Every once in a while it’s good to take a step back and look at your past work.

We’re putting together a proposal for a repeat client, so we watched the last video we produced for them. It’s been five years, and you know what, it really made me reflect on where we started, how far we’ve come, and it really gave me a boost of energy.

Five years ago, every client was a new client and the thought of getting to a point where we have customers coming back for more was just a hope. Now it happens on a regular basis. That’s pretty exciting.

This particular client’s video was an award-winner and it stands up well today. Hopefully, they’ll like our proposal and sign a contract for this new project. If that’s the case, I’ll come back to the blog and share the news and that past video.

–Tony Gnau

No matter what your profession, it’s easy to get complacent. Especially when you’re good at what you do. You fall into a rhythm doing things the way you’ve always done them.

Stop it. Break that habit. I wear a lot of hats as a video producer and one of them is as videographer. I shoot most of what T60 produces, and I definitely find myself falling into a rhythm. I have a style I’m comfortable with, and it’s how I often find myself shooting without even realizing it.

I’m going to break that up a bit. I’m going to start experimenting with some new shooting styles.

I just finished watching the series finale of the NBC show Friday Night Lights. I have always loved the way the series was photographed, and I think it’s about time I incorporate some of those techniques into the PR/marketing videos we produce.

It doesn’t mean I’m abandoning my style y’all, it just means I’m going to add some new plays to the playbook.

Clear eyes, full hearts…

–Tony Gnau

We’re embarking on something new today… T60 is editing its first 30-second television commercial for a client. The experience has been an education.

We thought it was simply going to be like creating a 30-second web video, but it definitely is not the same. No big road blocks to report. The spot is shaping up nicely. There’s just a different mentality to producing a commercial and it has me watching them in a whole new way.

It’s still storytelling, but it’s high-octane storytelling.

We have a new respect for production companies specializing in TV commercials.

–Tony Gnau

I’m a big Pete Carroll fan, as a coach and as a motivator. I’ve been fortunate to have met him and you can’t help but walk away from the experience feeling good.

He’s a forward thinking guy, so it should come as no surprise he’s onboard the social media train and that includes using video. It’s a big part of his Win Forever series, and I love what his team did with this “About Us” video.

If you’ve read this blog before, you know I’m big on keeping web videos short. The Win Forever video isn’t short. It’s over 7-minutes long… pushing 8-minutes.

The reason why it works is thanks to a smart little trick. They break it into two segments. The first 1:20 is a basic introduction video. If you stop watching at that point, you at least got their core message. If you continue watching the next 6:00+, you get an extended look at the program.

Doing this satisfies the casual viewer, as well as the person who’s especially interested.

Great idea! How great? Don’t be surprised if you see some future T60 videos done this way.

–Tony Gnau

I was at Chicago’s historic Palmer House Hotel yesterday, and I came across something pretty cool. The hotel has a series of iPads set up just off the main lobby giving guests access to hotel services.

The startup screen features video of a woman welcoming visitors to the hotel, then there are all sorts of links to everything from hotel amenities to the hotel’s rich history.

Very cool. Although, I couldn’t help but think how it would have been even better if they had incorporated more video, especially about the building’s history and massive renovation. It was a little hard to hear the startup video, but nothing some subtitles couldn’t solve.

The Palmer House draws hotel guests as well as tourists who simply wander in to check it out. Video would be provide an even better tool to promote the hotel.

Just another example of how easy it is these days to find ways to work video into a PR or marketing plan.

–Tony Gnau

They’re all over the web. Big companies producing safe and uninspired internet videos. There’s nothing wrong with them. They’re just… well… boring and easily forgotten.

I started thinking about this over the weekend. I went to the U.S. Postal Service website to track a package. What I found was a newly designed website and a video.

No surprise I clicked the video.  It contained a voice over and a series of graphics explaining the new website. It’s professionally done, looks good, sounds good, and a day later and I really don’t remember much of the content.

That’s why playing it safe often ends up being a waste of time and money. The postal service spent good money to produce that video. I watched it and forgot it instantly.

What’s the point in producing a video if it’s not going to impact your audience?

–Tony Gnau

Yesterday, I blogged about moving beyond the “About Us” video. Today, it’s one way to do it.

The first thing companies need to do is change their mindset. Focus your company videos on the audience, not your company. The idea is to address issues facing potential clients, as opposed to simply tooting your own horn.

Lead the conversation and turn your company into the experts. Do it on a regular basis and the benefits will follow.

Once a week, once a month, once a quarter… whatever time frame you choose stick with and keep it up. One of the best parts of video is the more people see, the more credible you become.

People turn to experts to help solve their problems, so be a leader… be that expert.

–Tony Gnau

I attended an interesting PRSA Chicago luncheon yesterday. Author John Leavy talked about some of the ideas behind his book Outcome-Based Marketing, and a lot of what he touched on really got me thinking.

I know I’ve written before about businesses pushing their video boundaries. Going beyond the “About Us” video and producing videos that will really appeal to clients, but now I’m more convinced than ever.

If you’re a business leader, act like one. Lead the conversation. Use well-produced videos to tell stories about the issues facing your industry.

Don’t worry so much about promoting yourself. Your expertise will speak for itself. When people view you as an expert in your field, their business will follow.

Any good examples out there?

–Tony Gnau

Posting video on YouTube isn’t enough. Facebook, Twitter… all social media need to be in play. Businesses have to share their videos using these tools if they really want some benefit in the end.

There’s even new research to prove it. ReelSEO reports that videos shared through social media outperform those that don’t. One of the key reasons is allowing others to share your videos gives them more credibility.

People trust their friends. If someone you know posts a video, you’re more likely to watch it than if a business sends you the link.

Getting your videos out into the social web could turn a fun marketing project into a profitable investment.

–Tony Gnau

While the social media world is all a-buzz about Google+, I’ve been focused on something else… Netflix.

The DVD and streaming video giant changed its subscription structure and raised prices, outraging many loyal customers. I wasn’t exactly outraged, but it did cause me to start looking at alternative services and it really got me thinking about corporate video.

The rise of online streaming services means yet another way to deliver video into people’s homes. Only now you can bypass computers and send it straight to their televisions.

AppleTV, Roku, Playstation, many Blu-Ray players… these are all devices incorporating online video streaming capabilities and allowing people to received countless “channels” featuring tons of videos, movies, and TV shows.

While the world wonders about business applications for Google+, they’re easy to see in this area. People following a company through social media may soon find those feeds delivering videos to their TVs. There’s already a Facebook channel on my Roku player where I can watch video. Vimeo has a channel as well. Sooner or later someone’s going to develop software to consolidate channels into a single feed making them even easier to browse.

Yet another way for a company to deliver its message.

–Tony Gnau