In this episode of The Video Show (213) it’s all about pattern interrupts. 

But what is a pattern interrupt? 

If you’re scrolling through reams and reams of video content, but then something different catches your eye, it’s a pretty good chance they’ve done something to stand out. Something to interrupt your regular pattern. 

That’s what I tried to do with my giant head at the start of the video. 

I’m going to try over the next few weeks to keep creating different pattern interrupts in my videos, and trying to notice what other people do in their videos to get them seen. 

What do you think would make a good pattern interrupt? Let me know in the comments below…

In this episode of The Video Show, I talk about what I need to know when shooting a video or a video series for a business.

Often they don’t talk about who they want to target for the videos, so they aren’t sure where to post the videos, when to post them or even who to get involved in the video production process. 

From my point of view it’s very important to find out as much as possible to get the best results. It all starts with what you want the viewer to do, think and feel after watching the video, and we can work backwards from there. 

If you have a question for a future episode of #thevideoshow, post it in the comments below.

I’ve tried time and time again to create a behind the scenes video myself. But I always get stuck because I’m obviously concentrating on creating the content I’m there to create, and shoot the videos I’m there to shoot. 

I’ve managed to get it down to three potential solutions:

1. Create lots of little social media videos, where whenever I get a few seconds, just make a short video on my phone and post it directly to my various channels. 

2. Turn those little videos into something bigger. This would mean making an over-arching behind the scenes video and being quite general in why I’m there and what I’m doing. 

3. Get someone else to do it. Hiring another video company to make a video for me and then using that footage to create a great looking behind the scenes video. 

What do you think? Post your solution in the comments below!

Do you need to worry about props and set decoration in your videos?

Well I’d certainly say do your best to make the background tidy. At least at first. This goes along with my rule: ‘Make small improvements with every video you make’.

With every video you make look at it after posting and ask the question: ‘What can I improve on?’. This might be something as simple as how you’re presenting, it could be what you’re wearing, it could be the camera or the lighting. But it could be the set or the props you’re using. 

Look at your set, and think about what’s distracting? What could make it look more professional? What would make it fit in more with your brand? Then over time fix it until the background becomes as much a part of your videos as you. 

There are loads of different ways to make great content, blogs, articles, podcasts, animated videos, but in my mind none build trust in quite the way that video does. You may feel I’m being hypocritical by writing a blog about this subject, but I’m actually repurposing all of this from a video that I made which you can see here:

The best way to build trust with video is to have a person in the video, ideally you. By putting yourself in the firing line you’ll make it easier for people to connect with you, to realise who you are and what you sound like. People take both audio and visual cues from a conversation. It’s a bit like when you’re reading a text, you can’t quite grasp the tone of the message, and if you’ll often project your own feelings onto it. It becomes a bit easier if you can hear them, but it becomes even easier if you can see them as well. 

That’s exactly why you’ve got to bite the bullet and appear in your next video. 

So, a few things to bear in mind that might give you an extra bit of confidence. When people first meet they look at four things:

1.What you’re wearing

I wouldn’t go so far as to say ‘Dress Smart’ but I would say ‘Dress for the occasion’. Make sure you’re wearing what people expect you to be wearing.

2. The location you’re in

With video, you’re entirely in control of the location, so make sure the background is distraction free, it’s well lit and the focus is entirely on you.

3. Whether your posture matches theirs

A bit harder to do in video form, but use your common sense. Don’t slouch, don’t swing your arms about like a moody teenager, be natural. 

4. If you mention a mutual acquaintance 

This is a good one! You can mention people they’re likely to have heard of to underline a point you’ve made. If someone you both like/know and trust, they’ll be quicker to agree with you as well. 

Keep an eye out for my future Video Shows. I’m always looking for ideas for future episodes, if you have a question for a future episode, put it in the comments below!