PACT TV of Cloquet or Superior? I recommend using a professional (dependable) company instead.

My speaking mentor Tom Antion shared how when presenting to a group such as a high school, college or any business for that matter that you could give the organization a discount in your speaking fees if they would video tape your event. One finished product would stay with the organization for unlimited use and the master and any raw, unused material would become the property of you the speaker to use to promote your services to other prospective event planners.
If you have what is called PACT TV in your area you may be able to take advantage of first learning how to use the equipment to create your own films or to have someone from the organization to come to your event to film it for both you and the company/organization you are speaking to.

In my area I’ve not had real luck with the second option. I do my own limited video production at my office computer for YouTube etc. and the “learning experience” locally was not good as the instructor was not really an instructor, stating: “Here’s the equipment, let me know if you have any questions”. I guess some students learn that way; I do not.

Having someone from Pact TV come to the event and film my events has not yielded positive results in the two times I used their services, or as in one case, no result at all.




The first time was when I presented my handwriting interpretation at the Carlton County Museum. Someone came from the Cloquet Minnesota PACT TV (who I actually knew as having been one of my graphic design students at a local business college I taught at). He went through all the motions but must not have had film in the camera or something because I never got a video of the event. When I called and emailed the person, I did not get a response. I think he still works there but I would say that if you ever have any work done via the PACT TV in Cloquet Minnesota, be sure to ask if there is film in the camera! (Maybe this guy was just getting back at me for a low grade in my class?)
The next time, again it happened to be one of my handwriting interpretation presentations (say that fast 10 times) but this time in Superior Wisconsin. Again, I knew the person behind the camera (hmmm, maybe there is a pattern here). But this time, I made my instructions as clear as possible, I wanted the raw footage to use as promotional material and the master of the finished product with a copy going to the Superior Public Library where I presented.



The presentation went very well, so well that people stayed for over 45 minutes to stand in line to ask personal questions. Wow, a good time was had by all; I was a bit exhausted but felt great because I gave so much.

Again I never got a response back to my requests from PACT TV (Superior location run by a person out of Proctor Minnesota). However I was told that the video was dropped off at the Superior Public Library. When I got the video it was professionally done and looked great!!! But there was one big problem. The entire film had a large banner displayed during the entire length of the duration of the film: Title and Superior Public Library (and I think also the date so it isn’t even “evergreen”). So I can not use this for promotion, unless of course I want to speak only at libraries.


So far, PACT TV has let me down and has been disappointing. At least the second time, I actually used my own camera so I have my own footage that I can edit when I can find some time to do so. And lesson learned; I will insist that my clients where I speak use a professional video service instead of PACT TV. 


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