The Management of Communications by Allan Thain - HTML preview

6.        POWER POINT/VIDEO/DVD (Visual Media)

1.        Consider Visual Media when:

-    your product or service is highly visual

- your story is complex and can be made clearer through demonstration or animation

- your audience might not take time to absorb your story in written form

-    your audience cannot cope with difficult written material (eg

– young children, recent immigrants)

- you wish to stimulate emotional responses with sight, sound and motion

- you want to deliver a consistent message to widely scattered audiences

- you want to give your message a sense of importance or glamour.

2.        Planning:

- visual media productions can be expensive. Before you spend, plan

-    Be specific about the message you want to communicate

-    Is your message able to be translated into visual form?

- How will a visual medium convey your message more effectively

-    Define your audience. Who, where and how many?

-    Is your production for repeat use or one-shot?

-    How soon do you need it?

-    What are your budget limitations?

3.        Think Distribution First

- consider each potential mediums and ask yourself: Will it reach the audience I want to reach?

Is it available?

Potential Media:

1.  Internet Distribution

• Will internet users be interested in seeing your Video – Video/audio streaming can be tricky

•  Are they the audience you want?

•  Will you post it on your website?

POWER POINT/VIDEO/DVD (Visual Media) cont’d

2.  Commercial Television

•Check in advance with network and station program people.

•  Find out their requirements and interests.

•Assess the potential for television exposure of your media

•  Will it get to the audience you want?

3.  Community and Cable Television

•  Contact community channels in advance

•Cable outlets are particularly interested in material with a local flavor. Also material that is “educational”.

• Limited audiences, often with special interests.

4.  Special Interest Groups

• Identify the special interest groups interested in your production

•  Talk to them

• Line up opportunities for showing your video at lunches, seminars, conventions, workshops, meetings, etc.

5.  Lending Libraries

•Contact private and public video/DVD lending libraries and arrange to have your production listed with them.

POWER POINT/VIDEO/DVD (Visual Media) cont’d

4.        Selecting the type of Production

Proper pre-planning will provide a good guide to the type of visual media most suited to your needs.

Principal types are: Video/DVD

-    quicker to produce and less expensive

-    excellent for training

-    sound and visual quality is very good

-    TV screen playback equip widely available

Power Point

-    Inexpensive

-    Quick to produce

-    Easy to change

-    Excellent for limited use productions

-    More static and limited than video

-    Software not reliable?

Website

-    The internet website should be your electronic brochure

– A content Management System will allow you to change content

-    Remember Content is King and must be updated regularly

-    Do not waist a lot of money on a site nobody will see

-    There should be a source for the media where you post

Media releases, pictures etc.

Film:

-    Large budget proposal

-    35mm for commercial theatres

-    Excellent visual and sound quality

-    Most expensive

-    Production time is lengthy

-    difficult to make changes

-    Print cost high

POWER POINT/VIDEO/DVD (Visual Media) cont’\

5.        Start with a good shooting script

Regardless of the type of production, a good script is the most important element in any visual media production.

Writing for video/film is a highly specialized job. Use a professional scriptwriter either from your staff or outside.

Make sure you are completely happy with the script before you go into production:

-    Does it really get your message across clearly?

-    Is it interesting?

-    Does it make full use of both visual and audio possibilities

- Can it be done? Can it be done within the time frame and budget you have set yourself?

6.        Hiring a producer

There are a wide variety of production houses. Look for affirm with experience in the type of production you have decided on.

-Get at least three competitive quotes based on your shooting script

-    Ask to see previous work – it is a good guide

-    Talk to previous clients about their experience

- Consider cost but also the soundness of the company and its personnel. Do not always take the lowest bid.

7.  Control the Production

When a production house has been selected, do not just hand over the shooting script and wait for a final print. You may be disappointed and changes at that stage can be costly and time consuming. You should be involved directly at several stages, including:

-    review of planned shooting sequences

-    approval of actors and narrators

-    approval of graphic or animation material

-    approval of first rough cut

- approval of fine assembly and interlock of visuals and sounds

-    approval of final print

POWER POINT/VIDEO/DVD (Visual Media) cont’

8.        Evaluate your Success

Evaluate the success of your production in relation to the target audiences you have defined. Keep track of:

o  how often your production was used

o  in what medium

o  to who and how many

o  what type of audience

o  use response cards for audience reaction

o  reviews by film or art critics

o  do survey research on results of film

o  awards