The Documentary Filmmaker Podcast

In this episode, Sue shares her simple recipe for great video storytelling. Because if you're going to all that effort to produce a video, you want to make sure it's actually watched, right? Right! So what's this simple recipe for great video storytelling then? Well you'll need to listen to get the full rundown, but here's a quick overview to whet your appetite:    Step 1....

So you made an interesting video? Great stuff, go you! Now it’s time to nail your video marketing. If you’ve been dreaming of oodles and oodles of watch hours, you’ve come to the right podcast. In this episode, Sue shares the three things you need to get on top if you want to master video marketing and make sure your video has the greatest impact possible. So what are those three things? 1. Versio...

Stop making boring videos! Why? Because nobody wants to watch them and we're pretty sure you don't want to make them either. If you’re in the business of making videos, you need to know the type of videos people want to watch. And even if you’re just toying with the whole video production idea, you still need to know the content your audience cares about. Which is why’ve we’ve come up wi...

An updated podcast episode with current information is now available. S2 Ep88 How to write an effective YouTube description and promote your video (PART 1)  https://www.buzzsprout.com/846682/14136918 How do you write an effective video description so that your video can be discovered on YouTube?  And does it matter?  As YouTube is the second largest search engine in the world, you need to tap into...

What sort of video do you want to make?  Funny, inspiring, informative or educational?   What sort of videos are there?  Once you know what types of videos there are, and what they can be used for, it’s going to make your decision on what to make a lot easier. Generally, web videos fit into four categories.  Inspiring. Informative. Entertaining. Educational. So which one of these categories does y...

There are so many reasons to use video. According to Cisco in 2020, 82% of all consumer web traffic will be video!  With that much video content online, you want to get your communication right so you can stand out from the others. Don't forget to subscribe to Moonshine Agency's Moonshine Moonshot podcast on your favourite podcast platform. Or YouTube channel to get all the latest episod...

Do you struggle with your message or positioning? If you work in marketing, communications, advertising or even film making you’d be familiar with the elevator pitch concept. Basically, you can tell someone your idea clearly and effectively in the time it takes to travel in an elevator from the first to the third floor.  Approximately 15 seconds.  When you step out of that elevator you want them s...

What is content marketing? Because content marketing is a great asset to any marketing strategy and can be very affordable it’s worth the time to understand it better. Our team are so used to using the term content marketing that it took a curious client to stop us one afternoon and say ‘Hey guys, what is content marketing?’  Oops, our bad for making the mistake of thinking everyone would know wha...

How to use your video for advocacy.  If you’re looking for a way to share information, generate awareness, tell a story that gets people into action, or want to get people fired up to make a change, video is a great tool. Not only can you tell a story in the video but it makes it easy to share with the world.  You can easily share the video online, across social media, add it to your email signatu...

How to cast your talent.  Are you about to create a video and need to work out who should be your onscreen talent?  Then this episode will help you figure out who they should be.  An actor, a personality or a real person.  How do you decide who's going to best share your message? It sounds pretty simple, pick the person who's going to best represent your brand or tell your message to you...

How to distribute your film? Long gone are the days where engaging a distributor was the key to getting your film out into the word.   Self-distribution has become far more common and having control over your film and where its shown can have enormous benefits to both yourself as the filmmaker and your audience.   So what are the ways to distribute your film and what role can a distributor play in...

What is outreach in filmmaking?  Outreach and distribution are often confused,  but they are distinctly different things and it’s important to understand the difference if you want your film to make a social impact. In this weeks episode, we go into detail on how to make outreach work as part of your films strategy so that you can maximise on the impact it can have and get the most out of your wor...

You don’t have to make a full-length TV-style series. You could make a series of 2 minute Facebook videos. In this episode of the Moonshine Moonshot series, there are some very useful tips we can share on how to get your series working well and attracting an audience. Mike Hill and Sue Collins have made many series for a variety of platforms and styles. We’re just about to launch and new streaming...

How to repurpose your video content with versioning.  What is versioning?  It's the ultimate in multi-tasking for your video.  The art of making one thing many. And it's not hard. After you’ve watched you’ll not only know how to maximise on your video investment to get maximum bang for your buck.  But as a side brag, you’ll also be in the know on the lingo because you’ll know what versio...

Perhaps writing a video script seems like a really complicated process to you.  So much so that you’ve never actually tried.   But if you get some good pointers you’ll be off and running, or writing in this case.  It’s not a great mystery.  You don’t need a literary degree or any professional copywriting skills.  You just need the ability to work through the process. And in this episode of the Moo...

The world is going through a very tough time.  There’s no way around it.  But there are ways to communicate important messages that can cut through and be heard. At Moonshine Agency we’ve needed to communicate important health messages on a number of occasions. We’ve drawn on this experience to create a new series of important health messages during the Covid 19 pandemic.  They are very specific a...

Who is the messenger? No, we’re not talking about Facebook Messenger or messaging apps.  We’re talking about communications and who is going to be the right person to share your message. Check out our latest episode 'Who is the messenger?'  And no, this is not some crazy crime thriller 'who dunnit' either.  But it is full of juicy ideas on why knowing who should talk to your au...

This episode on ‘How long should my video be?’ Is packed full of ideas, tips and tricks and we cover a number of essential things to consider when you’re working out the duration of your video.  So listen or watch the video to find out all you need to know. If you have a burning question then reach out and ask us.  We’d love to help you and we love to talk video… weird I know but it’s our thing. D...

In this weeks episode of the Moonshine Moonshot streaming series, Sue and Mike walk you through the five essential do's and don'ts before you roll camera so that you can be confident you’ll make a great video that will connect with your audience and get you the results you need. Mike and Sue have made literally thousands of videos and even though they’ve mainly been behind the scenes, th...

Are you in communications, marketing or a filmmaker with a Moonshot project?  Mike and Sue have brought numerous impact films to fruition and they’ve generated significant real-world outcomes.  They've had to learn how to do this themselves and now they are going to show you how to.  They’re embarking on a new project called Conquering Cancer.  They are going to take you on the journey as the...

What are the common mistakes in video production that you can avoid?  Are you thinking about creating a video for the first time?  Then you are probably worried about how to get it right.  It’s a big investment in time and money, you want to look good and get your message across clearly, but you're not an actor or a scriptwriter.  So how can you avoid the pitfalls? If you listen to this episo...

So how do you reach an audience?  Anyone who’s ever made a piece of content and published it has worried about it reaching the intended audience.  What if no one sees, hears or reads it?  All that work for nothing.  And worse than that there’ll be no results. Other than you pulling your hair out. But with a good plan before you start you can avoid the sad sound of… “cue crickets” If you figure out...

In this episode of the Moonshine Moonshot streaming series, hosts Sue Collins and Mike Hill talk about their new project Futurists World and the Moonshot thinking explored in the series.  The purpose of the Futurists World series is to move humanity forward and inspire long-term thinking. You can learn what goes into the thinking behind developing a new streaming series and Mike and Sue's vis...

In this episode of the Moonshine Moonshot series, Mike Hill and Sue Collins are breaking down how to make an impact with film and sharing lots of info on how they’ve turned their content into world-changing documentaries.   How can a film generate impact and what does that even mean?  We’re glad you asked! After pouring your time and energy into a project be it big or small, you want to see result...

In this weeks episode of the Moonshine Moonshot series Mike Hill and Sue Collins are breaking down impact storytelling, specifically visual storytelling, and giving you tips on how to craft yours. They‘re talking about impact, unpacking what that means and how you can leverage storytelling to get folks taking the action you need them to take. So, what is storytelling for impact?   Ok, so it’s prob...