Why Do People Come to The Tie Dye Grill? | VIDEO Testimonial

March 21, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Periodically, we select Candidio Productions  as Candi Nominees out of those produced by our Candidio Producers. This week’s video is by The Tie Dye Grill. In the video, we hear directly from the customers on why they come to the Tie Dye Grill.

We asked Jan Dye at the Tie Dye Grill a few questions about producing this video. Here’s what she had to say.

Q) What was the purpose of this video?

A) We wanted our audience to see real people talking about service, flavor, the experience of the Tie Dye Grill – what it is we truly offer to our guests. It is not just any meal; it is an experience.

Q) What was your favorite part about producing this video?

A) The best part was hearing the raw info our guests had to say. We did not pick certain people we just did it.

Q) What did you learn from producing this video that could help other Candidio Producers?

A) We learned that we can have a good time using video to interact with our patrons.

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YouTube Algorithm Change – What You Need To Know

March 19, 2012 By 5 Comments

On March 14th, YouTube altered its “Suggested Videos” algorithm in order to display more relevant video suggestions for viewers. In a post, YouTube states that:

Previously, the YouTube algorithm suggested videos based on how many people clicked to watch a video. After March 14th 2012, the algorithm for suggesting videos are based on which videos contribute to a longer overall viewing session rather than how many clicks an individual video receives.

YouTube cited issues like misleading thumbnails as a reason why the previous “most clicks” system was preventing videos with deeper engagement to the top. In other words, some users were gaming the system by implanting thumbnails that appeared to be related to the video currently being viewed, only to direct viewers to a “suggested video” that had nothing to do with what they were previously viewing, resulting in huge amounts of clicks and views.

Mashable summarizes the changes well in the video below:

So What Does This Mean?

With this change, YouTube is essentially rewarding videos that keep people on the site (or watching multiple videos in an embedded player) longer. The new algorithm takes into account total viewer session length for each visit to YouTube.  

YouTube offers up this encouragement:

Our algorithms are offering suggested videos (that include both related and recommended videos) that are based on which videos contribute to an overall longer–and more engaging–viewing session, versus the number of viewers who clicked on the video. So if you’re making videos that people love and stick around to see, you’ll find more of them appearing in our related videos, helping to grow your audience.

So How Can I Do That?

  1. Produce Videos in Series: Producing several videos around one topic will increase the chances that a viewer will click through several videos in that series, in theory because they were interested enough to watch the first. Candidio is ideal for this. Tie Dye Grill does a great job of creating a short video for each of their menu items.
  2. Create Playlists:Be sure to create YouTube Playlists to bundle the videos and present them nicely on your Channel homepage. Both Viewers and the YouTube algorithm itself will recognize videos in a playlist to be related.
  3. Calls To Action: Don’t be afraid to tell viewers at the end of your video to check out your other videos. You can either do that on-camera, with graphics or with YouTube Annotations.
  4. Pay Attention To Analytics: Mashable postulates that a ”30-second video that averages 25 seconds of viewing time is less likely to be recommended than a four-minute video that averages 28 seconds of viewing time.” While this may or may not be the case, the only way to really know how well your videos are performing is to check your analytics frequently. If engagement drops off 28-seconds into a four-minute video, you might want to consider editing out the parts that viewers aren’t watching.

While it’s doubtful that the average business or non-profit content marketer is gaming the system through bogus thumbnails, these changes should keep you monitoring your analytics and suggested video results for all of your content. Have you noticed a change in your suggested videos? Let us know in the comments section below.

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Is HD Video Really Necessary for the Web?

March 13, 2012 By 3 Comments

Image by phjellming

High definition has been around for a while now, and it’s changed the way we see images and video. Now we can tell how much makeup an actress is wearing and the last time someone onscreen had a zit. Who wouldn’t want in on this? As high definition becomes more prevalent every day, people will come to expect it on every media platform. What does that mean for you if you’re uploading to YouTube or Vimeo?

It may come as a surprise, but people are most often still watching YouTube videos in standard definition. The videos automatically begin in 360p or 480p, even if they were recorded and uploaded at 720p and 1080p. Often when someone tries to watch a video in high definition, it takes longer to load and then plays choppy. With all those issues, people just do the simpler thing and watch in standard definition. So why take the effort to upload a high definition video no one will fully experience?

Better Video in, Better Video out

Even if some browsers or web connections don’t load HD as well as we would like, filming in HD will crisp up the standard definition version people will eventually watch. Everyone will still be able to enjoy every skin cell on someone’s face, even if some of the detail is lost when converting down from HD.

Widening the Horizons

Outdated standard definition cameras still shoot everything in a square. Some of us still cling to the giant black bars that surround SD video content, but HD cameras widen that ratio and give us more video to see. We’re talking 16:9 ratios, which is what YouTube displays, anyway. Not only that, but these days, most monitors, smart phones, and TVs come in 16:9 ratio. What a crazy coincidence.

Preparing for the Future

As more people buy larger screens, standard definition videos will continue to look less impressive. And soon, everything will be HD, so if you want your present videos to continue making a splash in the future, you might as well record them in HD now. One day, in a bright and positive future, we will all have moved beyond old systems and slow browsers that can’t handle HD video. Might as well start living in that future today.

Sometimes it seems pointless to go to that extra effort of recording in HD, but I promise, it’s worth it for the future, and for right now. If you need help jumping on the HD bandwagon, subscribe (top right of this page) for future posts and more tips for leveraging video technology effectively.

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YouTube Rolls Out New Channel Design to All Users – Get Caught Up

March 12, 2012 By Leave a Comment

On Wednesday, March 7th YouTube rolled out its new channel designs to all users. The new design, which was available as an opt-in since December, gives video producers new ways to display their content and connections, while removing some functionality that users may have been used to.

We covered the changes back when they were optional, but users who didn’t switch over and immediately begin customizing their channels may now find themselves scrambling to catch up.

Design

You no longer have the ability to customize the colors and transparency of text and channel modules. If you had a custom background that highlighted certain modules of your previous channel, you may find that it no longer conforms to the new layout.

Layout

Your video content is now laid out amongst three tabs: “Featured,” “Feed,” and “Videos.” You can pick any of your videos to be the “Featured” video of the channel, while feed shows all activity (uploads, subscribes, likes, comments and favorites). The “Videos” tab simply lays out all of your public uploads in a grid. Within the “Featured” tab, you have the choice of four custom layout templates, each with their own look and feel.

Featured Tab Layouts

Sidebar

Text and Links

The new sidebar now hosts all non-video content on your channel. You can fill it with text, links, playlists and “Featured Channels” – a place to highlight other channels from friends, customers or business partners.

Community

“Friends” have been done away with, placing a larger emphasis on subscribers and subscriptions. YouTube will give you the option of converting former “Friends” into new subscriptions. You may still receive requests to become a “contact” from other users in your inbox. This allows other users to send you messages and video suggestions.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed by all of the options now available to you to customize your YouTube channel, 12 Stars Media is now offering YouTube Channel Design and Management services. Our friends at Sahm’s, Tie Dye Grill and BNI IBC have already taken advantage of the service. Contact us to find out more.

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Super 46 Sandwiches

March 7, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Periodically, we select Candidio Productions  as Candi Nominees out of those produced by our Candidio Producers. This week’s video is by Visit Indiana. In the video, we get to see one of the great sandwiches Indiana has to offer.

 

 

We asked Jeremy Williams at Visit Indiana a few questions about producing this video. Here’s what he had to say.

Q) What was the purpose of this video?

A) We wanted our audience to visit Super46.com after viewing this video because we piqued their interest to learn more about some of the great food available in Indiana.

Q) What was your favorite part about producing this video?

A) I loved being able to be on location, shooting a video for a fun promotion our office is working on. It was also great to have other people – even Rocky to help.

Q) What did you learn from producing this video that could help other Candidio Producers?

A) First, it was very helpful having other people with me, so I could make the video about the people and how they experienced the food rather than just being a video full of pictures of the sandwich. I also would recommend shooting quite a bit of video (within reason) so the guys at 12 Stars had plenty of good shots to work with.

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How To Get Google to Index & Show Your Videos In Search

March 5, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Getting your videos indexed by Google is critical to the success of content marketers everywhere. It’s simple to optimize YouTube videos for search, but what about video that exists elsewhere on the web? The search engine giant has recently stepped up its game, displaying embedded website video content in SERPs (search engine results pages). The video below explains how Google indexes on-page video content:

So how do you get Google to index embedded videos on your website? In addition to creating a video sitemap, Google would like you to use the schema.org on-page markup for videos. In late February, Google launched video support for schema.org. The markup is a few lines of HTML code that you will need to input on pages with video content. The video below gives a great tutorial:

Google recommends marking up your video content with as many tags as possible. You can see the full list of VideoObject properties at http://schema.org/VideoObject. Adding this meta data to your page may seem daunting at first, but the results are well worth it. If you have any webpages with embedded video, take some time to add the markup language.

For more information, check out Google’s Webmaster EDU page on the subject at https://developers.google.com/webmasters/videosearch/schema.

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Transitions: When (Not) to Use Cuts, Dissolves, Slides & Wipes

February 27, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Editing is a subtle art. Telling a great story together takes more than a strong interview and dynamic b-roll. How you weave those elements together is crucial to keeping your audience engaged.

In this post, I’m going to cover four basic transitions and how best to utilize them.

Cuts: You could define a cut as a lack of transition. Here, you simply move from one piece of footage to the next.

  • When to use: You should use cuts when you’re in the midst of a video segment. Other transitions usually mark a change in the story, setting or theme. Cuts are also great when editing to the beat of music.
  • When not to use: Cuts can jar the audience. Avoid them If you’re trying to slow things down or establish a gentler tone. Beware the “jump cut,” which occurs when you cut from image to image in the same sequence. For example, if you lift a few words in the middle of a sentence from your a-roll, be sure to cover that cut with some b-roll or a graphic.
Here is a great example of effective, quick cuts between b-roll footage driven by music:


Dissolves: A dissolve occurs when on-screen footage literally dissolves into new footage. During a dissolve, you will see two sets of video footage overlapping one another.

  • When to use: Dissolves are a great way to maintain flow. For example, if your a-roll interviewee is describing what your restaurant looks like, you could dissolve from b-roll shot to b-roll shot as he or she is describing it. Slowly dissolving from photograph to photograph can be very effective, especially if you want to invoke nostalgia in the viewer.
  • When not to use: Never dissolve from a-roll to b-roll, or from a-roll to a-roll. If you’re b-roll is shot with a handheld camera and not on tripod, avoid using the dissolve. Dissolving from one handheld shot to another can look messy with all the camera movement.
Another form of dissolve is the “dip to color” – here, on-screen footage flashes to a color before dissolving to the next piece of footage. This is great to use when you’re transitioning from live-action footage to graphics. Here’s an example:

Slides: A slide (or push) occurs when the on-screen footage is pushed off the screen by new footage.

  • When to use: One slide alone ideally would signal a major shift in the story. For example, if your a-roll interviewee shifts from talking about the menu items at a restaurant to the employees who work there. They also work work well in isolated, fast-paced segments, especially when the music is driving the piece. Try using slide transitions when your a-roll interviewee is quickly describing a list of items.
  • When not to use: A little bit goes along way here. Don’t use slides when the pace of the video is slow, or when the mood is somber or reminiscent.

Check out the slide early on in this video:


Wipes: A wipe occurs when the on-screen footage moves off the screen revealing new footage underneath it.

  • When to use: If there is a leitmotif in the video that lends itself to the style of wipe. For example, if you’re producing a video with a “story book” feel, consider using a “page turn” wipe, where the on-screen footage folds over itself like a paper page, revealing new footage underneath it. I once produced a video for a university that was trying to evoke a yearbook feel. The page turn transition worked nicely.
  • When not to use: Even more so than slides, a little bit goes a long way for wipes. Use it sparingly, only during major transitions in the video, or when producing an episode of Saved by the Bell.

Avoid the star wipe at all costs:

For the amateur editor, knowing when to use certain transitions can make or break a video project. The best advice I can give is to decide how you want the viewer to feel during a particular segment before you start editing. The right transitions will become obvious. Of course, the fine folks at 12 Stars Media always know what transitions to employ during their full-service video production.

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Top 10 Tips for Conducting an Executive Video Interview

February 20, 2012 By Leave a Comment

The top executives of any business can be the best advocates to speak on camera, but they can also be the most difficult to interview. Conducting an executive interview takes extra preparation, a lot of poise, and a little bit of moxy. Follow these 10 tips to make sure you survive with your job intact with some good footage to boot:

1. Set Expectations: Pre-production is so important when dealing with a company executive. It is important that he or she has a good understanding of the goals of the production. Don’t simply schedule an hour for “Video Interview.” Communicate what you intend for the video to communicate, and ask for your executive’s input. If they were the original driving force of the production, make sure you understand their goals so that your interview questions are in sync.

Interview Photo by Flickr user jsawkins

2. Prepare Your Exec (But Not Too Much): I was once part of a production crew who was interviewing a top executive for some internal company videos designed to boost morale and communicate yearly company goals. We made the mistake of sending interview questions in advance, and the exec showed up with his answers printed up on big cue cards, expecting to read them on camera. Rather than the exact questions, it’s a good idea to send your exec bulleted talking points or subjects of conversation. That way, he or she will be familiar with the ground you want to cover, but will be unable to prepare full answers in advance.

3. Be Ready To Go When Your Exec Shows Up: Allow yourself and your camera crew to get ready before your exec shows up to the interview location. You don’t want to be fiddling with lights, window shades, backgrounds and other equipment while your exec sits and stews. You should be able to start recording within a minute or two of your exec arriving and sitting down.

4. Let Your Exec See The Interview Set Up: The worst thing you can do is to finish the interview, get to editing and send your CEO the finished product only to find out that he or she hates how they look. I’ve seen entire productions go up in smoke because of a out-of-place hair or a crooked shirt collar. You’ll either have to re-shoot, or end up with a product that the exec hates, which can make the atmosphere around any future video projects poisonous. If you’re shooing with a monitor, flip it around so your exec can see before you start. In lieu of a monitor, record a few seconds of video and then show it to your exec so that they understand what the interview will look like.

5. Keep It Casual: If you’re sensing that your exec is feeling nervous or pressured, it’s important to keep the tone of the interview light and casual. Try to carry on as if you’re having a conversation: don’t read the interview questions word for word. Let the execs answer dictate what the next question will be. Your goal should be to make your exec forget that they are on camera.

6. Make It Quick: Executives don’t have time to waste. Ask your questions quickly and succinctly. If you’re prepared ahead of time, you should have no problem.

7. Don’t Be Afraid To Push Back: If your exec gives an answer that you don’t understand or is not quite clear enough, ask them “Would you mind explaining that a bit further?” or “What did you mean by that?” It’s normal to feel a little intimidated by a top exec, but a video interview is no time for timidity.

8. Ask If Your Exec Would Like A Redo: If you sense that your exec may not have been happy with an answer, or if they stammered with a word or two, ask them if they would like to try again! This will show that you care how the exec comes off on camera.

9. Give Them The Final Word: Once you’ve worked through all of your talking points, ask your exec if there is anything else he would like to say. Let them dictate when the interview ends.

10. Check Your Footage Before the Exec Takes Off: If you’re both satisfied, ask him or her to remain seated for just a moment while you check your footage. Make sure you have clean audio and video before your exec takes off. If there’s a problem, you can reshoot right then and there. Trust me: they will be much more understanding than if they find out a week later that the whole session was a waste.

An executive interview can inspire employees and move prospects to purchase. Follow these tips to make the most out of the experience.

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How To Make A Whiteboard Video

February 13, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Last week we highlighted a few examples of companies employing a “non-sales” video marketing strategy – videos that seek to entertain or inform, but not necessarily push a specific product or service that the company has to offer.

One of the examples we showed was a whiteboard video from SEOMoz, an SEO SaaS firm:

Whiteboard videos are an informal and strangely captivating way of explaining concepts or systems. Simply put, a whiteboard video consists of nothing more than a person standing in front of a whiteboard and sketching a visualization of what he or she is trying to explain, without the help of expensive animation or CGI. You’ve probably seen several variations online or on TV:


We’ve had several readers ask how to achieve the look of a whiteboard video on camera, so in this post we’re going to cover the technical aspects of creating your own whiteboard video.

Lighting

Lighting is easily the most difficult aspect of a good whiteboard video. There are several challenges that you will have to overcome. If you light too much from the front, your speaker will cast a shadow on the board. You also run the risk of throwing a glare onto the whiteboard, since whiteboards typically have a glossy coat. Since a whiteboard is already white, less is more. Starting with a darkened room:

  1. Light the speaker first. Use a large, front-facing light with a soft box or diffuser on it.
  2. Light the board next. With just the speaker lit from the front, he or she is probably casting a shadow on the board. To remove this and illuminate the board, place a light on the top-left and top-right corners of the board, right up against the wall. Have them point down towards the board, illuminating the space between the speaker and the board. This should eliminate any shadows.

If you’re limited on lighting solutions, be sure to use a well lit room. Avoid any open windows as sunlight can cast a glare on the board or alter the color temperature of the shot. If you have any floor lamps (especially with adjustable arms), arrange them in the corners of the room between your speaker and the whiteboard. Vellum paper over the fixture makes a great diffuser in a pinch.

Framing

There are two stylistic elements that you’ll see in almost every whiteboard video on the internet. The first is a locked-down camera. You can see in the above examples that the camera is mounted on a tripod and never moves. The second element is the framing of the whiteboard relative to the speaker. It’s important that the boarders or edges of the whiteboard are not visible. This gives the visual illusion that the speaker is infront of a seemingly endless whiteboard. You can also see in the above examples that the speaker is generally seen from the waist up, and has a lot of horizontal space to move around. Be sure that you have a large enough whiteboard, and enough space between your mounted camera and the whiteboard to achieve optimal framing. A GorillaPod placed on a tabletop a few feet away from your whiteboard should do the trick, in lieu of a tripod.

Audio

Since the on-camera speaker is going to be switching back and forth between looking at the camera and the board, getting consistent audio off a microphone that is attached to the camera will be difficult. To avoid any muddle audio, make sure your speaker only speaks when facing the camera, and doesn’t speak when facing to the side or towards the board. For optimal audio, have your speaker wear a microphone on their lapel, like a wireless lavalier mic. If your camera doesn’t have a microphone input, you could use a second audio recording device and match the recording with the video later in editing.

Producing a whiteboard video can require some pro equipment to get the best possible quality. 12 Stars Media’s full-service video production can deliver, but if you follow some of the tips outline above you should come out with a pretty good video. What examples of whiteboard videos have you seen?

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New Vimeo Is On Its Way!

February 8, 2012 By 1 Comment

Big news this week in the world of web video: The popular, creative video sharing service Vimeo has announced a whole slew of updates coming down the pipe in the coming weeks. Whether you’re already a big fan of Vimeo, or you have no idea what we mean when we say that crazy, made-up word, there’s never been a better time to check it out.

Why we’re excited:

1. The emphasis is back on video

First and foremost, it’s clear that the fine folks at Vimeo are looking to reaffirm their commitment to the video content itself. The video player is larger, and features fewer distractions, so your video is always the center of attention. It’s a simple change, but an important one for such a visual medium. It’s good to see some back-to-basics focus in their continued growth and development.

2. It’s easier than ever to follow good content

Vimeo’s engineers have also introduced the concept of following, whether it is a channel, tag, or a specific account. This makes it much easier for viewers to keep track of what they love, and it makes it less stressful for content creators to get their new stuff noticed by their audience. The name of the game here is “simple.”

3. Uploading is a pleasant summer breeze

Who has time to sit and upload videos one by one? If your greatest joy in life is watching progress bars slowly fill as you add your content to video piecemeal, then we have some bad news – Vimeo now allows users to upload multiple videos at one time. The interface also got a bit of a tune-up, and it’s more intuitive than ever.

It’s always great to see a fantastic service get better, and these are just a few highlights of the updates Vimeo recently shared with the world. If you want to learn more about the upcoming changes and get on the list to try them out, jump over to Vimeo for a sign up list and some more info.

And, to stay updated with news and tips for online video marketing and communications be sure to sign up for our weekly blog digest! (top right)

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