Video Depositions

We’d like to highlight a new service at Skillman Video Group, Video Depositions!  A “deposition” is defined as “The sworn testimony of a witness taken before trial held out of court with no judge present. The witness is placed under oath to tell the truth and lawyers for each party may ask questions. The questions and answers are recorded. When a person is unavailable to testify at trial, the deposition of that person may be used. This can also be part of the pre-trial discovery (fact-finding) process.”

Legal depositions are yet another area exponentially improved by the medium of video. Video provides the judge, insurance adjuster or jury, the ability to both see and hear your claimant tell their story in a controlled yet powerful format.   This can especially be relevant in personal injury cases.  For example, we recently completed a Video Deposition for the personal injury law firm of Parker Scheer LLP.  Our camera crew spent a half day with a team of lawyers from the firm, interviewing the claimant about the accident and its immediate and long term impact.   The video was later edited down to the most essential and meaningful facts of the case.  What are the important facts of the case?  How has his life changed since the accident?  Thanks in large part to the power of the claimant’s story, as told through the video legal deposition, the case was settled out of court just a week later.  Call us today about our Video Deposition Service and see how it can help your upcoming case!

Corporate Viral Video of the Week: Awareness Test

Welcome back to Skillman Video Group’s Corporate Viral Video of the Week. This week’s viral video is the London government’s Awareness Test video. This video was first released two years ago, however, it has maintained a steady hit rate since it’s debut and has over eight million hits on YouTube. This video does a lot of great things. One of the most important aspects of this video is that it’s interactive. By asking you to count the passes, it ensures undivided attention from its audience. Visually, it is a very interesting video. The constant movement and weaving of the players catches the eye. The white shirts and arching passes keeps you focused on the action of the players. The production work is very simple. The whole video is only one shot. As we’ve mentioned before, the at home, hand held camera look is very effective in viral videos. This is because it’s reminiscent of a sense of accessibility that’s associated with distributing content over the internet. The “re-wind” feature adds to that at home, viral feel.

Another great attribute is the “ Aha!” moment. Without slowing the video down or changing it in anyway, the viewer sees something they completely missed the first time (I know I did). This is the kind of mind trick video that people love to forward to their friends. In this case, the “Aha!” moment has the added bonus of being hilarious. They were not afraid to be silly and it paid off. Check back in for next week’s Corporate Viral Video of the week or contact Skillman Video Group today to see how your company could use a viral video!

Utilizing Video & Social Media in a Political Campaign

It’s clear that here, at Skillman Video Group, we believe using video is the most effective way to market your company online.  We also believe that online video is a necessary component to an effective political campaign. Video provides a platform that is both personal and visually stimulating. Online video allows you to present yourself to your constituency in a way that is far more personal than signs and posters and allows you to become more than merely a name or political party. With an effective online video, voters hear you, see you, and get to know you in real time and in living color. You are provided a forum to speak to your base directly and communicate in a way with which the written word cannot contend. Online video also provides an affordable alternative to television advertising as video on the web  allows you to deliver your message to a wide audience without paying for airtime. Think of the possibilities!  The Internet is also a much more flexible media outlet than television and allows for many different styles of video. One could post videos of campaign speeches, interviews or fund raising events. All of these videos have a much lower production costs than a television ad, yet, still provide effective marketing.

Online video is much more dynamic than other forms of campaigning. You can host your video on your website to provide interesting content. However, you can also use a variety of video and social media websites to spread your message even further. By posting your videos on sites like YouTube, Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, and Flickr, you are able to spread your content to multiple forums and help your social media profiles become more attractive.  The above video was produced for the Brad Williams for State Senate Campaign and was a simple single camera set up with wireless microphone.  The video was later edited and compressed for the web and was used both on their web site as well as in their social media campaigns.  Productions such as this are very cost effective, but still give campaigns higher visibility to potential voters and give candidates a platform to discuss and debate  the issues.  By using additional services such as  key words and Search engine optimization techniques Skillman Video Group can help make sure that these videos can be found on YouTube and other social media sites. Online video is the optimal way to have you message heard and seen while political campaigning.  Call today to set up a free consultation!

Grow your business in 2010 with a professional Internet marketing video!

This time of the year, there are lots of blog posts and articles about how you can “Grow your business in 2010″, but it can be difficult to sift through the plethora of information and find what really works for your type of business.  If you read our post on Professional Video in Social Media (scroll down), you will see that one of the biggest areas of growth in 2010 is Internet video marketing with over 40% growth projected for this genre in the coming year.  If these trends come to fruition, then a day is coming when businesses will no longer see web marketing videos as a luxury but a necessity and a key tool in their overall marketing strategy.     As we have stated before it is imperative in any marketing endeavor  to look and sound your best.  Using professionals to shoot and edit your videos will result in a better quality product and give you a much higher rate of return on your investment then if you tried to do it yourself without the proper equipment,  training or experience.  Quality does matter to your audience and our goal as professionals  is ultimately to translate those viewers – into clients!  A high-quality corporate or marketing video from Skillman Video Group can be the key to kick start your business in the new decade.

In researching some of the most popular ways video is going to expand over the next few years, we came across a couple blog postings listing and describing 42 different ways to use video on the Internet for your business (yes – 42 different ways).  They were rated by the authors by Popularity and Growth Potential.  A summary of all of these types can be found on Reel SEO and the original posting with descriptions can be found with One Market Media.  There are so many ways you can grow your business with a professional video, but to save you some time we thought that we would highlight some of the video categories that got the highest rating in both Popularity and Growth Potential, so you can start brainstorming now about what kind of video Skillman Video Group can do for you.

• Customer Testimonials/Success Stories
• Man-in-the-Street Interviews
• Product Presentations/Demonstrations/Reviews
• Visual Stories
• Corporate Overview
• Staff Presentations
• Training Video/Employee Orientation
• Just-in-time Learning
• Internal Communications
• Health, Legal, & Safety
• Internet Commercials/Viral Video/Email Video
• Content Marketing (Huge Growth Potential)
• Landing Pages/Microsites
• Video Press Release/Community Relations Video
• Event Presentation Video
• In-Store video
• Mobile Video

The producers at Skillman Video Group have years of experience helping businesses like yours see real growth in their market share through the use of web marketing videos.  We have the cutting edge, professional equipment needed to create your perfect corporate or marketing video, for either your web site, DVD distribution or e-mail marketing campaign.  The producers at Skillman Video Group also have experience in leveraging the power of social media sites (such as Youtube.com or FaceBook) and Search Engine Optimization techniques to attract new viewers to your site and increasing your overall  web presence on all major search engines.   2010 is here, start it off with a bang – Contact us today to learn how!

How to Prepare for Speaking on Camera

Skillman Video Group specializes in marketing videos for both large corporations and small businesses in the Boston area and all of New England.  As we have said in previous blog posts (feel free to scroll down and check them out) in this day and age of Internet social media, viral videos, and Internet (or “inbound”) Marketing, a great professional corporate video from Skillman Video Group is a great way to market your product or service, build brand awareness, and increase sales.  Creating repore with viewers who come to your site by adding the “human touch” through the use of the video medium, can not only help you reconnect you with former clients, but also open the door for new clients to feel instantly connected to what you and  your business stand for.

As you can see in our Portfolio page, many business leaders and employees have courageously stepped forward and placed themselves in front of the camera  to speak  about their company and the services they offer.  For some (and maybe for you), this is an entirely new experience and as we have said before, it is not as easy as it looks!  The professionals at Skillman Video Group recognize this and are ready and willing to help!  The whole experience of “lights, camera, action!” can be daunting (trust us when we say we’ve seen it before), but if the speaker is properly prepared for the shoot, it will go quickly and smoothly.  With this in mind, Christina Skillman, Sr. Producer and Principal at SVG and the production professionals at Skillman Video Group willingly stepped out from behind the camera and created a short “How To” video to highlight some of the pre-production work and planning that goes into creating the ideal “Talking Head”/interview video.  A marketing video can take many forms, but the simple interview or talking head format is one of the easiest and cost effective forms available.  From pre to post-production they can be completed in just a matter of days!

So there you have it!  There are so many factors that need to be taken into consideration when making a professional corporate video -from the room selection, to the clothes, to the microphone & lighting, to the on-screen mannerisms – it can seem overwhelming to the novice.  But with this kind of preparation, and with the skill and experience of the professionals at Skillman Video Group, it’ll be a breeze!  As a business owner it is in your best interest to look and sound your best in whatever marketing endeavor you pursue,  and we will be there to help you every step of the way.   Feel free to check out our previous work to get some ideas about what Skillman Video Group can do for your business!  Contact us today to set up a free consultation on what our video production and Internet Marketing services can do to help your business grow in 2010!

The Essential “B-Roll”

B-roll is one of the most essential parts of any professional video; however it is probably the area that is least thought about!!  What is it?  In the video production industry, “B-roll” refers to additional video clips that supplement and add to the main purpose of the video.  You see it all the time in the news.  For example, when a journalist is interviewing a firefighter about a home burning down, the B-roll is the video that is shown of the actual fire while you can hear the firefighter speaking underneath it.  The video of the firefighter speaking on camera is the “main” footage, and the video of the burning house is the “B-roll”.

So what kind of B-roll would enhance YOUR professional video done with Skillman Video Group?  When creating a video to market and represent your company, think about what other visual images can further your message and really drive the point home to the viewers.  It is important that the images are not chosen at random, but directly correspond with what is being spoken in the video.  (ex. Fireman speaking about a fire, B-roll of the burning house!)  When Skillman Video Group does a video where B-roll is incorporated, we’re always thinking about what images can supplement the message and welcome our clients feedback about what is the most important images to capture, and what is best left out.  Here are just a few examples from us how you can enhance your video with B-roll (just to get your ideas rolling):

• When explaining how to do something in a training video, like repairing brakes on a car, have some B-roll of someone actually replacing the brake pads to better demonstrate the process to the viewers at home watching it on their computer or TV.
• If you are a lawyer describing your legal techniques, then shots of a courtroom, legal papers, or you in your office on the phone would be appropriate B-roll.
• When describing your company as a whole, then shots of your current office, signs, or the people working in it will supplement the “talking head” interview
• A tour video would not just include one person describing a company or a campus, it would include shots of the buildings, scenery, and notable sites with the audio from the interview underneath

B-roll is any image you want it to be as long as it supplements what is being said by the person being interviewed or speaking on camera.  It is yet another option you have in creating your ideal professional corporate video!  Adding B-roll footage to your video will take full advantage of the visual medium and professionals at Skillman Video Group know how to use it so your corporate video will have the best possible effect on your clients!  Contact us today to find out more!!

Video Pre-Production Game Plans

“Productivity is never an accident. It is always the result of a commitment to excellence, intelligent planning, and focused effort.”  – Paul J. Meyer

Before the Patriots take the field on any given Sunday, they have spent countless hours  planning, strategizing,  and practicing.  Sometimes for days or weeks before “game day”!  Without these precious hours of preparation, the overall game plan would be chaos -  players would run around like mad, Tom Brady would have to chuck the football carelessly (and without adequate protection), and the Patriots would NEVER be able to win a Super Bowl!!

Likewise, in professional video production, pre-production and planning is a necessary step before lights, before cameras, and before anyone ever says “action!”.  The entire team, talent, crew, and producers need to be on the same page about the vision for the video, the location and timing of the shoot, and the final end result.  Imagine giving a sales pitch but without any notes, research, and preparation.  It is a sure bet things will not go well.  Just like your potential clients appreciate the time and effort you put into your presentations & business meetings, your audience will appreciate the time and attention to detail in your corporate video.  It really does make a difference!

Before any filming happens, the Skillman Video Group producers will meet with you and get an idea for what your vision is for your professional video.  What kind of video do you want?  How do you want it to stand out?  This communication is essential to the process so your video can come out exactly as (or better than) what you envision.  Further along, the script or shot-list will be written and revised, so everyone knows what they say in the video and/or the exact number of shots needed in each location.   Communication between the Producer and the client allows the pieces to come together and for everyone to have the same game plan for the video.  When a date, time, and location for shooting is scheduled and all the necessary preparation is done – magic happens!

Believe it or not, shooting the video is the step in the whole video process that usually takes the LEAST amount of time and the more preparation done before the camera crew arrives, the smoother, faster and ultimate easier the day will be.  Having the proper “game plan” before production starts ensures your project will be done on time and on budget!  Skillman Video Group has years of experience in professional video production and we know from that experience  that planning and preparation is the key to a successful project.  Your audience will appreciate the results from all the time and effort put into a professional video.  As Mr. Kraft, owner of the New England Patriots, always say “Measure twice, cut once”.  What rings true in the NFL also rings true in professional video production.  Call today for more information about our script writing and pre-production planning services, or email us at info@skillmanvideogroup.com!!

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