Master video production as a business tool this fall in ISM 5670/8000

Using video as a way to reach consumers has become imperative for businesses big and small, so much so that an absence of video content can leave companies on the outside looking in. Most of us have the tools to create videos because of our smartphones, but such an undertaking still requires skill. 

The Mike Ilitch School of Business prepares students with those skills needed to master digital video production with the continuation of a recently adopted course titled Special Topics in Information Systems: Digital Video Creation and Analytics, or ISM 5670/ISM 8000.

The active learning class, taught by Ilitch School information systems management faculty and Director of Computing Services Richard Lerman, teaches students the value of digital video in enterprise and emerging video trends. Students will also come away with an understanding of shooting techniques and how to control lighting and sound.

Recent M.B.A. graduate Megan Ellis took the course last fall. For a class project, she chose to capture Detroit’s renaissance by featuring local landmarks like Campus Martius, Eastern Market and the three major sports venues downtown – Comerica Park, Ford Field and Little Caesars Arena. She also included some of her favorite city attractions such as the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit and the Dequindre Cut. She titled her short film Detroit on the Rise.

Video production skills have become increasingly necessary in an age where creative online video content is, among other things, a solid predictor of consumer behavior. According to WordStream, 64 percent of consumers make a purchase after watching branded social videos. It also reported that 51 percent of marketing professionals worldwide name video as the content with the best ROI.

YouTube remains the most popular platform for uploading video content. With over 1.9 billion monthly logged-in users, the video-sharing site is the second-most trafficked website after Google. And, since 2016, the amount of small- and medium-sized business advertising on YouTube has increased two-fold.

“Most of us already own a camera or smartphone that can shoot digital video,” said Lerman. “This course will help you use that device to create a professional-looking video to post on YouTube or another website, and analyze its impact.”

To register for this course for the Fall 2019 semester, visit classchedule.wayne.edu.

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