Alex Winter
Necessity is the root of invention.
Joined March 2020
About
I love collaborating with other creative people. My ultimate goal is to create compelling and engaging content that drives measurable growth. I joined the IMPACT family in 2018 and am currently the Director of Video Production.
Hi! Just starting out with video doing case studies of financial advisors who use our start-up planning software in their offices and wondering what the minimum you all think I need is in terms of equipment. I like the idea of two cameras for different views, but also want to be cost conscious as we are just experimenting so far.I've only ever used point-and-shoot digital cameras and phones in my personal video experience, but of course want...
IMPACT+ Community,
How we show up in our sales conversations and communication is key to our success. For more on how we can improve our virtual sales game, check out this session from the Virtual Selling Summit.Let me know what you comes up for you on this topic.
How we show up in our sales conversations and communication is key to our success. For more on how we can improve our virtual sales game, check out this session from the Virtual Selling Summit.Let me know what you comes up for you on this topic.
Awesome video
Chris Duprey
!
Chris Duprey
! 
Hey There Videographers!Our internal team is begging for us to invest in a teleprompter to help them with on-camera performance. What are your thoughts on this?If it's recommended, are there any good recommendations on brands or bests for use with a MarkIV (if the camera matters?)Thanks, Happy Friday!
@David Roberge this is a great question!
It really comes down to what you're trying to accomplish on camera and the story you're trying to depict. If you're filming something like a Bio Video, I would recommend not using a teleprompter. Those styles of video need to be genuine, candid, and conversational.
However, if you're filming very technical scripts that are dense about a product, for instance, I think it's okay to use a Teleprompter. It will help your talent not forget crucial details. It also allows for your team to pre-approve a script that you know will be ready for publishing once complete. (Versus having to reshoot something later on because it wasn't right.)
Teleprompters need practice though. Make sure your talent writes their scripts the exact same way they speak. Not how they write blogs or emails. That's crucial. Also, have them practice using the Teleprompter before filming. They need to get comfortable and familiar with the script so it doesn't feel like it's being read. Viewers can tell when people are reading so it's really important to get the pacing and tone correct.
Here's a link: https://www.amazon.com/Professional-Teleprompter-Smartphone-Production-P-TP300/dp/B01AG9IFWO
That's the prompter we use. It's easy to set up. Works with a lot of different cameras including DSLRs. The only thing is you will need a tablet to go with it. (Sold separately.) Ipad or really any tablet works. If you're trying to save money, the Android tablets are great and super affordable.
With the tablet - there are teleprompter apps in the app store you can download. (The paid versions are usually much better and have more features that you will need.) I believe we use Teleprompter Pro. It was like $4.99 in the app store.
It really comes down to what you're trying to accomplish on camera and the story you're trying to depict. If you're filming something like a Bio Video, I would recommend not using a teleprompter. Those styles of video need to be genuine, candid, and conversational.
However, if you're filming very technical scripts that are dense about a product, for instance, I think it's okay to use a Teleprompter. It will help your talent not forget crucial details. It also allows for your team to pre-approve a script that you know will be ready for publishing once complete. (Versus having to reshoot something later on because it wasn't right.)
Teleprompters need practice though. Make sure your talent writes their scripts the exact same way they speak. Not how they write blogs or emails. That's crucial. Also, have them practice using the Teleprompter before filming. They need to get comfortable and familiar with the script so it doesn't feel like it's being read. Viewers can tell when people are reading so it's really important to get the pacing and tone correct.
Here's a link: https://www.amazon.com/Professional-Teleprompter-Smartphone-Production-P-TP300/dp/B01AG9IFWO
That's the prompter we use. It's easy to set up. Works with a lot of different cameras including DSLRs. The only thing is you will need a tablet to go with it. (Sold separately.) Ipad or really any tablet works. If you're trying to save money, the Android tablets are great and super affordable.
With the tablet - there are teleprompter apps in the app store you can download. (The paid versions are usually much better and have more features that you will need.) I believe we use Teleprompter Pro. It was like $4.99 in the app store.
We’re going to be hiring a videographer full-time and I want to order a Macbook Pro today for them. I was wondering what is more important to buy, memory or SSD storage?I can get a 13” Macbook Pro with 16GB memory and choose 512GB, 1TB or 2TB storage. OR I can get a 16” Macbook Pro with up to 64GB memory and the same storage (or higher).Any recommendations? THANK YOU!
Hi
Kaitlyn Pintarich
! Nice to meet you. I would highly recommend investing in memory vs. internal storage for your editing laptop. The memory and the graphics card are the 2 most important pieces when it comes to editing video. I would choose the highest level of memory and the highest graphics card you can, given your budget. Storage can be purchased, usually, for much cheaper in the aftermarket. We usually buy External SSD Drives for storage separately. I personally love the Samsung SSDs. Today is a great day to make a purchase too. There are some really great deals right now. If you have any other questions please let me know. Happy to help!
Kaitlyn Pintarich
! Nice to meet you. I would highly recommend investing in memory vs. internal storage for your editing laptop. The memory and the graphics card are the 2 most important pieces when it comes to editing video. I would choose the highest level of memory and the highest graphics card you can, given your budget. Storage can be purchased, usually, for much cheaper in the aftermarket. We usually buy External SSD Drives for storage separately. I personally love the Samsung SSDs. Today is a great day to make a purchase too. There are some really great deals right now. If you have any other questions please let me know. Happy to help!
We all know video production is a PROCESS. I want to know:
- What are some of your tips and tricks to making this process more efficient?
- Have you tried something that didn't work, and why didn't work?
- How has streamlining the process impacted your overall productivity?
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Tips & Tricks
- Strategy or a strategic plan is crucial - Having a plan will help guide the type, style, and direction of the videos you need to create. I'm a huge believer in this. It's especially important if you already have a marketing plan in place. There absolutely will be overlap with written and visual content that can drastically improve your User Experience, Organic SEO, and Customer Journies.
- Script Templates - You don't have to Ernest Hemingway every single script! That's time-consuming. Instead, use script templates with strategic questions to help guide your writing process. It will make writing easier, faster, and more pointed. I would highly recommend implementing "the Selling 7" "Video 6" and "Big 5" Strategies. (That's what we live and breath here at IMPACT.) If you haven't heard of those strategies before, check out this ARTICLE.
- What's the one thing? - If you could sum up the entire video in one sentence, what would it be? How about one word? It's important to ask that before you start filming. Always keep your audience in mind. What are they going to want to see? What are they going to ask or want to know? How can you speak directly to them? How can you be mindful of their time while still getting your points across? Those are questions we ask repeatedly throughout the production process.
- Practice - Make sure you're talent is prepped and ready to get on camera. Doing rehearsals and run-throughs is crucial. How you write something down vs. how you speak it out loud are very different things. That's why it's really important to practice what you want to say. This isn't just for talent either. The same rules apply to the production team/videographer. It's important to know your gear! What lights do you plan to use? How are you recording audio? What camera settings are you going to run? What's the background and set look like? These are all important questions that need to be answered well before you start recording.
- Logging Footage - The better the notes, the faster the cut! Using a slate or clapper to mark every shot will help the editor know exactly what they're seeing. I try to match the script or script outlines with the shots we need to capture. That way, the editor can follow along with the script and know exactly where we are. Ideally, you want to give your editor everything they need to get the job done. If they have to come back asking for things or missing pieces, it can slow down turnaround times.
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Didn't Work
- "Winging it" - I had an incredible college professor that once told me "the more you can plan, the more you can break down every potential scenario, cover every potential detail and variable, the better the outcomes will always be. It's chess, not checkers." (I'm paraphrasing, but you get the idea.) More importantly, he was right. He also produced movies like the Breakfast Club and Fried Green Tomatoes, so I think he knew what he was talking about. My best work happens when we take the time to get granular during pre-production.
- Going Too Fast - It's important to find the right balance of getting things done while also not making mistakes. I always want to move fast because I want to check the done box! However, mistakes can happen at speed. Fixing those mistakes takes extra time that could have potentially been avoided. Those cases are the most frustrating for me because you have the best of intentions, only to have the complete opposite result. Sometimes slowing down to speed up is okay!
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Streamlining Productivity
- Streamlining the production processes leads to one result, more productivity! AKA - more videos!! The quantity and quality of the videos you produce will increase greatly the more you can streamline your process, communicate directly with your team, remove obstacles and hurdles, and focus on the core pieces needed to get the job done well.
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1CmxDDujr9JP42vFucIlpoFBZfSOX_PcuFXWh1z1prU4/edit?usp=sharing
Let me know if this is helpful. I'm more than happy to connect directly to answer any specific questions or talk gear options. :)