How to … Use Audio and Video to Tell Your Story
My recent thoughts on storytelling dovetail nicely with some of the advice I heard at the Web 2.0 seminar I attended a few weeks back. The seminar, about how nonprofits can leverage advances in new media, sponsored by the Nonprofit Center at La Salle University and held at the Pew Charitable Trusts’ headquarters, featured a handful of experts offering their counsel. One of them, filmmaker and composer Rodney Wittenberg, had some tips for nonprofits on using audio and video to tell their story:
- Customize. "They’re useful tools," Wittenberg said, "but nonprofits think one size fits all."
- Target. Decide what one thing you want to communicate to your audience, and go from there. "A film is like a song or short story," he said. "A short film is like a poem."
- Because you have different audiences, consider multiple websites, videos, and audio clips to reach them. (See bullet point 1.)
- Audio is an especially useful way to disseminate a message because it’s so portable. The skyrocketing use of iPods allows your message to go virtually anywhere: to the gym, in the car on the way to work, around the neighborhood while walking the dog …
- This isn’t a commercial you’re recording; it’s a story you’re telling. Make it entertaining, and be clear about your message.
- Consider using YouTube for videos that disseminate event notifications and other things you want people to know about your organization. | 501(c)
