SVG Gets Animated with New Real Estate Marketing Project

 

This past weekend Boston faced some seriously sour weather, getting hammered with more than 2 feet of snow in less than 24 hours.  While the city locked down it’s streets and businesses impeded sales due to the emergency, nothing stopped Skillman Video Group (SVG) from doing what they do best: providing their clients with creative professionalism and paving their way to more structures and styles of commercial video.  This time, it’s animated videos!

On Tuesday, February 12, SVG collaborated on a series of online marketing videos with John & Dan Gollinger, two real estate guru’s, as they launched the “next generation of  real estate marketing.”  While the shoot was limited to a talking head and voice-over production between both parties, SVG has a lot more in store for this project than a simple multi-cam structure.  With professionals working in Adobe’s After Effects, Motion, and Illustrator, SVG is launching a new approach to marketing using animated video(s), full of intricate designs and enlightening graphics to better communicate the logistics of the Gollinger clan’s new business strategies.

 

That’s not to say that the setting for the commercial was anything that needed some animation!  The Gollinger high rise had a magnificent view of the South End, a neighborhood of downtown Boston, and made for quite the scenic environment to get inspired.  With animated videos dominating majority of the commercial and viral industry, it’s only necessary that an entity like Skillman Video Group is making strides to further their commercial and clients’ interests with motion graphics and computer animated additives.

 

Word Smiths still needed! The Art of Writing Well in the Business World….

Whatever the medium of expression, words need to be strung together so that their reader can clearly understand and interpret what is being said.  Today’s video and electronic technologies rely on the power of good writing every bit as much as hard copy publishers of the past.  Here’s how:

Video scripting – every image and word spoken in a video has to be carefully chosen.  The purpose of the video may be to visually explain, present, instruct, or simply show something—but the best videos always come from the best scripts.  Without an effective and well written script, your video may ramble on or go off message.

On-Line Newsletters – The whole idea of a newsletter is to inform existing and previous clients of new products or services being offered.  Content for content sake is a wasted exercise from a business perspective.  A good writer can weed out effectively the most essential messages and communicate them in such a way that the reader will find it thought provoking and (the goal being) take action on it.

Blogs – Blogs have become important, because they deliver interesting, concise information to busy no-nonsense readers.  Blogs are essential in today’s business environment as they can provide essential information to perspective clients quickly (in the click of a button), and efficiently (with no cost to print). A well written blog can not only help bring traffic to your site, but convert that traffic into viable business prospects (when combined with video and SEO) as they see your expertise and experience first- hand.

Social Media – Keeping up with the Jones’s has never been easier than with Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, and’so on.  And while pictures can do the Show-part, well thought out words do the Tell-part best.  AND the words are what will draw in the Google searches!

Skillman Video Group’s service “Social Video Marketing” is a holistic approach to internet marketing where SEO, blogging, e-newsletters, web design/branding and video marketing combine into a powerful tool for online marketing.  At the heart of this service is providing clear, effective, potent content that will draw visitors/viewers/readers in and convince them to pick up the phone and call.  And at the heart of that content, is the ability to tell a story – you’re story.  Call today.

Tech News: Are We Ready For 3D?

Let’s face it – 3D isn’t new technology. It’s been around for a long while (think back to those cheesy looking red and blue paper glasses) and for a good period of time, it seemed like 3D was just a quirky little addition to old school B-Movies. Of course, as of about a decade ago various studios began releasing movies in a “new” version of 3D. The key difference: depth perception. The film was shot and edited carefully to tweak the presentation of objects on screen to the viewer by tricking the eye into believing objects were either closer or farther away (very different from the original version of 3D, which only allowed images to “pop out” of the screen). This iteration of 3D gives a much more dynamic presentation, and when used correctly, can add an extra bit of flair to a new movie (ie. Avatar, Hugo, Spider-Man, Brave, etc.).

 

But are we ready for that? Does 3D actually add anything really substantial to the film? I’ve personally had this argument with numerous groups of people and it usually gets divided into two categories: 3D is amazing and more movies should be like this, and 3D is campy having little to no effect on the overall impact of a piece.

 

 

 

Okay, sure: these are personal opinions, but when you think about it…what does 3D actually add to a production? It definitely adds a bit of a “wow” factor – which is great for kids movies and maybe dynamic action flicks. But does it impact the story? Is there anything concrete about 3D that simply makes it the new “must have” technology for films? Here at SVG, we utilize the best technology to deliver expert results. With this trend in 3D films, and the rise of cameras soon able to shoot “3D like cinema quality,” it’s entirely possible that in the future, more projects will become 3D. Till then, this local Boston based production company will continue to deliver the best possible quality for every production we work on.

 

Is 3D the next big thing, or do you think it’s just a trend? Leave a comment and tell us what you think!

 

Mobile Editing Tools – Tablet Based Editing

For the past week or so we’ve been discussing the importance of strong post-production (audio and video editing) skills here at Skillman Video Group. While skills in the editing room are definitely an asset, technology plays a big part in the equation for a solid video. In a field where the technology is constantly growing, let’s take a look at newer form of video editing – with the use of a tablet/iPad.

 

The biggest push for the use of tablet based editing has been with the introduction to mobile versions of Apple’s core programs: iMovie, Garageband, and iPhoto. Granted these are entry-level programs for basic edits, these programs still have a great deal of potential. In fact, all projects from these applications can later be migrated to their professional level counterparts (Final Cut X, Logic, Aperture). It’s becoming progressively more common to see simple edits made on site with iPads, then later shifted over to Final Cut for more expertly achieved editing. In terms of quick assembly, the product is phenomenal. Practical application is limited as of now, but with the introduction of Chromebooks and the Windows Surface, of which developers argue rival the power and functionality of the iPad, could spell the introduction of tablets being implemented in multiple phases of productions. Programs like Avid, Premiere, and Photoshop (which already has a powerful mobile application for iPads) could become more common on set.

 

Ultimately, a good editor can utilize the application he/she is most familiar with to produce a professional result…but who’s to say the medium they achieve said result on couldn’t be a tablet? Just think: only a few years back the idea of editing an entire feature film on a laptop was ludicrous, but today many indie filmmakers produce multiple projects from just a MacBook Pro. Perhaps a few more years down the road, it’ll be commonplace for editors to work on set, with nothing but a tablet in their hands. Regardless of the situation or time, Skillman Video Group will continue to use the best level of technology suited for our productions.

 

What do you think about the growth of Tablets & Editing? Leave any comments or questions below!

Skillman Video Group Shoots Local Lawyer Legal Marketing Video!

This past week, Skillman Video Group shot a legal marketing video for Massachusetts Attorney Michael Delsignore. The focus of the videos was to answer various questions regarding OUI defense cases in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. These questions were very common for Delsignore in his many years of legal practice. By making a marketing video addressing these questions, not only does he answer multiple clients at once, but also reaches out to potential clients with the same or similar questions.

 

The shoot was setup with our mobile kit; two cameras, and three sets of lights mounted accordingly to give the best possible image. For audio we used a mobile wireless microphone, granting pristine sound quality.

Having worked with Delsignore in the past, this shoot went smoothly and effectively, shooting approximately five different marketing videos over the course of one day! These five videos will be edited and available on his website shortly. One of the major benefits of working with Skillman Video Group for your Legal Marketing Video is that we can come to you, produce a plethora of high-end videos, for a fraction of the cost of a studio production! Convenience, Quality, and Expertise – only with Skillman Video Group!

The iPhone 5, and iOS6; Apple’s New Move

If you’ve been keeping up with the media lately, then I’m sure you’ve already heard that Apple announced last week the release of the new iPhone 5 in addition to the new iOS6. For many, the wait has been long and the demand high. For some, the changes are underwhelming. Here at SVG, we decided to take a look at just how the new device looks and how these changes can potentially affect social media.

 

Let’s start with the iPhone 5. Right off the bat it’s got a better screen, slimmer design, more durable, and sports all the features and more of the previous iterations of the iPhone. The most noticeable change is the change of the plug – charging and connecting your iPhone to other devices now requires a new adaptor. The claim is that the battery life was increased and thus the new plug was necessary to accommodate the needs of the new battery. Other than sporting a new A6 Chip in addition to utilizing LTE technology, the iPhone is virtually the same as the one before it.

 

Moving onto the iOS6 – now this is where the fun starts – we see that the menu layouts have been changed drastically. This is to better integrate social media apps such as Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook into other facets of the device. This now makes it incredibly easy to share media straight from your phone. Turn by turn navigation has been added and Google Maps (and the Youtube App) have been removed completely from the phone. iOS6 now sports an apple driven map application that also gives information from Yelp for local businesses. How is this going to change our interactions with our various devices? More investigation into how the public reacts to iOS6 over the next few days will be the key to finding our answer.

Google Glass – Changing Social Media?

A while back, Google announced their “Project Glass” concept. Essentially, Google is deep in production of a new device that functions like a pair of glasses – except these glasses feed information directly to your eyes. What kind of information? Tons. Based on the promotions and test videos, all of Google+.

 

The initial promotional video set the bar pretty high, spelling out the possibility of completely interactive content (maps, directions, messages, notifications, etc.) for the glasses. So far Google has been releasing pieces of information about Project Glass out periodically over the course of the last few weeks, revealing that Project Glass currently has the ability to perform video conversations directly through said glasses. It seems like Project Glass is starting to live up to the hype Google setup weeks before.

 

So where does social media come into play? Consider this: we currently have access to social media networks via smartphones. Suffice to say, we already have access to the Internet from virtually anywhere. Project Glass seems to take that a step further – by allowing content we interact with on a day-to-day basis to work with our social media. Theoretically, this pushes social media platforms deeper into our lives. How will this change the direction of content tailored for social media, marketing, and even SEO?  Perhaps Google will shed some light on this with their next update.

 

Thoughts about Project Glass? Let us know in the comments!

Web Video Marketing – Exploring video concepts!

One of the many useful services offered at Skillman Video Group is the opportunity to create a video for your company’s website. Let’s face it – almost every organization today has some form of web domain or website. It’s commonplace for most of these websites to utilize more advanced web elements (such as flash animations, elaborate website formats, or web videos) to enhance an organization’s image. But how exactly can something like a web video be utilized for a website? Is it just a fancy intro, or just another commercial? Not at all! There’s so much more you can use video for in your website. Here are a few simple examples, just to get the ball rolling:

- Web Profile: Your basic “this is who we are” video. This could be used as both a commercial piece and an introduction to your website. The Web Profile helps paint a better picture of what your organization does through the medium of web video, instantly grabbing the attention of the visitor.

- Personal Profile: Along the same vein as the web profile, the personal profile helps visitors know more about the people involved within your organization. By associating a face (and voice) with a company’s image, it helps captivate your audience and demonstrates a commitment to your respective goals.

- Recent Events: Demonstrate to your visitors just what you’ve been up too lately! By showcasing work/events related to your organization, it helps demonstrate activity, as well as emphasize the existing accomplishments your group has already achieved.

- Testimonials: Does someone in your community rave about your website? Why not have a video testimonial? Showcase client reviews or highlight what the community has been saying about your organization’s recent activity!

- Upcoming Events: Nothing spells success like staying busy. Let everyone in your community know what your plans are for the future with an upcoming events video. This can also act as a teaser of sorts, enticing visitors to learn more about your group.

Once again, just a few simple ways that web video marketing can help strengthen a website. With help from Skillman Video Group, these options and more are available for your website!

Green Screen Shoots Revisited: What You Can Do With Green Screen Footage

Earlier this week we posted about a green screen shoot Skillman Video Group executed for Salt PR. We touched briefly upon the application of green screens, how they are becoming more the norm for current web based video production, as well as how essential it is to properly set up a green screen shoot. That being said, it only makes sense that we would actually show you some finished content to give you a better idea of what you can do with green screen footage.

 

In the video provided, we see a short clip (a small segment from the shoot earlier this week in fact!) that utilizes the Chroma Key editing features of Final Cut X. The first example is the basic footage, unedited. The next clip is that same footage, but with a background that has been “keyed out” (replaced for something else). The following clip is the original footage, this time with moving backgrounds, presenting a Ken Burns like effect. Moving forward, we have a “lower third” version of the segment, in which we reduced the size of our subject and added a subtitle. This particular style is similar to many documentaries or commercials you may see today. The last alteration is the lower third version once more, only this time over additional video footage – more structured like a newsworthy video piece.

It really is quite amazing how versatile your production can become when adding the element of green screen footage. Rather than just “talking to the camera,” we have a more engaging, vivid piece that pulls audiences in, allowing for a clearer message. This is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of what you can do with a green screen.

Do you have questions on how to make your next green screen shoot with Skillman Video Group? Let us know below! Or contact us by clicking here!

Skillman Video Group Production Update – Green Screen Shoot for Salt PR!

On Wednesday, August 15^th, Skillman Video Group filmed a green screen shoot for Salt PR. Shooting at the Pulse Media studio in Watertown, the shoot was executed flawlessly. One of the primary reasons for the choice to work with Pulse Media was their green screen setup. Utilizing a green screen in a shoot has quickly become a very popular tool for almost every kind of production. Essentially, using a series of different settings in Final Cut (or your editing system of choice) you can replace the color of green for something else. That something can be a different background, video footage, or even a different subject…depending on how you put the shoot together.

When working with any kind of green screen shoot, regardless of the medium the finished product will be transferred to, the lighting of the green screen (in addition to the subject) must be perfect. The subject of this shoot in particular was a doctor of Boston’s Children’s Hospital, promoting a new service being offered for their patients. While setting up the lighting, we noticed that there was a speck of green in this doctor’s tie – we ended up removing it. The rest of the lighting was adjusted to make sure there were no shadows on the green screen, as well as the subject. This gives SVG greater creative control when we move to the editing process.

One of the most interesting things from this shoot was how SVG ended up working with Salt PR – they knew they needed to shoot in Boston, and googled “boston video production,” and immediately found Skillman Video group. This is an absolutely perfect example of SVG’s ability to create effective search engine optimization. SVG was exactly what Salt PR was looking for in a production company.

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