Parc Entertainment - A Video Production Company

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.

Many of the videos we produce end up on a website. It’s a growing trend. More and more companies are integrating video into their online presence. Soon, internet users will expect to see videos on the sites they visit. In the September 4 issue of the Birmingham Business Journal, Haley Aaron writes about the popularity of online videos and the impact they have on today’s consumer. Below are some highlights from the article.

When local law firm Cory Watson Crowder & DeGaris wants to share information about their company and cases they are working on, the company doesn’t just post a press release or add a link to their Web site.

Instead, the firm uses Web video to tell its story. It created short films that give a brief introduction to its lawyers, as well as information about high-profile personal injury lawsuits the company represents.

“We want people to be able to come on to our Web site and not just look at who we say we are, but really get a much better feel not only for the firm and the work we do, but also for the individual partners,” said Melanie McCraney, director of communications at Cory Watson.

Internet video is a relatively new medium, but Americans are spending more time watching it. According to a survey compiled by comScore, a Virginia-based research company, Americans watched a total of 16.8 billion Web videos in April, from Web sites and video sharing sites such as YouTube. The average viewer spent 6.4 hours watching videos online during the month.

While consumers look to web video for entertainment and education, businesses are discovering the advantages of using it to market themselves…

Even more importantly, the nature of Web video may allow businesses to reach a more engaged audience since viewers can watch at their convenience…

Companies interested in producing web video should consider their tone and message carefully before producing and uploading videos… While free distribution through YouTube and Facebook cuts costs, it’s important that businesses don’t place cost over quality when filming and producing Web video.

A well-executed video can have an incredibly positive impact on your brand and shouldn’t be the last thing you think of when planning your marketing strategy.

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.

It’s difficult to predict just how successful an online video will be, but all popular videos have one thing in common - great content. That’s rule number one. Create great content and the chances of your video going viral will definitely increase. But using the phrase “great content” is a bit vague. Ultimately, what does this mean? And what factors prompt people to pass videos on to others?

Sarah Wood of Unruly Media offers the following eight characteristics of successful online videos. These “viral triggers,” as Wood describes them, are necessary if you want to turn a passive viewer into an active viewer.

1. funny
2. sexy
3. random
4. surprising
5. illuminating
6. shocking
7. spectacular
8. hyper-relevant

Many of our video projects are shot on location, but every so often we have an opportunity to so some green screen work for a client. Shooting a subject against a green screen will allow the video editor to remove the green background and replace it with another of his or her choosing. Green screens are used every day on the evening news when the weatherman delivers the forecast.

Working with a green screen can be tricky, because if not done correctly, you will have nightmares in post production as you try to key out the screen and insert your own background. My recommendation is to shoot some practice footage first before you start work with your client.  Here are a few things I’ve learned from my experiences:

1. The green screen should have no wrinkles or folds. Any imperfections across the surface of the green screen will result in shadows and hard lines that will be difficult to key out in post.
2. The green screen should be evenly lit. There should be no shadows and no fall off. The light should be soft and diffused. A light meter will help ensure accuracy.
3. Create distance between the subject and the green screen. Any light reflecting off the green screen and onto the subject should be eliminated. If not, your subject’s edges will have a green glow when the screen is keyed out. Move your subject as far away from the screen as possible. Then use flags to block any reflected light coming from the screen.
4. Shoot on a format with the highest-rated color space possible. MiniDV has a color space of 4:1:1. You can use it for green screen work, but it isn’t the best option. Just be aware that there will be some challenges in keying with MiniDV footage. The edges on your subject won’t be perfectly clean. However, if your video is intended only for the web, MiniDV will work for you. Consider this video we produced. It was shot on MiniDV and the client was satisfied with the green screen work. Formats like DVCPro and DVCProHD have a color space of 4:2:2, making them better for keying.

Learning the proper video production techniques takes practice. There’s always something new to learn and the more time you spend shooting and editing, the better your craft will be.

I’ve written several posts discussing Web 2.0 and the evolution of media across all platforms. Any person, business, organization, etc. that fails to recognize the participatory nature of today’s media and refuses to get involved, will fall way behind in the areas of marketing, advertising and public exposure. I came across this great video today by Niko Pereira, featuring Henry Jenkins of MIT, who discusses how media is changing. Worth watching.

Henry Jenkins on Transmedia - November 2009 from niko on Vimeo.