Comments on: Go Behind the Scenes To Create Engaging Content

By: Bill Gibeault

Bill Gibeault — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 21:19:00 +0000

Good post. ” Every Business is a Stage.”We all love to get backstage passes for concerts. Same idea ! Thanks bg

By: Dan Gorgone

Dan Gorgone — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 15:43:00 +0000

I bet some places would be hesitant to pull the Wizard’s curtain back and “reveal their secrets,” but you’re not going to spoil the Coke formula or reveal the Colonel’s special blend of herbs and spices – going behind the scenes should be seen as an opportunity to make a deeper connection with your fans.

And I agree completely on the need for genuine moments. While it doesn’t have to be candid, sneaky type content, it ought to be real and offer some of the truth behind whatever it is you do. That being said, I always loved how we (at Random Foo) offered our “Rumor Mill”, where we posted some Hollywood style hype about the no-budget projects we were working on. It added an element of fun to our peek behind the scenes; since we are entertainers at heart, it was only natural to have fun with it. (And yes, I do LOVE that photo you chose. Ironic too since I’m about to post a behind the scenes pic from an actual video shoot today… first in a LONG while.)

By: C.C. Chapman

C.C. Chapman — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 14:25:00 +0000

Great points all around. Any filmmaker knows the power of behind the scenes.

I love the office tour example you just raised. I’ve never understood why my old agency Campfire hasn’t done a tour of their Tiki Room or Wall of Clocks.

By: C.C. Chapman

C.C. Chapman — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 14:24:00 +0000

Of course it is more produced. To me it feels like they treated it almost like another commercial, but I don’t see anything wrong with that.

I liked that they had the parts with the dog and director. Those were the pieces that I thought were “unexpected” and as a dog lover I cracked up when he told the Bloodhound he didn’t get the part. The ending with the dog covering his eyes over Darth Vader is my favorite part.

Nothing wrong with produced if you have the budget for it.

By: C.C. Chapman

C.C. Chapman — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 14:23:00 +0000

The key word you mentioned is “genuine” which is the key.

The only reason to create or share behind the scenes content like this is to show what it is really like. If it is faked people will sniff it out and not like it at all.

Seeing that every company has problems and goofy people reminds us that no matter how big they might be they are still like us.

By: C.C. Chapman

C.C. Chapman — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 14:23:00 +0000

You are welcome.

By: Jessica H Reed

Jessica H Reed — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 14:16:00 +0000

Great point! I know brands have a fear of looking “unpolished” or sharing too much, but I think this type of content (especially if created by a third-party, like a journalist or blogger tagging along to capture their own photos/video), is more genuine window into the brand and offers more exclusivity, which is what fans are looking for in social.

By: Dan York

Dan York — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 14:08:00 +0000

Awesome post, C.C.! Thanks for sharing those behind the scenes videos.

By: sass

sass — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 14:05:00 +0000

Great points C.C. Back when I was making movies we ALWAYS had a still photographer on set to capture everything, and traditional movie press kits always contained a few ”behind-the-scenes” shots. Today I would capture it all on video too, even using mobile phones, Sony Bloggies, etc. (but alas, no more Kodak ZI8′s….). Even before “home video” and VHS and DVD’s made room for supplemental content, the early days of PayTV created demand for “behind-the-scenes” footage. When HBO, Showtime, Cinemax and The Movie Channel only played movies (long before they introduced original series…) they started showing behind the scenes footage of how the movies were made, interviews with the filmmakers, etc., to fill the time between movies.

Arguably, the “reality TV” boom is just a reflection of our interest in watching “the rest of the story” and not just what is scripted or performed… So, wanting to know what really goes on at the companies and brands we admire would be a natural extension… Many business give an “office tour” when someone shows up for a meeting. Why not extend that “tour” to anyone by turning it into readily accessible online content…

By: Tom Martin

Tom Martin — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 14:01:00 +0000

Good points CC — I loved the TED video when it came out because it really did “behind the scenes” perfectly. The music, the cut scenes, everything is about creating tension… which is exactly what a speaker must feel before going on stage at an event as big as TED.

The VW piece is interesting but feels more “produced” to me…. especially with the scenes of the director talking to the dog via mobile… but then you get to the Cantina stuff and that’s pretty cool because you get to see something folks outside of big commercial production never see…