Please share out this video after you watch it!  Leave feedback, let me know what you think. 

Nicely done! I very much liked the smiles on the peoples faces near the end of the video. Same thing happens to me every time I go to the range.

Eminently marketable!  (That's high praise, coming from me.)

Well done... looks quite professional and could be suitable for use by many pro-2A organizations.

Terry, 230RN

Keep in mind, this is what I do for a living, and you did ask!

• You kept it nice and short, which is good. 
• Looks like Prezi meets the Ken Burns Effect.  The "moves" are repetitive.  I'd guess that a template-driven freeware was used.
• The music sounds like bargain royalty-free stock.  Not objectionable, but not motivated.
• Quite a nice variety of images, all well-composed, well-exposed, and with good color balance.
• I'd reinforce the call to action.  We're 30 seconds in before it comes, and it is short. 
• There aren't any images that are obviously of instruction taking place.  Sure, being a firearms instructor, I recognize the presence of the instructor over the shoulder of the student, but to someone who is new to this world, nothing about the video (besides two brief text messages) suggests "training" or "class."

For what it is (done as a side project with free tools by someone not a video professional), this is a good piece of work.  It would get an "A" in my introductory class.  For something intended to compete for attention and actually generate sales out there in the whole wide world, it's fairly middle-of-the-pack.  This would be a "C" in my advanced class (In part because of the items I mentioned above, and in part because it's a class in video, not in slideshows    ).  I'd say that this is an excellent step forward, but certainly you should aspire to something more. 

Very good, i like it!

Keep in mind, this is what I do for a living, and you did ask!

• You kept it nice and short, which is good. 
• Looks like Prezi meets the Ken Burns Effect.  The "moves" are repetitive.  I'd guess that a template-driven freeware was used.
• The music sounds like bargain royalty-free stock.  Not objectionable, but not motivated.
• Quite a nice variety of images, all well-composed, well-exposed, and with good color balance.
• I'd reinforce the call to action.  We're 30 seconds in before it comes, and it is short. 
• There aren't any images that are obviously of instruction taking place.  Sure, being a firearms instructor, I recognize the presence of the instructor over the shoulder of the student, but to someone who is new to this world, nothing about the video (besides two brief text messages) suggests "training" or "class."

For what it is (done as a side project with free tools by someone not a video professional), this is a good piece of work.  It would get an "A" in my introductory class.  For something intended to compete for attention and actually generate sales out there in the whole wide world, it's fairly middle-of-the-pack.  This would be a "C" in my advanced class (In part because of the items I mentioned above, and in part because it's a class in video, not in slideshows    ).  I'd say that this is an excellent step forward, but certainly you should aspire to something more.

I'm seeing beer and video discussion in our future Tom .  This stuff is beyond me.  I could use some music suggestions (something I don't know much about, it was pulled off of animoto's play list).  The project is template driven, they have about 25 or so 'themes" you can pick from. 

re: images -  Thank you! I am still learning how to do photography, its hard, I have no idea what I am doing, but still trying . I would love to learn more in a more formal, but informal setting (i.e. I can't go to school for it, but I always can trade beer and shooting for tips and training).

re: instructors - I did have a suggestion from someone to have a few photos of the "classroom" portion; I thought that was a great suggestion and would be putting that in for the next revision.  Do you think that would bring in the "instructor" portion good enough?

re: CTA - What type of suggestions do you think I could use to really plug the CTA?  This specific video are trying to put onto the actual firearm safety webpage kind of as a little ad within that page.


There wasn't too much that went into this except for choosing the right photographs in the proper order we wanted them, finding music and selecting that, and then hitting the go button -- animoto.com did the rest.   We were able to apply for a 'cause' account for the 'pro' service, which normally runs 39.00 a month, but in our instance was free!  So all in all, I would say not bad.  I know I shouldn't settle for "good enough," but time and money drives some of this (more the time portion) so I think we are moving in the right direction.

I'm super thick skinned, so the more you rip me on this, the happier I am.  For everyone, I really appreciate the feedback. Your comments will help make better videos and expand our operations in teach and furthering the 2A here.

*also* round two of said video will drop a few slides and incorporate videos of the guns being fired and maybe a clip 2-3 seconds of us instructing in class.

  I could use some music suggestions (something I don't know much about, it was pulled off of animoto's play list). 

Music is one of those things that just doesn't come for free.  There are many, many sources for royalty-free music out there, but honestly, quality is directly proportional to price.  We're not talking a huge expense here, but something in the range of $50 for a good song isn't unrealistic.

re: images -  Thank you! I am still learning how to do photography, its hard, I have no idea what I am doing, but still trying (would love to learn more).

The images you selected are pretty good.  A couple could have been framed slightly tighter, but that's getting really persnickety.  Whatever you're doing to build your photography skills, it's working.  Keep doing it! 

re: instructors - I did have a suggestion from someone to have a few photos of the "classroom" portion; I thought that was a great suggestion and would be putting that in for the next revision.  Do you think that would bring in the "instructor" portion good enough?

Classroom shots is certainly one way to approach that, and I think including a couple could be nice.  However, seeing people with guns is much better eye candy.  I'd look for images that show you (or some instructor) actively coaching a shooter.  Maybe helping to position a shooter's hands, looking on closely as they lock a slide back, mimicing the motion of inserting a mag while the shooter has gun and mag in sight... just things that stress the interactivity of the class.

re: CTA - What type of suggestions do you think I could use to really plug the CTA?  This specific video are trying to put onto the actual firearm safety webpage kind of as a little ad within that page.

If your intended purpose is just to have this embedded in you website, then the CTA is probably fine as it stands.  After all, they'll already be at your site, on your training page, so what you need isn't advertisement, just reinforcement.  If, however, you want to put this "out there" to draw people to your classes and your organization, then I'd suggest both better branding and reinforcing the CTA.  Repetition works, but my preference is to come up with something that reveals itself throughout the video. 

*also* round two of said video will drop a few slides and incorporate videos of the guns being fired and maybe a clip 2-3 seconds of us instructing in class.

Excellent.  Video trumps pictures.  Nothing wrong with including stills, but for my money, the more moving pictures, the better.  You could even treat this version of the video as a storyboard, and set out to get video clips of each of those moments as you move forward.

  The project is template driven, they have about 25 or so 'themes" you can pick from. 

Hehe... Can I call it, or can I call it?

I'm seeing beer and video discussion in our future Tom . 

Happy to oblige!

Maybe you can show a wider range of demographics?  Moms and sons learning together.  Perhaps a shot of different caliber ammunition.   A shot of HPD Firearms registration followed by a quick shot of the application, so that potential firearms owners understand that the aquistion part of it will be covered in the class?  I dunno, I'm just shooting off the hip.  Great video!

Maybe you can show a wider range of demographics?  Moms and sons learning together.  Perhaps a shot of different caliber ammunition.   A shot of HPD Firearms registration followed by a quick shot of the application, so that potential firearms owners understand that the aquistion part of it will be covered in the class?  I dunno, I'm just shooting off the hip.  Great video!

I will be doing "father" son but no "mom and son" have attended yet.  Speaking of resgistration, I will be making a quick video of the process =p.  Should be fun to record at HPD while I am making my application and stuff.