Video for Colleges | All things collegiate video

Podcast #19 – From VHS to YouTube with Dayton

by Joe Case on September 7, 2016 Podcast

In the early days of the University of Dayton’s Media Production Group, Mike Kurtz ran a self-supporting production department, charging internal clients for video work with the expectation of breaking even each year. They had to cover almost all of their operating costs, from salaries to phone lines. Rent was the only amenity.

Because university budgets were tight, he didn’t get enough internal requests to stay consistently busy. So Mike got creative. He turned his attention to Dayton’s business community. Continue Reading

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Watching Videos From Other Colleges Will Make Your Videos Better – Part 2

by Joe Case on August 13, 2016 Lessons

In case you didn’t read part 1 (posted almost a year ago) let me summarize one possible outcome of watching the work of other higher ed video producers: differentiation. If you spend a little time doing research, your original idea will improve. If you don’t already have an idea, the research process will lead you to one. Here’s a recent example of the former: Continue Reading

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Production Notebook: First Entry

by Joe Case on August 3, 2016 Featured, Lessons

There’s a limit to what we can learn from one another by watching a finished product. That’s one reason I’m starting a production notebook on a video that’s currently in development. By publicly documenting significant moments throughout the entire process, be they obstacles or achievements, my hope is to encourage others to share their experiences on-set and off. Continue Reading

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Podcast #18 – Conducting Interviews with Mike Mazzanti (UC Health)

by Joe Case on July 29, 2016 Featured, Podcast

What were you doing before your current job in higher ed video?

I ask because I don’t know many of you, but hope to change that with this blog. I’m starting to learn that there’s a broad range of professional and academic backgrounds out there. Because this is a relatively new career option within higher ed, there are still many paths that lead to a university video production role. Did you major in journalism, film, or none of the above? Ever PA on a movie? Shoot weddings or sporting events? Host a youtube show? Operate a news camera? Direct low-budget horror films? Introduce yourself and share your background in the comments section. Continue Reading

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Podcast #17 – International Video with Brandon Martin (Rice U)

by Joe Case on July 15, 2016 Podcast

If you’re planning an international video project, your first step should be to find a fixer; someone who can help navigate unfamiliar territory and culture, as well as provide production assistance. Weeks before departing for Malawi on his first international assignment for Rice University, Brandon Martin followed through on the advice of a colleague and reached out to Ernest M’banga (@fixer_malawi on Twitter). The connection saved him precious time (Brandon had less than a week to capture footage for 7 different projects), Kwacha (the currency of Malawi), and maybe even a beating. With Ernest on his crew, Brandon was able to focus on his mission — providing a compelling answer to a commonly asked question: “What is Rice University doing in Malawi?” Continue Reading

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YouTube Subscriber Strategy

by Joe Case on July 4, 2016 Featured, Lessons

As a follow-up to the previous post about where to publish videos, I found a few examples from Stanford that did significantly better on YouTube than Facebook. I probably shouldn’t write in the past tense, specifically when referring to a YouTube video’s performance. People continue to watch the four examples below. On the other hand, Facebook videos stop accumulating views when they’re no longer appearing in news feeds. I don’t have any data to support that statement, but it feels true. Continue Reading

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Where do videos go?

by Joe Case on June 25, 2016 Featured

Florida State University recently uploaded the same research video to both Facebook and YouTube. We’ve come to expect a view count discrepancy thanks to Facebook’s generous interpretation of what constitutes a view (though I’ve noticed more stringent criteria as of late). Even with the inflated stats, the difference between 312K and 12K is stark. Is this phenomenon common across higher ed? Is it starting to change the way you define your videos’ success? Has anyone abandoned YouTube?

Share examples of Facebook videos that dramatically outperformed their YouTube counterparts. Does the reverse still happen?

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Podcast #16 – Taylor Stakes at NAB

by Joe Case on April 29, 2016 Podcast, Uncategorized

Mark your calendar for NAB 2017. It’s been slated for April 22 – 27, which isn’t an ideal time to take off if you make videos for a university with early-May commencement events. Fear not. In episode 16 of the podcast, Taylor Stakes tells you how to make a more compelling “send me to Vegas for 6 days on the college’s dime” pitch. Better yet, just let Taylor call your boss. In his four years as Trinity University’s Video and Web Multimedia Content Developer, he’s become an NAB regular.

“It’s important to hear from other professionals that have the same pains we do and how they work through it and what tools they’re using to alleviate those pains.”

You’ll be able to make an even stronger case if there are more of us in attendance next year. We could even coordinate an official higher ed video meet-up. Plans are already underway.

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Podcast #15 – Erik Duda and Mitch Powers (UVA)

by Joe Case on March 18, 2016 Podcast

If you’re like me, you probably assume that your university has a clearly defined video strategy. But after hearing from the University of Virginia video team, I came to realize that only a handful of schools seem to operate under comprehensive production and performance goals. Unless your job title has “Director” or “Strategist” in it, don’t stress. You’re not responsible for articulating and achieving desired outcomes (like admissions submissions, donations, or basketball season ticket sales). Quality is your measure of success. Your expertise is in visual storytelling, not marketing.

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Podcast #14 – Angie Reyes and Julie Bartucca (UConn)

by Joe Case on March 11, 2016 Podcast

The Husky is #10 on the list of most popular college mascots. Northeastern and UConn are two of the schools who share it. When we play each other in hockey or hoops, it’s literally a dogfight. But we’re all on the same team in higher ed video. When podcast guests Angie Reyes and Julie Bartucca make a UConn holiday video with Jonathan XIV that gets 40K views, we all celebrate. When Frank has to throw away his best work shirt after a day of wearing the Paws costume for a video that gets 140 views, we all hang our heads in sympathy and shame.

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Blog

Podcast #19 – From VHS to YouTube with Dayton

Watching Videos From Other Colleges Will Make Your Videos Better – Part 2

Production Notebook: First Entry

Podcast #18 – Conducting Interviews with Mike Mazzanti (UC Health)

Podcast #17 – International Video with Brandon Martin (Rice U)

YouTube Subscriber Strategy

Where do videos go?

Podcast #16 – Taylor Stakes at NAB

Podcast #15 – Erik Duda and Mitch Powers (UVA)

Podcast #14 – Angie Reyes and Julie Bartucca (UConn)

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Production Notebook: First Entry

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