Parc Entertainment - A Video Production Company - Birmingham, AL

Next week two new commercials for CommuteSmart will begin airing throughout central Alabama. Both spots are part of the “I’m Ready” campaign. The goal is to help viewers understand that making only small changes to the way they commute can help them save and earn money, reduce traffic congestion, and improve air quality. We were hired by CommuteSmart to produce both spots. The one below focuses on air quality issues.

Since we will soon be launching the new Red Fox Media brand, I updated our demo reel. This reel features our new logo, along with samples of our more recent work. The new Red Fox Media website should go live in a couple of weeks. It’s been a long transition and I’ll be glad when it’s all complete.

Experts agree - online video will continue its growth over the next several years as consumption of video content continues to increase. In this video from Beet.TV, Jeff Cole, director of USC’s Center for the Digital Future, predicts that people will soon be spending up to 50 hours per week watching video. This rise (up from only 16 hours in 1975), will be due to the popularity of mobile video. This presents an incredible opportunity for advertisers and marketers, who will be able to use video to reach their audience while consumers are outside the home. This is TV without borders.

The question, however, is on the content itself. Where do you see the trend heading? Do you foresee an audience willing to watch 30 or 60-minute shows on their mobile devices, like Cole predicts? Or, do you you predict that the trend will continue to favor shorter, easily consumable 2-3 minute clips?

In regards to advertisers and marketers, what direction do you see video taking? Will production quality give way to production quantity? In other words, is it more important for advertisers to churn out as much video content as quickly as possible? Or, should they take their time with crafting and creating a well-polished, well-produced marketing video that has a longer shelf life?

A disconnect now exists between advertisers and consumers. People don’t like being interrupted by hard-sell advertising messages. They don’t like the idea of being “talked to.” They would rather be “talked with.” They crave conversation and engagement. The old rules of broadcasting to large audiences are slowly giving away to “small”-casting; that is, carving specific messages for a niche audience. For example, a few years ago I shot a video for a hospital. Rather than create a broad overview commercial for use on television, they specifically targeted those interested in nursing. They launched a microsite for their recruitment campaign and placed several short videos throughout. Each video featured a nurse from a specific area of the hospital talking on camera about his/her discipline. The nurse also spoke about the surrounding community - its social scene and nightlife. The campaign was successful because it spoke directly to a niche group. The videos used terminology the audience could understand. And it didn’t interrupt them with a hard sell. The following video humorously illustrates the current relationship between advertisers and consumers. The challenge for marketers is to adapt to this growing change in the way products and services are advertised.

If you happen to be graphic designer, a fan of fonts, or just a fan of movies, you will appreciate the following video. It’s amazing how pervasive one font can actually be and how overused it can become. There’s a lesson for the kids out there. Be willing to do something different to help you or your client stand out.

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• Font Squabble: Why So Hot Over Comic Sans (cehwiedel.com)

Last Wednesday (1/27/10) we debuted a new video that was produced for the Regional Planning Commission of Greater Birmingham (RPCGB). The RPCGB is a community development organization that represents six counties and 84 municipalities in central Alabama. By leveraging state and federal funds, the RPCGB provides various services to its member governments that help facilitate growth and development. These programs are incredibly far-reaching, so they approached us and asked us to create a 4-minute video that would give viewers a basic introduction to the organization and the services it offers. We shot the video with the Panasonic HVX-200A at 720p/24p.

The other night I was watching a TV show that I had recorded with my DVR. Like many of you, when the show went to a commercial break, I reached for the remote in order to fast-forward. But then, a commercial came on for Domino’s Pizza and I stopped to watch. What intrigued me about this ad was its honesty and transparency. The commercial showed focus groups, wherein customers talked negatively about the quality of Domino’s Pizza. They showed Twitter comments where internet users blasted the food chain for its poor product. But then, through sound bytes from Domino’s executives and chefs, the commercial demonstrated how the company was changing its recipe based on the feedback it received. This particular campaign is a great example of how a company listened and responded to its customers. Then, with honesty and transparency, they acknowledged their shortcomings and vowed to change things for the better. We’ll have to wait and see whether the new pizza recipe changes public opinion, but I think the company has done a good job of managing its public relations.

On this blog I have often talked about the importance of good visuals to drive your story. When done properly, an ad or marketing video can convey all necessary information simply through the visuals. Take Google for example. They recently launched a series of short videos to introduce people to their browser, Chrome. The ads are remarkable and they get their point across without any narration or any spokesperson going down through a checklist of benefits. They use a series of attention-grabbing visuals that gradually shift throughout the course of each video, changing your perspective of the scene. They leverage the limitations of two-dimensional space to create some pretty cool optical illusions. And each effect used in the video is practical - no CGI. What do you think?

It’s been said that the simplest solution is usually the best solution. Over the years, we have had the privilege of working on some large-budget projects requiring extensive creative, several crew members, dollies, camera cranes, professional talent, a five-day shoot and several weeks of post. However, not every company needs such scale in their video marketing efforts. This is especially true in the world of online video. Clients sometimes need a  simple solution.

Over the past 18 months, we have worked with law firms on projects specifically for the web. The purpose of these online videos is to provide viewers with an informal, personal glimpse of an attorney’s practice. These videos educate, inform, and help the viewer to feel more at ease before they step into the office. After all, wouldn’t you feel more comfortable and confident in hiring an attorney if you had the chance to see and hear him/her first?

This format can be duplicated for any business that needs to inform the viewer about the company, introduce key personnel, and educate the viewer on relevant issues, laws, procedures, etc. These videos, although simple in their approach, never compromise on production quality. And they are always effective in increasing traffic to a website and generating new business.

Okay, I’ll admit it. This post will be a hard sell for the benefits of video. But you have to admit that video can grab an audience’s attention. It can raise awareness. It can move people to action. In short, video can get things done.

Look no further than musician Dave Carroll. In 2008, he and his band were on a flight from Halifax to Omaha by way of Chicago. While waiting on the tarmac, the band noticed the United Airlines ground crew throwing their instruments around. Carroll later discovered that United’s blatant disregard for other people’s property had resulted in $1200 worth of damage to his guitar.

After about a year of jumping through corporate hoops, Carroll could not get United to pay for the damages. So, being the creative person that he is, Carroll wrote a song about the experience, created a music video, and on July 6 posted it on YouTube. As of this writing the video has over 4 million views and Carroll is now officially on the map. His story has been picked up by a number of news outlets, including Fox News and BusinessWeek magazine. As a result of the video, United gave $3,000 to charity at Carroll’s request.

This is but one example of how video can be utilized to help you get noticed. Below is Carroll’s video United Breaks Guitars.