Visual Story Telling – Producing & Publishing Quality Video on a Dime.

Speakers at this session in the Adventure Travel World Conference include;

·         Chris Noble – General Manager, WorldNomads.com

·         Davin Hutchins – Founder and CEO, NOMADSLAND.

More information about the speakers on this link: (http://www.adventuretravel.biz/connect/summit/summit-agenda/2010-featured-content/speakers/)

Quaity Video on a Dime.

• Use video as a differentiator / inspire.
• Story telling is key.
• Use tweets, Facebook, press releases. (combine efforts

HD Video is now under 1.000 Dollars. Editing distributing has become affordable.

• Signature Videos:
• 4 or 5 minutes
• Multiple versions (for T.V., for Youtube, spot, event, etc.)
• Story telling is key, emotional video, tell an experience, and make people feel part of.

Problem with current videos:

• Week stories, week interviews, week characters.
• Need to plan, look for the most suitable story, promote and boost the best features.
• Amateurish video (no budget) bad quality can be understood if it’s done by our clients, with a certain camera.
• Be authentic, genuine feeling; try to express an adventure a unique experience.
• Video tell a story, emotion, interview staff, and look for a unique story.
• Try to capture the attention in the beginning, tell a story and the impact on the ending!
• Hotel – Pictures might be better, stationary.
• PPP (People, Planet, Profit) – reduce carbon footprint, unique person, trip experience.
• Soft selling, no not be commercially aggressive. Just mention is a great place and is brought to you by us!

Dragonfly Expeditions & Nomads Land, example of video, storytelling: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sozYI8yhgUY

 

World Nomads also showed a video of a development project in Costa Rica, but it’s still not available as its part of a series of documentaries: I leave a link to their website where there are many example videos:

• YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/WorldNomadsTV
• Website: http://www.worldnomads.com/
• Collaborating with Nat Geo Adventure: http://www.natgeoadventure.tv/au/Channel.aspx?Id=387

Planning: (type of travel stories)

• Story of the new or good
• Story of the people
• Story took place in an ecosystem, environment, surrounding
• Story of trekking, activity
• Story of the founder, traveller’s information, staff.

What camera to buy:

• Sony, hard drive, extra batteries, computer backup. (1.000 $).
• Canon Camera with HD (1.000 $).
• Revel T+I HD videos 19x20 full HD.
• Different outlets, products – same video can be edited to be used in different events, platforms. The important is to record in high quality in order to be able to modify, use different segments, versions, for website, YouTube, sell your product or promote the destination, among others. (B-B, B-C, Episodes, etc.)

Camera characteristics:

• Flipcams- take it with you in helmet (small for adventure stories, where a conventional camera is difficult, quality is not that good but viewer understand so it’s no problem, can even be given to tourist for capturing special moments.
• Audio: use external audio (directional, etc. pump audio, license music)
• Flash memory or hard drives (local Audio Band)
• Lighting (very important, (information available at the ATTA´s Hub).
• Battery life (charge and buy extra for whole day shooting).

Use strong characters

• Use interviews (anchor interviews 30 minutes). Unite questions between the ones interviewed so that you can move from one to another character. Use personal, historical, mechanical, transitional, philosophical or whatever ideas that are the strong and differentiating characteristic of the company, destination.

Script writing

Transcribe everything; write what to do, create a paper cut, what you are going to do! One page is about two minutes of filming! Record short scenes never more than 10 seconds (the less time and more diverse the better).

Editing:

• Never more than 20 seconds (except interview)
• Ideal is 4 to 5 seconds!
• Tools

o   Windows – Adobe premiere, Sony vegas, movie maker.

o   Mac: Final cut studio, final cut express, Imovie.

• Always good to have B-role: this is material of scenery, beautiful features, sunsets, landscapes, visitors, film for the editing for crafting the story, set the mood. (always well categorized will aid with professional teams, will reduce costs if you can give this material)
• ½ of the budget is for editing, 1 day shoot takes two days editing!

Video Hosting:

• Think of Ipad, Iphone, Mac! Make them available for all platforms.
• YouTube; Free / HD / Mobile compatibility /

o   Mediocre analytics, views, referring rate, sharing engagement

Managing Expectations:

• YouTube; do not expect to get all your visits from this channel alone, use leads, from blog, promotion in order to get significant impact and views.
• Do something to ignite the video!
• Singular vs Collective voice (me, me, me / us, us, us) conservancy spirit, us believe more people do it in our community destination. Promote more videos.
• These are just tools, it requires good marketing (conventional) connect tell people. Mix of traditional and social marketing is vital.
• Promote interactions, What do you think?, ask for comments, send video, share.
• New conscious / broad audience.

Distribution:

• Google displays, ads, ad-words, Facebook adds.
• Email, Facebook, YouTube, connet the different means of communication, marketing.
• Happy if a visitor is in the website for 5 minutes.
• Facebook 1 ½ minutes.
• Think of users with small screen i.e. IPhone.
• We have the first 10 seconds to draw them and keep them! Reach media.

In conclusion, we identify that the realization of commercial and advertising travel videos can be done at a relatively low cost and with a professional finish when we plan properly.