Q/A Friday: What are 5 things I must do to create a phenomenal video?

Q: Ok, I’m ready to jump into video creation. I got the Flip Cam (or Vado, or Kodak, or whatever) and I’ve more-or-less talked myself out of stage fright. What are 5 things I can to to make sure my video rocks?

A: First of all, I have stage fright too, and absolutely DISLIKE having to deliver something on video (you probably never would have guessed that, huh?) The key thing is to just get a video done… it might not be perfect the first time, but you gotta start somewhere! So, here are five tips to make your videos more focused, watchable, and streamlined.

1. KNOW WHAT YOU ARE GOING TO SAY

Please don’t be like this guy:

The first step in creating killer video- SCRIPT IT OUT! Without a guide of some kind, you’re likely to just freeze in front of the camera, or worse yet, fill the audio void with endless “Ummmm”’s and “Uhhhhh”’s while you grasp at what you want to say next. It’s also better to write out a bulleted list of key points rather than a word-for-word script. Let the words come freely, but clearly, and even if you mess up, keep control of your face. The world likely won’t know unless you tell us.

2. GET A MOVIE BUDDY
It’s bad enough that you have to think about what you’re saying and doing in front of a camera without having to think about handling it, too! Make friends with someone in your office (or a spouse, older child, etc) and agree to man the camera for each other. Even if you’re just doing a desk-chat, this will allow you to relax a little more, plus get rid of the need to trim you moving to/from the camera to start the recording.

3. IF YOU ARE MOVING THE CAMERA, SLOW THAT SUCKER DOWN!
I dare you to watch this:

Did you feel a little sick to your stomach from all the fast movement? Don’t do this to your audience! The best way to keep a camera in control is to have one focus: monitoring your movement (here’s where that movie buddy definitely comes into play!)

A few handling tips (and keep in mind, I went to film school… so you should probably listen to me here)…
-Use a tripod when possible, but make sure it’s not so tight that panning or tilting the camera is jerky.
-If you are handholding the camera, plant both your feet, center your weight, hold the camera with both hands, and if you pan or tilt, twist from the waist for the most level results.
-However slowly you are moving the camera, you could probably stand to move it a little bit slower.
-If you are going to be walking with the camera on, it’s best not to wear shoes (this will also cut down on that *CLOMPCLOMPCLOMP* sound) and keep plenty of spring in your knees and arms.

4. ANGLE IS EVERYTHING
The actual LENS of the camera should be at your eye level, and NO LOWER- I don’t need a tour of your nostrils, thank you! It’s always better to be looking down on someone/thing than up at it, a slightly angled profile almost always beats a true profile or dead-on shot. Also, you should be the focus of the video… so don’t let anything (like your hands) sit closer to the camera than your face. 

Screen-caps have been censored to protect the identity of people who are now busy making phenomenal, well-angled videos :)

*BONUS TIP!!!! Never turn your back to the camera, especially if you are walking. I’m sure you can guess why.

5. DON’T EXPECT IT TO BE PERFECT THE FIRST TIME
I can almost guarantee that any video you see online in which the delivery was perfect was not the first take. Allow yourself a few practice takes to get a feel for the words, the gestures, etc, but keep the camera rolling in case you do nail it. Let yourself relax, have a good time, and remember: at the end of the day, the most important thing is that you did it.

Q/A Friday: How do I come up with a realistic (and successful!) social media plan?

Q: I feel like I need to make a bigger dent in the social media world, but I have no idea where to start. Is there an easy way to do this? A: YES! Managing your social media presence is really as easy as one-two-three….and four: Topics, Resources, Schedule, Spontaneity.

1. Decide on your topics Make a list of the things you want to talk about. This can be anything you want, as many as you want, and remember that your list can change as you progress. EXAMPLE: My topics are social media news, San Diego events/culture, baking/cooking, and freebies/discounts.



2. Identify your resources Determine (and bookmark!) sources who are talking about what YOU want to talk about. This can be done by a simple Google search of your topics list. You should shoot for at least two resources per topic, but there’s no real wrong number. EXAMPLE: My resources are Mashable, Social Media Examiner, Sign on San Diego, NBC San Diego, The Pioneer Woman, Bakerella, Groupon San Diego, and Slick Deals.
   
   
3. Schedule the week ahead Create a free Hootsuite account and link your Facebook (profile, page, or both), Twitter, LinkedIn accounts, etc. Schedule time for yourself to take a quick scroll through your resources (once a week for an hour should suffice, but you can adjust this to fit your needs). As you find something that you want to share, schedule it right then and there. BONUS! If you use the Hootlet fuction in Hootsuite, it will automatically shrink your link AND provide you with click analytics! EXAMPLE: Monday might be my Social Media day, so I would browse through my social media resources and schedule something for Monday: BANG! Facebook passes 500 million users.http://bit.ly/chywhb  If I want Friday to be my “what’s up this weekend” day, I might look through my local events/culture resources and schedule something for Friday: Didn't score a ticket to @comic_con this year? Good news- there are plenty off-site events, like Zombie Walk! #sdcc http://bit.ly/b5fPCL Check out just how easy it is to use the Hootlet:
4. Jump in spontaneously. At this point, you’ll be regularly posting like a pro, but remember that social media is also a conversation. Log on at least once a day and take a quick scroll down your feed to see who’s saying what. Leave a few comments, check in with at least one person you haven’t connected with in a while, manage your requests, etc. Another great way to be spontaneous is to use your smart phone smartly. Find a great restaurant or come across a street fair or have something else to say? Get your phone out and take 30 seconds to post it to Twitter or Facebook – even better, take a picture! The easiest way to do either is using an app, but you can also use your phone’s internet service or send a text message to either service. EXAMPLE: Avoid I15 north like the plague! I left Eastlake at 4... Single digits from the 8. Just passing Miramar now. Save yourself if you can! (Posted via mobile web)

Remember, part of your goal should be to become an information resource for the people you connect with. Following these four steps will help you manage your time and make the most of your connections!

Q/A Friday: How do I customize my email signature?

Q: I want to customize my email signature to include links to all the places I am online. How do I do this?
A: Great question. Take a look at my email signature:
______________________________________________
Tassia Bezdeka
Director of Social Marketing - Century 21 Award

7676 Hazard Center Drive #300, San Diego CA 92108
(760) 504-7087 Cell
(619) 471-2234 Direct

It’s very easy for you to do something similar, just follow the steps below:

1. Obtain Images
First things first, you MUST have the icons or photos that you want to use, in the size that you want to use them with. If you have a headshot or logo you want to use, great! To resize the image if it is too large, open Microsoft Paint (you can find this in your Start menu). Open the image you want to edit. Click the Image menu at the top of the window and select “Stretch/Skew Image.” Choose a percent figure to resize your image (to avoid distortion, choose the same percentage for horizontal and vertical). Click OK. Once you have the desired size, click FILE, then SAVE AS (to prevent overwriting the original image).

For the social media icons, you can find an icon you like by doing a Google Image search, then right-click the image that you like and save it to your computer. You can also download an entire icon set. I use Komodo Media’s Social Media Icon Pack.

2. Open the Mail Signature Editor and Create or Edit your signature
For Outlook 2003
In Outlook, click on the Tools menu, then select “Options.” Select the Mail Format tab and click “Signatures.” Click the “New Signature” button, and give your signature a name in the pop-up window, select “Next.” When the Edit Signature window opens, click on the “Advanced Edit” button. Select “Yes” in the pop-up window; this will open up a Word document, where you will create your signature.
To add images to your signature click on the Insert menu and select “Images.” To hyperlink, look for the “Insert Hyperlink” button on your toolbar. Once you are happy with the signature, save the file and close Word.
For a demo from Microsoft, click here.

For Outlook 2007
In Outlook, click on the Tools menu, then select “Options.” Select the Mail Format tab and click “Signatures.” Click the “New” button to create a new signature, and give it a name in the pop-up window.
Now you will create your signature. The process with regard to text is very similar to Microsoft Word. If you would like to hyperlink anything, such as your website, simply highlight the text that you would like to be clickable and click on the “Insert Hyperlink” button on the far right. Remember that your URL must be complete (ie: http://www.google.com vs google,com)
To insert an image, set your cursor where you would like the image to be (you cannot move an image later if you don’t like its placement; you will have to start over). Now click the “Insert Image” button, next to the hyperlink button. Browse to the location of your image, select it, and click “Insert.” Continue as necessary to add all your images to your signature.
To link an image, such as the Facebook icon, click on or highlight the image, then click the “Insert Hyperlink” button. Repeat as necessary.
When you’ve formatted your signature and are happy with the way it looks, select the signature for the drop-down menus in the upper right. This will automatically add your signature to new emails or replies. Click the “Save” button, and you’re done.

3. Test Your Signature
Open up a new mail window. Your signature should appear. Send a test email to yourself. When you receive it, verify that all the links go to the right place. Everything look good? Congratulations… you have an awesome signature!