Corporate Video & Remarkable Storytelling: Corporate Video Filmmaker Thomas Clifford
Ranked #834 in Business, #32,884 overall
IS YOUR CORPORATE VIDEO TELLING A REMARKABLE STORY?
Customers today want authentic stories from you.
---Do you want to bring your "brand to life?"
---Need to tell your story in a clear, authentic and remarkable way?
---Wish you could bring your organization's brand story to life and make it jump off the screen and into your customers' heart?
Then go to "Bringing Brands to Life! to learn how short films for companies can ignite conversations, tell stories and strengthen brand recognition.
I'm a passionate and seasoned corporate video filmmaker who captures your video story through your best storytellers -- your employees, or "heroes."
Remember, customers don't buy products. They buy stories about who you are and what you stand for.
Every person has a story. Every company has a story.
The only question is: who's filming yours?
DIRECTOR TOM'S BLOG: CORPORATE VIDEO TIPS
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I write about corporate video and branding organizations, transforming individuals through remarkable storytelling and authentic corporate video documentaries.
Fetching RSS feed... please stand byHire Tom: Let's Start Talking!
Want to hire Tom for your organization?
Send an email to:
tom -at- directortom -dot-com
Go to Bringing Brands to Life! to learn how Tom can help you bring your story to life.
"I believe remarkable organizations deserve remarkable films."
"Let's See That Again!"
Learn how to breathe life into your company's video!
Read Tom's Fast Company Column.
"Let's See That Again!"
MY "INSPIRATONAL DREAM"
Create corporate videos to change the world!
To change the world by:1. creating positive, authentic and emotional films that,
2. ignite new ways of thinking for organizations
3. interested in improving the world around them.
Breaking patterns. Creating heroes. Igniting conversations.
"Hey...let's see that again!"
Deepak Chopra Endorses Tom
"Organizations wishing to produce enlightening corporate films from a seasoned veteran would do well by embracing Tom's unique ability to capture authentic and engaging stories on film."
---Deepak Chopra
THIS LENS WAS PICKED AS FOR "LENS OF THE DAY."
Cool! This Lens is part of "The Official LENS OF THE DAY Group!"
A lens that stands out from the crowd, a lens that is unique or especially timely in topic, approach, use, or personality.
TOM'S CORPORATE VIDEOS ARE LIKE...
My corporate video metaphors.
...Walter Cronkite meets Chiat Day....running the rapids dressed for dinner.
...winning a football game in a snow storm.
...sky-diving while talking to an old friend on your cell phone.
...a commercial message from Hollywood using non union talent.
Tom drills down deep to get core information. It's kind of like mining for diamonds- the job is not done until they are cut perfectly- Tom is not content with the story until it flashes in the light.
Tom is like an investigative reporter that creates and produces films for business and industry that could air on PBS.
---METAPHORS BY:
Kenneth Gronbach, CEO, KGCDirect.com
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PART 2. IGNITING CONVERSATIONS WITH CORPORATE VIDEO
Is your corporate video doing that?
Remember...you have just a few minutes to get your idea across. That's it. Then the show is over.That's it: a FEW minutes.
Engage your audience; make them want to know more...get people to ask questions...ignite new conversations. Be a catalyst!
"Hey, cool, this is whole thing is bigger than just me and my cubicle!"
"Gotta minute? Did you know that..."
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CORPORATE VIDEO "TOOLBOX" FOR MARKETING PEOPLE (and others)
Thinking of making a corporate video for your company?
Here are "6 Top Tips" to Get You Started:1. Ask yourself: why am I making this corporate video?
In other words, know your audience--specifically. What do you hope to achieve from your audience whenyou hit the "Stop" button?
2. Hire a qualified producer/director.
Check the credentials. Experience is everything! How long have they been working? What areas are they proficient in?
3. One or two messages per video!
Keep it simple. Identify exactly what your audience needs to know.
4. Ask for demo reels.
Then ask, "who did what on the reel?" Meet the producer/director to discuss your project. "Likeability" is a high factor in this business. Do you get along? Do you feel comfortable with answers you are hearing. Do they LISTEN?
5. Have a sense of your budget.
If you don't know, be honest and tell the producer you don't know. Having to "second guess" your budget drives a producer crazy and in the end, does not add to the team building feeling, which is so critical in making a film. A great producer will work very hard to create the best video for you, given all the resources available. Hidden agendas only wind up hurting you!
6. Hire a great scriptwriter.
See samples...on video, not paper! Hiring a scriptwriter provides another perspective on the subject that I might have missed. Some producers write their own material. That's fine, but get to know their style, their personality, and their areas of expertise.
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PART 3. CORPORATE VIDEO "SECRET SAUCE"
What makes a great corporate video?
I direct corporate videos using a "fast" style approach:1. Up-close, hand-held cinematography for "hero" interviews. "The eyes are the window to the soul," right? Right. So film the eyes.
Hero interviews? That's right. Those "heroes" are your employees. You forgot that part...I didn't. That's why they appear in your corporate video. To tell their story...which is really just a "slice" of your own "corporate" story, anyways.
2. Motion graphics that make you think, "Nice...integrates seemlessly with the footage and our corporate branding folks will dig this, too."
3. My corporate videos have a sense of continuous momentum...every minute...something changing...new dynamics...new graphic designs appearing...a new story...a transition...keep it flowing...a new idea...a new scene...another person's point of view...what's next?...how will it end?
It's your story. That's right. How *WILL* it end?
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WANT TO DROP ME A QUICK NOTE?
I'd love to hear from you...thanks, in advance :)
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Reply
- dtopping dtopping Jan 4, 2009 @ 12:39 am
- You're a great artist! It's nice to see creativity and thoughtfulness still exist! I 5-starred you. Great Lens!
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Reply
- Margo_Arrowsmith Margo_Arrowsmith Aug 4, 2008 @ 5:39 am
- BTW, I five starred you!
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Reply
- Margo_Arrowsmith Margo_Arrowsmith Aug 4, 2008 @ 5:37 am
- Ya I do. I will be studying this page, your verbal images are so vivid, I would love to see your visual ones.
I am just doing small stuff about small business, but I want to know more!
squidoo.com/arrowsmithprinting
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Reply
- sweepsisfun sweepsisfun May 2, 2008 @ 4:08 pm
- http://www.squidoo.com/FAIRFIELDCONNECTICUTMOVIELOCATIONS
FAIRFIELD,CONNECTICUT MOVIE LOCATIONS on Squidoothis was very interesting.
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Reply
- kijikmultimedia kijikmultimedia Nov 28, 2007 @ 2:15 pm
- Great lens. It's all about telling a good story isn't it?
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NYU FACES: Epilepsy Center
Thomas Clifford: Producer & Director of 5 Epilepsy Center Videos
Finding a Cure for Epilepsy and Seizures is an effort by the NYU Comprehensive Epilepsy Center to improve quality of life for all persons affected by epilepsy, through clinical care, education, and research.
The NYU Comprehensive Epilepsy Center is currently the largest program for the care of children and adults with epilepsy in the United States. More information can be found on www.nyufaces.org or visit the NYU Comprehensive Epilepsy Center's website at www.med.nyu.edu/ce
CORPORATE VIDEO USES: 14 DIFFERENT WAYS
14 Ways Organizations Use Corporate Video Documentaries and Remarkable Storytelling.
HR IssuesDiversity
Recruiting
Corporate culture
Orientation
Marketing
Sales
Branding
Corporate Identity
Virtual Company Tours
Raising Awareness
New Hires
Product Testimonials
Executive Messages
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MY CORPORATE VIDEO "FILMOSOPHY"
7 principles that guide every corporate video I produce.
1. Tell the most compelling story possible.2. Let "real people" tell "real stories."
3. Find out what emotions to ignite. Where are the conflicts in the
story? What struggles are occuring? What are the "turning points?"
4. What is at stake? Why make a film? Why does it matter? Who cares about the film? Is the world a better place because of your video?
5. Think audio: tell the story with audio; the video is the frosting!
6. Capture the spirit of the people and their actions.
7. Think digital. Act analog.
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SQUIDOO LENSMASTER JURIST
Wow...it's so cool seeing great lenses.Keep the Squidoo juices flowing, lensmasters!
The all time list of top 10 lists (sort of)
I found 74,000 matches on Google. Here are a bunch, at random.
Feel free to add your own. No warranties, no indemnities.
Top Ten ways to Fail
3 points
10 Reasons Why Church Plants Fail
3 points
Top 10 Ways to Motivate Geeks
2 points
TOP 10 Ways to Improve Firefox
2 points
10 Ways to Use up Flat Cola
2 points
Great Filmmakers
My favorite videos and filmmakers
- Reality Film
- The basic goal of this site is pretty simple: To provide an online resource for documentary. Other sites are out there, and many of them cover recent news, festival information, general production issues, and even distribution. This site's niche will be more academic than practical for the moment, but hopefully that will change in the future.
- Janson Media
- We are also a DVD publisher and manufacturer with a growing collection of quality titles, ranging from children's and family films to award-winning documentaries and educational programs in the categories of travel, health and exercise, cooking, spirituality, history, pop culture, art, music, how-to, and self-help.
- Alber Maysles
- Two of America's foremost non-fiction filmmakers, Albert Maysles and his brother David (1932-1987) are recognized as pioneers of "direct cinema," the distinctly American version of French "cinema verité." They earned their distinguished reputations by being the first to make non-fiction feature films- films in which the drama of human life unfolds as is, without scripts, sets, or narration
- Spiritual Cinema
- The Spiritual Cinema Circle originally grew out of collaboration between film producer Stephen Simon and psychologists Kathlyn and Gay Hendricks. Stephen had produced many beloved movies with spiritual themes, such as "Somewhere In Time" and "What Dreams May Come," and had given hundreds of talks and seminars on the emerging genre of Spiritual Cinema. During that time The Hendricks had created a non-profit foundation dedicated to creating a new consciousness in mass media.
- Public Interest Pictures
- Public Interest Pictures is not just a documentary company. We're activists who make documentaries as an extension of our activism.
We're here to take on tough issues: tyrannical leadership, threats to democracy, and policies and practices at odds with-you guessed it-the public interest. It's not enough for us to "document" it. We want to change it. And we need your help. - Penneback and Hegedus
- D A PENNEBAKER and CHRIS HEGEDUS form one of the most respected and unique teams of documentary filmmakers working today. Known for their unobtrusive, fly-on-the-wall style of filmmaking, they do not direct, nor interview for information. Using handheld cameras and available light allows them to observe without interrupting.
- Robert Greenwald
- Filmmaker and political activist Robert Greenwald is the director/producer of "Iraq for Sale: The War Profiteers" (2006), an expose of what happens when corporations go to war; as well as "Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price" (2005), detailing the retail giant's assault on families and American values; and "Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch's War on Journalism" (2004), about the right-wing opinion factory known as Fox "News."
Millions of viewers have seen these films via grassroots "house parties" and independent online DVD sales, a groundbreaking method of alternative distribution.
CREATIVE COMMONS

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.
by ThomasClifford
Tom is an award-winning corporate video documentary filmmaker.
His "Director Tom" blog inspires marketers, PR firms and communications...
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