When it comes to making videos, would you say you’re talented? If not, there’s nothing to be anxious about. In this week’s video, I have some simple tips that could not only change the way you make videos, but… well, you’ll have to see for yourself 🙂

    16 replies to "Two simple tweaks to make your videos stand out"

    • Sharon Rosen

      BRILLIANT! Steve, you offer some of the best content, and lead so well by example, that I learn so much every time I watch. Thanks for all the great support — I’ll be reshooting and posting my first video (homepage welcome) by the end of this week.
      Blessings and chai to you…

    • Steve

      Thank you, Sharon! I went to your website. I agree that a video is a great idea for you as your subject beautifully lends itself to a video treatment. Please come back and let me know when it’s up!

    • Excellent work, Steve.
      We just need to focus our attention on continuous improvements one at a time. We all have talent. Some of us just need to work at it a bit more. But it really doesn’t matter. We just need to keep working on it.

      • Steve

        Agreed! By the way, I love your new website, Morris.
        Bit of an awesome video on your homepage.

    • Rebecca

      Great video and very good advice. I have been away from making vids for a couple of years, I need to get back to it.

      • Steve

        Great! Post back here when you get your first one up, OK?

    • Mark Mian

      Steve, great video. Inspiring, informative and imaginative.

      • Steve

        Thank you, Mark. I’ve found that occasionally it’s OK to have fun while you’re working 🙂

    • Tammy Kabell

      Dearest Steve – I second Sharon’s comment that you provide the very best content, and I would add that I haven’t seen anything better out there in the internet video marketplace.

      I have a quick question for you. I have a friend, Nan Crawford (www.nancrawford.com) that coaches people on their stage presence. She recommends using a Leonardo DaVinci method of projecting physically (lots of wide hand movements). Since video is a much smaller “stage,” how do you feel about exaggerated hand and body movements on camera?

      With much reverence, Chai leader –
      Tammy Kabell

      • Steve

        That’s a great question, Tammy! So the answer is similar to the “practice happy” exercise. Being more expressive with your hands will help boost your energy for sure. As to how crazy you can get with it, it’s a matter of architecture. The architecture of the stage is radically different than video. That’s why stage actors sometimes have difficulties in making the transition from the theater to film. They can simply be too big for the medium.

        What your friend Nan is referring to is probably about engaging your whole body in the communication. That’s a good thing, but that kind of change happens over time and with practice. Otherwise you can get too big and it doesn’t come across as authentic. But the truth is that many more people are probably going to err on the conservative side and never quite get out of themselves unless they “own” that communication style.

        So the answer is not to be “big” but to be totally yourself and all that implies. On camera it’s a bit less than on a stage, as the energy will transfer with less overt theatricality, but for the right person, being genuinely BIG could be amazing.

    • Paul Wolfe

      Steve

      Love Geoff Colvin’s book. I wrote my own version of Deliberate Practice for bass players in the fall of 2009. It was one of the most satisfying- and exhausting – things that I’ve ever done!

      But Deliberate Practice works for EVERYTHING. Not just music. Or sports. Or writing. Everything.

      Including video.

      I find one part of the Jerry Rice story really interesting. Generally he’s lauded as the No#1 player of all time in American Football – and if you look at the All Time Stats list he leads in touchdowns and yards not by a few percent. Last time I looked I think it was 40 and 50% respectively (give or take one per cent).

      So he was not just a bit better statisticly (sp.) than his rivals (of all time). But 50% better. Come on, you say, this guy must have been superhumanly talented to stand that far ahead of anyone else.

      Here’s the thing though – at Draft, he was the 16th pick of his year. At college level he was an All Star player…but never won whatever the award is for the best college player. He was a good if not outstanding player.

      What he did was isolate the 4 things that he needed to work on to compensate for the fact that whilst he was fast, he wasn’t super fast. And he worked on exercises for exactly those 4 things. And turned himself into a machine…(I don’t watch American Football, but I’ve watched footage of Rice on the ‘Toob and he’s truly magic in motion).

      SO that for me is the greatest learning from the Rice story – isolate the fundamentals, and work on them with ruthless dedication. Over time it can take anyone head and shoulders above their competition. That’s an awesome lesson….and BTW I highly recommend Geoff Colvin’s book. It’s utterly fabulous.

      Paul

      • Steven Washer

        Brilliant, Paul. I agree 100%. Have a ruthless passion for the things you want to improve in, and don’t take no for an answer.

    • Carol Anne Munro

      Thanks Steve, I love the simplicity and it so applies to all of life. Blessings, Carol Anne

      • Steven Washer

        Thanks, Carol! Wouldn’t it be nice if simple was also easy? 🙂

    • James Early

      Steve, You rock! You make everything looks so easy. Thanks

    • denver

      I surfed in to your lovely site, my compliments to your beautiful work

Leave a Reply to Rebecca Cancel Reply

Your email address will not be published.