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

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.