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!
2017 was the celebration of the 5th anniversary of First Impressions Video, as a full-time venture. Each year was more gratifying than the one it followed and 2018 is already looking to be the best yet! There are many to thank for this prosperity as it is my wonderful clients that made it happen! And in no particular order, shout-outs and sincere thanks to the following:
And as we begin 2018, there are several trends worth noting, for those thinking about video in your business plans.
There are so many trends to address that it would take three times the size of this blog to share them all, but it’s December 22nd and I’ve got things to do before Christmas! Plus, I’ll be in my normal place behind Camera 1 at Mariners Church for the Christmas services! Perhaps I’ll see you there, but in the event I don’t, please allow me to wish you and yours the most wonderful Christmas and Holiday season, and a very prosperous 2018!
~TRW
It’s been said before, but bears repeating: Every video should tell a story! Even 15 second commercials do this, so it stands to reason that anything longer should be a no-brainer, but it often isn’t.
So, let me point out that the nucleus of any story should have three main points:
Yeah, I know it’s simplistic, but this is the cornerstone of any story “arc.” Having spent 30 years in marketing, there is another way to look at it:
If you do this right, there’s one last three-point metaphor:
Any questions?
Note: for those interested in delving into the full complexity of story development, there are hundreds of books, blogs and videos that will expand your horizons. I just wanted to keep it short and simple today…lots of projects in the workflow !
~TRW
Event Video has become standard for most conferences, seminars and workshops, and clients commonly opt for a highlights film or a recording of the presentations for on-demand viewing. In this blog I will address tips that will enable the best way to effectively—and efficiently—produce your event video for optimum results.
1. Think how you want to use the video
Will the video be an on-demand recording of the event? Will the client use the project to showcase their conference? Will it be used to recruit sponsors, delegates, presenters for next year? Is it a bit of everything?
These questions allow your videographer to ensure that the proper equipment is brought to the shoot. They will also be able to prioritize, for instance, to shoot and/or interview exhibitors before they pack up, often quite early in the day.
A good program brief for the video producer allows for capture of the footage that is relevant for all parties. Equally important is to decide on what doesn’t need to be filmed. For instance, if you decide that an entire session does not need to be recorded, the videographer can roam the location, capturing nice angles and audience shots, which will be more useful in a highlight film.
2. Provide your event video company with an agenda…PLEASE!
Having the final agenda as early as possible allows your video company to plan the day’s activities and to identify any points which might be tricky to capture. They will use the running order as a shoot list on the day.
3. Inform presenters and delegates that they will be filmed
Don’t “assume” on this one! Delegates may not want to appear in a film, however briefly and sometimes presenters might have copyrighted or confidential information which they will not want recorded and distributed. Let your production company know and they will make sure that these are not included in any recordings.
It’s also worth getting email acknowledgment — in advance — that the attendees and presenters are being filmed. If the 
finished product is going to be a highlight film, it might be worth telling speakers that their entire presentation will not be recorded and that any filming will only be for snippets in the finished film. This may help the presenters relax a bit when they see a camera in the room.
4. Schedule time for interviews and vox-pops
Interviews and vox-pops (shorter duration — 5 to 7 minutes — interviews or testimonials) often form the cornerstone of any event video and should not be an after-thought. For more formal interviews, give the interview subjects a time slot with a buffer for change-over
and possible over-runs, and a separate location should be considered. Make sure your videography team has time to get to where the interview recording is to take place and if lighting and mics have to be rigged, consider allowing for more crew to do this as your camera man might be busy filming sessions. If most interviews run over lunch time, make sure your film crew get fed as it’s often a long day, particularly if presentations are also recorded. If you use a “Single Person Crew” (or “SPC” for short), it is paramount to be aware of the timing and logistics of the overall program.
5. Lighting and Audio for Event Video
Often, the choice of venue for an event overlooks this important point. Although beautiful visually, many event venues have questionable lighting conditions—for video, which can be further exacerbated by large windows and even mirrors. Inconsistent lighting can wreak havoc with even the best video cameras!
Event audio can be just as challenging. “House sound” is difficult to control and the ability to “EQ” the sound is critical in capturing good audio, and most meeting rooms will not enable patching into the system for a direct feed into the camera(s).
Consulting with the venue’s event team, including their A/V tech beforehand can help generate ideas and solutions to produce an excellent event video. The best remedy is to think about video as part of the decision of what venue to select!
For more information and a chat about your next event video plans, please contact me at info@firstimpressionsvideo.com or call me at 714-979-3850
Drones are cool. A guy that’s in the local videographers’ network that I belong to owns one and he did a demo with his last year. I don’t own one yet and I now fear that with all the BONEHEADS out there that are just SCREWING IT UP FOR EVERYONE, I may never get that chance! I really want to thank the jackass that let his drone get away from him, only to crash on the White House grounds! Worse than that, because these things are affordable, my greater fear is that some jerkweasel will find a much more nefarious use of one of these things.
Shaking my head……….
I shot a wedding this past October. The couple and their family couldn’t have been nicer! I got this wonderful note shortly after the wedding:
“Terry, thank you for being my videographer. I don’t even need to see the video to already know you did a great job, I can’t wait! Even my guests commented on how they could tell you genuinely enjoyed your job and that will show in the quality. Your pricing was also very reasonable and the video will be the most cherished item for me so I can relive my special night, thanks again, we can’t wait to see the video!”
The wedding venue was one of the most challenging in which I’ve ever filmed, with extremely severe contrasts between the late-day western sun blasting into the windows and the interior of the venue which was quite dark. Even with my own extra light fixture, it didn’t help much, but I persevered. And because the final product didn’t meet my strict expectations, I gave the couple some of their money back. The great news came when I received the following comments from the very happy bride:
“Thank you Terry, you did a great job, made me cry. And I appreciate your professionalism, I had a feeling the venue would be difficult to work with, thank you for the refund. I will surely recommend you and provide positive reviews!”
Well, thank you, Lisa…you just did!
Yesterday, I delivered the final wedding video DVD to my friends Kim and Scott Timmins. In addition to the video of the ceremony and reception were slide shows of both. It was a monster project and the slide shows required keyframing of over 100 pictures to create the “Ken Burns” effect for each one.
Feedback from the couple: “Just watched the video…it is AWESOME!! THANK YOU!! Can’t wait to show our family back east. Love it! Love it!!” And for added measure, they added the emoticon for a big smiley face! I guess you could call that a happy customer!
Here’s a shot of me just before going to work. Weddings on the beach can be magnificent, but you get sand everywhere, so I have to use brushes and compressed air to remove the sand out of my gear!
First Impressions Video is now listed on Wedding.com! Click the link to go there.
On several occasions, I’ve been asked where (or how) I came about the name for First Impressions Video. The answer is simple: In the world of non-scripted event productions, there is rarely—if ever—an opportunity for a second take. You can’t get a wedding couple to stop in the middle of the ceremony and repeat their vows, or ask a corporate CEO doing an annual presentation to do it over again because you missed the most important part of his or her speech! That would be an “epic fail!” But the question has more to do with the genesis of the name.
The saying, “you never get a second chance to make a first impression,” is attributed to many folks, as I have learned: Oliver Wilde, Mark Twain, Will Rogers; heck, even Walt Disney! Given their histories and personalities, it would make perfect sense for any of these esteemed people to have said it. But the real attribution for this phrase goes to Hannah Tatum Whitall Smith (1832 – 1911), an evangelist, author and an activist in both the Women’s Suffrage and Temperance movements. Smith was considered, among many of her talents, a motivational communicator—quite an accomplishment, given the historical time period. The original phrase was, “you never get a second chance to make a good first impression,” and the word ‘good’ was dropped in more contemporary use, though the inference remains.
This statement promotes responsibility in how I approach the work because if you’re shooting a live event, there just may not—and probably won’t—be a second chance, so I’d better get it right the first time. Good words to live by—in videography, or any other field of endeavor. Thank you, Mrs. Smith, for the inspiration!
Proud to be a member of this prestigious organization
First Impressions Video 