Corporate Video Production

In this updated edition of Corporate Video Production, Stuart Sweetow teaches aspiring and seasoned videographers how to make imaginative corporate videos with eye-catching designs, rhythmic editing tricks, and essential scriptwriting and interview techniques. Readers will learn how to shoot on location or in a studio, work with employees-turned-actors, find new clients, and produce online videos and podcasts for corporations, government agencies, and nonprofit organizations. Additionally, this new edition includes discussion questions, chapter summaries, and professional tips, and covers live webcasting, mobile devices, shooting in 4K, microvideos, microcameras, and storytelling techniques for corporate social responsibility programs. The companion website (www.routledge.com/cw/sweetow) features downloadable forms and further resources.

Stuart Sweetow is a video producer specializing in corporate video production and informational videos. His career started in 1970 when he won first place in the Southern Illinois University Film Festival, after which he worked as a staff video producer for corporations for several years until he founded Audio Visual Consultants, a video production company specializing in producing training and marketing videos for corporations and nonprofit organizations. He taught video production for seven years at the University of California Berkeley Extension, and has written over 100 articles on video for various magazines.

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Corporate Video.indb 2 14/06/2016 09:31 Corporate Video Production Beyond the Board Room (And Out of the Bored Room)

Second Edition

Stuart Sweetow

Corporate Video.indb 3 14/06/2016 09:31 Second edition published 2017 by Routledge 711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017 and by Routledge 2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business © 2017 Taylor & Francis The right of Stuart Sweetow to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilized in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe. First edition published by Focal Press 2011 Disclaimer: Nothing in this book is intended as legal advice or to substitute for the personalized advice of a lawyer. Each state has its own laws, and laws may change or be subject to exceptions that are not covered by this book. There are no guarantees as to the accuracy or applicability of the legal information presented here. Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data A catalog record for this book has been requested

ISBN: 978-1-138-91599-2 (hbk) ISBN: 978-1-138-91093-5 (pbk) ISBN: 978-1-315-68988-3 (ebk)

Typeset in Utopia and Univers by Keystroke, Station Road, Codsall, Wolverhampton

Corporate Video.indb 4 14/06/2016 09:31 This book is dedicated to my beautiful bride, Sandy, who gave me encouragement and patience, and also found us a home with an office for me to write.

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Corporate Video.indb 6 14/06/2016 09:31 CONTENTS vii

CONTENTS

Preface to the First Edition...... xv Preface to the Second Edition...... xvii Acknowledgments...... xix

Chapter 1 Case Studies...... 1 Introduction...... 1 Corporate Social Responsibility: “Google Earth Heroes”...... 2 Videos Documenting Community Service at Scotts...... 3 Hamburger University and Sustainability at McDonald’s...... 4 Consulting Firm Booz Allen Hamilton...... 5 Scripted Videos with Professional Talent: World Savings...... 7 Recruiting with Video: Facebook Headquarters...... 10 A Consumer Products Manufacturer...... 11 Shared Content: Safeway...... 13 Movie Production and IMAG Display: Berkshire Hathaway...... 14 Summary of Key Points and Takeaways...... 23 Discussion Questions...... 25 Chapter 2 Marketing Yourself as a Producer...... 27 Introduction...... 27 A Personal Message from an Independent Video Producer...... 28 Getting Started and Getting Business...... 29 Volunteering for Nonprofits...... 29 Your Business Plan...... 31 Writing the Video Production Proposal ...... 32 Requests for Proposals and Requests for Qualifications...... 33 Business Accounting, Licenses, and Taxes...... 34 Business Insurance...... 35 Hiring Help...... 37 Business Formations...... 37 Summary of Key Points and Takeaways...... 41 Discussion Questions...... 41 Chapter 3 Video Project Proposals...... 43 Introduction...... 43 Sample Proposal: The Metropolitan Transportation Commission...... 44

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Sample Proposal: Accounting Training Videos...... 52 Important Considerations When Writing a Proposal...... 54 Summary of Key Points and Takeaways...... 55 Discussion Questions...... 55 Chapter 4 Budgeting the Corporate Video Production...... 57 Introduction...... 57 Determining the Costs...... 58 Above and Below the Line...... 59 The Executive Producer...... 60 What to Leave In, What to Leave Out...... 61 Budget Management...... 63 Distribution and Marketing Budget...... 63 The Bottom Line...... 64 Summary of Key Points and Takeaways...... 64 Discussion Questions...... 65 Chapter 5 The Role of the Producer in Corporate Video...... 67 Introduction...... 67 The Producer–Director...... 67 Above the Line...... 68 The Producer as Team Motivator...... 69 The In-House Producer...... 70 The Contract/Freelance Producer...... 75 Script Development...... 76 Production Management...... 77 Summary of Key Points and Takeaways...... 79 Discussion Questions...... 80 Chapter 6 Directing Corporate Videos...... 81 Introduction...... 81 Directing Professional Talent...... 81 Shooting the CEO...... 83 Employees as Actors: Directing Nonprofessional Talent...... 86 Auditioning the Talent...... 88 Directing the Crew...... 88 Directing Live Switching ...... 89 Script Markup and the Shot Sheet...... 90 Directing the Edit...... 91 The Unique Position of the Corporate Video Director...... 92 Summary of Key Points and Takeaways...... 93 Discussion Questions...... 94

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Chapter 7 Production Coordination...... 95 Introduction...... 95 Production Management...... 96 Script Breakdown...... 97 Daily Call Sheets...... 99 Daily Production Reports...... 99 The Assistant Director...... 100 The Production Assistant...... 100 Interview with a Production Manager and Producer...... 101 Producer Support...... 106 Summary of Key Points and Takeaways...... 108 Discussion Questions...... 109

Chapter 8 Corporate Scriptwriting...... 111 Introduction...... 111 Determining Objectives...... 111 Research, Concept Development, and Brainstorming...... 112 Facts + Frameworks = Concept...... 114 The Audience...... 115 The Treatment...... 115 Writing for the Visual Element...... 116 Writing for the Spoken Word...... 117 Describing Visuals ...... 118 Script Formats...... 118 Writing Dialog...... 121 Writing Documentary Scripts...... 122 Script Drafts...... 122 Summary of Key Points and Takeaways...... 124 Discussion Questions...... 125

Chapter 9 Legal Considerations...... 127 Introduction...... 127 Trade Secrets and Nondisclosure...... 128 Contracts...... 128 Safety Issues...... 129 Permissions, Releases, and Permits...... 130 Copyrights...... 132 Distribution Agreements...... 134 Legal Considerations If You Are a Freelancer...... 135 Summary of Key Points and Takeaways...... 136 Discussion Questions...... 137

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Chapter 10 Talent: Working with Talent, Coaching the Executive, and Appearing On-Camera Yourself...... 139 Introduction...... 139 Coaching Nonprofessional Talent...... 140 On-Camera Reporters and Guests...... 140 The Floor Director...... 141 Professional Narration: On-Camera and Voice-Over...... 142 Actors for Dramatic Roles...... 143 Wardrobe...... 143 Makeup...... 144 On-Camera Training and Presentation Skills...... 145 Summary of Key Points and Takeaways...... 146 Discussion Questions...... 147

Chapter 11 Location Shooting...... 149 Introduction...... 149 How Mr. Murphy Stole from My Big-Budget Video Production...... 150 Location Scouting...... 151 Logistics on Location...... 152 Nondisruptive Equipment Setups...... 154 Summary of Key Points and Takeaways...... 157 Discussion Questions...... 158

Chapter 12 The Interview Format...... 159 Introduction...... 159 Preparation...... 160 Shooting an Interview Sequence...... 161 The Single-Camera Interview Shoot...... 162 Employing Composition and Continuity in Interview Filming...... 163 Notes to the Interviewer...... 165 Remote Interviews...... 167 Post-Production...... 167 The Impact of Interviews in Corporate Videos...... 168 Summary of Key Points and Takeaways...... 169 Discussion Questions...... 169

Chapter 13 Aesthetic Considerations...... 171 Introduction...... 171 Branding Complementation...... 171

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Creative Corporate Camera Work...... 172 Composition...... 174 Continuity...... 176 Moving the Camera...... 177 Art Direction and Set Design ...... 178 Wardrobe, Makeup, and Hair...... 181 The Importance of Aesthetics in Corporate Videos...... 183 Summary of Key Points and Takeaways...... 183 Discussion Questions...... 184

Chapter 14 Technical Considerations...... 185 Introduction...... 185 Enterprise-Grade Cameras...... 186 Lenses...... 187 Camera Support...... 190 Exposure Metering ...... 192 4K and 8K Cameras...... 193 Mobile Studios...... 194 Teleprompters...... 195 Audio and Lighting...... 197 Post-Production...... 200 Compression...... 201 Storage Solutions...... 202 Hardware Acceleration...... 204 High-Definition Editing Formats...... 204 Electronic Filters: Softening the Skin...... 205 Compositing and Effects...... 206 Multi-Camera Editing ...... 208 4K Editing...... 208 Technical Considerations Specific to Corporate Video Production...... 208 Summary of Key Points and Takeaways...... 209 Discussion Questions...... 210

Chapter 15 Training Videos...... 211 Introduction...... 211 Cost Justification for Training Video...... 211 Video as a Consistent and Repeatable Training Medium...... 213 Video as an Engaging and Exciting Medium...... 213 Call Center Training...... 216 Safety Training...... 217

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Product Training for Retail Customers...... 218 New Employee Orientation...... 219 Media Training...... 220 Presentation and Speech Training ...... 221 In-House Video Repurposed for External Distribution...... 222 When Video Is Not Effective...... 224 Instructional Design...... 225 Summary of Key Points and Takeaways...... 225 Discussion Questions...... 226

Chapter 16 Marketing and Social Media...... 227 Introduction...... 227 YouTube...... 228 Embedding Videos...... 230 GoPro and User-Generated Videos...... 230 ULTA and “Haul Videos”...... 231 Short Vines by Big Corporations...... 231 Instagram: 15 Seconds of Fame...... 233 Burberry, Instagram, and Apple...... 233 Engagement Objects on Websites...... 234 Top Corporations’ Video Sites...... 235 Facebook, Twitter, and Other Sharing Sites...... 237 The Importance of Social Media...... 242 Summary of Key Points and Takeaways...... 243 Discussion Questions...... 243

Chapter 17 Corporate Events: Filming Conferences and Meetings...... 245 Introduction...... 245 Shooting in an Auditorium...... 246 IMAG Projection...... 247 Lighting Considerations...... 248 Mics at Meetings...... 249 Feeding the Audio and Video to a Remote Site...... 252 Live Streaming of Meetings...... 252 Conference Highlight Videos...... 254 The Value of Recording Corporate Events...... 254 Summary of Key Points and Takeaways...... 256 Discussion Questions...... 257

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Chapter 18 Nonprofit Organizations...... 259 Introduction...... 259 Multiple Constituencies: The Politics of Nonprofits...... 259 Case Studies: Nonprofits...... 260 Universities...... 266 Hospitals and Medical Centers...... 268 Government...... 269 Working for Nonprofits...... 269 Summary of Key Points and Takeaways...... 272 Discussion Questions...... 273

Chapter 19 Video Distribution: Live Streaming, Video on Demand, and Videoconferencing...... 275 Introduction...... 275 Live Streaming...... 276 H.264, H.265, VP9, Flash, HTML5, and WebM...... 278 Streaming Appliances...... 279 Videoconferencing and Collaboration Technology...... 282 Content Delivery Networks...... 285 Satellite Distribution...... 287 Cloud Storage...... 289 The Enterprise Content Delivery System...... 289 Summary of Key Points and Takeaways...... 290 Discussion Questions...... 291

Chapter 20 Mobile Video Production and Delivery: Smartphones, Tablets, Drones, and Microcameras.... 293 Introduction...... 293 Optimizing Videos for Mobile...... 294 The Smartphone Videomaking Class...... 294 Lenses for Smartphones: ExoLens...... 298 Apps for Smartphones: FiLMiC Pro...... 299 Microvideos and Mobile Delivery: A Marriage Made in the Cloud...... 299 iPads in the Boardroom...... 300 Drones in the Boardroom...... 301 Summary of Key Points and Takeaways...... 304 Discussion Questions...... 304

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Appendix...... 305 Sample Budget 1...... 305 Sample Budget 2...... 310 Sample Budget 3...... 317

Glossary...... 319 Bibliography...... 333 Index...... 337

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PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION

Corporate video production has come of age. At one time, cinematographers referred to corporate videos as “industrials,” a genre to which they retreated between making “real” films. Talking-head videos or unimaginative safety films dominated the field, and too often one might hear the word “boring” pre- cede the term “corporate video.” However, as professional video tools came down in price, corporations invested in cameras and editing gear. A generation of enthusiastic filmmakers who sought access to those tools took jobs in the corporate world. While broadcast television was reducing staff, corporate media centers grabbed the best and the brightest. The television producer who craves the excitement of a live broadcast will get that adrenaline rush by transmitting a shareholders’ meeting live to viewers at home. The ambitious video professional who wants to meet a top corporate CEO has an opportunity to film him or her giving a talk and beaming it via satellite to employees worldwide. In addition to TV producers entering the corporate arena, Hollywood cinematographers discovered that corporate executives were not as stuffy as they once thought. Over the years, innovative companies developed communication departments with creative staffs. They sought imaginative filmmakers to apply their cinematic artistry to produce engaging marketing and training videos. As corporations developed social responsibility programs and discovered YouTube as an avenue to reach the public, documentary filmmakers found they could support causes in line with their own humanitarian values. Many companies have equipped their video departments with cutting-edge post-production applications and network storage infrastructures. Some organizations send video messages via their satellite networks, and growing numbers use IP distribution. When researching this book, I found a trend where corporate video producers favored location filming over studio production. Smaller HD cameras enable speed and flexibility, and many video producers now edit videos on their laptops during the flight home from a shoot. Throughout this book I have included examples of video applications that corporations use, such as customer communications, product announcements, employee training, and public relations. Social media has enabled corporations to relate to the public in an interactive way. Nearly every major corporation has a YouTube channel, and many companies film their customers giving testimonials or praising their products. Sometimes

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ordinary people say surprising things on camera, such as the Chicago woman who said she and her neighbors were praying that Walmart would open a store in their community. You’ll read about that and other unexpected uses of YouTube in Chapter 16. The production values of some corporate videos now rival those of Hollywood. AT&T created a series showing twenty- something singles texting and exchanging files on smartphones with AT&T data plans. An educational film from Honda about their humanoid robot ASIMO combines elements of a science- fiction film with artistic cinematography. IBM produced a series of videos for their “Smarter Planet” YouTube channel that incorporate multilayered imagery together with smartly edited interviews. Savvy video producers have reinvented presentations by using innovative production techniques to create videos that remove the boredom factor. There is no reason why employees or customers should be sentenced to “death by PowerPoint” now that video producers can create lively presentations with creatively composed video clips, dynamic 3D graphics, and carefully crafted scripts. A well-designed short video has the capability to reach viewers on an emotional level. Poetic writing, rhythmic camera work, and a compelling soundtrack all create synergy to grab the viewers’ hearts and convert visitors into customers. Market researchers understand the incredible impact that video can have on their companies’ bottom lines. Corporations are investing in video services to utilize the medium to the max, and video has become an integrated communications tool in the enterprise. In addition to learning about corporate video production techniques and applying some of the examples shown here, it is wise for you, the video producer, to learn about the values of the company you work for, how they use their brands, and who their customers are. Then you can apply those principles to producing videos that align with the mission of the enterprise. The image of the company is literally in your hands.

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PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION

The video industry has undergone major changes since the first edition of this book was published. Corporations are benefit- ing from the improved economy and are more likely to invest in equipment and personnel. Social media has exploded, and user- generated videos have become commonplace. Mobile video use has skyrocketed, and cell phone makers seem to compete with one another to see who can provide the coolest video features with each new smartphone release. In this updated edition I have added a new chapter devoted specifically to mobile video, including smartphone production, formatting videos for mobile distribution, drones, and tiny action cameras such as the GoPro. I have expanded the section on YouTube to show examples of brands getting video viewer- ship in the millions—rivaling traditional advertising. You’ll read about the huge corporate adoption of microvideo sites, such as Vine and Instagram Video with six-second and fifteen-second run times. Facebook, Twitter, and other social media now let you post videos natively, and I report on the clever ways many corporations have incorporated this feature into their social media marketing programs. You’ll learn about major retailers filming events with smartphones and instantly posting their videos to social media sites. Brand awareness booms as loyal customers repost these videos. In the first edition I reported some skepticism in the corporate world about the benefits of user-generated videos. But you can’t hold back a customer with a smartphone. Buyers boost brands by sharing their experiences of products, and some even produce how-to videos that companies gladly post on their YouTube channels. Some savvy companies tie their shopping pages to videos, so buyers can seamlessly switch between a video screen and their shopping cart. Calls to action (CTAs) include “Subscribe to Our YouTube Channel” and “Buy Now.” I have expanded the first chapter to report on companies’ innovative uses of video. Salesforce filmed Hillary Clinton speaking at their annual convention. London fashion company Burberry created a YouTube channel of jazz performances aligned with new product releases. McDonald’s Hamburger University positioned a bunch of mini-cameras in their simulation lab to analyze the whole buying process—from greeting the customer, to cooking the food, to delivery.

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Employee training and recruitment are demonstrated through such examples as Facebook’s corporate office producing a large collection of short videos featuring employees showing what they do at their jobs. The first chapter includes a section with job postings for typical opportunities in video production. I have also updated the salary ranges for various video jobs. Unfortunately, at the time of writing (May 2015), pay rates are scarcely higher than they were in 2011. This is due to a sluggish economic recov- ery. Hopefully, by the time you read this, companies will be demonstrating more faith in the power of video by paying video producers what we are really worth! Live streaming has benefited from newer technologies, and I report on how companies incorporate live webcasts with advances in teleconferencing and wireless IP transmissions. In the first edition, HD video was all the rage; now you’ll learn about enterprise-grade 4K and 8K video production, and how to wrangle all of that data during production, post-production, and distribution. Cyber-security has become an important concern for corporations, so you will learn various options for corporate media managers to secure video assets. The last thing your company wants is some hack posting inappropriate videos on the company website or sharing private video webinars with the competition. This second edition has more text boxes, all of which feature practical information, such as how to develop your own smartphone video production class for employees or how to embed YouTube videos to the company website. Several colleges and universities use this book as a textbook, and each chapter con- cludes with a summary of key points and takeaways. I have also added discussion questions for teachers of video production to develop course outlines and exams on particular topics. The glossary has been expanded to include several new industry terms, such as “unmanned aerial vehicle” (commonly called a “drone”) and “haul videos” (user-generated videos of customers showing the results of their shopping sprees). Finally, I have developed a companion website (www.routledge. com/cw/sweetow) where you can find links to video samples, download production planning forms, and see the full-color ver- sions of several photos that are printed in black and white in the book. I hope that the website, the text boxes, and all of the updates will help you to play your A-game when producing corporate videos.

Website addresses were correct at the time of writing and may have changed.

Corporate Video.indb 18 14/06/2016 09:31 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS xix

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I’d like to thank my supportive editors at Focal Press/Routledge, Peter Linsley and Simon Jacobs, as well as technical editor David McKnight. My attorney, Richard J. Lee, helped me with my contract and with the chapter on legal considerations. Gini Graham Scott and Troy DuFrene helped me to propose the book. Others who helped with writing the book include Erik Stinson, Jeffrey Marino, Greg Snyder, Steve Gilford, Debbie Brubaker, Larry Kless, Ron Dawson, Erik Westby, Dave Bolick, Jesse Lane, Greg Jarboe, Mark Richardson, Gail Nott, and Jara Queeto.

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Corporate Video.indb 20 14/06/2016 09:31 1 CASE STUDIES

Introduction Digital media and broadband connectivity have influenced the evolution of video production in corporations. Rather than distributing programs on physical media such as DVDs, many companies store (or “host”) the media on computers, and deliver by way of CDNs (content delivery networks) or satellite transmission. Employees watch these videos via live streaming or VOD (video on demand). In addition, live videoconferencing has become an alternative to videotaping meetings. While in past years organizations built their own TV studios, many video managers now prefer to film on location with port- able production gear. Some organizations decentralize video services and train individual departments to use their own camcorders and editing software. Nearly all of the Fortune 100 companies have their own YouTube channels, creating further need for in-house video production. Social media outlets (including Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube) offer opportunities to distribute videos to the general public, and this gives corporate video managers a major responsibility: literally to form the corporation’s image. Companies vary in how they structure their in-house video services. Corporate video units are sometimes called media departments or form part of larger communications departments or divisions. In some cases they charge their client departments for their services and operate as if they were an outside production studio. At other organizations, the video manager needs to propose each year’s budget to the company-wide budget committee. Some video units get their funding from several different departments, and those video managers may have to juggle their priorities. What challenges does a video producer at a large corporation face? Managers want television quality, but often don’t understand the costs involved in achieving this. Planning, research, scripting, hiring talent, producer and director time, other crew and staff time, post-production, and distribution all contribute

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to large production budgets. The task of many video managers is to educate their clients and the department executives about the resources that are needed to produce top-quality video that is both effective and compelling. And, most of the time, the video manager needs to find creative ways to produce a video within a limited budget. Another challenge is getting the client to commit to sticking to a production timeline and reviewing elements as they become available. The video producer needs to be clear with his or her client about the phases during production where the client’s input will be needed. If the client is not ready to review materials, there is a risk that the production may not be completed on time. Let’s take a look at some of the larger corporate video units headquartered in the United States to learn how they operate. You’ll see that there is a wide range of video services that in-house departments offer, and the opportunities for employment or contracting are as varied as the companies themselves.

Corporate Social Responsibility: “Google Earth Heroes” Video producers with high ideals who want to have an impact on the world sometimes shun corporations as they turn to documentary production. At some companies, however, the corporate video team will take on the task of documenting their firm’s dem- onstrations of social responsibility. Such is the case at Google, the Mountain View, California company that spearheads the “Google Earth Heroes” project. According to Google, this is “a way to cele brate the individuals and organizations that have used Google Earth in their efforts to effect change.” One of Google’s video productions documents how Google Earth helps to track the movements of elephants in Kenya. The Google crew filmed an interview with the founder of the group Save the Elephants, and in the YouTube video he explains how Google Earth links to the organization’s remote tracking system. With B-roll of the elephants trekking across the Serengeti and animated graphics keyed over images from Google Earth, the short video serves both as a documentary discussing the problem and as a corporate public relations piece to publicize the Google product. To protect the elephants from poaching or droughts, if an elephant stops moving during its migration, Save the Elephants sends a Google Earth file that shows where the elephant has stopped. Then the Kenyan wildlife patrol can dispatch officers to investigate. Another video that the Google video team produced shows how the U.S. Forest Service uses Google Earth to track fires and

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plot the path through which a fire could spread. The video, also distributed on YouTube, includes animations of Google Earth dis- plays. The Google video team shot interviews on location with Forest Service personnel, who explained that climate change is contributing to fires happening earlier in the year, that the fires are larger than they once were, and that they burn more intensely. Google Earth helps the Forest Service’s Aviation Coordinator to track planes in the air from different agencies and coordinates the firefighting effort. B-roll clips of aircraft and fires add to the visual variety of the video. A series of short, snappy YouTube videos, titled Life at Google (www.youtube.com/user/lifeatgoogle) helps new employees and recruits to get an inside view of the half-million-square-foot Googleplex. Using rapid video montages of employees on the job, accompanied by their voices, and with quick shots of staff on camera in the studio, the viewer learns about the corporate culture at Google. You can view more of Google’s videos on the company’s official YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/user/ Google. Google’s video team is part of the company’s marketing and communications department. The Studio G Team, according to Google, consists of video production and operations professionals who harness their creativity to produce a variety of engaging, on-message ‘Googley’ video communications. We produce these videos for the YouTube audience, and examples include product launches, product demos, branding videos, and executive speeches. Our talented and creative staff shares the ideals of Google’s mission, which is to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.

Videos Documenting Community Service at Scotts Scotts (makers of Miracle-Gro fertilizer), in preparation for their 150th anniversary, developed a community-based growing program called “Grow 1000.” It is part of a Pasadena, California, urban neighborhood revitalization program where the company aims to “find green spaces in unexpected places.” In one YouTube video (https://youtu.be/bG_nyaUtQz4?list=PLCiwgye BDmd85Ncu0pdoY-pFEdsXRbAVw) the firm demonstrates how they teamed up with a Brooklyn neighborhood organization to harvest rainwater for rooftop gardens. Scotts dominates the fertilizer industry with $2.4 billion in sales and national advertising. They must have a loyal follow- ing, because in two months they garnered two million views for

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their 30-second YouTube video titled Miracle-Gro Life Starts Here (https://youtu.be/2McEpKWDkOK). High production values, such as a well-researched and -written script, custom music, and professional narration support a montage of people happily planting, playing and bicycling. Most of the shots show young adults, some expressing affection to one another. There is one shot of a grandpa with a toddler and another of a tattooed young woman and a gray-haired woman re-potting a plant together. The product gets mostly subtle placement.

Hamburger University and Sustainability at McDonald’s Log on to McDonald’s website and you can view The Road to Sustainability, a four-minute video the company produced that shows their work “toward sustainable agriculture production by addressing ethical, environmental, and economic challenges.” A video montage set to music uses text rather than a voice-over narrator to explain such ecofriendly practices as recycling cooking oil and using recycled fiber in packaging. The video producer interested in helping the environment will be pleased to see that this megacorporation partnered with Greenpeace to support a moratorium on illegal deforestation. This video also appears on the McDonald’s YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/user/mcdonaldscorp), as do about 25 others (at the time of writing) on other topics reflecting the company’s efforts at corporate social responsibility. McDonald’s has joined many other major corporations that use YouTube to distribute public relations videos to the general public. Other videos are directed at potential franchisees, with a testimonial from a woman who started as a part-time employee at the age of 15 and now owns a $2 million business. In another YouTube video, new employees and recruits hear crew and managers tell “the truth about working at McDonald’s.” Employee training at McDonald’s is done at the company’s Hamburger University in Oakbrook, Illinois. With a student population of 5,000, the 80-acre campus includes a 300-seat auditorium and 12 interactive education rooms, and it employs 19 resident instructors. The company recently opened a second campus in Shanghai, China. At their Innovation Center, 30 miles away, researchers, engineers, and franchise managers develop new food preparation and handling systems. Several mock restaurants at the training facility are equipped with video cameras to watch the flow of the food, the actor–customers, and the employees. Cameras show cooking activities in the kitchen and customer interactions across the

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counter. A wide-angle camera captures a shot from an overhead observation deck. The team reviews the video recordings as part of their efforts to improve efficiency. The in-house video team produces 30 to 40 live webcasts each week; they also shoot and edit for the company’s YouTube video channels, as well as their own social media delivery network. They produce product videos and tutorials in the studio and on location worldwide, and they frequently hire scriptwriters for customer service video productions. Location filming includes customer testimonials and documentary-style productions. The company has an in-house video channel that accepts footage produced by many departments within the firm. Sometimes a department will purchase and use its own consumer-grade high- definition video cameras, and then send footage to the in-house video team for editing. Then the producer shoots a wraparound opening and closing with a host to create a news-style program that is streamed to internal sales and marketing teams worldwide. The video group is not technically a department. Rather, it is a group that is part of the customer communications department, which itself forms part of the company’s enterprise business group. Different teams of video producers, editors, and crew work for dozens of different teams within the company. When I asked what it takes to get a job or be selected as a freelancer for this company, I was told that staffers are selected to be on a team based on their depth of experience as well as their technical achievements. These may be demonstrated in their portfolios, which are usually found on the applicants’ web pages. In addition to creativity, they need to demonstrate that they have previously produced videos on time and on budget.

Consulting Firm Booz Allen Hamilton Consulting firms are different from manufacturing or distributing companies. They don’t have a product to show, other than the ideas and solutions they can provide for their clients. The company’s video productions become tangible products that represent the intellectual capital they supply to customers. Videos not only represent the corporation’s image but also become concrete examples of the company’s output. Senior associate Jeffrey Marino of Booz Allen Hamilton is in charge of a 17-person media unit that produces multimedia for the company’s website as well as for its YouTube channel and Facebook page. The “Stay Connected” button on the company’s home page points to such social media as YouTube, and the content is mostly short video clips distributed on these user- generated sites. At the time of writing, Booz Allen Hamilton has posted 64 YouTube videos, including the CEO’s minute-long anal-

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ogy of hockey strategy and business success, a three-minute clip from the company-sponsored FIRST Robotics fair, and a three- camera 1-minute 20-second conversation about environmental management. The 22,000-employee company has 100 offices around the world, some of which produce their own videos. At the Virginia headquarters, Marino manages a department that includes two production studios, four post-production suites, and enough gear to shoot on location. They frequently use green screen to incorporate live action with motion graphics and 3D animation to help to explain concepts and ideas. The company distributes its videos almost exclusively via digital media, rather than DVDs or tapes. Videos are usually embedded in a site with other rich media, such as Flash animation. Their post-production facility includes two Avid Nitris and two Final Cut Pro suites. They use file-based workflows with a storage area network (SAN) and network attached storage (NAS) to share media. Marino says that their file-based workflows enable editors to collaborate on projects and manage assets efficiently. However, the challenge is what to do with the assets after a project has been completed and delivered to the client. Footage on P2 cards and XDCAM discs needs to be removed and stored on hard drives. So they developed an asset management system using a Microsoft Access database. The department also provides video support, such as IMAG, for large presentations and conferences. While they document these events with in-house crew and equipment, they subcon- tract with a staging company for lighting and PA. They use a chargeback process to recover labor and expenses, such as actors and narrators, from their client departments. Productions are divided 50/50 between internal and external clients. External clients include public-sector agencies and organizations. Internal productions are developed for staff learning and development, marketing, and general communications. When they produced an orientation video for new hires, according to Marino, “We tried to put a human face to data and websites rather than use a PowerPoint presentation.” He says that they recruit personnel for his department from production agencies and even from TV news stations. Sometimes they recruit staff that have as little as two years’ experience out of college, especially if they are strong artists and are familiar with such graphics programs as Adobe After Effects. “That way, we can help them develop and grow with us,” explains Marino.

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Scripted Videos with Professional Talent: World Savings World Savings’ corporate video unit is a lesson in building a department from the ground up. When the organization decided to produce its training videos in-house rather than contracting with outside production companies, they hired a corporate video specialist, Greg Snyder. The company wisely avoided the trap- pings of Hollywood filmmakers or broadcast television producers with big-name credits. Many of these ambitious producers merely leverage that cachet because they are looking for work and are willing to “settle” for corporate video. Snyder, by contrast, owned his own company that specialized in corporate video—Business Video Productions—and his experience and interest in employee training videos helped to turn World Savings into a world-class financial institution that was eventually acquired by Wells Fargo. When Snyder started, he was the only staffer in the video department. During the first year he produced 12 videos. Fast- forward 15 years, and Snyder had built the department to a staff of 13 employees in two facilities that produced 220 videos in 2014 alone. During Snyder’s tenure, he hired staff based on what he calls a “generalist model.” Producers had to have skills in writing, directing, and editing as well as producing. And a senior producer would even fill in as a second or third camera operator or any other production support position when needed. Together with his staff, Snyder’s department scripted and produced training videos using professional actors as well as employees with strong presentation skills. Overhead costs were kept to a minimum, and all of the videos were shot on location. The closest the company came to a shooting studio was the class- room next door to the video department’s diminutive office. The department produced mainly sales training films for the loan department, and customer service films for tellers and branch managers. Professional talent would reenact situations that frequently come up in the course of a typical day. So a sales film might demonstrate how a model salesperson overcomes objections, or introduce a new product or service. A customer service film would show ways to deal with difficult customers. During the scripting process, Snyder would gather together groups of employees who represented his target audiences and who functioned in a similar way to focus groups. He and his team would lead them in brainstorming sessions that he would record. To kick off the session, Snyder would describe a scene he had in mind, then the group would discuss it on the basis of their own experiences. After the sessions, Snyder would play back the recordings and modify his scripts based on the feedback he had received.

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Snyder’s challenge was to take the somewhat dry subjects of banking and lending and make them engaging. He and his team had fun with their productions, especially when the audience was composed of younger employees and they could get a little playful. While the scripts demonstrated real-life situations, occasionally Snyder would throw in a touch of humor or drama—just a tidbit to grab the attention of his viewers and entertain them.

Finding and Directing Talent Since World Savings was a nonunion shop, the video department would occasionally contract with talent agencies that could supply them with nonunion talent. However, they frequently used their own resources to attract actors for their videos. They would advertise on local job websites and casting-call portals to collect headshots; and three times a year, the department would conduct its own casting calls. These were two or three days of open auditions for those whose headshots best matched the looks and skills they were seeking for actors playing the roles of employees or customers. At the auditions, sometimes 16 candidates a day were given different scenes to act. The scenes were dramatic, humorous, and improvisational. The senior producers filmed the auditions and would work in tag teams to keep their energy up throughout these busy days of casting. Most of the time, the senior prod ucers would select the talent from this pool, but in some cases the client would have the final say. During shooting, Snyder’s directors would frequently have the actors play a scene three different ways: one with strong emotions, one with light emotions, and one somewhere in between. Snyder calls this “emotional bracketing,” and it allowed the team to make edits later, based on the feedback they received from internal focus groups. Snyder used real employees as news reporters for a company- wide news program that was part of a 24-hour satellite network at Wachovia Bank, which acquired World Savings before itself becoming part of Wells Fargo. The video department would gather the news stories and then upload them via the internet to the main office. When there was a need for live coverage, they would hire a satellite truck.

Evaluation Mechanisms One of the distinctions of producing corporate video as opposed to entertainment films is that video managers need to demonstrate the effectiveness of the videos they produce. Either the training manager or the communications manager needs to develop mechanisms to measure the outcomes and to

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demonstrate the value of video. Some media centers send sur- veys to their client departments. However, Snyder maintains that questionnaires just don’t cut it: “We would get maybe a 3 percent reply from questionnaires we sent out, so we got our production team together to call the viewers and ask for their candid responses. We got a greater than 50 percent response, which was much better than before.” Snyder would also anony- mously visit the classrooms where his videos were shown and act like a fly on the wall to observe the viewers’ responses to various scenes. This gave him firsthand knowledge of how his videos were received. Rather than charging clients for the entire video production service, World Savings implemented a program to charge only for the outside services. Chargeable expenses included talent, travel, duplication, and other peripheral items. The fees for a production, depending on the overall budget and scope, would range from $2,000 to $15,000. The bulk of each budget came from the company, and Snyder made his pitch each year to senior management, and sometimes to the company-wide budget committee.

New Employee Orientation Video Prior to Snyder’s tenure, my company produced a new employee orientation video for World Savings. The savings and loan company was expanding, with new branches opening in several cities in the West and Midwest. When they contracted with us, their vision was limited to showing the history of this mom-and-pop company. The organization grew because of the couple’s tenacity with their business plan to service only their niche market: home loans. As a producer who wanted my client to get the biggest bang for their video buck, I did some research about the company and asked lots of questions. I learned that most new employees were in the 18–24 age bracket and that the owners prided themselves on maintaining architecturally pleasing buildings and interior décor that reflected what I eventually referred to in the script as “understated elegance.” As a part of my research, I usually request photos and news headlines to illustrate the history and achievements of a company. I was allowed to rummage through old files, and I came across several newspaper and magazine headlines applauding World Savings for remaining profitable at a time when several of their competitors were asking for federal bailouts. This was exciting material from which to create a robust visual montage. Then I uncovered what became my Holy Grail: a videotape of the company president speaking before the Senate Banking Committee. He was an expert witness who was helping to explain why many savings and loan institutions had fallen into a financial

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crisis by extending their portfolios to risky commercial loans. He proudly proclaimed that World Savings had remained profitable because it stuck solely to home loans. That was my hook! The script I wrote started with news headlines accompanied by a voice-over news-reporter-style narrator talking about how well World Savings was doing, despite the financial crisis. Then came the video clip of the company president testifying before the Senate Banking Committee. The video was old, and it was recorded on a home VCR in the extended play (EP) mode! Despite the low resolution, however, it was a powerful scene that helped to grab the attention of the new hires. The rest of the new employee orientation video proceeded to explain the job security of working at World Savings, then showed the in-house technology, the advancement opportunities, and even a birthday cake at an employee’s party. We created scenes with customers speaking to tellers and other personnel. We showed training classes that used interactivity and employee support. We showed hardworking employees receiving awards. And we included a photo montage of the history of the company, and of the husband-and-wife team who had built it from the ground up. The video was a hit with the employee development department; then the VP of the division that oversaw that department asked for his own version with some edits and extra scenes that were directed at personnel at the divisional level. Fifty copies of the video were produced and distributed to the branches. The corporation quickly recognized the value of video, which led to the establishment of its own video department under Greg Snyder.

Recruiting with Video: Facebook Headquarters Facebook uses video to recruit new employees and communicate with existing ones. The company’s web page is dominated by natively uploaded videos—not YouTube videos, but Facebook videos. Each video is about 90 seconds in length, and the company targets a specific audience: recent graduates with good imaginations and ideals. As with user-generated Facebook videos, they are set to autoplay once the user has scrolled them, but the user has to click for audio. One video focuses on engineering and another on social media marketing. You can view a video about working in the Asia–Pacific market and another about global connectivity. Nearly all of the videos include testimonials from employees. Here is one of the video descriptions: Whether an intern or new grad at Facebook, you own your experience and have the opportunity to make an impact; you’re just limited by

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your imagination. Meet a few of our team members and hear about their experiences working at Facebook. Interested in joining our team? We’re hiring. (www.facebook.com/careers) On the “Facebook HQ” page (www.facebook.com/pages/ Facebook-HQ/166793820034304?fref=photo), nearly every post includes video.

A Consumer Products Manufacturer A large consumer products manufacturer produces videos to assist its salespeople in the field. The videos show new advertising programs and support, as well as the direction in which the company wants its brand to go. “A while back, it used to be PowerPoint, but video is replacing that; it really is the coin of the realm now,” says the company’s corporate video manager. The company also uses video for market research ethnogra- phies. They send researchers into customers’ homes and video them discussing how they use particular products. Why video? Because it lets the researchers see the culture in which each product is used. “What you are looking for in market research is not only what is spoken about, but behaviors, all leading to what are some of the unmet needs that aren’t spoken about. Video . . . is a wonderful tool for this.”

Setting up an In-House Video Service Previously, video equipment was very expensive and specialized. Now the tools are more accessible. The manager explains:

It has made the building of a department as easy as getting off-the- shelf equipment. The investment is not that expensive: decent-quality computers, a decent amount of storage, decent consumer video cameras. And with that we can do everything from blue screening to matting to fancy graphics [as well as] basic video capture and editing. The cameras that are being used in the reality TV shows in many cases you can go out and buy for $1,000 dollars or less. I think the public is very used to looking at images that are made on semiprofessional consumer camera equipment. And any computer you get these days has editing features on it that before you’d have to go to a professional facility to get. In setting up its in-house operation, the company recognized how desktop publishing and desktop video could eliminate the need to go to outside vendors. The company produced an in- house three-camera shoot of an interview with the CEO, editing

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together footage from the three cameras. “In the past that would have been a pretty monster deal.”

Using Outside Services The company still uses outside services for particular projects. They look to particular contractors to handle the larger projects for which they have neither the requisite experience nor the equipment. As the manager explains, “Sometimes it’s the tools and the equipment that dictate a vendor; sometimes it’s the wrangling of the ideas and the direction that the project has to take.” For example, they contract with a vendor to stream their quar- terly town hall meetings. The vendor brings in a satellite truck and streams the meetings live to the entire company. In another case, the company had in mind a small production that they might have been able to perform in-house. It required a blue screen and After Effects—tools the company possessed—but they were looking for a level of elegance that they knew they could achieve with a particular outside director, so they recruited him for the project.

Scriptwriting Some scriptwriting is done in-house, and some is contracted out. The company states that it is moving away from producing just short-form commercials to developing longer pieces. Its writers used to write for commercials or documentaries or they were technical writers. Now that the company is producing for the internet, it is producing longer videos and it needs writers who can write not only commercials and sales scripts but also drama, comedy, and even sitcoms. “There is a need for writers with different skills. This is a growth industry for writers,” the manager explains. This mixed bag of written work integrates writing for video with other creative writing.

Chargeback Most in-house departments have instituted a chargeback system for the users of their services. Generally, work is charged by the hour, and the rate may be lower than prevailing fees for outside vendors. The thinking here is that you need to cover only your costs for labor and maintenance of equipment. However, if you get busy and exceed your in-house capacity, there could be a problem. The manager explains this scenario as follows:

If you are envisioning a lot of production, and you institute a rate within the company that is cheaper than an outside rate, it is good until you exceed your capacity and have to go outside.

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Then it causes problems, because people get billed more. It is a continuing discussion for us: at what point should we make our rates competitive with outside rates, or do we ever?

Social Media and User-Generated Video Many corporations are moving from static websites to sites with a dynamic, ongoing presence that link to social media. User-generated videos that customers produce about a product, while seemingly a boon to boosting a brand, are being scruti- nized by corporations and their legal departments. According to the manager: Just because you have a testimonial about a product’s benefits, you can’t use the claim without proper substantiation. The mere fact that somebody says something about your product doesn’t give you the right to use it any differently than if you had paid an actor to use it. It doesn’t make it legal to use it on your site without proof of the claim. User-generated videos can be a wonderful connection with the consumer, but now everybody is feeling their way around them.

Shared Content: Safeway Safeway is a leading grocery chain, with stores in the West and Midwest United States. Its corporate headquarters has produced 1,500 live broadcasts and over 100 scripted video productions at the time of writing. Productions range from videos for shop- pers that are displayed on monitors in the stores to training and safety films. The company’s corporate communications department delivers live and recorded video on two full-time broadcast channels and two streaming channels. This enables the firm to provide real-time connections with store managers and company managers at the corporate headquarters. The company has several post-production suites that utilize Avid and Final Cut Pro, plus an Omneon MediaGrid active storage system that handles content cut on the different editing systems. The MediaGrid is a cross-platform storage system that also supports the company’s transcoding and streaming applications. According to Dan Pryor, Vice-President of Corporate Communications at Safeway, it enables the company to “implement a true end-to-end workflow with content conveni- ently remaining on the Omneon system from ingest through post-production to distribution.” Pryor says that the editors have access to a shared pool of content that is stored on the MediaGrid. The company uses hardware encoders that output different media streams to the appropriate formats. They distribute video programs in MPEG-4, and

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they have a separate system for webcasting. According to Pryor, the video network has proven its worth by increasing sales and reducing costs.

Movie Production and IMAG Display: Berkshire Hathaway Berkshire Hathaway is a conglomerate of companies owned by the billionaire Warren Buffett. In 2010, the corporation’s annual meeting drew 37,000 shareholders to the Qwest Stadium in Omaha, Nebraska. Buffett calls these shareholders’ meetings “the Woodstock of capitalism.” Each event is transmitted to adjoining overflow conference rooms via microwave transmission, and several areas are set up for shareholders to ask questions of Buffett and his partner, Charlie Munger. The meeting opens with a series of short films projected onto large screens in the Qwest Stadium and at the remote locations. A Berkshire Hathaway spokesperson stated that they do not produce the films in-house, but refused to name the producer they employed for the task. Shot with Hollywood-level production values, one of the films featured Arnold Schwarzenegger playing “The Warrenator,” whose mission was to prevent the merger of Walmart, Starbucks, and Microsoft. Sitting in the room during the presentation was Berkshire Hathaway board member and friend of Buffett, Bill Gates. A later scene showed Buffett and Schwarzenegger arguing over California’s Proposition 13, which limits taxes on residences. At another of the shareholders’ meetings, one of the movies featured Jamie Lee Curtis flirting with Berkshire’s 80-year-old vice-chair, Charlie Munger. Later, Munger played poker with the Desperate Housewives. In another clip, Bill Gates is on the phone, saying, “I’m sorry. I wanted to get you a good present for your birthday, but that is just too much.” A little later, Melinda Gates enters the room and asks Bill what the conversation was all about. Bill replies, “That was Warren. I asked him what he wanted for his birthday, and he said he wants $30 billion so he could be the richest man in the world.” The films are a draw for investors, who then have an opportunity to ask Buffett and Munger questions about the company and economics in general. The six-hour shareholders’ meeting may be one of the largest corporate events that any AV crew supports. The films and the live transmissions are not distributed; they are the private domain of Berkshire Hathaway. Since Omaha has no single venue that can seat 40,000 people, the shareholders’ meeting is transmitted to the adjacent Hilton Hotel and to overflow rooms at the conference center. The video

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team not only oversees each film’s production and presentation but is also responsible for sending it to all of the locations that accommodate the members. The team projects the live video onto several screens in the Century Link Arena, and onto large screens in the overflow rooms. If you enjoy the excitement of live production, a company with a large contingent of shareholders might be the place for you. If you like hiring and directing actors, you are sure to find a corporation that produces in-house employee training videos where you can hone your craft. Want to work directly with the movers and shakers of corporate America? Then find a position with one of the Fortune 100 companies and offer to film the CEO. That should provide both satisfaction and excitement. If you like to produce documentaries about the environment and want to improve our world, then a position with a firm that has a commitment to corporate social responsibility might prove fulfilling. You don’t need to limit your career choices to Hollywood and New York City. Omaha, Nebraska, Bentonville, Arkansas, and Irving, Texas are all home to some of the nation’s largest corporations that offer opportunities for creative expression and career development. Corporate video production has matured, and there is a wide variety of opportunities for video producers to apply their particular skills and have an impact on the world.

Job Listings at Corporations [Below is a list of some of the job opportunities in corporate video, as of May 2015.]

Walmart eCommerce Position Description Walmart eCommerce is growing fast, and our teams are becoming more and more geographically distributed. This has created the need for our meetings, both large and small, to be more orchestrated and planned requiring various levels of production and creativity. Partnering with our talented production teams in our Bentonville, AR headquarters, and reporting to the Director of Client Services, the Meeting & Events Producer will drive the creation, production, and successful execution of corporate meetings and events, both large and small. You will be both meeting planner and production manager, as you work with corporate stake-holders, from systems and AV engineers to business leaders and executives, pulling together compelling meetings and corporate events.

Responsibilities • Produce corporate events like Town Hall meetings, executive meetings, board and investor meetings, cultural and other employee-led events both on- and off-site.

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• Manage a small team of AV professionals (1–2). • Set future design and strategy solutions for corporate IT AV. • Produce high-quality post-production editing/graphics. • Set up, monitor, and troubleshoot meetings. • Oversee project development and manage production timelines. • Tell a story with a camera! • Produce broadcast/industrial-quality video and audio for all distribution media. • Supervise production and/or post-production. • Support videoconferencing including but not limited to production support, problem management, reporting, vendor management, asset management, and service-level easements. • Coordinate, negotiate and manage AV (sound, lights, and audio) gear, gear provider, and techni- cians for larger events. • Schedule production meetings and rehearsals, pre-meeting testings, etc. • Coordinate technical needs including AV equipment (videoconferencing integration, staging, sound, lights, projections and screen(s), and technician direction and management). • Coordinate camera crews. • Edit video content for a variety of platforms and deliverables. • Content ingestion, content editing, content encoding, and content Quality Assurance duties. • Work with Client Services to track technologies issues.

Minimum Qualifications • AV production experience – executive meetings, executive meeting centers, etc. • Meeting/event planning and project management • High level of professionalism to work with Walmart executives • Understanding of systems and services—networking bandwidth, unicast, multicast, collaboration tools and systems (Cisco, etc.) • Bachelor’s Degree in CS, Media Production, or similar field of study OR work equivalent

Additional Preferred Qualifications • Understanding of wireless technologies • Knowledge of industry-leading AV consoles, PA system set-ups, etc. • Ability to deliver customers’ requests while at the same time keeping time and budgets in mind

LinkedIn Job Description Live Video Producer We are seeking an accomplished Live Producer to join our LinkedIn Media Productions team. We create industry-class live productions across the globe for our members, employees, and clients. A strong online live broadcast production background is required with evidence of hands-on technical skills.

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Responsibilities • Liaise with multiple event teams to ensure LinkedIn staff and equipment is correctly implemented for success. • Close collaboration with internal and external partners. • Execute engaging and impactful conferences, shows, and events. • Point person at events for all live video and audio escalations. • Pre-production: Venue scouting, RFP generation, crew assembly, technology selections, production and run of show generation, asset gathering and creation, vendor/customer relationship management, ensuring appropriate network configurations to support streaming requirements. • Production: Technical crew supervision, technical directing, network monitoring and management, point of contact for customer, maintaining an engaging viewer experience. • Post-production: Appropriate format distribution to editors, guidance and approval around edited material, detailed summaries of viewing metrics, prompt on-demand video availability, key lessons identified and communicated regarding vendor/venue/creative/technical decisions and implemented moving forward.

Basic Qualifications • A minimum of five years of practical live production knowledge. • Examples of previous ability to perform tasks under tight deadlines, work independently and manage simultaneous production plans. • Technical skills including technical direction, video switching, live encoding, and live streaming. • Experience developing and implementing live show processes and video encoding workflows. • Video delivery experience with multiple CDNs. • Management of video and audio web encoding appliances into HLS and Flash. • Understanding of RTMP and RTSP. • Understanding of HTTP Live Streaming (HLS) and Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over HTTP (DASH).

Preferred Qualifications • Advanced knowledge of live video production equipment and technology including but not limited to: switchers, encoders, camera PTZ systems, HD cameras, HD-SDI video routing, server-based playback devices, lighting, audio boards, remote video conferencing systems, cellular bonding devices, networking, audio/video cabling. • Tricaster XD certification.

GoPro Job Description Audio Visual Services Manager The GoPro Audio Visual Services Manager is responsible for support and delivery of Video Services that enables GoPro to collaborate and communicate effectively. The purpose of this role is to provide audio/visual conferencing and multimedia support. This individual is responsible for centralized management and oversight of the multi-site video conference services. Qualified candidates must have the ability to communicate knowledgeably, provide positive customer service functions,

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and understand the various technologies in the video conferencing field. Successful candidate will possess technical knowledge related to design and development of video conferencing applications according to prescribed standards and protocols. Primary emphasis is on managing multi-site customer service needs and scheduling and coordination of resources. Supports initiatives related to multimedia use and integration. Requires in-depth technical knowledge of video conferencing technology and associated network resources as they apply to GoPro business needs. As an Audio Visual (AV) Services Manager, you will play a key role in designing and developing cutting-edge audio and video services/systems globally for GoPro. You will be involved in the lifecycle of the overall internal AV/VC technology strategy. You will advance state-of-the-art AV/VC systems by improving the quality of existing AV/VC integrations, developing next-generation AV and VC integrated solutions, and engaging in various other activities in an effort to innovate and enhance reliability and functionality of AV/VC systems for GoPro.

Responsibilities • Provide centralized and coordinated management of video conference services and resources. • Coordinate planning of new video conference sites and services across all GoPro locations. • Coordinate management initiatives and direction impacting multi-site video conferencing services and resources. • Develop and manage overall budget for global AV Deployment team and Events group. • Coordinate and deliver the support functions utilizing video conferencing technologies and multimedia applications. • Determine the resources (time, money, equipment, etc.) required to complete new video installa- tions as needed. • Support Senior Executive video conference meetings. • Collaborate with peers, end users, managers, and internal and external partners to design and develop superb AV services and solutions. • Manage the AV Deployment/Design team in the implementation of systems throughout GoPro’s offices globally. • Oversee Corporate Events Coordination team. • Develop and monitor project schedules and timelines to identify and meet critical milestones.

Skills We’re Stoked About • Bachelor Degree in technology-related field preferred. • Network certifications related to video conferencing preferred. • Advanced degree, training, or experience with video conferencing technologies. • 7 to 10 years of experience in video conferencing management. • 7 to 10 years of experience in desktop support including audio/visual equipment use and setup. • In-depth knowledge and practical application of video conferencing technologies and protocols. • Strong written and verbal communication skills and ability to effectively communicate with business leaders. • Ability to effectively deal with senior and mid-level executive management teams in resolving technical conferencing issues and questions.

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• Ability to test, trouble-shoot, and work independently to resolve customer issues and problems. • AV design and project management experience. • Experience configuring and troubleshooting AV/VC hardware and software. • Fundamental knowledge of network infrastructure. • Demonstrable leadership and organizational skills.

Perks • Live It Love It Eat It—Explore your passions and capture with your GoPro • Get your very own GoPro (mounts and accessories included!) • Employee Stock Purchase Plan • Competitive salaries • 401K • Paid time off • Medical, dental, and vision insurance • Life insurance and disability benefits • Fully stocked kitchens with snacks galore!

Williams-Sonoma Job Description Founded in 1956, Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (WSI) is a specialty retailer of high-quality products for the home. These products, representing eight distinct merchandise strategies—Williams-Sonoma (cookware and wedding registry), Pottery Barn (furniture and wedding registry), Pottery Barn Kids (kids’ furniture and baby registry), PBteen (girls’ bedding and boys’ bedding), West Elm (modern furniture and room decor), Williams-Sonoma Home (luxury furniture and decorative accessories), Rejuvenation (lighting and hardware), and Mark and Graham (personalized gifts and gifts for the home)—are marketed through e-commerce websites, direct mail catalogs, and nearly 600 stores. WSI currently operates in the United States, Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom and offers international shipping to customers worldwide.

Position Summary This position manages the video and photography production for the Williams-Sonoma digital content team.

Specific Responsibilities • Manage video production: solicit and prioritize requests from merchants and vendors, schedule shoots, book locations, hire film crews, book talent, book food stylists. • Meet with merchants and product development team to learn about products, establish key selling and marketing points. • Compose shot plan, write scripts, compile on-camera grocery and product needs for video shoots. • Direct video shoots, oversee script edits, provide food preparation and styling as needed, manage product samples.

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• Manage post-production process: provide editor with notes and deadlines, circulate videos for internal reviews and approvals, perform light editing as needed. • Upload final videos to site and YouTube, write video descriptions, provide keywords and SEO titles, partner with site merchandising members to process and test video uploads. • Oversee the DVD creation process and any other distribution needs. • Own and update video and photography production calendars. • Manage online content and special project photography process: find photographers, create production calendars, manage asset delivery. • Request reels, present new talent to internal teams.

Requirements/Qualifications • Four+ years of experience managing video production • Ability to work irregular hours as necessary • Significant project management experience • Extensive knowledge of food and cooking • Familiarity with web publishing and digital trends • Established project management skills, with ability to organize and prioritize efficiently • Established network of contacts • Effective interpersonal skills with the ability to establish strong relationships with cross-functional teams at all levels • Self-motivated and passionate about creating compelling customer-facing content • Excellent written and verbal communication skills • Digital publishing experience preferred • Video editing and directing experience preferred

Personal Competencies • Global Business Acumen—Understand the complexity of business on a global scale. Embrace cultural and individual differences with empathy. Work with the nuances of specific local cultures to make informed decisions. • Strategic and Analytical Capability—Ability to think globally, strategically, and objectively. Effectively translate data into actionable insights, strategies, and financial plans. • Leading Teams—Attracts, develops, and motivates the talent needed for current and future business requirements. Articulates an inspiring vision for the future, establishes high performance expectations, and sets example through own behavior. Ensures alignment of individual goals with overall business objectives. Coaches team members to success and holds individuals accountable for achieving results. • Drive for Results—Credibility earned through delivering results. Balances urgent and effective action, commitment to excellence, taking initiative to resolve problems and work quality. Demonstrates high initiative and provides leadership in a project-oriented environment. • Effective Communication–Communicates clearly and effectively with associates at all levels, board members, external partners, and customers. Strong verbal and written presentation skills including the ability to communicate complex ideas in a simple way and to tailor key messages and presentation style to multiple audiences.

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• Influence and Collaboration—Builds and sustains collaborative relationships at multiple levels in the company. Able to work through complex disagreements and conflict to achieve resolution. Builds trust by including others and by keeping the cross-functional teams focused on the success of the entire company. This position is not eligible for visa sponsorship.

Yelp Job Description Are you extremely detail oriented? Do you have the ability to manage multiple projects at the same time? Do you rank “continually meeting (or exceeding) deadlines” as one of your top 5 enjoyments in life? Does boring corporate video make you dry heave? If so, we need you! Yelp Studios is looking for someone to handle pre- and post-production logistics for all of our live- action and animated productions. We need help managing all of the organizational and planning aspects of our projects so that the creative and technical members of the group can focus on what they do best. This is not your traditional big agency producer position. There is no key grip, best boy, or production assistant here (though we do have our own barista . . .). We’re a small but growing team of scrappy, creative individuals fighting the good fight against mundane corporate video. You will need to have some production skills beyond simply being the most organized individual on the planet so that, when necessary, you can sit behind a camera or help set up lighting on a shoot or jump into an NLE and lend a hand with editing. Our productions range from live-action testimonials, web ads, and video blogs to animated tutorials, product launch announcements, and social media shorts. Sure, at times the stories we’re tellingt aren’ glamorous but that’s the fun part: coming up with new and interesting ways to keep our viewers’ attention while getting our point across. We’re constantly pushing ourselves to create engaging content that furthers our brand (and hopefully elicits an occasional giggle).

Primary Responsibilities • Manage production pipeline for all current and future projects. • Set and keep milestones for each production from kick-off through final edit. • Communicate project milestones and manage client expectations so that there are no surprises. • Work with the rest of the Studios team to schedule realistic project deliverables and review cycles, constantly keeping current workload in mind. • Assist editors and animators in gathering assets and approvals from our internal clients. • Work with talent agencies for on-camera and voice-over actors. • Help secure quality remote videographers for out-of-state location shoots. • Work with city and state agencies for filming permits and other on-set logistics. • Schedule and coordinate shoots with business clients, customers, and other interviewees. • Work with Yelp’s legal and foreign language departments on initial concepts and final approvals.

Secondary Responsibilities • Occasional camera, lighting, and grip work may be required when we’re short-handed. • Editing also may be required from time to time, depending on current workload.

(Continued)

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Requirements • Minimum of 3–5 years’ experience in corporate video production • Impeccable organizational skills • Excellent written and verbal communications skills • Able to contribute creatively in a collaborative team environment • Solid grasp of video production workflow from start to finish • Ability to manage production schedules for multiple projects on an ongoing basis • Did we mention that you must be extremely well organized? • Basic knowledge of filming and NLE editing • Rudimentary understanding of legal issues relating to video production is a plus Resumes without a link to your demo reel will not be considered. Yelp values diversity. We’re proud to be an equal opportunity employer and consider qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, age, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital or family status, veteran status, medical condition, or disability. Note: Yelp does not accept agency resumes. Please do not forward resumes to any recruiting alias or employee. Yelp is not responsible for any fees related to unsolicited resumes.

Salary Ranges for Video Production Employees While video producers have more job prospects than when I wrote the first edition of this book in 2010, unfortunately salaries have not increased too much since then. In some cases, they have declined. Accordingo t SimplyHired.com, as of May 2015, salary ranges for video/media producers in the United States varied from $34,000 to $61,000, with the title “video producer” at $53,000 and “corporate video producer” at $52,000. SimplyHired.com stated, “average video producer salaries can vary greatly due to company, location, industry, experience and benefits. This salary was calculated using the average salary for all jobs with the term ‘video producer’ anywhere in the job listing.” In the first edition, I wrote that the average video producer salary was $52,000, based on a July 2010 report from SimplyHired.com. Video editors averaged $44,000 in 2010; in 2015 they earned only $37,500 on average. In 2010, SimplyHired.com reported that department heads in film/TV production averaged $60,621; in 2015, that was down to only $34,000. However, this discrepancy may be due to changing job titles or different ways of reporting. SimplyHired.com reported that the average salary for a “video producer” was $57,000 in 2015. Listed opposite are average corporate video producer salaries (in US dollars, as of May 17, 2015), as reported on SimplyHired.com. Also included are average salaries of jobs with related titles.

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Job Title Average Salary Corporate Video Producer $52,000 Production Director II—Relocation to Saudi Arabia $51,000 Production Director II $48,000 Video Producer $57,000 Ex-User Experience “Producer” $46,000 Digital Producer $45,000 Multimedia Producer $49,000 Producer, Creative Services—Special Projects $20,000 Video Editor, St. Louis $26,000 Videographer $39,000 Sports Media Producer, Creative Services—Special Projects $44,000 Social Media Manager $40,000

Listed below are average video producer salaries (in US dollars, as of May 17, 2015), as reported on SimplyHired.com. Also included are average salaries of jobs with related titles.

Job Title Average Salary Video Producer $53,000 Sales Support Engineer $61,000 Producer $52,000 Production Specialist $50,000 Area Manager $54,000 Access Coordinator $34,000 Associate Producer $39,000 Content Manager $59,000 Web Producer $59,000

Summary of Key Points and Takeaways This chapter explored how corporate video producers are filming more frequently on location, rather than in studios. Some companies’ video units provide training for individual departments to use small camcorders and simple editing software. The chapter differentiated between “chargeback” video units or departments that operate with a fee-for-service structure and video units that receive annual budgets from the corporation.

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Corporate social responsibility programs call on video departments to document their community benefits. We discussed how this generates employment opportunities for videographers with documentary production experience. The chapter gave examples of such video productions at a variety of companies, including McDonald’s, Scotts, and Google. It also showed how Google and other companies use video to document what it is like to work at their firms, as part of company-wide recruiting efforts. YouTube and other social media have been widely adopted by enterprises in a bid to reach out to customers, employees, and the general public. While companies appreciate the extra publicity they get from customers posting user-generated content (UGC) on YouTube and other social media, the chapter included a caveat from a communication manager about potential legal ramifica- tions relating to exaggerated product claims. Other challenges facing video producers that were discussed in this chapter include persuading client departments to commit to a production timeline, finding employees and freelancers, and obtaining adequate funding to produce high-quality videos. Asset storage and access are other concerns for video managers, as are working with IT departments and providing services for corporate events. Scriptwriting, whether in-house or contracted, was also discussed, as was using actors and contracting with production crews. Evaluating the quality and impact of the videos produced is one way in which video managers and communication managers determine the future of the video unit as part of the corporation. The individual case studies of company video services included some step-by-step examples of the production processes, such as lines from a video script from Facebook Headquarters. There was advice on setting up an in-house video production unit from the ground up and how to get the biggest bang for your buck when using outside production services. The Safeway case study included information on how post- production is managed, and an explanation of how the video unit shares content with other departments. A company that produces “Hollywood-style” videos was discussed in the section about Berkshire Hathaway’s annual meeting for 40,000 shareholders. Before the financial debate, the audience is treated to several short videos of Warren Buffett in pastiches of popular movies, alongside such stars as Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jamie Lee Curtis. To help readers to understand the particular responsibilities of video producers in corporations, the chapter concluded with a list of job vacancies at the time of writing and salary ranges for video producers and the various other job categories in this field. Unfortunately, remuneration in this creative field is still relatively low, compared with other industries. However, as the

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chart shows, with specific training in such areas as “sales support engineer” and “web producer,” the video professional has the potential to to earn a reasonable salary.

Discussion Questions 1. Discuss the style and kinds of shots that Google use in their recruiting videos to attract new employees. 2. How do companies use video to support their corporate responsibility programs? 3. Discuss some of the considerations that a video producer or manager may present in a proposal to establish an in-house video service. 4. When evaluating the effectiveness of the videos his department produced, one of the video producers we wrote about got only 3 percent return from questionnaires. What did he do next to evaluate the videos? 5. What is the target audience of Facebook’s employee recruiting videos and how do they distribute the videos? 6. Describe how a market researcher uses video. 7. How does Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway company use video at their annual shareholders’ meeting?

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

Scriptwriting Cartwright, S. (1996). Pre-production planning for video, film, and multimedia. Focal Press. Matrazzo, D. (1986). Corporate scriptwriting. Communicom Publishing Company.

Scriptwriting Software Final Draft (www.finaldraft.com). Movie Magic (www.screenplay.com). Scriptware (www.scriptware.com).

Budgeting Simon, D. with Wiese, M. (2006). Film and video budgets. Fifth edition. Michael Wiese Productions.

Budgeting Websites Boiler Plate (www.boilerplate.net) for TV/film budgeting templates. Easy Budget (www.easy-budget.com) for movie budgeting software. Entertainment Partners (www.entertainmentpartners.com) for Movie Magic budgeting software. Michael Weise Productions (http://shop.mwp.com/pages/film- making-resources) for sample budgets.

Producing Carlsberg, S. (1991). Corporate video survival. Knowledge Industry Publications. DiZazzo, R. (2000). Corporate media production. Focal Press. Gayleski, D. M. (1983). Corporate and instructional video. Prentice-Hall. Richardson, A. R. (1992). Corporate and organizational video. McGraw-Hill.

Directing Kennedy, T. (1989). Directing video. Knowledge Industry Publications.

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McCoy, M. (2000). Sound and look professional on television and the internet. Bonus Books.

Production Coordination Garvey, H. (1988). Before you shoot. Shire Press. McQuillan, L. (1983). Video production handbook. Howard W. Sams & Co. Patz, D. S. (2002). Film production management 101. Michael Wiese Productions.

Shooting and Editing Browne, S. E. (2007). High definition postproduction. Focal Press. Foster, J. (2014). The green screen handbook. Second edition. Focal Press. Freeman, M. (2007). The photographer’s eye: composition and design for better digital photos. Focal Press. Utz, P. (1987). Today’s video. McFarland & Company. Wheeler, P. (2009). High definition cinematography. Focal Press. Winston, B. and Keydel, J. (1986). Working with video. Watson- Guptill Publications.

Training Cartwright, S. R. (1986). Training with video. Knowledge Industry Publications. March, J. G. (2010). The ambiguities of experience. Cornell University Press. Roese, N. J. and Vohs, K. D. (2010). “The visualization trap.” Harvard Business Review, May. Available at: https://hbr.org/ 2010/05/the-visualization-trap (accessed March 11, 2016).

Independent Video Production Dawson, R. (2010). Refocus. Peachpit Press. Jacobs, B. (1986). How to be an independent video producer. Knowledge Industry Publications. Kamoroff, B. B. (2009). Small time operator: how to start your own business, keep your books, pay your taxes, and stay out of trouble! Bell Springs Publishing. Phillips, M. (2002). The seven laws of money. Clear Glass Publications. Phillips, M. and Rasberry, S. (1996). Honest business. Shambhala Pocket Editions.

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Legal Considerations Miller, P. (2003). Media law for producers. Focal Press.

Marketing and Social Media Brightcove. (2014). “Consumers rank video as trusted, most personable and authentic brand marketing experience according to Brightcove survey.” Press release, September 11. Available at: https://www.brightcove.com/en/company/press/consumers- rank-video-trusted-most-personable-and-authentic-brand- marketing-experience-according-brig (accessed March 11, 2016). Cohen, H. (2015). “2015 Fortune 500 social media use [research].” Available at: http://heidicohen.com/2015-fortune-500-social- media-use-research/ (accessed March 11, 2016). Grau, J. (2010). “Driving online sales with video: innovating with video e-commerce.” eMarketer, May 21. Available at: www. emarketer.com/Article/Driving-Online-Sales-with-Video/ 1007709 (accessed March 11, 2016).

Video Distribution Symantec Security Response. (2015). “Leaked flash zero-day likely to be exploited by attackers.” July 7. Available at: www. symantec.com/connect/blogs/leaked-flash-zero-day-likely- be-exploited-attackers (accessed March 11, 2016).

Mobile Video Production and Delivery Gannes, L. (2013). “Google ‘closing in’ on unified product experience, says soon-to-be MIA Larry Page.” All Things D, October 17. Available at: http://allthingsd.com/20131017/google- closing-in-on-unified-product-experience-says-larry-page/ (accessed March 11, 2016). Kastrenakes, J. (2015). “YouTube is dominating TV networks with mobile alone.” The Verge, April 29. Available at: www.theverge. com/2015/4/29/8518535/youtube-beating-tv-networks-with- mobile-alone (accessed March 11, 2016). Mau, D. (2013). “Burberry collaborates with Apple for spring 2014.” Fashionista, September 13. Available at: http://fashionista. com/2013/09/burberry-collaborates-with-apple-for-spring- 2014 (accessed March 11, 2016). Navera, T. (2015). “UAS conference: this drone advocate is calling for more regulations.” Dayton Business Journal, August 25.

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Available at: www.bizjournals.com/dayton/blog/uas-dayton/ 2015/08/uas-conference-this-drone-advocate-is-calling-for. html (accessed March 11, 2016). Newton, C. (2015). “YouTube’s paid subscription offering takes shape—and it’s almost here.” The Verge, April 8. Available at: www.theverge.com/2015/4/8/8371131/youtube-paid- subscription-offline-video (accessed March 11, 2016).

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