Everyone wants to create a video that will "go viral", but the truth is, the odds are against you. From a search engine standpoint, it's much better to have content being released on a regular basis.  It's also better for potential customers and clients to see you as the expert, and there's no better medium than video to bring your story to life. Releasing and promoting (FB ad, Instagram promo, etc.) a new video about your product or service once a month or even once a week is a great way to drive traffic to your web site and social media pages.  

So you might be saying, Brant, are you crazy! I can't afford to produce one video a week! 

And you're right, I am a little crazy, but there's a method to my madness. If you tried to write, shoot, and edit each video individually, then the benefit would not justify the cost.  

However, there's a much more cost effective way to approach it...TESTIMONIALS.

Think about this...you can line up 8-10 happy customers/clients and interview them for 20 minutes each.  Ask questions that guide the discussion to the key benefits that you want to promote.  Start broad and gradually narrow the scope. For example:

• Name, title and how long they've used your product/service?
• Why do you like our product/service?
• Do you feel safer using our product? Why? (Benefit example)
• Is our product easy to use? Why? (Benefit example)
• Does our product change the way you work? Why? (Benefit example)
• Can you recall any instances when our product saved the day? (or made life easier, or saved you money, etc.)
• Would you recommend our product/service to others? Why?

With all of these questions, you need to be sure that the interviewee repeats the question back to you.  For example:  [Product name] changes the way I work because it cuts my workflow time in half.  You also need to be sure that they say it in their own words, don't tell them what to say.  You want the viewer to see someone talking truthfully and naturally about your product, not scripted. A good interviewer will know how to guide the interviewee toward brand benefits without putting words into their mouth.

Depending on the geography of your customers, you can sometimes go through all of the interviews in a day.  If you have to travel a bit, it might take a week or two, but when you're finished, you have a treasure trove of social media gold!

The next step is to slice and dice the footage into 30-second to 90-second (sometimes a little longer if needed) clips that you can release over time.  So here's the math on how many clips a good video producer/editor can generate from 10 interviews that asked 4 benefit driven questions.

• 4 benefit testimonials with a mix of each person's comments.  Typically, these are longer videos, but if done correctly, that won't matter. Your prospect is interested in knowing more about the benefit you're sharing.
• 40 individual testimonials focused on one benefit each.  For example: Interviewee 1 - Benefit 1, Interviewee 1 - Benefit 2, Interviewee 1 - Benefit 3, etc. These tend to be quick and to the point with a focus on the credibility of the person being interviewed.  This adds validity to the benefit you are sharing with prospects.
• 10 individual testimonials focused on the interviewee.   You can make compilations of all comments from each interviewee that outline key benefits and lend credibility to your product/service.
• Easter Eggs.  Inevitably, you will find some other great benefits that you might have overlooked. Or someone will have a cool story that can stand alone as it's own video. A good video editor will be able to pull these out and bring them to life.

​Here's an example of a video we produced for Scott Safety.  We utilized the comments of customers to tell a compelling story about the benefits of their new Scott Sight mask with a thermal camera built in.

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So with one set of customer/client interviews, YOU NOW HAVE 55+ VIDEOS TO USE THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.  And the process, including editing, can be completed within a couple of months. Once a week doesn't sound so crazy now, does it. :)

The other element that can add some additional pop to your testimonial videos (although it's not absolutely necessary), is b-roll.  B-roll is footage of your product in use or your teammates helping a client or demonstrating your product.  It's best to start editing your interviews first, then make a list of potential b-roll needed.  That will allow you to efficiently schedule a shoot or two to capture what you need.

Here's an example of a testimonial for the same client that features one interviewee and utilizes b-roll to help tell the story.

​So don't miss out on the ability to bring your brand to life by leveraging your customer's passion for you product/service. It takes some organizing, but in the end, you have more content than you'd ever imagined...and you might learn something new about how customers view your brand!

- Brant

Brant Waldeck, owner of My Creative Team, is a North Carolina-based cinematographer, photographer and creative guy who lives to create and help clients tell compelling stories about their brands.

When we think of traditional family portraits or head shots, we tend to think of posed shots of people in a studio or standing outside and smiling.  While there's certainly a reason for those types of photos, as a photographer who's always in search of something new, I always strive to do more.  Every person being photographed has a personality that needs to shine through.  The moment your capturing has a mood that needs to be clearly portrayed in the photo.  Here are some ways to capture portraits that stand out from the pack.
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CREATE A MOOD WITH LIGHTING
The intent of this shot, depicting a musician deep in thought, was to create some mystery behind his emotion. The lighting was far from traditional portrait lighting, because we wanted a slightly edgier look that set the mysterious mood. We used a smoke machine to add ambience to the room, and posed him to slightly obscure his face. This leaves the viewer wondering just what he's thinking.
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MIX FORMAL WITH FUN
For this shot, we had our model dressed elegantly and placed her in a small music venue that is much less formal.  This juxtaposition technique makes for an compelling photograph.
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​LET THE SETTING SET THE TONE
In this shot of a steel mill worker, I carefully chose the setting to communicate the company's strong loyalty to the USA. What's in the background can speak volumes. Choose your setting wisely.
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LIVE ON THE EDGE
Don't be afraid to take photos that push the limits or even make some people uncomfortable (like my wife was when she saw my son with a machete). This shot captures the free spirited, tough guy personality of my son, and it was taken by my older son, which makes me a proud papa! :)

I hope this post inspires you to push your limits and try new photography techniques. It's amazing what you can create when you push past your comfort zone.

- Brant

There are more and more "Drone" companies popping up to offer their services to the masses. They range from tech-oriented industrial drone services that do antenna inspections and land surveying, to your brother's kid with a high-end consumer drone that takes "nice" video. Depending on your needs and budget, you have to make a choice between doing things on the cheap or shelling out big bucks for the company with the coolest gear.

As it turns out, you can find something in the middle that suits your needs just fine, but you need to use these helpful tips to get the right person behind the drone:

1. HIRE SOMEONE WITH AN EYE FOR GREAT PHOTOGRAPHY/ CINEMATOGRAPHY - With today's technology, anyone...and I mean anyone...can learn to fly a drone. With the exception of following fast objects, most drone photography and video projects require the drone to do basic maneuvers at a slow pace. And since all professional level drones have GPS to keep them in place, you don't have to have a lot of skill to do these maneuvers. The difference between one drone company and the next is their ability to capture great images versus just shots from the air. Take the time to review their portfolio of work. Look for stunning imagery and visual storytelling. In the case of video, look for great camera work that "feels like a movie". You might pay a bit more for those folks, but it's worth it. 
2. BE SURE THEY ARE SECTION 333 OR PART 107 CERTIFIED BY THE FAA - Drones are fantastic tools that give you entirely new perspectives for video and photography, but there's a right way and a wrong way to use them. I personally used to think the FAA's reaction was overkill, but being a proud Part 107 certified Remote Pilot-in-command, I can tell you that it is not. If your shoot requires flying in an urban or suburban area, your pilot needs to know about the local air space they are about to enter, and if you're close to an airport, you'll need a waiver from the FAA to fly there legally. You want the company you hire to fly safely and follow the FAA rules so you don't run into liability issues trying to get that perfect shot.
3. BE SURE THEY ARE INSURED - All professional photographers and video production companies carry insurance in case something were to happen on set. Drones are no exception...in fact, even with the most skilled pilot, they are more likely to have an incident. Having flown drones now for a few years, I can tell you that things like wires, tiny tree branches, and birds (yes birds...the big ones that like to fight drones) can sneak up on you while you're flying. While I've personally never had to make an insurance claim, I've had some close calls that would have dropped my drone like a rock out of the sky. Insurance is a must for any serious professional drone company.
4. THEY SHOULD HAVE A DUAL OPERATOR DRONE - What do I mean by this? Some drones, like the popular DJI Phantom, are single operator. This means that the pilot and the camera person are one in the same. Serious drone photographers and video professionals will only use dual operator drones. One person is the dedicated pilot and the other operates the camera. One of the main reasons to do this is safety. By law, a drone pilot must keep the drone within line of sight and must keep an eye on it's position at all times. That's not possible if the pilot is looking at the screen while moving the craft. Up high with no obstacles, this is not as dangerous, but down lower, where a lot of drone video is captured, this can result in a crash. Another reason for dual operator drones is that they allow a skilled photographer or cinematographer to properly frame up a shot without worrying about where the copter is located in the sky. You will get more cinematic shots with a skilled two-person team.
5. RESIST THE TEMPTATION TO USE YOUR FRIEND'S KID - For many smaller companies, the cost of a professional drone operation can be a little high, but the result you get will be much better. First off, your friend's kid will likely have a consumer or pro-sumer level drone that simply doesn't capture video and photos at the same quality level (e.g. bit depth, dynamic color range, megapixel, etc.). Second, they will more than likely not be able to get the well framed shots that experienced professionals can get. And third, they will probably not have the same safety practices and will not be insured if there is a problem.
   
   

There's no doubt that drone photos and video can really enhance your company's or product's story. If it's done by competent professionals, you can greatly enhance your visual storytelling and boost your brand to the next level. 
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Brant Waldeck is a professional cinematographer, photographer and FAA certified drone pilot, whose company, My Creative Team, specializes in creative story telling for your brand. 

Wide angle lenses can open up small spaces, create impressive landscapes, and add a touch of style to your photographs.  Below are some examples of how I use wide angle lenses to create interesting images.

OPEN UP SMALL SPACES
Extreme wide angle lenses can give you much more detail about a confined space, such as the inside of a car or a small room. While you can use a fish eye lens to achieve this, it's this author's opinion that a rectilinear wide angle lens is the better option.  You get distortion, but it's not circular like a fish eye lens. The photo above was taken on a full frame Canon with a 17-40mm lens at 17mm.  As you can see, there is distortion at the edges, but it adds an interesting stylistic element.  And if you don't like it, you can always adjust it in photo editing apps like Photoshop.
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DISTORT REALITY
In the picture above, the dog's head is relatively larger than the body, and the dog in the background looks much further away. This technique isolates a subject while still providing context of their location in space.  And again, it creates a cool, stylistic look that helps your photo stand out.
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CREATE A CINEMATIC FEEL
Many movies utilize wide angle lenses to give a sense of closeness to a character. You see their expressions clearly and feel their emotions while maintaining perspective of what's around them. This same technique applies to photos. Here we can see a serious look on the boy in the foreground...probably thining about his next snowball target!
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LANDSCAPES - WIDER IS BETTER
Wide angle lenses can add more drama to your landscape shots by taking in more of the scenery and making clouds appear to stretch out in the corners.  Couple wide angle with a long exposure, like I did in this photo, and you get an even more dramatic look,  A quality wide angle lens is a must for serious landscape shooters.  

Shooting with wide angle lenses is one of my favorite ways to capture images.  I hope this article inspires you to "go wide" on your next photography adventure!

- Brant
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As someone who is passionate about capturing meaningful, beautiful imagery, I've learned that photography is a great teacher of life lessons. Here's what it teaches us:

Patience - Many kinds of photography require patience. If you want to photograph wildlife or a beautiful sunset, you need to patiently await the right moment. It might take weeks of trying to get a great shot. Which brings me to my next lesson...

Perseverance - All great photographers will do what it takes to get a great shot...get up at 3am, trek up a mountain, wait for hours in a wildlife blind, stand in the freezing cold waiting on a star time lapse to finish. It's not easy getting great shots. You have to work at it.

Never Stop Learning - Camera technology continues to open up new possibilities, and social media provides photographers with a constant stream of amazing photos that drive us to learn new techniques. You can always learn something new about lighting, exposure, lenses, composition, and so much more.

Look for Beauty in Everything - This may be the most important lesson that photography teaches us. As photographers, our gift to the world is capturing a moment in all its glory. Whether it's a big event, a portrait, a landscape, dogs playing in the snow or a dilapidated old building, our goal is to capture images that make people stop and appreciate the beauty of the moment...or the beauty in our subject. This particular lesson has really changed the way I look at the world. I look for the beauty in any situation...knowing that with patience and perseverance, I will find it.

Brant is a professional photographer and cinematographer based in Charlotte, North Carolina.

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