Does the occasional VNR, marketing video or satellite media tour warrant the creation of an in-house studio? The question of whether to invest in equipment becomes more
delicate for communicators whose news forays are more sporadic.
Myvesta.org, a Rockville, Md. nonprofit specializing in consumer debt reduction, recently set up an internal TV studio, primarily to better utilize its executives' time. "The
big factor is time savings for the spokespeople in our organization, says PR director Nancy Ness Judy. "Instead of having our founders out of the building for half a day for
interviews, they can just walk downstairs." Keeping projects in-house also means maintaining tighter control. One myvesta.org package released earlier this month to TV news
stations featured founders Steve Rhode and Mike Kidwell discussing Americans' vacation spending habits.
Judy says her organization's investment in an in-house studio proved a shrewd financial move and cost about the same as a single professionally produced VNR. But it's meant a
big time commitment for staff and the learning curve has been steep. "We have one person on staff who came from a small TV station, but mostly we've been learning as we go," she
says.
The in-house route has disadvantages, too. n-house producers and camera crews often have a harder time being objective about what's newsworthy because they're entrenched in
the company's mission, observes Deborah Genovesi, director of West Coast operations for the production company DWJ Television. And keeping pace with changes in technology can be a
bear. Also, the talent pool may not be as rich when it comes to hiring full-time staff. Some experts suggest that individuals who pursue corporate film gigs are second-string
"news wannabes" who couldn't make it in traditional media circles.
(Nancy Ness Judy, myvesta, 301/762-5270; Deborah Genovesi, DWJ Television, 310/827-8567)