A Review
By Lorraine Grula

Jim Edwards and Mike Stewart are, in my humble opinion, THE Internet Video guys.

Jim Edwards and Mike Stewart are to internet video what Milton Berle was to TV– pioneers. I mean, have you seen the Internet Business Show? It’s almost an entertaining as the Texaco Star Theater, and it’s certainly more educational.

Probably the first internet marketers to promote making money on the web using video, Jim and Mike have been using and teaching video for years now, long before most internet “gurus” gave it a thought.

Jim Edwards and Mike Stewart deserve a lot of credit for being visionaries; indeed, internet video marketing has blossomed into one of the most awesome opportunities of our age.

I never imagined when I graduated from college in 1980 with a degree in broadcasting that someday I could operate a world-wide TV production information network from my house!

No doubt Jim and Mike’s encouragement to incorporate video into your internet business is a wise strategy; I’m not even going to debate that here. It’s a given!

How good is the product?

Mike Stewart spent decades as a well respected professional audio guy in the Atlanta market. Jim taught himself video production, which is no easy feat. I admire the guy for leaping in head-first and making it work.
Have you ever tried to decipher those manuals? You know…the ones written by someone who just learned English yesterday?

Once Jim and Mike started having financial success with video on the net, they put together a video instruction product called “Website Video Secrets.” It's the recording of a two-day conference they gave on the subject.

The thirty-page sales letter promises you that it’s quick, easy and painless to produce video for your website.

Is it really?

The sales letter also promises the non-techie moron that this expensive product can teach them to profit from video on the internet.

Does it really?

The current price for Jim and Mike’s 13-disc set is $897. The original price upon release in 2006 was $1,499.
Website Video Secrets has:

• Nine DVDs of conference lectures
• Three CDs with dozens of screen capture tutorials and hours of audio content
• Two software aps for converting video files and uploading to the web
• A set of script templates for sales and infomercials
• Bonus lesson on injecting “personality” into your voice

To go through the entire course once will take you at least twenty hours. No doubt a serious student who likes to review passages and takes lots of notes will take longer. I’d guess that a novice, serious studier, would need about 40-80 hours to study and absorb this much material.

If that sounds like a lot of work, it is. The information is thorough and detailed. Jim and Mike know internet video production from the ground up, so they explain most every aspect you can imagine. Just a few of the questions you’ll have answered:

• How does all this stuff WORK?
• How do I get my masterpiece on the web?
• How to avoid technical glitches
• How do I operate a camera?
• How do I perform on-camera?
• How do I work video into my business to make MONEY?

To really know what you’re doing with internet video, you need to know this stuff. There truly is that much to know, and because Jim and Mike have been doing it the longest, they know the most.

Now don’t start sweating too hard, it ain’t rocket science!

Sales letters always promise you it’s easy, that’s just marketing manipulation-speak. Who want to buy something that’s a lot of work? Truth is, Website Video Secrets isn’t that easy, but that’s a good thing. That means it’s complete.

Website Video Secrets is a lot easier than going to classes in a vocational school for two to four years! And it's tons easier than figuring it out by yourself, like Jim did.
“Easy” in this case is relative, Website Video Secrets isn’t a five-minute task.

Can a point-and-click, non-techie handle it?

Probably. Depends on how badly the non-techie wants to learn. Internet video production IS easy….compared to creating and founding a television network. It’s not easy compared to figuring out how to set the clock on your VCR.

Some people will find this material confusing, not because it’s poorly presented but because it’s a lot to absorb and most of it will be new.

Massive quantities of new information can be intimidating, but Jim and Mike do a reasonably good job of making it simple. They cover all the basics and answer tons of questions. Having it on disc lets you review it as many times as necessary.

Personally, I’d rather spend time upfront learning what I’m doing than plod in head-first only to get confused and frustrated. If you devote yourself to this course, (and fill in the blanks with articles from this blog!) you will gain the confidence to be successful in all aspects of video production for the internet.

Think of Website Video Secrets as a two-week training period that will greatly enhance your business.

Jim and Mike saw a lot of success with Website Video Secrets and a year later they released Websites Video Secrets 2, which is currently not on the market. That's too bad, because it helped fill in some information gaps with the first WVS.

Is Website Video Secrets worth it?

In a word—yes. It’s not perfect, but it’s one heckuva lot of information that covers the subject fairly well.

Occasionally, it suffers from those time wasting conversations that are always present at live events, but they cut most of that stuff out.

The amount of time-wasting material in Website Video Secrets is minimal, and a lot of it is hilarious, so I didn't mind too much.
I trust Jim Edwards and Mike Stewart. They’re both honest, hard-working guys who’ve profited from Internet video. Mike’s a long-time audio production professional, so he adds a lot of technical information and credibility if professional credentials are important to you.
Both Jim and Mike missed their true calling as professional comedians. The silly barbs and comments they toss in help keep it from being a snoozer.

If you want to take advantage of the video wave on the internet, you might want to consider this product. $900 is a lot of money; at least it is in my book. If you think you will truly hunker down, study and learn video production, this product will be a good start.

Can you make the $900 pay off? Most internet site owners who use video marketing and are pleased with the results. For many, the benefits of video will soon make the $900 a drop-in-the-bucket.

On the other hand, if you just want to just dabble with internet video to put your kid's birthday part up, save your money. Tutorials on this blog, Google Video and You Tube are easy enough to understand and Website Video Secrets would be more information than you need.

Website Video Secrets is for serious internet markets only.

Website Video Secrets Highlights

Website Video Secrets: A Video Odyssey

Tags: Internet video jim edwards video jimedwards review learn video mike stewart

Don't Miss Out On Free Video Production Tips! Subscribe to Video Production Tips so you don't miss out on free video tips from Lorraine Grula! Thanks for visiting!