Episode XI Studios

My job as a video marketing company is to find organizations where image is important, and showcase products and services through video, so that revenue has a better chance of increasing.

Cinematography styles are as varied as clothing styles, and results from video production companies are just as varied. What do marketing customers want from a video production/marketing company? I am never happier than when behind a camera shooting, but sometimes I can get caught up in production and forget the end result.

What style is most requested?
What is the ideal length?
How important is High Definition (HD)?
Is on-screen talent the preferred, or would companies rather use employees?

Randy Davis
http://www.episodexistudios.com

Located at 910 East Arrowood Rd, in Charlotte, NC, Shining Stars Academy Company Website boast of its mix of varied staff and student backgrounds. That is what is expected when the owners of the academy are Vic (Indian) and Mayra (Puerto Rican). Do not expect to see a lunch menu with hot dogs and tater tots on a daily basis here; it’s a mix of Italian, Indian, Puerto Rican, Mexican, and American dishes at this facility.

Vic and Mayra have spared no expense in ensuring the safety of each student. Finger guards, Internet-accessible video cameras and secure entry are just a few of the benefits featured in the academy.

The video (to be used on the company website) features happy faces from almost every ethnicity, and playtime is a fun-time, not only for the students, but also for the teachers and other staff members.

Shooting video IS an art form. Not everyone can do it. I have seen teenagers shoot and produce wonderful videos and I have seen professionals destroy a finished video through poor cinematography. What is cinematography, you may ask. It is the art and craft of photographing moving objects on lengths of continuous film. A cinematographers job includes, not only composition of the scene, but also the lighting of the subject, the movement of the camera, and the camera angle.

A typical cinematographer’s crew includes: Camera Operator, Focus Puller (1st Assistant Camerman), Clapper Loader (2nd Assistant Camerman) Gaffer, Best Boy and the Key Grip (who is responsible for the electrical cables, switch boxes that power the lights). Filming is successfully accomplished by teams of people, all working together in sync. It takes the collected talents of many individuals to produce films and videos.

Staff Member Volunteers With Habitat For Humanity and Golfers in Transition

Randy Davis, CEO of Episode XI Studios, assists Habitat for Humanity (HFH), in partnership with Golfers in Transition (GIT) in erecting the walls to a four-bedroom home in North Charlotte, NC. A time-lapsed video can be seen on the company website, under current events.

Both non-profit organizations serve different functions in assisting those in need. HFH is a nonprofit, ecumenical Christian housing ministry and seeks to eliminate poverty housing and homelessness from the world, and to make decent shelter a matter of conscience and action. GIT is a networking group for job seekers who gather not only during HFH functions, but also gather on the golf links of Charlotte, in an attempt to build relationships between job seekers and recruiters. The Charlotte chapter of GIT is organized by Gary Burgess and has been active in several Habitat Homes.

There is no question regarding the power of using video to not only promote your product but also yourself in the Real Estate market. As attention spans get shorter and shorter online - you need to be as compelling as possible via the most entertaining medium. There is a reason people would rather watch the movie that read the book.

Here is an excerpt from an interview with Morgan Brown a Marketing Director with Turnhere.

“How can real estate professionals use video in their marketing?

With such a large percentage of home owners starting their search for property online, using video in online listings is the first thing that comes to mind. Pictures are nice and descriptions are helpful, but there is no substitute to video for giving a user a firsthand experience of the property with a well-done video home tour. In addition to using video to highlight listings it can also be used to showcase neighborhood attributes and provide a profile of your business and team.

For example if you are a Realtor in the East Bay of California you can use video to highlight the quaint neighborhood of Rockridge and its beloved walking streets lined with local restaurants and shops. This content is ‘evergreen’ and helps people evaluating your listings get a true sense of the surrounding area.

Is appropriate for every listing?

I can’t think of a listing where it isn’t appropriate. Even properties that don’t have the most curb appeal can benefit from a video by capturing the attention of just the right buyer. Listings that are moving fast already and perhaps properties that rely less on online research for sales are exceptions to that statement.

Videos too expensive for most Realtors, right?

Professional video production is totally affordable for nearly all marketing budgets. Compared to traditional marketing channels it’s a bargain. It’s much cheaper than print materials, flyers, radio, TV, outdoor (bench and billboard) and other marketing vehicles.

What makes a good web video?

I think there is a big misconception out there that it is easy to make a good video. The fact is making good video that is compelling, authentic and relevant to the viewer is difficult. To wit, of the millions of videos watched on YouTube each day the average view time is less than 10 seconds. This is a direct result of most video not meeting the needs of the viewer.

When the viewer gives you permission to talk to them by clicking play you have to deliver, and deliver right away. To make good video for the Web (which is much different than traditional broadcast video advertising i.e. a :30 second TV spot) it needs to focus on three key things: authenticity, delivering a compelling message, production quality which makes it enjoyable to watch and drives action.

Bottom line is that web viewers have near-infinite choice for their attention and are typically skeptical. This means that your message has to be compelling, relevant and real. Over-produced sales pitches or videos that don’t meet the viewer needs are big turn-offs online.

What are some ways you can leverage the video content you create?

The nice part about video is that it’s a highly portable piece of content so you should look to get it out on the Web to get as many eyeballs to it as possible. Using a smart distribution strategy can put you in front of the right people at the right time. Whether it’s putting your video up on YouTube, Facebook, Active Rain or making it shareable via email and embeddable in a widget the idea is to get your video out there to where the viewers are.

Can you give us some examples of some of your favorite videos on the web? (Not those kind of videos…)

My favorite videos are ones that are compelling and interesting. They take a piece of everyday life and show it to you in a different way. I love to see the stuff that you don’t get every day in mainstream media. Show me the true character of a city by doing a tour of all the BBQ joints in town or show me the kitchen of the hotel that cranks out 1,000 four-star meals a day. Give me a clip of the author talking about why they wrote their new book. One of my favorite videos is the author David McCollough talking about how Washington escaped from the Red Coats at the site of the Brooklyn bridge - amazing insight that I would never get. I also love the videos of Mentos and Diet Coke so it goes both ways. Videos that give me a unique, authentic perspective on life are the ones that I love.”