The Video Show: One Minute With Nate Kresge

As election campaigns pick up the pace for 2020, what is involved in producing, shooting and editing TV ads and digital media for political campaigns? The session “Getting Into Politics: Best Practices for Those Behind the Camera” will be presented at The Video Show, a two-day event in Washington, Dec. 4–5, 2019.

In the session, Nate Kresge, co-owner and executive director at GK Visual, will share his thoughts on the process, and the technical and creative challenges and solutions associated with creating political videos. He'll also discuss tips for getting into the political industry and working with candidates for the first time.

The Video Show caught up with Kresge for just a minute ahead of the show.

The Video Show:With the foreign election meddling in 2016 that took advantage of social media platforms, and Twitter’s recent decision to ban political ads altogether, do you think there is still a place for campaign videos on social media?

Nate Kresge: I think there will always be a place for campaign videos on social media. I think the content of those ads will be what changes. Viewers are becoming much more savvy and want content that is genuine and authentic. We are already seeing candidates using their smartphones to upload videos from the campaign trail with huge success.

TVS:How have advances in technology (use of drones, 4K, VR, smartphones) affected the way election videos are produced?

NK: Technology has grown the political video industry by leaps and bounds. When I first started in this field 16 years ago consultants and campaigns thought it was a waste of time to have a website, let alone post video online. It would also take us much longer to turn around a spot. Now we can turn a spot around in less than 24 hours. Advancements such as drones and 4K cameras are just improving the look of our work and making productions more affordable.

The Video Show will feature more than 100 sessions on nine presentation stages, as well as a dedicated screening room, demo areas, streaming studio and dynamic exhibit floor. Want to hear more about this topic? Visit the website to learn more and register.