Hiring "Professionals"

What does it mean to hire a "professional"?

Would you trust the guy next door to re-wire your house because he owns a drill and pliers? I have a tool chest chock full of different gadgets from the typical hammer and screwdriver to a stud finder, laser level and chalk line..among many other things that I may have used once or twice (you're impressed, I know). Even though I may own an impressive array of tools, I can guarantee that you would NOT want me over your house to work on, well, anything.

While I am adept at certain tasks...say hanging a picture on the 2nd try, or even doing a passable job at framing a room, I would never presume to force my questionable skills as a handyman on anyone else because, while I've taken care of my share of in-home emergencies and small projects, I'm just not that good as a handyman. While I may get the job done, it takes me much (much) longer than it would if I hired a true professional because I am usually learning as I go (and the results are sometimes questionable at best).

As the owner of a video production company I am amazed when I get calls from other "professionals" (sometimes direct competitors!!) who sell themselves to clients as someone with skill yet they couldn't tell you the difference between a video codec and a video file (a question I get with some consistency). Sure they may have bought a camera that looks more impressive than your iPhone camera, and they probably bought the latest version of Final Cut Pro because it is affordable, but that doesn't make them "professional".

Clients will never know, nor do they need to know, about the back end of video production. To the client you shoot, you edit. Nowadays there are so many "flavors" of video, 1080i, 1080p, 60i, 30p, 24p, etc, etc. Then there are even more options to output, what resolution, codec, compression rate etc, etc. Do we want to make it for Blu-Ray and DVD? Broadcast? Honestly it used to be easier to be in this business 15 years ago when you had three choices VHS, Beta or this crazy new thing called a DVD. Any professional HAS to keep up with the ever changing standards and technology.

I am getting more and more calls from other "professionals" recently who seemingly have no knowledge about video aside from the basics; you shoot, you edit. We all know that video has become democratized in recent years with better cameras coming out at cheaper prices, (although the RED EPIC will still set you back 6 figures!) but, like my impressive collection of wrenches and sockets, having the tools doesn't mean you know how to use them...or even have all the right tools to do the job (I could write a book on that alone).

I am all for helping people and I am proud that people see me as someone with some knowledge about my chosen field, but this is knowledge that I have acquired over *gulp* 20 years of working in this business. Even with all that time in the industry, I know I am just scratching the surface in what can be learned. I follow people on Twitter and Facebook that I consider 'guru's' in the field, these guys blow me away with what they know and humble me with what I have yet to learn.

There is no shortage of people who own a camera and a laptop and will sell themselves as a professional. These same people have called me not only asking about some of the more technical back-end questions but they also ask about more straightforward topics as to what lights we own, or even how to light because they have landed a job where the client expects a certain level of quality and these people get a quick dose of reality when they realize they cannot deliver with a camera and laptop alone.

I love where video is going. There are so many more outlets and potential for clients to reach their target audience with their message. Quality is still king and I think will always separate the professional from the non-professional. If you are in the market for a video to be produced, do your research, make sure you are hiring a true professional. And if you need any work done on your house or car do NOT call me.

Thanks for Reading,

-Chris

http://www.take2vm.com

Going Viral

In a conversation this morning with a client, I was told that they wanted to produce a "viral video".

We've all heard the term, and who wouldn't want to produce a video that is ultimately seen by millions of people? But throwing around a term like "viral video" has become as innocuous as the term "social media". The words get thrown around but people don't always know what they mean.

The problem is people hear these buzz words and like a chubby kid in a candy store their eyes widen and they salivate at the thought. There is no magic button that can create these anomalies of the internet...they happen organically and in most cases by accident.

What defines a viral video? We all know of the Youtube sensations that get well over 1 million views. Depending on the intent, I might consider that viral. We have videos on our Youtube page that have over 35,000 views...is that viral? Depends on who you ask, but most would say not close. Some clients are thrilled to break the 1,000 mark. Whether you have 1 view or 1,000,000 it doesn't mean a thing in our business unless there is a response from the viewer to either visit your website or call to learn more about your service or product.

A video like "Double Dream Hands" (one of our favorites by the way) gets millions of views and in its own way is genius marketing (whether it was intentional or not) because that guy has been all over TV and you know that his website advertising choreography classes has been inundated with hits.

The best case of viral videos in our business has arguably been The Old Spice Guy . Over 33 MILLION views as of this writing! Did the Old Spice people know that campaign was going to go viral? I'm sure they hoped it would but they had no way of knowing. Bottom line it is great creative and perfect casting that re-birthed a brand that most men in the crucial 25-35 demographic would never have considered buying over the more hip competition (AXE anyone?). The genius of the campaign is that it targets women while selling a product for men. Everyone in advertising knows that women make the purchasing decisions.

Going back to our original client who wants to produce a viral video, it can be done in the corporate/commercial world. Like any good advertising it takes out of the box creative to grab an audience, and realistic expectations. No one wants a sales pitch. There has been no better time for video advertising. Who would have thought, even 5 years ago, that 33 million+ people would be searching for an Old Spice commercial?! Think of that, people WILLINGLY searched out advertising in an era when people DVR shows and skip past commercials!!

So you want to create a viral video? Get in line. Maybe the latest sensation will involve a wiffle ball freezing in mid-air, although we're not holding our breath. Remember, it's all about the soft sell...


For more information find us at www.take2vm.com

Are you "Winning"?

Thanks to the ever entertaining Charlie Sheen, America has gotten a taste of some great one liners such as "Tigers Blood", "Adonis DNA" and the pithy but poignant "winning" among others. Although it was only just over a month ago that Mr. Sheen was dominating every facet of media, it seems like ages ago since it took the tragedy of the Japanese Tsunami to remove "the warlock" from headlines.

We've had a lot of fun joking in the office about Sheen and his quips. We throw the term "winning" around a lot in jest but after a recent meeting I got thinking about it.

Are you "winning"? Is your business? How do you define "winning"?
We've been on a roll here at Take 2 with some successful meetings and landing new projects, while waiting to hear on others. In the last three meetings with potential new clients, each one has said how much they liked our work based on what they've seen and that is what prompted them to set up a meeting. In my book THAT is 'winning'. Having your work stand on its own is all any business can ask. From there let the chips fall where they may. When we started this company we wanted to create a quality end product that stood out from the rest and comments like these are exactly what we hoped for.

So are you 'winning'? Do you still have the drive and passion that brought you to the position you are in? Going the extra mile and treating every project like it's your first are ways to keep things fresh. In one recent meeting our editor suggested a really cool idea that the client was really excited about (as was I). After the meeting I remarked "that was a cool idea...can you pull it off?", his response..."we will".

Mr. Sheen, you can have your goddesses, and your silver valley ranch thank you very much.

Suggested reading: REWORK by Jason Fried and David Hansson

For more information: www.take2vm.com

How much does a video cost?

It's a long-running joke in the video production industry as we get this question more often than you might think. A potential (or even long standing) client will call or see us at a business event and say something like, "I'd like to get a video produced...how much does it cost?"

There are so many variables that there is no easy way to answer that without having a discussion about the details of the video. It's akin to asking how much does it cost to build house. How big is the house? Is it a small ranch or a two story colonial? Do you want tile or linoleum? Carpet or hardwood?

In the video world we would need to determine if there are actors, locations, and props among other things. Are we writing a script or is it to be just a simple shoot of a CEO being interviewed? These details determine the size of the crew needed and thus the cost.

On the post-production side it's the same thing. How intense are the graphics? Are we creating animations? 3D? What's the final output...Blu-Ray? Web? DVD? Broadcast? a combination of all? You can see how the initial question "how much does a video cost?" is not an easy one to answer without at least some base knowledge of the project.

We realize at times that it is not always possible to have all the information for a video project at the onset and that's ok. What we try to do is get at least a general idea of the video and then we can determine production needs and give a pretty accurate estimate of costs based on that.

Like most things in business and in life, preparation and good information is key. When working with a video production company be sure to allow for at least a short discussion of the project at even a base level and further discussion can evolve from there.

For more information find us at www.take2vm.com

Are you getting a good ROI on your company's use of Social Media?

When people think of investments, especially in terms of Return on Investment, typically you think of an investment in monetary terms. In the case of your company's use of social media you may think you don't have a large monetary investment in your use of Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc...but you, or your company in fact does.

The old adage goes; "Time is Money", and use of social media can easily be a time killer. And if you are paying someone, or you're getting paid, to manage social media sites...time is indeed money.

So it goes back to the question, are you getting a good ROI on social media? Does a "Like" on Facebook or a new follower on Twitter turn into a loyal client (do loyal clients still exist)? Is the boss pressuring you to "monetize"the social media experience? It all comes down to content. What content are you providing your followers? Are you offering industry tips that will aid them in their business, or are you talking about yourself all the time?

We have seen social media as an extremely important asset to our business in maintaining communication with clients and keeping ourselves "top of mind" so that when there is a project they think of us as well as attracting new clients who would have otherwise never heard of us. As a video production company, the use of video on Facebook, Twitter and Youtube have proved to reshape our client's end use of the product we produce. Just a few short years ago 100% of our non-broadcast work would be delivered on DVD. Now about 90% of our finished work ends up on some social media platform, giving clients compelling content for their followers.

When diving into the pool of social media, consider first your message, give people information they want and need, be sure to throw in a little humor and personality.. and the rest will follow.

The Lost Art of the Site Survey

In the world of video production, in recent years especially, the term "pre-production" seems to be a term we are hearing less and less of, and that is unfortunate.

Not too long ago, just before the social media rage and instant....everything, clients would call, we would meet (sometimes multiple times) about a project and then we would schedule a...wait for it...site survey. A site survey would allow us to get to a location well before a shoot and allow us to scout out the location to plan out things like camera placement, lighting, cable runs, etc.

Those days seem long gone. It is very rare, especially among agency clients, that we are able to schedule a site survey. Without this critical planning, precious time is lost on location on the shoot day trying to figure out the best angle for the shot, lights, etc. Even simple things like "where is the nearest power outlet" can eat up time. Taking time on shoot day to figure these things out eats up time and money. And the net result is that we don't always have time to set up track and dolly for moving camera shots, or a jib arm for dramatic sweeps if we are losing time deciding where to put the camera. It seems in this new age we live in, there is scarce time to plan between that initial call and the actual shoot day. It's not uncommon to get a call on Tuesday afternoon for a shoot Wednesday morning.

While it's true that not every production can allow for a site survey, some things really just happen fast and you have to shoot ASAP, if it is at all possible talk with your video production company about the possibility of scouting out a location before the shoot. A little bit of planning will result in a better video and a happy client.

Using video in your company's social media marketing

The great thing about producing a video as a part of your company's marketing plan in the modern age is that there are so many venues for you to showcase your video.

Back when I started in this business (waaayyyyy back in 1994) there was one outlet for a corporate video. After spending thousands of dollars, you got to walk away with....yes a VHS tape. Not only was the quality questionable but you would then have to make copies of that low quality VHS tape to send to potential clients.

In 2009, along with a physical DVD or Blu-Ray, video consumers have so many more options. It's a given that any video that is produced for your company should be on your website. But have you also considered uploading to Youtube, Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, etc.? It's a no-brainer to upload a video to each of these services. Doing this also increases your company's searchable footprint on search engines like Google and Yahoo. Not to mention the ease of pointing potential clients, or employees (for training videos) to a website. You get much more bang for your buck for your video dollar in 2009 then you ever did in 1994 with the potential of millions of fews today versus dozens then.

There is of course still a use for physical media such as DVD or Blu-Ray, and we get requests for duplications on a regular basis. A client recently requested a number of Blu-Ray discs of an HD project because they go to conventions all over the world and utilize HD monitors and really wanted to show off their video in the best possible way.

These options offer the corporate consumer the most possible options that work for their specific needs. We can of course still offer VHS....we'd have to dust off the old VCR's though.