The SCOTT Treatment: Your Video Content Professionally Repackaged for Profit, Promotion and Education
Technical Directing live streaming video programs / Editing
Most recent work here:
MAKING Your Social Videos SHAREABLE
Voice of Bold Business
Video is the most memorable and engaging content on the web.
You worked hard to create your live streaming videos. Now’s the time to breathe new life into them. Let me “evergreen” your videos and then repackage them into “golden nuggets” that you can then display on your website and share socially via your other social media platforms.
The SCOTT Treatment is born
On October 3rd, 2013, Martin Shervington coins the phrase “The Scott Treatment” to describe single subject segments edited from longer videos including Hangouts on Air.
Welcome to the Wonderful World of
Video Production
Today’s video production and distribution over YouTube, Facebook and elsewhere is (1) easily accessible, (2) affordable (free), (3) indexed by Google Search (YT only), (4) can grow your online authority, and (5) engage your virtual community.
The SCOTT Treatment can create a custom open/close for your programs, removes dated, repetitive and/or unwanted material including verbal ticks (ahhs, umms, you knows, etc.), and will help keep your content as fresh and relevant in years to come as it was the day it was recorded.
Videos
More Golden Nuggets and other The Scott Treatments
Praise for The SCOTT Treatment
Thanks for the reshare Scott Scowcroft! I had them embedded originally, but they dialed them back to links. Either way, I think that the short videos really add a fantastic element to the content! Eric Enge ♦ post ♦Comment ♦ article
Hire Scott Scowcroft for editing - no question. Spend your time where you're "beautiful" to quote Mani Saint-Victor. Sheila Hensley ♦ Event Page ♦ Comment
If you aren't familiar with The Scott Treatment by Scott Scowcroft, pay attention... This is a fantastic way to pull a segment out of a HOA and create content that stands on its own two feet. GPlus Business Spotlight ♦ Post ♦ Comment –
Brilliant way to break it down into bite-sized segments, Scott Scowcroft - thanks for the feature!
Ana Hoffman ♦ post ♦ Comment
Great work Scott Scowcroft you should totally tell everyone about your services bro, I highly recommend using Scott to repurpose your hoa. Ben Fisher ♦ post ♦Comment
Scott Scowcroft your slice and dice and video editing work adds so much value to HOA after the fact... #TheScottTreatment is what you do and I love it. Ronnie Bincer ♦ event page ♦ Comment
Scott Scowcroft works magic. Anyone doing hangouts, circle him under 'Emergency Rescue God' Ammon Johns ♦ event page comment
Love it Ronnie Bincer! Thank you Scott Scowcroft - #TheScottTreatment rocks. ~Peg Fitzpatrick ♦ website ♦Comment ♦ post
Once again, the amazing Scott Scowcroft did a great job boiling down the secrets to leveraging Google+ at your next industry conference to place your brand in the center of the conversation. Thank you Kathi Browne for always conducting an fabulous interview. ~Todd Hartley ♦ CEO of WireBuzz ♦ Post
When you click end broadcast your work has only begun. Make the most of your Hangout on Air (HoA) by doing the work of follow up. ♦ #22. Slice and dice sections of the video to create small snippets to use in various ways. This is known in some circles as “The Scott Treatment.”
~Jimmie Lanley ♦ iHomeschool Network ♦ 25 Things To Do post
Nice little slice, guys. And kudos to Scott Scowcroft for the fun intro! ~Steven Washer ♦ Chief Education Officer at BrainyVideo ♦ Post
Thanks Scott Scowcroft. It was great to finally meet the genius behind the "Scott Treatment" and boy am I glad I did! You sir, have a LOT to offer! looking forward to our next discussion. ~Jason T. Wiser ♦ Digital Business Strategy Consultant ♦ Post
Scott Scowcroft thank you and your video editing skills are some of the best I've seen. We need to talk :) ~Larry Fournillier ♦ Event Page ♦ Comment
Resources
Want to produce your own Live Streaming Video program?
Check out these useful resources
- The Art of Evergreening
Reasons Live Streaming Programs inherently fade away
Let’s face it, unlike broadcast quality television shows, most live streaming programs are produced by amateurs who serves both as both technical crew and talent. Whether acknowledging the live audience or upcoming events, live shows are often interspersed with dated material. Perhaps most importantly, most are no more than spontaneous discussions, in other words, first drafts.For these reasons, many such shows are never “evergreened,” meaning they won’t survive the test of time and will likely fade from relevance within a week or two from original broadcast. But don’t despair. You can rescue your video shows from the vault of obsolescence and obscurity.
The Art of Evergreening is mostly the exercise of subtraction. Like a fine sculpture, chip away at what’s unnecessary, and what you’re left with can be a work of art. This is done through skillful video editing.
In a sentence, to evergreen your videos, increase production values and edit out dated, awkward, repetitive and irrelevant material. Leave only enough small talk in the program to smooth out rough edges and to give it its personality. Remember, shorter is better.
A few evergreening tricks:
— Clean intro and exit, preferably with pre-produced open/close with music.
— Most host questions are too long. Keep the core question. Throw away everything else.
— Most guest stall while mentally formulating their “real answer.” Dump the filler material and keep only the answer.
— Panelists will make their point, then illustrate it with examples. Usually only keep the point, truncate or edit out everything else.
— People repeat themselves. If it’s been said once, then discard other ways of saying the same thing.
— If the speaker takes a long pause to think, edit out the pause.
— Remove almost all “verbal ticks” such as ummms, ahhhhhs, “ya knows,” etc.
— Remove audience shout outs.
— Retain audience comments only if they add value.
— Don’t include “upcoming events,” though you can keep, “find me at …”
— Try very hard to avoid or minimize jump cuts (where subject’s body appears to jump in the frame due to editing)
— Don’t be afraid to group and reorder material if that improves clarity and flow.Follow these guidelines, and their’s a good chance your Hangout on Air will remain as fresh and relevant as the day it was recorded. Expect however to spend up to five or more hours to evergreen a typical hour talking heads HOA.
- Production TipsHOA Video Production TipsMINIMUM PRODUCTION VALUES
[ ] Subjective: You know it when you see it.
[ ] Contextual: Depends on circumstances (ie: family vs business).
[ ] Maturing: Professionalization of videos, always rising standards.
[ ] Unforgivable sin: Poor audio.ACHIEVING MINIMUM PRODUCTION VALUES
[ ] Equipment:
( ) Laptop webcam, maybe. Industry standard: Logitech C920 or Brio.
( ) Tip: Consider buying top of the line last generation equipment used.
( ) Audio: External or headset Mic. Industry Standard: Yeti or Snowball.
( ) Audio: Almost always either ear buds of headsets.
( ) Lighting: Fluorescent lighting and/or LEDs, made for video production. Light kits good too.
( ) Lighting: 3-point lighting (key, fill, back). No bright light behind subject.[ ] Aesthetics:
( ) Proper framing of subject, usually medium to medium close up paying attn to headroom.
( ) Background and clothes not too busy, not distracting. Use common sense.
( ) Camera close to eye level.
( ) Avoid background objects that might look as if they’re growing out of your head.CONTEXTUAL VIDEOS
[ ] Context is relationship between host and audience:
( ) Early Youtube viewers gave lots of slack.
( ) With the maturing of the platform comes rising expectations for higher production values.
( ) With increased number of quality citizen produced videos, the tie breaker will be the personal relationships thing.[ ] Contextual viewing in the real world (outside the YouTube environment):( ) Little tolerance for poor production values.
( ) Will require decent open, close and transitions.
( ) Will require proper framing, decent audio and video, etc.
( ) Doesn’t have to be perfect, but can’t be amateurish.NO FREE LUNCH
[ ] Production values result from great pre-production planning and/or great post production:
( ) Quality production execution comes from pre-production planning and experience.
( ) The better the production execution, the less post production is required.
( ) The less experience you have, the more pre-production planning is required.
( ) The better the pre-production planning , the safer it will be to spontaneously go “off script.”
( ) In short, the more work you do up front, the less work you’ll need to “fix it in post.”[ ] At minimum have a format sheet:
( ) Open, segment, transitions, close.
( ) If interview program, then have a list of questions.[ ] Live vs Taped Programs:
( ) Live video shows have a different look and feel than taped programs.
( ) Live shows have a brief shelf life as the connection between host/panel and audience dissipates.
( ) Usually you can “evergreen” a well produced live hour live show by editing it to 40 to 50 minutes.
( ) Consider producing your live shows with post production in mind.
( ) Consider two “opens,” one for the live audience (like a warm-up act), the other for the taped show.
( ) Ask a concise question, pause, then elaborate. For the edited program, include only the question.
( ) Guests will tend to “fill” while thinking of the “real answer.” For edited program, edit out the “fill” material.
( ) Host can always say, “great answer but can you summarize?” For edited program, use the summary.
( ) In the event of repurposing videos for podcasts, provide station break language during the show.[ ] Post Production Deliverables from a live HOA:
( ) Promo or Tease: Anything good from show with a call to action to watch. 15 seconds to 1 minute, maybe longer.
( ) Golden Nuggets: Usually single subject snippet. Typically 2 or 3 minutes from 5 or so program minutes.
( ) Featured Topic: Various comments around a single topic, often 10 to 15 minutes drawn from an hour program.
( ) Highlights Reel: Some of the more memorable moments from program. Total time varies.
( ) Evergreen: Remove dated, awkward and repetitive material. Often 40 to 50 minutes from a well produced hour program.[ ] Post Production Deliverable from a private HOA (no live audience):
( ) Consider recording program material intended for post production (rather than a live audience).
( ) In this case, you can record multiple takes of the same material if needed.
( ) Loosely frame your subjects. This gives you options to digitally zoom/reframe in post production editing.
[ ] Always keep a “local” copy of all video you cherish. Just sayin’. - The Hidden Benefits from The SCOTT Treatment
Find the Hidden Benefits from “The SCOTT Treatment”
Simply stated, anyone who summarizes a video through video editing has to dig deep and really understand the program content. Think of it like mapping your neighborhood rather than just driving by.
So here’s the deal.
If you have a school-aged children, encourage them to learn video editing. Then ask them to choose and summarize documentaries or other educational videos. This exercise should benefit them in three ways: (a) they will learn video editing which is an important 21st Century skill, (b) it will develop their critical thinking skills, and (c) through this exercise your son/daughter will deeply learn the subject matter content.
By applying TST principles to the written word, you can “evergreen” truly brilliant posts. Just remember, always, always. always give proper attribution. Want to see an example? Check out this TST:Text from 2012 (below).
For those seriously thinking about using TSTs to help students really learn the content at hand, here is my TST summary of a set of brilliant articles originally posted by author and writing coach Daphne Gray-Grant. Even though summarizing videos as I’ve suggested above is not exactly like deliberate practice (see below), I feel the same or similar dynamics are in play. Thanks to Daphne for originally researching, writing and sharing this information.
How to use Deliberate Practice when writing
Better Writing ♦ Continual Improvement
Daphne Gray-Grant is a writing and editing coach and the author of the popular book 8½ Steps to Writing Faster, Better. She offers a brief and free weekly newsletter on her website. Subscribe by going to the Publication Coach.
Strategies for Becoming an Excellent Writer
Deliberate Practice – Basic tenants
- Lack of natural ability is never an adequate excuse.
- Hard work is more important to success than talent.
- The hard work is vastly time consuming,
requiring 10,000 hours according to Outliers author Malcolm Gladwell. - The type of work you do is even more important than the volume of it.
- Your work must explicitly address your own weaknesses and deficiencies.
- Your work must have clear objectives and goals.
- You are far more likely to succeed if you have a coach, a teacher or a mentor.
- You must be highly motivated.
- The work is hard and tiring
Also see:• Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell
• Talent is Overrated by Geoff Colvin, and
• Moonwalking with Einstein by Joshua FoerCase Study – Strong vs. weak music students
- Avoid Flow. Do what does not come easy.
Weak pianists run through their pieces.
Strong pianists drill difficult parts. Rarely play through the entire piece. - To master a skill, master something harder.
Find clever ways to “complicate” the difficult parts.
Strong pianists with speed problems will purposefully confound the rhythms. - Systematically eliminate weakness.
Know your weaknesses and use them to create strengths.
A strong piano player who is bad with touch will play on a mute keyboard. - Create beauty. Don’t avoid ugliness.
Weak pianists react. Try to fix problems.
Strong players image/strive for the perfect performance,
Source: Study Hacks: Flow is the Opiate of the Mediocre
Applying Deliberate Practice preparatory to writing
Deliberate Practice is not writing.
Use to prepare for or to edit your writing.
Remember, you don’t “need to edit” yourself while writing.
Writing — which is creating — needs to remain free of judgment.1. Find a writer whose work you admire.
Start copying/transcribing his/her writing.
Anti-intuitive, but this way you can absorb syntax and rhythms of another writer.
Tip: Copy/transcribe 5-minutes/day rather than 30 minutes a week.2a. Don’t reinvent the wheel.
Put quality time into thoroughly understanding your writing assignment.
Tip: Analyze your assignment by:
– • Purpose – Entertain/explain/persuade,
– • Audience – General/special interest group/business/customers,
– • Category – Journalism/case study/white paper, and
– • Tone or Style – Government/academia/legal.2b. Then find a writer who has done similar work you can use as a model to imitate.
Cast a wide net to find excellent writing that meets the same needs you have.
Tip: Doesn’t have to be the same subject matter.3. Next, analyze 1,500 or so words from your model.
– • Verbs – How many. How specific. How evocative.
– • Sentence length -Typically how many words.
– • Figurative language – Metaphors/similes/personifications per 500 words.
– • Concrete vs abstract – Use strong visual images or more abstract?
– • Stories – How often? Anecdotes or examples?
– • Structure -Chronological/thematic/importance/classification/cause & effect.
Tip: Consider using your model as your copying (transcribing) exercise (see above).4. Create an outline.
An outline is the perfect tool for analyzing, then imitating at a higher, more sophisticated level.Applying Deliberate Practice to editing
Methodically and ruthlessly eliminate “Markers of Trouble” from your writing.
Tip: The ideal approach is to have a coach/editor. If you can’t afford one, don’t give up. Read on.Five “Markers of Trouble” Questions
Pick one and stick with it until your improved performance becomes habitual.1. Do you use lacklustre verbs?
Highlight then replace most of your “to be” verbs (is, was, are, were, being, be, and been)
Then improve/make more interesting your other verbs.2. Are your sentences too long? Does your writing lack rhythm?
Avoid overly long sentences.
Strive for an average 18 word/sentence within a one-to-five words to 45 range.
Tip: Enable WORD’s readability stats (F7 with the grammar check turned on) or the online readability calculator http://bit.ly/sm4hc-readability .3 Do you fail to use what I call bridges/transitions?
Lead readers from one idea to the next using connectors such as “because/but/admittedly/for example,”
Tip: Use lots of them. Find examples here .4: Do you misuse pronouns, especially “it”?
Stive to eliminate (at least justify) each use of “it.”
Tip: Be sure to place a space before and after the word “it” when using WORD Ctrl+F Find function.5 Do you fail to understand the passive voice?
Generally speaking, avoid using the passive voice.
Tip: To better understand the passive voice and when to use it, visit “The Pleasures and Perils of the Passive. and “Our Friend the Passive Voice” .FEATURED QUOTE: Deliberate Practice is not a magic bullet. It’s way too difficult to be considered “magic.” But using it is a better guarantee of success than having just about any degree of talent. — Daphne Gray-Grant
Author:
♦ Daphne Gray-Grant, Principal at The Publication Coach
♦ http://www.publicationcoach.com/
♦ Twitter: @pubcoach
♦ Facebook