We want to tell your story in video
Your business’s story is exceptional and we want to help bring that to life in a way that connects, inspires and moves your viewers to action.
In our world, telling a good story applies to all sorts of projects from corporate branding to training videos to selling specific products and services.
Because of our determination to create videos that not only look and sound great, but use strategies and tactics that deliver results, Video Propeller has been a leading and innovative Video Production Company in Dallas since 1999.
Whether the goal for your video production is sales, brand awareness, education or communication to your culture, we are committed to meeting and exceeding your specific video marketing needs. Your business and your audience is unique and we want to create videos that serve your goals and create exceptional outcomes.
OUR STORY
VIDEO PRODUCTION COMPANY DALLAS, TX
Video Propeller is an award-winning production company that produces engaging and inspiring videos for businesses. Our videos will move your audience to action.
Having already achieved success in audio recording for radio, film, and T.V., Brent Tallent launched into video production in 1998 creating event and communication videos for some of the world’s largest brands like BMW, Volkswagen, MINI and Honda.
Later, reality TV and Documentary video production helped Brent in gaining the value of understanding meaningful storytelling tools and tactics where he won two Emmys for his work on Bronco Roads, created 22 short stories about the life of Kris Kristofferson, and shot and edited Troubadour Tx which aired nationally on The WB Network.
In 2012, Brent launched Video Propeller where he has sought to help clients with the need for effective video marketing strategies, engaging video storytelling as well as video distribution that moves prospects and clients through a meaningful and strategic journey.
With a complete toolbox of production skills, storytelling skills, and distribution strategies, this Dallas Video Production Company helps to craft and create a video-driven marketing strategy that moves your audience towards meaningful actions.
20 Years of great videos
For 20 years now, Video Propeller has crafted great video productions for large companies all over the United States as well as businesses that are small or even just starting out in Dallas, Tx.
We start with the end in mind. That is, we begin with the goal that you have for your video. What should the video achieve? What should the viewer be able to share with someone the day after watching? Where should the video take the viewer in the overall customer journey towards understanding a part or the whole of your brand? (Our Screening Room has several examples of past projects and many of them have detailed explanations of how the projects were achieved.
Discovery and Planning are where we make sure that we understand the topic thoroughly and make a plan for the most effective execution. This includes things like creating interview questions, scripts as well as defining who the best people are to speak to the topic, where are the best locations and what are the best supporting visuals like graphics, products or b-roll shots.
The Video Production phase is where we take the plan and make it come to life while we capture video with beautiful lighting, lenses, cameras, and a lot of energetic inspiration.
During Post-Production and editing is when we begin refining the story, creating the graphic feel, adding motion graphics, text, narration, music, transitions, and more.
We’ve put together a video production budget calculator to help you get a sense of potential budget’s in different scenarios. You can use this to think through how different choices impact the overall budget. It’s a guide based on industry averages and common scenarios.
Consistently working in Dallas and around the United States for 20 years, we have been driven to help our video production and video marketing clients create videos that gain the most out of every single video that we produce.
Distributing Your Marketing Videos
A great video production that has the ability to really show off your business is the best possible content that you can add to your marketing arsenal. We not only help businesses create the best videos, but we help strategize the best means for distribution so that you maximize the potential of your investment.
Enough about us...
We’d rather hear about you and your business. What is your best story? What are you trying to achieve next with your business? When you think about producing a video for your business, what sort of ideas come to mind?
Here are a couple of questions that we often ask when we’re getting to know someone.
- If someone visited your business today, and then tomorrow they were going to have coffee with a friend, what is the MAIN thing that you would want them to remember and convey with enthusiasm?
- When the founders of your company were sketching out ideas on how to launch your business, what were they really passionate about and how did they differentiate your business enough to make it so successful?
- What is one of your key leader’s favorite things to repeat when he or she is trying to inspire the troops toward more positive outcomes?
What kind of video are you thinking of for your next Business Video Production?
When you think of a video for your business, what kind of video do you think would work best? (long pause).
You may be exactly right. But of course, a great follow question is to ask, “Why?” Why would that video be the best fit for your business?
When you think of the different states of mind that a prospect is in when they engage in a video, it can really help to answer the, “Why?”, question.
- Has the prospect ever heard of your business?
- Does the prospect have a general sense of the “presence” of your business in the business community?
- Will they immediately be able to understand the value of your solution?
- Will they come to the video with any sense of “awe” about your business or are you brand new to them?
- If they’re already familiar with your business, are they trying to gain a deeper understanding of the value of your proposition and the unique way you serve your clients?
- Are they at a place where they need to hear statistics, and success stories?
- Do they need to hear from the leadership and gain a broader understanding of the conviction that drives the WAY you DO business?
The answer to these questions can really help refine how to best respond to the target prospect’s exact needs.
REVISIT THE “MAIN THING”
Once you’ve answered the above questions, it’s often best to revisit a question we asked earlier. Once a person sees the video, what is the MAIN THING that you hope they will remember the next day and want to share with a colleague?
This question can really help to refine a core message. This doesn’t mean that other messages can’t be in the mix, but they all need to answer the MAIN THING.
Way too often, videos can become a mix of several topics that leave the viewer remembering nothing at all and often feeling confused. A great video starts with a clear goal that can drive all of the others. Think of the MAIN GOAL as the STAR and all of the other goals as SUPPORTING ACTORS. If they don’t actually support the main star, they should probably go get their own movie.
Location, Location, Location
Once you have a clear sense of your goal, it’s time to think about LOCATIONS. Where are the best places to record your video? To make this decision, you need to ask which locations will best support and give context to your main goal.
Sometimes this is as simple as the conference room of your business. Often it is the main area where your main work is done. Sometimes it is in the field or at a client’s operation.
Locations serve two functions. First, they provide a space for the MAIN ACTION of your story to occur. Someone is going to tell your story and ideally, they are telling your story in a location that gives significant context to your message.
Second, locations give subject matter for B-ROLL. B-ROLL are shots that we record to give clarity to the message. They are specific or abstract examples of the content that is occurring as the message is being delivered.
The Players
Next, it’s important to think of who will be involved in the telling of your story. Maybe it’s just one person or maybe it’s several.
For example, your CEO might be the main thread that guides the prospect along. However, along the way, the COO might explain where, how, and why a certain operation takes place. This might be interspersed with clients explaining how this process improved their own operations in a significant way.
It’s good to make a brainstorming list of all the potential “players” in your video production. And then make a second column of ideas that they could potentially speak to.
Sometimes actors are needed and sometimes a video’s story is driven along by voiceover. Voiceover tends to work best in companies that don’t rely as heavily upon people-driven services. A good example of this might be a software as a service company.
The Sales Team
You might not think of including your sales team in a video project, but very often it’s one of the most important things you can do.
Your Sales Team most often has the clearest ideas about the most common obstacles to deciding to work with your business. They might not say it in the most polite way, but it is going to be incredibly important to get a strong list of common objections.
The Customer Service Team
Another group of people in your business who has great insights is the customer service team. Ask them about the questions they get, the support process, and the most common kinds of complaints. Then ask how they deal with these hurdles.
The COO
Once you have a list of objections, hurdles and obstacles, have a conversation with your COO and ask what the ideal responses are. Most likely your company has a plan in place to try to maximize the product or service they offer. So you want to find out how they deal with these questions that come up. If you come up with a strong sense of the goals that your business has to deal with any potential questions or obstacles, you will have a lot of highly valuable information for building trust with the viewer of your video.
Past Successes
Next, think of past successes. Even if the exact examples won’t be included in your video production, they will highlight moments of greatness.
What are some client stories where you sensed that your business was really fulfilling its purpose in the very best ways? What are the core happenings in that story? If you make a list of these “happenings” for three or four past successes, you will have a great list of strong values to refer to as you begin to shape your story with your Video Producer.
Outline Talking Points
Now that you have a strong sense of your main goal, your supporting actors, the locations, the obstacles, and a good list of successes, you should form an outline of talking points. Let your pen run free and write down anything and everything that comes to mind. Don’t let fear restrain the list. Even if the ideas get cut for this video production, they might be useful for a future project.
Once you have your list of potential talking points, place your main goal in the seat of the judge and ask the main goal over and over, “Does this talking point serve the main goal?” If the judge says, yes, then add that talking point to a “Final Talking Point” list.
After you have some time to live with your list of final talking points, look for gaps. Where might the viewer sense he or she is missing information? Most often, we are too close to realize where we are leaving out important information. You might even engage a current prospect or a brand new employee in the process to find points of confusion.
Use this feedback to ensure that your talking points are complete.
Why Video Propeller?
Video Propeller has many processes like the above that uncover your best stories. And we also ask hard questions that ensure that your business is investing in the right kind of video in order to meet the goal that you have for your video production.
Video Propeller wants to make sure that your next video production is a measurable success. If you choose to work with us, you will have defined a solid goal, the best players and locations and a story that will engage your prospect’s attention and take them to the next stage of your goal.
Brent Tallent
President / CEO
A big HELLO and thank you for visiting.
I’m a video producer, marketer, storyteller, chess enthusiast, and passionate artist.
I started off producing tons, (literally thousands), of sales training videos for top-tier brands like BMW, Honda, Denny’s, MINI, Taco Bueno, Volkswagen, and more. It was there where I learned a lot of great information about sales tactics as well as high-level customer service.
Soon after I spent several years editing and producing shows for national television. And during that time, I had the good fortune to win two Emmy awards for editing. Most importantly it was in those years that I got dead serious about understanding the mechanics of a great story. I say “dead serious” because in television one realizes that if you don’t figure out how to capture the attention of your audience, they won’t be there after the commercial break.
After my time in television, I became energized about figuring out ways to apply the tactics of storytelling to business videos. I love to strategize about how to make someone’s story come alive through a set of videos that will build trust and confidence in a brand.
Please reach out to brainstorm and discuss how we might use video to take your next business goal to the next level.