If you've been thinking about creating video products for sale on the Internet, you've probably been throwing around more ideas than you know what to do with. This is an easy trap to fall into. It's important to do some brainstorming for concepts initially, but always be sure to put a limit on your concept development stage. If you let it drag on, you'll never get anything done.
Set deadlines for yourself even when you think you don't have to. Don't fool yourself into thinking that you're making progress toward your goal when in fact you haven't gotten anything done.
The failure to focus on one project and carry it through to successful completion is a clear sign that you're procrastinating. If you get a brainstorm for creating a different video product every day, but you still haven't created a finished product to sell on the Internet, make up your mind to do something about it today.
Narrow your focus and set a day to shoot
Suppose your friends all say you're a natural comedian. You've been playing around with the idea of creating a comedy routine or skit. The only way to get it done is by setting priorities, sticking to a plan, and setting deadlines.
Set a day to shoot the video. You have to do this and stick to it. Approach this as if you were doing a project for hire. When you force yourself to get things done, you'll start to notice a big difference in the results you get. How much time you give yourself depends on how much time you can actually spend working on the project, of course. If you're doing this at night or on the weekends, you obviously need more time than a full-time Internet marketer who is planning a promotional video for a web site. Get up one hour earlier if that's the only way you can find time to do it. Approach it as a job for one month. Set your shoot for one month from today. Stop thinking about it and start writing a script.
People who get things done know that there is never a perfect time to start. People who wait for inspiration before they start a script never get started. As Jack London said, "You can't wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club." You have to get something down on paper to trigger connections between ideas. My best ideas always come during the writing process-never in the "thinking about what to write" stage.
Experience has taught me to just start writing and get it all down on paper. When I have a first draft in front of me, I get inspired. I see all sorts of things I never would have seen without the stimulus of the thoughts that came seemingly out of nowhere as I was working on the first draft of my script.
So stop thinking about it and get a script on paper. Then revise, shoot it, and put it up for sale on the Internet. But get started today.
Even if you're only planning to create a 30-second video clip to post on YouTube, never underestimate the power of rehearsal. Rehearsing gets the actors relaxed enough to be themselves, or to take on the specific personalities called for in the script. If you plan to be the host or demonstrator of your own motivational or do-it-yourself video, rehearsing will let you become comfortable in front of the camera. If you have decided to create a how-to video, the hardest task is learning how to be yourself in front of a camera. Rehearsing is the best way to get over your nervousness and connect to your audience effectively.
Rehearse in different ways to find out which style of delivery works best for your project. Talk as you move and stand on the set, sit and talk, talk as you show how to do something, and talk in a voice over as your actors demonstrate how something is done. And remember: Whatever type of video product you decide to create, it's important to make sure you have good lighting and plenty of space. Rehearse in different types of lighting to see what works best, and move around the set to make sure you have enough space.
When hosts stand or move on the set as they talk to an audience, they can transmit great energy and power to viewers. A host will sit and talk to create a laid-back atmosphere that encourages the audience to relax and feel at home. Just think about the most popular programs on television. What is the difference between a great host and an average host?
All great hosts stand as they deliver an opening monologue to an audience. They know how to use their hands, and they know how to keep their bodies poised to communicate exactly what they want their audience to remember. The best way to create great-selling video products is to study popular hosts and powerful speakers. Learn from them, imitate their techniques, and practice in front of a camera.
Ask your friends to give you their honest feedback. Were you convincing in the video? Did you connect to your audience? Did they stay focused on what you were saying? The most important question to ask your "focus group" of friends and family members is: What message did they get from your video? What do they think you're trying to say? What are viewers motivated to do after seeing your video? Answers to these questions are the best measure of the effectiveness of your video product.
Most of us are in for a shock the first time we carry out this experiment. We think we have covered a topic completely, only to find that our audience cannot say with certainty what that topic is. Leave your pride out of it and you'll be on your way to learning how to create great video products. Listen to your customers and potential customers. Listen to their feedback. Ask for suggestions about how to be a more effective host or speaker. Practice, practice, and keep on practicing.
This website uses cookies that are necessary to its functioning and required to achieve the purposes illustrated in the privacy policy. By accepting this OR scrolling this page OR continuing to browse, you agree to our Privacy Policy