Welcome to Video Talks – An introduction & What to Expect

If you've ever had a fear of getting in front of a camera, this episode is for you.

It's something I've been exploring myself with a 30 day Selfie Video School experiment to conquer my fear of the camera and see where confidence comes from.

In this episode I talk (but mostly listen) to the awesome voice actor Christopher Tester as he speaks about how to get over that fear using practical tips anyone can apply.

This is full of absolute gold.

Listen and grow more confident on camera in the process.
What are you waiting for?

In this episode you'll learn...

• How Chris uses Repurpose.io for his content (without sponsorship)
• His social media journey to 300k followers on TikTok and 50k on YouTube
• How he grew his confidence with video through constant iteration
• How he started with 'low stakes' using Instagram Stories
• Why consistency is key
• Why miming doesn't help you hugely as a voice actor
• How he pushed himself to make content to improve his performance
• Why you should give yourself the opportunity to fail repeatedly
• Why you need to have a reason to speak
• How to develop performance energy
• How thinking of who you're talking to can really effect how you feel
• Why you should 'script twice and shoot once'
• Why you'll never appeal to everybody

Video Talks mixes expertise in all areas of video, with tips for marketing,  entrepreneurship and running your own business.

This episode focuses on actionable, practical and hugely valuable advice from previous guest interviews – all wrapped up into one cosy episode. It’s also a taster of the show for anyone here for the first time.

In this episode you’ll discover:

• Tom Box talks about the secret to running a successful animation business
• Louise Ford shares the fundamentals of great editing
• Geoff Searle has some practical video advice for businesses
• Will Shears shares the one thing you should do when interviewing people
• Hasraf Dullul on how to expertly market your film or project
• Chris Evans-Roberts on why great attention to audio saves you time in the edit
  
  

Now we’re all working from home a lot more it’s important to give a great first impression.

You set the lighting, checked your background but... have you ever wondered why your laptop camera is such bad quality? Grainy, right? Well now there is a pretty awesome solution.

The full title of this episode is How To Look Awesome On ZOOM, SKYPE, TEAMS, LOOM, SLACK, YOUTUBE,  GOOGLE MEET, WEBINARS, FACEBOOK LIVE , DISCORD , FACETIME... With Your iPhone!

Aidan Fitzpatrick is an award-winning tech entrepreneur and investor based in London. 

In Summer 2020 his company Reincubate developed and released a revolutionary new app called Camo – which turns your iPhone into a state-of-the-art webcam.

He started his professional journey as a software engineer and over the last 20 years has co-founded multiple startups and played an influential role in a number of successful companies.

He’s been UK president of the Entrepreneur’s Organization – helping businesses and startups develop and in 2008 he founded his app data company Reincubate building technology to access data from apps and app platforms.

According to The Wall Street Journal, laptop cameras in 2020 are worse than 2010 models. Camo solves this problem, and then some – by enabling you to use your powerful iPhone or iPad camera as a hugely customisable webcam.

Prepare to blow your Zoom buddies away!

In this episode you'll discover:

• How he became an accidental entrepreneur
• His process for creating software
• How the UK lockdown made him see an opportunity
• How the Camo upgrades the quality of your video
• New & upcoming features for Camo
• How to validate a software product
• How designers, twitter influencers, tech CEOs and investors helped grow the app
• The story behind his company
• Why an iPhone 6 is better than most webcams 
• How Camo is helping influencers, preachers, sales people and fitness trainers
• How to use different lenses
• How old iPads & iPhones become awesome webcams
• How Aidan's first product turned his company into a $1m business - accidentally
• Why this led to winning the Queen's Awards for Enterprise, twice
• Why he thinks virtual backgrounds are ‘low-trust’
• Why he thinks Zoom still has a way to go
• Why he thinks we’re at ‘Day 1' with video
• The apps that help him run his life
• The concept of 'luxury software'
• Why lifting weights is a great form of meditation!

When you’ve shot a video for your client or your business, what happens next? 
Does it sit on a YouTube channel or company website, pushed out as part of a digital campaign and then disappear? 

Repurposing video content can be a great way of stretching footage further. If you have a business, one day shooting can feed weeks of social media content – all it takes is a little bit of strategy and planning.

Dan Norton is an editor and video repurposing specialist based in New York.

Dan’s expertise in repurposing video content enables him to help companies and individuals to stretch their video content further.

After spending 11years at Disney Streaming Services, he also now co-runs Parent Pacifier With his wife Amanda - helping expecting and new parents save time and remove headaches with baby product reviews and parenting tips - via their website parentpacifier.com and their YouTube channel.

In this episode, Dan talks about how to save time by creating long-form videos which can be repurposed for social media. He shares techniques he's learned through years of working in the sports highlights industry and how entrepreneurs and business owners can use simple tricks to make their video content go further.

Show Notes : http://videotalks.co/21

In this episode you'll learn:

• What repurposing video means 
• Starting with live video
• Why answering your top 5 FAQs is a great strategy 
• How to get started with video for your business 
• How to talk to a camera lens as a friend
• How he started a YouTube channel from scratch
• The most powerful traffic driving force on YouTube 
• How unexpected YouTube videos can drive business 
• Why you should start something before you have kids 
• Why becoming a parent is so motivating 
• How businesses will use video in the future 
• Dan's take on the Pomodoro technique 
• Why asking questions can drive people to make comments in social media videos 
• Why he builds in rest time 
• How to plan a repurposing video strategy 
• Video Marketing tips for business

It seems like every 6 months there’s a new video platform to navigate, right? 2020 was all about the TikTok inspired Instagram Reels. 

But how do you start with a new platform? How do you develop that confidence to record to camera?  And how do you keep that momentum going?

Victoria Hutton is a freelance videographer and editor based in London. 

After graduating she started her career as a trained journalist who tapped into video when technology became faster and more available. 

She quickly became head of video production at Mumsnet, and HELLO! Magazine before launching her own company in 2019.

Victoria works with companies like GHD and Hello, while offering her expertise to influencers and independent businesses. Her entrepreneurial drive shows through in her #selfshootclub where she helps people become better at video with the kit that they already have.

Her '30 days of Reels Inspo' in September 2020 helped grow her own audience while helping people to harness the power of instagram video.

In this interview she discusses how businesses can harness social video, what you can do to stay relevant in an ever-changing environment and how to get over your fear of Reels!

In this episode you'll discover:

• How Victoria went from studying journalism to being head of video at Mumsnet 
• Advice to startup businesses using video 
• Why a content strategy and clear identity within video content is important 
• Why you should show what you do as a business 
• Why you should put your face in front of the camera and bite the bullet 
• How she came up with her 30 days of Reels Inspo 
• How to get started with Instagram Reels
• How creating the right head space for work is really important 
• How celebrity guests like Hilary Clinton made her learn quickly
• Why 12 minutes filming someone teaches you so much
• The 10,000 hours rule 
• How her passion for stories for a young age evolved into her career 
• How technology advances helps you transfer your skills into new areas 
• The value of putting yourself in front of camera 
• The benefit of self-shot video 
• The balance of time vs production value 
• Why she keeps a record of positive feedback for tough times 
• Why social media has been great for connecting to like-minded people 
• The power of an online tribe 
• How different video platforms emerging influences what people want  
• How the video market influences video content creation 
• Why you need to choose carefully which video platform you want to use 
• Why recording Reels is about not being a perfectionist 
• What you can learn from Victoria about Reels 
• Why you should always start shooting a little early 
• How she plans her Instagram feed 
• Why Covid pandemic influenced her next moves 

Rob Biddulph is an award-winning author and illustrator who has increasingly used video to connect with his ever-growing audience.

Before turning to illustration full-time, Rob had established himself as a leading designer and art director, winning awards and steering the visuals for some of the UKs most iconic mags including the NME and the Observer magazine. 

Having already caused a storm on social media with his #packedlunchpostits and behind the scenes book development, during the UK lockdown Rob came up with the idea of teaching kids how to draw live online – to help relieve many peoples’ homeschooling stresses. He found a lot of grateful parents!

His #DrawWithRob campaign grew exponentially and led to not only a #DrawWithRob book – another best-seller, but also a Guinness World Record for the biggest audience for a live art class ever – via YouTube. 

Rob delves into the story behind how he got started in writing books and how video has ultimately helped him grow his audience. 

In this episode you'll discover:

• Rob's background in magazines
• How Rob finally found a publishing agent
• How he went from art director to published author
• How the Covid-19 pandemic inspired him to help parents and their kids
• Why you should always learn from your mistakes
• How he broke a world record on YouTube
• Why video channels like YouTube are great for self promotion
• The value of live video
• Why YouTube can directly influence sales
• An insight into the future for his creations
• Rob’s experience as an influencer
• How brands and businesses can use video effectively

Edie Clarke is a video & YouTube strategist, based in Brooklyn, New York. She’s also founder of Virtually In Sync – which helps companies and entrepreneurs create brand awareness for their business using videos and YouTube, ultimately helping them reach their audience & grow their business. 

After studying TV & Film Production at UCLA, Edie went to work for Sony Pictures and eventually founded her own company to provide video strategy, remote video creation, and video marketing services for solopreneurs, while also servicing businesses who want to outsource their video needs.

She helps established entrepreneurs, coaches, consultants, trainers and thought leaders with a purpose and encourages the camera shy to embrace the lens.

In this interview Edie takes us through how she got started in remote video creation, why YouTube is so important for the long-term, how to optimise your videos and shares her tips and tricks for efficient content creation.

This interview is split into 2 digestible parts.

In Part 2 you'll discover:

• Why you should start with one platform first 
• Why Edie realised she could speak to a specific audience who could only learn from her 
• How to choose the right platform depending on where your audience is 
• Why live-streaming was a game-changer for people nervous around video 
• Tech advancements in video which make things easier 
• The power of personalised video 
• Why she uses the same equipment as her clients 
• Her best productivity tips 
• How she finally found her work-life balance working 4 days a week 
• Why taking a break is healthy 
• Why you should introduce yourself with a video 
• Why a ring light is no good if you have glasses 
• Why you should always research first 
• Her ultimate goals for her business 

Edie is a video & YouTube strategist, based in Brooklyn, New York. She’s also founder of Virtually In Sync – which helps companies and entrepreneurs create brand awareness for their business using videos and YouTube, ultimately helping them reach their audience & grow their business. 

After studying TV & Film Production at UCLA, Edie went to work for Sony Pictures and eventually founded her own company to provide video strategy, remote video creation, and video marketing services for solopreneurs, while also servicing businesses who want to outsource their video needs.

She helps established entrepreneurs, coaches, consultants, trainers and thought leaders with a purpose and encourages the camera shy to embrace the lens.

In this interview Edie takes us through how she got started in remote video creation, why YouTube is so important for the long-term, how to optimise your videos and shares her tips and tricks for efficient content creation.

This interview is split into 2 digestible parts.

In Part 1 you'll discover:

• How she started as a video virtual assistant 
• How YouTube optimisation changed the game for her work 
• Why you should treat your YouTube channel as your website 
• What exactly ‘remote video creation’ is
• How self-promotion on LinkedIn has helped Edie grow her client base 
• Why you need to utilise video on your ideal platform 
• The power of the YouTube search engine 
• How Facebook video differs from YouTube
• Why you need to find what your audience needs help with before making videos 
• How to find what your audience's pain points are
• The importance of custom thumbnails
• Why she couldn’t believe in herself enough 
• How she works remotely with her clients 
• Why a video content marketing plan is super important for a successful business 

Vic Lee is a London-based graphic designer-turned-artist-turned-illustrator, muralist, storyteller, typographer, book publisher and 'wizard of ink’.

In the second part of this interview Vic tells the story of how his Corona Diary illustration project went viral with the help of his LinkedIn audience, enabling him to self-publish the book and sell out his first print run.

His work can be seen on walls across the UK, and thanks to the success of his recent Corona Diary project, now on coffee tables across the world.

He draws in black and white, simplifying the noise we all experience, and injecting his own sense of humour and personality into each piece.

In February 2020 Vic started documenting the Coronavirus outbreak by drawing his experiences – as a way to deal with his own feelings about the situation. Somewhere along the line this turned into The Corona Diary project which has become the must-have book of the period.

Vic started posting videos about the project on social media, which helped him reach more and more people until he finally pressed stop and self-published the book, signing, packaging and posting each one.

He’s recently donated £5000 of his own money to the charity FareShare UK as a way of saying thank you to all his readers.

This interview is split into 2 parts.

In part 2 you'll discover:

• Why you should follow the 3 second rule in video
• Why time-lapse video is key for artists
• Why Vic ditched video titles to increase engagement
• How to stimulate the senses to get people hooked
• How you can be creative with the equipment you have
• How showing your personality on videos connects with people
• How to have an immediate impact on social media
• How brands should use video
• Why you should wear your heart on your sleeve
• How to create a relationship through honesty
• His new kids' book
• Why he’s looking for a publisher for a 2nd edition

Vic Lee is a London-based graphic designer-turned-artist-turned-illustrator, muralist, storyteller, typographer, book publisher and 'wizard of ink’.

His work can be seen on walls across the UK, and thanks to the success of his recent Corona Diary project, now on coffee tables across the world.

He draws in black and white, simplifying the noise we all experience, and injecting his own sense of humour and personality into each piece.

In February 2020 Vic started documenting the Coronavirus outbreak by drawing his experiences – as a way to deal with his own feelings about the situation. Somewhere along the line this turned into The Corona Diary project which has become the must-have book of the period.

Vic started posting videos about the project on social media, which helped him reach more and more people until he finally pressed stop and self-published the book, signing, packaging and posting each one.

He’s recently donated £5000 of his own money to the charity FareShare UK as a way of saying thank you to all his readers.

This interview is split into 2 parts.

In Part 1 you'll discover:

• How 3D art influences his illustration work
• Vic's typography & fonts influence
• Why Vic doesn’t follow the '3 font rule'
• The tools he uses
• How his illustrated diaries are a way to record his own travels
• How a book he read predicted the Covid pandemic
• Why he recorded a YouTube video to encourage children to draw their own diaries
• How a difficult childhood influenced his passion for drawing
• Why illustration was his internal therapy
• How life after the Covid lockdown will effect the way we go forward
• Why the lockdown was Vic’s ’sabbatical from life'
• The one thing he’s learnt during lockdown
• Why he decided to stop drawing and hit publish