08Feb

The Superbowl Ad that Wasn’t: Apple

Tonight we’re sponsoring a pretty cool event in Seattle, Chalk Talk 2012. Chalk Talk reviews all the Superbowl spots with a panel of agency experts, including Eric Baumgartner from Wunderman and Ian Cohen from the Wexley School for Girls. Promises to be both informative and a good time – and we’ll be interested to see what their perspective is.

One potential dark horse of the night might be Apple. Missed their spot? So did we, until the very end during the presentation of the Lombardi Trophy and about a dozen iPhones were whipped out to capture the event. The Street’s Jim Cramer called this the biggest advertising coup of them all – free exposure by professional athletes on the biggest stage in television history.

That’s the goal – weaving your narrative so deeply into people’s lives that they do the advertising for you. At Hand Crank Films, we try to do that with every video production we make by extending your brand on an emotional level – so people remember, people talk, people want to engage. That’s the power of good storytelling and exceptional products.

And a media buy that wasn’t a media buy at all.

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30Jan

One Idea: Your Brand is Not Your Logo

One Idea: Your Brand is Not Your Logo

I had the real pleasure of hanging out with Bryan Hintz last week, the lead designer for SPIE. SPIE is a leader in advancing the scientific research and engineering applications of optics – namely light. They also hold one of the biggest tradeshows in San Francisco, Photonics West, which is a crazy collection of over 20,000 attendees and over 1,200 exhibitors in Moscone Hall, most of them world-renown scientists, entrepreneurs and venture capitalists looking for the Next Big Thing. It’s bigger than MacWorld.

Bryan’s job? To design everything from the 20 foot tall entrance graphics to the exhibition guides to the video production we worked on for him – just about everything that someone would look at to get an impression. But although he’s expert at creating clean graphics, logos and things that draw people in, his attention to detail went beyond that. For him, colors were important. But experience was everything.

Bryan said it best: the SPIE brand was the totality of the experience people had at the event. The way the crowds interacted with kiosks, got their tickets, walked the floor. The mood they were in when they left to get dinner.

So whether you’re providing video production services like we are, or selling books, or selling insurance – don’t relegate your brand to the logo on your business card. Sure, it’s important. It can set a tone. But then the real work begins.

One idea? Do a touchpoint analysis of every place a customer or potential customer comes into contact with what you offer – from the way people pick up the phone to your email signature. Then ask yourself, is that the brand I want my audience to experience?

Judging by the success of Photonics West, Bryan and everyone else at SPIE pretty much nailed it. But he was already planning for ways to improve next year.

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20Jan

5 Tips on Publishing Your First Book with iBooks Author

5 Tips on Publishing Your First Book with iBooks Author

I couldn’t wait to get home last night to fool around with iBooks Author, the new tool released yesterday by Apple that allows anyone to create interactive iPad books that can be sold or given away online.

Why is this important? Because now it’s relatively easy for you to create an interactive book with graphics, video content, quizzes, 3-D images, and much more. So if you own a company that sources the best fish in the world like our client Vital Choice, you’ll be able to create cookbooks with how-to videos, links to the nearest supermarkets that have your product, and surveys that let you get instant feedback from your readers. And this is only scratching the surface.

This is jaw-dropping stuff, and I imagine this will blow up similar to the whole app space. But the question is, how will all of us take advantage of it? Here’s some ideas:

  1. Can you take one of your brochures and turn it into an iPad book as a test? The software is easy to use and I had a rudimentary book ready to publish in about an hour.
  2. How can you help your audience?  Think about how you can use this platform to spread your expertise. Then give it away for free, at least at first. You gain a lot of instant credibility when you say ‘You should read my book on the subject. Let me send you a link.’ Now it’s easier than ever.
  3. What other content can you include in your book? What videos or graphics do you have that would make this book truly interactive and engaging?
  4. Think of a good title that will grab people.
  5. Do it. If you’re interested at all in getting in front of people, this has immense potential. Limited really only by your imagination.

Yeah, I’m very bullish on the whole thing and I’m often susceptible to the Steve Jobs ‘Reality Distortion’ field. I believe there is tons of opportunity here for anyone with something important to say (which is most of us).  Think about it as another huge gateway to what you offer.

But the future is not without it’s downside. The barrier to entry is so low (unlike the app space, where you at least need to have access to technical skill), that I’m sure the space will get flooded. So getting in and differentiating yourself now is more imperative than ever.

Plus it appears that books you create for iPads using Author can only be sold in the iBookstore. So Apple is, in fact, locking you in.

Beyond that – there will be a whole generation behind us that may never pick up a real book ever again. Paper is planned obsolescence, and interactive books full of everything may make imagination a casualty. But it’s also inevitable.

The other downside? I uploaded my eBook ‘The Power of Video’ to the iBookstore last night but can’t find it listed anywhere yet. My guess is that it’s going through the Apple approval process so there isn’t any immediate gratification.  I’ll keep you posted.

 

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16Jan

Distribution: Louis C.K. Tears Down the Wall

Distribution: Louis C.K. Tears Down the Wall

MLK Tore Down Many a Wall

All the Big Guys have been looking for a distribution model that makes money online. Sure, Amazon and eBay have been huge successes, but record companies and movie studios have had at best a lukewarm relationship with the Net. See the ludicrous SOPA act for proof.

Then along comes comedian Louis C.K. to create an impressive video production and distribution model. Haven’t heard of him? Either had I until all the buzz, and now he’s grossed over a cool $ 1 million in about two weeks. The idea is fairly simple on paper:

  1. Decide you want to record one of your stand-up gigs, in this case “Live at Beacon Theater“.
  2. Pay for production yourself – about $170,000.
  3. Post the video on your website and charge a reasonable price for download – 5 bucks.
  4. Tell your 897,000 fans about it on twitter, and ask them nicely not to rip it off: “Please don’t torrent this video. I paid for the whole thing with my own stupid money.”
  5. Participate in a few online forums and Q+A sessions, and let your fans spread the word and handle all your PR.
  6. Become a model for future distribution strategies = Purchase, not Pirate.

Louis C.K. avoided the studio system all-together, which he said would have paid him less than $200,000, and went straight to his fan base. The result is all the middlemen were cut out: the many layers of studios, marketing teams, distributors, and retailers – each that would have taken a piece of the pie. Red Tape was avoided all-together.

What he did seems so simple: provide a good product at a reasonable price. But the real magic was in connection. Engaging his audience in an honest and straightforward way. Creating a relationship his fans wanted to pay for. And, of course, being funny.

And the kicker? He gave almost $300,000 of the proceeds to charity and another $250,000 to his staff. The remainder is being used to fund another show. Which points to a bird of an all together different feather.

What sort of content could you try this with?

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11Jan

Product Review: Camera+

We’re always on the lookout for new products that make it easier to create new content – whether it be something as vital as WordPress, which allows just about anyone to create a cool website fairly easily, or the RED EPIC, perhaps the most digitally advanced motion picture camera in the world.

Recently I started to use Camera+ again. I’ve had this iPhone app for awhile, but I never really plugged in until I saw some of the great photos my friends were posting on Facebook. So I reopened the app and played with it over the holidays.

The end game? The app not only helps you take better pictures, but is a great photo editor as well.

The first thing you’ll notice out of the box is the ability to create both a focus point and exposure point on your touchscreen. With the native Camera app on the iPhone (very solid in it’s own right), the focus point and exposure point are the same. But with Camera+, you can mess around with the exposure to get what you want. Check out the picture below to see what I mean:

Focus Point on Wood Statue, Exposure Point on Red Wall

Once the picture is taken, the fun begins. In Camera+, you can mess around with about 100 different settings and combinations to make your pictures look anyway you want – from effects like Grunge to Ansel Adams to Depth of Field. You can even crop and add borders – and then of course share your pic across your favorite social network to show off your mad skills.

 

Lots of Effects to Choose From

If you’re a complete photography novice like myself (hey, I leave all the video production to the other guys) – then this tool is a fun way to maximize what just might be the best camera of all: the one that’s with you. And since most of us carry our phones just about everywhere we go, here’s one way to get really good snaps. All for the rich price of 99 cents.

One thing I’m doing this year is taking one picture a day. Then at the end of the year, I’ll compile that into a visual journal. Should be fun. And with technology making it simple to carry around a really nice camera wherever I go, should be fairly easy too.

Your thoughts on the best apps out there? Let us know.

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06Jan

5 Resolutions You Can Steal

5 Resolutions You Can Steal

Every New Year,  I make the standard list of resolutions. They often involve working out more and eating less. But this year more than ever, I’m searching for Quality. And to me, quality means connecting with things and people that resonate, fulfill their purpose, and last.

Here’s a few ways I think we can all add quality to our stories in 2012:

  • Find the Romantic Hook: Romance is the deepest connection – the way we find joy in the smallest things. While it’s the most powerful of all the hooks, it’s also often the first to be let go under the grind of the day to day. Don’t let this be buried under the incessant paperwork. Fight for it.
  • Listen to Better Soundtracks: Every piece of media we consume affects how we feel. Don’t waste much time (other than a few guilty pleasures) on content that doesn’t reinforce who you want to be. Instead, find the soundtrack that inspires.
  • Join a Better Cast: Surrounding yourself with people that don’t dream the same way you do is a killer. Cut their scenes as much as possible from your script, and hang with people who want to share the same crazy life you do. That’s the best way to reach new heights.
  • Produce Quality Content: Every email, every tweet, every Facebook post and video, is part of your brand and reflects who you are. Your content is what fills your own personal TV channel, and if you want people to watch, you have to focus on quality. No, it may never be perfect, but it should add value and make people’s lives better.
  • Ignore the Critics: Producing (rather than just consuming) is risky business. You’re going to have to eventually throw stuff out there for people to see. Inevitably, you’ll get feedback that is negative, snarky, and mean. But you’ll also get good feedback. Use it to improve and fuel the engine. Don’t get dragged down by people who never had the guts in the first place.

My last couple of posts have been ‘soft’ in video production advice, and have focused instead on some general philosophies. Maybe it’s the holidays and the New Year that’s bringing this time of reflection. Or the eggnog. Regardless, I’m going to get back to more ‘How To’ posts soon.

But the Big Questions and the Big Answers do matter. By stealing some of these resolutions, maybe we can all do well and put a ‘dent in the universe’.

Your thoughts for 2012? Let us know.

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02Jan

The Two Most Important Words in Business

The Two Most Important Words in Business

As we close a tremendous year and begin another, all of us at Hand Crank Films want to focus on the two words that mean the most to us.

Thank you.

Thank you for seeing something in us. Thank you for reaching out. Thank you for taking a risk and letting us in on your story and your life. It’s something we cherish.

Thank you.

If we haven’t said it enough, we’ll make amends. We’ll work harder. Because we understand that at the end of the day, there is only one thing that makes our company special: Our clients. Our friends. Our co-workers. The people we’re lucky enough to do business with.

Thank you.

Here’s to an amazing New Year, 2012 and beyond.

 

26Dec

The Power and Financial Sense of “Evergreen” Production Quality

The Power and Financial Sense of “Evergreen” Production Quality

I remember when I bought my first Sony TV many years ago. I was excited because I knew I had gotten something that would last. My grandfather (the one that inadvertently got me started in this business) still used his old Sony’s from 20 years early – as video editing monitors because the picture was so good. There was a feel and look to the thing that just said – this is going to last.

20 years on we only just recently retired that TV after using what had been a home set to test DVDs because the picture quality was so high and consistent. I got much, much more than my money’s worth from the thing.

Apple computers are the same way. We still use machines we bought here 5 or 6 years ago for production work, right along side the latest machines.

When we set out to create a film here at Hand Crank, we set out to create something that is going to last and last, and always be a pleasure to behold – like a Sony or an Apple. Sure, one can make something cute and clever with a flip camera in an afternoon. Someone can piece together some stock imagery and make a quick point on something. We are looking way beyond that. That is disposable media. We looking to make pieces that will stand the test of time proudly for our clients. Something they will use for years in their marketing,that will arouse pride in employees, and when they retire the piece, something they’ll be able to look back on proudly as marking an important period in their company’s growth – a timeline marker.

Also, our Evergreen productions are meant to be able to branch out. Many of our clients use stills from stuff we shoot to make posters, billboards, magazine ads. Shooting on the RED means you’re getting image quality for EACH FRAME that rivals a still photo from a professional film camera. And it is more than just the image quality – our clients use the creative we work with them on to span across magazine, web, and print campaigns as well.

So, when you’re looking at putting together a video piece consider carefully what all the parts are going to add up to, how long you are going to be using it, and what it REALLY means to your company.

I know it can get old, us telling you why we do what we do. I promise not to have too many blog posts about this. But, what can we say, it sometimes helps to remind ourselves why we work so hard to make our product the way it is!

Max

23Dec

Be A Collector of Good Ideas – 3 Tips to Blow-Up Your Imagination

Be A Collector of Good Ideas – 3 Tips to Blow-Up Your Imagination

“All artists are magpies and thieves” – Elvis Costello

These are the questions:

How do I fill an editorial calendar with good content?  Where are all these good ideas supposed to come from anyway?

The answer: Everywhere.

You have to put on the coal miner’s hat, grab the pick axe, dig. You have to be on the lookout, have your ear to the ground, watch for changes in the current. Good ideas are passing us by right now, this very moment.  Listen. See.

The headline you read. The conversation you eavesdropped on. The radio talk-show host you disagree with. The thousand ways you do business every day. Each and every one of these is your next blog post. Your next tweet. Your next video. Maybe even your next feature film, screenplay, opus.

Don’t sell yourself short. Give yourself credit for knowing a lot. And what you know – people want to hear. Even the smallest niche or the oddest thing has an audience.

Here’s 3 things I use to generate and keep good ideas:

1) Observe. Try to see everything. And when you see everything, ask ‘What if?’ How does the way the waiter serves your food at lunch relate to your business problem?
2) Mash it up (it’s what all the cool kids are doing). Take two ideas and smash them together. What’s Groupon, but taking coupons and slamming it together with social media?
3) Record it: a good idea is a horrible idea if it’s lost. Use a tool like Evernote to capture all your smallest thoughts.

In one day, do you think you can come up with 5 blog post ideas? 10 ideas?

I’ll take that challenge.

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I’m starting now.

19Dec

This Hour Has Seven Days: The Editorial Calendar

This Hour Has Seven Days: The Editorial Calendar

I can tell you my New Year’s Resolution in three words: Shed. The. B.S.

There’s so much opportunity, so much one can do to fill a day, that’s it’s hard not to chase the shiny objects. But I’ve decided to trim the sails, unsubscribe, and focus on the core business of Hand Crank Films: connection. With co-workers. With customers. With the community.

Part of that connection is creating engaging content people care about. That people want. One thing Max said a few posts back was just ‘don’t throw it out there.’ Refine your message, polish what you want to say, then push it out for people to see and engage in.

And here’s the best trick I know to make that happen: the editorial calendar. Having a real clear idea of what you’re going to create before you create it.

Take this blog for example. I’ve got about thirty topics written down – and next to those topics a potential publish date for each one. Sure, that will change, things will come up – but instead of thinking up a new idea every time I sit down to write, I can just take a look at the list and start jamming. I can write two posts at a time, schedule them to post days ahead of time, and get ahead of the curve. I can take the pressure off.

We’ll be doing the same thing with video in 2012 as we make it a more integral part of this blog: product reviews, quick courses on video production/lighting and camera, screw-ups we’ve made, production success and horror stories. All the good stuff.

So if you want to start your own blog and content engine in 2012 – the first thing you should do is write down 30 or so ideas of things you want to talk about. This will be your road map  Take the next two weeks or so to brainstorm. No idea is too crazy. Just let it rip.

Then take an hour and plan out the next seven days of content. Schedule it. Begin creating. Start the push. One hour for a week of great stuff. Make this part of your schedule.

And remember, it doesn’t have to be perfect. It just has to be produced. Authentic. And shared.

Let me know when you get it out there. I’d love to check it out.

Here’s to a great New Year.

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16Dec

Video Production Philosophy – Take a Chance

Video Production Philosophy – Take a Chance

In relation to video production philosophy: (sorry, I had to add that as my post SEO software says to)

In a great new post on Forbes’ web site, Rob Siltanen, chairman and chief creative offices at Siltanen & Partners, explains how the famous Apple “Think Different” campaign originated.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/onmarketing/2011/12/14/the-real-story-behind-apples-think-different-campaign/

Rob, who was with TWBA/Chiat/Day at the time, claims he wrote the article to set the record straight since in the recent biography by Walter Isaacson (you know the one that EVERYONE is carrying around), Jobs is reported to have masterminded the campaign wholly by himself. Rob lets us know that it was he and his team at TWBA/Chiat/Day that actually dreamt it all up and Jobs only approved it.

It is a great insider story, and you should take a moment to read it.

However, I think the real point here for me, as part of a creative company, is that regardless of who came up with it, the fact is Jobs had the balls to do it. This is what it is all about if you ask me. What is the holy grail of advertising? Connection. Here’s how you get it…

Taking a Chance + Inspired Creative = Connection

What I am saying is that it is great that the boys as the creative house came up with such a great idea, but I don’t think the article gives nearly enough credit to Jobs for say, “hell, let’s do it.”

Here’s the actual exchange from the post: (Jobs talking after shown the concept)

“I’m an egotist, and putting the Apple logo up there with all these geniuses will get me skewered by the press.” The room was totally silent. The “Think Different” campaign was the only campaign we had in our bag of tricks, and I thought for certain we were toast. Steve then paused and looked around the room and said out loud, yet almost as if to his own self, “What am I doing? Screw it. It’s the right thing. It’s great. Let’s talk tomorrow.” In a matter of seconds, right before our very eyes, he had done a complete about-face.

I can’t tell you how many amazing ideas we’d see out there if the people that push the buttons on these things, the people that pay for the campaigns, where just more willing to go with their gut and not their brain sorting through all of the reasons NOT to do something. People don’t buy that much with their brain, they buy because they WANT and they FEEL something is right. To get a connection to those places, you have to make a leap – and you have to have a place worth leaping to.

Everytime we have a truly amazing product walk out our door it is because someone like Jobs took a chance. Sure, we may have put some great creative in front of them, but instead of saying “yeah…but” they just stopped at the “yeah” and looked forward to where the ride was going to take them.

So, next time you have the opportunity, and you have some great creative in front of you, all you people who pay for campaigns, take a chance – and make a connection.

Max

12Dec

The Interview | Video Production Guide

The Interview | Video Production Guide


PICTURE: On the set for Peacehealth commercial for Baron & Company. 

Filming interviews. Gotta have it. A standard part of all video production.

So WHY are they so difficult?

Probably because they are so unnatural.

Marketing person: “Okay, we’ve got a GREAT interview person for that part of the product. They love to talk about it.”

Get to the interview. Ask the person about it. They either can’t talk, or can’t shut up. You can’t use anything they say because their eyes are bugging around the whole time. They feel uncomfortable. They hate it. For most people, this is like going to the dentist and the boss has told them they have to do this interview.

Let’s face it, having a giant camera in your face and tons of people staring at you and clackers and “QUIET!!” all the time, etc. just is not very conducive to conversation.

So what can you do about it?

Max’s Tips for Great Interviews:

1) Listen to your interviewee. So many times interviewers are so busy hunting around for what they want to hear that they don’t just LISTEN to the person they are interviewing. This leads to new discoveries (see next), to more comfort for the interviewee, and to more natural seeming answers.

2) Be open. Follow the conversation (Part of 1 – make sure you are open to moving where the conversation is going. ) If you are listening, you’ll find out angles you hadn’t thought of before by following the conversation where the person actually wants to take it, instead of where you want to force it. I know it isn’t in your script – but you’d be amazed the gold you find in these hills.

3) Keep your crew small. Try to have as few people as possible in the room when doing the interview. It is really difficult to have a normal conversation with 20 people staring at you and all of them worried that you are going to breathe into the mic wrong, etc.

4) Explain upfront the simple rules. Look right at me all the time, right to the very end, and always answer the question by restating the question.

5) Don’t give your interviewees the exact questions you’ll be asking beforehand. Half the time they’ll practice their answers and come out sounding very scripted.

6) Use soft lights that don’t fry your interviewee. You try sitting under those hot lights – it’s like getting a visit from the Gestapo.

7) Be supportive. Never fail to keep telling your interviewee how well they are doing. They never think they are, maybe they are not. Nevertheless, pepper them with support at all times. Keep offering them water. Make them feel like a star.

Using these tips will help you to have productive interviews that feel less like interrogations. Also one last thing to keep in mind:

Have the talent look OFF camera. I can’t tell you how often this little bit comes up on set. Looking directly at the camera should be reserved for PSA appeals, telethons, etc. It doesn’t work for interviews.

Good luck!

Max

 

09Dec

Part 10: Social Media and Rocket Launchers

Part 10: Social Media and Rocket Launchers

 

This is Part 10 in a 10 part series discussing Social Media and video production. For some, this will be remedial. For others, a good refresher. For others still, a whole new world.  If you missed Part 1, start here.

The surging currency these days is attention. Those companies that can earn people’s attention by providing relevance will win. Those countries that pay attention can overthrow governments, rebel against oppression, get new laws passed and change the world. So can we.

But the opportunity is schizophrenic. Yes, it’s never been easier to tell your story and communicate your message. The tools are there. But so are millions of other people. Where you might have an advantage is with your insight. Your approach. The right strategy that will raise the roofbeams and build audiences that count. People are doing it everyday. New flags are being are raised everywhere you look.

So the question isn’t if you are going to participate in the revolution. The question is how.

How are you going to connect?

How are you going to remain authentic?

How are you going to tell your story?

Hand Crank Films is expert at one thing: Telling Stories. Your Stories. There are other great ways to connect, but film and video are unsurpassed in sheer power. People want engagement fast. And whether you do it yourself, have someone in your company do it, or hire an outside shop to help, a good video strategy is the new business imperative.

Maybe you’re not selling freedom. Maybe your goals are a little more modest than world peace (that’s next on the ‘to do’ list). Maybe instead of rocket launchers next to your pillow you have a collection of great ideas, a good product and service, and a plan. That’s a beautiful thing. That’s enough.

Get it out there.

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07Dec

Inspiration: Tilt-Shift and Time Lapse in Whistler, B.C.

Spent the weekend in Whistler, B.C. skiing with the family. While waiting in line I watched their beautiful HD monitors playing videos to get me stoked about the mountain and what I was shelling out beaucoup dollaros to enjoy. Wow. Whistler has REALLY upped their video game. I’m used to watching sort of lame semi-ski videos that bored me in about 10 seconds and just wishing that somehow Hand Crank could get the Whistler account (I worked in Whistler in video in one of my first jobs, but that is a different story that ended in a tragic jet-boating accident). This time I was treated to a couple of wonderful videos.

First, this one from Switchback Entertainment that uses what is called “tilt-shift” photography. I won’t go into how it works (because I don’t really know) but basically you attach a lens to your camera that causes the focal planes of everything you’re shooting to shift and it gives you these really cool looks – often causing whatever is shot to look miniature. In this case, they were able to make a very cool video that made all of Whistler look like a little miniature town that a little girl was playing with. A great tilt-shift video from Switchback of Whistler.daadfa

The next was from Sherpas Cinema. Probably one of the coolest ski promotional videos I’d ever seen. Here’s the video from Sherpas Cinema about Whistler.  These guys pulled out every trick in the book from lots of great time lapse (one shot covering a whole day on the mountain from sun-up, to the snow cats coming out at night) to fantastic hard-to-get HD GOPRO shots that seem to have the camera everywhere. I’m so sick of ski movies and these things made want to get out there a do it all again.

In both cases these guys were using all the new video toys to great advantage. They were just toying with these wonderful new techniques and making video that is so much fun to watch. I couldn’t wait to try some of the new toys that we have at the Crank – most notably our new EPIC with the ability to do 300 frames per second, some of our great new handheld HMI lights, etc. etc. – on Monday we decided to shoot our latest video for St. Paul’s Academy here in Bellingham all at a crazy frame rate, with a weird aspect ratio, and to be constantly messing around with lens flare, to use our remote camera heads – the piece is going to be amazing. Here’s a couple of shots from the upcoming video for St. Paul’s Academy.

The moral of this story – make sure to get out and get inspiration!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

05Dec

Part 9: Supercharging the Content Engine

 

This is Part 9 in a 10 part series discussing Social Media and video production. For some, this will be remedial. For others, a good refresher. For others still, a whole new world.  If you missed Part 1, start here.

The burning question: How do you get it all done?

Everybody’s time starved. Nobody is saying ‘Wow, I wish I had more things to do’. Tonight, maybe, you even want to get home in time for dinner. So how do we possibly make good on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, your website and Google? How do we get into these important channels to drive good business without burning every last bit of midnight oil?

The Answer: A bite at a time.

If you’re new to this stuff, maybe just play with Facebook for awhile. Dive in, research the heck out of it, see what works. Post crazy pictures of employees juggling cats. Whatever. Let everyone know in your organization that this is a new initiative and ask them to spread the word, participate. Before long, who knows?

If you’ve been in the game awhile, maybe you just need a new strategy to create content. An editorial calender or a new way to keep it fresh. In the video world for example, a lot of our clients are starting to recognize the value of what Max calls the Content Pyramid, a way to keep the Content Engine chugging along. It looks like this:

It boils down to coming up with a strong concept and creating overarching videos that tell your story.  From that, we can then create a content library full of product highlights, training videos, stuff that can be used for Public Relations efforts and pushed through your social media channels. Even photo stills suitable for publication across brochures, the web, print collateral and magazines.

The result? When we’re done with a shoot, we aren’t handing people one video, we’re handing them a package of media assets they can use for a variety of purposes, throughout the year. That way, our clients aren’t reinventing the wheel each and every time.

That said, it’s still a lot of work. Nothing can mitigate that. You can hire agencies, production companies like ours, or dedicate internal resources to content and video production, sure.

But first, take a bite. Start. Participate. The ROI is that you’ll still be relevant in 5 years.

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02Dec

Video Production Script Writing Class: Flow & Tone

Video Production Script Writing Class: Flow & Tone

PICTURE – John Coltrane – Master of Flow & Tone

Okay all you marketers, creative directors, agency heads, CEOs that are secretly reading this blog trying to find out our secret sauce. Here’s some big info about video production scripting: flow & tone.

Everything starts with the script. Duh. I know. But it bears repeating – about 1,000,000 times.

Anyhow, what’s more important is: what are you looking for in that script? How can you tell if a script is good or bad?

I’ll tell you what I’m looking for: Flow & Tone.

Flow-
Does the script move effortlessly from movement to movement? Hey, I’ve got an idea, we can just throw some powerpoint slides in at this point! Dumb ass idea! There goes the flow. You can’t flow from a beautiful shot into a powerpoint slide. I’ve got an idea – let’s just throw a couple more marketing words in there – we REALLY need to get those points in – it’s important to corporate. Dumb ass idea! They’ll stand out like a wart on a smooth baby’s bottom. Flow is the line that your are reeling your viewer in with. You yank on that baby too hard, and that fish is going to come right off. You’ve got to keep reeling them in slow and steady, and then just pull it at just the right moment to get them to feel like – “crap, I love this (insert product, idea, nation, intangible metaphysical ideal, etc. here) and I want more!” People, look for flow. Let yourself FEEL it.

Tone-
Every piece needs its place, and it needs to stick with it. It’s like a good script follows rules. Sure you can be in the future where everyone has the ability to read each others minds, but that fact that people can only do it underwater is something you’ve got to stick with, you can’t go switching that halfway through. People will say – that’s not believable – and yet they would have completely bought the first part. The Tone is like the  rules of the piece. Is it sweet? Is it surprising? Is it dark, moody, mysterious? Once this has been figured out – stick with it!! If you want true elegance in a piece it is found in the tone. Everything comes together to find tone. A sweet piece might have longer cuts, might have slower music, might have slo-motion shots. Once you’ve decided that, you can’t go throwing in, well, a power point slide (can you see that I have some gripes here against those?) or a marketing point.

What cracks me up is how people fail to see the forest for the trees. They think that a video is actually all about the content. It is actually very little about the content, its about how the content is presented, and thus how the viewer perceives the content and what they empathize with and what they compare that content to in their own lives. Content is for websites, and blogs, and spreadsheets – those things can hold LOTS of info. Video, or as we like to call it, film, are all about feeling.  Flow and Tone are the magical duo that help you harness that feeling to create the end sensation you’re looking for.

Max

30Nov

Part 8: Social Media’s Secret Weapon

 

This is Part 8 in a 10 part series discussing Social Media and video production. For some, this will be remedial. For others, a good refresher. For others still, a whole new world.  If you missed Part 1, start here.

We sometimes forget the most valuable and effective social media tool ever developed. It’s often overlooked under the avalanche of new technologies and trying to keep up. It’s a tool that doesn’t have a new version coming out, or that requires a password, or needs to be friended. It’s something we all inherently know, and is both the easiest and the hardest tactic to execute against.

That tool? The handshake.

Social media is a great way to bring people in. But it’s also an excuse against making real connections. An excuse against doing real business and making what could be life-long relationships. Because if all your efforts aren’t leading to the handshake, a real moment of connection and touch, then it’s really not social at all. It’s a wall of noise.

Think about that in the context of your all your efforts. It’s what we try to do whenever we embark on a video production: get people to take the next step and reach out. To move them deeper into a relationship. To learn more and create something genuine.

So keep up the good fight against wasted time, which is exactly what social media can become if you let it. Reach instead for the handshake.

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28Nov

Opening a New Video Production Office in a Strange City – SCARY!

Opening a New Video Production Office in a Strange City – SCARY!

About 4 months ago – or was it 5? – we opened our new Seattle office. Why? We had to. We are headquarted in here in Bellingham, and while we love Bellingham, as a town it is sort of like the anti-business vortex. Difficult to explain, but for some reason I think people actually have a harder time making a buck in this town than any other. Consider that many places refuse to take credit cards – cool yes, business friendly, not-so-much. Yes, you can have lots of fun, but god help you if you’re trying to raise a family and eek out a living! We’ve done pretty well here, overall, thanks in a large part to the fact that a bunch of our biz comes from outside of the ‘ham, but we needed more opportunity right around us. Actually, there are a lot of reasons why we opened another office, and I’ll get into those more later, but for now, suffice to say, we opened one.

Anyhow, Seattle (we’ve heard) is somewhat better business-wise. Also, there are ALOT more companies there with the budgets to be able to afford to hire us to do what we love to do – tell beautiful, albeit sometimes expensive stories about them.

But, surprise!, there are also ALOT of video and film production companies down there. Just go on Google and type Seattle Video Production. I did, and to my personal horror I found pages, and pages, and pages of them – with us ranked on like the 13th page or something. Of course, I just did this search now – 5 months after we opened our office.

Okay, so sometimes we jump first and then look. Doesn’t matter, I’m still (and I’m pretty sure I speak for everyone at the Crank) ridiculously stoked we’ve got a place down there. We have our work seriously cut out for us, though, to get noticed.

I hope you’ll stick around for the ride as we try to crack the emerald city. Should be interesting. So far, we have one new client thanks to the move. No one is actually working full-time down there, but there is a lot of expensive commuting going on that paying for is a bummer (can’t you people carpool??) Koser is supposed to move down there soon, but Bellingham has a tractor beam that no old man could get out of commission (can you name that?). In the meantime, I’m working my ass off trying to learn Search Engine Optimization to get our web-rankings hire so at least people there think we exist.

Also, I should say, Seattle is really cool to hang out in. I need to do it more. We did get a fold-out bed down there…

More to come…

Max

25Nov

Part 7: YouTube and 5 Ways to Own a TV Network

Part 7: YouTube and 5 Ways to Own a TV Network

 

This is Part 7 in a 10 part series discussing Social Media and video. For some, this will be remedial. For others, a good refresher. For others still, a whole new world.  If you missed Part 1, start here.

A few years ago I was listening to the always impressive ‘This American Life’ with Ira Glass about a guy who wanted to start a TV channel that showed nothing but puppy dogs. Puppy dogs eating. Puppy dogs running. Puppy dogs wrestling. Puppy dogs being puppy dogs. The idea so obsessed this poor guy that he wrote business plan after business plan, made pitch after pitch, but with no luck. The studio execs, the gatekeepers, the pencil pushers, just didn’t think an idea like this would sell. Puppy dogs 24/7? You’ve got to be kidding me.

That poor guy was ahead of his time. Here’s a cute puppy dog video that’s received over 10 million hits. Not a bad place to promote a pet store. Or dog toys. And keyboard cats? Now there’s something that really connects.

You don’t have to get permission anymore. You can start your own TV show about anything you want. Distribution platforms like YouTube are waiting for you and so are millions of people. So if you’re engineering the next revolution in footwear, like one of our clients, then why not start a TV show on healthy feet? Why not become the veritable Walter Cronkite about posture, podiatry, and happiness from the ground up?

Here’s 5 ideas on how might start your own TV Network:

  1. Start a YouTube account: YouTube is a great hub for your video content, especially since its the second largest search engine in the world. Here’s a good article about starting a YouTube Channel from Duct Tape Marketing. (Always a good resource.)
  2. Define the Goal: Think about your video objectives in the context of your overall brand strategy. Do you want to attract customers, provide customer support, or build your network? It helps to have a plan in place before you hit the ‘upload’ button. Create content that matches goal.
  3. Build the Schedule: Create an editorial calendar. This is one of the great secrets to creating content:  planning the next week, month, and quarter of content to meet your objectives. Maybe you want to do a video a week or a video a month – you still need to know where you want to go and what you want to say. So write down 50 topics you’d like to talk about and drop them into a calendar.
  4. Be Social: Do you know what people want? If you haven’t been listening to your customers, reading Twitter, and making comments on blogs in your space, then chances are you don’t know what the topic of the day is. Do the research, engage with people, and then create content based on what you learn. Be relevant.
  5. Embed, Embed, Embed. Both Max and I are going to be talking a lot about this in the next few weeks. But think about creating video content that you can share/embed across all your channels, including Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and your site. If you want to know more about this today, email me.
  6. Bonus Tip – Shake the Test Tube: Be suspect of anyone who calls themselves a ‘Social Media Expert’. There are a few out there for sure (and I’ve got my favorites). Instead, don’t be afraid to take chances, experiment, and throw things out there to see what works. You’ll soon become the expert at what works for you and what doesn’t, regardless of what the ‘gurus’ say.

We get it: doing all this takes a lot of work. We know you’re time starved. So find other people to help lighten the load. Most of all, make it fun – an extension of the passion and joy of why you’re doing the work in the first place. That way, you can create great content that fulfills your audience, makes a connection, and improves business. And make every good studio executive jealous of your success.

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23Nov

10 Reasons Why SCARLET-X Will Beat Canon C300 to a Pulp

Over here at the Crank, we love all things RED.

Don’t even ask us why, they are just a very cool company, making excellent cameras far outside of the Sony/Panasonic/Canon stranglehold.

But, we all love our DSLR’s, yes? And, we were all waiting for the new DSLR from Canon that was going to knock our socks off, and bury RED.

Well, Canon finally came out with their C300 and RED came out with SCARLET and by and large all of the blogosphere (who usually HATE RED for whatever reason) are coming saying Canon is the winner. The price point is about the same at $16k or so complete.

They are saying that the Canon comes with everything you need, whereas with RED you have to put your package together and eventually the price would be a bit more than the Canon.

They are saying that people like shooting the DSLR format and don’t like shooting RED because it takes a lot of computing power.

They are saying that RED “lures” its customers into spending more and more money on “parts” for their cameras.

They are saying that the C300 will become the new standard.

THEY ARE DEAD WRONG.

These people must not be shooters themselves, or they must never have shot on a RED.

1) The #1 best thing about shooting RED, the most professional aspect, is being able to shoot all of your footage RAW and then process it however you want. This is a HUGE deal – Canon don’t do that. They shoot in 422, which locks you out of a lot of colorspace in post. This is a format of the past. (By the way, anyone who shoots DSLR know that the format stinks and is a pain.) SCARLET shoots in 444 RAW 4K.  Check out the data rates: SCARLET – 440MBS, CANON 50MBS. That’s a lot of data you’re not getting with Canon.

2) RED is about 1000 times cooler company to work with than Canon. When did you ever see Canon give a 75% discount to customers who upgraded their old cameras? NEVER. RED does this. I guess because Jannard is rich, or crazy – doesn’t matter – you benefit. Either way, so much for the “predatory” RED company.

3) SCARLET cameras can be Canon OR PL mount with interchangeable parts. Canon – you have to buy one or the other – this is 100% limiting and would be the end of it for most. Having the option allows you all sorts of different weights, lens expenses, etc.

4) SCARLET interchangeable parts are the BEST grade. There are no parts for the Canon – so you can’t grow the camera.

5) RED is considered PRO, no matter what they make. Coming on a big set with the Cx300 isn’t going to have the same catchet. Perhaps a minor point, but appearances matter.

6) RED is being constantly upgraded. I’m not talking about a once a year firmware upgrade like Canon might do. I’m talking about game-changing upgrades nearly every two weeks from RED. They had an upgrade at one point that increased the cameras sensor from 4k to 4.5k with R1 – I’d like to see that from Canon.

7) RED allows you in as a company. Last Spring I went to RED studios in LA with Koser and was able to hang out with the owner himself. By the end of it, we were exchanging posts on their extremely popular bulletin board that Jannard post to nearly every day (sometimes many, many times a day).

8) The Canon only outputs 1080p. A link to more on this here. I’m not totally a stickler on this stuff, but from reports, it appears that in output resolution the RED trumps.

9) RED is a little guy – just like me, just like you. I love working with the underdog. I get enough of the big guys in my banking, thank you. Visiting them, you get the sense they are cowboys, just making this up as they go along – seeing how big they can dream. Sound familiar?

10) My final proof. In the end to predict sales, etc., look around you. I know of two other people just here in little old Bellingham ALREADY that have put their money down on a SCARLET – I know of no one that is impressed enoug with what Canon is offering to put down cash. These guys were both DSLR guys. There are going to be 2 EPICS and 2 SCARLETs here in Bellingham, and lots more in Seattle. RED is starting to build a real, dedicated user base. Great things will happen with additions, etc. People who shoot WANT a RED because they are awesome work with, to handle, and the proof is in the pudding.

In the end, we’ll all keep our DSLRs for those midnight shoot under the radar in Bangladesh and India, but when we have the choice (and the budget) we’ll go for the RED.

Max

21Nov

Part 6: Linked in and the Theory of Indispensability

Part 6: Linked in and the Theory of Indispensability

This is Part 6 in a 10 part series discussing Social Media and video. For some, this will be remedial. For others, a good refresher. For others still, a whole new world.  If you missed Part 1, start here.

In this challenging market, the only bar you have to clear is indispensability. Indispensability has to be the hallmark of your product or service, something people choose not to live without. It has to provide answers, make life simpler or richer, and become one with your customer. Something perceived to be paramount.

Starbucks has done it with coffee. Zappos with shoes. You with something new and completely different. This blog has to be indispensable or it won’t last long. It will become vanity rather than purpose. And purpose is the name of the game.

Therein lies the beauty of LinkedIn. People think that LinkedIn as a way to build great business networks (and it is), but it’s also a great Share Engine. Think about your network in the context of how it can help other people, how it can help you share your social graph, and you’re suddenly a resource that people love. A friend needs a photographer? Let me check my digital Rolodex. A business associate needs some video produced? I’ve got a few people for you to consider. It’s a great place to share content and ideas to build relevancy.

If you think less about your network as something you own and more about it as something you share. then you’ll take a huge leap towards indispensability. People see you in a new light. Good business gets done.

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18Nov

Amazing TV Ad: British Airways Flys High With New Spot

Ad is here: a4JdQi60an0
Occasionally I see an ad that just gets me so pumped up for the business that we are in. Witness this new ad from British Airways.

What’s to love? Well, it looks GREAT to begin with. Lots of wonderful old planes, nostalgic scenes, and beautiful VFX.

Also, this ad is a great example of leading with something amazing, and then following up with smaller, less-expensive corollary advertising parts – more on this in posts to come.

But most of all, the story is wonderful. The idea of linking all of those pilots of the past to those of today is just wonderful. Sure, they took 1:30 to get to it (haven’t seen the :30 of this yet, but I’m sure it exists in some bastardized form), but it puts a lump in your throat and makes you think – man, flying is fun, and I want get on BA someday because they really have a history in this stuff.

The opening 90-second advert, which features serving BA cabin crew and pilots, debuted on Facebook at 11am on September 21.

BA managing director of brands and customer experience Frank van der Post, who joined the airline eight months ago following a career in luxury hotels, said: “This campaign marks out territory that other airlines can’t claim.

“BA is a world-renowned airline. We do not need to reinvent ourselves, but it’s time to turn up the volume. ‘To fly, To serve’ is not a slogan. It is not the invention of an advertising copy writer. It is on the uniform of our crew. It’s what we do.”

Van der Post added: “The ad puts a stake in the ground. It will be shown many times and supported by print and online campaigns.”

BA declined to reveal how much the TV ad had cost, but said it was paid for out of BA’s £400-million-a-year marketing budget. “It was a small part of that, but it cost enough,” he said. Ten members of cabin crew and three pilots appear in the advert.

Enjoy!