Critical Thinking Up in SMOKE

In multimedia, there's always a problem to solve. Most commercials address a problem and then tell you a solution. Here's a few examples:

Problem: Got a stain on your shirt? Solution: Use Gain!

Problem: Low energy? Solution: Red Bull gives you wings!

Commercials are in a problem and solution format. Something is wrong? Thank goodness Product X can fix it for you.

Through each step in the process of video creation there is a problem to solve. Think of multimedia as a puzzle; however the pieces can go in many places. Depending on your background, age, or even intent of the production any decision you make could be considered correct. After all, everyone has opinions about art. You're not going to please everyone. Mozart on YouTube has users who gave thumbs down to his music. You may have seen a trailer at the movie theater and instantly said, 'Oh no way I'm seeing that.' Or have been to an art gallery and been moved to tears. Or seen a commercial and suddenly discovered you want to go to the 'Home of the Whopper' for lunch. The person next to you could see the exact same pieces of art and have the complete and an opposite reaction.

Get approval at each step of the process. Scripts, storyboards, voiceover announcers, and final renders all need to be approved. This is a good way to cover yourself. It gives a paper trail. This script was approved on this date. BEFORE you send anything to the client for approval, make sure to get opinions from people with different backgrounds and ethnicities. Find someone you trust. Every person has a different real world experience. Another set of eyes or another point of view can prove to be helpful. You may be too close to your project and could miss a detail that stands out to someone else.

Take this video from ESPN. https://kdvr.com/news/nationalworld-news/espn-apologizes-for-fantasy-football-segment-compared-to-slave-auction/. What was meant to be harmless filler content, turned quickly in the opposite direction. In the video, there is a white auctioneer selling off black players to a mostly white male audience. It was compared to a slave auction. When the segment aired it was bad as well. This was in 2017 right after Charlottesville. Many called the video tone deaf. If the network had more diversity, maybe that person could have spoken up to say, this is a bad idea and here's why.

SMOKE

By thinking critically and creating a plan, you can help your workflow and productivity. It will also save you time and heartache. Remember the acronym SMOKE.

State your question and identify the problem

Start with the basic questions. First and foremost, what is the problem? What is the purpose of the video? Have a meeting with your client to discuss. When dealing with clients, find out specifically what they want and when they want it. The basic questions every multimedia producer needs to ask is 1. What are you selling/trying to create? 2. What is the viewer benefit or what does the person watching get by seeing your art? These questions give you a base. Is the viewer benefit emotionally based? If yes, this can affect the feel of how you film your piece. Is the subject serious or more lighthearted? By narrowing down each question you bring yourself closer to the creation of a plan. Use critical thinking and commonsense throughout the process.

Critical thinking problem: Create an imaginary business. Come up with 3 possible pitch ideas. Use viewer benefit to decide the best possible one and tell why.

Make inquiries

When you're in a meeting with the client, ask questions. Lots of them. It may sound simple, but so many problems can be rectified by finding out what the clients want BEFORE you start shooting. We are in the communication business. Oftentimes those who work in the field can be the worst at not saying what they want. Take notes. Write down every piece of important information. This will be key when it comes time to write your script.

Please see the PDF of questions to ask during a production meeting.

By asking questions you save time in the long run. In some cases, it can relieve headaches because there's not long email chains of changes needed. Real world experience talking here...With some clients it won't matter. They'll just have changes. Make the changes as requested.

During this stage is a good opportunity to research your ideas. Let's say you have a client that makes pastries. Do an internet search. What did someone else do? What makes your client's pastry shop different? How can you make this creative?

Ask questions, prepare and be ready. That way you have the tools you need to do your job correctly and efficiently. That way there aren't any surprises.

Options for Action

Now that you have your information, you can start the most important phase: the script. The script is equivalent to a blueprint for a builder. It gives written documentation of where you see the production heading. It shows shot selection and pacing. It makes sure that everyone involved is on the same page. Think of it as an outline of what video you need and how to get it. It allows you to evaluate your options. There should be clear documentation saying this is the plan.

In this example, let's use a :30 second commercial. You won't have a lot of time but you can get your message across. Critical thinkers will ask how? Be concise. Don't use 7 words when 4 will do. Be clear.

Create a shot sheet of everything you need. My favorite phrase when dealing with video: Say dog - see dog. If your script is talking about a dog, show the dog. You wouldn't show a cat if the script said dog, right? Make sure your video and audio match. Let's talk about steps to create a shot sheet.

By being organized in your thoughts, you can clearly show what shots you need. It allows you to think ahead. What elements do I need to get this shot? Can we match this line from the script with this shot? Production cannot/should not move forward until a script is approved. Can you create a spot without a script? Yes, of course. From an organizational standpoint, it could lead to problems on set and make it difficult to produce. To help with ease, comfort, and a professional atmosphere having an approved script is central.

Critical thinking problem: Use the :30 second script below to create a shot sheet. Do internet search and match pictures with text. Or use a drawing program to create the images.

Yummy Donuts are hard to resist.

Fresh baked.

Out the oven.

Melt in your mouth.

Pure deliciousness.

Just look at the glaze falling off the side.

The fluffiness of the dough

Baked perfectly at 375 degrees.

Wait, is she putting in the filling?

Oh that looks good y'all.

Okay...I'm going to read the rest of this real fast - I want some right now.

Come to Yummy Donuts located on the Parkway next to...oh just type in Yummy Donuts on your GPS and go get you a dozen!

Go get 'em while they're hot.

Know your options and keep a plan

Mike Tyson once said, "Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth." The day of the shoot something may go wrong. You have to be prepared for the unexpected because things can change in a moment's notice. Another story, we were tasked to do a livestream event for the Alabama Community College System. We drove down the night before to set up. As we plugged in the livestream box, it started to smoke. Literally it was about to start a fire. Well, thank goodness we have a backup. We plug in the backup. Annnd the backup failed. We were on the phone with tech support trying to figure out both problems. The person on the other end suggested we plug back in the first box. We politely declined. I'm not setting the hotel on fire. We even went to Best Buy to find a backup. No luck. We were unable to go live at that event. As soon as we returned home, we were able to put the final render on YouTube that day. This is an extreme situation. You can be prepared, but it's how you react to when things go wrong that defines you. When in doubt, go back to the plan. When the plan shoots out white smoke from its vents, make another plan. All of this to say, be able to adapt given a situation. The fact is you may not know what a given day may bring. As a Photojournalist, I was once asked to drive to Kentucky for a VO/SOT. In distance of time, that's an 8 hour drive both ways for a minute and a half worth of video.

Think of filming a video as a conversation with someone. Someone starts a topic. While they're talking, you're thinking and listening. You want to add to the conversation and keep it going. While you're filming, think of your next shot. If it is a good shot, how do you add to it? If you have a wide shot of a room with a person standing in the middle, where do you go next? One shot leads to the next and to the next. You have created a sequence. With digital video cameras every time you hit the record and stop button you've made a new file. This is called, editing in the camera.

Conversely, you may not want to add to conversation. "Did I tell you about my foot's bunion operation?" You may not have much to say about someone's topic. If you try a shot and it doesn't work, punt and try another way. It may have failed, but at least you tried! I've gotten some amazing shots just because I thought what if I tried...I've also gotten some real stinkers. I also learned I know if i do this technique, it won't work. Watch other people's work. What have they done? Incorporate what they've done, but make it your own. My best advice: Don't get complacent. Whatever your profession, it's easy to fall into a rhythm. Try something new.

Find a style that works for you.

E Evaluate the result of your decisions and explore other points of view.

You've written your script and got your video. Hopefully you had a plan that worked. As I mentioned, sometimes there can be events that are out of your control - life happens. Now it's time to edit.

Editing is the perfect opportunity to evaluate where you are in the process. You've filmed something. You've written something. Editing is the marrying of these ideas together. It's your chance to fine tune your ideas and final stage of your plan. Hopefully at this point you have all of your information. You know what font and color hexes to use. You have your logo. You have your video and a shot sheet. This is the time to say yes it worked or no it doesn't work and I need additional materials. I personally try not to reshoot. Sometimes it's unavoidable. When in edit, if you're not sure, ask someone. This is another time saver. You won't have to correct it later and saves frustration by the client.

Be organized. Put all of your files in the proper folders. Let's use Yummy Donuts. I would put the commercial video in the Commercials folder - Yummy Donuts - Video. That way if someone else needs to edit, that person can find everything clearly labeled. There's nothing worse than trying to find missing media.

Just so you know, there isn't one right way to edit. In many editing programs there are multiple ways of doing the same thing. I remember doing a YouTube search years ago. I wanted to quickly find missing audio in Premiere Pro. I want to clarify: I don't remember all of the steps from this video. I do remember there were many and they were convoluted. He wanted us to hand write out the timecode, insert documentation in a Notepad document, and use addition and subtraction from multiple video clips to determine the location...It was too much and too confusing. So, I scrolled through the comments and a user simply wrote, "DUDE! Just click on your video and hit the 'F' key." 'F' being for find. Boom. Simple. Let's say you want to get to the number 7. You could do 4+3, 6+1, 5+2, 8-1, 10-3...All of these functions equal 7. Don't take the long way like this YouTuber did (1+1+1+1+1+1+1). I assume the person who posted the video found his missing audio. But there's a much easier and more time efficient way.

Editing is a puzzle and having problem solving skills is a must. You must put the right pieces of video in the right order at the right time. If there's a shortcut to get you to your end goal, take it. You have to be able to think ahead and know what the client wants on a project.

Once you've completed the project, it's time for people to look and critique the final render. Putting yourself out there can be difficult. Some people will have notes that are helpful. Others not so much. Find someone you trust and with different backgrounds. Once the initial approval is complete, send it to the client. I find using YouTube and having it as unlisted works marvelously.

By Completing One Task it Leads to the next.

There's thought that goes into any production. Choices are made. From what music to use to what time we are supposed to be there. By making a good choice it can help you throughout the process. Manage your time wisely. By doing one step correctly, it can lead to good choices in the future.