Collaborating for Good to Take the Mystery Out of Video Production

If only all meetings could be this effective! Offered free of charge, Telling Your Nonprofit’s Story…Through Video exceeded all expectations. Andrea Berry and Kyle Andrei of Idealware and Maine Association of Nonprofits served up a winner, providing:

 

  • Tips and tools for video production
  • Examples  of powerful messages delivered through video
  • Options for sharing videos online
  • All-important nourishment for this lunch-and-learn session

 

Want to lower your anxiety level around video production a notch or two? Here are a few suggestions that should do the trick:

1. Plan, plan, plan. Before production begins, make sure you’ve identified:

  • Your target audience
  • The action that you want viewers to take after watching your video
  • Great storytellers to appear in your video

2. Tools of the trade. No need to be overwhelmed by technology. Simple tools can help in producing a topnotch video:

  • Flip Camera – great for documentaries and conveying emotion of your organization
  • Tripod – reduces the shakiness of the Flip Camera while still allowing you to maintain the realistic, informal tone of your       piece
  • Sony Handycam – this option brings a higher level of professionalism to your production for viewing at galas/fundraisers

3. Editing Options. Never underestimate the power of editing; clever editing allows you to both show and tell your story. Beginner tools include:

  • iMovie (for Mac users – free)
  • Windows Movie Maker (for PC users – free)
  • Adobe Premiere Elements

4. Publish or Perish.  Online resources make it easier than ever to share your story. Soak up the link love and post your video for all to see:

  • YouTube
  • Vimeo
  • Your Website / Blog
  • Distribute to local news outlets and community TV stations
  • Include in your E-newsletter
  • Facebook and twitter

5. What, there’s more? Gotta love it when you get more than you expected from a presentation:

Onward and upward with video production – put these practices into play and watch the magic happen.

 

Collaborating for Good to Take the Mystery Out of Video Production was last modified: July 16th, 2012 by Deb Nelson

Coffee, Business, and a Side of Advice

Perk

On your first visit to Perk Coffee Bar and Café, it will seem as though you’re catching up with a comfortable old friend. This café seems to have it all for those of us who rely on coffee shops to provide a satellite office:

  • Great coffee
  • Variety of snacks
  • Wi-Fi
  • Inviting atmosphere
  • Energy from a thriving business
  • Parking

Perk-2Located in a beautifully renovated mill building, this café is steeped in history. Comfortable as you’ll be in the café’s open space, take a few minutes as you sip your coffee to roam through the building. You’re sure to find inspiration in the creative use of space and the variety of businesses that are housed in the North Dam Mill.

Upon returning to the café, you’ll likely find a small group meeting and a few individuals cranking away on their PCs or phones. The unexpected find at Perk, though, is a piece of advice not to be ignored while chatting with the barista: It’s Never Too Late To Live Happily Ever After. Hmmm… makes you stop and think for a moment or two. Your story doesn’t end at the end of the day or chapter. So get going, you’ve got a story to live.

Coffee, Business, and a Side of Advice was last modified: July 3rd, 2012 by Deb Nelson