Business workshop looks at creating social media content

Jem Schofield, a producer, filmmaker and educator, will conduct a workshop about creating social media content for businesses on May 15 at Chemeketa Community College.

The all-day event will start at 9:30 a.m., with information in the morning about how online content helps businesses and a hands-on session about how to create posts with a smartphone in the afternoon.

Registration is about $200, with a 20% discount for members of the McMinnville Area Chamber of Commerce. It may be completed through the at www.chemeketa.edu/locations/yamhill-valley-campus/community-education.

Schofield and his wife, Jessica, own The C47, a company that produces videos and films, consults with those who want such service and educates people about the process.

They named the company C47 after a term used in the film industry — the name given to wooden clothespins that hold diffusers and gels, he said. Clothespins also were staples in the darkroom to hold drying prints.

Born in Scotland, Schofield grew up in New York City. He attended the Delphian School at Sheridan from 1986 to 1990 and was active in Gallery Theater, as well as drama productions at the school.

He has since led summer film workshops and taught there. His family moved to Yamhill County so his daughters could attend Delphian. The couple has lived in Amity for nine years.

Schofield said he grew up with a darkroom in his kitchen and became a content creator in his early 20s, about 30 years ago. He also started teaching video production and related skills back then, as well.

“I like to learn things, then share,” he said.

Back then, videos on websites were tiny, compared to the content seen today, Schofield said.

One of his first projects was working with Justin Hayward of the Moody Blues, who wanted to transfer concert video onto DVD, then make video that could be loaded onto a website.

Videos had to be small then, Schofield said, because uploading them with dial-up internet was so slow. The size and complexity have progressed as technology has become better and faster.

He went on to help numerous companies and organizations create content, mostly educational.

He said C47 learns each client’s brand and target audience and discusses what they want to convey.

“We are content creators, not marketers. We help them reach out to potential customers through video,” he said. The content must both educate consumers about a product or service and be a “call to action,” he said.

C47 makes videos that might be three minutes long, or 5, 10 or 20 minutes or more. But Scofield said his workshop will focus on shorter videos that businesses can make for themselves, using cell phones and inexpensive lighting and microphones. He hopes attendees will leave with the “confidence they can do it themselves.”

He recommends that all businesses make use of such videos to introduce themselves and what they do, he said, since social media is so ingrained in our culture.

“Instagram, Linked In, YouTube Shorts and other social media are opportunities to promote who you are,” he said.