Directors of Photography (DPs) have the ability to bring the images you see in your head to life. Make the most of these team members by finding ways to communicate your creative vision, then give them the time and resources they need to bring that vision to life. Here are my tips for training oneself to think visually.

Using “real” people in a video can bring authenticity to a project, but it can also limit the useful lifespan of a video. What if a featured employee moves on to another job? And sometimes people who aren’t used to delivering scripted lines can seem uncomfortable or stilted. Professional on-camera and narration talent can help make your content engaging and give it a long “shelf life.” Here are casting tips that will lead you to the right talent for your project.

I am a big advocate of enlisting professionals for video production projects, but sometimes that’s just not possible. Whether it’s a budget consideration, a timing issue or simply a matter of prioritization, there may come a time when it’ll just be you and your phone. Here are a few ways to make content recorded with a phone look as good as possible.

Color correction (also known as color grading) is the entertainment industry’s “dirty little secret.” Nearly every movie or show you’ve ever watched has been color corrected. In a color session, a specialist adjusts the hue, saturation, contrast and other characteristics of the picture to improve it, draw the eye to specific things in the frame, or to create thematic looks and moods at the director’s discretion. But how do you, as a producer, make the most of your time with the colorist?

I spoke with a few post production audio engineers to learn more about how they like to work and how producers and clients can maximize the value of their time in audio. Some of these tips are also helpful for editors looking to streamline how they work with audio professionals.

If you’re working with a creative team, you want them to use their time making your project look its best. Have you ever wondered how you could make the life of your editor or animator a bit easier? In this article, I’m focusing on how to be a great creative partner to editors and animators.

Every video production project goes through preproduction, production and post-production phases. But creative changes can have different consequences depending upon where you are in the process. Understanding how changes might impact your budget or delivery timeline can be helpful to controlling your scope of work.

Learning a new skill can be really rewarding personally and professionally. I set out to learn photography in an attempt to become a better video producer and it ended up turning into a really fulfilling hobby. Getting started with anything new can feel daunting. Just remember that “slow and steady” often wins the race.

People are busy…really busy. They have teams to manage and multiple projects to juggle. The easier I can make the video production process by being a good project manager, the stronger a relationship I can build with my client. What’s the secret to being a great project manager? Being proactive!

I am honored to have been featured on the SCORE website. SCORE offers mentorships, workshops and other great resources to small businesses. I took advantage of a wide variety of seminars and worked with a great mentor to help start Rising Night Productions.

What are the biggest factors impacting the budget and timeline for an animation project? It all boils down to style, complexity, pace, length and workflow.

As a video producer, my very first job is to ask a lot of questions. They help me develop a scope of work, a budget and a timeline for each project. But the questions in this week's blog post are equally helpful to consider if you're a communications professional tasked with approaching vendors about a video production project or writing an RFP.

Are you making the most out of your video content? YouTube is an incredibly powerful search engine with its own SEO best practices. Optimizing your video content for YouTube can help you find new audiences for content you've already created and increase the reach of your organization in unexpected ways.

You sit down to write and you've. got. nothing. This has probably happened to most creative people at some point. How do you move beyond creative blocks?

My love of fall is heavily influenced by my love of horror movies, and my choice of career was heavily influenced by my love of movies in general. I think just about ever movie-lover has a list of movies that shaped their tastes at a young age. What movies "made" you?

When I meet people at parties and social events and they ask what I do for a living, I tell them that I'm a producer. I often see their eyes glaze over as they nod and say "Cool, cool..." and I realize a little voice in their head is saying, "But what does that even mean?" This is what I actually do as a video producer.

Think about your audience and the environments in which they might be watching your video. Captions and translations (including ASL) can greatly increase your ability to reach them.

Someone has asked you to appear on camera...what should you wear? Choosing colors that photograph well, taking care when picking accessories and keeping your comfort in mind can help you look your best. These tips work for webinars and Zoom calls too!

Filming in a studio vs. filming on location...which is right for your project? Thinking about your budget, your creative goals, your talent and your clients will help you make the right decision.

I love writing, but creativity is just one part of the process. You can use your script to help identify and organize all the elements you'll need for your final video, which will help people visualize the final product and save time in the edit.