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Video production tips, media and messaging secrets & more
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...
First Time Using a Teleprompter? Read this first.
One thing we have all quickly learned during this pandemic is that all of us are experiencing new things. Besides the pandemic itself, maybe it's the first time you've ever worked from home or your first video conference or, if you are like my wife, your first time...
How to Create a Good Public Apology
You've seen a lot of these lately, right? Whether it's related to COVID or BLM/protests, our current environment seems ripe for many people, governments, and/or businesses to make very big public mistakes. Through my experiences I have found the public to be very...
The Return of White Board Animation Videos!
They're baaaack... After a popular run five years ago there appears to be a new demand for white board animation videos in this new, COVID-19 world. What are white board animation videos? Here's a recent one did for Arizona-based Valley Metro:...
Tips for a More Professional Looking Zoom Conference
EVERYONE seems to be using Zoom. Many are connecting with family and friends virtually to be safe during this pandemic and virtual happy hours are now a big thing. But a lot of people are also using Zoom or Google or Face-time for work. In fact, we have been using...
Communicating During Covid-19
If you are like me, you are getting a lot of Covid-19 emails sent from your favorite businesses and organizations. I've read some good ones and some bad ones. So what determines which communications are effective and which are not? Here are some quick tips to keep in...
What We Do: KTAR Radio Interview with DMG President Rich Dubek
Some times it's best to listen, rather than read, to get a better understanding as to what we do here at Dubek Media Group. DMG President Rich Dubek got that chance this month on 92.3 News Talk KTAR. It's Business Time Host Mike...
Starting Messaging Tips for Start-Ups
We love working with start-up companies! In fact, over the past month we have begun work with a new national art gallery, a digital textile company, and a remote kitchen co-op. As a media training and expert messaging consultant there is nothing more gratifying than...
Top Three On-Camera Mistakes
We've conducted A LOT of on-camera interviews. Whether for network news, corporate video production, or media training sessions, you begin to see patterns with what clients and interviewees do well and where they do poorly. While we prefer to focus on the positives,...
Three Products For Every Video Shoot To Ensure Your Client Looks Great On-Camera
Some times the simplest things can make all the difference. And a video shoot is no different, especially when a client expects to have a finished product he or she will be proud of. Maybe you've been doing video work for a while and are relatively confident your...
Amplify Your Message with the Message Amplified App!
Perform better on-camera for news media and social media. Create and deliver better messages for presentations and speeches. We can help with our brand new app, Message Amplified. Our free new app for Apple and Android is loaded with tips and tutorials to help you be...
For Best Messages, “Why” is so much better than “What”.
Do you find yourself getting off track during news or on-camera interviews? Or even worse, are you discovering that what you believed to be your best quotes were not used at all? While recently on assignment for NBC News. one of my interviewees was disappointed with...
Media Training & Messaging Coaching Without Leaving Your Office
For the past ten years and counting we have provided our clients with expert, comprehensive in-person media training and messaging coaching. This typically happens in a conference room or off-site space set-up to accommodate this kind of training. While this set-up...
A Sit-Down Interview with a Professional Hitman
Over a 27 year journalism career I have had my share of interesting interviews. Those have included U-S Presidents, professional athletes, Fortune 500 CEO's, porn stars, and many many others. But when NBC News called and asked me to interview a former mafia hit-man,...
Three Simple Ways to Navigate Bad Press
Of all the questions I get as a media trainer, tips for dealing with bad or negative media attention is in the top three. In this hyper-aware media and social media world, just about any company or organization should be prepared to deal with negative attention, as...
Why 2019 is the Year of Video
Using video to help tell your unique business story is no longer an add-on marketing option. It is a consumer expectation. This marketing lesson recently driven home by one of our ad agency clients over coffee who described the upcoming new year for them as "the year...
How to Use Video To Educate New Hires
I will admit that video production for EXTERNAL audiences makes up the highest percentage of our video production projects. But don't confuse the numbers with the importance of effective internal communications using video. While video story-telling for external...
Getting Your On-Camera Interviews To Say The Right Things
The backdrop looks great. The lighting is near perfect. Audio is good. We are rolling! But wait, what is this? We have a bad interview. He is not speaking in complete thoughts. His energy is awful. None of this interview is usable. S***! Now what? The very best...
Changing Behavior Through Video: The Key Ingredients
Videos intended to change behavior may be the toughest to produce. That's because you have to hit all of your marks along the video production process to reach your goals. To ultimately change behavior, you have to give the viewer a compelling and visual reason why....
Video Marketing Without a Great Story? Waste of Time & Money.
Snake oil salesmen peddle video as if it is some sort of magical tonic. You have probably seen some of these video marketing statistics: Before reading any text, 60% of site visitors will watch a video if available. (Diode Digital) One minute of video is worth 1.8...
Lessons In News Interviews Gone Right: Setting The Right Tone
It's probably easier to tear apart interviews gone bad. As a media trainer, I've done plenty of that over the years. But did you catch the NBC News interview with Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi? At the time, it was an exclusive with the new CEO and he was facing several...
Jack is Back! Arizona Video Production Fun with PGA Legend Jack Nicklaus.
He's baaack. Scottsdale is definitely on Jack's radar as the PGA legend has made Arizona a regular stop of late, consulting for the Scottsdale Desert Mountain Golf Community. The all-time leader in PGA major wins is a Florida resident but may want to consider a...
Why Screaming “Fake News!” is a Horrible Media Strategy
"Fake News!' is all the rage. Everyone seems to be doing it, especially those caught in the media cross hairs with no where else to go. That was certainly the case for Rep. Claudia Tenney, Republican from New York. Following the horrific mass school shooting in...
Chasing Jack Nicklaus: Arizona Video Production
Even at 78 years young, the greatest golfer to ever play the game is still a very busy guy. Jack Nicklaus, nicknamed the Golden Bear, still holds the record for most career major wins at 18 and is considered by most to be the sports biggest name. Frankly, that is why...
Celebrating 10 Years of Video Production & Media Training: What We’ve Learned.
Back in 2008 we launched AZ Freelance TV, with the idea that we could take our local TV news skills and apply what we know to network news and develop a brand new business while working for ourselves. We are pleased to report it worked! We started working for TV...