Tips for video production if you have no idea what you’re doing

Anyone who knows me professionally knows that writing is my passion and one of the few things I’m good at. But sometimes I wonder if anyone is actually reading the press releases, blog posts or features that I put together.

One of my objectives for the coming year is to include more rich content in everything I do. So over the past few months, I’ve been filming and putting together short videos for the staff newsletter, press releases and social media using Adobe Premiere Pro.

Before I go any further, I need to point out that I am a complete novice when it comes to video production. Everything I’ve learnt has been down to trial and error. So I thought I would share a few tips for anyone who wants to produce videos but doesn’t know where to start.

I’d also like to give a shout-out to Michael Hann, who has joined the Communications Team as maternity cover. We have worked as a team – Michael has gathered excellent footage which I have then turned into videos. Without his help, this whole process would have been a lot harder, so thank you Michael!

You don’t need expensive equipment

This is the kit we use - you can buy it here

We don’t use a fancy camera – just an iPad. The tech available on smart devices like iPads and iPhones nowadays means you don’t need to spend a fortune on cameras. We recently purchased some equipment, like a tripod which is designed to hold smart devices and a mic, which all cost about £25 from Amazon. You don’t need to spend a fortune.

You don’t need to produce an Oscar-winner
People don’t except Spielberg standard videos, unless they have paid a company to make it of course! Don’t worry too much if your first videos are a bit rough around the edges – at least you’re trying! Also, you’ll find that the more videos you make, the better they will become. You’ll get the knack for what works (and what doesn’t) and the process will get quicker and slicker.

Less is not more!

When gathering footage for your video, get as many different bits of footage from as many angles as you can. That way when it comes to editing you’ll have lots of footage to choose from. Remember you can’t add what you don’t have, but you can always cut what is already there.

When in doubt, YouTube it!
YouTube is full of short tutorials on how to do anything and everything in Premiere Pro. So take advantage of this free resource if you are not sure how to achieve something with your video, like adding a fade or adjusting the volume of the audio.

Below are some examples of what I’ve produced over the last few months. Like I said, I am no expert, but I am proud of what I’ve made and I’m looking forward to making more!

Putting yourself back together when the black dog comes knocking...

Last week was Mental Health Awareness Week, which inspired me to revisit the below blog. I actually wrote it a few weeks ago but I questioned whether I should publish it.

Last week saw thousands of people open up about their experiences with mental health, and it’s really good to see how things have changed over the years and that people feel more comfortable being more open and honest.  So here’s my two cents worth…

A few months ago, I was really struggling with my mental health but thanks to the support of friends, family and colleagues, things are looking up.

This horrible dark shadow infected every part of my life – my family, my relationships and my work. As someone who always strives to work hard and be the best press officer I can be, seeing my work slip was devastating. So I got medical assistance and told my boss – two of the hardest things I’ve ever done.

Mental health will affect one in four of us at some point in their lives, so I’ve jotted down a few points to consider if you‘re a PR professional (or indeed anyone) struggling with your mental well-being in the workplace.

This is entirely based on my own experience and I’m not a medical professional of any sort – this is meant to offer food for thought and a bit of support to anyone who may need it.

Tell your colleagues
When I told my colleagues what was going on, I was surprised to discover how many of them had had similar issues themselves. Initially I was terrified they would think less of me, but everyone was very supportive and together we looked at ways to make my working life easier.

Shout if you’re struggling
For me, the worst thing about mental ill-health is that there are no physical symptoms, unless you count uncontrollable weeping for no reason. There’s no limbs hanging off, no horrible cough, no nasty rash - you look just as you always did. This can make it hard for colleagues to know if you are struggling, unless you tell them. The hardest thing for me was opening up about what I was feeling and whether I needed to work from home for a day or two, but once it was out in the open, it all started to feel OK.  

When someone tells you they are struggling, don't be the person on the right!

Talk to your GP – when YOU’RE ready

This is a tricky one. I didn’t ask for medical help for a long time, but something clicked one day and I went – I’m so glad I did. This is probably something anyone dealing with a mental health issue should do, but it’s something you have to be ready for. No-one can force you to go until you’re ready. If you’re not ready, don’t worry, but when you are, just go – it can be the first step to getting better.

Be kind to yourself
I found this very difficult. Not only did I feel like I had no right to feel the way I did, I also felt I had let everyone down by letting it get as far as it did before I sought help. Hindsight is a beautiful thing, but you can’t spend your time wishing you had done anything differently. Imagine if your friend told you they were depressed or anxious, you would immediately rally around to support them and offer kind words of encouragement and hope. Try and do the same for yourself. Don’t beat yourself up – you’re only human.

And finally, always remember....

Supernatural Dean Winchester GIF from Supernatural GIFs

Clearing and the countdown to Canada

It feels like the Communications Team at Bedfordshire hasn’t stopped for the past couple of weeks. We had preparation for Clearing, then we had Clearing itself, and now we have a moment to take stock and catch our breath (famous last words!)

The majority of my prep for Clearing was around case studies. I’ve spent a lot of time digging around looking for former students who went through Clearing and went on to have successful careers. We have graduates all over the place, working as BBC journalists, actors, nurses and many other professionals, but we also have those who have gone on to start their own businesses, including Ann Akin, who set up her own theatre company.

.@Harts_Theatre AD & @uniofbeds alumna @Ann_Akin reveals what it's like to work in the #theatre https://t.co/Uz8EXA8Bcn #MakeitBeds pic.twitter.com/GeZXuUNm5P

— UoB Press Office (@uobnews) August 30, 2017

I’m always really grateful to all the students and graduates who agree to be case studies. We can be incredibly busy during the working day, and the fact that these guys take time out to talk about their experiences and read through the content of their case study is amazing.

.@uniofbeds student @OneWalshMeister shares his experience of going through #Clearing #MakeItBeds #BedsNews https://t.co/A0xSsEHEyF

— UoB Press Office (@uobnews) August 17, 2017

I was also saddened to hear about the imminent closure of one of our local newspapers, the Bedfordshire on Sunday. This will be a huge blow to the local community and also local journalism in general. I completed many a work experience placement on local papers, and although I never had what it takes to be a 'real' journalist, I loved every minute of my time working as one and the experience ultimately helped me get into the ‘dark side’ of public relations, which I love! Best of luck to the Beds on Sunday team and their future adventures!

I’d also like to mention that I’m on Canada countdown – next week I’ll be jetting off to Toronto for some much-needed downtime with my parents. It is a country I have always wanted to visit and though I’m only there for a week, I fully intend to take it all in and enjoy every moment, and hopefully see a moose!

I wonder if I could bring one home as an office mascot...

One year on and I’m still here!

So this week it’s my turn to write the blog. It conveniently coincides with my one year work anniversary. That’s right, I’ve been back at the University for one whole year! I can’t believe it either – where has the time gone?

How did I celebrate my work anniversary? Covering graduations of course! Last year I had been on the job for just over a week and I quickly had to get to grips with live tweeting and getting the message out to our local press contacts that the ceremonies were happening. I’ve now become a bit of a pro at the old live tweeting, which has saved me time and a whole lot of stress!

Last year may have been a baptism of fire, but it meant that this year, I knew what to expect and I was able to plan media activities and tweeting in advance. As a result, the engagement from @uobnews went through the roof. I think James Bay might have had something to do with that – check out what he had to say about receiving an honorary award.

And our hard work on promoting Graduations has paid off. Our efforts on 2016’s campaign have earned us a spot on the shortlist of this year’s CIPR PRide Awards. For those of you who don’t know, these awards celebrate the achievements of Public Relations professionals from across the country, working in a huge range of sectors.

We made it onto the shortlist of the Best Low Budget Campaign, which is extremely pleasing, seeing as our only expense for Graduations is photography, although we do pay for it with lack of sleep and frayed nerves sometimes.

So proud to been shortlisted for Outstanding In-House PR Team #PRideAwards @CJacobi16 @claudia_mayr1 https://t.co/E9UkcVFnl4

— UoB Press Office (@uobnews) July 21, 2017

I am over the moon with this nomination on a personal level as I worked hard on this campaign, having only been in the job for a matter of days, with the support of my fabulous colleagues of course. Their guidance was essential in helping me pull it off and at least give the illusion that I knew what I was doing!

We also made the shortlist for the Best In-House PR Team award, which is amazing news. Last year we were a team of two and a half people. This year, we were only two. We may be small, but my God we are mighty. To have our efforts acknowledged by our PR peers is an amazing feeling, even if we don’t win.

The awards ceremony takes place at the end of September – hopefully I will have a positive update for you then!

#PRideATC Outstanding In-House PR Team shortlist is @EastNorfolk @uobnews #PRideAwards pic.twitter.com/8wBYrPSnRC

— CIPR Awards (@CIPR_Awards) July 21, 2017

A lesson in live tweeting

For this blog I thought I would talk about my experience of covering the Vice Chancellor’s Student Experience Awards.

This was the first time I had been able to attend these awards and I wasn’t sure what to expect. Luckily I was privy to who the winners were beforehand and was able to prepare in advance (Comms team perk!)

The stage is set for today's ceremony. Now we just need our winners! #VCSEA17 #BedsNews pic.twitter.com/5rPax9BIIq

— UoB Press Office (@uobnews) May 3, 2017

Twitter on a smartphone has a lovely function where you can save draft tweets – this has saved my bacon on a number of occasions when I have been live-tweeting.

Armed with the trusty #VCSEA17 hashtag, I wrote a tweet for each winner and saved it as a draft, ready to slot in a photo and send out when the time came. I also took a bit of time to find out if the winners had Twitter accounts that I could use while tweeting. Working at Bedfordshire has taught me many things, but when it comes to live tweeting, preparation is everything!

The hard work paid off when I got back to the office the next day and realised that the Twitter activity as a result of my tweeting had earned us 14,000 impressions in just one day!

Fantastic afternoon Not to be forgotten! Very kind words from @gurchrandhawa . Thank you to @CJacobi16 @uobnews @Profgailk @divhealthpsych https://t.co/R9JjdLsdZk

— Jolel (@JolelMiah) May 3, 2017

Once the awards got underway, it was fantastic to see the reaction of the winners as they went up to collect their awards. One highlight was Customer Services Advisor Arsalan Sheikh who jumped for joy when his name was called out (no jokes, he actually did!)

Another highlight for me was that I was aware that PhD student Jolel Miah, who I know well, had won the Deputy Lieutenant Community Engagement Award. He of course didn’t know this, and keeping it quiet beforehand was a challenge, but the look on his face when he realised he had won was priceless!

I’d like to say a huge congratulations to all the winners of this year’s awards. You can see the full list of winners here.

.@uniofbeds PhD students @JolelMiah & @Hamdi_Lemamsha honoured at Student Experience Awards: https://t.co/U2NoOB1yHe #VCSEA17 #BedsNews pic.twitter.com/J5TIKYIpDG

— UoB Press Office (@uobnews) May 5, 2017