{"id":4091,"date":"2009-12-21T12:50:45","date_gmt":"2009-12-21T17:50:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.videoproductiontips.com\/?p=4091"},"modified":"2023-10-17T16:16:07","modified_gmt":"2023-10-17T21:16:07","slug":"promotional-video-for-author-speaker","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.videoproductiontips.com\/promotional-video-for-author-speaker\/","title":{"rendered":"Promotional Video for Author, Speaker"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/lH-M-i5qE44?si=-kXxv11lZSDtZJOw\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Anyone marketing themselves online these days needs a video. \u00a0 Here are two videos I put together for Darlene Quinn,\u00a0a novelist who wants to promote her book and land more speaking engagements.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/yU_sV_qZLQI?si=vIgmc1VPDOdvdamt\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>The videos are very similar, but vary in length.\u00a0 One includes soundbites of her speaking; the other does not.\u00a0\u00a0 We made two in order to give Ms. Quinn some marketing flexibility.\u00a0 Plus, making two videos, using some of the same visual elements and taking advantage of the same pre-production and production stages, is more cost effective than just doing one.<\/p>\n<p>Generally, online videos need to be short. \u00a0 Following that rule, we created a short version for the general audience.\u00a0 We also edited a longer version to show a smaller, more targeted audience.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 No doubt we could also find a use for a really short, (:30 second) version too.<\/p>\n<p><strong>These videos I am posting here are just &#8220;rough drafts.&#8221;<\/strong> Rough cuts is usually the term used.\u00a0 As you know, making video is a <em>process<\/em>, and what you are seeing here is only about 90% finished.\u00a0\u00a0 I thought my readers would be interested to see this stage of the process.\u00a0 As I work with my client, I want her to approve what I am doing at various stages before we move on and finalize the edit.<\/p>\n<p>The scripts gained approval last week so I gathered my visual and audio storytelling elements and edited the two videos you see here.<\/p>\n<p>Now, all that is left to do is tweak the edit details and find a real narrator.\u00a0\u00a0 My voice is on there right now, but honestly, my voice simply is not high enough quality to be used on a video like this.\u00a0\u00a0 (I can&#8217;t sing well, either.\u00a0 Dang, I wish I could!)\u00a0 I only cut the audio in order to have a framework to edit and make sure the client liked where I was going visually.\u00a0\u00a0 No one who is not familiar with the video making process will have a difficult time visualizing how a written script will translate into a talking and moving video.<\/p>\n<p>Letting her see a rough cut video and see it all together may inspire her to want to change the script.\u00a0 Fine, let&#8217;s do it.\u00a0 That is what a rough cut is for.\u00a0 If we had already paid a professional narrator, we&#8217;d have wasted money.<\/p>\n<p>I cut the audio because using my voice is the easiest and most efficient way to do that.\u00a0 My voice is good enough to do that much! \u00a0 I read it using the same pacing and general tone I would instruct a real narrator to use.<\/p>\n<p>Assuming Ms. Quinn likes the general flow and style of this video, swapping out narrators at this point is extremely easy, assuming the <em><strong>PACING<\/strong><\/em> is the same.\u00a0 If the real narrator read it substantially slower or faster, then I&#8217;d be stuck modifying the length of my shots, which would be very time-consuming.\u00a0 When I send the new narrator the script, I&#8217;ll indicate exactly how long each paragraph needs to be.\u00a0 Any good narrator will be able to match the pacing I have established.<\/p>\n<p><strong>But Lorraine, You Have a Nice Voice! <\/strong><\/p>\n<p>This blog often discusses issues of &#8220;quality&#8221; in making videos.\u00a0 As you know, I am a firm believer in &#8220;good enough.&#8221;\u00a0 How to determine what is good enough depends completely on the specific video you are making.\u00a0 My narrating voice is OK for some videos, and 90% of the videos I make use my voice in the final version.\u00a0 But in this case, my voice will not cut it.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 We are trying to be dramatic here in a highly competitive marketing situation for Ms. Quinn.\u00a0\u00a0 We need a booming voice.\u00a0 No matter how hard I try, I can not make my voice boom. \u00a0 In fact, I think I sound a bit silly!\u00a0 <em>(Before I could edit this piece, I had to stop laughing at the goofy-sounding narrator.) <\/em> That is NOT the effect we are going for.<\/p>\n<p>Speaking as someone who has made thousands of videos, one of the best tips I can share with you is this.\u00a0 <em><strong>Making video well requires you to get your ego out of the way. <\/strong><\/em> My feelings are not the least bit hurt to admit that my narrating voice is less-than-stellar.\u00a0 I simply do not possess the raw talent.\u00a0 I use my voice when it is appropriate, but am grateful to have access to real narrators when I need them.\u00a0 The difference goes way beyond apples and oranges.<\/p>\n<p>Some people tell me they love my narrating voice, that it is calm and soothing. \u00a0 OK, maybe so.\u00a0\u00a0 For some videos, my voice works reasonably well.\u00a0 But for the style and effect we are going for in the Darlene Quinn videos, we need booming, not soothing.<\/p>\n<p>Thanks for reading Video Production Tips.<\/p>\n<p>Lorraine Grula<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Anyone marketing themselves online these days needs a video. \u00a0 Here are two videos I put together for Darlene Quinn,\u00a0a novelist who wants to promote her book and land more speaking engagements. The videos are very similar, but vary in length.\u00a0 One includes soundbites of her speaking; the other does not.\u00a0\u00a0 We made two in [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":17176,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[365],"tags":[956,1879,159,954,1880,955,957,1878,417,1881],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.videoproductiontips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/video-play-button-red-round.jpg?fit=300%2C300&ssl=1","jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.videoproductiontips.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4091"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.videoproductiontips.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.videoproductiontips.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.videoproductiontips.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.videoproductiontips.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4091"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.videoproductiontips.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4091\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19711,"href":"https:\/\/www.videoproductiontips.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4091\/revisions\/19711"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.videoproductiontips.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/17176"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.videoproductiontips.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4091"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.videoproductiontips.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4091"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.videoproductiontips.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4091"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}