Just by sheer hardware alone, WGNO-TV’s “God Bless Louisiana” is easily the most successful campaign I’ve been a part of in my career. A perfect example of an underdog station delivering big. A perfect example of a team of producers with an eye for capturing the “needed moments” and telling a heartfelt story. Who doesn’t love New Orleans?
In just over a year, the campaign has garnered some much needed attention with a 2012 Gold Addy in New Orleans, a Gold Addy at District 7 Regionals, a National Addy Finalist, a 2011 Promax Gold, a 2012 Promax Silver. Throw in a 2012 Special Judges Award, a bag of chips and we are set. It was also a 2012 ABC Apex Finalist. Woot! As my general manager so eloquently put it, never has a campaign generated such attention in his 15 years with the station. In a world where ratings and revenue matter more than ever, brand recognition and execution rose to the top. Thank you Bobby, Rich, Alex, Jeff, Cat, Monique, Sarah and Jon. You guys totally rock. Here are 20 Valuable Lessons Learned From A Successful Video Campaign.
- Simplicity rules.
- Never downplay your sonic branding. Just ask Stephen Arnold.
- DSLR is revolutionary.
- Trust simple people with complicated tasks.
- Always have visual control of your surroundings.
- That sound you heard will come back to haunt you later in edit.
- Think like a photographer when shooting video.
- Be quick on your feet when you’ve lost internet connection.
- Less color is sometimes better than more color.
- 2 Terra-bytes of space is not enough.
- A camera glider is your friend.
- Get emotional.
- Let your shots breathe an additional 3 seconds.
- Drink lots of H20.
- Stick you camera 6 inches from your subject.
- 50MM lens is king.
- Plan ahead.
- Don’t ever forget your clearances.
- Slow and low is the tempo.
- Plenty of lessons to be learned even if you are the crafty veteran.
Do you have any tips for those who are just beginning with their video production? What are your Lessons Learned From A Successful Video Campaign you’ve produced?