Think about what you want to say or accomplish with your video in advance. Plan it out. Write it down. Then you won’t freeze. Yes, I believe in using project management skills for all my productions even preparing Thanksgiving dinner (which is why I finished everything as of Wednesday morning- yeah!). And in honor of Thanksgiving, I’d like to recommend Big Night as a food-themed film that shows the benefits of taking a calculated risk with lots of planning and prep work from the management.
Heart. Be sincere about your offer and only offer what will best serve the viewer or prospect. I know that may sound very basic but sit for a moment and truly think about the power of sincerity and emotions. One of my favorite food-themed films is Like Water for Chocolate. In the movie Como Agua Para Chocolate the heroine puts her whole heart into and brings her true feelings to life when she cooks. Her meals are so chopped-full of feeling that she is actually able to physically and emotionally influence the other characters with every bite. What’s your deep-felt passion that makes you feel alive? Share it with your audience so that they can experience your passionate through your videos.
Audience: Who would be best served by what you have to offer? Who are they? What do they want? How can you help them get it? Have you seen Ratatouille? If you did then you may recall how the rat knew intuitively how to cook a French favorite that won over the critic that was otherwise a complete grump. What can you do to get better acquainted with your target audience?
New Media: It seems like every few years there is a new catch phrase that describes some sort of new twist on an old idea. What was multimedia in the 1990s is now New Media. And that means taking advantage of what’s new and exciting but with a strong foundation and knowledge of what has worked in the past. In terms of video that means figuring out how to bring Hollywood and network TV to interactive sites like Facebook and Twitter. So I encourage you to be open to innovation without ignorance.
One of my favorite food-themed films that exemplifies how innovation without ignorance can produce win-win deals is Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Willie Wonka was an eccentric millionaire who never stopped being creative and coming up with new tempting treats. He also knew his candy and did his homework. He knew everything about his audience both past, present, and ultimately future. He trusted his gut and as a result, Charlie and Wonka both came out on top (thanks to a great glass elevator).
Knowledge is power but communication is key. I know you’re an expert at what you do but how can you share your knowledge with others in a way that they can and will actually absorb it?
Share with others. What can you share with others to elevate the business community and perhaps your community at large? Some of you may know that my passion is wildlife and animals. I have produced a number of projects to support the efforts of rescue and rehab organizations, primarily wildlife. Recently, I became an unintentional rescuer myself. I spent the past 5 months (yeah I can’t believe it either) working to save a feral kitten after she was abandoned by her mother. I ended up getting in way too deep because none of the 100 people I asked to adopt her could and I’m very allergic so I couldn’t keep her; and none of the 20 volunteer groups I asked could help. But I did manage to become an expert trapper (ha!), get her spade, vaccinated, assessed by a feral foster, and finally placed at a facility in San Jose where she will hopefully make some cat buddies and eventually be adopted. My friends thought I was crazy but I made a commitment to that kitty to try to make her life better than starving on the streets.
How can you make things better for a colleague, neighbor, or someone in need? And I’d recommend Babette’s Feast for a food-themed movie about serving and earning the trust of others.
Well, that’s all for now. Now I am going to put my thoughts to enjoying a feast tomorrow of turkey, roasted color of the rainbow veggies, delicious and relatively nutritious stuffing, brandied yams and sweet potatoes, and cran/berry/apple pecan pie (and I’ve been making it with stevia the last few years and it still tastes good without the sugar highs and lows). Yum!
Until we meet again, Enjoy and Happy Holidays!
Kamala Appel, KEA Productions
PS- I’m hosting a FREE webinar next Thursday 11/29 @10AM and 1PM PST about how to boost sales with web video. Register before next Wednesday, 11/28 and you will be entered to win a FREE LUXURY TRIP TO CANCUN FOR FOUR! Wouldn’t that be a great way to escape from the winter blahs and enjoy your holidays?
I also have a free course about how to win over your prospects and turn them into customers with web video available online that you can check out at your leisure:
http://www.udemy.com/win-em-over-with-web-video