Are You Talking To Me?
By Craig Campbell
Manager, IBT Media
Successful communications consist of message and reception. If the person originates a message that is not understood by the person for whom it is intended, the result is failure.
Communication is essential to instructing, persuading, leading, correcting and praising. The critical concerns in face-to-face communication include eye contact, underlying attitude, the climate for the conversation, the selection of the appropriate time and place, body language, volume and clarity of voice and the proper choice of words.
Is it any wonder that many people are misunderstood when they try to convey information? When the transmission includes complexity, instructions, emotions, or any form of ambiguity, the chances of misinterpretation tend to increase dramatically.
Now, when we add the factor of using media, the challenge of communications can get even more complicated.
Now, we have the additional factors of technical proficiency: audio level, focus, framing, staging, lighting and more.
When communication is critical, it is way too dangerous to leave things to chance. The lesson is two-fold: be very careful in every respect. And, whenever possible enlist professional assistance.
For simple one-on-one communications, the key is proper planning. Choose the time, the place, the circumstances, the lead-in to the important part of the message, and the critical words very carefully.
Communication that uses the sophisticated tools of video has a greater challenge. On the one hand, video used properly can have a fantastic impact. It moves, it glows, it talks. It has music, drama and people.
On the other, I am sure you have seen some video presentations that were deadly dull. When done improperly, video loses points for the presenter, rather than making progress and creating the right impact.
At IBT Media, communications, especially using video, is our business. When we get involved with new projects, we tend to ask lots and lots of questions. We need to know who the message is for, what the intent is, how the video will be used, who will be presenting it - and that's just the beginning.
We also need the precise details of the underlying message. Frequently, we will find that the answers to the first group of questions only lead to more questions.
It's not that we are trying to be difficult. On the contrary, we are trying to be professional and to facilitate the process completely.
Video costs money. But, if we do our job properly, it is cheap at twice the price.
To do the job completely and professionally, we often have to think about and worry about a whole catalog of issues: setting, lighting, costume, make-up, props, equipment, actors and/or spokespeople, audio level and quality, music, editing, mixing, etc.
And, of course, these are only issues after the script is drafted, redrafted, edited, polished and approved.
Then, in the pre-production stage, we work out all the details we can. Although we pride ourselves in being thorough, meticulous and extremely detail oriented, we have learned a lesson over time: you can only predict so much of the final process. There will inevitably be things that no one could have anticipated.
We also stress how important it is to consider the presentation of the video as well. These questions cover such areas as format, playback device, screen, speakers, room size, audio amplification and the like. We ask about that during pre-production so we can envision the end result and produce accordingly. These questions may raise issues that require an additional investment on the client's part, in order to assure the greatest impact when the work is shown to the intended audience(s).
We, therefore, also prepare ourselves for the unexpected. That way, if and when the unexpected does arise, we know what to do - and do it.
As a result, we find that our clients report great success in using videos produced by IBT Media. Maybe, it's because as communications people, we listen carefully and make sure we understand what people are saying to us. And, that makes it easy for us to make sure that your audience understands what you (with our assistance) want to say to them.
If you'd like to ask us some questions - and give us an opportunity to ask you most of ours, let's talk.
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