I traveled to rural Kansas recently to provide media training for a new client's key staffers. As I loaded all my equipment into my suitcase, I remembered the first time I did a media training session about 15 years ago.
We had a huge broadcast-quality Sony video camera that weighed at least 15 lbs; if I had tried to put it in my suitcase, there wouldn't have been enough room left to hold a toothbrush. It came in its own heavy-duty carrying case. A second shoulder-strapped bag held spare batteries and sound equipment. A third tote, this one made of canvas, held the tripod, which was heavy enough that it took two hands to lift it.
Video production is very different now. My camera is so small that it fits comfortably in my hand. I packed it, as well as the batteries and wireless mike equipment, in my carry-on. The tripod is light enough to carry under my arm and still handle my purse and briefcase.
Part of the training process is taping interviews, then playing them back so we can critique each performance. No more messing with heavy TV monitors and long two-headed cables; now we just plug the camera into my Macbook Air and watch the interviews onscreen.
In my journey from techno-dinosaur to social media whiz, video is the next milestone. I have yet to dip my toe in YouTube waters, but I will--and soon, because in this high-tech world we live in, video is vital. To paraphrase the Haines underwear commercial, "It ain't real until the video says it's real."
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