Pitching Corporate Videos

[Gary Hanna]

Corporate Video Tutorial - Stigmas and Pitching - YouTube

I don't see many corporate video tutorials (not tech/how to) about pitching and crafting a compelling message, so got to start somewhere LOL.

Any thoughts?

[Seth Bloombaum]

I made it about 7 minutes into this. At about 6:40 he gets to it: Covertly debunk stigmas by playing to a desire on the part of the viewer.

Are advertising and marketing "corporate" video? In the markets I'm familiar with, advertising is not. Marketing - sometimes yes, sometimes no. His first "corporate video" lesson, debunking stigmas, is really for advertising and marketing writers who have strong strategic relationships with their clients, strong enough to help steer campaigns.

[Gary Hanna]

I'm not sure what you're asking Seth. It's a broad concept and can be attributed to print/copy writing I suppose, but it's a way to structure a video before shooting and writing interview questions during preproduction of a corporate video, which yes, is a form of marketing/advertising, which ever term you want to use. Sometimes a client goes directly to a videographer with no agency and I think the videographer should do just more than show up with a camera and light whatever the client wants the interviewees to be asked. That way the videographer can separate themselves from the rest of the other videographers which is quickly becoming a saturated market.

[Seth Bloombaum]

Well, I do agree with you - those who can should write, and develop the deepest relationships possible with their clients.

My sensitivity is clarity about what the practices of corporate video, marketing, and advertising actually are. Not every corporate shooter, producer, or editor is a writer, and not every writer shoots. Not even most.

I'd encourage someone with your skill set to think of themselves as an independent creative director, FWIW. With rates to match!

[Gary Huff]

Originally Posted by Seth Bloombaum

I'd encourage someone with your skill set to think of themselves as an independent creative director, FWIW. With rates to match!

The devil's in the details, however.

[Gary Hanna]

how so Gary?

[Gary Huff]

Let's say I have decided to think of myself as an independent creative director (which I am on many occasions actually) and have decided that my rate in that capacity is, say, $500/day. Now that's great and all, by there is the niggling little issue of needing to actually get paid that. That's the "details".

You can proclaim yourself whatever you want, but getting people to actually transfer money to your banking account is an entirely different animal.

[Gary Hanna]

Originally Posted by Gary Huff

Let's say I have decided to think of myself as an independent creative director (which I am on many occasions actually) and have decided that my rate in that capacity is, say, $500/day. Now that's great and all, by there is the niggling little issue of needing to actually get paid that. That's the "details".

You can proclaim yourself whatever you want, but getting people to actually transfer money to your banking account is an entirely different animal.

Well that's Seths POV LOL. To me this should be something more videographers discuss by default as part of the video production workflow. Quite often the client (especially dealing directly) says "Oh so what's next, do we plan this out or you?" And the client will just type up interview questions and the video studio just pieces it together - Weak sauce workflow to me. A lot of this is editing decisions normally invisible to the client, but should be discussed up front so they can plan questions better.

[Gary Huff]

I agree, but it can get thorny when you want to get paid for that work because i feel the process is rather under appreciated.

[Gary Hanna]

I agree, but it can get thorny when you want to get paid for that work because i feel the process is rather under appreciated.

It's not too hard to "include it". Most of this is verbally putting forth your post production thoughts. Also it helps having an answer when they ask "so what's the plan". Some videographers find the video helpful since now they have an answer to that question and can sound somewhat invested in the project. It's not too thorny when the final product is more streamlined and actually effective, without defensive tangents boring the viewer the other video guys will make LOL.

[Seth Bloombaum]

Originally Posted by Gary Hanna

Well that's Seths POV LOL...

Quite right, and I am nothing if not opinionated on this. However my biases do come out of long experience. I do appreciate the discussion!

Who is the audience for the Stigmas piece? Marketer, market thyself. Put some shoes on the feet of the cobbler's children & such. It's a pretty big leap (for most) from corporate video to proposing a solution to address stigmas associated with a product. I say it's marketing.

I'll give kudos to Gary Hanna; not every corporate producer is looking at their own work in this way, and not every producer is developing strategic client relationships. Most of us are happy being the go-to guy or gal for the work we're good at. Much of it I'd call "services" rather than "solutions". Yes, I do some writing for clients... but that's the (sometimes) added value, not the meat of my client relationships.

I'm just saying that developing these skills to strategic partner levels leads outside of traditional corporate video, and more towards the strategic client relationships enjoyed by marketing and advertising agencies. Usually at higher levels of compensation.

[Gary Hanna]

To me this goes with the video making territory. This is nothing that hasn't driven any video editor nuts that he doesn't know already. And plenty of videographers roll their eyes at videos they've "had to make that way" instead of applying that opinion pre emptively. A lot of times there is no agency and you have a direct communication to the client, which is who the video is made for, that videographer.

I never got how you have the idea of an auteur "filmmaker" adept at screenwriting, timing, controlling what a viewer would think, yet no counterpart to the corporate side. You have an agency sometimes, then a guy shooting / editing the material (which is why the word 'videographer' is seen as weak and meager). While some may say this is "marketing" territory, who's to say "Hey the marketing strategist guy isn't a storytelling creative filmmaker" isn't also a valid argument.

And a lot of times, again, there is no middle/marketing guy.