Hi! This is Armand. I interrupt your regularly scheduled Weekly Reads to bring you highlights and lessons from this year’s National Association of Broadcasters conference. Justin, Will and I recently strutted our way through the smoky neon haze of Las Vegas to learn about the latest and greatest of broadcast technology and best practices. Justin and I both delved deep into showroom floor’s bustling array of gizmos and gadgets while Will spent his time soaking up some knowledge from the movers, shakers and content creators that presented at various sessions throughout the week. I will break down some of our key takeaways from the conference, as well as notable brands or companies to keep an eye on.
Content Length: Not Everything Needs to be Bite-Sized Anymore
Nick Ford-Young of Black Tomato Vacations says that almost all brands he works with think they need tons of bite-sized video. That’s not always the case. His team worked with United and British Airlines to create a video series that celebrated the differences between Brits and Americans, and each episode was about seven minutes long. Marc Battaglia of Marriott International underscored the point beautifully: “I always ask my team one question before we launch any video project – ‘Would you actually seek this out and watch this?’ You have to understand that your true competition in the digital video space is not your competitors. It’s other storytellers.”
Doing More With Less
The one-man band/swiss army knife approach to video production is in, and it’s thriving. In an age where content is key, companies and manufacturers are constantly looking for more efficient ways to produce high-quality content. Filmmaker Eduardo Angel gave small crews advice on how to establish the “language” of their video projects, and do as much prep work ahead of time to maximize their time spent on set. Other companies like Aladdin Lights have created high powered LED panels that harness the power of a professional studio with a lighting solution that is flexible, convenient and controllable through an app.
Make Your Storytelling Go Five-Levels Deep
Valentina Vee was tired of her job editing makeup tutorials for Youtube artists, so she set out to tell meaningful stories that she could sink her time and talent into. Valentina began partnering with artists and causes that she was passionate about. She realized she could tell the most powerful stories by investing TIME in her subjects, even if it didn’t directly relate to the video. Having clear goals, finding the right emotions to appeal to, and making the time to go deep with her interview subjects, are just a few of the ways that Valentina has been able to produce compelling videos like this fundraiser for a child with Sanfilippo Syndrome.
Helping your Video Content Stand Out
Nick Ford-Young of Black Tomato Vacations added that with the technology available in this day and age, anyone can shoot beautiful video. Savvy marketers produce content that strategically hooks you, and agencies and brands often look for video producers outside their own industries to help them pull together content that stands out. Lisa Verbeck of Tourism Australia emphasized Nick’s point perfectly: “Literally everyone has the shot of a sea turtle in the water.”
You’re Not Crazy; Everyone has a Podcast — And that’s Not a Bad Thing
As Amplifi CEO Steve Goldstein so eloquently put it, podcasts are like backsides (although he didn’t say backsides) — everyone has one, and a lot of them stink. In fact, there are 700,000 podcasts right now and, Steve continued, “there will be 500 more by the end of this session.” And while some of them do indeed stink, Steve also acknowledges that the majority of them don’t. And when posed the question about whether the podcast market is reaching the point of over-saturation, he pointed to YouTube and Netflix. “There are literally millions of YouTubers, and the majority of them are surviving and thriving because they’ve found their niche,” Steve said. “And then there’s Netflix. You think they produced 700 original titles in 2018 because they needed to fill air time? They did because they’ve identified a virtually endless stream of niches that drive their ROI.”
Project Highlight
KerrieJoy “Conscious” | Tennyson Center for Children
KerrieJoy, TEDx performer and sexual assault survivor, spent time with childhood victims of abuse, neglect and trauma at Tennyson Center this year. This powerful rallying cry was the result.
