically around sports. I would love to work with Jimmy again.
John:
Jimmy, will you work with me in the future? If the right situation shakes out?
Jimmy:
I would never work with John Beckham again in my life.
Andrew:
You heard it here, folks.
John:
Well, at least we cleared something up today. I can reshape my future. Okay. That’s good. It’s good that we’re accomplishing things.
Jimmy:
No, I think that it’s without a doubt. What happened with me and John was, we met and just got really close. And he’s like a brother to me now. So, whether we directing or not, he’s always somebody that has a spot.
Jimmy:
So, whether I’m producing and whether he producing, whether he write, whether he directed or whatever, it’s going to be a process that we’ll definitely work together on. So I’m excited for what we got coming up. We’ve already touched on a few things we are going to throw in the boiling pot. So I’m excited for that to happen.
Tod:
When you look ahead at the next projects you’re going to go into, do you think you will primarily focus in on sports content? Or do you think you’ll really get far away from it? I guess, just if it was up to you, where would you end up in some of your future projects?
John:
Wherever the story takes. So, I know you need a story and I know you need access. Those are two things that you need for sure. And luckily with this one, we had it. We had a story and we had the access. So if there’s a sports story that we can come up with that’s unique. And then whatever that is about provides us access to get what we need to show it, then sure. But those two things aren’t super easy to come by. So wherever you can get the story and you can get the access, I think is what’s going to lead to the next projects.
Tod:
Yeah. The access you guys had was tremendous and definitely translated into being able to really tell the whole story.
Tod:
Just going back to sports versus non-sports. Sports docs have a feel to them. There is some story tropes that are consistent from one to the next. How much were are you looking at sports documentaries or basketball documentaries before going into it? And how much consciousness did you put into trying to match up to that? Or to do something a little bit different from that?
Jimmy:
All I did was watch sports docs. I think I’ve probably seen every basketball documentary that is out there or that has been anywhere, really. Even football docs, boxing docs. I think I’ve seen every … That’s one of my favorite things to do. And I wouldn’t say we were trying to be like any other docs, because I really haven’t seen a doc like ours in a sense, about basketball. I’ve seen a few things that are a little similar, but not really like ours.
Jimmy:
So, it was a different type of story. It was a community story, but I just wanted our film to have an identity and to have something that people can remember. And like I said, it’s not a whole series. It is just our film, but it’s … I wanted it to have an identity. I want people to talk about it. And that’s what I’m mostly interested in.
John:
Yeah. I agree. I think it’s an ambitious film. There’s not a lot that we can point to, to be our North star. A lot of sports … And I love sports documentaries too. I love them. But, typically, what you’re going to have is a subject that you’re following around. Or, maybe a team where somebody is something in the Olympics. But there’s a little bit of ambiguity to what we were trying to do that made it challenging to make, but hopefully it’s going to make it unique.
Tod:
Yeah. And going back to something you said earlier. You were talking about how you each had your own strengths. You brought something different to the table. What were those? Where John, do you excel? Jimmy? Where do you excel? And how does that complement each other?
John:
So I will show up to the meeting on time. Jimmy … I think that Jimmy’s experience with sports documentaries and sports, and being really on the ground floor was experience that we really needed.
John:
I played basketball in high school and, but that was back in the, in the late ’90s. I’m dating myself a little bit, but our movie is really focused on Jimmy’s generation. And he’s a really good storyteller and he’s a really … He’s so much of a go-getter. He’ll go out and get things done really quickly. And he’s a figurehead in the community as well. These are all things that he’s much stronger in than I am.
John:
And on the other side of it, Jimmy’s very organized, but it’s … I get very OCD with getting things organized, getting the paperwork altogether, making sure that things line up and make logical sense. And I think we counterbalanced ourselves with that.
Tod:
Jimmy, do you agree?
Jimmy:
1,000%. John is really talented. John just is a logical person, like “This doesn’t make sense in a movie.” “This doesn’t make sense in the story.” And he knows how to think through those things. And he knows … even he has a good eye. He has a way to seeing things with the camera. And then overall he’s a phenomenal producer. Man, when I say producing, he just kills at everything. There’s nothing that I have to worry about, or he has to worry about, because he’s on everything. Like, “Now. We got this. This is this. Da, da, da, da, da.” And so he can do everything. He can write, he can direct and he can produce. So, it just made my job easy too, just working with him.
John:
And Jimmy also. So Jimmy, won’t let really anybody know. But, he could also cut a little bit. So one of the first times I met him … not the first time I met him … but after we had our initial meeting and we talked on the phone all the time, I would go to his house pretty often. And one day he was like, “Yo, I cut this last night.” And he showed me like a 90-second sizzle, cut to music, cut to rhythm. It was just banging of all stuff that he shot. And I was like, “Who the fuck is this kid?” And there’s a lot of talents that he has as well, that he won’t let you know about.
Tod:
Cool. Yeah. I think the first time we had a conversation, I think we got to see that 90-second sizzle and I agree. I think it really flowed well. Footage was amazing. So yeah, I think there’s a lot of talent there on the edit side.
Tod:
Obviously, the whole, world’s about to see it in a couple of weeks. Are you nervous at all about any sort of scrutiny? Any other basketball communities? Any sort of negativity that might be coming your way? Or is that not an issue at all?
Jimmy:
No, I think it’s just natural. Sometimes you care about what people think about your work. I’m an artist. I’m very sensitive about the stuff that I put out. And, I ain’t going to lie. I’m working on this, but when my movie comes out, or I have a play come out, I wonder what people think. I do look at the reviews. I do look at the Twitters. I do look at all that stuff. So I’m really nervous about what people are going to say. I know there’s going to be negative comments. You can’t really get away from that. But, overall, I’m just happy that I’m able to do what I love to do. And that’s what I got to be grateful for.
Andrew:
Do you think that people in New York are going to see this and have a lot of trash to talk?
Jimmy:
Yeah. They might have a lot of trash to talk, but what I like to say is, “Men lie. Women lie. Numbers don’t lie. Where the numbers at New York? Where the numbers at?”
Jimmy:
Back in the day in the ’90s and all that, they were producing them, but lately they haven’t. So I know they got a new kid coming up, though. And that could change, but we know that 2000 to now it was, it was our time. It was us. We was the ones producing it. LA was too, but there’s so many people in LA. You know what I mean? So-
Tod:
What do you think about the future of PG County basketball? You think you’re going to hold the title for a while? Or you think some other region might take it from you?
John:
When you watch it, it becomes apparent that there’s much more to it than us bragging about basketball. We’re telling a story about how a community used the sports to overcome all kinds of systemic issues, how a community used the sport to come together. And through that you’ll see stories of some pretty amazing people, some tragic events.
John:
The movie isn’t just this like highlight reel. In fact, it’s far from it. So I don’t think that it matters that. I think from it, you can say, “Yeah, Prince George’s County is one of the best hotbeds for basketball in the world.” And I think probably Jimmy and I would say, “We’re Number One. Look at the numbers, come fight us if you want.” But, the movie has moved past that, has left, actually, past that. And it’s no longer anything about braggadocious basketball talk. It’s more about documentary filmmaking about this community.
Tod:
Definitely. Obviously, Last Dance comes out. Unbelievable attention given to it. Just is dominating the sports world during the current condition.
Tod:
When you saw that you saw the incredible amount of media that it got and the attention that it got. Did you feel like that was positive? Or, what was your reaction to seeing another doc come out about basketball … and just how much reach and how much attention it was getting?
Jimmy:
Well, it’s Michael Jordan, so it’s that’s a whole different beast right there. So … But it was good to see how excited people got about that. And I do think that it’s just going to bring the attention to our project for people to see it.
Jimmy:
But it was just great to see just the love that people have for the game. And I feel like, Michael Jordan is one of the greatest players of all time. And I feel like we got one of the greatest players of all time from our community. His name’s Kevin Durant. And so like, he was just excited, excited to see that.
John:
Yeah. Just like everybody else, I’m sitting my ass on the couch if I’m not editing or writing. So I was excited. I’m super excited. That’s like a sweet spot of mine. The Bulls were right in that sweet spot area where I was living in the gym. So I know a lot of this stuff coming out, but to see how they put it together, specifically, while we’re in post-production for this documentary that we’re working on … I’m looking at things a lot different right now.
John:
And it’s super fun to see what they did here. “Oh, look what they did there! Check that graphic out.” As well as just pass some time by watching one of the best sports teams ever.
Matt:
So I have one last question as we’re closing up here. Going off of this great energy you two have, I want to know about the competitive nature between the two of you, in terms of basketball. So one-V-one on the black top. Who takes the game?
John:
That’s unfair. No. I’d beat Jimmy, but Jimmy would beat me worse in football. So Jimmy played college football. So he’s a football player. Just like everybody around here, he played basketball too. But all’s I did was hoop. I was not built for football. So as far as basketball goes, I’d beat Jimmy one on one. But in football, he would beat me worse than I would beat him at basketball.
Matt:
Jimmy, what do you think about that?
Jimmy:
I’m sorry, J. B, but I’m going to have to say so. I will beat you in football and basketball, okay?
John:
Get the fuck out of here, Jimmy. He’s lying to you all. He’s lying. You cannot lie on a podcast. There’s the rules to this.
Jimmy:
J.B. is-
John:
You cannot lie on a podcast, Jimmy. There’s rules to this, bro.
Jimmy:
J.B is good-
John:
I’d beat you 16 to three, bro!
Jimmy:
Aargh! Oh, man. Now we got to play. Now, I will say, at this point, now maybe J. B. In his prime. J. B. is just coming off surgery, so he ain’t hot right now. It’s going to take him a while to get back.
John:
Take me back 10 months, Jimmy. Come on, man! Stop talking shit on the podcast. Take me back before the injury.
Jimmy:
Okay. Before the injury you were… You were … I don’t know. It would have been a good game.
John:
It would have been a good game. Okay, podcast talk.
Jimmy:
Out of 10 games, J. B., it probably be 6-4. I would have won six. He would have won four.
John:
Shit!
Andrew:
The PG County in you guys is coming out right now.
Jimmy:
Okay.
John:
Whatever. We’re about to hang up and I’m about to go break my leg again trying to play again. I got one mission from now on. There’s one mission. I’m scrapping the film. I’m scrapping everything else.
Matt:
Must beat Jimmy.
John:
He’s full of shit. I’d beat Jimmy right now.
Jimmy:
I love him. That’s my boy.
Matt:
Okay guys.
Jimmy:
I just want to say shout out to Green Buzz, man! Green Buzz is dope! They hot! If you want a dope project, make sure you check out Green Buzz. Thank you guys for having us. It’s been a great time. It was great working with you guys. And I hope everybody enjoys the film on the 15th.
Andrew:
I appreciate it. It’s a pleasure to work on. It was a lot of fun, collaborating with you guys. And we’re definitely looking forward to the next thing we can all work on together.
Jimmy:
My man! Thank you so much.
Andrew:
Bye guys. Peace!
Get on Track: NASCAR & Entercom Lessons on Remote Programming Webinar
As sports leagues around the country began to pivot into the eSports arena, none were able to do so with as much success as NASCAR. In late March, NASCAR’s virtual racing series set a new record as the highest-rated televised eSports event ever.
Sign up for this webinar for top-line strategy from NASCAR’s SVP & Chief Digital Officer, Tim Clark and Supervising Producer of Sports at Entercom, BJ Barretta, on how to create and program content with agility, creativity and limited resources.
FEATURED PANELISTS
TIM CLARK is the Senior VP and Chief Digital Officer for NASCAR. Throughout his 7 years with NASCAR, Tim has used his expertise in strategic marketing and media to lead their eSports programming to record-breaking levels.
BJ BARRETTA is the Supervising Producer for Sports at Entercom. BJ oversees every stage of digital video development, strategy, and execution. BJ’s video production experience at Upworthy and Discovery has honed his ability to reach large audiences with digital content.
How NASCAR is Using eSports to Keep Sports Alive in Quarantine
Live sports events are a thing of the past. When the coronavirus shutdown hit the NBA in early March, the NHL, NFL, MLB, U.S. Open, and even the Summer Olympics eventually followed suit. Any live sports event was either cancelled or postponed for the distant and uncertain future. Sports fans everywhere were reeling – nearly every form of sports entertainment had suddenly disappeared. But, the solution has been there all along: eSports live streaming. And, the sports best suited for this virtual transition might not be the ones you’d expect.
NASCAR Goes Virtual
Before fans had much time to wonder whether the rest of the NASCAR season was cancelled, the auto racing giant swooped in with a solution. Officially titled the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series, the virtual version of this high-adrenaline sport puts real NASCAR drivers behind the wheel of racing simulators to compete on a virtual track.
Infamous drivers like Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kyle Busch, and Denny Hamlin are finding themselves behind the wheel of racing simulators from the comfort of their own living rooms. Though a jarring and often funny adjustment, NASCAR’s shift to remote programming has been keeping audiences engaged and excited about the future of sports entertainment.
Auto racing’s virtual transition was almost too easy. Despite a few minor hiccups that come with this new work from home territory – namely, Denny Hamlin’s 7-year-old daughter accidentally ending her dad’s race on the virtual Talladega Track – iRacing has fostered the same energy of their typical races.
Audience Engagement with Remote Programming
With NASCAR fans showing some of the highest levels of brand loyalty and sponsorship support, advertisers are in luck. Advertisers can still buy into sports racing, and there’s an even bigger incentive to do so. NASCAR’s first eSports race was available for online streaming on March 22nd, and it drew the attention of a huge audience of content-hungry sports fans.
Not only were long-time NASCAR fans tuning in to the first ever iRacing Pro Invitational Series race, but 225,000 new viewers also joined in on the event. This begs the question: were sports fans ready for the shift toward eSports streaming all along?
Regardless, new NASCAR iRacing fans have a lot to look forward to. Remote programming has extended virtual racing through at least mid-May, giving audiences some sense of normalcy in the content they engage with during quarantine.
Plus, it doesn’t stop there. Each installment in the iRacing series is uploaded to the official site and the NASCAR YouTube channel. Race stats, real-time commentary, and post-race shows give NASCAR’s remote programming nearly the same energy as pre-COVID races.
New Leadership in Virtual Sports
When the coronavirus shutdown first hit the sports industry, NASCAR’s SVP and Chief Digital Officer, Tim Clark, told NBC Sports, “I think we’re in a unique position in that we’ve got not only sim racers like you see in the (eNascar) Coca-Cola (iRacing) Series but also professional drivers that are able to do this at a high level.”
Although sports executives could have never anticipated the coronavirus and its major impact on every sports industry, Tim Clark knows the adaptability of NASCAR racing to a virtual format puts them ahead. Of course, life-long racing fans aren’t ready to settle for a permanent shift to eSports – and NASCAR’s digital team knows this. Tim Clark told NBC, “we want to strike the balance between having some opportunities to do more in this space but also being cognizant enough to not oversaturate.”
What Can We Learn From NASCAR?
As Chief of Digital, Tim Clark isn’t precious about NASCAR’s insight in virtual sports programming. Auto racing’s leadership in the digital arena has given them the opportunity to lead the way for the “new normal” of sports broadcasting and entertainment.
Along with Entercom’s BJ Barretta, Tim Clark expanded his leadership to Green Buzz Agency’s webinar series. On Thursday, April 30th, Tim and BJ shared their top-line strategies on how to create and program content with agility, creativity, and limited resources. With NASCAR’s virtual racing series setting a new record as the highest-rated televised eSports event ever, this high-level insight is helping to keep producers ahead of the curve. The recorded webinar, along with Green Buzz Agency’s entire webinar series, can be found on Vimeo.
The Future of Sports Programming
It’s impossible to ignore that the coronavirus lockdown has released the gates for the eSports boom. Even the 2020 NFL Draft was held online, making history in the program’s eighty-four year history.
While there’s no clear reopen date in sight for any of the major sports leagues, it is clear that remote sports programming has more potential than it has gotten credit for in the past. Even when sports leagues do get back on track, marketers will need to be tuned into the inevitable change in their audience mentality after months of virtual sports entertainment.
Emily Herman, Marketing and Communications.
Earning Your Brand Purpose During Crisis: Make-a-Wish & Stand Together Webinar
The global pandemic has launched us into an unprecedented moment of social responsibility. As attitudes and behaviors change during COVID-19, it is more important than ever for your brand purpose to reach the needs of people and communities.
In this webinar you’ll learn how Stand Together and the Make-A-Wish Foundation have mobilized during crisis and plotted a course during this world-defining period. Our expert panelists will give critical insights on how to reach your audience and translate core values into purposeful action, during one of the greatest challenges of our time.
FEATURED PANELISTS
CLAY BROGA is the CMO of Stand Together. Clay leads all communications, branding, and marketing efforts for Stand Together’s philanthropic community. At the outset of the coronavirus, Clay developed the #GiveTogetherNow campaign to redirect Stand Together’s marketing efforts toward those most in need.
TARA WILSON-JONES is the Vice President of Marketing & Communications at Make-A-Wish Mid-Atlantic. With over a decade of experience in the non-profit space and experience as a TEDx speaker, Tara is and integral leader of Make-A-Wish Mid-Atlantic’s communication efforts.
Navigating Brand Messaging During Crisis
There’s no doubt that the COVID-19 pandemic has had a huge impact on the global economy. And, its impact on our daily routines has been equally challenging. But in many ways this pause to our normal lives has given marketers the opportunity to reevaluate their brand messaging.
While our outdoor lives may be stifled, this time has been an impetus for many companies to reconnect with their core values. Businesses everywhere are now considering what they really want to represent to the world at large. Still, it can be tricky to identify what message your company should be sending. Don’t try to single handedly create world peace – reconnect with your brand purpose, and give your audience on-brand support.
Realigning Your Brand Messaging
With Nielsen reporting that staying in our homes can lead to at least a 60% increase in the amount of content we watch, social distancing has opened an opportunity for a new way of connecting with people. Plus, the massive uptick in the consumption of online content has provided marketing teams with a direct line of communication to their audiences.
Every marketer loves brand exposure, but more eyes on your brand during a time of crisis can sometimes just feel like an added pressure. You might ask yourself, what is my brand supposed to be saying? Or, how can we make everyone happy?
When you find yourself asking these existential and unanswerable questions about your business, take it as a sign to pivot your brand communication strategy. Look to your existing online content – how has your media been reflecting your brand image? Is this still the message you want to send?
There isn’t one right message to send, and it isn’t a brand’s job to respond to a global health crisis like a government official. But, you can translate your brand’s expertise to support your audiences during this time.
Chances are, the COVID-19 pandemic shifted your perspective about what messages truly matter. Don’t let this discourage you; our collective reinvestment in the community of the internet opens doors to build relationships by leading with your brand purpose.
Translating Brand Purpose
Brands now have an opportunity to build important relationships with people by putting their efforts into a thoughtful digital presence. This doesn’t mean that you should be trying to elicit customers from online audiences. Rather, your brand should lead with meaningful, guiding resources for audiences to access during this period of uncertainty. Use the expertise within your own company, and these resources will naturally emerge.
For example, for a media or video production company, success hinges on their ability to tell a story effectively. Their marketing, creative, and even corporate teams are tuned into their brand purpose of storytelling and building emotional connections. This overarching purpose boils down to the ability to communicate clearly.
In a time when communication has been our biggest challenge, it’s time for brands to step up to the plate by demonstrating their own brand purpose. If your brand’s purpose is to communicate clear and affecting stories, it’s time to translate that purpose into your messaging during this crisis.
But remember: it’s not your job to be a health expert. If your messaging comes from your original brand purpose and reflects your core values, then your brand is already demonstrating leadership in your field. In this time, audiences want to see brands using their resources for good. It’s more important to use your existing capabilities for good than to try to occupy someone else’s niche.
This YouTube compilation by user Microsoft Sam perfectly exemplifies what happens when brands try to address every problem at once.
“Every COVID-19 Commerical is Exactly the Same” by Microsoft Sam
The creator of this video proves how brands can throw away the opportunity to send an impactful message by trying to cover all of the bases. When your brand message is everyone else’s message, you’ve lost sight of your individual brand purpose.
Though these times are uncertain, the redundant messages we’ve come to expect from brands certainly are not.
Of course, people want a respectful acknowledgment of the current global health crisis, but they also want the consistency of what they’ve come to expect of your brand. Take what your brand has to offer, and apply that to one of the needs that people have right now. Maybe that’s mindless entertainment, or maybe it’s educational insight. Whatever it is, make sure it’s rooted in your core values.
How We Maintain Forward Progress
In this moment, brand messaging and audience growth are more connected than ever. Continuing to spread messages aligned with your core values will keep your brand on a trajectory toward closer relationships with real people. The conditions of this pandemic are forcing brands to hold themselves accountable. This is the ultimate test – how will your brand emerge as a leader in a true crisis?
Weathering this storm through honest and effective communication will humanize your brand, breaking down walls between big company names and individuals. Now, people need to know that your mission is, and has always been, aiming to serve their best interests. This is an opportunity for a turning point in your brand identity: support forward progress by being an ambassador for your own core values.
A New Online Education
With more time at home, take advantage of your online community. People everywhere are reconnecting with long-distance friends, learning that some meetings really could have been an email, and networking from the comfort of their own homes. This shift in internet culture has brought about a new type of online education that leverages personal and professional networks.
Webinars have emerged as an effective tool to maintain a vision of the future, all while bringing together leaders from every industry to tackle the unknown, together. These webinars don’t just replace cancelled events; they connect people with brand leaders that they might not have been able to connect with otherwise.
For example, Green Buzz Agency’s webinar series opened with a presentation on Earning Your Brand Purpose During Crisis, brought together Clay Broga from Stand Together, and Tara Wilson-Jones from Make-A-Wish. Both executives told their own stories of navigating brand messaging during the current crisis, offering participants an inside-look at the communication strategies behind two high-powered non-profits.
This is a time of growth for everyone. Take this as an opportunity to reflect and learn. Remember where your brand started at the most basic, human level. By reflecting on these core values, you’ll humanize your brand and provide people with the support they need.
Emily Herman, Marketing and Communications.
The Ultimate Video Production Process Guide
No other medium has the power to demonstrate a concept and evoke a response as effectively as video. When implemented into your marketing strategy, high quality video can have a huge impact on your bottom line, elevating brand positioning and fostering customer advocacy.
This is where the importance of video production comes to play. Video of any kind is a direct representation of your brand. In other words, production quality equals brand quality, which is why you need more than just an iPhone to make a high-end video.
But what does the video production process actually look like?
In this guide we’ll cover each step in the video production process as well as the core building blocks used by successful producers.
The Three Phases of Production
Phase One: Pre-Production
Pre-production is the first step towards transforming an idea into a workable project. This phase is all about laying the groundwork to capture the best footage with the strongest story arc to deliver your message.
The planning, problem-solving, and organization that go into pre-production are essential to ensure the success of any video project.
Development
At the outset of pre-production is development. The client and producer will come together to establish what the purpose of the video is, who the target audience is, and what the core messaging and objectives for the project will be. Based on these goals, the creative team will define:
Form – what kind of video lends itself best in delivering this story, i.e. long-form documentary, motion graphics, talking head, instagram video, PSA, animated explainer etc.
Story – who are the characters or people involved? If it is a documentary or talking head, what real people can we find whose stories align with your brand message? You always want your project to lean more towards the do than the say because video is a visual medium. Show, don’t tell.
Style – what does this video look like? What are the visuals and motion graphics needed? Matching the style of the video with your company’s branding is imperative for effective messaging. Ultimately, the visual style should allow viewers to easily associate the video’s message with your brand.
Tone – what is the feeling we want the video to convey? Is it funny, sad, upbeat, etc. How does this tone align with the overall tone of the brand?
Delivery specs– what platform is this going to be distributed on? Is the video for social media? Fundraising event? Recruiting? At Green Buzz we create tailored video formatting and strategy to maximize video objectives and performance.
Defining these components early allows the production team to develop a strategy for the creative process and the actual execution of those ideas. A clear development strategy is an integral part of any effective video production process.
Research
Research is critical in finding authenticity in any story. For example, if you are shooting a documentary or interview-based video, this is the point where the producer and their team look into what players were involved when the story unfolded, who is willing to talk about what on camera, and how these interviews fit together to paint the whole story for audiences.
Background research can help inform things like daily rituals, visuals, and supporting cast which can be the details that elevate video caliber from good to great.
Budget
Budget goes hand in hand with development. Because creative freedom can be limited by the project’s price point, it is essential to define the budget early in the production process. By first establishing the financial limits, the production team can develop a video concept that is both effective and feasible.
The producer will break down what footage is needed to construct the narrative, while also organizing the best crew to make that happen. Based on the number of shoot days and team members the client can afford, the producer curates a group of technical experts to serve as the crew for the project. Skilled producers will be stewards of the client dollar, maximizing ROI without cutting corners that cheapen the project.
Storyboarding
Storyboarding is essential to outlining the visual framework of a project. Preparing the setting or mise-en-scène in pre-production is imperative for video marketing projects because it allows clients and producers to be able to visualize the same narrative all the way through the full production cycle.
Storyboarding involves both the artistic and practical sides of pre-production. StudioBinder describes storyboarding as critical in facilitating the presentation, planning, and collaboration of a video project. A storyboard resembles the format of a comic book, with characters and their actions mapped out in panels. For the director, it also informs expected camera movements and the equipment required to achieve that anticipated effect. Even if the final product isn’t an exact shot-by-shot replica of the storyboard, the process itself is important in aligning the visions of many different people and working out a framework that you’ll continue to build on throughout different iterations of the process.
Beat Sheet
No matter what kind of video you are producing, each scene has a narrative mission to add information that moves the story forward.
The beat sheet is the perfect way to reverse engineer the storyline and create a mission-driven story skeleton. The producer will work very closely with the director of photography (DP) to flesh out the visuals needed to get from point A to B in the story, while also considering how each of these points (or beats) communicate the message to the audience in the style and tone the client wants. During the shoot, the beat sheet also serves as a checklist or guide for the production team by highlighting the main points that they need to nail the narrative.
Making each scene an optimization of its mission is critical in creating rich story arcs, as it creates striking micro-moments that are compelling and memorable, and avoids delivering information for the sake of filling space.
Script Development
The producer will work with their creative team to develop a script for the project. Again, this process will be different depending on the nature and scope of the video, but the writing will focus on bringing forward the key objectives and messages of the piece.
If the video requires interviews, then this is the period where the creative team will draft careful questions to guide the storyline and hit major themes. After the scripts or interview questions have been developed and reviewed by the client, the producer moves on to casting.
Casting
Casting varies greatly based on the specifications of a particular project, with the main differences being if you are casting “pro talent” (actors) or “real talent” (real people).
Casting real talent can be tricky as there are more unknowns with people who don’t have much exposure to being on camera. However, often using real people is crucial to presenting an authentic narrative. If this is the case for the project, it’s important to work with a producer who has experience working with non-actors in video production.
Josh and Benny Safdie’s work with casting director Jennifer Venditti on their recent film, Uncut Gems, is a prime example of effective street-scouting and collaboration with real talent. Chasing after the New York diamond district, the latest film from the Safdie brothers achieves its specificity of tone and style through its casting. In our project with Upworthy and the city of New Orleans, we highlighted Chef Byron Bradley, a non-actor whose authentic connection to his community was not replicable in professional actors.
You want to look for people with the most impactful story, that are able to sell your message and represent your brand regardless of their job title or credentials. Does this person’s life have rich visuals? Do they have energy and are they articulate? Often producers will conduct preliminary video interviews with real talent to get a sense of these baseline questions. This type of talent is invaluable, but it still requires a level of skill and experience to mold each narrative into the format of a video spot that’s just a few minutes long.
Location Scouting
The producer and DP (director of photography) scout location so that they know exactly what they are walking into on shoot day. This allows the crew to be prepared to get the best shots, in the right light, with the right props, and highest sound quality.
Location scouting also allows the crew to make arrangements for unexpected details, like a lack of outlets in the shoot space, street construction, or trash that may interfere with a shot. Being able to account for these factors in advance is a major part of an effective pre-production strategy.
Crew
Working with the right crew is essential to the success of a shoot. The crew should be highly vetted, and ideally has prior experience working together on shoots.
This is one of the distinguishing factors at Green Buzz Agency, because the core of our production crew is in-house. This means that our team comes with a level of synergy and collective expertise that is difficult to match at freelancer-dependent agencies.
Each shoot will require a specific crew to make the video come to life. If you are working on a big complicated project with lots of moving parts, it is critical to have the right crew and the right number of people on set to move equipment, set up sound and lighting, get hair and makeup on the talent, and keep the production workflow running smoothly.
At the same time, if the goal of the shoot is to create an intimate interview, you will want a smaller crew on set to ensure that you are able to capture the correct tone and feel of the project.
A skilled producer will have the messaging and objectives of the project in mind when putting together the crew.
Production Schedule
Just as the name suggests, the production schedule determines who will be on camera, when they will be on camera, and at what location. It is crucial for everyone involved to have access to the production schedule. Of course, every individual team member needs to know where he or she needs to be, but knowing where to find every other person during a shoot is also of the utmost importance.
Call Sheet
Call sheets are created for each day of shooting. Every call sheet will paint a roadmap for the shoot and is intended to ensure that each task on set has been clearly defined. This process ensures that everyone involved knows exactly what to do on shoot day.
The more you can do to have everyone in agreement up front, the less confusion there is on the actual shoot. Each scene on the script will be broken down into the call sheet, which allows everyone on set to do their jobs with maximum efficiency.
Phase Two: Production
It’s finally shoot day! The meetings, brainstorming sessions, and preparations are in place and it’s time to capture the raw visuals and soundbites you need for your video.
During production, the crew will come in and set up sound, light, and video equipment to prepare for actors, interviews, voice overs, b-roll and anything else your video requires.
Think of pre-production and production as a game of dominos. Pre-production is the process of lining up all the dominos meticulously and in the right way. The more that you can plan and commit to your design up front, the more you can ensure all the pieces are perfectly in position, which reduces the chance of a misfire.
In keeping with this analogy, production is the art of knocking down the dominos and making sure they fall exactly as they’re supposed to. This might mean knocking down the dominos halfway and restarting them multiple times or making adjustments to the original alignment.
Importance of Experience
The distinguishing factor between a good crew and a great crew is the battle scars of years and years of experience.
Experienced crews have handled the spectrum of things that can go wrong on set and know how to exude confidence and make anything work, no matter the hurdles. This is why it is critical to work with a seasoned crew who can draw on the past and problem-solve on the fly.
Vetted experience often differentiates full-service agencies and a freelancer dependent companies or production houses. With an agency, you’ll get a tenured crew that is used to working together and has developed a strong synergy which increases efficiency and reduces on-set costs.
Agencies like Green Buzz with diverse client portfolios, also bring a wealth of industry knowledge, as there are few fields or categories of video that we haven’t worked with in one form or another.
Flexibility
Approaching a shoot with the mission and vision mapped out in pre-production helps the story come to life. Nevertheless, it is important not to lock a story in stone; the storyline of any video project has to be a living, breathing, flexible organism to ensure that compelling, unscripted and unexpected moments are captured on shoot day.
Prioritizing
Producers will move things around in the grand scheme of priorities with the end result in mind. As an interview is being shot, high level producers will cut through the scenes in their head and sequence the story as it is being captured.
This skill is critical, because the scariest part of production is that you have such a small window to get everything you need for your entire edit. Prioritizing by visualizing the final product throughout helps ensure that when the shoot has wrapped, you truly have everything you need for your video.
Phase Three: Post-Production
Before we jump in, one important thing to bear in mind is that post-production is a process. Videos have to be synced, footage has to be backed up and cuts are an iterative exercise.
At the early stages of pre-production, the most important thing is to get the story fleshed out so that the content and narrative are used and created effectively. For that reason, rough cuts are in fact, rough.
Then the bells and whistles are added to the project in final edits.
It’s also worth noting that even as technology grows and evolves, backing up footage and rendering still takes time. Exporting isn’t instantaneous, with a lot of technology and computing power at work to make things look as good as they do.
This is where client communication is so important. Maintaining clear and consistent communication channels allows everyone to feel like a valued member in a creative partnership throughout the entire production process.
Piecing Together the Story
After the shoot has wrapped and the footage has been backed up, the producer will get an initial pulse from the client as to what they liked or found particularly poignant in the footage.
Producers and editors will more closely analyze the film and find out how to fit the pieces of the puzzle together to form the larger story.
Each producer will have their own approach to the process. One of our in-house producers likes to start with a paper cut, where she watches the footage with a transcript in hand and literally cuts different parts of the copy and puts it on her wall so that she can rearrange the text in ways that create the most compelling story.
Editors, Designers & Cuts
Skilled editors are their own story producers, and have honed the craft of pulling footage and b-roll together to create a rich and immersive narrative. The project will go through several post-production phases, or cuts, to get to its final polished form:
Content Cut – Alongside the producers, editors will comb through everything that was shot and pull selects that build core themes and storylines. After the core content bites are collected, they’re put into sequence, creating a skeletal of the entire video.
Rough Cut – The rough cut has general b-roll, music and soft graphics and is usually still theoretical in form. At Green Buzz, our rough cuts are tight, and cutting-edge because they tend to look closer to a fine cut than a rough cut. The client will review the rough cut and provide their notes and feedback. Tackling projects up front means we’re able to incorporate client modifications earlier in the process, which shapes the final version with maximum client collaboration.
Fine Cut – The fine cut will include color correction, graphics, music and sound as well as an incorporation of all the client notes from the rough cut phase. Final bells and whistles like subtitles and formatting for social will also be added during this last phase of the project.
Final take-aways
Ultimately, the production process is highly individualized and scalable based on the project that you want to create. Still, every video will require in-depth research and planning during pre-production, a highly knowledgeable crew with the right equipment during production, and innovative editors and designers who can weave a rich story arc together for the final cut.
Amelia Oliver, Marketing Strategist. Emily Herman contributed to this post.
How to Really Connect on LinkedIn
Nearly every day, someone asks me, “What’s the best way to get started on LinkedIn?”
Most articles on this topic begin by spouting the ‘steps’ to connecting with others.
I’d like to begin even earlier in that process and talk about you.
Authenticity on Social Networks
Remember how Mom used to say, “Just be yourself and people will like you!” or “If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all”?
Mom was way ahead of her time.
The real question isn’t, “What’s the best way to get started on LinkedIn?”, but “What’s the best way to prepare myself to get started on LinkedIn?”
You’ve probably heard or read quite a bit about authenticity, transparency and integrity; three key elements to social media success. But can displaying these qualities actually make a difference?
Very simply, absolutely. For anyone looking to really connect on LinkedIn, here’s the starting point. LinkedIn (in fact, social media in general) is about people. Helping, sharing and connecting. If your neighbor’s lawn mower breaks down and he or she asks to borrow yours, you’d likely say yes, because the two of you have a relationship. You also inherently recognize your neighbor will return the favor, or perhaps another type of favor, if you asked. If a total stranger were to knock on your door with the same question, you’d likely say no and immediately think, “the nerve!”
Giving, Not Taking
A genuine, authentic approach to connecting with others is vital. Wrap your brain around this ‘helping’ attitude before you begin. If potential LinkedIn connections smell ‘a pitch’, you’re done before you start. No pitch should be necessary when you’re connecting on a deeper level that says, “Let me help you, just because I can.”
How can you help? Be you; be real; don’t falsify who you are. Get involved in and create stimulating, informative, and valuable discussions others can debate. Or, post your comments and thoughts more privately within groups you have joined.
As people begin to know and trust you, lead generation will begin. This is a two-fold process:
1. As you listen to the real needs of others, you help solve their challenges.
2. When you give help, you get help in return.
I often joke that I keep my expectations low; therefore, I’m never disappointed, but often delighted. It’s not much of a joke, because it’s true. Relationship building takes time. That connection may blow you off with a polite comment today, but may be knocking on your door tomorrow, because you’ve taken the right steps to remain top of mind.
Social media is a marathon, not a sprint. Wishing for it to move faster isn’t going to make it so. You’ve got to do the legwork required. Over time, you’ll be glad you did, as your online reputation and credibility grow.
Interact at an authentic level with everyone you meet, and watch the real magic happen.
Updated on February 12, 2020.
Victoria Ipri is CEO of Modello Media, Inc., an e-marketing strategy firm based in suburban Philadelphia, PA. She welcomes your questions and comments on this forum, or contact her directly at: ModelloMedia@gmail.com
Emily Herman contributed to this post.
Location Scouting Strategy for Effective Messaging
I’m sure we have all seen that dreary video where the whole story is filmed in one place against a bland wall. And what did you take away from that video? In all honesty, you probably don’t even remember the video’s message. Your brand has something more to offer your viewers than just a white wall! That’s why location is key when creating a video to market your brand.
For example, the Tapestry Collection by Hilton highlights a partnership with Youth Services of the Arts, which is an organization that awards arts-focused grants to communities. Not only are the locations of this video eye-catching, but they also serve as a metaphor for Angelica Petitlubin’s poetry and creativity. So, if you want your content to be exciting and out of the box, follow these best practices when it comes to finding the perfect location for your video to deliver effective messaging.
Setting the Tone
Grabbing a viewer’s attention within the first few seconds of your video is essential if you want to have a higher chance of successfully delivering your video’s message. And a great location will be the perfect hook to grab your viewer’s attention! Setting is a core component in establishing your video’s mood and tone.
Take a look at our Ad Council “Love Has No Labels” campaign video. Notice how the location is set in Los Angeles on a busy street. In this setting, we get a sense that these are real people and not actors. This location is able to make the audience understand the authenticity of the video’s message and a sense of community. This neighborhood-feel compounds the spirit of the video: you are welcome, no matter who you love.
On the other hand, you might want to go for something more intimate. For example, this video for the Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center is about a very personal topic: remembering the life of a mother and patient who lost her battle with cancer. It’s a quieter story, and we only meet a few people in her family.
The setting echoes this sentiment. The audience is invited into the family’s home to hear about the life of their mother. This feels natural to our viewers, who feel more comfortable discussing such an intense topic at home. Meanwhile, this location also helps those watching connect to the family’s story, giving context to the people that live there. Creating that sense of connection to the subject is extremely important for a video which has a goal to raise money for the nonprofit.
If Able, Location Scout
Scouting a location offers you the opportunity to view the location and see how lighting will work, or the possible sound quality. Figure out what sounds might interfere with your audio. It also allows you to establish which equipment can be used, based on how large or small the space is. This might seem overwhelming, so here is a list to refer to when scouting a location:
How is the sound quality? Is there any noise that might interfere?
What natural lighting is available? Too much, too little?
Are there any/enough electrical outlets?
Can you fit all your equipment and cast/crew in the space?
Is the location free? Do you need a permit?
Is there a restroom anywhere nearby?
Is the place clean? Any trash or damage?
Is there anywhere for the cast to wait before they go on screen?
Is there parking? If so, is there enough?
Are there any unloading options available?
Be sure to visit your location around the same time you plan to shoot.
Because the answers to these questions are crucial to a video production, not scouting a location should only be done if you are on a time crunch, are fairly familiar with that location, or it’s a smaller production.
Another thought – it’s always a good idea to know your location before writing your script. If you know where you will shoot, drawing out a storyboard is far easier, and it helps you envision your shots more efficiently.
Locations Don’t have to be Far and Wide
Did you know that some locations require permits and those can cost anywhere from $500 to $10,000? Acquiring those permits takes time as well — weeks or sometimes months. Even though locations are a critical part of your video and production process, know that locations do not need to be far away or cost you extreme amounts of money. The importance of location can still be achieved in a free space. Shooting in a close and free location is a great choice when on a budget or time crunch.
On top of this, keep in mind that setting up all your video equipment and traveling may take longer than you expected. It’s important to factor in this time as well, as it affects the amount of time you have for shooting your content. For example, it can take about 2 hours to set up and another 2 hours to take down all the equipment for a less complicated shoot. If your concept includes shooting in multiple locations, you’ll have to add that four hours for set up and tear down, plus any transportation time in between. In this case, you’ll need to coordinate with your production team to ensure that your shoot day is long enough to accommodate your number of locations.
Using your office is also another great (and free!) option for filming. This Lidl video is shot in their office and the quality of the video is still up to par with our other videos in more complex locations. Being able to see some of the operations within the office gives viewers a behind-the-scenes look and provides a sense of trust for this company. We see that they are more than just a company, but also a community.
Get to know the location, and shape your video with that location in mind. This is how you can stand out from other companies.
Accept that Not All Locations May Work Out
Whether shooting indoors or outside, understand that things may change. Not everything is going to go according to your plan, and being able to adjust is critical. If outdoors, consider what the weather might be like on the days you want to shoot, and always have a backup location or provide extra days in your shooting schedule.
If you were unable to location scout, remain open-minded as the location might not be what you expected (poor sound quality, no space for equipment, poor lighting, etc.). There is definitely more than one location that can aid in your video’s message, so think outside of the box if your first location does not work out. Be prepared and understand that the unexpected is bound to happen.
Consult with a Location Expert
About 21% of marketers don’t know where to start when it comes to making a branded content video. So, the first step for you might be to consult with a location expert before creating the entire vision for your video. If you have your video’s message figured out, a location expert can help you determine a great place to shoot to aid in that message. Or you might have a specific location in mind you want to shoot at like a historical building, but are unsure where to find the best one. A location expert can help you find that perfect historical building.
Moreover, in today’s business environment, more and more companies are spending their resources on videos. There are many advantages to video and companies realize this. On average, more than half of businesses create a new video per week, and 26% of companies create new videos each day. For beginners, instead of wasting resources, time, and money, consulting with an expert can help. This allows your company to spend more time on the content of your video’s message.
To demonstrate, check out this Lowe’s video by Green Buzz Agency that takes place in several places. Finding these locations can be difficult. You might live in a city like D.C., and finding a warehouse like in this video can be like finding a needle in a haystack. Location experts make your life easier by finding the spaces you need quickly.
Conclusion
In the long run, work smarter, not harder. Locations can be tricky, but they can be made simple if you follow these practices. Remember to be open minded, flexible, and diligent. And use your creativity! Let’s break out of those boring, white wall videos. Your audience will appreciate it.
Updated on January 24, 2020