Inside the Making of My First EDITED YouTube Video

Last week I made a movie that runs just under three minutes. I'm calling it a "movie" to distinguish it from a "talking head" video, which is the only type of video I've done before that relates to my business. This one has a soundtrack, captions, still images, and footage of me talking. I made it over the course of two late nights, and frankly it probably could have been done in one if I hadn't been simultaneously learning to use the editing program on my computer.

Making my edited video was fun! For over a year I have been stalling in regards to videos. How silly my procrastination seems in hindsight. There's certainly a lesson in that. Especially now that my small production has been shared with a public audience and I've received positive feedback for it, I am thoroughly psyched to do more of them. Video is a powerful medium, one that I now highly encourage you to explore as a means of spreading your message. Fortunately writers are storytellers, so this won't be that big a stretch for you once you get started.

My equipment was a Flip Camera and the Windows Movie Maker software that came on my PC with the Windows Office software package.

Let me share my creative process, with the caveat that, of course, you must develop your own way of working. My example is only useful in the sense that I am a novice in this area--and if I can do it, so can you. Seriously! . . . And I mean SERIOUSLY.

First, a request was made of me to share a short description of my business and to offer a testimonial about what I had learned in the business mastermind in which I've participated in 2011. So my purpose was clear, which as a rule of thumb is a good place to start: Set a goal.

Next, I started brainstorming. I am in the "word business," so I asked: What are fun, expressive ways to film actual words? I pulled out my Scrabble set and began forming word combinations on my living room carpet, things like my name, the name of my business, short phrases. Then I remembered how much fun I'd had as a kid spelling words in my alphabet soup. The picture came to mind of a soup spoon that read, "I love words." It made me chuckle.

On a break, I went to the grocery store and bought alphabet pasta. I pulled out enough letters to write a whole bunch of short sentences, boiled some water, dumped the pasta pieces in it to expand the letters, and then wrestled with those little suckers on a plate. Finally I decided just to use two short sentences on two silver tablespoons. They looked a little bland in their natural state, so I found my paint kit and painted the letters in bright colors. To complete this segment in a playful way I pretended the words were edible and filmed my hand picking up the spoon with a voice-over of me going, "Yum yum yum." The purpose was to express my emotions.

Then, I decided to pull copies of books I've written and edited off my shelves and film a big pile of them. In practice that concept looked rather strange, so instead I made four displays of three books each and shot them with voice-overs. Because these would be static images, I wanted to show each quickly. The purpose of that segment was to demonstrate my credentials.

Keeping in mind that my ideal client is someone who has an idea for a book, I added an intro about having ideas that lead people to need my services. In running through my photo album, I found pictures of a lightning bolt over a mountain, a hand holding the sun, a patch of purple irises, and a full moon. I used royalty-free sound effects to give each photo its own soundtrack: rolling thunder, a cadence, and a jazz riff on a drum. Each had a matching caption that I wrote to evoke the sensation of an inspired idea. I used my headshot to complete this segment.

As you can see, I was not developing my segments in order of their final appearance. I was creating from a stream of consciousness. When I was assembling the pieces it was clear where there needed to be segues between the segments. My rhetorical arc was working itself out as I was already in the process of production. I didn't really "storyboard" this video, though filmmakers normally do, and I believe it is a best practice. Mine by contrast was a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants video production. I used what I already had! Only a few of the key elements were newfound or newly made.

I wanted to show how long I've been at the book business, and so I showed a "book" I wrote on paper and bound with staples as a kid. My dad had saved it in a box somewhere and gave it back to me recently. But I didn't want to be maudlin, so I filmed it in a funny way--as a "reveal"--by unpacking it from a beloved object in my home: My Wonder Woman lunch box. Again, this was amusing for me. Perhaps the "purpose," though it was not conscious, was to inject my personality into the video here, by being authentic about my inner landscape and history. I have to point out, if I were worried about being perfect and coming across to you as some sort of guru on a mountain I would NOT have shown you this. It may feel risky to be seen, but it's much more fun to be transparent.

Now, I knew a whole bunch of things I wanted to say about my discoveries this year, and I really wanted to share the latest and perhaps greatest of these, which is to act right when you have an inspired idea, not later after the moment has passed. I had a perfect series of photo stills of me on a trapeze that I knew I could create a slide show from, to physically demonstrate my point about making the leap and hitting those perfect "weightless" moments in business/creation. These also went with what I had to say in my testimonial about my coach. So I created the ending, and then I filmed the middle, which was my talking head. In editing, I set this series of pictures to tango music-tahh, dum, dum, dum, dummmm, tah dah dah dumm, dumm, dumm dummm. And I played with how many seconds each stayed on the screen. I finished it with a surprise ending that you have to watch the video to see.



To shoot my testimonial segment (about 1:28 in length) took me eighteen tries. About ten were discarded as verbal flubs on my part. Three ran too long. A couple were poorly framed (oops--I wanted my head in). One had a handprint smeared on the lens (oops--I fumbled). The final one was "good enough."

The hardest part for me was technical. Windows Movie Maker documents cannot be uploaded to YouTube. After a bit of consternation (read: short temper tantrum) I discovered that by simply storing the file to my computer it was translated into a .WMV file that uploaded fine. I already have a TV channel set up on YouTube (it takes only a few minutes to create an account there) so in about 20 minutes it was up and viewable.

Think what you like after you watch it; for myself, I feel darn proud of my maiden effort in video editing. I did not know my coach would show it at her conference, but she did--right on the first morning--and people laughed in the places I hoped they would, applauded at the end, and came up to me in person telling me wonderful inspirations they took from it. More than I anticipated. It gave me a way to connect to unfamiliar people on a genuine level, and that was a sweet, sweet experience.

While words are the medium of a writer, storytelling is one of the skills of a writer that translates well on-screen. Make a video to spread your inspiration around your book's concept and don't be afraid to share it. The power of your imagination is always unleashed by sharing what's inside you. Pictures evoke emotion. And people actually think in pictures. So it could be a great way for you to create a circle of connection or deeper connection with your audience.

Do You Worry about "The Competition"?

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This morning, during a phone conversation with a couple of colleagues of mine, I discovered I have strong opinions about the notion of competition. This issue comes up for authors when they're writing book proposals and being asked to specifically analyze other books like theirs. It comes up for entrepreneurs launching new businesses who want to find fertile ground and experience the least resistance. And it comes up for every one of us when we get into the mode of comparing and contrasting ourselves with others whom we admire or envy, especially if we are in a mood of seeking approval, attention, or love, and wish to "measure up" favorably.

Opinion #1: There's No Such Thing as Competition. There are common needs shared by many people: some narrow, others universal. But in the realm of creation, the individual matters. Creating a book, a business, or a life would never be done the same way twice. Even two people reading the same book don't have the exact same experience. How could two writers create the same book? While I don't believe in competition, I do believe in preferences. What your potential reader or client or customer prefers may be what you offer vs. what someone else offers because of personal preference, but if you're being authentic, and providing values you are uniquely capable of providing, your task is really to express them how and where the people who you aim to serve can find them and relate to them. Gaining their attention starts by being inwardly driven and valuing yourself and going forward from there. As an old acting teacher and friend of mine used to repeatedly tell me, "Do what you're doing and let the chips fall where they may."

Opinion #2: Studying the Work of Other People Is Illuminating and Inspiring. Civilization as we know it is a collaborative enterprise of humanity. What we see around us is the result of 40,000 years of human interaction and conception on every level imaginable. The culture in which we find ourselves immersed is a dynamic context where nothing is settled. Therefore if you study those who serve similar audiences as you do, you will begin to see patterns and changes that show you where there is room to grow and evolve further. In the realm of success and expertise, strong presences, brands, and leaders instruct us. We must stand on their shoulders and go higher than they have gone. Yes, there may be a job available for one and two apply. Someone does "win." Someone else doesn't get that particular job. You could perceive this as competitive. At times one person has crossed a threshold, broken a ribbon, or earned a spot on the team. This does not end the life of the ones who do not experience these milestones. When the Oscars are handed out, the nominees may feel disappointed. But to linger on disappointment is to be attached to pinpoints in time. We don't really define ourselves by our wins and our losses; we define ourselves by the training and the experience of striving and the satisfaction of doing our best. If you cannot imagine taking the gifts of other people's creations and integrating them into what you are doing, then you are cutting yourself off from a very powerful source of information and collaboration. People often ask me about the rules for quoting from other people's books. My answer is simple: Say where you got it. Honor your sources. Honor the offerings--and then go forth and make your own way.

Opinion #3: People Use the Idea of Competition as an Excuse for Inaction. Want a little tough love? I hope so, because I'm prepared to dole it out. If everything has been done, and it's being done better than you can do it, and you want to do some more research before acting, and you wait and wait and wait--then you aren't actually a competitor yourself. When you identify a value that you can contribute, how dare you wait? For yourself, how dare you? For those you intend to serve, how dare you? There is certainly a time for study--research the need, research the information, examine what you're offering, do all that good and appropriate stuff--but then move forward. The most successful people I've met take steps and then navigate their course--while they're already in action. Making choices, even tiny ones, and then taking steps to deliver on your ideas as best you can at this moment in your life is the only way to get anywhere. In the end, no action is a choice. If you reach a moment when no action is the right choice for you, then your wrestling should end. My advice is simple: Turn your mind away and go in a new direction. No direction is an active choice at certain times. This no-action action is called REST. Resting does not involve revisiting your already-made decisions a million times. If you're still engaged in the pursuit of a specific goal even when you've counted it out as a possibility for you, then something is wrong in your mind. You're just looping back on the past. Or you really should be acting and you're stuck in fear. Possibility is infinite. Being stuck feels infinite. But that's a lie. It's just an excuse not to go for it. Let your purpose override your fear.

Opinion #4: Comparing and Contrasting Is an Important Ability... Unless It Is Based in Narcissism. Remember the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears? This porridge is too hot. This porridge is too cold. This bed is too hard. This bed is too soft. That's comparison. Bob sells widgets and I sell gizmos that do the same thing in a slightly different way--that's a contrast. Contrast is where it's at! It's not necessarily an up and down proposition when you look at life based on distinctions. Narcissism means seeing everything through the eyes of judgment. Because it is soft, it is good (or bad). Because Bob sells widgets he is bad (or good). In books, in business, in relationships, the perception of being seen as bad or good is tricky. It's not the place to start from. If you're overly concerned with other people's judgments you may want to look and see if you can locate what you are seeking from them within yourself. Whose approval do you really need? Your own. Whose love? Your own. Whose attention? Your own. Do your best and stay open, and if things don't go your way, learn to do what you do better. One of the beauties of the age we live in is how many opportunities are available to us. This is a sweet, sweet era in many respects. I think we complicate matters for ourselves. At least, I know I do.

My question to you is this: Is there something you would love to do or write? My invitation to you is to do it, no matter what you think could happen. Don't plan for disaster. If you see a possibility, there probably is one in front of you. But please don't live in your head in this strange notion of winners and losers. Opportunity becomes real by making it so.

If you're interested in my Get a Book Deal® Coaching Program, please read the FAQs and submit an application. The next available spaces as of today are for November 2011.