When you have a big announcement or host a big event for your business or non-profit, it’s important to make sure it’s seen by the most eyes possible. Of course, you’ll send out a press release to let the local news stations know to swing by. But what if they don’t show up?
That’s when you need to have a backup plan. At Uproot Creative Services, we have the specialized experience necessary to help get your video on the air.
We are veterans of the fast-paced news business. For over a decade, we worked at CBS 21 and ABC 27. Here’s what we learned.
Press releases are constant! Most news stations only have one person operating the news desk and taking phone calls. Every organization in the area is trying to get their attention and will reach out with their own press releases. Some will catch the eyes of the news desk, but many won’t.
Resources are extremely limited. The managers at these news organizations then have to parcel out their limited resources to as many events as they are able to cover. But a lot of press conferences, unveilings, and ribbon cuttings will get lost in the shuffle.
Airtime is a lot less limited. Most TV stations these days have several hours of airtime to fill and not enough content to do it. They fill the gaps with national stories that are already written and edited for them, but most producers would prefer to use local stories as often as possible.
There is space for your content! Plenty of airtime and not enough employees means opportunity for you or your client. By hiring Uproot to cover your event, you’re providing the local stations with the content they crave and not leaving things to chance when it comes to how they allocate their human resources.
We know what news producers are looking for! When we cover an event, we’re not necessarily looking to capture every word spoken. We’re looking for good visuals. Signs, buildings, emotions. We capture the video that is necessary to tell the story. And we do it quickly.
When it comes to interviews, our press release package will often boil long interviews down to only three to five soundbites for producers to pick from. We look for succinct lines, emotional stories, and easy-to-digest information. Those are the most likely soundbites to make it to air.
Other companies without newsroom experience often struggle in these fast-paced environments. They do great work, but newsworthy events are often quick and your videographer needs to be efficient about who to interview, what to shoot, and when to use the fancy equipment. If the event is about a new playground, kids aren’t going to wait around for us to set up our lights.
When you work with Uproot Creative Services, we will offer our recommendations and work with efficiency. We suggest hosting your event early. If the goal is to get your event on the 5 o’clock news, getting your content to the producers by 3 PM is essential! With an event hosted by 11 AM, you can expect us to record the event for one hour, handle interviews for the next hour, and begin editing by 1:30 PM. That leaves just enough time for us to edit a basic package and for you to provide a round of revisions. Most producers will not add new content into their shows after 3 PM unless it’s breaking news, so efficiency is essential!
In my time working at ABC 27, I was notorious for my editing speed, when I would often complete complicated edits in a very short time. I’m excited to have the opportunity to use my skills to help you out as well.
Uproot is currently offering Half-Day Press Release Video packages for only $600. This includes one videographer, two hours of shooting time, and two hours of editing time. The final deliverable, to be sent within the day, will be one video including one minute of B-Roll and several soundbites.
If you have any further questions or you’re interested in hiring us for any future videos, please reach out to us at contact@uprootcs.com.