Cut!
This sums up the madness and obsession of film editing
I remember my college days sitting for forty hours at a Steenbeck cutting and splicing a five minute short, getting to know every frame intimately. Today the same short would probably take a quarter of the time to edit, but I think I would know the project half as well. There’s something about the tactile act of physically cutting film by hand and splicing it with tape that makes one appreciate their own work as well as the work of master editors and directors.
Nowadays it is so easy to edit video digitally on their home computer, that nearly everyone can do it. An entire generation of filmmakers has never actually “cut” film.
But don’t think good editing is not still an art. Editing is where the story comes together and takes a certain level of experience and expertise to take the most jumbled of raw footage, and turn it into a concise and powerful video. Professional editors not only use the best practices and technology, but they also use years of experience solving problems, shaping story, and most importantly, following the technological changes. They also know how to create graphics and polish audio — integral to creating professional looking and sounding video. They know how to compress video for the web just enough to make it load quickly without losing quality. It might take“do-it-yourself” home editor hours to read printed manuals and scan online help forums; only to end up no better than when they started. When you have a deadline, time can’t be wasted finding answers. That’s why the editors at Skillman Video Group keep up-to-date and well practiced in the latest editing techniques and usually can end up editing the project in a fraction of the time as a novice, and with far superior results!
Save iMovie for your home videos.
Action!
SVG gives you more attention and direction than the unfortunate Hollywood Extra 9413
When a director says “Action” that exactly what he wants to see: Characters with an objective doing things to each other to achieve their objective. Actors think in these terms. What am I trying to do in this scene? What is my obstacle? Who am I working with or against? Why?
It works the same way in marketing. What are you trying sell? To Whom? Why? We help answer these questions by developing your content and writing marketing copy – essentially scripting your lines. We also prepare you so that when the camera roles you sound and look confident and natural.
I talked about preparation on our blog. We had one interviewee struggling to get through her prepared lines. We suggested that she imagine that she was meeting Christina Skillman, our director, at a networking event, and that the client had to convince her to join the company in under a minute. It was a familiar scenario for the interviewee. When she thought in those objective-based terms her delivery was so natural and convincing Christina was ready to submit her resume.
That’s the kind of performance tweak we can suggest to take your video to the next level. Skillman Video Group can also develop content, allowing you to focus on your day-to-day work.
Camera!
Lumiere "Cinematograph" advertisement from 1896. Technology has come a long way.
How much do you know about: HD, DV, 4-4-4, 7D, 4K, 3300º, 3-2 pulldown, DVX 100, DigiBeta,1080i, 1080p, DSLR, f5.6, hyperfocal distance, 640×480, SECAM and NTSC? It’s not a quiz so you won’t be graded. Luckily professional cameramen do know these things and more.
Cameramen and cinematographers live for technology. I have had lunch with camera departments on film sets and been completely lost in shop talk. I sometimes think camera technology is all they talk about. But that’s exactly what camera operators and cinemetographers have to do: discuss and test new equipment every day. There are at least a dozen magazines for cinematographers and videographers and limitless forums and websites.
Digital video technology changes so often that it’s nearly impossible to keep up, unless it’s your full time job. That’s why production houses like Skillman Video Group exist: so you don’t have to purchase and learn new technology every week. Video experts can choose the most appropriate camera equipment to use for your shoot. Do you want a cinematic look or a TV look? Will you be distributing solely on the web or do you need DVD’s? Skillman Video’s cameramen know their craft and how best to apply their knowledge to your video.
Lights!
This week I thought I would share a little insight about video production that I gained from working for Hollywood and Madison Avenue for a number of years. Lights! Camera! Action!
A lighting diagram from Academy Award winning cinematographer, Roger Deakins.
The difference between the cinema and YouTube is lighting. Okay, there are other differences like wardrobe and make-up and set decoration, but good lighting is the most noticeable. Film cinematographers will spend hours lighting a scene. Watch the night scenes in almost any film and notice how the trees and buildings are all brilliantly lit against the night sky. Every interior light is on. Also notice how shiny the ground is. That’s because the crew wets it down with firehouses, even when there is no rain in the scene. Why? It just looks prettier reflecting the lights.
Most social videos on youtube are lit by the glow of a laptop screen. That’s good enough for amateur purposes. What if your company needs to look professional? You’ll need more lights than just a desk lamp, but not so many that you need to hire a 500KW generator and a crew of 20.
Documentary crews get by with a few small lights and bounce cards. But they still make their work look better than what you see on the web. That’s the kind of lighting we do at Skillman Video Group: simple, elegant, and fast. A simple three or four point lighting scheme not only makes your marketing video look professional, but you have to know how to get it just right. That can only come with practice. Check out some of our behind the scenes pictures on flickr to see our lighting setups in operation.
SVG Video of the Week: Old Spice Man Demonstrates the Power of Social Video Marketing
In 2010 Old Spice unleashed a commercial featuring a shirtless actor named Isaiah Mustafa who became famously known as the old spice guy turned into a viral video sensation. In case you missed it, check out the original commercial here:
Recently a new Old Spice commercial has been released, and below is a video with a behind the scenes look at what went into creating the 30 second spot. Looking back on what Old Spice was able to accomplish with Viral video marketing, it is important to point out the great decisions they made.
First and foremost, they created the original commercial, which was funny, clever, and garnered multiple viewings once it was put on Youtube. After that, Old Spice capitalized on this success by filming short clips of the Old Spice Guy answering questions sent to him via Twitter. These weren’t questions sent by anyone however. The Old Spice Guy was creating video responses to famous people such as Ashton Kutcher and his wife Demi Moore. In the Twitter world, Ashton Kutcher has about 6 million followers, which means that when he tweets about the Old Spice Guy responding to his question, a lot of people are going to see it and then watch the video. In doing this, Old Spice used celebrity Twitter user to generate an enormous and invaluable amount of free advertising.
The is just one of the many success stories of online social video marketing and just another reason why it is important to have an online video presence. What’s great about Social Media is that it completely blows open the box of traditional TV or radio advertising. The sky is the limit as far as what can be possible in marketing business of all sizes.
A Rise in Online Video Marketing for Small Businesses
A recent study indicates a rise in Online Video Marketing for Small Businesses. Many small businesses which don’t specialize in using the internet to promote their companies are starting to catch up with the times. More and more companies are getting websites so customers can learn about their services, and they are also beginning to embrace the idea of adding video to their websites.
In a study done by Ad-ology, it was found that “45% of small businesses are planning to increase their companies’ resources for online video in the coming year–that’s nearly double the number from last years similar survey.” The study also says that last year the number was only at 28%, which could mean that in the next couple years there will be a major increase in the online activity of the small businesses become more and more accustomed to social media and the advantages of having a website, it would seem that video advertising through these different channels may not be far behind.
Consider the success that businesses have had utilizing online video marketing. The company Blendtec, which sells blenders among other appliances, launched a viral marketing campaign with its “Will it Blend?” videos. The videos have had tremendous success as they showcase the Blendtec blender easily shredding everything from an iPhone 4 to a Rubicks cube. The point here is that the traditional 30 second commercial is no longer the only option, and with platforms such as Youtube, businesses now possess the ability to really think outside the box when it comes to marketing. So what’s does this mean to you as a Small Business owner? That technology has opened the doors wide open to market your product or service to a wider audience than TV, radio or print ads ever could – and all for a fraction of the cost of traditional advertising. The Producers at Skillman Video Group have the expertise and experience to not only create a beautiful video, but to also provide a platform to drive more traffic to your site through the use of video marketing, Social Media and SEO thereby increasing business. The study also indicates that it in the modern advertising and marketing world, it is no longer just enough to have a web site, but that web site can and must be used in a larger marketing strategy. With Skillman Video Group’s new service, Social Video Marketing, we can help Small Business’s create a market for themselves at an affordable cost. Call today!
Here are two links referencing the Ad-ology study:
http://www.reelseo.com/small-businesses-embrace-video/
Skillman Video Group Produces Marketing Videos for Law Firm Parker|Scheer
Last week Skillman Video Group filmed a series of videos for the personal injury Law Firm, Parker|Scheer at their Charlestown office. The videos featured co-founder and Managing Partner Eric Parker, who used the opportunity to explain several different types of legal cases commonly handled by Parker|Scheer attorneys and the success their firm has had representing clients. These types of cases included construction-related injuries, dog bites, and automobile accidents.
Parker|Scheer decided to film a series of videos rather than one longer video to appeal to website visitors interested in specific aspects of their practice. For example, someone looking for representation in a dog bite case would most likely not be seeking information on automobile accidents. The more relevant a video is to what a viewer is seeking, the better the odds that they will watch the video in its entirety. Producing multiple videos on different topics offers increased opportunities for internet marketing and search engine optimization.
Andrew setting the lights on set!
Parker|Scheer has one of the best track records of any Boston area law firm, and attorneys pride themselves on their commitment to client needs. A professional video is the best way to portray this commitment to potential clients visiting their website. To project a professional image, a video needs to be very high quality. The Parker|Scheer videos were shot in high definition with Broadcast quality lighting and sound equipment.
Contact Skillman Video Group today to schedule a free consultation to see what video marketing can do for your business or Law Firm.
Marketing Videos For Private Schools
Private schools and other educational institutions can benefit greatly from a high quality video promoting the experiences they offer. Parents tend to enroll their children in private schools because they are looking for a quality of education absent from public school systems. Private schools can cost thousands of dollars per year, and like any large investment, enrolling a child in a private school can be a difficult decision.
A video is an excellent way to convey the experience a private school offers because it affords the school to showcase the actual environments children will be engaged in. Videos can introduce teachers, show samples of classroom activities, and impress viewers with shots of a particularly beautiful campus. In watching a video, viewers can gain an immediate understanding of how the school functions and the quality of education they can expect their child to receive there.
Skillman Video Group has produced a number of videos for educational institutions including the Yamaha Music School, where we have produced two marketing videos (one for their Premiere School here in Boston and also for their National program out of Los Angeles, CA), several all school concerts and their Private lesson recitals. Viewers are able to see for themselves what a child’s experience would be in this program, an invaluable factor in determining whether or not they finally choose to enroll their student at the school.
Video Marketing can be a great tool for private schools looking to demonstrate the quality of their programs to internet viewers. Contact Skillman Video Group today to learn more about video marketing and how our services can benefit your business!
Skillman Video Group Produces a Video Series for Hollibalance
Skillman Video Group has been filming a series of videos for Hollibalance, an alternative healing and acupuncture practice in downtown Boston. The video shoot involved the creation of customer testimonial videos to be used on the Hollibalance website, as well as a product marketing video for their exclusive new pain spray. The videos were shot in high definition using a professional lighting setup.
Cameraman & Lighting Technician, Andrew Nelson setting up the shot
Hollibalance required video content for several reasons, so rather than create one long, all inclusive video it was decided to produce a series of shorter videos. Using more videos that are shorter in length enables visitors to view the information they are looking for without exposing them to an excess of information that might dissuade them from choosing your business.
Skillman Video Group’s product marketing services can help your business present your product or service in a concise and user-friendly video medium that can also increase traffic to your website. Our experience producing video testimonials can give your website a commanding new tool for converting website visitors into clients.
Contact Skillman Video Group today to discuss what styles of video will work best for your business!
Video of the Week – Allstate’s Mayhem Commercials
As we’ve recently discussed different applications for video, this week we will look at an example of a video that is used on television and on a company’s website but also has strong social media appeal. Allstate has been well known for their serious-natured commercials that aim to convert viewers by appealing to their vulnerability and offering a service that is reliable and comforting. Recently, Allstate launched a new advertising campaign that delivers a similar message but replaces the serious mood with comedy; as a result their videos have received thousands of hits on Allstate.com and on YouTube.
In their new campaign, Allstate is tapping into the free advertising power of social media by offering videos that are humorous and enjoyable to watch. They’ve personified the unpredictable nature of car ownership in the form of a character called “Mayhem.” Viewers who enjoy these videos feel inclined to share them with friends, and in this way they can achieve viral status. It is important to note that Allstate still runs its serious commercials as well, recognizing that although there is some overlap, these differing video styles appeal to different audiences.
Skillman Video Group can help your business choose which style of video is most appropriate for your needs, or produce a series of videos to optimize your company’s internet presence. The amount of high quality videos your business has on the web has a direct correspondence to your website’s search engine rankings, and professional video content can greatly enhance your visitors’ first experience of your business.
Two minute SVG videomercials capture the attention of website visitors as the power of video vividly showcases the excellence of a product or service.
Our Social Video Marketing service is a holistic approach to internet marketing. It increases our clients’ return on investment and expands their presence in the marketplace.
SVG offers small businesses a simple and cost-effective way to increase sales through online video advertising.
