This afternoon I had another opportunity to wear my TV Journalist “hat” for ABC News World News Tonight and Good Morning America. But it was massive swarm of the police officers in uniform who made the can’t miss fashion statement all over Chandler, Arizona today.

I was heading home South on the 101 from an exciting video/internet marketing meeting in Scottsdale when I noticed a few different police cars speeding past me. ABC News called me right at that time to cover a breaking news story about a shootout, standoff, and possible hostage situation at the Chandler Fashion Center. I couldn’t believe it. In my sleepy town?

It was too late for me to get inside near the crime scene. The Phoenix media were already in. But I did spend the afternoon close enough to see what was an impressive show of force and a pretty smooth production. The task force and different law enforcement agencies coming together as one.  There were helicopters, SWAT trucks, police cars, K-9 units. I saw Chandler Police, Mesa, Tempe, Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office, Arizona Highway Patrol, and U.S. Marshals. My goodness it seemed like there were hundreds of them.

Like every emergency situation I’ve been in over the past ten years, I always compare it to being in New York on that dreadful day of September 11th. Today was so orderly. The police brought their A-Game. They were prepared, professional, and also courteous.

I heard some people say it was overkill. Those folks obviously didn’t have loved ones at or near the Chandler Fashion Center today. It was a small miracle no one was killed. As I was on the scene today, I kept thinking about how much worse this situation might have been had it taken place two weeks ago at the peak of the Christmas shopping frenzy.

I’ve been talking with representatives of the Chandler Chamber of Commerce about my ideas to promote the city and boost its popularity above being a hidden treasure. I’d guess I’d better be more careful about what I wish for. A shootout in broad daylight at a shopping mall was not what I had in mind for generating media coverage and publicity.

“Your web videos should be long enough…but not one second longer.”

So now you’re thinking, “Thanks a lot there Buddy Boy. How do I get there and how do I know when I’m there?”

Relax. And remember my answer above. It really is the right formula. Now, let’s go together to where you want to go, shall we?

One of my favorite opening lines in giving speeches was, “Ladies and gentlemen, I’ll be brief. If it takes me all night, I’ll be brief.” That was a way of always getting a laugh, getting an audience on my side immediately, and letting them know I was aware of their valuable time and wouldn’t waste it. In producing videos for the web, consider keeping this mindset in your plans.

Take notice of this important but overlooked fact. The unique thing about web videos is internet users can usually see the length before they decide to play your video or pass on it. If the running time is too short, say 15 seconds, people might not think it even holds enough value to spend the time hitting the play button and possibly waiting for the video to start. On the other hand, if it is 14 minutes and 45 seconds, people may not commit to giving you that much time upfront.

As a general rule of thumb, I like the effectiveness of creating well-written and produced web videos in the range of 1:30 to 2:30, (that’s 1 minute and 30 seconds to 2 minutes and 30 seconds). However, a number of factors should determine the length of your web videos. Here are three keys to remember:

1.   Video quality: How well is it shot? How is the background, lighting and audio? Yes, anyone can use a flip cam. It’s true. Though the question many people fail to ask themselves is this – Is a flipcam how I want to portray myself or my business?

2.   Message quality: How good is the message in your web video? Does it have interest and value to viewers?

3.   Delivery quality: How well is the message in your web video delivered? Is it communicated in a way that is to the point or is it just another person on the internet rambling on and on and on?

Web video production whether it involves those designed for viewing on your website or YouTube is kind of like following the Goldilocks approach…not too hot, not too cold, but just right. You may think you have a good feel for what’s just right in how you position yourself in videos on the internet. Or, the long and short of the matter is a seasoned web video producer can surely help you to create the perfect recipe for viewers.

You’ll recall Google was the company with the vision of how big YouTube and online video would be. It now envisions blending television and the internet with Google TV. This is a new system that has been designed to operate on special televisions or set-top boxes.

Google Chrome is the cornerstone for it as viewers would be able to access the browser directly through their TV. This opens the door to hundreds of TV channels being accessible online.

Critics truly earned their name when it came to this system as initial reviews were not very well received at all. Still, this month would have been big for rolling out the system. Major companies such as Sony and Logitech are already using the technology. Other companies such as Sharp and Toshiba were ready to roll with their devices featuring the Google TV option. But Google called a TV Timeout to revamp the software before more manufacturers made it to the marketplace with the programming it wants to revamp.

Media companies in the business of television production have fought the Google TV concept. They do not want their content used by the system. As has been the case with alternatives such as Hulu and Netflix, the media companies fear Google TV will hurt their advertising opportunities.

While many people seem quick to write off Google, I am certainly not one of them. It is a company filled with some of the brightest and innovative minds on the planet. While the channels for online video distribution still jockey for position, content will continue to be king. People are wanting to watch web video content more and more every minute. Now it’s just down to the matter of how and where they’ll be viewing it.

This was the 111^th year for the parade which is as rich a Philly tradition as cheese steaks, soft pretzels, and booing its sports teams. The event features thousands of people from all walks of life, many of whom spend weeks and months preparing for their strut up Broad Street and their brief performance before the judges outside of city hall. But make no mistake about it, the Mummers tradition is all about bragging rights and the celebration of drinking opportunities.

A Television Tradition

The City of Philadelphia has really scaled back the size and length of the Mummers Parade to cut costs and to match the aging popularity of the event. Prior to the turn of the 21^st Century, the Mummers Parade still drew big TV ratings usually beating most or all of the college football bowl games.

Throughout the 1990’s, when I had the pleasure and honor of serving as one of the television hosts of the Philadelphia Mummers New Year’s Day Parade we were live on the air with a television production that lasted for anywhere from 10-12 hours straight. It was a great adrenalin rush to perform in front of a large hometown audience, and a great opportunity to enjoy many fun people in celebrating and old tradition as well as bringing in a new year.

Oh Baby. I didn’t see it coming. And I had a front row seat long before the crowds arrived. I missed it from Day One. Uh, make that Day Two.

It was May 2004 at the Hershey Medical Center in Central Pennsylvania of all places. A rather unique assignment for sure. I was responsible for producing a live TV interview for ABC’s Good Morning America with an unknown couple who just had sextuplets enter their family of 4 the day before. The couple was Jon and Kate Gosselin.

I remember them being happy but overwhelmed. I also remember how they seemed to really love the attention. I was curious about that since the babies were born premature and were by no means “home free” or free to go home.

Behind the scenes the Gosselins already had a great deal of support lined up from the community and church by the time the sextuplets were born. Still I couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like for their family in the coming years.

Who knew? I sure didn’t. Household names? Media hounds? Reality TV stars? Divorced and slugging it out in the tabloids as well as the courts? Kids being expelled from school? What a shame.

I just read that Kate and the kids beat Jon in court and are now flying first class to Australia for a TV taping with TLC. This on the heels of hanging out with Sarah Palin in Alaska. So publicly Kate’s big goal for 2011 is to get another man. Good luck on that one. The fella who steps up for that job ought to be a real peach. He either wants his 15 minutes of fame, is on a very intense self-abuse program, or himself might have been dropped as a child.

As another New Year’s Eve approaches, it naturally reminds me of Dick Clark. Back in 1972, he started the “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin Eve” TV Special live from Times Square in New York.  In 2005, he turned the reins over to Ryan Seacrest. Despite suffering a stroke, Dick Clark has continued to make appearances on the show.

As every New Year arrives, it always reminds me of a unique and funny personal story I have about Dick Clark. Residing and working in television in Philadelphia, PA, I had the opportunity to meet him a few times. Before I tell you about getting into the ring with Mr. Clark, let me say I truly have tremendous admiration for all of the many accomplishments of his amazingly successful career.

Dick Clark, “America’s Oldest Teenager” as he was known, is something of an institution in Philly since the American Bandstand TV show that started him on his way to fame and fortune was launched there. So a few years back, it was a really safe and smart media play to have him return to Philadelphia to promote the opening of the restaurant chain, “Dick Clark’s American Bandstand Grill.”

Working for Access Hollywood I believe, I went to spend a few hours with Dick Clark at the restaurant location in King of Prussia, PA, a suburb just west of Philadelphia. We walked and talked about reminisced about his memories of the memorabilia items which decorated the walls of the place. It was really fun for me to hear his stories. Then things went downhill.

I asked him what I thought was a pretty good question on camera. “Dick, what’s your favorite item on the menu here?” Insert blank stare here. Insert awkward moment here. Dick Clark was speechless. I was confused.

He eventually said, “What are you asking me that for?” I said, “What’s wrong with that?” I quickly discovered the answer to that question! It turns out apparently Dick Clark didn’t know the menu of the restaurant chain bearing his own name. Oops.

Instead, of simply saying the burgers are great, or the milkshakes, anything safe, he shocked me with what he did next. Dick Clark punched me in the nose. Yes, he actually did. He took his rockin’ right hand and planted it right on my nose. When I reacted to it, he then acted like he was just playing around. Another oops.

He later apologized in private. I left laughing about a story that would last me a lifetime. Now you too know about my nose and the best known Dick who hit me there.

Creative brainstorming sessions are so much fun. I had the pleasure of being in one yesterday. It was to lay out plans for an upcoming annual corporate sales meeting. We were sharing ideas for the overall theme and staging, as well as the video production elements. Some of the content development is designed to be sheer entertainment for the attendees. But much of it is focused on the corporate messaging and goals for the meeting.

In reviewing the corporate sales goals and objectives, we got into a discussion about models for success. With my recent blog post, One Line for One Legend – Coach Wooden fresh in my mind, I brought up the Coach’s “Pyramid for Success.” I then emailed John Wooden’s “Pyramid for Success” to the members of the corporate video production team. They really got into it.

So, since sharing this wisdom for success was so well-received, and because I am totally in the “Christmas Spirit” with my four-year old son, I thought it might be a good idea to share it with visitors here on the PHOENIXazVIDEO blog.

Take a look at it as you set 2011 goals for your life or your business. May it help you to build new success. Since you’ve been so good this year, consider it an early Christmas present from Santa Claus, Coach John Wooden, and PHOENIXazVIDEO.com.

Happy Holidays!

It’s one of those lines I’ll remember forever. I wrote and said it on national television as the staff reporter for the series, “Billy Packer’s College Basketball.” I gave it a great deal of thought. I wanted it to be special, simple yet profound, straightforward yet all-encompassing. Why? Because the line was used in wrapping up the first piece I was blessed to do with the legendary John Wooden.

“John Wooden is as fine a Man as he is a Coach…and he’s all there is of both.”

This is the first college basketball season in my lifetime without “Coach” being around. John Wooden was the first person to be elected into the Basketball Hall of Fame as a player and a coach. Born 100 years ago, his success as UCLA Basketball Coach may never be matched in the sport. Ever.

• 10 NCAA Men’s Basketball Championships

• 7 Straight NCAA Men’s Basketball Championships – 1967-73

• Most Final Four appearances – 16.

• Most consecutive victories – 88. (1971-73)

John Wooden was so much more than the guy nicknamed “The Wizard of Westwood.” While most of us would be tempted to ramble about ourselves if we had his level of success, Coach enjoyed speaking of how lucky he was to have been married to his wife, Nellie for more than 50 years.

If you were lucky enough to be around John Wooden, (and I was a few times), you couldn’t help but be mesmerized that you were in the presence of greatness. I was smart enough to listen to him much more than I spoke with him. He was incredibly wise and humble, and as genuine and kind as he was fascinating. Amazingly, he’d still make you feel like you the pleasure of conversation was all his.

Here are some of my favorite quotes from Coach Wooden. Take a moment for you. Read them. Then apply them to your approach to video production or your entire life.

• A coach is someone who can give correction without causing resentment.

• Be prepared and be honest.

• Ability is a poor man’s wealth.

• Don’t measure yourself by what you have accomplished, but by what you should have accomplished with your ability.

• Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are.

• Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.

• Failure is not fatal, but failure to change might be.

• If you don’t have time to do it right, when will you have time to do it over?

Here is a 5-pack of quotes from American Artist and legendary pop icon, Andy Warhol. To make your own 6-pack, have a drink and think about how these Warhol Wisdoms support why the Art of Video Production is good for you and your business.

1. “In the future everyone will be famous for fifteen minutes.”

Andy Warhol remains famous for that quote more so than his entire body of work as a painter, filmmaker, actor, and popular figure in Pop Art. Building or strengthening your brand through video is both smart and fun. Like Warhol’s quote, producing videos about yourself and/or your business can help to get you remembered. People connect through video. People do business with people they know, like, and trust. Isn’t being known and remembered important for your business success?
Besides Andy Warhol’s world-famous saying, he had other comments that speak to why you should include video production as a part of any marketing and promotion plan.

2. “Being good in business is the most fascinating kind of art. Making money is art and working is art and good business is the best art.”

Whether it’s online video or for various off-line purposes, a well-produced video is a much more fascinating artistic form of expression and communication than written words alone. Video has the unique power to effectively market the benefits of you and the products and services you have to offer. Seeing, hearing, and getting to know more about you or your business through the use of video is engaging, exciting, and often entertaining for both existing and potential clients. Producing videos can help you tremendously in the art of being good in business and the art of making money.

3. “Employees make the best dates. You don’t have to pick them up and they’re always tax-deductible.”

At the very least, employing video production as a customized marketing tool is a unique business expense that will ensure you have the opportunity to enjoy your so-called “15 Minutes of Fame.” : )

4. “An artist is somebody who produces things that people don’t need to have but that he, for some reason, thinks it would be a good idea to give them.”

Be an artist. It’s true that people don’t need to watch videos about you and/or your business. Be an artist anyway. The statistics show that men and women will in fact watch videos. Maybe they watch because they want to. Maybe they watch because they need to. Who cares? Billions of online videos are watched online every month. And the numbers are growing! Would you rather people be watching videos of you or connecting with your competitors?

5. “They always say that time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself.”

If you are not using the unique and proven tool of video production to communicate and connect with others about you and/or your business…maybe it’s time for you to change. Or, if you want to feel the maximum power of creative video marketing and promotion… maybe it’s time for you to change.

In any case join the online video revolution — Lights! Camera! Take Action!

I had both the responsibility and the pleasure of sitting down with some of the leading breast cancer researchers from around the world. They shared their clinical data from just released breast cancer studies. They also shared their opinions and optimism about the progress that is being made in the treatment of breast cancer.

George Sledge, M.D. told me he was a “Breast Cancer Geek.” The Professor of Medicine at the Simon Cancer Center of the University of Indiana is also the President of ASCO, the American Society of Clinical Oncologists. This high-profile position more or less gives him rock star status in the industry. Dr. Sledge talked with a great deal of excitement about breast cancer patients being within a three-year milestone of tremendous leaps of knowledge and progress.

Mike Dixon, M.D., is a talented surgeon and researcher from Scotland. He impressed me greatly with his work in clinical trials, his humility, and his sensitivity toward older women with breast cancer and how important saving a breast is to them.

Then there were others like Lesley Fallowfield from the United Kingdom and Charles Cleeland from the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas, who were equally impressive in the efforts to manage and minimize the inevitable pain experienced by breast cancer patients.

The confidence that all of the doctors I did web video interviews with San Antonio is really quite contagious. The passion that drives them is more than professional. It’s personal. And the hope they have about continuing their progress in the battle against breast cancer is something I hand off to you, for yourself or someone you care about who is a current patient or a survivor.