The Long and Short of Web Videos

Our advice to clients is to keep their web videos short if they want viewers to watch the entire presentation. Two to three minutes seems to be the upper limit of web viewer attention spans. But, what about those viewers who want more detail and information?  
Our friend Joshua Dinman, Director of Marketing Communications at Orbital Sciences Corporation,a satellite and space launch vehicle manufacturer, offered a solution that should have been obvious – present more than one video.

  On the Orbital Sciences Corporation career site, you can view a short overview video about careers http://www.orbital.com/Careers/(see bottom of left hand navigation panel). 

 But, Josh wanted to share real-life experiences of employees in different job categories. A ten or fifteen-minute video was out of the question. So, longer in-depth video testimonials from a cross-section of employees were presented. 

Prospective employees could hear from as many potential co-workers as they wished.

That’s the long and short of it. Thanks Josh!

You can view other sample videos at: www.efxmedia.com as well as the Orbital Corporate video at http://www.efxtv.com/media.cfm?c=574&m=1025

The Dreaded “Talking Head” Doesn't Have To Be Dreadful

by Julie Otto and Victor Van Rees

Videos with “talking heads” - on-camera interviews/testimonials - often get a bad rap.  Many think talking heads are used because a producer lacks imagination and has nothing else to film.  The term “talking head” conjures up the image of a stereotypical professor-type - monologue-ing ad nauseam devoid of emotion or purpose. We disagree. In fact, talking heads can be your best asset for a video, if produced in a compelling and thoughtful manner. 

For example, the producer/director must be prepared before the shoot and know what the client requires from the interview/testimonial. We often write a script or treatment with all the key points we need the subject to present. If the subject elaborates a bit too much, no problem, we can fix it with an edit. Better to have too much rather than too little. Sometimes, when our on-camera subject will ramble on due to nerves, we have found that helping them parse out the soundbite, and giving them a second chance to say what they want to say, makes them more comfortable and able hit the nail on head the second time. Our producers emphasize that their job is to make the subject look and sound their best, creating a level of trust between the subject and the crew.

It is important to learn as much about the subject as possible before the shoot. Having a point of reference can offer subtle tips about how to couch questions for the best response. Plus, knowing some personal things about the subject will allow for a bit of friendly chit-chat warm-up before the shooting starts and create a relaxed atmosphere. A good example was taping an interview with a recent Commerce Secretary. His delivery was flat, and the presentation lacked force. We had him stand up from his comfortable chair and asked him to speak as if he were speaking to a group of fundraisers. His smile became infectious, and his delivery had the tone of sincerity.