Shameless self-promotion alert!!!

Tonight I bellied up to the pundit bar and appeared as a guest on the BlogTalkRadio edition of the excellent blog Wilshire & Washington.

Maegan Carberry, who I met on the Obama campaign invited suckered me into a rough Q&A by herself and Variety Editor-At-Large Ted Johnson.

I don’t know who keeps telling people that I know what I’m talking about (It’s me.), but I can’t say I dislike the attention.

For a refresher course on my past punditry, take a look at the clips below from my appearances on KNBC Los Angeles’ NewsConference…

Enter your :30 second spot between December 28th and January 16th – just in time for the Nevada Caucuses!

More details are available at JohnEdwards.com.

No word if the winner gets the customary cut of the media buy.

With theories abounding that former North Carolina Senator John Edwards is quietly winning Iowa, his campaign released this video yesterday telling people to get their asses to New Hampshire.

Even the candidate himself hit the streets in the Granite State:

Just a week from the Caucus and the Edwards team is turning attention to state number two…are they confident of a win, or worried about a defeat?

The Edwards team dropped another nice video showing supporters in action today.

Don’t expect to see this before Sweeney Todd when you go catch it this weekend!

John Edwards campaign put out a “Trailer” today for the Iowa Caucus. It’s meant to draw attention to the Edwards Campaign Caucus Command Center.

I like the piece a lot – especially because it draws on the talents of one of their supporters who does voice work for “real” movie trailers.

The one thing I’m torn on is whether or not Edwards should be the “star.” If I were to go a slightly different direction with the story it’d be about the people rising up against powerful corporate interests, with Edwards leading the way. The American People would be the star.

Nonetheless, it’s another nice creative piece from the Edwards camp.

A pair of videos this morning show Barack Obama and John Edwards drawing support from two unexpected sources.

Edwards continues the story of the two phonebanking stories he posted yesterday:

Can you believe it? A Republican supporting Edwards. How’s that for electability in the General?

Obama’s supporter comes from perhaps an even more surprising place, and potentially a more helpful one in the Democratic primaries:

Yup. She was a Clinton supporter. Now she’s with Barack. So, aside from losing their New Hampshire Chairman (who was also a National Co-Chair), who engaged in some pretty nasty dirty tricks; now Hillary’s campaign is losing boots on the ground, as well.

***UPDATE***

The Obama video above, featuring the Clinton precinct captain has been picked up by Drudge. Watch its traffic…

…What are places where everyone is the winner, Alex?

Wait! Before you think Edwards ran away with the debate, here’s a clip saying how great Obama was:

And since everyone was the winner yesterday, here’s a clip that the Clinton campaign has put out:

So, in three clips from three campaigns – all culled from the same news segment – we have three winners. Rashomon, anyone?

BONUS!!! Here’s a clip from Fox News where Edwards is the winner!

Since he has clips from two networks, does that make Edwards the real winner here?

Today, John Edwards released a trio of videos featuring voter contact work in New Hampshire.

The second video sticks to the same formula. A phonebanker tells their story of talking with a Republican. It’s a positive reaction, resulting in good feelings for the volunteer.

Both of the clips are pulling triple duty. They hit some policy points: Iraq and Good Government. They hit some messaging: that Edwards is more electable in the general (as evidenced by these New Hampshire Republicans who are open to him). They create an opportunity for action, and one which will leave you feeling so good you’ll want to tell your own story of how well it went.

In fact, it’s such a good experience that even Edwards’ folks get in on the action…

Not content to trade her recipes for campaign contributions, Edwards mom brings along dad (the one whose job at the mill we’ve heard so much about) for a day of campaign work. I wonder if Hillary Clinton had her mom working the phones in the videos I posted earlier…

One advantage to having cameras on the road is an abundance of footage. With cost barriers to high image quality cameras evaporating, you can roll Hi-Def tape day after day after day and – provided your cameraperson has a good eye – have what you need for better commercials, when the time comes to go up on television.

I ran into Edwards’ videographer – Peter – at the debate in Vegas. We’d met here and there before, going back to the winter DNC meeting in Washington almost a year ago. One thing we chatted about was how his footage was providing a great deal of the material in Senator Edwards ads. Armed with a Sony HDV camera (I think he uses the HVR-Z1U), Pete’s strong lens work holds up to broadcast specs and provides Joe Trippi and company with an endless stream of footage for their ads.

The key point here is not the abundance of footage, though. It’s the realityof the footage. Watching this Edwards ad, it’s clear that it’s not a setup. This is a real campaign event. The crowd is a real crowd. What Edwards is saying is the same thing he’d say in a meeting hall or living room.

Most ads that feature the candidate speaking to a group of folks are completely forced. There is nothing real about them. A good videographer on the road, with a high-quality camera, gives you all the tape you’ll need to convey the authenticity of your candidate and campaign.

Former North Carolina Senator John Edwards launched his campaign from the 9th Ward of New Orleans. From time to time over the course of the campaign he has returned there to work in the community with supporters from One Corps – the citizen activism off-shoot of his campaign. While the Clinton campaign was offering debate watching parties with Bill, and the Obama team had “Dinner With Barack,” Edwards gave away the chance to join him in working up a sweat rebuilding homes in New Orleans.

Edwards has shown that he knows his way around a hammer. Perhaps that is why he received the endorsement of the Carpenters union, eh?

But, in the days and weeks that have now passed since the Democratic Debate in Philadelphia, Edwards has been doing other hammering as well – with rival Hillary Clinton held with tongs against the anvil.

Entitled “The Politics of Parsing,” the video above is one of the most effective web videos of the campaign to date. While I evangelize day in, day out about using video to let voters get to know your candidate; there is also necessity the use it to help them get to know your opponent. Edwards campaign put this video out on the heels of the well-covered brouhaha near the end of the Philly debate. It makes their case with sound and titles and visually reinforces the point.

Feeling that they’d scored a hit, the campaign followed up with a flashback to the YearlyKos event a while back. On the 2008 candidate panel, Clinton raised a few electronic eyebrows among the Kossacs by stating – in no uncertain terms – that she would continue to take contributions from lobbyists, because they “represent real people.” That was a line perfectly teed up for both the populist Edwards and the reformer Obama.

After their initial hit on Clinton’s “positions” on the issue of drivers licenses for illegal immigrants, and the follow up with her clear defense of Washington lobbyists, Edwards campaign closed the circle with a video news clipping of Edwards concisely answering the question Clinton danced around.

This series of clips – which were woven into a fundraising push – demonstrate the power of narrative continuity across multiple pieces. While each stood up well as episodic clips, the story they told as a thought-out series was even stronger. And notice none of them included the candidate giving the stump speech for the umpteenth time!

Following up on last nights Democratic debate in Philadelphia, Senator Hillary Clinton’s campaign released this video where a bunch of mean male Senators gang up on her. Not included in the video: the portion of the debate where the near-perfectly disciplined Clinton got banged around a little on the issue of drivers licenses for undocumented workers.

UPDATE: Hillary didn’t have her drivers license answer in that clip, but – staying mean – the Edwards campaign put it out there:

Last week videos from the Edwards, Obama and Richardson campaigns showed some of the different looks you can turn to when making a video for the same purpose – in this case, seeking an endorsement.

John Edwards’ take on sensible priorities:

Barack Obama’s take on sensible priorities:

Bill Richardson’s take on sensible priorities:

All three of these videos had the same purpose: winning the endorsement of Iowans for Sensible Priorities. What interests me are the differences between the three.

Edwards obviously sat down for a few minutes to record a greeting just for this purpose. His team also worked in footage from the road and went to graphics to make his take on sensible priorities perfectly clear. The Edwards video also wisely ends with a web link that takes you to a page on his site dedicated to this effort. There’s text of his remarks, an embedded video player, and even a snapshot of Edwards with someone wearing the group’s t-shirt.

The BarackTV team wins on picture quality. Like most everything they put up, the video is beautiful. Of course, that could be my aesthetic prejudice in favor of the Panasonic 24P cameras they (and I) shoot on! Because the Edwards videos went out to B-Roll and graphics, you can’t tell if there are cuts in his remarks. With Obama, there is no question. The entire minute and a half clip is in one continuous take – with fairly dense material in there. The uninterrupted roll makes for a very strong performance.

Richardson goes grassroots in his clip, grabbing his remarks on the fly while at the Harkin Steakfry. He starts off informal, with a “tell me when” (always a favorite of mine) and surrounds himself with cheering members of the group whose endorsement he seeks – including their Executive Director. Nice move. The last few seconds of the clip have him turning back to the activists for some good old fashioned hand shakin’.

There are useful elements in all three videos.

If I were putting this clip together, the hard part would be the decision between the Richardson-style piece or the Edwards/Obama-style piece. Given the opportunity to surround yourself with a group’s members when making an endorsement ask video can’t be underestimated.

Either way, I’d reinforce my priorities with graphics. I wouldn’t have them over black like Edwards, but would superimpose them along with the candidate giving the remarks. Edwards was also right to give a call to action link at the end. Every video should have one. If the candidate can get it in one like Obama, use as much of that as possible. But, mix in some B-Roll if you’re not standing with the members.

And for God’s sake, if you’re sitting down and making this clip for a few minutes: USE A TRIPOD. Loose, handheld footage is fine grabbing things off the cuff, but if you’re going to the trouble of lights, flags, or signs to make the shot nice, take the extra minute to stabilize your shot.

Clips like these are what campaign videos should be all about. They’re easy enough to crank out, and talk directly to an interested group of people. Twist your scheduler’s arm, grab a few hours of the candidates time one day and pound out one after the other for the many groups whose support you seek. Press them to DVD and drop them in the mail, or – if you can – get their email addresses and send them that way. This is a much better use of production resources than shooting the stump speech for the umpteenth time.

The 2008 Democratic Primaries have often seemed as devoted to the hair on top of candidates’ heads as the ideas inside. In the Chris Dodd ad above, he re-enlists his white mane for humor – citing it as evidence of decades of fighting the good fight in the Senate. He also works in a poke at John Edwards in the process.

Opponents and critics have been going upside John Edwards well-coiffed head with these follicly-charged strikes for month – but I figured it’d end after the excellent (if late) rebuttal he brought along to the CNN/YouTube debate:

In a media-obsessed society like America has become, it drives me nuts that the biggest criticism many can hurl at Edwards is that he didn’t want messy hair on television. Lord only knows what people would say, had he gone on with a cowlick – God forbid!

But it doesn’t stop with Dodd and Edwards. In the two videos below, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama spend a little time with the striped-pole brigade.

There was a stretch in 2005 when I was looking for my next project. From time to time, I found myself watching a reality series on Bravo featuring uber-stylist-to-the-stars Jonathan Antin. If we’re going to spend this much time talking about hair, why not just run him? Or at least a cabinet position? Anything?

ALSO: On a more serious note, look at the video below. It’s a teaser that the Obama put out ahead of their barbershop clip. This is a great technique. The rumbling belly of the web video beast is soothed by appetizers such as these. One thing I’d add: a push at the end of the clip telling people to tune back in for the longer piece. An eye-catching glimpse of a compelling story (like the Army Ranger’s meeting with Obama) can be the hook that brings viewers with only a little time (in this case :45 seconds) back for something more substantial, if they see that it’s something with human appeal.

At her huge annual Women’s Conference, California First Lady Maria Shriver hosts a discussion with Elizabeth Edwards, Michelle Obama, Cindy McCain, Ann Romney, and Jeri Thompson. It’s a long piece, but – at least if you believe Shriver – it’s the first time anything like this has ever happened. So, if you’ve got an hour, take a look.

Despite being married to the man who bounced my old boss – Gray Davis – from office, I’ve never had a beef with Shriver. In fact, she sent the nicest gift basket the day after the Recall. Very classy.

After my frivolous post with the “Cooter” video, I felt I should pay respects to the great video work of the Edwards campaign by posting the clip you see above, instead of just being silly (and a little stir crazy).

Edwards folks have long done an excellent job of integrating real folks into their web video pieces. This video keeps up that tradition.

It’s not uncommon to see interviews with and testimonials from supporters in videos from most of the campaigns. Usually they’re talking about how great the candidate it. With this video (and the “We The People” project earlier in the campaign) Edwards has done things a little differently – using his supporters to carry his water in a more direct fashion.

The Obama campaign used this technique well not too long ago, putting the words of the Senator’s five-year-old speech denouncing the war in Iraq into the mouths of several supporters.

I like this clip, a lot – mostly because it is almost exactly how I would have made it. Or maybe I blacked out and made it – like Tyler Durden setting up franchises around the country. My dark side, at work! If I were to do anything differently, it would be to get more geographic diversity in the clip, and to share the peoples’ names and where they are from.

This is where ubiquitous use of video across your campaign’s many departments pays off. I’m guessing the Obama campaign knew long in advance that they were going to focus on this speech around the time of it’s anniversary. Whether it was Communications, Political…or whoever! Somebody knew this was coming.

Letting the BarackTV crew know ahead of time would allow them to grab a line or two in every city and town he stopped at in the few weeks prior. As it was release, most of the lines look like they were filmed in New York – where he made a big end-of-quarter stop in September. There are a few that look like Iowa. A few weeks notice could have turned this piece into a national chorus, singing in 50 part harmony to the tune of his speech.

Like any other department, campaign video outfits benefit from more prep time. Get them in early, and a better film will come out.

The Edwards campaign dropped a handful of videos from an October 16th stop in Iowa. Posting this one allows me to type the word “Cooter” – which just feels good.

No insight here. Just me. Typing “Cooter” over and over.

Cooter.

An oft-cited benefit of internet (and YouTube) politics is the ability for John and Jane Public to fact check what is coming from the campaigns.

Yesterday, HillaryHub.com (from the Clinton campaign) posted video of Kate Michelman talking about the importance of Hillary being in the race:

Nice things to say all around, from Michelman…

But’s it’s not all she said. An Edwards supporter posted the full clip:

In the full clip, Michelman makes it clear that she supports John Edwards.

So there’s just a little example of a campaign trying to forward a message (Clinton pulling pro-Hillary lines from an interview) and the people pushing back with a little context (the Edwards supporter posting what Michelman really was trying to say).

There will be a lot more of this in all directions and from all sides.

Ps. To the Clinton campaign – you’ve mispelled Michelman’s name in your YouTubization of the Hardball segment.

UPDATE: OKAY, OKAY, OKAY!!! I TAKE IT ALL BACK…AT LEAST THE PART ABOUT HOARDING HILLCAM TO THEIR SITE. THE CLINTON CAMPAIGN POSTED THE HILLCAM STOPS ON THEIR YOUTUBE ACCOUNT. YOU CAN FIND THEM HERE, HERE, AND HERE.

Following up on this morning’s piece on the HillCam, I thought I’d drop in this post from Patrick Ruffini:

When I first posted the Clinton Sopranos parody video to YouTube, I could hardly imagine it would become the second most viewed video that day, with over 250,000 views. Other versions trailed narrowly behind, fetching at least 700,000 extra viewers. All told, over a million watched the video on YouTube.

That’s not what the Clinton campaign intended. They wanted to have this moment all to themselves, so they didn’t post it to their YouTube channel, instead roadblocking people to HillaryClinton.com where there would be no conversation, no comments, and no pesky video replies. While on the site, they also wanted people to sign up and donate.

You’d think only a Clinton supporter would post such a funny and flattering video of the two, but I saw this as an opportunity to divert traffic from the Clinton web site and perhaps reduce their online take from the video. It was successful, to the tune of a quarter million people who watched it on YouTube instead of HillaryClinton.com.

Now, they’ve done it again with their “HillCam” video of Hillary and Bill trekking through Iowa. And again, they’ve offered a high-res Quicktime download. And again, I’ve posted it to YouTube for them, so Democrats won’t have to go to Hillary’s site to get it. (Patrick Ruffini: Stop the Clinton YouTube Embargo)

I can understand why the Clinton campaign would try and drive traffic to their site using the excellent Sopranos video. They had something completely golden on their hands, and knew it. They leveraged it into something. It was a gimmick, not unlike the Edwards gimmick-video where Trippi and Prince baked a pie. This wasn’t about getting to know Hillary…it was novelty for novelty’s sake…or for the sake of getting email sign-ups.

Somehow, I feel the HillCam should be treated differently. If they really wanted to let people get to know Hillary, why hoard it all to their site? Wouldn’t they want as many people as possible to get to know her…on YouTube, Revver, Blip.tv, Brightcove and anywhere else?

It’s not about sharing the Clintons with you, it’s about what you will give them for it.

Yesterday, as a case for using systems other than YouTube as your primary web video outlet (post to all of them), I posted a disappearing video from the Edwards campaign about their contest on Eventful.com, called Demand and Be Heard. The video has been revived, and is posted above. I’ve cast my vote, and hope to see the former Senator on his way to Los Angeles – which is now in the lead. California’s newly minted “early” status has given me great chances to see more of these candidates than I have in past elections. I savor every visit!

In that same post, I also referenced a missing Edwards video featuring a call from the candidate to his wife Elizabeth. The video had popped up long enough to appear on PrezVid.com, and greetings to those of you finding your way here via that site’s generous link.

ReelPolitik notices that the Edwards campaign has taken down the video I wrote about the other day showing the candidate asking his wife permission to go to a basketball game under the proudly snarky headline, ‘Will he ask for permission to invade Iran?‘ Click on the video now and it’s “private.” Ah, but there is no private in a presidential campaign. ReelPolitik asks: “Did Jarvis’ snark drive this video into privacy?” Well, if so, that’d be silly. The Edwards video was the first spark I saw of a candidate being just a little loose on the little camera. If someone in the campaign tries to sanitize, script, and spin that, they’re missing the point of the medium. Put the video back up. What’s the harm in looking human? (PrezVid)

I don’t find Jeff Jarvis all that scary, and doubt Joe Trippi and the Edwards team do either. Yet Jarvis’ headline RE: Iran was an example of the “Gotcha Culture” Trippi has been taking to task in recent talks on candidate web videos.

Like many others, I hope for more of the behind the curtain looks like the Edwards campaign gave – however temporarily. But, it’s important for those of us who ask for them to not turn them into an opportunity to take pot shots…lest the access disappear.

In a way, I feel lucky to have seen the “Phone Call” clip…perhaps that is a potential strategy for campaign video creators such as myself. Put things up for just a limited time. Make interesting enough that when they disappear people post about it on their blogs…hmmmm….

While we’re talking Edwards the folks at the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights gave their big award of the year to Elizabeth Edwards. Here’s video of her speech (in two parts):

I work campaigns.

I have two sons – and a third on the way.

These two things are sometimes hard to reconcile. As I’m currently talking to various campaigns about what ship to set sail on next, I can hardly imagine what it’s like to be a candidate with two young children.

Off the top of my head, three Democratic contenders (Barack Obama, John Edwards and Chris Dodd) all have young children as they pursue the presidency.

In the following two videos, Senators Obama and Edwards talk about campaigning with children:

In the first episode of the new Barack Obama podcast, he discusses his children and his father in honor of the now-past Father’s Day weekend. Somehow, I can’t imagine another candidate discussing their family in the way that Senator Obama does in this clip. It’s the type of openness that made his books successful and acclaimed…and made me subscribe to the podcast through iTunes.

In this Edwards clip, Senator Edwards is a little lighter in his treatment of bringing kids on the campaign trail. A friend who worked advance for Senator Edwards four years ago had nothing but good things to say about the Senator’s plucky son, Jack. Jack and his sister, Emma Claire, appear in this piece but flee the room when it’s time for daddy to give yet another speech. His attention turns to his own father in the next clip – as he revisits the familiar setting of the textile mill where his father worked.

On Technology Evangelist, Benjamin J. Higginbotham…

…which reminds me of a story – my only known encounter with the CIA!…

…but anyway…

Higginbotham writes on the value of using Brightcove as opposed to YouTube for your campaign’s primary video outlet. While rightly suggesting the use ofall of the social video sites (including Blip.tv, Revver and Ustream.TV), he sites one major strength of Brightcove…the ability to post your videos on a time-delayed basis:

Being able to pre-record a message and schedule it to go live at an exact time can give your campaign the extra edge it may need vs waiting for YouTube to convert your video whenever it darn well pleases. (Technology Evangelist)

He is absolutely right. Brightcove has better control and quality – and the simple convenience of choosing your own thumbnail (long overdue from YouTube). But, in a world where timing is so critical imagine the stress relief of uploading on Monday, knowing that the video will appear – as if by magic! – at a predetermined time on Thursday!

One campaign wishing it had this ability may be the Edwards campaign – who have been cranking out videos lately…with some of them disappearing after they pop to those of us using RSS to monitor their feeds.

If you click on the player above, you find that the video has been turned private. But not before it turned up in my feed reader – and on the blog of Jeff Jarvis, PrezVid. Did Jarvis’ snark drive this video into privacy?

Another example popped up in my reader not long ago, going hand in hand with a push email the Edwards camp is making today urging people to demand him on Eventful.com.

The video has now been removed, but the cat is out of the bag. When will the clip reappear?

I suppose the moral of the story is that while YouTube is the biggest microphone in the online video world it has it’s drawbacks. So, consider Brightcove (or Blip.tv – which the Obama campaign has recently added…you can get Obama on iTunes now!). You’ll get better quality, more control, the ability to choose your still – YouTube really needs to fix this! – and the restful knowledge that you will control when people see your clips…not the unreliable speed of YouTube’s upload system.

At the Democratic debate on Tuesday night, the CNN/WMUR crews weren’t the only ones toting video gear. In the midst of the YouTube primary, the campaigns were sporting crews of their own.

Throughout the day, the Dodd campaign was rolling tape in their signature cinéma vérité style. As a “pre-game show” they hosted a live video chat via ustream.tv. Even days before the debate they were generating debate-related clips, such as this one:

The Edwards campaign immediately followed the debate with a quick clip of the former Senator being marched into the hall by a drumline. Today they have a new release with an interesting film showing the Senator as he is given a walk-through of how the event will go down.

There’s a great deal to like here. I love the gentlemanly and impromptu meeting with Governor Richardson at the end. I would like to have seen footage from the debate worked into the piece – especially since CNN went to all the trouble of freeing up use of it for vLoggers and the ‘net.

Maybe it goes like this…

Open on the debate.

Show a great line from the candidate.

Then cut out.

TITLE: X Hours Earlier

Flashback to the walk through.

During the explanation of the first half, show a great line from the first half.

At the rundown on the second half, show a great line from the second half.

Wrap it up with the great hallway meeting, and a suggestion of where to find more substantive clips (captured from TV?).

I love the novelty of the piece, which taps into the exclusivity of having a campaign-controlled camera. It gives viewers a reason to watch. But, while you have them it is important to also deliver the message.

In the last few days, the Edwards for President campaign release a pair of videos showing the candidate (in Iowa) and the campaign staff (in North Carolina) making Memorial Day care packages for our men and women serving overseas.

These videos are exactly the sort of thing I think of when I talk about campaign videos getting away from public speeches and events and giving people glimpses of what the candidate/campaign is like “away from the cameras.” I especially like the the clip featuring John Edwards in Iowa, as it also features his family and captures him with his son, Jack.

Let’s see more of candidates in more lifelike situations – including with their family.

As I posted before, NBA All Star Weekend also featured appearances by Senators John Edwards and Barack Obama. Here is the second of the pieces I shot of those events, featuring Senator Barack Obama.

Another video of Senator John Edwards’ campaign…

In the midst of his College Tour, John Edwards addresses the students of the University of California, Los Angeles.

Today’s announcement by New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson continued the trend of 2008 presidential contenders kicking off their campaigns accompanied by an online video. Like former Governor Tom Vilsack, former Senator John Edwards, and Senators Chris Dodd, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton; Richardson addressed supporters, skeptics and the world through the blossoming medium of political web videos.

The contenders’ videos show differences in rhetoric – to be sure. I’ll leave discussion of that to a million different blogs, and the traditional media. What interests me in the release of these announcement videos are the differences in how each campaign uses the medium.

Former Governor Tom Vilsack (D-IA)

Now, this is a vLog! In the most traditional sense, Vilsack nails the medium. A static camera, at that slightly low-angle makes you feel as if it’s shot with a web-cam sitting on his desk. The choice of locations – on a couch in front of a packed bookshelf – lends itself well to his homespun delivery, which is where Vilsack really shines.

I don’t know how this was produced, but I really do get the feeling from it that he is alone with the camera. Were his aides comfortable enough to just let him sit down and tape himself? Somehow I doubt it. That’s how it comes across though. Vilsack comes out on top of the heap as far as intimacy and conversational-ism. In subsequent videos, he has managed to maintain this. Having met Governor Vilsack, it’s great to see that he talks in the same thoughtful way in his vLog as he does one on one.

Former Senator John Edwards (D-NC)

Edwards creative and symbolic use of setting makes his video stand out from the rest. Coming as an preface to his official announcement the next day, Edwards continues something he started in video presentations for his pre-presidential PAC, One America. For One America, Edwards would release a video ahead of making a speech, outlining what he would be talking about and giving a personal and emotional context to the speech to come. After that, the speech would be presented as delivered, but would mean a lot more to those who watched the “pre-show.”
The use of the camera has a “hand it to the volunteer and roll” feel that is loose and gives that amateurish “grassrootsy” feeling. The remarks are obviously thought-out, but maintain an off-the-cuff quality of someone speaking from the heart.

Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT)

Dodd is the one video that feels like an after thought, as if someone in the office suddenly realized, “All the other candidates have YouTube videos. We need to whip one up.” They threw up a couple flags, plopped the Senator in front of him, and told him “go!”
That said, it does lend a certain credibility to the video the others don’t have. This isn’t a calculated move. It isn’t a contrivance meant to display that the Dodd campaign “gets it.” Dodd’s announcement doesn’t have the production values or backdrop that many of the other videos do, but it gets the job done. Afterthought or not, they thought it important to reach out this way and the Senator gave us a little about himself. I especially liked how he said, “I’m a Senator from Connecticut.” He is truly introducing himself to us in this video.

The best part is actually at the very end, and resides mainly outside of the piece. If you follow a link that comes up at the tail of the video, you go to a page on Dodd’s website that asks you for a video link of your own, opening up two-way conversation via YouTube.

Senator Barack Obama (D-IL)

Senator Obama’s clip is the most “formal” of those released. Shot in a slightly loose closeup, the announcement is delivered in one take to a static camera. The lighting is very traditional, but also dramatic and rich. This video – in one word – is stable. Obama’s firm delivery, combined with the controlled setting, lighting, and camera remind me of a Presidential address. I’m pretty sure that exactly what they want you to take away.
This was shot to show control and heft. In a recent article (can’t remember which), the writer talked about Obama’s style on the stump, saying it was like watching someone think out loud. That is certainly one type of Obama speech, the “finding a way through things while everyone watches” delivery. This video is the other type of Obama speech. Like the DNC Keynote in 2004 this one is a planned march. A candidate who’s found the way, and is not looking for it. In a way, it leaves a little out of the piece. Obama’s million megawatt smile and good humor are not to be seen here – it’s all business.

This video tackles the “inexperience” argument. For what I think the aim of the piece was, it succeeds.

Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY)

Normally, I’d call her Senator Clinton; but this video has “Call me Hillary” all over it. Shot in a living room on a comfy couch, with family photos in the background and a lovely day outside; the Hillary video is warm and welcoming – if a bit scripted. She is inviting and friendly, with a touch of humor – while still carrying the weight of a powerful United States Senator. It’s clear that this video intends to cozy you up to the former First Lady, who we all “know” so well. She is a familiar face and an old friend to the Party.

But, in bringing that out, I feel the presence of a “director,” who brought out a bit of a forced delivery. One thing that bugs me are her gestures. The one that jumped out was when she puts her arm up on the back of the couch. Not so much that she did it, or that it seemed “stagy.” My problem with it is in the editing. It happens twice. Back to back. She puts her arm up, delivers a line about the President. There’s a cut. She puts her arm up and makes a different point. In doing it, she seems perfectly natural. After editing though, it looks like a stage-directed move. Her lean forward on “Let’s chat.” (and even the use of the word “chat”) didn’t seem in character, either. We get it already, she’s not frigid. She’s not unapproachable. Don’t push it on us.

Most of this video gave me a very different feeling than I’ve had sometimes about Senator Clinton. Namely, that she is “Hillary.” Those few moments, where she seemed guided to do things, undercut the rest of the piece where – by actually talking to us – she was communicating all that they wanted her to get across. Let Hillary be Hillary.

Maybe I’m expecting too much in this video, or something. My wife didn’t see any of this the same way. She usually has a far more critical cinematic eye than I do, and isn’t inclined to be a fan of Senator Clinton…after this video, all that changed. She is firmly in Hillaryland, now! So, on that measure this video is a raging success. I look forward to the “chats” that are on deck in the coming week.

Governor Bill Richardson (D-NM)

The offering from Governor Richardson is formal (like the Obama video) but with the warmth of the Clinton video. He let’s us know who he is (sharing his strong resume) and where he is coming from. He also digs deeper into plans and issues than the other candidates, making a detailed case for why he should be the next President. The choice of location is excellent. The warm lighting, flowers in the background and hearth give a homey feeling…but the fireplace as angular and strong (with a classic look) that reminds of something you may see in a room of the White House. This is smart “regular-guy” at home among marble.

I’d have like to have seen him cut loose a little more, but I mostly like his delivery. He doesn’t come off as a natural communicator. But, he portrays seriousness and honesty and a genuine interest in tackling big issues. This is a man of depth, with a lot on his mind – who has so much to share he can barely even the outline into the four and a half minutes of the clip. I saw him in person once at a Democratic Governors Association event, and remember him as pretty funny. I hope future videos show a bit more of that humor.

A lot of people will key in on his speaking in Spanish, let me just add a heartfelt, “bully for you, Governor!” I would like to see these videos dubbed into other languages, as well. Richardson has a leg up in this area. Let’s talk to all Americans, even those who are new here and learning our language.

On The Whole

All of these have their good points and bad points. Some were better at being conversational. Some were lit or shot better. Some used context and setting better. What’s important is that everyone is in the game. All of the candidates have seen from 2006 the importance of this medium, and are – pardon my pun – exploring it. I hope to see them all grow as vLoggers (or whatever you’d call them!) as the campaign goes on.

My quick takes:

Vilsack – Conversational
Good: Thoughtful delivery. Intimate camera.
Bad: Hmmmm…I’ll get back to you on that. I really like this video.

Edwards – Active
Good: Top-notch context and setting. Free-flowing dialog
Bad: Get in closer. It’s a small picture area online, medium and wide shots don’t get enough emotion (read: your face) across. Start wide (to get the cleanup) and cut in.

Dodd – On-the-Fly
Good: Very open and conversational, very comfortable. Two-way video communication web page!
Bad: The “Afterthought” effect.

Obama – Controlled
Good: “Strong” camera. Dramatic lighting. Good delivery.
Bad: For this one it works, but loosen up a little in the future. Careful in your framing (ie. the “Half Hands” at the bottom of the frame).

Clinton – Inviting
Good: Conversational. Good balance of policy and personality. Nice humor.
Bad: Relax and be yourself. Like Obama, get off the script a little next time. You’re sitting on my desktop. Let me get to know you.

Richardson – Exuberant
Good: Depth and Information. Homey, yet formal setting.
Bad: Let your humor out. You’re a famous “backslapper” of a politician. Give us a little tap!