Deez Interviews: Meet the BuzzFeed video producer whose hands you’ve probably seen in your newsfeed
Happy Friday, Deezers! Today, I’m pumped to introduce you guys to Tarn Susumpow, who’s here to reveal a little of the magic behind making those addictive AF top-down social videos that are taking over your Facebook. Enjoy!
//
The interviewee: Tarn Susumpow (follow her on Instagram @tarninabarn!). **Disclaimer: Susumpow is speaking as herself and not on behalf of Buzzfeed as a company.**
The job: Video producer for BuzzFeed Nifty
The hustle: I make videos centered around how-to's, DIYs, and smart living for Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat Discover. My day-to-day varies depending on which stage of production I am in. Some days I spend the whole day online looking for inspirations. Other days are a mix of prop shopping (a lot of Home Depot and TJ Maxx), building, crafting, shooting, hand-modeling (yes, producers ARE the disembodied hands you see on camera), editing and giving notes to other producers.
We've all seen those bird’s eye view / “top-down” BuzzFeed videos all over our social media. But what DON'T people know about what it’s like to produce those videos?
The hardest part is always the first shot — that bit where you bring an object in, and it looks perfectly centered and smooth. Sometimes it takes me more than ten takes to get the position just right.
Your hands are in these videos a lot — do you guys have to get your nails done?
You totally can! The rule is just that they have to be clean. No chipped or dirty nails. Personally, I don't get my nails done because one time it chipped halfway through the shoot, and I had to hide my thumb in the rest of the video.
How long does it take to make one video?
It really depends! I've spent half a day on a video. I've also spent over a week on a video. Things like home improvement and furniture upgrades can take a while, because you have to factor in time for gathering supplies, time for paint to dry, etc.
What’s your favorite Nifty video?
This one: 4 Rage-Free Ways To Open Difficult Packaging! It was a ton of fun to make. It's probably the most acting I've done in a video (usually the only time I appear in a video is to interact with a furniture or to clean something). This is my favorite video for many reasons. First, packaing is a real problem that I face because I have zero patience. Second, it was really satisfying to BEAT THE PACKAGING. Lastly, the comments were generally very positive!
Everyone & their mother these days is ~pivoting~ to social video. What are your thoughts on this?
I think a successful video strategy is one that knows how to capitalize on the company's best assets. At the end of the day, whether it's a written piece or a video piece, I'm just looking for something funny/informative/entertaining/thought-provoking that appeals to my interest and identity.
I think, as someone who is in media, I probably consume media differently than other people. When I am on Facebook or Instagram, I'm mostly just looking for anything different or intriguing enough to capture my attention. Something that makes that company stand out and make me want to follow them. I'm also super aware of the fact that everything is platform-sensitive. I'm always interested in seeing how companies adapt to different platform.
//
Again, I highly recommend following @tarninabarn on Instagram for more behind-the-scenes video magic-making, as well as some great illustration and general visual inspo. That’s it for this week — have a great (and warm) weekend!
Like Deez Links? Forward to a hidden thumb.