Tag Archives: storytelling

I ran into an interesting guy yesterday. We got to talking and he asked me what I do. I told him about T60 and that we produce mostly PR and marketing videos.

That peaked his interest.

Turns out he teaches at Northwestern’s business school, and specializes in… wait for it… marketing. That started a back-and-forth, and I don’t know who was more interested in what the other had to say.

The big takeaway I got from the conversation was that we’re on the right track. I told him how I don’t think of us as marketers, that I believe we are storytellers first and foremost. He loved hearing that and talked about how he’s teaching the same thing in the classroom.

Nice to hear the next generation of marketing students are going to be on the same page as our story when they graduate.

–Tony Gnau

I’ll tell you what… American Airlines is producing some pretty good videos. If you’re in marketing or public relations, you should be taking notes because they’re doing a lot of things right.

American is in total PR mode. The CEO is reportedly on a “recovery” tour, pumping up customers and employees following the company filing for bankruptcy last November.

To go along with the tour, company officials produced a video. It’s terrific. Nothing revolutionary, just good videography, nice editing and solid storytelling.

One of the reasons I’m highlighting it is because the first two-thirds is simply a good example of an “About Us” video. It features customers and employees, and it’s just great to see how a major corporation produces something every company should have on its website.

For you small business owners, or you PR/marketing folks who help small business owners, there’s no reason you can’t have a quality video like this produced. Some of the shooting techniques might be toned down a bit to save costs, but the storytelling and message are totally doable.

–Tony Gnau

You don’t need a big production to create good videos. You don’t even need a big budget, and T60 is ready to prove it.

$500. That’s the price-point for our latest service. We’re calling them “Elevator Pitch Videos.”

I don’t typically write about the services we offer. This blog isn’t meant to be a sales vehicle. It’s a platform to discuss our passion… storytelling.

I decided, however, to write about this particular service because I run into so many business owners with the same problem. They understand the power of video, and they would love something for their company’s website and social media… but they don’t have the cash.

I’m a small business owner myself, so trust me, I get it. That’s why we developed this service.

Clients get a 1-hour shoot. During that time we conduct an interview of sorts where they give us their elevator pitch. What they do, what sets them apart, and how they want their clients to feel after working with them. We shoot a little raw video, then take it all back and put together a short video.

It’s basic but professional. It’s high-quality but budget friendly. It’s just what a lot of small businesses need.

–Tony Gnau

I’m changing my title. You can do that sort of thing when you own your own business. The tough thing is choosing one.

I’m the founder, president and CEO, but I’m also a videographer, writer and editor. I don’t like any of those.

What I really am is the Chief Storytelling Officer. It’s a good title for a couple of reasons. First, it accurately describes what I do for our clients. I help tell their stories.

Second, I’m T60’s storyteller. I’m in charge of telling T60’s story. It’s not so much about when we started, the type of equipment we use, or listing our clients. Our story is all about our passion for video and storytelling. I’m in charge of getting that message out.

I hope your company has a Chief Storytelling Office… even if they don’t have the title.

–Tony Gnau

Ground Zero: September 13, 2010

We have a New York City shoot this week. I’m sure we’ll have more in the future, but I think all of them combined will have a tough time competing with our first.

We walked on Ground Zero.

There it is. Top that. It was about as powerful a shoot as I think we’ll ever have.

We produced a story on a former Chicagoland cop who walked from the Windy City to the Big Apple to raise money for fallen first responders and military families.

The shoot at Ground Zero happened by chance. While we were shooting outside the site, one of the Port Authority cops patrolling the area asked what we were up to. After telling her about the walk, she escorted us inside and introduced us to her boss. He then led us onto the site.

Talk about a video that shifted gears.

That’s a good lesson for everyone producing videos. Don’t get married to your plans. A great opportunity presented itself to us, and within 5-minutes we completely shifted the story we were telling.

Powerful, spontaneous moments will almost always trump a good plan.

–Tony Gnau

We have a shoot for a new client this week, and I knew I liked them when they gave us sample videos of the type of stories they like… from Starbucks.

Flat-out… Starbucks produces some great videos. I’ve blogged about them in the past, and they clearly understand the power of storytelling.

They also understand that featuring their own people is a great way to highlight  their company. Your team makes your business work, and they’re also your secret salespeople. They’re great subjects for videos because they’re real… authentic.

Real audiences relate to real people.

–Tony Gnau

Music is a great thing to add to a video. It’s important however to pick the right music.

If you’re producing a business video for PR or marketing purposes, make sure to choose royalty-free music. We run into a lot of clients who have a popular song in mind for their videos, not thinking about needing the rights to use that music.

Royalty-free music allows you to set a mood and do it on a budget.

–Tony Gnau

Video is a great way to take people behind-the-scenes of your company, and I have a terrific example for you today.

American Airlines sent this video out yesterday via Facebook… Where does a bag go after it’s checked?

It’s exactly what a behind-the-scenes video should be. American takes something they do everyday that we never get to see… move and transport luggage… and show us exactly how it’s done.

What do you do at your business that goes unseen? It doesn’t have to be something as technically complicated as moving bags. Even something simple can be elevated with quality storytelling.

Take people behind-the-scenes and show them the great things you do when they’re not looking.

–Tony Gnau

As the election draws closer, I’m sure I’ll be blogging more and more about the candidates’ web videos. The good, the bad… the pointless. Today, we take a look at the latest Obama video.

I have to say, it’s a letdown. President Obama’s videos during the 2008 election were pretty darn good. Okay, they were great. He clearly has some talented storytellers working for him. I think that’s why this one surprised me.

It’s titled, America the Beautiful. The White House rolled it out for Independence Day, but it’s just a hodgepodge of clips set to music. It’s like they couldn’t decide if it should be a campaign video or just something patriotic for the holiday.

It’s a good lesson though. You should have a clear vision for your story. Once you do… commit to it. You might have some great raw video, but if it doesn’t support your story it doesn’t belong in the final product.

Commit to the story and stay away from the hodgepodge.

–Tony Gnau

Courtesy: CBS News

Last week, I blogged a little about the notion of watching. Watching videos you like, dissecting them, learning from them, and applying similar techniques to your own videos.

Today, I’m going to help you find some good videos to watch, and I’m turning to TV news because that’s where you’ll find my roots.

The organization that most inspired me to improve myself as a video storyteller is the National Press Photographers Association. I was working at my first TV station in Kearney, NE when I went to an NPPA seminar in Omaha. Mind blowing. Here’s a link to last year’s NPPA award winners… Best of Photojournalism 2011.

Looking for daily inspiration? There’s a terrific Facebook group called, “Storytellers.” TV news photographers post their stories and ask for feedback from their peers. I’ve seen a lot of good stuff there.

Finally, my favorite storyteller is my mentor… Steve Hartman of CBS News. Steve was more than generous with his time when I was a young reporter. I used to send him my stories, he’d critique them, and I followed every piece of advice he gave me. He’s been the man behind a few feature segments at CBS, but his current one is entitled, “On the Road,” and it airs every Friday. If you find a guy who’s a better feature reporter and storyteller, please let me know.

Enjoy!

–Tony Gnau