3 Things to Consider When Making a Promo Video

Am I ready?

That is one of the biggest questions I hear from artists that are considering a promo video. What about my brand colors? My 3 words? What about albums I carry? 

Am-I-ready? 

In some ways, yes, those are details you should be concerned about. They don't have to be perfected, but certainly to a point that you are at least happy with (confident at best!). Honestly, I would compare this process to building a website. In essence, this video will be a MOVING experience of what your brand stands for, your values, and your promise. The essence of who you are. SO, how do you know if you're ready?

These are 3 things that I would tell my potential clients to consider for a promo video:

T I M I N G // 
Knowing Who You Are. This includes knowing your strengths and passions. Consistency. Is the style I am portraying or message I am sending consistent in my work? Analyze your journey in your photography. This journey will continue to evolve - there is no finish line - but you know when you have a strong foundation. You stand for something.

CHOOSING YOUR STORY TELLER // 
How do the videos (s)he has made make you feel? Can you imagine yourself in them? Are you captivated by the videos and do you connect with them? Is that how you want your story told?

And one of the most important..

T R U S T // 
There are 2 people to trust. Your story teller ... and you. Most likely if you were inspired by your story teller and their work, it is pretty easy to hand the reigns over. But there's a second part to this: trusting yourself. If you know who you are, trust yourself and what you do. This is why timing is number one. Your story teller (this goes for videographer, photographer, and graphic designer) can make the BEST product - but if you do not feel that YOU are represented, then you will not be happy. Period. No awesome transition, imagery, or music will change that because the purpose here is to tell YOUR STORY.

I love finding that story. I can ask the questions to dig deeply into finding what it is that makes you stand out. There are perspectives that we need as artists - someone on the outside - because sometimes when we are so deeply embedded into our world it's hard to see those key elements that define us. And that is what I love to do and what I am here to do. To help ARTICULATE it. But I cannot tell you who you are. There's a midway point to meet with your story teller.

I want to end this with Mike's story. Read his perspective being on the other side before watching his video. When Mike contacted me, I had already been following him enough that I had an idea for his story. He's highly recognized as a storm chaser, but I saw the connection between that and his family and what a beautiful story it was. Honestly, it was far more beautiful when I started filming it than what I pictured in my head.


There is no greater gift than that as a story teller. And truthfully, I believe that kind of magic happens when those 3 things I talked about come together.