Earlier this week I sat down with Richard Sales, Video Producer at Autumn e-media, based out of Nevada, and had a candid conversation about what makes an effective online video. While Richard is a professional with tools and resources at his disposal to create high quality video, I asked him to answer my questions in a way that the novice would understand.

You probably recognize most of Richard's work. He was the producer of every one of the NRSC's web ads last cycle. According to Richard these are his biggest accomplishments while at the NRSC:

In 2008, the NRSC propelled far beyond the DSCC, the DCCC, and the NRCC as the #1 most subscribed YouTube channel among all Hill committees. The NRSC also beat the DNC, and was behind only John McCain, Barack Obama, and the RNC.

The NRSC's videos have been seen over 1 million times and have aired on every national news network (CNN, FOX, MSNBC, ABC, CBS), many local news networks, many newspaper websites like the New York Times and the Washington Post, and countless blogs, including Hot Air, Red State, Michelle Malkin, and RealClearPolitics.

On several occasions, the NRSC has beaten YouTube celebrities like Obama Girl, Oprah, and The Onion in video views in a day or week.

So, here in 140 words or less(ish) are Richard's responses to each of my questions.

How did you get your start in online video & multimedia?

For me, it was all about seizing the right opportunity.

In 2006, I was hired to do research for the Arizona Republican Party. I had no background in video production; I was a political science major in college. But one day, an opportunity rose to expose then-Governor Janet Napolitano for building a controversial memorial that seemed to blame America for 9/11. So I took it upon myself to open up Windows Movie Maker (as much as it pains me to admit that), and make a short Web ad. Next thing I knew, party officials were impressed enough to put it online. It was an instant success, earning media coverage in papers and even being aired on the radio.

Videos had nothing to do with my job, but I saw an opportunity to try something new and the rest is history.

What makes an online video effective/viral?

There is no one trick to making an online video viral. I have found that comedy, original music, spoofs of other viral videos, shock, and just downright visual impressiveness generate a lot of views.

There are also ways to NOT make a video go viral, including the sleazy "sexy thumbnail" trick on YouTube, where you insert one, split-second frame of an attractive woman right in the middle of your video's duration so that YouTube uses that frame as the thumbnail. Sure, you'll trick people into watching it, only to find out the video is not about attractive women at all. YouTube's algorithm for selecting thumbnails has since changed, but in principle, it is a still a bad idea.

The lesson? Be honest, be original, and be creative -- and the views will come.

What are the key components of a good video?

On the technical side, even if you don't have the best equipment, just light your subject well and provide him/her with decent sound (not too loud, not too soft).

But message matters, too. What defines a "good" video varies based on the goal(s) of that video. Some videos, like fundraising appeals, require a clear, convincing call-to-action. Other videos, like those that aim to inform, should have a concise, memorable message. No one wants to sit through a boring, 10-minute video that could otherwise be summarized in 60 seconds.

There is also an emotional element that is important. Humans, by nature, are emotional creatures. We respond more to matters of the heart than the complexities of facts and figures. Utilizing the right music and imagery is often more important than the information presented, such as this Obama campaign video:

What resources are available to activists who don't have much experience with online video/editing?

If you're just beginning, remember, I was just a political science grad with no prior editing experience. The world has changed. Barriers to entry are broken. It's easy to learn on your own and have access to affordable software.

I suggest purchasing video editing software like Adobe Premiere or Apple Final Cut Pro, and just start playing around with it. That's what I did. If you're strapped for cash, Apple iMovie and Windows Movie Maker come free with your Mac or PC, respectively.

And instead of just watching YouTube clips on your spare time, try really studying them. Check out the videos I mentioned before. Notice the little nuances that go into them -- how the music fits, when key visuals appear, what information is stressed versus what is not, and camera techniques, just to name a few.

What's the best video camera out there that meshes quality/affordability?

If you have a tight budget, but want good quality, I recommend buying the Sony HDR-SR11. For about $700, it not only gives you the ability to shoot in full HD, but control of a manual focus wheel. One of the noticeable differences between amateur-quality recordings and professional-quality recordings is the use of selective focusing. It is a lot more complicated than that, but the Sony HDR-SR11 is a good, cheap camera that helps bridge the gap between affordability and quality.

What's your favorite video that you've created? Why?

Um, wow, that's a tough one. Among over 200 ads, I'm sure I'm not thinking of some right now. They've ranged from the visually insane to the just plain silly.

But for now, let's go with "Freedom -- Narrated by Sen. Fred Thompson." Not only did I get to record the great Fred Thompson in the studio, but I was able to compose the music, which gave me a lot more creative control than just using stock music that wouldn't match the rises and falls of the ad's script. Plus, I'm a sucker for Americana and feel-good optimism.

BTW, looking back, I just love this line: "Barack Obama has proposed $800 billion in new spending so far in his presidential campaign -- and you can bet that there's more to come."

Yeah, we really low-balled that one.

What are your thoughts? In 140 words or less, what makes an online video effective?

Please leave your thoughts in the comments or if you would like your respond to be featured in our 140 Words or Less series don't hesitate to email me at mparlett.grassroots -AT- gmail.com.

On Fundraising Widgets

Hi, Mister Campaign Fundraiser Technician?

Yes, you. I don’t care if you work in a campaign, or just sell your services to campaigns. I’m talking to you.

We at RedState.com do enjoy asking our readers to give money to candidates. When a good Republican needs help, we want to find that help. And one thing you guys have already figured out is that nifty website widgets draw attention and can fire up donors.

The Linguistics of ReTweets

I’ve done a bunch of research into the characteristics of ReTweets in an effort to understand what makes them viral. ReTweets are the first entirely observable and analyzable viral content spreading mechanism in the history of mankind and as such they offer an unparalleled window into what makes humans spread ideas.

Obama Puts Staff Salaries Online

The Obama administration on Wednesday publicly disclosed on the Internet its annual report to Congress on staff titles and salaries. Since 1995, the White House has been required to deliver such a document to Capitol Hill. Consistent with President Obama's commitment to transparency, his Web team posted the rundown as a PDF document and as a searchable table (powered by Socrata) as it was sent to lawmakers.

YouTube Increases File Size Limit to 2GB, Now allows Direct HD Embeds

While not every tweak to YouTube’s system deserves a post, this one is pretty significant, though very straightforward as well. First, the 1GB file limit for YouTube videos has been doubled to 2GB; this is a boon to many users who have been uploading high definition content more than a few minutes long. Ten minutes of 1080p footage can easily exceed a gig, especially if you’ve been editing it and weren’t careful about re-encoding. A 2GB limit should soothe that particular pain.

This past Friday, on a conference call with the RNC Digital Action Team, Todd Herman gave insight to a new RNC initiative to revamp its website & digital content.

Earlier today, I linked to this video at Bivings of Todd’s speech at Tuesday’s Personal Democracy Forum – in which Todd continued to expand on his vision for the RNC’s online team – including a re-launch of GOP.com in 45 days.

You don’t have to wait for the beta to launch in July.

The GOP.com rebuild starts with YOU.

If you have a creative video project already underway or in the works, the GOP wants to promote it – whether that be through linking to your respective blog/site and/or including a profile of the individual producer.

We’re not talking about video from hot shot DC insiders. Todd hopes that Republicans everywhere will produce creative video messages so that by example, the GOP will highlight:

Positive Declarations of Republicanism.

In doing so, really tap into the heart of the grassroots -- Picture individuals answering this question:  How have Republican ideals affected your life?

The only stipulation is that the video cannot advocate for primary candidates.

Ultimately, there will be a place on GOP.com for upload capability so that the non-tapped political user can send in his/her own content.

Other things to look forward to at the RNC?

• Email improvement
• “Text is next, with more drama”

In the meantime, if you have a video project that you’d like to highlight or if you want to get involved with the Digital Action Team, don’t hesitate to get in touch with Todd Herman at therman@rnchq.org.

Intersection of Politics and Internet Continuing to Grow

According to a recently released survey from the Pew Internet and American Life Project, 55% of the adult population are now what Pew classifies as “online political users,” or, people who go online to either get information about politics, or to get involved in the political process. When taking a look at the demographics of this group, several key things jump out:

1. Online political users are not overwhelmingly young.  While online political users do skew younger than the general adult population, it is not a group dominated by young people. 

Twitter Revamps Followers and Following Pages

Twitter has just rolled out an update to the pages where you browse the list of people you’re following and those following you. These pages – which you get to by clicking the following/follower counts on any user profile – now come with a whole lot more information about other Twitter users.

For example, on the page listing your followers, Twitter now shows a check mark of the people you follow back. There’s also a pull-down menu that includes options for direct messaging them, sending them an @ mention, following them (if you’re not already doing so), or blocking them.

And, in case you missed it - here's a link to a video of Todd Herman's talk at Personal Democracy Forum yesterday (Thanks to Alexis Matsui @Bivings) --

VIDEO: Todd Herman Discusses the Next Steps in Web Development

Later this evening, I'll be writing a post on the RNC online team's plans for the future of the party on the Internet and how you can get involved.

Something to look forward to.

Earlier this week, I bolted up to NYC for my third annual Personal Democracy Forum.

This year's conference was bigger and badder then ever with over 1,000 of my closest tech & politics nerds in attendance. Indeed, the crowd size started to show, with some panels filling to capacity and ushers turning people away.

DAG certainly contributed to the growth. The last two years, it was only David and I at PDF. This year six daggers attended.

As always, there were a number of excellent panels and thought-leaders (and some not so great ones too) - but for those who couldn't make it up or were too busy twittering to pay attention, I've recapped it for you.

Without any further blather, here are the top five things I learned from this year's PDF.

1. The Pickens Plan By The Numbers

Since it launched over a year ago, I've been paying close attention to the widely successful Ning-powered social action network Push.PickensPlan.com and at PDF I got to hear some of the amazing stats behind the network. Including:

• 1.1 million emails sent to administration officials.
• 40 percent of supporters have taken at least one action on the site.
• 201,000 active members of Push, the ning network.
• 91% of Congressional Districts have an active "District Leader".

Wow. More info on here.

2. Technology Can Fix Health Care

The current debate over health care reform can seem pretty bi-polar: a government takeover or privately run health care. But lost in the debate is the idea that a smarter embrace of technology can reduce costs, improve quality of care, and increase efficiency.

For example, moving to electronic medical records is a reform effort that Republicans and Democrats can agree on. Right now, gaining access to your medical records is difficult to impossible. But if you stream-line access to your personal health records, you're empowered to better control your own health care. That's the philosophy behind the site HealthDataRights.org, check it out.

3. Whatever.

Michael Wesch, the anthropology professor from Kansas, who's viral video "Web 2.0 ... The Machine is Us/ing Us" you've probably already seen (If not, do so. Now.) - did it again. He described a short history of the term "whatever". From 60s counter-culture to the present and used the term to frame a analysis of the Youtube community. More info here.

4. Class Politics Online: Myspace vs. Facebook

Danah Boyd delivered a much buzzed about lecture on the divide between MySpace and Facebook users and made the case for the white flight of suburban, college-bound youth from MySpace to the "safer" Facebook.

As someone who uses social networks for pretty much everything, the talk was an eye-opener. And it's making me reconsider how I can leverage MySpace (which I've tended to write off) to reach certain demographics for advocacy and activism. Read her lecture online here.

5. IT Dashboard

White House CIO Vivek Kundra announced an IT Dashboard to track government spending on technology across 28 federal agencies. Government 2.0, here we come. It offers data feeds to pull out the info and a clean, accessible user-interface. More on the project here.

I want to give special props to at @bivings for not only hosting a blowout happy hour but also deploying some solid tech for PDF, including a simple Twitter aggregator for #pdf09 hashtags. The clever logo makes the page (note the # and @ symbols in the cup). 

@PatrickRuffini When online feedback becomes a provision of an actual signed law, I'll actually believe. #pdf09

@ruthannharnisch #PDF09 "Transparency movement is very important to me, glad conservatives and Dems can agree on that." Todd

@dangillmor: Todd Herman wants" A purple issue on which we can agree" and it's transparency. this guy is smart and engaging #pdf09

@nicktroiano "We're going to gravitate to hyper-local content" #pdf09. Agreed.

@tomwatson 'It doesn't always have to b over the mahogany table w/porcelain cups of tea' Alec Ross on new US digital statecraft #pdf09

@davidall Esther Dyson to @sanuzis on @toddeherman's speech: he was really good. His party should listen to him.

@lizmair After spending 10 yrs in UK, text feels like my favorite old sweater: Comfortable, reliable, useful, love it, but nothing new #pdf09

YouTube to Broadly Release Call-To-Action Overlays, Allow Linking Off-Site

[Today], YouTube is going to release a very important addition to its suite of advertising products, and it has the potential to have a huge impact for politicians, brands, and charities alike. The funny thing is, you probably thought it was already out there.

The product’s official name is the Call-To-Action Overlay, and it’s about as straightforward as ads come: it’s a semi-transparent pop-up that links viewers to any website you choose. For example, I could place an overlay on a TechCrunch video inviting users to visit the corresponding post we wrote about it. Yes, it’s that simple.

Via @PatrickRuffini

The "Future is Being Written" at PdF '09: Day One Recap

If you're not able to join us in New York City today for the first day of Personal Democracy Forum 2009, you might be interested in recaps and analysis of the initial chunk of the day from the likes of MediaBistro's Amanda Ernst, who covered the morning's opening keynotes. You might enjoy coverage of New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg's discussion of data-fueled open government by CNET's Caroline McCarthy, New York Future Initiative's Joe Pompeo, and the New York Times' Sewell Chan and Patrick McGeehan. And you can read Craig Newmark's summation -- "[the] future is being written at Personal Democracy Forum 2009 -- for a dose of the flavor of today's event.

Google wants Citizen Journalists and Professional Media Organizations to Upload More and Better Videos to YouTube

This morning, Google's YouTube opened up its Reporters' Center - a new hub for teaching citizen journalists to become better reporters by teaching them about how to prepare for interviews, be better investigative reporters, and how to help media organizations in the news-gathering process. Interestingly, at the same time as YouTube is trying to help citizen journalists, Google is also encouraging professional media organizations to join the YouTube Partner Program and upload more videos to YouTube that can then be featured on Google News.

Google argues that by joining this program, news organizations will be able to reach a wider audience, cut hosting costs, and be able to interact with YouTube's large (and often highly vocal) user base.

So in lieu of actually attending #pdf2009, I'm following the conference vicariously via those that I follow on twitter.

The following are today's top tweets - ranging from the seriously informative to the seriously hilarious. Enjoy.

@lesliebradshaw for those of you not able to make #pdf09 wanted to share their real-time Twitter convo tool http://www.personaldemocracy.com/twitter

@JordanRaynor @DavidAll: I don't focus on Twitter homeruns. Focus on strategic singles and doubles. #pdf09

@bivings Challenge of managing a fundraising campaign on Twitter, is the realization that you don't have control over the messages you send.#pd09

@BarackBorat Gibbsy says Personal Democracy Forum are recommend follow @BarackBorat (What is "personal democracy"? Is not nice.) #pdf09

@jonhenke At #PDF09, @almacy making the point that Obama White House did not, in fact, discover the internet. They're just moving the ball forward.

@jmansour Good talk on health care will have to check out www.healthdatarights.org #pdf09 #myhealthdata

@justin_hart Attention #PDF09 - Free tool 4 attendees from @chuckdevore - Follow others at the conference automatically! http://tweetforchuck.com/pdf

@davidall Liberals think talk radio is the conservative version of the Internet. Let me be clear: I do not own a radio. #pdf09

@almacy @jeffjarvis Gives props to govt web managers as being fun. (Agree!) We should give govt permission to try and fail. #pdf09

@michaelturk A friend once described MySpace as "Like GeoCities, but not as attractive". That sums it up. #pdf09

@KatieHarbath @mindyfinn another fact. Much easier when out of power to take risks and grow - R's seeing this now with internet #pdf09

If I'm missing any key tweets from today - please drop them in the comments.

Give Your Facebook Page a Facelift

Recently Robert Scoble interviewed Caitlin O’Farrell for the new building43 site which was recently launched by Robert and the team over at RackSpace.  Caitlin is the program manager for consumer marketing at Facebook.  Caitlin spends her time working with celebrities or, as she notes, their publicists, to provide them with a Facebook presence.

Google AdSense coming to iPhone, Android Apps

A couple of days ago, Google announced the beta launch of AdSense for Mobile Apps. This is a new facility which iPhone and Android app developers can use to earn extra bucks by displaying text and image ads on their applications.

According to Google, AdSense for Mobile Apps would give advertisers new ways of reaching their potential customers and application developers to show the best ads to their users. The program has already been tested with some and Google thought that the program is now ready for public consumption.

At the White House: A Wall of Newspapers

Who says newspapers are dead? Not the White House, apparently.

Every morning, White House staffers have taken to printing out
dozens of front pages of newspapers from across the country and pinning
them to a wall in the press office.

Today, headlines screamed of Michael Jackson's death in scores of
newspapers on the newspaper wall outside of the office of Deputy Press
Secretary Josh Earnest.

The newspaper front pages are shrunken down and printed out on
small, 8-1/2 by 11-inch paper, losing their color and some of their
punch.

But to newspaper reporters weary of the repeated declarations that
their industry is doomed, it's nonetheless something of a bright spot.

Google Thought Michael Jackson Traffic Was Attack

Google has confirmed that the surge of Michael Jackson-related searches on Google News Thursday was first interpreted as an attack on its service.

Google News was inaccessible for some people Thursday afternoon right as rumors of Jackson's death began to circulate, replaced by an error message reading "We're sorry, but your query looks similar to automated requests from a computer virus or spyware application. To protect our users, we can't process your request right now."

Via @PatrickRuffini

Given his aversion to the bubble of the presidency, willingness to admit when he screws up, and experience as a professor of constitutional law, it seems fair to conclude that while Obama may disagree with you on a particular issue, he's at least conversant with the counterarguments. Indeed, it's said that a good lawyer—and Obama graduated from Harvard Law magna cum laude—can argue both sides of a case.

As such, I think the President would be open to the following question, which I submitted this morning for his upcoming online town hall meeting on health care:

What do you think—without caricature—is the strongest, most serious objection to your health care proposal, and how would you reply?

YouTube says the winning questions will be among the most popular ones, so if you're interested in which conservative criticism is most cogent, why not watch and share the above 16-second video? Let's see if we can replicate what Patrick Ruffini did in 2007 with YouTube's "10 Questions" contest.