videobred - Louisville Video Production » Work In Action

Blue Ribbon Winners

Tori Thompson — Wed, 16 May 2012 20:15:07 +0000

Family & Children’s Place honored Videobred with the Volunteerism Award for continued dedication at the organization’s Blue Ribbon Awards in April–Child Abuse Prevention Month. Jamie Pence, Annie Ratterman and Steve Hurst were in attendance to accept the award.

Family & Children’s Place helps children and families in the Louisville and Southern Indiana area heal from abuse, violence and neglect. A beacon of hope in the community, F&CP promotes safe, healthy and stable families through research-based services and programs. Videobred first partnered with F&CP several years ago and continues to help the organization use video to communicate its message.

“We are very honored by our ongoing relationship with Family & Children’s Place,” said Pence. “There’s no more worthy cause than working to prevent the abuse of the most vulnerable in our society.”

For more information on this great organization go to familyandchildrensplace.org.

How Much for That Video? 5 Questions to Ask Yourself

Tori Thompson — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 19:26:36 +0000

How much for that video in the window?

Very often one of the first questions we get from potential clients is “How much will it cost to produce a (fill in the blank) video?”

A former associate’s standard reply to this question was–in his salty dog voice–“Well Doc, how much does it cost to build a house? We can build you a nice little three bedroom brick ranch or we can build you a mansion.” Personally I prefer using “how much can you spend on a date?” Dates are much less expensive than houses and there’s exponentially greater rewards for creativity.

The cost of video production and post production is determined by a variety of factors–and yes, just like building a house, how much you can afford is at the top of the list. However there are a number of considerations in determining the cost of production, as well as a steps you can take to control cost.

What is your budget?

Instinctively, this question raises a very simple fear: “If I tell them $15,000, they are going to propose a $15,000 project, even if a $10,000 video will suffice.” Admittedly, it is true that given the option of producing a video with more Jing Tinglers and Flu Floopers than less, most producers prefer to have the largest budget possible to produce the best finished project. However, measurement of the success of a video–or any communication vehicle–is not just in the quality of the end product and its projection of the brand, but in the response it elicits from the intended audience. Internally, answering the questions below makes it easier for you and the producer to determine an appropriate budget.

1. Who is the audience?

Is the audience internal or external? Client or colleagues? Superiors or subordinates? Investors or potential investors? Defining your audience in the most narrow terms gives you the opportunity to craft a message that resonates with these individuals’ most pressing needs. Avoid the tendency to try and reach diverging audiences with the exact same video. Producing a video to recruit new clients and raise investment capital will lead to two watered down messages. However, there are attainable economies of scale by producing videos for two different audiences at the same time.

2. What do I want the viewer to do?

Drink more Ovaltine? Go to my website? Wait for my call? Think well of our company? Perform better on the job? Vote for me? Invest in our idea? In the simplest terms every communication persuades the viewer to do something. Starting with the end result in mind helps the production team craft a message that leads to the desired results.

3. What is the message?

Once you have determined the audience and the desired result, work with the producer to develop a concept and script that achieves this outcome through the combination of images, words and music.

4. What type of video?

You likely know if you need a commercial, training tool, corporate identity, infomercial, how-to, etc., however, have you identified videos you like that you think would be successful with your audience? Try to come up with several examples. And don’t be hesitant about your desire to emulate a big dollar campaign. Throw it out there and see how the creative team responds. Keep in mind, however, concepts loaded with actors, talent, multiple voiceovers, multiple locations, travel costs, etc. drive up costs.

5. How will we disseminate the video?

There are a multitude of ways to dangle your freshly produced story in front of your target audience. The web, social media, email marketing, DVD, flash drives, commercial television, and more. The combination of traditional outlets and new media, mean greater bang for the Benjamin for a well produced video. How you get your message out is a critical factor in content development, style and length. And don’t spend all your money on production just to have your video play in the background in your booth at trade shows–yes, you’re hearing this from a video production company. Factor in distribution costs upfront. Remember, you measure the success of your video by the intended results of the message delivered, not by the “ohhs” and “ahhs” when you show it senior management. Yes, the “ohhs” and “ahhs” are nice too!

Answering these five questions are a great starting point for developing an affordable video that affectively communicates your message to your target audience and achieves your business goal.

Article written by Tim Sanford.

The Business Case: Video on the Web

Tori Thompson — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 16:03:46 +0000

There is an old Far Side cartoon that depicts hundreds of indistinguishable penguins packed together while a single bird wails above the fray “Oh, I gotta to be me, I just gotta be me.” This crooning nonconformist is video on the web.

Make no doubt about it, the web is the first, second and third stop for anyone trying to find a product or service, or gather further information about a particular business. An organization’s website is like a vacuum sucking in prospects. The difference between the best and worst sites are as disparate as comparing a space age infomercial vac to a 1970s-era machine clogged with cat hair.

Updating a site from text and images to include video allows a business to do more than just provide information. Video helps tell a story, breathes life into the staff, and visually demonstrates a competitive advantage. And hosting sites such as Youtube and Vimeo make it easy to link from a home page without taking up precious server space.

Research demonstrates that the strategic addition of video to an organization’s website leads to more visitors, longer interaction, greater conversion rates and an increased return on investment.

Web Video Numbers:

New search algorithms weigh video heavily. Web pages with video have a 50 times greater chance of garnering a first page rank on Google. –Forrester Research

When compared to websites with plain text and images, viewers are more active after watching a video with clicks for further information increasing by 30-40% and phone calls by 16-20%. –BIA Kelsey Group

The Average Internet user watches 186 videos a month including entertainment clips, personal videos, advertising videos, etc. –comSocre Inc, a global digital market measurement service.

77% of marketers reported plans to increase their use of YouTube and video marketing, making it the top area marketers will invest in for 2011. –Socialmediaexaminer.com

45 percent of respondents said they viewed an online video during a 24-hour period, with 57 percent noting that they are likely to watch a video when it is placed next to an article. –Yahoo!/Interpret

In May, 2011, 15 billion videos were viewed online, up 2% from April’s record. –Nielsen

Facebook experienced a 1,500 percent increase in video watching in one year. –Facebook

Estore.com reports up to a 10-30% increase in conversion rates since adding video tutorials to its site. –Smartcompany.com

82% of those surveyed reported that online video usage DOES NOT reduce television watching. –Advertising.com

Most online video viewers are between the ages of 25-44. –Reelseo.com

The business case for video on the web is strong, so come on penguins let’s march–and sing.

Furniture Assembly Made Easy

Tori Thompson — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 21:30:02 +0000

Furniture assembly can be a tricky task! All those pieces and cryptic instructions can make one want to avoid it all together. Having spent many a night putting together birthday or Christmas presents for his kids, Tim Sanford saw the need for online assembly videos. This vision came to life with our new client Brown Jordan (http://www.brownjordan.com/).

Brown Jordan is a locally based furniture company. They sought a way to show their customers tips for assembly of the Lazy Boy Outdoor Furniture line, using QR codes. The product QR codes directed the customer to a video on Brown Jordan’s YouTube page, which demonstrated proper assembly technique.

Alan Manias and Tim Sanford teamed up to produce the video. The piece was shot in one impressive day at the Videobred studio. Crew consisted of Brian Cunningham as DP, Ben Newkirk and Will Cravens as grips and Ben Bishop edited the piece.

The video was a great success and there will be more like it. Great work everyone! Follow the link below to see the video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=dShX9VEw4Eg

USB Duplication Now Available!

Tori Thompson — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 19:03:55 +0000

Videobred is excited to announce we now offer USB Duplication services. USB Duplication is as simple as it sounds, the transfer of information/files from one USB master to multiple USBs. We are able to provide exact replicas of USB drives for your personal or business purposes; whether that be distribution, backups, or other uses. Call us for a quote today!

2011, Told Through Photos

Tori Thompson — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 16:25:54 +0000

With every New Year, there is undoubtedly a sense of reflection for the past year, along with hope and motivation for the coming year. Videobred had a fantastic and eventful 2011. It has been a busy year, running the gambit of projects and clients. We have brought on new team members, and we have had to say goodbye to old friends. We have succeeded as a team and as individuals. There are too many cool projects and events to chose from, so here is just a smattering of pictures that tell our story. Thank you to our friends, families, clients and everyone in between, for your support. The Videobred motto is “Work hard, play hard.” Cheers to keeping that spirit alive in 2012. Happy New Year!

A Team Effort

Tori Thompson — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 20:27:22 +0000

2011 marks the 50^th anniversary of Humana’s existence. While it began as a local nursing home, Humana has grown into a healthcare organization of global proportions. Milestone anniversaries call for a celebration and Humana came to us to take a nostalgic look back.

For this project we were lucky enough to partner with producer/director Kay Milam of Donna Lawrence Productions, to create a short video documenting the history and growth of the company. With so much history to cover, this project required an all-hands-on-deck approach. The team combined elegant interviews shot on location, by Brian Cunningham, with archival images and motion graphic treatments.

Sorting through hours of photos, footage and news clippings, to bring the story to life is quite a task. Steve Hurst and Chris Johnson worked together to piece it all together. “I loved working on this project. It was a perfect team effort that allowed each person to truly focus on what they are best at,” Johnson reflects.

Annie Ratterman’s guidance as producer and Hurst’s “unshakeable calmness” Johnson said, allowed for a successful completion of the video. The final product was shown to the entire Humana staff in the Yum! Center, to which David Jones, Jr. said was a difficult act to follow.

I’d say that’s a job well done. Click over to our portfolio to see for yourself!

I am (not) Iron Man

Videobred — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 19:39:14 +0000

The Iron Man competition consists of the following: a 2.4 mile swim in the Ohio River. A 112 mile bike down river road to LaGrange. And a marathon-length 26 mile run down third street past churchill downs and back.

In short, you might very well have to be crazy to try and accomplish this task. So this past sunday, over 2,000 certifiably insane (and insanely in-shape) people dedicated anywhere from nine to seventeen hours of their life to achieving the glory of completing the Iron Man challenge.

I was there with a camera, documenting the event and gathering b-roll for future projects including a video for the Louisville Sports Commission. After a few hours of walking with camera in tow, I was ready to call it quits. I really don’t know how the athletes felt.

I was also at the finish line to watch the winner sprint back and forth, high-fiving the crowd as he came in to claim his substantial (but undefined to the audience) cash prize. Then he ripped the finish line down, held it above his head, and proceeded to let out a silent scream of celebration…before sprinting BACK down the line of people for a high-speed victory lap and returning to the finish line for a barely out-of-breath interview.

And as I saw this specimen of human excellence treat one of the most difficult feats known to man as if it were a quick jog across the street, two very clear thoughts came into my mind. 1) I’m terribly out of shape. And 2) I sure could go for a beer right about now.

Gettin’ Lucky in Kentucky Proud

Tori Thompson — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 15:22:22 +0000

Members of the Videobred team have completed another successful project!

Alan Manias, along with his faithful contingent made up of Dennis Goodman, Brian Cunningham, and Steve Hurst, produced a spot for Kentucky Proud and New West Agency.

New West Agency brought the idea to Videobred of a farmer getting up pre-dawn to give his crops all the special attention they need to be “Kentucky proud.”

Alan’s first task was to find a tomato farmer in Kentucky who had ripe tomatoes as early as the third week in June. After scouting three farms, he landed on Dwight Faulkner of DNS Farms in Somorset, Ky. According to Alan, DNS Farms was the most picturesque and had the most product to work with. Alan said everything went really well from start to finish, and things couldn’t have gone any better.

Paul Gosselin from New West Agency said he always loves working with the Videobred team. “This was one of the easiest projects I’ve had to do in a while,” said Paul. “Sometimes as a writer/producer you feel like you have to tell everyone what to do, but I think everyone was excited about the project. It was kind of effortless after writing the script because Alan did a lot of leg work as a producer.”

Paul also said Steve Hurst did an awesome job as an editor because he always “brings something extra” to the project.

So congrats to everyone on a job well done! To see pictures of the Kentucky Proud shoot, visit our Facebook page!

The Three Musketeers

Erika Vaal — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 19:54:18 +0000

Our interns have already produced an absolute gem of a video! “The Chronicles of Bacon” tells the story of Archie (Steve Hurst’s dog), and his quest for bacon during one of his days at Videobred. As his search unfolds, Archie discovers some unflattering secrets about some members of the Videobred team. These secrets are dark and dirty (and completely false in real life). Will Archie be able to locate a piece of delicious bacon, or will his efforts become moot due to the embarrassing factoids he encounters on his journey?

Interns Rachel Shulhafer, Gina Durkan and Barrett Dennison produced, shot, and edited their short video in less than a week. With each having a different strongpoint, they were able to learn from one another and gain experience in their areas of interest.

Rachel came up with the idea based around Archie while dozing on and off during the NBA Finals. “I fell asleep, dreamt about bacon, and that’s how it came to be,“ she said. “It was an ‘ah hah!’ moment.”

Barrett was behind the AF100 camera and was also the voiceover as Archie. He feels like this first project was a large step in the right direction for him and his partners.

“Once upon a time, I was a lone wolf in search of an opportunity to learn,” Barrett said. “I came to videobred an infant with a mere glimpse of what production offered me. As my fellow interns and I conspired to create our first commissioned work, I found my pack, each person with their own set of skills, personality, and courage and we pursued what I think was a great learning experience.”

The last step in their adventure was the editing and final touches. Gina had experience in post production so she put her skills to work.

“It was cool that everyone at Videobred was constantly supporting us and willing to do whatever we said to help with the project,” she said. “’Twas like having infinite power.”

With the help of the VB team and the amazing Archie, our interns successfully passed their first project.

“The three of us are very efficient and we are going to make even better projects because now we know what’s up,” Rachel believes.

Looks like we will be putting them to the test. Stay tuned for more great work from the wolf pack!