This document provides guidance on building a video brand for public radio stations. It recommends starting small with available equipment like phones and developing a strategy that incorporates video into existing station communications and events. Pre-production is key to planning video projects that add value for the target audience. Stations should take advantage of their audio talents and focus on telling stories in short, entertaining videos distributed through social media. Proper lighting, audio, and editing are essential to creating polished videos on a limited budget.

1. Building Your Brand with Video:
the Basics
March 14, 2013

2. housekeeping
#pubtraining @nprdigitalsvcs

3. not this Ben Harper

5. what are our goals?
• incorporate video into station communications
• plan and execute video projects
• build a video brand using social media

6. why video?

7. video is social

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9. plan a strategy (the big picture)
• who is your target audience?
• what brand do you want to
build with your videos?
• what video content can you
create that:
– has purpose and adds
value to your audience
– shows something they
couldn’t get otherwise
– not TV

10. know the limitations
“do what you can, with what you have, where you
are.”
-Theodore Roosevelt

11. building your brand
• may be different for each station
• get settled for the long haul
• use what you have and use it to your advantage
• great audio and great talent
• Wizard of Oz advantage

12. building your brand
• DIY is A-OK
• start small, use what you
have
• iPhones, iPads, still
cameras, built in webcam
• almost anything video
production related can be
DIY’d

13. building your brand
• take advantage of things you and your station are
already doing
• guests/planned events/performances
• take advantage of the unexpected
• not just meat and potatoes, give them some candy

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15. pre-production
• video is a limited resource
• it takes time and money to plan, execute and deliver a
successful product

16. pre-production benefits
• know the entire scope of the project
• know what “success” looks like
• correctly budget the time, resources and cost
• correctly scale expectations based on time and
resources devoted

17. plan a strategy (the “now” picture)
• who is your target audience?
• what is your message or “call to action”?
• audio & visual considerations
– length of final video
– equipment limitations
• where is the distribution?

18. create your video
(before you leave the office)
develop a shot list:
• what visuals you need
to tell the story
• know who you want to
talk to…
• and what do you need
that person to say?

19. choose the right tools for each shoot
• camera
• microphone
• tripod
• light

20. know the limitations
• your video production is
always going to be easier and
turn out better if it is the only
thing you’re doing
• video is always the first thing
to suffer when multi-tasking

21. do’s (and don’ts!) for filming
• stay close to your subject (3 feet or less)
• better audio
• less camera “shake”
• don’t use the “digital zoom”

22. do’s (and don’ts!) for filming cont.
• keep it STEADY!
• move yourself, not the camera
• treat your video camera like it only takes photos
• minimize panning, move yourself into a position to
capture the shot and hold it for 10 seconds (count to
yourself)
• two hands are better than one

23. rule of thirds
if you place points of interest at the intersection, your
shot becomes more visually interesting

24. be creative
change your angle: get high or get low

25. be creative
• show different angles or perspectives
• most importantly: get CLOSE

26. be creative
• build sequence
of action
• film close-ups
of different
parts of the
scene
• body, hands,
face

27. lighting
good lighting helps
make a prosumer
camera look
professional

28. getting proper exposure
• DON’T film with sources of
light behind the subject
• DO use available sources of
light to highlight the subject

30. how do you know if an image is
exposed correctly?
• look! if your viewfinder is
properly tuned, what you
see is what you get
• see what the camera
thinks: switch to auto

31. capture good audio
• audio is as important as video
• good audio makes up for mediocre video quality
• stay close!
• film away from sources of noise (traffic, music, air
conditioners)
• use an external microphone whenever possible
• use headphones to hear what you are recording

32. know what you need
• remember your plan and your shot list
don’t undershoot don’t overshoot
you need enough to you will have to go
tell an interesting through all the footage
visual story and interviews before
you edit.

33. editing basics
non-linear editor programs (NLEs):
• Final Cut Pro 7
• FCP X
• Adobe Premiere ProCS6
• iMovie and Windows Movie Maker
cloud editors:
• YouTube editor
• WeVideo

34. editing the video:
video storytelling tips
• grab the viewer right away
• make it clear what the story is about.
• use the most compelling sound bite or visual.
• remember your message and call to action
• what is the story you want your audience to know
• why is it important?
• the difference between “something happened” and
“why does it matter?”

35. video storytelling tips
is the video:
• timely
• entertaining
• focused
• short
• relatable
• inspirational or aspirational
• message or action-driven
• is the hook/message within the first 20 seconds?

36. editing basics
be a brutal editor:
• is the sound bite absolutely necessary?
• can it be shortened, but still get the message
across?
keep your first edit tight:
you will end up
lengthening your video
when add natural sound
or music and video to
your rough cut

37. editing basics
• most audiences will watch anywhere for 30 seconds to 3
minutes
• make sure however long they watch, they get the message

38. publishing basics
• where is the video going?
• embedded on facebook? tweeting a link?
• different storytelling styles may be acceptable
for one platform vs. another
• post to YouTube (then embed), not directly to
the Facebook uploader
• YouTube’s metrics can help you see how
people are watching your videos and where
they are coming from

39. YouTube Metrics

40. YouTube Playlist
NPR Member Station
Promo Videos
Facebook Group
[private]
NPR Member Station
Marketers
LinkedIn Group [private]
NPR Member Station
Marketers

41. questions?
Ben Harper
@otherbenharper
Kasia Podbielski
@eskapepod
kpodbielski@npr.org