Interview With Dave Berzack

Few days ago a colleague sent an interesting video cv. I like it so much that I decided to interview video’s author. Ladies and gentlemen – Dave Berzac.

– Every person that I showed your video cv said it is amazing. How did it happen that you made it?

– Well, I started by writing lyrics. Next, I booked time at a hip-hop recording studio. Then I contacted Scott, the videographer. I organized a film shoot at a buddy’s office, called up some friends and offered free drinks. Later, Scott and I did the outdoor scenes, roaming around and shooting in cool locations.

– Music you used it’s a song “Paper Planes” by M.I.A. Did her heard your version?

– I haven’t heard anything from them. I suppose they will, and I hope they like it.

– How long it took to write a lyrics? Was it hard to do?

– It took a few hours here and there. I’ve written stuff like this before, and I have plans for more in the future. For me, the trick is to write a bunch then put it away for at least a few days before doing more. That gives a fresh perspective, so you can edit the stuff that’s not as funny as you thought.

– What about the technical part of video – who was recording, who was editing and mastering your video?

– I’m fortunate to live in Atlanta, which is probably the most prominent hip-hop scene in the world right now. So I had a lot of good options for the sound. I chose Patchwerk, a top-notch studio that works with A-List hip-hop stars. When I was there, doing my thing in the small studio, there was a whole entourage of hype men and bodyguards hanging
around because some big name artist was recording in the big studio. I spent about $500 for that, which really paid off – the quality is awesome, and I had a blast working with them. As for the video, I contacted a local, independent videographer named Scott McKibben. I’d never actually seen his film work, but I saw some of his photos up at a bar and had talked with him about that. When I needed a video, we worked out a barter. He made me a video, and I designed him a website. Both have worked out really well.

– Is there success story behind your Video CV? Have you got any new contracts because of the video?

– Well, I’d say 70,000 hits in the first week is pretty good. As for me, this video has redefined my whole career and put me on an entirely new tier. I’ve had intense interest from agencies around the world. Lots of positive comments and a few really exciting leads. I think most companies prefer not to deal with long-distance freelancers, so my primary focus will be on my local market, and I haven’t gotten around to sending it out to the Atlanta agencies. I want to learn what I can
beforehand, and build up the view count, so it’s most impressive. But I expect good results.

– What do you think about personal branding on Internet? Do you care about it or your video is the one-time event?

– My primary focus has been the one-time push of my portfolio. But I’d love to establish myself as an online personality; someone who provides interesting, off-the-wall content. That marketing is not my field of expertise. If you have any suggestions on how to convert this one-off success into something more lasting, I’d love to hear them!

– If you can give one advice to people how to come into being on The Internet what would it be?

– First off, go big or go home. The internet is a vast place, so if you don’t give it yours all you’re wasting your time.
As for strategy, the fundamental question is: when a person sees your thing, why would he share it with others? Of course, there is an altruistic joy in sharing something good, and that’s all about quality. But there’s more to it. Depending on the meme, the person can get an ego boost or improve their social standing. And that doesn’t
have a lot to do with quality. If the meme is only beautiful or impressive, then the person forwarding it doesn’t share in the glory. But if it’s something novel or ironic, they get to be the one who found it or who gets the joke. Or even more potently, they can be the smart person making fun of it, which explains why stupidity is so popular online. In a nutshell: think about the experience of your stuff, not just the stuff itself. Consider the viewer’s role as a participant in the process and they’re psychological and social motivations for sharing what you create.

– What will be the next digital bomb of Dave Berzack?

– I’ll probably do more spoof songs about different topics. I look forward to trying something with more general appeal. But more immediately, I’m working on a humorous Flash game targeted at the web industry. Stay tuned: I’ll post new links on Twitter.

And this is video cv we were talking about: