Those are a few of the challenges at the Dallas Historical Society’s hosting of retired rock star drummer/singer Phil Collins presenting his well-researched insights into the history of the Alamo.

But in this video I shot for the Dallas Historical Society, it became a matter of capturing the moments at the end — and a story about No Jacket Required.

Sharing a story and emotions like this speaks to the friendship of two people over many years — and two people comfortable with themselves.

That’s a story onto itself, but as you watch this video, you can see and hear the value of point of view shooting. One of the most successful musicians in rock history, Phil Collins, has been promoting a book about a passion he’s had for The Alamo (The Alamo and Beyond). The historian introducing him at an event for the Dallas Historic Society causes Phil, seated just in front of me, to react. You have to listen carefully even though I used a shotgun mike.

Even if you’re not shooting a Phil Collins event for the Dallas Historical Society, this is a reminder about breaking the mold when it comes to where you shoot from and opportunities for point of view.

I shot this with a hand-held Sony camera, but when you want to shoot from a second row seat, it’s nothing you can set up a tripod for.

If you don’t take control, others can. This is an example of a wonderful company caught with its videos down. In fact, because I had a good experience with Las Colinas Vision Center, my video was a positive one. Imagine if someone with a bad experience came up first on Google after the paid ads.

Many companies are being caught with their videos down. They need to create their own videos as part of a video marketing strategy.

TAKEAWAYS

1. Don’t wait for someone to influence your reputation.
2. Develop a video marketing strategy before your competitors do.
3. Communicate “Why you?” What separates you from your competitors.

Don’t be caught with your videos down.

ABOUT BOB KAPLITZ

Bob Kaplitz pioneered social media video for the DFW American Marketing Association, driving up attendance and visibility as VP for New Media. As Senior VP with AR&D, he has analyzed how viewers use video and consulted TV stations and media companies across the country and internationally for more than three decades. That includes creating the highly successful Spirit of Texas campaign for Channel 8 in Dallas.

He and his company have taken that expertise to businesses for the last two years, helping them leverage the power of storytelling through social media. Clients include The Dallas Cowboys, The Four Seasons Resort & Club, Albertson’s, Sundance Square, and many professionals.

Bob has created the world’s largest on-demand library of training videos for multimedia journalists — TV reporters and videographers — and trains the best video storytellers in the country.

He’s been honored multiple times for excellence in teaching at the University of Dallas Graduate School of Management. Bob has also been selected to judge some of the world’s most creative video marketing for the DFW Interactive Marketing Association.

After graduating from Syracuse University’s Newhouse School of Public Communications with a Masters degree, Bob reported major stories for local TV stations and for the CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite. He was also honored as Best TV Investigative Reporter in the United States and Canada by the Radio TV News Directors Association International.

His presentation about how professionals can leverage the power of video for the Irving Chamber’s Women’s Alliance drew the largest attendance in their history at La Cima.

Bob has advised a remarkable range of people on building personal brands, which is important to everyone’s success. They range from network correspondents to the Tony Award winning star of the Broadway hit Jersey Boys to a notorious girlfriend of President Clinton to Princess Diana’s former chef at the Royal Palace.

He’s done video volunteer work for the Irving Chamber of Commerce as “Ambassador,” for the Dallas Historical Society, and for a Dallas foundation building a much needed hospital in West Africa.

Bob and his wife Carisa, an web executive for the American Heart Association, enjoy travel as well as the music of Phil Collins who played a delightful and unexpected role in their marriage.

He was referring to a short video I created to praise one of his employees, who has since been promoted. You can see first hand the power of video when it comes to search engines like Google which give priority to videos over text.

Search for “la madeleine marketing,” and you find close to two million hits. Yet the short video I shot of Stefani Evans scores the top page.

TAKEAWAYS

1. Build your own brand with a video marketing strategy before your competitors put you on the defensive.

2. Remember that video packs a much greater emotional punch and marketing punch than just text.

3. Leave your competitors in the dust.

4. Feel fortunate when you have Brand Ambassadors like Stefani Evans.

See the original story I wrote, which all started with a cookie: http://www.kaplitzblog.com/?p=8826

ABOUT BOB

Bob Kaplitz pioneered social media video for the DFW American Marketing Association, driving up attendance and visibility as VP for New Media. As Senior VP with AR&D, he has analyzed how viewers use video and consulted TV stations and media companies across the country and internationally for more than three decades. That includes creating the highly successful Spirit of Texas campaign for Channel 8 in Dallas.

He and his company have taken that expertise to businesses for the last two years, helping them leverage the power of storytelling through social media. Clients include The Dallas Cowboys, The Four Seasons Resort & Club, Albertson’s, Sundance Square, and many professionals.

Bob has created the world’s largest on-demand library of training videos for multimedia journalists — TV reporters and videographers — and trains the best video storytellers in the country.

He’s been honored multiple times for excellence in teaching at the University of Dallas Graduate School of Management. Bob has also been selected to judge some of the world’s most creative video marketing for the DFW Interactive Marketing Association.

After graduating from Syracuse University’s Newhouse School of Public Communications with a Masters degree, Bob reported major stories for local TV stations and for the CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite. He was also honored as Best TV Investigative Reporter in the United States and Canada by the Radio TV News Directors Association International.

His presentation about how professionals can leverage the power of video for the Irving Chamber’s Women’s Alliance drew the largest attendance in their history at La Cima.

Bob has advised a remarkable range of people on building personal brands, which is important to everyone’s success. They range from network correspondents to the Tony Award winning star of the Broadway hit Jersey Boys to a notorious girlfriend of President Clinton to Princess Diana’s former chef at the Royal Palace.

He’s done video volunteer work for the Irving Chamber of Commerce as “Ambassador,” for the Dallas Historical Society, and for a Dallas foundation building a much needed hospital in West Africa.

Bob and his wife Carisa, an web executive for the American Heart Association, enjoy travel as well as the music of Phil Collins who played a delightful and unexpected role in their marriage.

As a result, we’re taking a close look at how universities are utilizing the power of web videos to draw students. As with all our reviews, our observations are based on more than three decades of research into how viewers use and react to video. The knowledge we’ve shared with our TV station clients is useful in our consulting of universities, businesses, and professional people.

My comments on the UTD web video are on the bottom of the screen:

Worth Noting: The video, which I edited down for purposes of the review, serves the Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at UTD.

Assistant Director Nancy J. Hong, who appears in the video, is remarkably enthusiastic about the program. Okay, not surprising. She’s the Assistant Director. But she pours her heart and soul into describing the program and its value to students. I look forward to speaking to a group of young entrepreneurs about how to unleash the power of video through social media.

First, our observations here and in other articles in no way question the ability of professionals to serve their patients. In fact, our experience is that the practitioners focus on their patients, not on marketing. That’s a good thing. And this chiropractor impresses me through her professionalism, knowledge, and ability to communicate information.

But when it comes to leveraging the power of video on the web, here are three mistakes to avoid:

1. Avoid shooting showing more of the room than the subject of the video.
2. Avoid clasping hands. Much better to gesture or keep them at your sides.
3. Avoid audio that’s not crisp and clear.

AR&D’s team of video experts will help bring your marketing to life in the most effective way. We’ve been doing just that for TV stations and media companies across the country and abroad for more than three decades. Let us meet with you for an hour to analyze your current marketing and offer recommendations. Correct problems before they happen. That way, if you’re a chiropractor, you can focus on what you do well, and we focus on our expertise.

Think of a pancake house, and you don’t think of extra special service. I didn’t. Until I met The Original Pancake House’s General Manager Larry Goodloe in Grapevine. Not only was our waitress checking on us at lunchtime, but this general manager wanted to be sure we were getting everything we needed. This was just a middle of the road pancake house, so I whipped out my cell phone and asked Larry a question.

Video is a powerful way to thank people for what makes them special while helping consumers research different products and services.

Peter Weato was kidnapped, beaten, and shot in Africa by drunken soldiers. And they burned his home down. He was left for dead. His wife and five children were missing. People told him they were dead.

Peter came to Dallas in 1993 to rebuild his life. After three years of separation, he heard his wife and kids were alive in a refugee camp in Ivory Coast.

Peter began the long and difficult process of bringing them to Dallas — the reunion one of the sweetest moments of his life. Since then they pursued a vision to build a hospital. A retired doctor and his wife who’s a nurse, Woody and Susan Gandy, head up the foundation for the hospital. They came to us saying the charity would benefit from a video telling the story of the Zoe Geh Medical Center.

Here’s the article and short video. Click on link: http://www.kaplitzblog.com/2012/04/20/the-power-of-storytelling-from-west-africa/

We met Peter for the first time last night at the formal premiere of our video. We grabbed his comments on an iPhone when he began talking about world reaction to a pre-release on YouTube.

Our immediate concern was that the video lacked a first person account representing the thousands of people the medical center helped. And the original video even lacked an interview with Peter Weato. But the storytelling of Woody and Susan Gandy was so powerful that the cause touched many people. Reaction at the reception was caught on an iPhone:

The Cinco de Mayo fiesta, sponsored by the Irving Chamber and the Irving Hispanic Chamber, brought people together to talk, dine, and enjoy the music. While the action was limited, I was able to capture enough elements — especially the joy — to share the experience with others.

You can do it. And businesses can do it.

If you search for “Las Colinas Vision Center” on YouTube, the second most popular search engine, you might think you’d see their videos. Right? Nope. The only video there is mine. The first and only after the paid videos.

Fortunately, my video is a testimonial about the practice. But imagine if it weren’t positive.

When consumers want to know about a business, they go online to see reviews. And videos over power text.

Don’t be caught with your videos down. Don’t wait for others to occupy this valuable real estate. You can dominate most categories of business, if you get into now. Let us help.