An Inside Look at How the FBI Develops Engaging Video

Do you want to learn how to create a successful video strategy from beginning to end?

Bryce Spivey, Chair of the Video Production Pros community, talks with Steve Lewis, a digital content strategist and public affairs specialist from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, about a video and story series he produced that resulted in the highest viewership and online engagement rates to date for their division.

We will discuss everything from concept to completion, including marketing, collaboration, overcoming challenges, lessons learned, and more.

What you will learn:

• How to work with minimal resources: from concept development to producing video
• Developing a content strategy for a video and story series: from messaging and scene planning to marketing and promotion
• Backpack journalism: producing video and photo content on your own with minimal gear
• Utilizing tools like 360 video, photography, and audio to tell a story
• Leveraging different digital and traditional communications vehicles to get the most eyes on your content

This talk is aimed at video producers, directors, cinematographers / DPs, editors, social media and digital content managers, and anyone else interested in widening their reach through telling stories.

About the Presenters

Steve Lewis is a digital content strategist and public affairs specialist with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. He wears multiple hats on the Bureau’s public affairs team, including video producer, social media analyst, writer, and marketing project manager. Since joining the FBI, Steve has launched and managed the Bureau’s first-ever live streaming program, lead multiple communications campaigns to market digital tools and applications to the public and implemented innovative tactics to widely promote the FBI’s law enforcement and intelligence mission. He also trains international law enforcement agencies on public affairs strategies through the U.S. Government’s International Law Enforcement Academy.

Prior to joining the FBI, Steve worked in a wide range of public and private sector capacities, including digital media manager with the U.S. Trade and Development Agency and marketing associate with the Netherlands-based bank, ING Direct.

Steve has a B.A. in journalism from the University of Delaware and has a master’s degree in Public Relations and Corporate Communications from Georgetown University where he holds a part time faculty position as an alumni advisor. He is a 16-year veteran of the U.S. Air Force Reserve and currently serves as a commissioned Public Affairs Officer.

Bryce Spivey is a 4-time Emmy award-winning filmmaker who has directed, produced, filmed, and/or edited over 100 documentary and commercial style videos for clients such as Hilton Worldwide, Lockheed Martin, Levick, and Johns Hopkins University. He has received 11 nominations for Emmy Awards, and has won 2 AVA Digital Awards, 3 Communicator Awards, and 19 Telly Awards—among others.

Over the past two years, Bryce has served as the multimedia lead for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), which recruited him to establish and grow the agency’s entire multimedia program, including photography and video production. During this short time, Bryce and his team received recognition and praise from top government professionals for their creative and innovative approach to convey complex financial concepts in a simple and engaging way through video. In addition to his work at the CFPB, Bryce mentors students and guest lectures about storytelling for the M.S.Ed. in Education Entrepreneurship capstone course at the University of Pennsylvania.

Bryce graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University with his bachelor of science in Public Relations and currently lives in Washington, D.C.

The Video Production Pros Community is a group of of storytellers, artists, creatives, directors, DPs, producers, editors and more working for various federal agencies. They share leading trends, best practices, latest projects, feedback, techniques, and strategies that help their respective agencies connect with people through the power of video. Learn more about joining.