GNTV: GM's Bob Lutz talks social media & global warming

Bob Lutz, the controversial vice chairman of General Motors sat down with  me to discuss social media at GM and for business in general. I was told it was the first time he had ever done an exclusive interview on the topic.

As a board member at the Fortune 3 company, Lutz began blogging on GM FastLane in early 2005. FastLane has become one of a growing number of GM blogs and social media programs. FastLane has evolved into a team blog.

Lutz talks about social media in general, but, halfway through the 17-minute clip, I got him to digress onto another subject. While one of the PR folk in the room winced and bit his lip,  Lutz reviewed how he stepped into one of his periodic firestorms of controversy by speculating that "Global warming may be a crock..."  I got him to expand on it, talking about how his blog post had fanned the flames what points he had meant to say and why environmental issue or not, Detroit must move away from fossile fuel dependency.

I am always eager to get feedback, but in this particular case, I am more interested than ever to hear what you think.

Comments

[Matt]

Shel-

I'm sure you've been told most of this, but here goes anyway:

1) GET A FUCKING LAV MIC PLEASE!!!!

2) You need someone to shoot these--if you can't afford a DP, then just get a PA who knows how to use a camera.

3) You have to either edit these or add some more elements-you can't just interview someone for 17 minutes, Shel. You just can't. I know you come from the Scoble school, but this is so far off the charts and breaking every rule--it is just not done.

If you want to be in the business of creating video, you have to know the rules before you break them. Please get some professional help or I don't believe you will ever get a sponsor, which is a shame, because it seems like you probably have a good sized audience between your book, Scoble and the puppets.

[Vinny]

Get a tripod and stop holding the camera, then get a proper interview mic. The mic is distracting (and not the right kind of mic for this purpose anyway; you can get a cheap wireless lav set for under $100) and the motion of the camera is really REALLY awkward.

It's okay to have stationary shots; you don't need to keep zooming in and out. Put the camera in a good spot, leave some space for movement, and then just chat. It would improve things tenfold.

[Geoff Livingston]

Shel:

Don't listen to Matt's attitude. He hangs out with Andrew Keen (not really, but same attitude). Attack language aside, good tactical suggestions in here that I will take advantage of, too.

Keep trucking, man! When the going gets rough...

GL

[Mukund Mohan]

This is really good shel. He seems like a very open and simple guy. Different than I imagined the interview would be.

[@ggroovin]

Enjoyed the interview, Shel!

Those who think this is unwatchable can stop watching it. Those of us who are listening & learning great stuff from you can forgive technicalities. If you do want a tripod, though, lemme know. I've got an extra (with carrying case). ;D

[shel israel]

GGroovin
Thanks for the positive reinforcement. I shot this at the end of Feb. Since then Scoble has given me a professional tripod and I've learned a great deal more. Between the shouts, there are lots of useful comments. I think I will get progressively better and when I can turn the AV over to a pro, I think I will suddenly get a LOT better.

[Jim Long]

As you know, I approach video, internet or otherwise, from a completely different place than most. I'm going to be blunt, but hopefully constructive here.

Watching the video, I feel like i'm logging an interview tape. It is a great interview, but i think it can be distilled down to more useful components. I THINK the point you're trying to drive home here is that blogging creates openness and conversation, while putting a human face on a monolithic corporation. Lutz gives you some home-runs out of the park in there, but they are surrounded by more ancillary information.

Overall you and your producer will want to think more about the look and construction of the show. Each show should be pretty well mapped out BEFORE you shoot. Viewers expect reliability from shows whether it be Global Neighbourhoods with Shel Israel or the NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams. There are three elements to television/video production: pre-production, production/acquisition, and post-production. More planning in all of these areas should prove useful.

There's an old maxim in television: there are three ways to do TV... fast, well, and cheap. You can only combine TWO of those options for any given production. Shooting is a whole different area of discussion. Beyond the mechanics of camera operation and microphone choice etc, you need to become a shooter/producer/editor. In many television markets you don't get hired as a shooter unless you've edited. As a news shooter, I'm often required to produce as well, operating without instruction and anticipating what the important visual elements of a story are.

I've developed these skills and instincts over a 20 years career in television and a lot of what I produce comes naturally. I'm very impressed with what you've done given that you've been handed a camera and have been expected to produce. Take a look at these two links. I'm not trying to showboat here, but ALL of the videos here, I shot, produced, wrote, edited and created the motion graphics, by myself. It is possible to do all of this, given a certain level of experience, but I again refer you to the "fast, well and cheap" maxim. Also take a critical look at how i structure the video, how I use natural sound to give viewers a "break" Look at pacing and rhythm. Again this is meant to be constructive and I hope you found my thoughts useful. See you in Sonoma!

http://vergenewmedia.com/watch-video/
http://dailynightly.msnbc.com/jim_long/index.html

[Israel Blechman]

Fascinating and inspiring. Thank you.

[Mike Power]

It's the content that is important and the aim of the cameraman/recorder should be to keep out of the way of the message. You have already addressed the tripod point so that particular problem should be solved now. You need to edit and you need to work in some continuity elements (so you can edit out the voice fluffs but maintain continuity). It's pretty basic stuff.

I don't like the 'talk to the camera' style. He's not actually talking to US he's talking to YOU. You just happened to be directly behind the camera! Looks better if the camera is fixed and the interviewee is looking at the interviewer, who is off-camera.

Also, you need to control the interview. It's not enough to point a camera at someone and let them go on. So, in short, more and more pointed questions. But this guy had some interesting things to say. Just needs to be tighter. And the ending was rather abrupt!!

Hope that wasn't too negative.

[mARSHAL SANDLER]

GET A FUCKING LAV MIC PLEASE!!!! The Putz who wrote this statement should take a course in HENGLISH !

[Des Walsh]

I read what Jim has to say here with respect, of course. However, I wonder if you could comment on his stated assumption "the point you're trying to drive home here is that blogging creates openness and conversation, while putting a human face on a monolithic corporation". From listening to/watching some of your interviews I would have thought you were open to whatever Bob might have to say, rather than having an objective as pre-determined as Jim is suggesting.

[shel israel]

Des, Thanks for the comment. Jim is a real pro and has been extremely supportive and instructive to me recently. I walked in to Bob Lutz office with the objective of hearing what he had to say about GM & blogging. In fact, there were surprises that everyone seems to have missed. Lutz, for one thing, revealed for the first time that he does nt actually write his own blogs. I did not know that. Second he said something that I had not pondered before. Even if Global Warming turns out to be fiction--Lutz believes that GM needs to get off of fossil fuels because of the position of weakness it puts the US in relationship to oil producing countries. My agenda is to have Naked conversations with everyone I interview.

[shel israel]

To Mike,

This will be the last interview where I use a handheld. There will be a couple more--Biz Stone and Disney where I do not appear, but the camera is on tripod and the speakers look just to the side at me. After the next few, future vids will have someone else working the camera and you will see me in the frames.

[Jim Long]

Shel, you and many other folk here in the social media space have been IMMENSELY helpful and welcoming to this old media workhorse and I appreciate that so much!

Des, your point is well taken, I was thinking more structurally and less editorally, but you are absolutely right.

[Debbie Weil]

Shel,

As a fellow author who prevailed upon Bob Lutz to write the foreword to my book, I am fascinated by your interview. I could care less about whether you used a handheld or not. I rather like your style. Great job (and hey I love the music).

[shel israel]

Heh. More structure? I don't think anyone would argue that more structure s needed. There will come a time when each of my GNTV vids will look pretty much like the other. I look forward to that day.

[Alec Saunders]

Nice work Shel. Production issues aside, you've produced an engaging interview with Lutz. I learned a lot!

[benito]

Shel congratulations !!

What easy and clear the social media utilities are now!! This is the voice of a very important businessman. This is the voice of somebody that we ( the bloggers) thought they had to use the new tools. Now they did and we know their views wich are close we thought when we started just thinking and giving ideas of a new panorama. That´s great.

From Sevilla, Spain ( south Europe) Benito Castro.