First, my sincere thanks to all my clients who entrusted their video work to First Impressions Video! Whether a direct production or as a freelance contributor, 2016 was a very special year, and I am truly grateful! And as we head into 2017, just remember this important axiom: Rule #1…don’t sweat the small stuff. Rule #2…it’s ALL small stuff!
May we all be wildly successful in our respective endeavors in the coming year!
~TRW
A blog entry I wrote earlier in the year was picked up on Twitter. In it was one of several infographics I’ve posted and commented about over the course of the year. These visual pictures tell great stories and are applicable to producers of video, as well as consumers of video. I thanked the Tweeter for providing a great idea on how I could share a few of these infographics, which I have compiled here. Thanks to L. Scott Harrell ( @lscottharrell ) for the motivation to do this!
That last one was from 2015, but a few folks had asked me about it, so I figured, what the heck, and threw it in. And while the amplifying content around the infographics is likely mine, source credit for all of them goes to the respective creators.
Let me end the year with this one. Although intended to be humorous, all facets of video/film production require perseverance and resourcefulness. But for those with both, this can be a fascinating and gratifying endeavor. Just ask me!
Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays & Happy New Year
~TRW
This year, I got a wonderful opportunity to run camera for Fox Sports! I am part of a crew of 9 who shoot high school football, under Fox’s PrepZone division and it’s been a blast watching some of the best players in Southern California. Many of these kids will find themselves off to Division I college campuses across the country, and maybe even the NFL!
Photo credit: Michelle Bakker
I refer to Vidyard several times on this blog and in other media outlets where I post regularly. They generate tons of relevant content that tie the importance of video to any business’ marketing strategy–regardless of size. A recent article outlines their “top 10 reasons” why video should be the “lead actor” in such a strategy:
Because I have a 30+ year background in marketing, advertising and sales (even before launching the video biz) I take these thoughts a step further. Video, when used properly, is essential in moving customers through the sales funnel, and it’s interesting to note how the entire process–arguably–has changed over the years. A more contemporary version of this funnel indicates a greater percentage of marketing effort is involved, with the corresponding sales element considerably shorter.
Think about that when producing your next video and if you need guidance, either from a production perspective or a marketing perspective, give me a call!
P.S. If you want to read the entire Vidyard report, click here.
So I get a notice today that I received another 5-star review on Yelp. Like the others before it, I did NOT solicit it. Good news, that review appeared…today. BAD NEWS: what I also noticed was that NINE of my reviews are now filtered by Yelp’s dipshit…(yes, I did swear, because I’m TOTALLY pissed off at these people) algorithm. I no longer want to talk with anyone at Yelp, because all I hear are excuses. Needless to say, don’t you EVER call me again about advertising!!! That is all.
Although I haven’t done one of these in a while, it is not for a lack of wonderful compliments from satisfied clients, which can be seen on this site, on Yelp, Thumbtack, Google+ and elsewhere. This one was neat because it represented the second instance in which I’ve served the Eastside Costa Mesa Neighbors’ Group, videotaping their City Council Candidate Forum. Here are those comments:
“This is the second time we have used Terry’s services for our Candidates’ Forum. Very professional and friendly. We had absolutely no worries with Terry taping the event. What a find – and trust us – we tried taping our own event many years ago only to realize this required a professional at the helm. We anticipate that we have many more years of business with First Impressions Video.”
Thanks to Syndy, Kerry, Denise, Jeff and others at ECMNG for those kind words! First Impressions Video is standing by to make a happy customer out of YOU!
P.S. If you’d like to see the Forum video, click here.
For the last few weeks, I’ve been insanely busy with projects, plus, I took 10 days off to visit my home town of Oberlin, Ohio for one of those “milestone” high school reunions. So I haven’t been able to produce any of my own content. But don’t despair! The following is a collection of “shares” of relevant articles regarding video that I hope will resonate with you. And if any of them do, please touch base and let’s flush out an idea just for you!
Got video?
This summer has been crazy busy for me between shooting, editing and free-lancing. As a result, I haven’t been as active writing original pieces for my blog. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t a treasure trove of production-based content out there, so I thought I’d curate (compile) a few articles here that, hopefully, will be of interest to you!
As you peruse these articles, just remember a line I’ve used since starting the business: Great video doesn’t have to break the bank! Feel free to give a call to discuss your next project…consultations are free!
Got video?
Kari Jo Faulhaber wrote an interesting article about creating a “style” when producing video campaigns. You can read the entire story here. I have spoken quite a bit about “episodic” videos, and this is one area where having a style is essential so that each video in the series has a consistent look and feel.
I recently did an 8-episode series for well-known local business attorney, Mark Holmes, and each piece has the same opening and closing graphics, fonts, “lower thirds” and music bed, with the content itself the unique component of each. Additional continuity comes through the use of the “bug” in the lower right corner of the frame. If you’d like to check out any of the 8 episodes, you can go here: https://vimeopro.com/user17881499/markdholmeslaw
When it’s time to produce your next video, or video series, let’s sit down and talk about the best way to develop your style!
I ran across another of those cool infographics (thanks, Feldman Creative!) and thought I’d share. Most small businesses don’t have deep pockets for big video budgets, but it is possible–as I’ve been saying here for years–to create quality video that won’t break the bank!
Enjoy!
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