SVG shoots viral instructional video for Brewster Home Fashions

A couple weeks ago, Skillman Video Group shot an instructional video on wallpaper installation for Brewster Home Fashions, a Boston-based manufacturer and distributor of fine wall coverings and home décor. This video will be posted to Brewster’s website to enhance their online visibility and web-based marketing. As mentioned previously, on Wednesday we built the set for this video, using drywall flats, paint, and a little elbow grease to give it the appearance of a real room in a home. It was the first time SVG had built a set for a shoot, working with the client to ensure that the space was optimal. By Wednesday night, the set was ready to go, with white walls just begging for a fun, new wall treatment.

The stylistic choice for this instructional video was  shots of our talent, Lauren,  putting up the wallpaper in her

“room”, and a narration recorded separately to be added in later. The video covered the most common issues a homeowner might have when installing wallpaper, such as insuring the first sheet is straight, successfully navigating around a corner, and working around outlets, light switches, and doorways.  A scripted narration is a great option for a how-to video; it ensures that the instructions are succinct and easy to follow, and takes the pressure off the on-camera talent to get the information out and allows him or her to focus on doing the job right.

Once again, a video like this can be a great way to introduce potential customers to your company. The use of a real customer like Lauren with the straightforward instructional narration gives the client a look at the beautiful wallpapers Brewster Home Fashions has, and the simple, stress-free application of the product.

This two-day shoot was a success, and the “room” looked fabulous after it got a makeover with a fantastic Brewster Home Fashions wallpaper. We were able to shoot some more footage for our “behind the scenes” video, which will give people a glimpse at the process from start to finish. Check in soon to see the final product!

Skillman Video Shoots Safety and Training Videos for Feeney Brothers Excavation Company

Last week, Skillman Video Group did a shoot for Feeney Brothers Excavation Corporation, located in Dorchester, Massachusetts.  FBEC is a contractor for the gas, electric, water and telecommunications industries. Skillman Video Group shot several types of videos, including truck safety, on-site procedures, and several instructional videos on the operation of various pieces of equipment. The shoot was done over two days, both on location and at the Feeney Brother’s headquarters. We used two cameras and the knowledgeable FBEC employees to walk us through the precise and often complicated steps of operating hydraulic machinery.

Feeney Brothers Excavation Company is dedicated to the safety of its employee’s, partners, and customers, and so their use of training videos will be helpful in the future success of their company. A Safety and Training video can be a great way to introduce new employees to the equipment and procedures of your company, or can give other members of your team a refresher course whenever they need it. While instructing your employees one-on-one can be tedious and somewhat overwhelming, a video insures that all of the information is covered in a succinct, understandable way. When working with dangerous or hazardous materials, it is very important for everyone in your company to be up to date and informed, and by having a safety and training video available as a resource, they can access this information at any point and keep your business running smoothly.

For several years, I worked at a company that built packaging for microwave and RF components that went to aerospace. Because we worked with such delicate, sensitive parts, every year we went through Electrostatic safety training, where we learned about the various equipment and procedures used to keep the parts safe from any errant electrostatic. Every year, my coworkers and I sat through a laughably out-dated PowerPoint slideshow, complete with corny sound effects and horrible clip art. The layout was hard to follow and the information was not easy to decipher, so at the end of the presentation every year, people had lots of questions.  I think if there was an updated video that had the same information but delivered it in a way that was easy to follow, it would have been much more effective, and the training could’ve been half as long.

Time is money, but making safety and training a priority should never be sacrificed.  By delivering all safety and training information in simple, understandable videos, you can be sure that everyone is informed and your company continues to work efficiently.

Breaking the Fifth Wall: What Dunder Mifflin Teaches Us About Marketing and the Human Psyche

If you haven’t seen an episode of NBC’s long-running comedic hit, The Office, you’ve probably at least heard of it. While telling the tale of a paper company locked in a constant battle against, one: the shrinking demand for paper, and two, the bottom barrel prices of its bigger competitors, The Office is actually quite funny. Originally conceived by British comedian Ricky Gervais, it became a hit in the UK before the US adaptation made Michael Scott (Steve Carrel) and Dunder Mifflin household names. While the show is funny, what made it unique was it’s constant “breaking of the fourth wall,” a technique thought too taboo for primetime TV, or at least prime-time fiction. Reality shows had done a version of this, but that’s how they’re formatted. Fiction is different, it is supposed to be observed, and not interacted with.

On The Office, characters send quick glances directly to the camera and subsequently to the viewer. They also speak directly to the camera, “confessional” style. Something that all people share is a need to be “on the inside.” They want to be included, sit at the cool kids’ table, get VIP access; they want the inside track. Having characters speak directly to viewers gave them that sense, and now tons of shows do the exact same thing. Another great TV comedy is Community, which in a recent episode discussed how Hearts of Darkness, the documentary about the making of Francis Ford Copolla’s epic Apocalypse Now, was actually a better movie than Apocalypse Now. What Community was trying to say is that while people like the end product, be it a movie or a pencil, they like to know who made the pencil and what they went through to make it.

So where does a fictional company like Dunder Mifflin go once its show has broken the fourth wall? Well, it breaks the fifth wall and becomes a real paper company. Ironically, the fictional company’s biggest competitor, Staples, has now, in real life, bought the rights to the Dunder Mifflin name to help sell paper on their Quill.com website. In a race to the bottom of paper prices, they intend on selling paper of the same quality as their competitors for higher prices, simply because it has the name of a fictional paper company on it. However, Dunder Mifflin is no longer a fictional company. No it does not have Michael Scott and his antics, but it does have real employees with a real product. Folks can take care of their paper needs with boxes labeled with all the best catch phrases from the show.

What does this reverse product placement tell us about ourselves? That’s another topic for another blog post, but in short, it tells us that people will spend more on a product that means something to them. This type of sentiment is hard to put a number value on, but is nothing to be scoffed at. If you let your customers in, and provide them with something that they feel they have ownership over, great things can happen. Something else to take away is to not let fear stop you. Doing what is taboo and doing what could “never work” is exactly what needs to be done to innovate and stand out. Breaking the 4^th wall was a risky move but it paid off in spades, and most importantly, The Office was first to do it.

Reverse product placement is nothing new; many brands have tried this before with mixed success. What the real life paper company should have learned from the fictional one is not to wait. The Office has been on a decline for the past few seasons and no longer has its centerpiece, Steve Carrel. This move probably would have been timelier years ago when the show was at its peak of popularity. Whether you’re creating paper or a corporate video, don’t be afraid to do it with style and to stand outside of the norm. Skillman Video Group provides innovation for all of its clients. We will happily help you tackle taboos, break down walls, or at the very least, make a great video.

Marketing Videos for Mediators

Yesterday Skillman Video group shot a legal marketing video for Massachusttes Dispute Resolution Services in Salem, MA. This is a mediation firm that arbitrates disputes between parties outside a courtroom. We redesigned the firm’s website this summer and founder Brian Jerome. wanted to create a video that would let his potential clients get to know him and his firm a little better.

This legal marketing video was unique because it was directed soley at attorneys seeking mediation, not the general public. The average joe has no real need for a mediator, but other firms use them extensively. This meant that Mr. Jerome spoke in a more business-like manner free to use terms of art. Direct, professional, and approachable was the best way to convey the message that his organization is unbiased, fair, experienced, and trustworthy. He didn’t have to be flashy or inviting or cute because he didn’t need to appeal to the masses.

MDRS reminded me most of our B2B clients: They have a small target audience, in this case only other attorneys, and are free to speak in depth without fear of alienating laymen. In B2B videos professionalism speaks for itself.

We went in and made a quick, attractive set in an otherwise dull conference room using what was available on location. One of SVG’s talents is making fast sets from nothing. For some of our best set design check out our social video on youtube.

Now that we’ve done web design and video for Massachusttes Dispute Resolution Services, they are considering doing a series of videomercials or social videos with us about more in depth, specific topics. What might you want to learn from a series of legal marketing videos? Check out some of our other work for law firms here.

FutureM and SVG: Video at the Speed of Twitter

What is FutureM?

A looking glass into the future of marketing.

Who’s at Future M?

Skilllman Video Group.

Shopximity invited SVG to tape their presentation at Future M, a marketing conference held in Boston focusing on the impact of technology on marketing. They asked us to shoot, edit, and upload a video of their presentation in 24 hours. They wanted to get the video up while the conference was still going on. It’s like a well-produced video tweet from Shopximity. For us it felt like a 24 hour race made possible by technology and our experience in fast production.

The SVG produced video should be up today. The idea of video at the speed of twitter is especially interesting to us. Instant video production might be perfect for clients who want to post while traveling or at events or any situation where time is crucial. With the world becoming more instantaneous, more 24/7, getting the word out about your company or event with near-instant professional video from anywhere will be expected. And it has to look better than the usual talk-into-the-webcam stuff you see on YouTube.

We’re going to stay ahead of this trend and keep providing fast, high-quality content.

This conference was the perfect event for us to tape. SVG believes strongly in pushing the boundaries of marketing. That’s why we embrace an integrated approach to video, social media, SEO, web design, and so on. Shopximity presented ideas about mobile technology as the new frontier of marketing. They have plans for integrating video content and interactive shopping on mobile devices. We’ll have to keep an eye on where this interactive mobile video marketing goes too.

Stay tuned to SVG’s blog for more insights into the future of video marketing.

UPDATE: Watch the video on our channel.

Fundraising Video Production Made Easy

Last week Skillman Video Group had the unique opportunity to videotape two Ramadan services for the Al Huda Society in Chelsea, MA. Al Huda hired SVG to create a marketing video to help the Islamic community organization raise the funds to complete their community center.

Al Huda is in the process of creating a permanent home for themselves, but they are short funds to complete the project. They struggled to make a fundraising video by themselves to attract donations, but the organization had difficulty scripting and planning their video and lacked the equipment, skills, and experience to execute their plans. With all the activities and services Al Huda conducts, they had no time to complete the project. Making a fundraising video was not as quick and easy as they thought. Al Huda focuses, after all, on community, education, and faith, not marketing videos.

Frustrated, they called SVG.

Fundraising videos are one of our specialities. In a matter of days we collaborated with Al Huda on content, shot two services, and delivered an attractive, thoughtful marketing video. We make the process quick and easy. Check it out. This is one of my favorite projects at SVG. Standing amidst any religious service is always an moving and energetic experience, but I may never get to witness another Muslim service delivered in entirely in Arabic. Check out the photos on our Facebook page. The finished video looks great and is unique in our portfolio. Adam Guzewicz was our lead photographer and shot the footage using a Canon 5D.  The end result was breathtaking footage! The people were welcoming, open, and genuinely appreciated our work. Al Huda tells us that the fundraising video will be key in achieving their vision for the organization.

If your organization wants to use video to supplement your outreach and development efforts, but lacks the time and expertise to make your own, give us a call. We’ll make it easy.

Lecture Video Series from SVG

With our ever-shorter attention spans, why would anyone make a 45-minute web video? “Shorter is better” has become a cliché in online video marketing. But SVG and Hebrew at the Center think long videos can work in education settings, which is why we keep working together on lecture videos.

So does TED.

TED started as a exclusive lecture conference selling tickets for £3000-£4000, a price tag so exclusionary as contradict their mission of spreading good ideas. When they posted their lectures online 2006 they gained 500 million viewers in just two years. Millions want the in-depth content that a longer video contains.

That’s the kind of audience you could reach if you take your lectures out of the classroom and onto the web. Not only could you deliver educational content to a limitless audience, but the exposure would be a valuable tool for fundraising efforts.

That is why Hebrew at the Center keeps coming to Skillman Video Group. We shoot lectures for the organization that they use in classroom and online settings as part of their educational efforts. The 40-minute videos deliver lessons on Hebrew that can be distributed on the web or with DVD to supplement other educational materials. The videos also work as fundraising tools by increasing awareness and demonstrating HATC’s commitment to and expertise in Hebrew education.

HATC is now talking to SVG about shooting some shorter marketing videos showing students of their program. Follow our RSS feed to hear more about our work with education and fundraising campaigns. Check out our portfolio for examples of how your organization can use long form education videos.

Legal Marketing Video @ Fields and Dennis

This week we shot a legal marketing video at Fields and Dennis, a family law and estate planning firm. This was another example of our quick and easy  production approach like our work here. We shot a short one minute video in just a couple hours at the firm’s offices.

First impressions are everything in marketing, so it’s important to introduce yourself on your website. A short video gives a friendly face to your company, introduces visitors to your services and indicates that you take what you do seriously enough to invest in a video production. More and more companies are creating video content, and it is quickly becoming a standard marketing tool. If you make a short and sweet video it will entice viewers to read more about what you do and ultimately contact you.

The client had prepared a short script, but when we shot it, the video was about 2 minutes long. Over the course of several takes we worked with the client to cut the video down to one minute. That’s the perfect length for a quick introduction. We like to call these short marketing pieces Videomercials.

Check out other examples of Videomercials on SVG’s portfolio page. Here are a few more reasons you might want to invest in a Videomercial for your company.

James Brady and Associates

Last week we shot a short marketing video for James Brady & Associates, a Walpole law firm. Skillman Video Group is carving out a nice list of legal clients.

One of the challenges of shooting legal marketing videos is avoiding the typical, clichéd lawyer voice you hear in commercials. James Brady wanted to present a friendlier, more approachable face and avoid the histrionic, pushy approach seen in those  scary black-and-white commercials on daytime TV. Mr. Brady is naturally a friendly guy, so we didn’t have to coach him. We only needed a few takes and a couple hours to set up, shoot, and wrap out.

While shooting we discovered that there was a lot James wanted to talk about, but it didn’t fit into a short 1-minute marketing video. This videos might be the perfect opportunity for Skillman Video Group to produce a series of longer legal marketing videos I talked about here.

Marketing Your Law Firm with Professional Video

There are many different applications for video on law firm websites and Skillman Video Group can assist you in creating the right content for any of your needs.  As most clients seeking counsel are sensitive towards the issues facing them, a video introducing the actual lawyers that would be helping them through their difficulties could be the deciding factor in them choosing your firm over its competitors.  Clients seek attorneys who they feel they can trust, and it is much easier to develop a sense of assurance from a video than a picture with accompanying text alone.

Another great way to showcase your firm is to create a video of an associate addressing the audience at an event or conference.  Displaying someone speaking to an audience demonstrates their expertise and can make your company appear larger, broader, and more real to an internet viewer.  It can position your firm as a leader in your area and convince prospective clients that your firm has the knowledge and experience to handle their needs.

Please contact Skillman Video Group today to learn more how tools for allowing video to help market your business or firm!

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