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Video production tips, media and messaging secrets & more

On-Camera Tips: How to Be More Authentic.

Before you can run a marathon, you need to train first; In fact, you need to train a lot. And that is also true regarding being more authentic when appearing on camera. To have opportunities to show your authentic self, you must master your messaging and basic...

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How to deal with a Citizen “Journalist”

Yes, I put " journalist" in quotes purposefully. That's because a so-called citizen journalist is rarely a journalist at all. In my humble opinion and based on what I've witnessed with media training clients over the years, citizen journalists have zero training in...

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Do You Have a Bad Side? On-Camera Tips and Tricks

"Get my good side!" If we had a dollar for every time we've heard someone say that before a sit-down interview. While many will ask jokingly, you can always sense some sincerity and concern in the question. But do most people have a bad side? I was reminded of this...

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How AI is changing Video Production

Users of the ChatGPT app already know the mind-blowing power of AI and how it is changing the world. But artificial intelligence is also being used in the video production world too. Just this week, the popular video hosting site Vimeo announced a transcription...

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New Services: Visual Storytelling 101

Dubek Media Group adds video production training to its suite of media training services. March 31, 2023 The Dubek Media Group is pleased to announce new training curriculum within our media training consulting suite of services. "Visual Storytelling 101" is now...

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Create an Impactful Gala Video

It's gala season! Use this proven format to motivate your audience to give. Happy New Year! Along with a calendar rollover, it's widely recognized as the season for giving. Perhaps you have already attended a gala event this winter. If you have, you also likely...

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Stop these Annoying Zoom Call Bad Habits

I am as guilty as anyone. You probably have your own internal list of zoom call bad habits which annoy you, right? Many times people are completely unaware they have these bad habits unless someone tells them but the damage has already been done. Bad Zoom call habits...

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Media Training 101-Stop Saying Um!

Words like "um" and "like" and "basically" are crutch words and this bad habit can be controlled with practice. But I'll be completely transparent on this topic right up front. It's not easy to completely get rid of annoying crutch words in speeches and during media...

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Knowing When to Shut Up: The Power of Silence

Of all the media training trouble spots I encounter, the inability to stop talking is at the top of the list. So many many people just can't stop talking. They can't stop talking during media interviews, they can't stop talking during presentations, blah blah blah...

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Video Production vs Video Storytelling: Know the Difference

Knowing the difference between video production and sorytelling is critically important if you want your key messages heard within your video content. Yet everyday I see examples online which fail when it comes to delivering impactful messaging which resonates with...

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Media Training Tips-What do I do with my hands?

"I don't know what to do with my hands when I am doing an on-camera interview?" Without a doubt, this is the single most common question I get during my media training sessions. "Do I sit on them? Put my arms around my back and clasp my hands? Hold something?" No, no,...

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Are Virtual News Interviews Here To Stay?

I know it seems hard to believe, but before COVID, virtual news interviews via SKYPE, Facetime, Zoom or by any other platform were virtually unheard of. The networks and even local news programs avoided the temptation of a no-cost interview solution because of...

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Three Tips For Mastering Any News Interview

Oh no! You just found out the media is coming and you know you are not ready. What do you do? I sincerely hope you are not ever caught in this position without media training first but sadly, we often get an inquiry for services AFTER the media event has taken place....

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At the Intersection of Media, Branding & Power Point

I recently had the opportunity to present as a guest speaker at a Communications Summit in Tempe, Arizona. The idea with this summit was to offer participants an opportunity to get a refresher course on all things communications, as part of re-entry back into the work...

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Rule of Three for Media & Messaging Never More Important

These are complicated times and it's super easy to get lost in the weeds, especially when dealing with complicated topics like COVID-19. Many private sector companies and government groups are now dealing with implementing new rules, procedures and policies as all of...

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How to Become a Media “Go To” Expert

Just this week I was reminded of a very common question which I get asked frequently, usually during my media training sessions where the client is part of a unique professional organization. "How do I get the news media to use me as their "go to" expert? " This...

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How to Write Teleprompter Scripts-It matters!

Did you know there are specific ways to format scripts being used with a teleprompter and by doing so, it will save you time and a lot of aggravation? It's true! Learned years ago during internships in broadcast news and these same techniques apply today, although I...

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Get Rid of Virtual Rust!

Refresher Tips for the inevitable return to in-person messaging. A year! Maybe even more than a year for some of us. Virtual everything-meetings, presentations, media interviews, recorded zoom videos, internal and external virtual communications, the list goes on and...

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Launching a Podcast? Read this before you begin.

In 2020 it is estimated there are roughly 850-thousand active podcasts and more than 30 million episodes. What once was a somewhat unique way to message is now a very active and crowded platform. Unless you are a known celebrity of some kind, you will likely not be...

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Yes we are Still Media Training During COVID. Here’s How.

Despite the chaos and the disruption and all the madness which defines 2020, some things remain consistent. Life and work moves forward, albeit different. In the Dubek Media Group world, it has been a strange year to say the least. Our video production work actually...

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The Basics of Effective Video Storytelling

We've had several recent inquiries from organizations who have asked if we could train their staffs on the art of impactful video story-telling. While we have offered media training services and coaching since our inception, we have never offered video production...

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When to Use Voice-Over in Professional Videos

"Do we need to include voice-over in this video production project?" File that question under my Top 5 most common when working with one of our video production clients. While we are equipped to do voice-overs and I personally have voiced thousands of videos/stories...

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