In these series of articles we are talking to business owners who produced product videos themselves, or had videos produced for them. We will ask them questions and learn about their experiences. You will have a chance to ask your own questions, so please post your questions in the comments section.
Today we are talking to Cindy Sawyer from www.towelocs.com.
First of all what is ToweLocs®? It was created by Cindy Sawyer, “a mom who was repeatedly frustrated every time her hand towels fell off the towel bar and when her kitchen towels did the same upon opening her oven door. This was also compounded when her two young children, Keelan and Skylar, could not help themselves and leave their hand towels on the bathroom floor after each use. As you may imagine, this was an everyday event in any typical household.”
Laura Beken: “Cyndy, what made you decide to do an online video for your product?”
Cindy Sawyer: “My product and concept is really new & it needed visuals to help consumers know exactly why & how it’s used”.
Laura Beken: ” What was the goal of the video?”
Cindy Sawyer: “The main goal was to help consumers understand how the product is used. And also the all the reasons why people needed to use ToweLocs. I try to describe the product to people & they are still a little confused because the concept is so new. Once they saw the video they completely understood the product.
Laura Beken: “Did you shoot and edit the video yourself or hired a production studio?”
Cindy Sawyer: “I had a friend who shot the video, put the video together with my voice doing the script & then edit the whole video. I actually went to studio to do the voice over for the video.”
Laura Beken: “Did you write a script or improvised on camera?”
Cindy Sawyer: “I actually wrote the script according to the video”.
Laura Beken: “How did you prepare for the shoot?”
Cindy Sawyer: “I wrote the script first. Then I had to find a bathroom that had ample lighting since I didn’t have an actual studio. It was tricky finding a towel bar or towel ring that wasn’t right next to a mirror. We didn’t want any glare or reflection. Since a little kid was involved we had to take several takes. It was a very fun experience”.
Laura Beken: ” What equipment did you use? What cameras, how many? What lighting? How did you do the sound?”
Cindy Sawyer: “My friend used a regular video camera. He actually makes & directs documentaries. He shot the video here in Washington then took the video back to his studio in New York & did all the editing. We didn’t use any special equipment during the shoot. After he edited the video he sent it back to me and then I wrote the script. After that I went to a studio & recorded my dialogue. I then sent it back to New York & Ben put everything together. He also had a friend who played some jazz for my video for the music in the background”.
Laura Beken: “How did you decide who will demo the product? Any tips and suggestions? Anything you learned from that experience?”
Cindy Sawyer: “I couldn’t get myself to do the shoot so I had my friend (who is the director’s wife) & her boy be in the video. I thought they did a great job. I did learn that working with children on things like this was pretty tricky”.
Laura Beken: “Where do you display your video and how did you incorporate it into your own site? Did you use a custom player? YouTube embed player, etc?”
Cindy Sawyer: “I actually posted it on youTube & then had my web designer incorporate it into my website. It is also posted on www.HandBookLive.com under Home and Garden category of product videos.
Laura Beken: “Does having a video help you get more exposure in the media?”
Cindy Sawyer: “Having a demo video helped tremendously. When people couldn’t understand the concept I told them just to look at my site & check out the video. Once they did that it all made sense. Having a video for my product did help me get it showcased on HandbookLive.com”.
Laura Beken: “What was your experience posting ToweLocs® video on HandBookLive. Was it an easy process?”
Cindy Sawyer: “It was really an easy process. I didn’t have to do much. I contacted them to see if my video would fit into their website. They contacted me back & then I had to send them a few pictures & some text and the next thing you know it’s all done. It was a great process & they were really nice to work with. I like the site itself & it is easy to maneuver around”.
Laura Beken: “Thank you, Cindy! I am glad you enjoyed working with our team. Any words of advice to anyone thinking of creating their own product video? Tips, mistakes to avoid?
Cindy Sawyer: “It definitely helps if you have a good camera & have someone who knows what they are doing to shoot, edit, & record the video. It just makes it more professional. I did it on a very small budget & was fortunate to have friends who knew what they were doing”.
See all the beautiful designs for Towelocs on http://www.towelocs.com
Laura Beken,
Vice President
HandBookLive, Inc
www.HandBookLive.com
laura@handbooklive.com
Thanks Laura. Great article. I just wanted to say thank you to all who made it possible for the video to come alive. Ben Abel-bey (director, producer, & editor), Andrea Abel-bey (mom in the video), Coolidge (son in the video), Dennis McCoy (helped me with the voice over in his studio). I really appreciated all their time & experience.
Cindy Sawyer