Dec '16 | These Aren’t Your Everyday Video Tips (Part 2 of 4)

(Because we aren’t your everyday corporate videographer!)

In this four part blog series, we’re taking you behind the scenes and sharing video production tips and tricks unlike those shared before.

Today, we focus on the Customer Testimonial. Any corporate videographer will tell you the testimonial is a powerful marketing tool when done right (who doesn’t want their customer gushing on video?) But that’s not always the easiest thing to capture, especially when you’re filming real people, not actors. 

Here are a few tips and tricks to ease the nerves of your customers prior to filming.

Enlist Multiple Characters: On average, you’ve got about 30 minutes before your talent’s stamina starts to wane under all those bright lights. So pare your soundbites down to a minimum, and whenever possible enlist other people in the organization to talk about your product. Perhaps the VP of Sales provides the efficiency angle, whereas the VP of Finance talks ROI.

Use Video Conferencing: How do you think they cast Reality TV? They start with a basic Skype session! Whenever possible, get your customer on a video conference when discussing interview questions, desired soundbites, and filming logistics. You’ll gain a lot of great insight about what your customer might be like on camera, all of which you can use in your pre-production plan. 

Get Approval on Soundbites & Images: There’s nothing that makes a person more nervous than saying something in front of the camera that isn’t actually authorized by their organization. Or getting thrown different marketing talking points last minute. And there’s nothing more frustrating, than having to surgically remove certain words in post production because the verbiage is incorrect, or having to blur out images or logos because they’re proprietary. Learn from the very real experience of this corporate videographer and get all approvals before hand– on soundbites and images. Because when everyone is relaxed, that’s actually when you capture those truly spontaneous moments.

Location Scout: If at all possible, have your video producer do a location scout of the customer’s space prior to filming (even if it’s just a day before filming.) That way, when you arrive on site, your crew knows where to set up the interview, and what b-roll shots to tackle. On average, you’ll save 2-3 hours. And that’s time saved by all– you, your crew, and your customer.

And one final tip for the day:

Take your customer out to dinner.

Ideally, the night before the interview. Develop a common language, a trust, a camaraderie; get an idea of their sense of humor. You’ll be happy that you did. Making talent comfortable is part of the job for any good corporate videographer and the personal insights you learn at dinner will definitely come in handy once cameras are rolling.

Did you miss part one of this series? Check out our tips on Event Videos here, or stay tuned for next week as we tackle Awareness Promos!