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.

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

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This is a quick video book review of Designed by Adventure, about the founding of gear maker Outdoor Research.

Want a free copy of the book? Be the first to comment and I’ll send you my copy. Otherwise, you can buy it here.

Enjoy the weekend.

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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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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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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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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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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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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.

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

“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.