Make better customer testimonial videos
This blog post isn’t about cameras, microphones, elaborate graphics or the latest technology; it’s about the human side of getting great interviews. It can take months or even years for clients to agree to give a testimonial. Don’t make the mistake of simply having people say why your business is great because that’s really not the point. It’s about personalizing and sharing their experiences and explaining how working with your company helped them succeed. Always remember, you’re not interviewing a company; you’re interviewing a person. Sit in the hot seat: Every interviewer should sit in...
read moreDo you really need that second camera?
Capturing individual interviews with two cameras has become very popular in the past few years. When done right, it looks really nice, but when done wrong, it looks plain silly. Before you green light the approach, make sure it has purpose. Don’t just do it because everyone else is doing it. Our main focus (pun intended) will always be the person sitting in front of the lens. Most of us are not naturally comfortable sitting in front of a camera, so adding a second camera often increases the anxiety level. When we record customers for a client, our goal is to get the person out of that...
read moreWe don’t make movies
We work exclusively with business and broadcast networks to make news. When someone engages our services, they have stories to tell and not much time to do it. Our philosophy has always been efficiency. We get in and out quickly to reduce any disruptions during business hours, and then work hard to distribute the content to the appropriate channels. There’s a growing trend where companies are persuaded to make their content look like a feature film. We can do that but don’t recommend it because it often looks too polished and can lack authenticity. Everything should have purpose. Save the...
read moreImmunizations Required for Video Production Personnel
We often have to shoot inside operating rooms that can expose us to bloodborne pathogens and an array of other concerns. Many hospitals and medical organizations are now requiring all video production personnel have proof of immunization for insurance and general protection purposes. Below is a current list required by one of our clients: Tdap (Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis) – documentation of one dose Tuberculin Skin Test (TST/MDPH): • 2 Step TST upon entering healthcare or • TST done within last year plus TB Skin Test/Questionnaire or • TSpot or QFT Gold plus TB Questionnaire upon...
read moreShooting hand held video
The camera is as heavy as it looks. When you start to add on batteries, microphones, wireless receivers and other pieces, things quickly start to get heavy. For this particular project, going handheld was our only option for getting the shot. One of our biggest tricks in getting smooth, sharp handheld footage is to use a wide angle lens. The wider the lens, the more stable your shot will appear. This particular lens is one of Jay Duchin’s favorite. The lens alone costs over $8,000, which is more than some companies spend on their entire camera. Our investment in technology and...
read moreVideo recording in stores
There are huge advantages to some of our shoots. Besides working with great people on this training video, we were also able to do a bit of food shopping afterwards. This particular food store remained open during our time there but we wanted to avoid getting customers in the shots. One trick is to raise the camera to the maximum height which limits how much is in the background and at the same times makes for some great perspective...
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