We recently completed a video project for Building Educated Leaders for Life (BELL). The project was an interesting one because the folks at BELL wanted to get across what BELL does, but keep it short and punchy. So it wasn't a mini-portrait or short documentary-style piece that many of our clients want, but it also wasn't a typical commercial. Instead, it was a hybrid. Rachel was the producer...

The importance of b-roll is a subject that we've addressed before, but it bears repeating. First, a quick definition of what b-roll is.  Once upon a time, video was edited non-digitally, using tape decks. There were often two decks: one that was labeled the "A" deck and the second the "B" deck. All the main shots, like interviews, were edited from the A deck; all the secondary, supporting footage...

Green screens can be a very helpful tool in video production...when used appropriately. Pretending a person is in a location where they are not is probably going to look fake. But in other situations, using a green screen makes sense.

  Nov  8, 2013   I recently attended a webinar conducted by Jason Thibeault, who is the Senior Director of Marketing for Limelight Networks, a digital content delivery network with an emphasis on video hosting and sharing. In his webinar, Thibeault introduced 7 challenges in tackling the “video monster” and then tips for overcoming these challenges. I'll start with his first four and then share...

Nov 1, 2013 I recently attended a webinar conducted by Jason Thibeault, who is the Senior Director of Marketing for Limelight Networks, a digital content delivery network with an emphasis on video hosting and sharing.   In his webinar, Thibeault suggested tips for tackling the “video monster,” debunking a few myths about video creation and offering several tips.  In this blog, I will address...

Here's a big shout-out to a group of talented actors we worked with last weekend. Communities for Restorative Justice works with victims of crime and the offenders.  The victim is given a space to express the harm they suffered, and the offender is expected to take responsibility for the harm and make amends. C4RJ wanted to show how their process works. Much of the process centers on the Circle, in which...

January 17, 2013 I was speaking with a marketing consultant yesterday about a client of his who could perhaps benefit from video. The consultant was saying, however, that he suspects his client might have some reservations about being on camera, particularly if he had to "memorize lines." Totally understandable - not everyone is wild about the idea. There were four key points I mentioned to him and suggested...

It's not uncommon that our clients decide to shoot a bit of footage on their own and ask us to incorporate the material into videos that we are producing for them. Taking this approach makes sense. Rather than hiring us to just get one or two interviews or just capture a bit of broll from a single event, it's simpler and more cost effective for them to grab the video themselves and hand it off to us. ...

It'll come as no surprise, but when folks are talking to us about possible video projects, they often are wondering about ways to save on budget. When you are in the concept stage for your video, here a few ways you can make your production more budget-friendly. 1. Shoot more than you need. This seems counter-intuitive, I know, but there is logic to it. If you are able to think of video for future...

In a couple of earlier posts, Rachel shared some quick tips on storyboarding and keeping your message brief, and then on how to get the most for your production dollar with good scheduling. Here, she spends a couple minutes (1:47, to be precise), offering a few ideas for how to prep people for their on-camera interviews and discussing the pros and cons of teleprompters. wistiaEmbed = Wistia.embed("zdbosvosx2",...