whats-coming225I like Pina Coladas. I like them best on the beach. And it’s been a long cold winter.

So I’m taking the summer off…sort of…

Ah, summer…hiking, swimming, climbing mountains, bungee jumping, spear-fishing, cliff diving, skydiving, playing Russian Roulette with coal miners…

Oh wait. That was my summer movie-watching schedule. The riskiest thing I’ll probably do is slide off the inflatable raft in our backyard pool.

But that’s OK. I think best when I’m not stressed out about what I have to do next. How about you?

So I’m just going to stop. Period. Sort of. I’ll still be sending my thoughts on the latest and greatest (and I do mean greatest) of what’s happening in video marketing that affects you personally.

Here’s the other thing. I’ve been feeling that we’re on the verge of being able to help our intrepid community in far more focused, creative and effective ways.

And so I’m simply going to claim this time to suss out some ideas that are so close to being realized I can practically taste them. They taste like carrot cake. And anyone who really knows me knows that’s a very good sign.

It’s a good sign because this is all about better ways to help you use video to make yourself the most recognized go-to expert in your industry.

What’s coming is an intelligent training sequence that you’ll be able to join wherever you fit in best. No guessing, no wondering, no mystery about what will work.

And most of it will be free.

But to bring this to life for you, something has to give. So I’ve decided that over this glorious summer I’ll simply cut back on my video publishing schedule. There will be no more than 5 episodes.

So they should be extra special. And that means making them yours.

So let’s do it! Simply jot down in the comment section exactly what you would like to see an awesome training on.

Think of it as releasing your own personal summer blockbuster. And you’re the executive producer. In case you were wondering, that’s the guy who doesn’t have to do any of the work. 🙂

I’m open to ideas from a lot of different topics…shooting, editing, being on camera, scriptwriting, how to market…as long as lots of people can benefit. Oh, and in case I wasn’t clear…one small difference between our summer video schedule and X-Men is that ours will be free. 🙂

Mahalo!
Steve

    30 replies to "Your summer blockbuster release"

    • Jorge Fernandez

      Hey Steve,

      Here are some ideas.

      1. Script writing and video editing.
      2. Teach different theme styles. Yours is always rich, elegant, relaxed, and funny. How about learning other styles. For example Andy Jenkins’ style is also rich, although more active (at times almost chaotic, in the right way), with plenty of outdoors shooting. Yes, you did some outdoor shooting before flying your small aircraft, and that was awesome.
      3. Completely break apart how a real movie is done, for each of the most popular genres.

      Have an awesome summer.

      Jorge
      P.S. If you were in Hawaii you’d be drinking Mai Tais, but probably not Mojitos which you’d actually have if you were in the Caribbean!

      • Steven Washer

        Hm. Learn how to make a movie? How would that help you make better videos? I mean, who can afford to take a solid 6 months for something like that? Um, just in case you can, I’m available! 🙂

        On different styles; that’s intriguing. You need to be true to yourself, so “putting on” something is not going to be for everyone, but for everyone there is a true style. Let’s put that one in the hopper!

        Thanks for these awesome suggestions!

        As for the Mojitos, of course you’re right, but I’m hoping to travel quite a bit and doubtless will get them mixed up anyway!

        • Jorge Fernandez

          Not an entire movie, but parts (drama, comedy, romance, etc.) of it, and learning how to use those segments to tell my own story. The point is learning how to engage and entertain an audience, to tell my story, replicating the many tricks that Hollywood uses.

          • Steven Washer

            Fair enough. I’ll give this a think. There’s more Hollywood can do when they show stories, and a fair amount you can do to tell them. For video it can be a mix of show and tell.

            Sounds good. We’ll see.

    • Dave E Wilkes

      Hi Steve

      Great info. Thank you very much all your videos which are very popular here . Thanks very much.

      As for the next videos….. the thing that I would find most helpful would be in How To Write Scripts for my videos.

      Many thanks. Have an amazing great summer

      Dave

      • Steven Washer

        Thanks much, Dave. Writing is becoming right popular around here!

    • Maurice

      Hi Steve,

      personally one of the biggest draw-backs I have when it comes to video is putting a believable script or story line together.

      I can see how relatively straight forward this can be for example, in your specific line of work where you are teaching people how to use video, so naturally you already have an opening for vifdeo!

      However it’s a different ball-game when you are trying to sell someone on the benefits of your system or training but hasn’t anything tangible in the real world for people to associate with.

      So I guess what would be helpful is a way to tie your product/service into your own personal story naturally without it feeling contrived or forced.

      Sorry not been around the Greenroom for a while – life and health issues just seem to get in the way.

      Looking forward to getting back on-track.

      • Steve

        I like this a lot, Maurice. Many people might be asking the same question.
        Hope the summer finds you feeling better!

    • Jaime

      How to make your videos look super ultra pro! And resources on where to get the graphical elements… Or how to focus my manual camera (which is out of focus) when I am a one-woman team. Can iris the bag lady help here? I am worried about blur.

      • Steve

        Iris can definitely help you avoid the blurries. She lives for that (and to bring me mojitos).

        So super ultra pro, eh? We’ll see. There are definitely a few advantages to blurring out the background for one thing. And having super-crisp focus otherwise. Also the combination of subject and background is often what makes all the difference in creating that ultra-sophisticated look and feel.

        Seems like a nice topic!

        • Jaime

          OK actually this reminds me: 1) Should we try to always achieve similar light coloes in all our videos for consistency? Like if we start with warmer lighting tones, always keep warmer lighting tones? 2) How much of our upper bodies should be in the frame? I notice a lot of variation in people’s movies…Are there times it is better to be more zoomed out or zoomed in? And what are the limits of both? A series of side-by-side comparison images would be great!

          • Steve

            Very meta! By the way, changing how much of you is in the frame is largely done for the sake of keeping interest. Check out last weeks video on jump cuts and you’ll learn a lot. Promise! Will consider the rest of it on lighting…

    • Amelia

      Steve your information is rich and I really appreciate your generosity. Can you teach us how to make a movie trailer for our products?
      Have a blessed summer.

      • Steve

        Movie trailers can be verrrry entertaining. That might be a good one.

        Jeez. You guys are far too creative for only 5 videos.
        I meant that in a good way.:)

    • Peter Beckenham

      Hi Steve,

      My wife Amnuai and myself always appreciate and look forward to your valuable info always delivered with a wonderfully relaxed style.
      We’d love more help with the story telling approach to our product offers as well.
      Many thanks

      • Steven Washer

        Thanks, Peter! You know, I’m beginning to sense a trend…

    • Joyce Ozier

      Hi Steve,
      I’s like to learn how to edit the simple little segments that I can make with my iphone. Thanks for all your good ideas. Joyce

      • Steve

        Good thing to know and very doable. Thanks for the suggestion!

    • Rachel Ellis

      DIY camera dolly.
      A lot of people here mentioned scriptwriting. I agree with this.
      More Iris the Bag Lady in general! I love the low budget stuff.

      I love your videos! And your personality. As a busy animation student I rarely have time to sit down and watch videos so these are always a treat to take a break from work with.

      • Steve

        I did make a DIY camera dolly. You need a crew for that, or at least someone with a good sense of timing and a steady hand. Then expect to do multiple takes before you get it right. But the effect is awesome.

    • Dan

      Hi Steve,

      I’d like to know about how to create strong introductions on videos, as you’ve only got a short amount of time to grab and then hold someones attention. Are there any secrets to employ both through content and video technology.

      Many Thanks,

      Dan

    • Helen Thompson

      I’m wanting to rent out my place to birdwatchers. I haven’t started marketing yet, but imagine short videos on my home page would be a great start. I’m creative but with no technical know-how.
      So my suggestions are all about starting out:
      What software to go for (is there any free/economical stuff out there you’d recommend?)?
      Would using a good quality digital camera for shooting the videos be fine?
      Say a video is great first take – how do I upload it onto my page?

      If I knew I could do all that, I’d be seriously interested in the learning to actually make them well from scratch.

      • Steve

        Great questions, Helen! By the way, you could use any camera, but for bird watching I might want to get all the details while blurring the background. For that you might look at a DSLR like the Rebel t2i – t5i.

    • Ange

      Hi Steve! I hope you’re well and enjoying yourself.

      I’d like to learn a few tips about how to discuss harder topics like losing a job, death, mental health disorders, extreme debt or financial strain, illness, divorce, etc. in a way that isn’t boring or depressing and also doesn’t pander, become smarmy, or make light of things that happen in life that are painful.

      How do you strike a balance between being interesting and inspiring, and also compassionate and relevant to what your viewers may be going through?

      Thanks so much for offering the opportunity to provide input.

      — Ange

      • Steven Washer

        That’s a great topic, Ange. Too many of us deal with this by avoidance. And that’s your first clue. This will come up later, I’m sure.

    • Jaime E

      Hwo about connecting the dots with your audience. I think you may have a document on this. A video would be helpful too. Make the script resonate with the audience’s heart would really make videos take off.

      • Steve

        Got it. Thanks, Jaime!

    • arla

      Make a video for a shopping site.
      Would people want a video on a shopping site???

      • Steven Washer

        Zappos has about 700,000 of them and they’re making more everyday. So, maybe 🙂

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