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Valencia, CA — September 20th, 2004 — Media Soup founder Joel Miller earned a degree in Communications from BYU more than 20 years ago. But in 2004, he went back to school, though not for the reasons you might think. He didn’t go as a student this time, but because of him, many others probably will. Miller’s journey began when The Master’s College in Santa Clarita, California asked him to bring his video-producing skills to bear on its Center for Professional Studies (CPS) program. The program offers working adults a chance to complete their bachelor’s degrees, and the college wanted to get the word out. For Miller, deciding to work with Master’s was easy. “They have a great program—a great story to tell,” Miller said. “Mostly, though, the college understands the value of telling their story in an effective way. That’s why they hired Media Soup.” Miller didn’t disappoint. Employing the keen storyteller’s eye that has made believers out of clients such as Sears, Discount Tire Company and Paul Mitchell, he found the angle he needed to make believers out of The Master’s College, as well. “Great testimonials sell it, you just can’t get away from that,” said Miller of the CPS program. “The story behind the program is most gripping when the people who have gone through it do the telling. When a student says, ‘This program changed my life,’ you just can’t beat that.” Miller worked with CPS administrators to select a handful of current and graduating students to talk about the program on camera. Sounds easy, right? Hardly. In a video, you have to be quick, and speed is one area where it’s often better if the art doesn’t imitate life. “More often that not, it’s hard to get people to be concise,” Miller said. “If I take three minutes to say something, it’s probably not that compelling. But if I can communicate something that’s vitally important in 20 seconds, there’s passion behind that.” Using testimonials presented another challenge—a visual one. Tlaking heads, however compelling, are still talking heads. Miller knew he had to do better. “In the beginning you want to see who’s talking, then you don’t want to see them anymore,” he said. “You want to see what they’re talking about.” To spice up the visuals, Miller put his cameras inside CPS classrooms, actually capturing professors and students interacting while the testimonials play on. After just one day of shooting, Miller had everything he needed. Then it was off to the editing room, where he picked up his conductor’s wand and orchestrated the finished product. What he produced was even better than the college expected—a delicate balance of sight and sound, a powerful tool for communicating the merits of the CPS program. The Master’s College has been showing the video to prospective students, and CPS enrollment has never been higher. “It’s not me. It’s the power of the CPS’s story,” Miller insists. “Like any good storyteller, I just try to get out of the way and let that story come through. If you can’t see my fingerprints, then I’ve done my job.” About Media Soup |
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