Video has always been a hobby for me. I enjoy shooting and editing (as much as taking photos) in my spare time.

At work, sometimes we hire freelancers, many times we use our institution’s video production team but more and more often we handle it ourselves.  Video has become as critical to our communication efforts as the written word.  I wonder why?

I started our youtube channel two years ago and we have been publishing a fairly steady stream of content, bringing FIU to more audiences than ever before. Technology has made it possible to produce great HD footage on a very tight budget.

My colleague, Karen Cochrane, a fantastic and experienced writer, has embraced this new format and produces nearly 2 videos a week now.  I mention this because she had no prior experience with video and sound equipment. If you are reading this and have no background and are feeling a bit overwhelmed, just keep her in mind.

I wanted to share with you how we do it and I would love to hear any tips or tricks from anyone managing the same kind of video production.  Keep in mind that our challenge is maintaining a balance between being agile, easy, professional and keeping it fun.

Equipment (If you decide to purchase any and want to support this site, use the links in the post or at the very end)

• We have three main cameras (Canon HF100, Canon HF200 and a Sanyo Xacti HD1000). If you were to purchase one today, I recommend the HF200.  For the price you would be hard pressed to find a better portable solution.
• We have four copies of Final Cut Express (Final Cut Pro is overkill, we focus on fast minimalist editing)
• One wireless lavalier mic (Sennheiser EW122PG2)
• Shotgun Microphone (Canon 2591B002 DM-100)
• Five Memory Cards (Transcend 16GB SDHC)
• Lights: We have not invested in this yet although we do have a small LED that we have yet to use effectively.  It seems this is another investment of about $500-1000 for some kind of LED setup.  Please post recommendations.
• Two Tripods (we purchased light consumer grade models)

People:

• Nearly everyone in our office (about seven people) is able to handle a camera and we all help each other cover as many events as possible.
• Writers and editors have all taken very quickly to the format of interviewing on camera and capturing b-roll.

Workflow:

• We record on SDHC memory cards.  We all have access to a shared Video Library drive.
• Once we get back with footage, we create a folder with a detailed name and we dump the entire contents of the memory card into that folder on the shared drive.  (THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT: All folders must be copied, as Final Cut and iMovie require the file structure to be intact.  If you botch this up it will be very difficult to convert the video files later).  This is obviously for the camera’s we use and mainly the Canons which record in a format called AVCHD.
• Using Final Cut Express: We go to File/Log & Tranfer off the top menu and then click on the icon in the top left. ()  We then locate the folder with the files and it will read them as if a memory card or camera is connected to the computer.
• Using this method allows us to maintain a backup of what we recorded in its original compressed form.  When the video is imported into Final Cut or iMovie it creates large uncompressed files.
• Each individual computer does all the processing and manages it’s own scratch disk however a backup of the recording is always available by finding that original folder we saved.
• Once a video is complete, we keep a master file of it on the server.  That said, we could try to move all the project files to a server but the cost and maintenance of all that storage does not seem efficient.

I know there are some folks out there keeping all the files (including all the project files).  Our challenge is allowing everyone to be their own editor rather than forcing everyone on one or two workstations.  We explored working off a server but it only truly allowed one person to work efficiently at a time.  The bandwidth needed to work with HD files is immense.

I would love hear how others are doing it.  We could all learn from each other.

Here is the equipment I would recommend.  If you want to support my blog, please buy via these links unless you can find it cheaper elsewhere. Thanks.

canon, editing, equipment, final cut, fiu, hf200, merille, mts, recommendations, sdhc, video production, video workflow, workflow, youtube Hide

"nothing like this has ever happened here"

I began writing this post on those little note pad sheets in my hotel room because my laptop was stolen from my room.  The sliding door was shattered and my bag, containing my Macbook Pro and my beloved Panasonic Lx3, was taken.

I began writing this on little notepads because of how infuriated I was with the process and how I was treated at the Courtyard Marriott Las Vegas.

Thursday’s final keynote by Chris Brogan hit on a fantastic subject, which he calls human business.  He stressed that businesses need to create and foster communities, not audiences. “The difference between an audience and a community: one will fall on its sword for you and the other will watch you fall.”

Imagine if every person that interacted with your company was treated as a friend.  I don’t mean a “move your couch” friend but perhaps a friend of a friend, someone you know.

• Perhaps the security guard who came to my room could have introduced himself, shook my hand, expressed some lament for the scene in my room instead taking a quick glance and telling me, “Metro is on the way”
• Perhaps the front desk person could have come or sent someone with a key to another room rather than waiting for me to call them
• Perhaps she should not have repeated the same statement that the security guard made, “nothing like this has ever happened here”.  The neighborhoods near the convention center are not exactly plush luxury homes, this was an insult to my intelligence.
• Perhaps if I did not have to keep asking what I needed to do or if I should get them a copy of the police report or what happens next
• Perhaps if today, four days after the incident I had some sense of what the hotel is going to do about it

Perhaps then, I would not have such a great lesson in what not to do to your customers.

I suppose you could talk to your employees and make up some procedure and try to teach them this at orientation but I would just ask them if they treat their friends that way.

blogworld, blogworldexpo, brogan, bwe09, courtyard marriott, customer service, human business, vegas Hide

I wrestled with the subtitle of this blog and went back and forth a few times which is why the about page makes no mention of this as I write this post.  But I feel that I can wrap up all want to do here with this simple title.

I am a huge Quentin Tarantino fan and the line comes from the last scene in 1994’s Pulp Fiction, one of my favorite movies of all time.  The character of Jules Winnfield played by the legendary Samuel L. Jackson utters this line (its actually, “tryin’ real hard to be the shepherd”) in the dinner scene as he talks down a pair of armed robbers from making out with his boss’ briefcase rather than trying to kill them. His character is a hitman in the movie could have easily killed them.

Jules at the start of the movie is like much of traditional marketing and promotion, just trying to get the quick sale (the easy kill) or trick you.  Bang bang, another promotion, another conversion, another profit collected.  I see new Jules as what Chris Brogan refers to as human business.  Relationships and being human should come first for individuals and businesses.

At one point in the conversation with the robber Jules even utters,  “I don’t want to kill you, I want to help you”.

“Trying to be the shepherd” is about making a meaningful change (trying to become a better version of yourself or your business).  I want to empower you or your business by sharing in my experiences and thoughts.

Here is the complete ending scene.  If you have scene it, watch it again but think about what I wrote here. (Warning: tons of explicit language)

human business, marketing, merille, new media, pulp fiction, shepherd, social media, tarantino Hide

Forget what you know about marketing, marketing is a conversation. Traditional marketing (ads, direct mail, push) is not dead but it is less and less effective everyday.  I am often asked for assistance in marketing education programs and specifically using social media to connect with prospects.

The biggest challenge comes from explaining the idea that your/our job should be to listen, provide great content and engage.

Listen, because today more than ever there are many ways to get feedback on your product or service.

Provide great content, meaning content that is useful and entertaining to your target market.

Engage, social media has made engaging with your customers easier than ever.  When coupled with active listening, this will allow you to react quickly and address issues before they affect your institution’s reputation.

Marketing has at times had a sleazy salesy connotation.  Truth is, that is usually bad marketing.  Usually when you cannot identify it, its great marketing.

If your exposure to marketing is limited or you have not read anything on the subject in a few years I can understand why it may be easier to not think of it as marketing.  So don’t.  Consider and take to heart the three points above and you will succeed.

Here is a fantastic explanation by Perry Belcher:

engage, inbound marketing, marketing, non-marketing, unmarketing Hide

“We need a Social Media Policy”

Why.

This is the most important question that an organization should ask themselves. Because the answer to this question will dictate the nature of the policy.

If the reason stems from a control issue, wanting to ensure content which is not sanctioned is not created, then the policy will be of no use.  The very nature of social media dictates that it not be vetted, sanctioned or filtered.  It is afterall, real conversations by real people.

The policy should provide a guideline and as in the case of IBM’s policy, it should refer back to a business conduct policy if one exists.  Technology does not change the ethics of interacting with others.  Online or off, people should be treated with respect and employees should take ownership and responsibility over their actions.

Make sure to take a look at  Sharlyn Lauby’s article on the 10 Must-Haves for your Social Media Policy. She referenced two great policy examples. The IBM policy (referenced above) and a shorter example by Headset Bros embedded below.

The Headset Bros policy is a great example for a small to medium size business.  It embraces the nature of Social Media by asking employees to go out and join as many networks/communities as they like.

The only thing I would add is something specific to the employee representing themselves online. There are cases where a network, such as facebook, requires a profile to interact with a group and there is no language in the policy about representing the company via your profile as well.

Bottom Line: The Golden Rule should be a part of every social media policy.

HEADSET BROS – SOCIAL MEDIA POLICY

marketing, new media, policy, social media, social media policy, web Hide

best buy, cmo, marketing, social media, transparency Hide

I read this post last night on Techcrunch about Best Buy’s twitter campaign and thought it was a fantastic idea.

I think this would be a phenomenal way to improve customer service and live our brand promise. I understand that not everyone is on twitter but getting an account is so simple and there are so many ways to access it (a new user is bound to find one they are comfortable with).

Training
Obviously, the first step would be to make sure employees understand how twitter works and what the do’s and don’ts would be. (identifying oneself as an employee, not asking for any personal info, etc).

It is also important to offer training to new twitter users.  An easy solution to this might be to aggregate the best training videos (for the various twitter applications) from the web.

Sign-up
Best Buy created a custom web application that includes an employee number for sign-up.  The legal information is also a great template.

How it works
It is actually a rather simple solution for the users. By signing in, employees add their tweets to the best buy stream and also have the ability to tweet under the collective twitter account.  They do this by adding a keyword to their tweet.

Alternates
I know there are solutions out there to have multiple users share an account (co-tweet, hootsuite) but I really think that this is a better enterprise wide solution that does away with the scheduling aspects and makes it easy for all to get involved quickly.

Imagine if your university could have at least 1-2 employees from each department/school/program using this system.

best buy, brand, marketing, social media, twitter, web 2.0 Hide

Well, sort of.   I just wanted to share an incredible customer service experience from an unexpected source.

I was leaving work a couple of months ago and the traffic light that leads out of the campus was only allowing one or two cars to turn before changing to red again.  I sat in the car for nearly 20 minutes about 500 feet from the light waiting to make my left turn.

While sitting in the car, I searched for “miami-dade traffic lights” on my iphone goolge app and ended up on this page.  There was an email at the bottom
(gomiamidade@miamidade.gov)

At this point the light changed and I had to move but I left the email open and drove home.  Still fuming from the idea that I may have to deal with the light again the next day I continued writing the email on the phone as I got out of my car at home.  My wife asked what I was doing, to which I replied,  “Writing an email about the traffic light changing too fast”.  Her response to this came with a slight chuckle and an eye roll, “To who?- Are you serious?”

Deep down I did not really expect anything to come from it but thought perhaps the email would have a cathartic effect, so I finished my note and hit send.

Here is my exact email to gomiamidade@miamidade.gov:

The traffic light behind FIU at 117ave has been changed.  It only lasts about 30 seconds.
Was this done for the fair? (I was talking about the county fair which was over at this point)
Can it be changed?

The very next morning I received a reply:

In order to investigate the request we would like to know the direction that the back up was occurring. Was it the SW 117 AV or the Exit at FIU that had 30 seconds?

So I replied with a google map link, giving the precise location of the light and hours later I was sent this message:

Mr. Merille:
Thank you for the information that you have provided.
The area engineer will investigate your reported problem as soon as possible and you will be advised by Monday afternoon.
Have a nice weekend.

A day or two later I received a confirmation that the issue had been addressed and by monday, when I left work, the light had been changed.  I was so amazed by the service that I had to write this post.  Here is the full email thread.

So thank you Miami-Dade Public Works Department (Francillon, Harry; Badrampour, Ferydoun; Williams, Robert; Hernandez, Hiram; Molins, Delfin; Penland, Milen) Keep up the great work!

Some Marketing takeaways: (This story has quite a few)

1) Great search engine optimization – I was able to find a contact point very fast.
2) Up-to-date contact information – Are there emails on web pages for your institution that are not monitored? I know I would have to answer yes to that.
3) Team work - If you click on the thread you will notice that the email went through a few people and then back again. From engineers to support personnel, the chain was never broken.
4) Courteous instant feedback – I did not give enough information in my initial email and they responded immediately asking for detail.  I got a thank you email and even a time frame for a reply.
5) Follow-up – They even sent me an additional follow-up email with a summary of what changes they made and a confirmation that they checked the light again throughout the day.

customer service, marketing, miami dade, traffic lights Hide

Just came across this slideshow on on slideshare.net and thought it was incredibly informative.

In short: It describes the importance and the process of creating a community of brand ambassadors and/or users.

I think this is yet another great take away for higher ed from the corporate sector.  While there are many great examples of social media and communities being used by universities, I have not seen any take on the subject of creating a brand community.

Perhaps the closest example I know of may be @rachelreuben’s cafe new paltz ning network but then again I believe that is more about connecting new admits.

I would envision a university brand community including students, alumni and faculty who love the institution and want to contribute on all levels.

If anyone has other examples, please post in the comments.  I would love to see some.

brand, community, marketing, social media Hide

Eye-fi is a memory card with built-in Wifi.  You shoot a photo, its uploaded immediately to a photo account, like Flickr.com

At my university we hold various donor and alumni events and awards ceremonies and often have sponsors who help cover the entertainment and audio/visual costs.  Add a line to the budget to either hire a separate photographer or get this technology to your existing one.

Most events involve a computer with powerpoint or some other form of audio/visual.   Obviously, you will need to make sure that Wi-fi is available, which should be a non-issue for on campus events.

Have the photos uploaded to your flickr account and set up a slide show on the fly.  The guests will be blown away and who knows maybe event raise some extra support. If you have a developed photo account this is event better as you will have fans following your photo feed, garnering even more exposure.

Tip 1: make sure you get sponsor logos in a few shots, they will be all over it and not mind the extra cost for the next event.

Tip 2: promote the photo account at the event using moo cards with a direct link and even prior to the event via email

Tip 3: have a laptop on-hand and you can delete unwanted shots and organize your slide show right on the website in minutes

Recommended Equipment:

• Eye-fi 2GB SDHC Card
• Eye-fi 4GB SDHC Card
• Adapter for CF

events, eye-fi, flickr, photo, social, wi-fi Hide