I never know how to answer that question. I don’t really like the word. To describe what I do takes a little more. So I looked it up.

vid?e?og?ra?pher [vid-ee-og-ruh-fer]
–noun someone who makes films with a video camera.

Empty. So, what is the best way to describe what I do? I can’t think of a really good one, although, I like Content Producer. It really is all about content. That’s why it at the top of my web pages.

If you want to capture a wedding day, you can call a videographer. If a reporter needs someone to get pictures of the story he is telling, he’ll take a videographer. And let me say, that I’m not knocking those tasks at all. The term just does not describe my business.

My first role is as a consultant. In the preliminary stages, clients ask about the process, subject matter, and we brainstorm ideas. I’ll take that information, do some additional research, and come up with a script. That’s one of the things I love. I’ve been writing professionally since I was 16.

On the day of the shoot, I’m with my client for less than two hours. If we’ve done our planning, that’s all the time we need to get the images.

I transfer the files into my digital editor and start piecing together the message. Many times, scenes are shot out of sequence, or maybe a scene needs to be moved to give it more emphasis. I have to create the graphics, find the right music bed, and maybe do a couple of voiceover pieces.

I’m not through yet, I’ll watch it a couple of times to see how the shots match up and do some more tweaking. I’ll do a rendering to see how the video is going to look online. Does it have a great opening? Will the colors go well with the website it will be shown on? More tweaking. Finally, it’s ready.

After client approval, I make a number of renderings in different formats: Windows Media, MP4 Quicktime, MPG, Flash, and start uploading to the most effective video sharing sites. Yes, there are a couple of dozen others besides YouTube that show up in search engine optimizations. Many times I’m also working with my client’s web master or designer.

So there you have a condensed version of what goes into every project.

There has never been a better time to start using Videos On Your Website to promote your product or service than right now! And as you can see, you get more than just a video. You get my decades of experience in knowing how to reach your target audience.

Give it whatever name you want. But know that it neither starts nor stops at the camera.

–That’s a wrap