Month: June 2018

  • Top 9 Things Every Client Should Know Before Contacting a Video Editor or Producer

    Most clients who hire video editors or producers do so because they have little or no knowledge in video production and are in search for an expert. So, as a new client, how do you address the video editor you contact so that he/she understand what you are looking for? There are many components which when compiled together, makes a winning video.

    Each of these items has a name or a keyword. Knowing the various components that makes a video is crucial. It will make your communication with the producer or editor smooth and easy. Here are some of the common components that you should know

    Script

    This may sound straight forward to many,  but surprisingly , some clients can\’t fathom the need for a script in a video. To understand why a script is an important element for your video read my post on writing a winning explainer video script to learn more.

    Story board 

    Once you have the script ready, the producer will work alongside you in creating a storyboard for your video. This is a sketch of how your video will be presented in real time. Storyboard is best designed in slideshow style or table style where script is broken down into sections with proposed videos/images/graphics inserted for each text line.

    Background audio music/voice over 

    Some scripts will need just background music or voice over to accompany the video presentation. This is one of the components that makes up your video. It\’s therefore important that you are aware of the right term to use for the editor or producer to understand you well.

    Intro and Outro 

    This is a branding component that is used in the introduction and at the end of your video. The intro may be your own company logo animated and it\’s Outro being how your customers can contact you for service. This is very important as it shows your users that you own the video.

    Video Quality and Format  

    This is the level of quality the video will be shared. Currently, the most common video quality is HD 1080 (high definition) and UHD (Ultra High Definition)2k, 4k. To learn more about video quality, please read video resolution definitions on demand in 2018. When it comes to video format, there are several formats available outside there. The most used forma that plays in most devices is .mp4 and .m4v.  To learn more about the latest video formats read four commonly used video file formats online in 2018.

    Lower Thirds 

    These are the text or graphics that appears below the video as it is playing. The best example is the name of a person in an interview. Sometimes it\’s the phone number or website address. Make this know the editor from the onset if you need them.

    Subtitles is the text transcription of the voice over in the video. It appears as it is spoken below the video. In some occasions where there is no voice, subtitle text appears on the screen to explain what is happening.

    FTP 

    FTP  stand for File sharing Protocol. Most of you subscribe to it. This where you will share your folders and files. The most common FTPs outside there is Dropbox and Google drive. FTP allows to collaborate with the freelancer easily and speed up the process of production.

    Video thumbnail  

    Finally when the video completed and ready for publishing, video thumbnail is crucial. It will prompt viewers to click on it and play the video in most common video publishing sites like YouTube.

    These are nine common things you should know as a client before you contact a producer. Most of the editors will ask you to provide some of these. It will be a bit confusing if you do not understand what they mean.

    Do you have anythings else you think the client should know? Please share in the comments area.

    Till next time, bye bye and take care!

    If you need professional help on video, let me know by sending me an e-mail on connect@cheptiony.com

    Don\’t forget to give me a thumbs up and leave a comment below.

    Also, follow me on twitter @cheptiony 

  • Writing an Explainer Video Script that Stands Out

    If you are an animator or video creator, then you know the power of working on a video with a creatively written script. It\’s exciting, it\’s thrilling; I mean there no words to describe it. Visualization of characters when working on the storyboard is mind blowing.

    Now, not everyone can differentiate between a creatively written script and one that is not. With the advent of sales letter templates that you can buy online for as low as $5 on fiverr.com, anyone can be a writer in a fortnight. But what\’s the difference between an originally crafted script and a script written out from a template? Well, here is how you can tell.

    Writers Understanding of the Product and it’s Connection with the Customer 

    A creative writer who knows how to play around with human psychology will first take time to understand the product the client is trying to sell to his customers. Marketing is all about playing around with human  emotions. Before he/she starts scripting, he/she will use most of his time to research and identify  one thing that the product solves and devise the script to magnify the problem in many dimensions that the prospect could not think of. This part of the script is the ‘anchor.’ The first 150 words of the script should knock the readers socks off and make them want to know more about the solution being offered to them. This is where you can introduce the product.

    Ability to Connect the Problem with the Product 

    Since I work most of the time on explainer videos for apps and software’s, the second section of the script should go straight to address how the product in questions will solve the problem. Mention the common keywords that the user is aware of. As you do this, visualize that the same features is being shown on the video. Simplify the the process and focus on the pain points. In other words, the solution should sound like it\’s possible to achieve it with a ‘single click.’

    Proper Approach on Call to Action 

    Don’t take a lot of time showing the product. 60 seconds or less is enough. Tell them how they can make use of the product by taking action you ask them to. If the product being sold is on offer for the first month, say so. It\’s also important to consider a person watching the video from youtube when writing your call to action.

    These three things are most crucial. If the writer fails to connect this, then, the entire script might be totally confusing when deciphered into video. If you have anything else to add to my list, let me know on the comments below. Till next  time, bye bye and take care.

    If you need professional help on video, let me know by sending me an e-mail here.

    Also, follow me on twitter @cheptiony 

  • Tips to Writing a Winning Script for Demo Videos and How to Video Tutorials

    Whoever said writing is an art forgot to mention that it’s one of the most of powerful ART of selling. Now lets focus on that part ‘selling‘.  When it comes to video production, it’s the same, your interpret the script into video.

    Now, before any idea is presented in form of a video, One has to put his/her concept in words. So, how do you write a simple yet easy to understand video demo/tutorial script that deeply connects with your customer/user?

    Look at the Product/Software/App from the Targeted Customers Eye

    Most software demos/tutorials serve two purposes; to either show the customer how to perform a task within a software or app or give them reasons why they should buy your software or app. Either way, the customer is in control. The best way to look at this is to base your script on the problem that the customer is having and tell them how your product solves it. You can use rhetoric questions to capture your customer attention. Tell them first why the problem costs them a lot of time or money. Then now show them step by step the software’s saves them a great deal.

    Introduce What You Are Going to do And End With a Thank You Note 

    Before you start your video tutorial, tell your viewers what you are going to show them. For instance, You can say …….in this video tutorial, I am going to show you how to download sales reports from your user dashboard.\’ From the onset, the viewer is prepared to learn what you are going to show them. Once you are done with the tutorial, thank your viewer and ask them for any favor. i.e Like our youtube channel and so on.

    Go Straight Forward to The Solution if Its a Video Tutorial 

    Most video tutorials are done for people who are already using the software/application/website. Such users already know about the product and are just looking for steps to troubleshoots issues arising from using the software. Try as much as possible to go straight to the point and cut the BS. Be as brief as possible and explain the steps they need to take using  simple language that is understood by anyone irrespective of level they are in. Users will love you for this.

    Write in a Conversational Tone 

    Any person viewing a video tutorial always assume that whoever is presenting it is a expert. And at the back of their mind, they know that experts are masters of any given product/service and thus they don\’t use any script when doing video tutorials. This is many cases, is not true. someone writes the script and  someone else voices it. Now, when writing your script, imagine you were the presenter recording the voice over for the script and write it in that tone.

    Use short sentences and cut the BS 

    If you are not aware, people like short video tutorials with no B.S. They like videos that go straight to the point and shows them exactly how to do it (whatever they wanted to do) in the shortest time possible. Always be that script writer who strives to achieve that.

    That is all from me here. As always, I am always here to help with anything regarding to video tutorials. Just message on the contact us page. If you have any additional advise that you think it will be beneficial to the me and the reader, don\’t hesitate to share in the comments are below.

    Till next time, bye bye and let’s lets utilize the art of writing in selling.

    If you need professional help on video, let me know here.

    Also, follow me on twitter @cheptiony

  • Five Best Websites to Download Free No Watermark HD Videos to Incorporate to Your Video Project

    Sometimes, your screencast demo video will not send a clear message until you splice it up with either an illustration or a real life video. Getting someone to do motion graphics or cartoon illustrations can either be costly(if you are a start up) or time consuming -if you are working on tight deadline.

    Video-Five Best Websites to Download Free No Watermark HD Videos to Incorporate to Your Video Project

    This applies mostly to short promo videos of 30-90 seconds that appear on the landing pages of a website or mobile app stores. In most cases, the number of videos you may need incorporated into your demo range from 5-10.

    It\’s worth noting that most of the sites listed here make regular updates and now upload free 4K videos as well.

    Here are 5 sites that I found useful and recommend.

    www.pexels.com

    All videos are licensed under the Creative Commons Zero (CC0) license. This means you can edit or change the videos and use them free for personal and even for commercial projects. All without asking for permission or setting a link to the source. So that means attribution is not required.

    www.videvo.net

    This is one of my favorites when it comes to getting free motion graphics videos. Though some Video clips here carry the Creative Commons 3.0 license which must be attributed the original author, it’s has a wide range of videos.

    The videos range from animals, industry, food and drink and more. Just click on the category you want and you will be presented with several videos that you can choose from. You can also easily switch between motion graphics and Footage on the site.

    www.pixabay.com

    Pixabay is a vibrant community of creatives, sharing copyright free images and videos. All content here is released under Creative Commons zero, which makes them safe to use without asking for permission or giving credit to the artist – even for commercial purposes. Unlike other free video sites, Pixabay offers vector graphics, photos and illustrations. Just type in the video you are searching for on the search button here. Most videos on Pixabay are hosted on Vimeo.

    www.vidsplay.com

    This site only has free unique videos that you can download in HD. Vidsplay is currently adding new video footage on a weekly basis. You are granted non-exclusive rights to use and download the video material without the need to pay royalties for each use. Make sure you read the Terms page for further information regarding usage.

    www.pikwizard.com

    So next time when planning to produce a promotional demo video for your software or application, take a moment to go through these sites and find the best fit footage to splice it up. Demo videos looks more professional and appealing when footages of real people is incorporated.

    If you need help with either scripting or sifting through thousands of these videos and adding them to your videos, let me know from the contacts us page and request a free quote here.

    Otherwise, if you know of other resourceful places to get royalty free videos, let me know from the comments below.

    Until next time, bye bye and take care.

    Also, follow me on twitter @cheptionymutai