I'm often asked about my career with most people assuming I came out of college and took a straight path to Creative Director and VP of Marketing. No, my path was anything but linear and had many jukes and jives along the way.

When you accept that change is the only constant in life, you're much better equipped for the many ups, downs and sideways that come in life and career. I hope this look at my career path helps you to accept and navigate the many changes that life and your jobs will throw you.

The job you don't get can sometimes be more important than the one you do.

This is a weird and very hard job market right now. Opportunities that seem perfect for you will pass you by. I'm here to say from personal experience, it's ok, keep moving forward.

It's a very tough job market out there with so many talented people currently unemployed. One way to expand your job search so you don't miss any potential opportunities is to go WIDE in your job search.

A single keyword search used in conjunction with filters can help you identify job opportunities that specific searches might miss.

Your Brand Story should be video-centric.

The reasoning should be obvious, possibly in your hand as you're reading this and certainly in the hands of billions of people around the globe. Not taking advantage of that platform leaves you missing out on a huge audience, B2B or B2C.

Doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result is never going to build your brand.

One effective way to build your brand and brand audience is to show up in unexpected ways and unexpected places.

Not necessarily physical places, though live experiential marketing can be a part of the plan.

But showing up in unexpected conversations, genres, hobbies, areas of interest. In other words, going TO your intended audience instead of trying to drag them to you.

Branded storytelling is about much more than just your brand. It's about connecting your story, your people and your product to a wider audience who might never think to consider you or your product.

That's how you get the results you expect, by doing something different and unexpected.

"LinkedIn? Oh yeah, we tried that. It didn't work." Did you really? Did you really try or give up because it's not easy?

As with many things in life and career, building a brand on a platform like LinkedIn or any social channel takes effort, commitment, and consistency.

Significant gains for your brand, your bottom line, and your career can be had by putting in the time and effort to fully understand how to develop and deliver targeted content.

So if you 'tried that' for one project, one week, one month... No, you really didn't try. You simply gave up because it was too hard and required too much effort. Or you have the wrong strategy to build your B2B audience.

A great question from a video producer: "Is the Demo Reel still necessary? Does it bring value for me?"

The Demo Reel is the bane of a creative's existence. They feel that their entire opportunity lies within this slickly edited video that showcases what they can do.

For me, the Demo Reel is just a business card. It's a teaser. It's NOT the one thing that will get you hired.

What WILL get you hired is your portfolio.

Thanks so much for the question, if you have a topic you'd like me to cover, drop me a line on the Contact page.

It's time to break the Short Video Myth.

Audiences ARE watching branded videos and stories that are longer than 60 seconds.

What?!?!

"But but but my social media strategist tells me that I can't make anything longer than 60 seconds because nobody has the attention span to.... oh look a butterfly!"

During the workday, 30 to 60-second videos rule.

When relaxing and especially in the evenings, audiences use their mobile devices and connected TVs to engage in 30, 60, 90-minute video programming. Not just the big streamers, but YouTube, Vimeo and more.

If you don't have a body of longer format content you are missing a huge opportunity to engage an audience in your brand story. The more you can engage an audience and keep them in your ecosystem, the more likely you are to not only convert them over to your brand, but to also gain social advocates.

Don't fall for the myth, your content strategy should go short AND long.

All stories, all content should have a purpose. You should never create content just for the sake of creating something.

"Content, Content, Content! Everyone else is doing it, they say we should be doing it. Let's get some content created!"

If you're just creating content because 'that's what everyone says we should be doing,' then how are you going to measure your return on your efforts?

Creating content takes time, resources and money so before you jump in and start creating it, be sure you have a purpose for what you're about to do and clearly communicate that with your content creators.

One of my favorite things about working in this industry is talking to people and learning their stories. And I've learned a lot of tips and tricks throughout the years for getting good on-camera interviews.

Here are a few to help you get the most out of your next on-camera interview.

As you look to retain and expand your in-house creative team, you need to understand that people are much more valuable than any technology.

All the technology doesn't matter if you don't have the right people. Once you find them, don't let them go if at all possible.

One of the big aspects of branding, especially in social media today is "Authenticity." There's no better way to get authentic with anyone, than with a GoPro Vlogging rig. It's unthreatening and creates awesome opportunities to create and capture content on the fly.

Here's a look at my rig and how it works.

Delivering maximum quality content is all about planning and efficiency.

If all you do is plan your entire project, your entire process around one deliverable, you're missing out on many content opportunities that allow you to work smarter, not harder.

I'd love to hear your thoughts and ideas, drop me a line through the Contact Page. Thanks!

"What IS Personal Branding and how do I even get started?"

Personal branding is essentially marketing yourself from a personal or professional perspective, and sometimes both.

You have value, you have knowledge to share, your input is welcome in conversations. Whether you're brand new to an industry or a seasoned veteran, you bring value to others. Both in written word and through videos.

Getting started in personal branding means getting into your swim lane, start sharing and engaging in conversations, and then, to quote a famous fish, "just keep swimming, just keep swimming."

Thanks to Jessica Cox for the request. Do you have topics you'd like to me to cover? Drop me a note in the comments or DM me.

One question I seem to get more than any other is "What's in your camera bag?" From the first time a picture appeared with me filming on the road, folks have been asking what I'm carrying around on my back.

Well here's a typical setup for my bag. With this configuration, I can film interviews, documentary / docu-reality storytelling, training, travel and the like.

The bag itself is available on Amazon. Search for Evecase Extra Large Professional DSLR Camera/Laptop Travel Backpack Gadget Bag. It's $89 and the bag you see in the video is 4 years old. Not a scratch or tear on it yet after many travels all over the US, Caribbean, and Europe.

It fits under standard airline seats as well making it super easy to carry with you on a flight.

If you have any questions about specific equipment, drop them into the comments and I'll be happy to lend my advice.

A recurring question I receive is "What IS Branded Storytelling?" Is it just a commercial but more cinematic? Does it mean I don't talk about my brand directly?

Branded storytelling is all about making a connection to your potential customer. It's usually a long game, you don't make one video, tell one story and magically you've connected to an entirely new audience. One story might get that initial interest, but a body of stories can form an emotional connection to your brand and your product. Multiple storylines can attract multiple demographics.

Can you create an emotional connection with a rubber tire? With good branded storytelling you can. Watch the video, you'll understand.

I would love to hear your thoughts, drop me a line in the Contact Page and also let me know if there are topics you’d like me to cover in future topics.

One of the most confusing and vexing areas for any company starting up an internal creative team is knowing what equipment to purchase. There are thousands of pieces of equipment and hundreds of recommendations on ‘what you need to buy.’

While every situation is different, here’s a basic primer on the types of equipment and how much you might spend to set up a basic two-person internal team. If you have specific questions about your situation, feel free to write me via the Contact page and I’ll be glad to offer some of my thoughts for your needs.

And please share your thoughts and comments, I’d love to hear what you all think is the minimum you need to consider for setting up a creative infrastructure.

Branding today is all about storytelling. And there's no better way to tell your story than through video.

Because the name of the game in storytelling is not to just put out a single video and wait for the reactions. With social media, you want to be putting out content every single day. Especially if you're a consumer product.

If you've never built a Creative Team and you're thinking about starting one, well where do you begin? You start with Two. Watch this chapter to get the explanation of why starting a brand new creative team with Two instead of One will yield better and more efficient storytelling content.

This series is based on questions and input from you. What topics would you like me to cover? Drop me a line through the Contact page and let me know!

Continuing my series on Personal Branding, let's talk color temperatures. As in "What's the Kelvin Kenneth?" (you of a certain age will get that reference).

This is a VERY basic introduction of color temperatures and what they mean to you.

Lighting is not just 'soft white,' 'daylight' and 'ultra white.' In the most simplistic way to describe this, a long time ago, a gentleman named Lord Kelvin (google him) came up with a numeric scale for visible light colors from red to blue called the Kelvin Scale. (yep, google it)

Essentially the red spectrum is 1000k (kelvin) and ultra blue is 10000k. In between are many shades of orange, yellow, white and blue.

Why does the Kelvin Scale matter for your personal branding? The color of the lighting when making your videos will directly affect your appearance. The goal is to look as 'natural' as possible.

Continuing my series on Personal Branding, let's talk video content. As in what should you be talking about? The answer is easier than you think.

Talk about what you know.

Yep, it's that simple.

You have knowledge about the subject matter(s) you know the best. Another way to think about it is what topics do you feel the most comfortable engaging in conversation? That is you can engage with people who ask you questions about that topic and perhaps challenge you on that topic. Making a point or sharing knowledge that you don't fully understand or cannot engage into conversation doesn't do your brand any good, especially on LinkedIn.

Pick the topic(s) you're most comfortable with and just start filming. Remember to keep your professional (LinkedIn) and your personal (everything else) brands separated.

More thoughts in the video. I would love to hear what you think.

This course is available through Lynda.com and LinkedIn Learning.

What exactly does a video producer do? Understanding the role of the modern video producer will help you recognize if you have the skills and the mindset to take on the job. A good producer not only knows video inside and out, but also can manage time and money effectively, resolve conflict, maintain morale, and plan logistics. Above all else, a video producer has to be flexible and able to make decisions quickly, on the fly. 

Walter Biscardi takes you on set and shows you how production decisions unfold in real time, whether you're scripting, scheduling, directing crew members, or providing feedback to post. Follow along and explore the responsibilities of a producer in all stages, including pre-production (planning), production (running a set), and post-production (editing and delivery). By the end, you'll have a better understanding of skills and techniques it takes to run a smooth and successful video production.

Topics include:Scripting and storyboardingCastingSchedulingRunning a setPaying your crewWorking with postProviding constructive feedbackMastering

My Mom always said, "Clean your room!" Whether working by yourself or with a client, you should have a clean and neat video editing and post-production environment. That environment reflects well on you and your company.

How you and your attitude treat your client is going to determine whether they want to come back and work with you again, Producers have attitudes too, but how you interact with your client can help create a better environment for both of you. Another post-production tip.

Video editors and other post-production artists usually sit in front of the client giving that client a fantastic view of the back of your head. Turn around in the chair from time to time to engage the client. Give your client a better experience that reflects well on both you and your company.

If you haven't done it yet at some point in your production career, you're going to do a remote gig where you're crammed into a little space with not enough information or time to do your job. Eventually, you're going to get to the point where you just want to scream at everybody and that can reflect badly on you and your company. The best course of action is to stay calm and wait for the appropriate moment to take action.

This course is available through Lynda.com and LinkedIn Learning

Whether you're a freelancer or the owner of a production company, creating and presenting accurate budgets is essential to the success of your video project. In this course, learn how to create professional budgets and proposals.  Throughout this course, I provide instructions for video professionals on how to plan for the financial needs of each video project. To begin, see how to tackle client assessments by viewing an actual example shown from a script-to-screen project. Next, learn how to develop a working concept with pre-budget production planning by assessing your time, crew, and equipment needs. Last, learn how to present your budget and proposal and how to make revisions.

Topics include:

Completing a client assessment

Discerning between client needs versus wants

Developing a working concept

Creating time and crew assessments

Coming up with the budget

Presenting the proposal

Revising the budget

Knowing when to walk away

Put Post First! presents the essentials of why Post Production should always be a part of your initial discussions when preparing your next video or film production. Here Walter brings his knowledge of the post production process as it relates to your overall production needs in a very simple and easy to understand course.

Part 1 covers why you should avoid the attitude of "Oh we'll just fix it in post."

Part 2 covers some areas where you might spend a little more money in production that will reap cost savings in post-production.

Part 3 discusses why bringing in your Post Production team during initial creative discussions can help yield a better final project.

There is only one constant in life, Change. If that’s the only constant in life, why do so many people see Change as something to fear? Change should represent Opportunity.

In this series, the Original Mr. Positive, Walt Biscardi Sr. shows you why Change is not something to fear, but embrace. After all, in today’s ever connected world, things can change multiple times in a single day!

Filmed in 2000 this series might shed some light on why I am the way I am.  My dad was an amazing motivational speaker and I'm proud to say a lot of him rubbed off on me.

Business can be Aggravating, Frustrating and Irritating up to 90 times a day, heck maybe even more in today's socially connected world.  These Aggravations, Frustrations and Irritations create Attitude.  Left unchecked, that Attitude can destroy your productivity and even your love for what you do. 

In this series, the Original Mr. Positive, Walt Biscardi Sr. demonstrates strategies for dealing with those things that cause attitude and keeping your day, each day, a positive and productive day. 

Filmed in 2000 this series might shed some light on why I am the way I am.  My dad was an amazing motivational speaker and I'm proud to say a lot of him rubbed off on me.

Don't Screw Yourself (Get a Contract) offers advice on ways to protect yourself BEFORE you sign your next contract.   When a big job comes along it's natural to get excited and sometimes that excitement commits you to a project before you've taken the time to properly ask enough questions to fully understand what you're getting yourself into. More often than not, that can lead to frustration and disappointment at best, a loss of money at worst.

While aimed primarily at editors and the Post Production, creative professionals from all aspects of the industry can learn from Walter how to be better prepared for their next big project.  He reveals what creative pros need to know and ask before taking on their next big post project.  It's knowledge gained in over 20 years experience cutting and supervising projects from broadcast to corporate.    Along the way he's "been there, done that" with just about every type of client situation imaginable.

Part 1 looks at the path to the "Big Project."

Part 2 looks at Defining Roles, both for you and for your client.

Part 3 examines the roles of people on the project including you and your team and your client.

Part 4 discusses strategies after you've had your initial project discussion with the client.  

Part 5 starts the discussion on strategies for pricing your services.

Part 6 continues the discussion on money, more importantly, ensuring you get paid for your services. 

Renaming your tracks in Adobe Premiere Pro from the default Video 1, Video 2, Audio 1, Audio 2, etc... can foster better collaboration and organization.

Dealing with "Editor's Block" can be tough. You struggle and agonize over one section of your project, sometimes for hours. Walter Biscardi shows that there are times when it's just best to Walk Away. You and your clients will appreciate it.

Does trying to figure out Anamorphic vs. Square Pixels made your head hurt? Here Walter Biscardi, Jr. gives a quick and simple explanation of what they mean and how they affect your video or film project.

Anatomy of an Edit Suite presents the essentials of what you should be considering in a professional video or film edit suite. Whether you're working in your house, apartment or commercial space, the basics of a pro edit suite are the same. Walter Biscardi, Jr. has worked in and overseen Production and Post for almost 25 years. He's designed and configured 6 Post facilities. Here he brings his knowledge of space and equipment to you in a very simple and easy to understand course to set you up for Video Editing, Graphic Design, Animation, Color Grading, Audio Design and overall Post Production.

Part 1 covers the Editing Console (Desk), and the Chair.

Part 2 covers Monitors and the Tablet.

Part 3 covers Audio hardware, Monitor / USB Extenders, Work Environment and 18% Grey Walls.

Walter Biscardi, Jr. shares some insight and tips for best practices on starting a new Adobe Premiere Pro Project.

Count your pixels and not dots per inch when creating graphics for video and film. Walter Biscardi, Jr. explains.

The term RAID is used a lot in video and film post-production, but if you're new to the term, here's a quick primer on what exactly a RAID is and why you might need one for your next project.