Making the Video Contest

1. Making the Video Contest

2. Making the Video! Greetings Future CSAP Video Directors! Ever wonder what it’s like to create, direct and shoot your own video? Want to become the next Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese or Federico Fellini? Here’s your chance! Participate in the CSAP “Making the Video” contest and become the next Hot Shot director…in CSAPwood! Win fabulous Prizes and become famous not only in CSAPwood but in the entire Cisco Universe! Are you up for the Challenge?

3. Here’s what you do… Direct one or more short videos around one or two Architectural Solutions (Data Center or Collaboration) where you articulate how to sell the solution(s). Make video(s) that you would watch yourself and that you’d consider useful as part of the program. You can compete in one or more Award Winning Categories. You can work alone or team up with other Associates. Check the “Making the Video” detailed instructions hereunder for more information. Use your creative freedom to direct the video(s). Just remember that for us to judge fairly and pick the best of the best, there are some important criteria we ask you to follow. Again, for more information, check the detailed instructions hereunder. Submit your video(s) by Friday, the 18th of January. The winners will be announced the following week.

4. Read the following instructions: 1.Choose to compete in one or two Architectures: Collaboration and/or Data Center 2. For either Architecture, choose to make one or both of these parts: • A General Architectural Video: Explain the business value of the architecture and/or • A Regional Architectural video: Find out about aSpecific Customer Opportunity (in either SMB or Enterprise) won in your region 3. For each part, it is entirely up to you how to direct but the final video duration must not exceed 10 minutes. Make video(s) that you would watch yourself and that you’d consider useful as part of the program.

5. Instructions (cont.) 4. Compete individually or in a group of maximum 3 team members (including yourself) 5.  As a sales person, you are competing for mindshare of the customer. Therefore, for both the general and regional video parts, think of what the impact would be to the customer’s business if they did nothing with Cisco’s (DC or Collaboration) Solution 6.  If you choose to make a General Architectural Video, then make sure to address the questions listed in the Script section below

6. The Script! For the General Architectural Video, address the following 4 questions – This is a MUST 1.What could be the impact to the customer’s business if they do nothing with Cisco’s (DC or Collaboration) Solution? This is important because as a sales person, you are competing for mindshare of the customer! 2. What are the business problems/challenges the customer needs solved (state what the customer wants to hear)? 3.How can the Architectural Solution specifically address those challenges? 4.What are the business benefits the customer gains from going with the Cisco specific solution (quantifiable: how does it cut cost, ROI driven) For the Regional Customer Opportunity, It is entirely up to you how to direct. However, the following 6 questions may help to guide your structure: 1.How did you find out about the opportunity (what research/prep did you do) and how did you engage with the customer the first time? 2.Who internally did you involve and when? How and when did you engage the Partner. What service offerings did the Partner bring to the table? 3.What were the key customer business challenges that needed to be overcome and how did you address them (Objections?) 4.How did you position the solution? 5.What could have been the impact to the customer’s business if they did nothing with Cisco’s (DC or Collaboration) Solution? This is important because as a sales person, you are competing for mindshare of the customer! 6.Who were your main competitors and how did you differentiate the Cisco Solution?

7. The Video Submission Process 1. Post your video(s) on a self-created Youtube account 2. Send an email to csap-making-the-video@cisco.com with the youtube link(s): You may submit a single video, or a set of clips that can be edited together to form the complete video. We will be working with a professional video editor to make your videos look the best they can, so in any case, please save all footage in the original format for editing later. 3. Use a clear naming convention. Here are 2 examples:   “ CSAP Making the Video – General Collaboration” or “CSAP Making the Video – EMEAR Datacenter” 4. For both the video posts and emails, if you are working with others, just post/email ONCE per team and include the full names of your team members in the email. The Video goes into Premiere on: Submit your video(s) by Fri, 18 January 2013. The CSAP Awards will be announced one week later.

8. The CSAP Categories are: 1. One winner/winning team for the General category for DC 2. One winner/winning team for the General category for Collaboration 3. One winner/winning team in each theatre for the Regional Customer Opportunity for DC 4. One winner/winning team in each theatre for the Regional Customer Opportunity for Collaboration

9. The CSAP Award winners receive: All winners receive: a. iPad minifor each team member b. Videos will be displayed on CEC, GVS, WebEx Social and Moodle c. Videos will be integrated into the curriculum for future generations

10. The extra prestigious awards go to the top 3 winners/winning teams for: • General DC video • General Collaboration video • Best overall Regional Customer Opportunity video • Spend time with a Professional Producer to see how real stories are brought to life using digital media (may include travel time) • Spend time with a Cisco Senior Executive (may include travel time)

11. Reminders and Tips from CSAPwood: • Don’t worry too much about the editing. We’ll be working with a professional video production company to edit the winning videos anyway. Focus more on content and delivery. • Use any Cisco resource (Field Account Managers, Systems Engineers, Business Units, Product Sales Specialists, Technical Development Managers, etc…) but remember they may not always be available for everyone and may help on a first come, first serve basis. • Most locations still have some Flip Cameras available so ask your manager if you didn’t already know about them. • When casting your “actors”, make sure they’re engaging and are natural story tellers! • Be adventurous and mix things up between using traditional video cameras and graphic resources such as drawing on an Ipad. • Did you know that real life videos (I.e. interviewing an Account Manager) are most effective when conveying experiences, authenticity, telling a story BUT much less effective when used for teaching hard facts? • For more factual Learning, consider using drawing on a whiteboard or an Ipad. Draw inspiration from others that have done it successfully: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5Ud1m9h0yc or http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eEpxN0htRKI • Here’s more inspiration from the winner of the Olympics 2012 Cisco Video Contest:http://wwwin.cisco.com/data-shared/cec/rendered_news/html/channels/106010/106013/353835.shtml

12. Steven Spielberg Directing Tips: 1. Formats: a. Shoot in HD resolution if possible, 720p or above b. Any file format is acceptable, except Flash c. Use a Flip camera if available d. Keep the frame rate the same within all clips of video (to be safe, use the same camera) 2. Camera/Recording Techniques: a. Camera acts as a third person. Make sure to position it at the same level as whomever you’re recording. So if “actors” are seated, then cameraman should be at the same level b. Don’t Jump from one angle to another but do walk around to provide different angles c. Using a tripod works but can quickly become boring. Try handholding the camera as well. Here are a few tips on how best to hold it: i. For a solid base, keep your feet apart and hold the camera with both hands ii. Tuck elbows into body and use two hands on the camera for stability iii. If you want to zoom in, use your feet to approach d. It looks better in video to have the interviewee restate the questions in their answer (e.g., “Q: What were the key customer business challenges…? A: The key customer business challenges were…”) e. Do not harm any dinosaurs in the making of your video(s)

13. Steven Spielberg Directing tips(cont.) 3. Audio:          a. Avoid noisy environments such as people talking in the background, wind, traffic, etc.          b. Avoid the camera's built in microphone if possible. Use a handheld, clip on or wireless microphone if possible.          c. If using the built-in microphone (such as a Flip camera) the presenter must be close to the camera and speak much louder than normal          d. Have the interviewee project his/her voice loudly to compensate for microphones built into camera that will be relatively far away – audio that’s too quiet will sound noisy when turned up 4. Lighting:          a. Avoid bright light sources in the background (windows, lamps, sun).          b. Turn on a lamp in front of and to the side of a person speaking.          c. Try to maintain consistent lighting – shooting outdoors is tricky for this reason 5. What to Wear:          a. Don't wear solid black or solid white.          b. Don't wear thin stripes - they will flicker on the video. 6. Editing:          a. If there are multiple clips to assemble, the creator should indicate the order. This can be done by putting it in the video itself (e.g., write “part 2” on a card that you record at the start of the clip), or it can be indicated in the file name.          b. The same concept should be applied if there are multiple takes of the same part, or if there is any other information to share about which footage to use and when.          c. Anything that should be added to or manipulated in the video should be clearly articulated.

14. Have fun with: “Making The Video!”