YouTube has released a cluster of new products designed to help small businesses and first-time video advertisers record and publish videos in a bid to broaden the pool of potential media buyers using the online video service.
The quality of the resulting ads is, of course, largely dependent on the performances given by the people in it. And getting potential customers to see such an ad is another challenge altogether, but the basic production tools have been provided for free.
The YouTube Director product suite includes templated video formats through a new free mobile app. It instructs rookie ad makers on how to assemble videos step by step, including what to record, how to record it and what to say. The templates are designed to cater to a number of business sectors, such as small retailers, professional service firms or health-care organizations. Each template lists how many shots will be required and how long the final product will be.
Because that template is populated with footage and music by the app, editing – arguably the hardest part of making an ad – is removed from the process, and the app publishes the videos directly to YouTube.
Director’s automated video service, meanwhile, creates video ads using existing assets such as logos and screenshots.
For those looking for outside help, YouTube is also now offering the services of a professional director who will shoot and edit an ad for free — provided the client has spent at least US$150 to advertise on YouTube (which is owned by Google). This “Director Onsite” service is currently only available in a limited number of U.S. cities.
One of Director Onsite’s finished products for Island Creek Oysters
