2019 was a great ride, and now it’s time to “drive” right into 2020! Need a Videographer, Director of Photography, Director/TD, Cinematographer, or just a good ol’ Camera Operator? Give me a call!
To all of my clients, freelance colleagues and friends, my sincere thanks and a tip of the hat you you all!
**AUTHOR’S NOTE** I first wrote this article in September, 2014. Having now done hundreds of interview videos since then, the 6 points I detailed in 2014 take on even greater meaning, so I thought I’d “rebroadcast” the post. I would also add a seventh point: When speaking in front of a camera, it isn’t necessary to try to remember a long passage or thought! When you get to a point where you’re not sure what you want to say next, just pause–while still looking at the same spot–collect your thoughts, and continue. Seasoned pros know this neat little trick and now, you do too! Your editor will love you because editing your session will be much simpler when there are pauses that can be easily put together, creating a nice, cohesive interview!
About a year ago, I wrote on my blog about giving a great interview, in which I tapped into my friend Steve Cooper’s article (hitchedmag.com) for some terrific insights. Recently, I shot interview-type videos for a number of corporate and non-profit clients and it sparked a few new thoughts that are worth sharing, for the next time you are asked to be interviewed on camera.
And finally, start with the end in mind. Even a short interview has a “story arc,” and by knowing where you want the interview to finish, it will simplify the presentation from beginning to end!
With so much going on in digital marketing these days, it might be easy to forget about organic search, or just dismiss it as being too difficult to execute–especially with so many updates to Google’s search algorithm. I should know. As many who read my blog are aware, I spent over a decade in digital marketing of all sorts and types, before starting the video business. So here’s my take or organic search: it still works!!
Yesterday, I shot a funeral for a family. It was a very moving ceremony and was held at Forest Home Memorial Park in Glendale. I received a call about a week before the service from a photographer friend of the family asking if I was available. He was a pleasant gentleman and I could tell that we both had the right kind of sensitivity in our approach to this unique assignment, so I agreed. Through several calls and emails, I forgot to ask him how he found me, since we didn’t know each other, but I was able to ask after the service and he said, “I Googled you!” Understanding search queries, I asked further, what search terms (keywords) he used? His reply, “I Googled ‘funeral videography orange county.’ ”
I was very pleased at this revelation as it proves positively the value and importance of good search engine optimization (SEO). I ran the same query this morning and found this search result:
First Impressions Video appeared–after the ads, that I don’t buy–in the first four positions of the search engine results page (SERP), and the map! I think it’s safe to say that I would likely NOT have received the call that turned into a nice piece of business had I not invested the necessary time to optimize my website.
No matter what your business is, taking the time to build robust SEO for your website can be…no, should be…a critical component of your overall digital marketing strategy. Do not overlook organic search…it is a cornerstone to effective online visibility!
When you run a small business, you wear a LOT of hats! One of the things that must be done in contemporary business is to ensure that your business can be found when people are searching online for the product or service you offer. So imagine my elation to discover this today, when doing a search for “video production”
Search engine optimization (SEO) is an ongoing activity and many business owners use outside agencies to help get these kinds of results. I am fortunate to have spent the last decade in digital marketing before launching First Impressions Video. SEO is also very fluid and tomorrow my rankings can change–good or bad. But after working at this for quite a while, it’s nice to see Google “smiling at my website” today! Full disclosure: there were three listings that preceded First Impressions Video in the search results, but one was a generic Yelp listing with no specific company cited; the second was for Costa Mesa Television, which is not a video production business and the third was a directory page of the “top 15 video production services in Costa Mesa.” None of those was a stand-alone business.
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Funerals and memorial services are tough. They are full of emotion as the families and loved ones grieve for the one that passed away. I have commented about memorials before, and the absolute need for discretion and sensitivity when shooting them. So I am always deeply gratified when I get comments like the one I just got from a family whose mother passed away last year. And the impact was truly amplified when I got a “heads up” from the officiating pastor that the son of the decedent would be seeing his own son—and his family—from whom he had been estranged for quite a number of years! Here is the testimonial:
“Words cannot express how thankful we were for your availability and to beautifully capture Marie’s memorial service last October. For Jim (Russell), as a pastor it was great to ask you to watch for certain interactions and then to let them develop. For John (and I) and Danny, it began the process of restoring their relationship which has since, been such a blessing.
Thank you again. Many blessings to you!”
Christina Clausen
Administrative Assistant to
Mike Erre, Lead Pastor
EvFree Fullerton
And this is why I love doing what I do!
As a videographer, I have watched changes in equipment happening at a dizzyingly rapid rate over the years. SD to HD to 3D to 4K…DSLRs, GoPros, drones and other pieces of equipment and these transitions have taken place just in the last few years!! What’s a person to do?!? One thing’s for sure: You could go (and stay) broke trying to keep up! Besides, you might have the latest and greatest “gizmatchit” but in the end, it still comes down to the creative skill you possess when you look through the viewfinder. And regardless of the gear I use (I do confess to having all HD equipment nowadays!) my clients hire me because I am able to interpret their requests and deliver a finished product that we are both happy with.
One of the things that has occurred in all this change is the type of delivery medium being used. For years—if not decades, the delivery medium of choice has been the ubiquitous DVD. Now even that little plastic platter is facing potential extinction as consumers are asking for their deliverables in formats other than DVD. Even Adobe with their incredible “Creative Cloud” series of applications is unbundling and discontinuing Encore—their DVD authoring program—from their editing app, Premiere Pro.
The fact is that there are a number of options available and since it is my job to deliver in a manner and medium desired by the client, I am very open to these alternatives. As the cost of storage media continues to drop and with the advent of “cloud-based” storage, I can get your finished product to you pretty much any way you want. Here are just a few examples, keeping in mind that you still must have an application that will play the video file (with the exception of sharing or streaming services that have playing capability built-in):
According to industry website Doddle, wedding and event videographers, and even attorneys (for depositions and other types of legal videography) still desire—and sometimes require—DVDs. That said, I have used every one of the alternatives listed in the bullet points, except live streaming. As the price of that technology continues to come down, I can see adding it to my repertoire.
So here’s the question: How would you like your video delivered? I’d love to hear your thoughts! Drop me a note at info@firstimpressionsvideo.com,
When I look back over the first year of First Impressions Video’s “official” existence, perhaps the one area that has surprised me most is memorial videography. Nearly half of all the projects I shot last year were memorials. And for some reason, this seems like an area that should not be tampered with out of respect for the deceased. Yet, it is because of respect for the deceased and concern for the living that video is becoming an increasingly important part of the grieving process. There are two reasons for this.
First of all, there has been significant change taking place in the funeral industry overall. Mostly due to the rise of the Baby Boomer generation, contemporary thinking is to now personalize the funeral or memorial service. Add to that the rise in cremation, which allows for great latitude on the part of those planning services. No longer are you limited to a funeral home or a house of worship. Once cremation has taken place, the cremated remains can be released to the family, and they can do whatever they want without the involvement of a funeral director. Think of scattering ashes in the ocean, for example.
The second factor is technical advances in the video industry. With the marriage of video and the computer, it has become possible to offer high-quality video in a relatively short time and at a reasonable cost. I’m sure this contributed to my sudden surge in memorial videos last year. I could shoot and turn them around relatively quickly, and the families have been profoundly appreciative of the service I provided.
There are two distinct ways video can be used for memorial/funeral services: One way is the memorial tribute video. This is a video usually made up of about 30 to 50 photos—and can include short video clips—and lasts around five minutes. The key elements necessary for a compelling memorial tribute video are time, quality, and movement. Fast turnaround times are crucial; most of the tributes I do have to be completed within 24 to 48 hours. To control my schedule, I like to pick up the photos at the funeral home shortly after the family brings them in. If the funeral home is too far away, I ask the funeral director to scan the photos and send them to me using Google Drive, Dropbox or some other file sharing service. Once I have the photos I may do some modest retouching in my computer. My editing includes use of a “pan and scan” effect (sometimes called the “Ken Burns” effect) to put movement in the photos. This will provide a nice distinction from a more traditional slide show.
The second way video is being used is in the recording of the service itself. With the personalization of services and the stories that are often told about the deceased, it becomes a wonderful way to capture memories of an individual that will be treasured by those left behind. What’s more, with families being scattered, it is often hard to get everyone together for a service. A funeral or memorial service captured on video can easily be shared with loved ones anywhere in the world, which I recently did for a client who had family in Norway! For 2014, I am exploring streaming as yet another way to deliver the service to people at remote locations. Right now, the cost may make streaming prohibitive, but as pricing comes down (and it always does, where technology is involved), I will update this blog accordingly.
This kind of videography requires great sensitivity as I am entering a space typically packed with emotion. Whereas weddings are by nature joyful events, memorials involve grieving family members and friends. I must be able to conduct myself unobtrusively so as not to intrude when people are often at their most vulnerable. I am honored to say that I have this gift, and if I can ever offer such a service to you, a friend or family member, I will take great care to show respect and dignity to the task to which you have entrusted me.
A year ago, I lost my job in internet marketing. Rather than continue in that field, I took a risk and with the blessings of a supportive spouse, started First Impressions Video. After all, if not now…when? It’s been an interesting journey and have worked on a myriad of interesting projects. And while there could have been more jobs, every starting entrepreneur says the same thing. That said, I convey thanks to every customer who entrusted their projects to me, and thanks to Laurie Probasco Wall, for believing in me! And here’s to an even more prosperous year 2!!!
If anyone thinks seniors aren’t tuned into the digital revolution, think again! Americans over 50 have long since embraced all manner of online media, and a majority of Baby Boomers note that viewing video online is a daily activity. Gavin O’Malley wrote a comprehensive article in Online Media Daily about this subject that you can read in its entirety here, but here are a few highlights:
The takeaway: Video is a viable tool to get your business found and every demographic uses it to find products and services!
Any questions?
Over the last few weeks, I’ve had the privilege of being asked to videotape two memorial services. I’m honored that people would entrust to me an event that by its nature is full of emotion, and it got me to thinking about the power of “life story” videos.
Every person or family has a story to tell and there’s no better time like the present to tell it. Tomorrow isn’t promised to any of us and I would encourage anyone who wants to tell his or her story to “just do it.” This could be a session as short as an hour, or could be a multi-session heritage documentary, but if you have a story to be told, please allow us to help you bring it to life!
One question might be: “I wouldn’t know where to start….” Here is a list of thought starters that might help.
These are just a few questions to get going…from here, the conversation could go anywhere. And one of the cool things is that the interview style used is designed to get the subject comfortable with the camera, because they’re not looking at it! This is a casual style and when done properly, the interviewee can actually lose awareness that the camera is there. Yes, there will probably be lights and a microphone setup, but it’s usually the camera that makes a subject nervous.
Arguably, one of the best life stories I’ve ever read is Mitch Albom’s Tuesdays with Morrie, which was adapted into a motion picture with the same name. “Morrie” was played by the incomparable Jack Lemmon, and was a riveting story about one of Mitch’s college professors. Morrie had a profound impact on Mitch’s life and when the time comes to tell your story, we’d love to help you tell it with the same degree of dignity and respect as Mitch did for Morrie!
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