For ACLM, Emotional-Marketing Sample Videos…
NOTE: This page was UPDATED at 4:11 pm EDT — July 24, 2017
to include more video samples and some text
(in response to an email from Susan Benigas.)
ADDITIONAL UPDATE July 25, 11:50pm –
Added More Precise-PRICING and a “Production-Process” Outline
Here’s the original 2-minute video I posted…
This video would cost approximately $3500 (See details below)
A 4-minute version would cost approx $7000 + 1000 if you wanted to add professional narration.
Engage Your LM Community
with Emotional, “Fact-Free” Videos
Most of the videos on this page are what I call “WordPlay” videos.
They’re made using just words and music (sometimes narration.)
For a few of them, I commissioned original music.
You don’t need to watch all of them. Just skim this page and pick and choose what interests you.
NOTE: Not everyone likes these WordPlay videos.
Although their pacing is about the same speed as we talk, people who read more slowly seem to feel rushed and frustrated.
Videos #2, #4, #5 include narration along with the text which may work best for your purposes.
On those, viewers can just listen — the word-animation is a bonus.
THE PRODUCTION PROCESS:
The script for each of these videos took at least a full-day or more to write.
Working with a client can take longer as we go through revisions and approvals to get the text right.
Probably after some initial discussions and maybe a list of topics and ideas and themes that we want to include in a video, I could write the first draft of a script within a week.
Then, the back-and-forth process to polish the script might take a couple of weeks (the fewer people involved, the better.)
The videos are created in the computer and are labor-intensive as each word must be manipulated to sync up with the music and fit in with the pacing. Plus, for emphasis, there’s movement of the words, changing colors, dissolves/wipes and other transitions (none of which is difficult on its own, they just take lots of time to polish.)
Working alone, the “BRICKS of ATHENS” video (below) took over a week to create.
There would also be choices to be made for the narration and music.
PRICING
I’ve attached approximate prices to each of the 7 sample videos below
The actual RANGE of production costs for a 2 to 4-minute video which you may share with your members for their own use. would be from $2000 to $10,000 depending on length, style, and whether or not professional narration and original music is commissioned (versus cheaper licensed “stock music”) Stock photos, etc.
BELOW, I’ve broken down costs below and attached ballpark prices to each of the video samples.
And keep in mind that if you shop around, you may be able to find someone to make a similar video for you more cheaply.
NOTE: the fewer people involved, the better (and probably cheaper) the finished video will be.
If you do decide to commission a video, the October conference might be nice time to premiere it.
ESTIMATED PRICING “PER FINISHED-MINUTE” . . .
For a simple video WITHOUT elaborate editing effects, (EXAMPLE Video #3: “What If…”)
Budget approximately $700 per finished-minute
PLUS $250/minute if you want professional narration
PLUS $400/minute for ORIGINAL MUSIC.
(NOTE: You can save money by licensing the use of “stock music” for under $100, but it may show up in other videos.)
—
For the WordPlay elaborate text-editing videos… (EXAMPLES: Videos #1, 2, 4, 5, 6)
Budget approximately $1500 per finished-minute
PLUS $250/minute for professional narration PLUS $400/minute for ORIGINAL MUSIC.
(NOTE: You can save money by licensing the use of “stock music” for under $100, but it may show up in other videos.)
The Production Process
PRE-PRODUCTION (Scripting stage)
Again, the fewer number of decision-makers, the better.
Along the way, so that everyone involved has access to the materials as we make decisions, I can post draft-scripts, music samples and narration samples on a webpage similar to this one (and it can be password protected if you like.)
Regardless of which style video you choose, production begins with at least a couple of front-end discussions to determine choice of style and content (themes, ideas, look and feel of the video).
DRAFT SCRIPT (may require a week.)
(feedback)
POLISHED SCRIPT (3 or 4 days)
(feedback)
MINOR REVISIONS and FINAL APPROVAL the written script before video production begins.
PRODUCTION:
SOUND COMES FIRST: The voice and music (and maybe Sound-Effects) must be recorded and edited first.
Once the SOUND TRACK is complete (and approved)…
then, the text can be animated to sync-up with it.
After the script is finalized, we need to choose the music and voice (if used). I can make recommendations.
MUSIC: I will narrow down some sample choices and styles of music.
Often, I start by selecting some stock music to help us choose a style and feel and mood that we like.
Then I commission a professional musician to compose and record original-music that mimics that style/mood and is the approximate length of the finished video.
NARRATION: If narration is needed, I can select 2 or 3 professional “voice-artists” and post their samples on a webpage.
Getting the original music written and the narration recorded might take a couple of weeks.
Then, I need to mix them together, adjust the pacing, adjust the volume levels, equalize it (adjust qualities of the pitch/tone, perhaps add some “reverberation”) and add any desired sound-effects.
DRAFT VIDEO: After getting the music and narration together, I can then produce a draft version of the VIDEO and ten (after feedback) create the polished version.
TIME-FRAME: The whole process for a short, simple-video (without narration) can take as little as 4 weeks but I’d recommend allowing more (It depends partly on how quickly decisions are made along the way.) Using a narrator and original music adds a couple of weeks to the process.
POST-PRODUCTION:
Branding of your custom-made video: I think it’s probably best for ACLM to put its own logo at the end of the video and simply give members permission to embed the video on their website. However…
There is the possibility for customizing copies for individual members…
Cheapest/easiest for members would be for ACLM to host the master video on your own server. Or, you could upload the video to YouTube and publish it as an “unlisted” video (which means the general public can’t see it) and simply provide them with the “embed code” which their website-manager can simple paste it into their own webpage
(I can create a video tutorial showing them how to do that.)
The video could be designed so that there is 5 to 10 seconds of “blank white screen” at the end for members to superimpose their logo, phone, and contact info. I could make a video tutorial showing how they might do that themselves by uploading the video to YouTube — YouTube allows you to add titles to your video and then embed them on your own website. Or, they could pay me a fee to customize a copy of the video with their logo, name, and contact info at the end.
7 SAMPLE VIDEOS
with estimated pricing
(To watch each video Full Screen…
Click PLAY, then click the [ ] button
at bottom-right corner of video)
VIDEO #1: (SAME VIDEO AS AT TOP OF PAGE) STYLE: WordPlay Approx Price = $3500 (for 2 minutes)
This 2-minute “WordPlay” Video (words and music) was created in 2014 for the “Athens County Healthy Community Coalition” as an example of how to use emotional materials to invite the public to become part of a year-long community-wide effort in healthy-living.
INVITATION to Become Part of a Healthy Community
NOTE: THE NEXT FEW SHORT VIDEOS (#2, #3, #4, #5) I MADE FOR MY OWN USE.
I use them in my workshops to introduce a new topic.
They are included here because they use slightly different STYLES you may like.
I’ve numbered them to make them easier to discuss (if you have comments about particular ones.)
Overall, these few videos will give you a good overview of my approach to marketing.
And, they may help you understand what “Marketing” and “Branding” are and how non-profits can use both to change the world.
VIDEO #2: STYLE: WordPlay with Voice Narration. Approx Price = $3500 (for 2 minutes)
The PROBLEM: So many non-profits feel that “marketing” is evil and manipulative.
Yet it’s simply a tool that can be used for good or bad. (Terrorist use cell-phones, but that doesn’t mean the rest of us shouldn’t use cell-phones.)
The SOLUTION: This video was made to explain that marketing can be used as a force for “good.”
CAN WE EVER FORGIVE MARKETING (1:54 min)
VIDEO #3: STYLE: Music, Image, Just Simple Text on Screen. Approx Price = $2000 (for 2 minutes)
This emotional video was created to inspire and motivate social entrepreneurs, non-profits, and green-businesses to use marketing to change the world. (It reflects my company philosophy.) NOTE: This style of video would be cheaper than the intensive WordPlay videos.
CHANGE THE WORLD! (1:40 min)
VIDEO #4: STYLE: WordPlay and Narration Approx Price = $3500 (for 2 minutes)
This emotional video answers the big question: “What Is Marketing?”
I use this at the beginning of my workshops to “jump-start” the topic.
WHAT IS MARKETING? (1:47 min)
VIDEO #5: STYLE: WordPlay plus Narration: Approx Price = $3500 (for 2 minutes)
What Is Branding? Along with “marketing,” branding is equally-confusing to people .
RATTLESNAKE BRANDING! 1:37 min
VIDEO #6: STYLE: WordPlay with Music Approx Price = $8500 (for 4:30 minutes) (+ $1000 to add narration)
This Inspirational WordPlay video was created to honor the “bricks” of Athens. Many of our downtown brick streets are made from bricks that were manufactured and put into place over 100 years ago. They have witnessed a century of “life in Athens.” This video is probably far more emotional for those who live here (it makes many people cry.) In the end, (like all good marketing) it is not just about the bricks, it is about the VIEWER.
It has been used by The Athens Foundation and also the Southeast Ohio History Center.
ATHENS COUNTY BRICKS (4:29 min)
VIDEO #7: STYLE: Audio plus simple text on screen
(for use as a telephone message or as a video on website.)
Approx Price = 2000 (for 3 minutes) (plus $750 to add professional narrator and stock music)
(A STRATEGY for LM PROFESSIONALS.) SMOKING-CESSATION DRAFT VIDEO made to show our local hospital a better way to attract people to its free program. THIS IS MORE OF AN EXAMPLE OF A BETTER MARKETING APPROACH which might be used by some of your members.
Here’s the STORY which may be very useful for your ACLM members):
Twice a year, our local hospital in Athens, Ohio (population = 25,000) offers a FREE American Cancer Society smoking-cessation program During the year, they ran lots of ads and publicity promoting the class…
yet only one person signed-up (and then that person didn’t even show up for class.)
Smokers were asked to register by phone and then show-up for the first class which met in a meeting in a room in the basement of the hospital. (That’s terribly intimidating. Even to visit friends, no one likes going to the hospital (or down into windowless basements.)
As a favor to the county’s smoking-cessation coordinator who attended our monthly-meetings for the Athens Healthy Community Coalition, I agreed to contact the hospital’s cessation coordinator to offer some marketing advice.
I called and set up an appointment.
Then, I created this video to show the hospital how they might try a different strategy to attract more people to the class. — a strategy which would make it far less threatening.
THE PROBLEM: Their promotion was aimed at people who were ready to join the class and ready-to-stop smoking.
That’s very, very few people.
SOLUTION: I suggested that, instead, they create messages for smokers who have been thinking about quitting but are just not quite sure if they’re quite ready.
And, I suggested they make the process non-threatening. People could watch the video on their website or small ads could be run encouraging them to “Call anytime — day or night — and listen to a PRE-RECORDED PHONE MESSAGE.” (This provided a safe, anonymous process to get information without the danger of talking to a live person who might try to coerce them into joining the class.) At the end of the message, if they were interested in more information, they could leave their name and phone number.
Also, I suggested that they move this causal “informational” session away from the hospital to a popular, local restaurant.
I talked to the owner of a restaurant who works with the CHIP program and they said they’d be happy to host a free meeting and would even provide free appetizers (I explained that some of the people might want to stay and have dinner. But at the very least, if was a good way to get people to see their restaurant.)
So, this video is meant to get people to come to a safe, off-site meeting just to explore their options for walking-away from tobacco in case they did decide in the future it was something they wanted to do. They would be surrounded by others just like themselves. There would be no scare tactics, no lecturing or badgering them to quit. Other former-smokers would be there to answer their questions about how hard or easy it had been for them to quit; what pitfalls to avoid, etc.
The idea was that people would show up for free food and a casual session away from the hospital. And, they might meet others much like themselves. They would feel a camaraderie. It would lower their fear level. And, maybe they would sign up for the actual program sometime during the next year. At least, they could get on the mailing list and they would leave with the printed materials they would need to sign-up when they felt comfortable about it.
So, here’s the “non-threatening” audio or video invitation… (it was made just as a draft to show the hospital’s smoking-cessation program coordinator.)
“RSVP” (2:46 min)
PRE-RECORDED Smoking-Cessation MESSAGE
for SMOKERS who are not quite sure if they are ready to quit.
The Result? Well, after spending a day making the video, and after lining-up a restaurant willing to provide free food and meeting space, and after spending over an hour with the Smoking Cessation person at the hospital (who had yet to have a single person show up for her free classes), and after showing her this video and explaining why this concept might work… I would like to tell you it was a tremendous success. But the smoking-cessation coordinator at the hospital did absolutely nothing with it.
Jim Murray
EmersonThoreau.com
“Change Your Words. Change the World.”