Tell Me A Story

All of us tell stories every day.  In fact it’s how human beings communicate - we tell stories to each other.  The only thing we like better than telling stories is listening to others tell their stories.  That’s why we love TV shows and movies so much.

If you get really good at telling interesting stories, you can do incredible things: make people listen to your advice, convince customers to buy your products, and persuade people to your way of thinking.  If I were a super hero, I’d want my superpower to be storytelling.

Producing videos for business is also storytelling.  It could be the story of a new product, or the story of how you care about your customers, or the story of how others have benefited by doing business with you.  Believe me, you DO have a story to tell, and a good video producer will help you tell it.

So tell the world your story.  People will listen.

David and Kathryn Seay are video producers in the Dallas, Texas area.

http://www.davidseayproductions.com

Cheap Corporate Videos – Beware! Dangers lurk

The success of your business is based on perception and branding.  Whether you have a one-person consulting practice or a large company with hundreds or thousands of employees, it all comes down to how people perceive you.  BRANDING IS EVERYTHING!

It’s no secret that video is the most persuasive medium in defining your corporate brand.  A well-crafted video presents the right message every time it is viewed and that shapes public perception better than any other medium.  It is after all why Kennedy beat Nixon.

                                          So where is the danger? 

Those cool Macs with editing software built in and affordable HD cameras have made high-end video production tools readily available to the general public.  As a result, the video production market has been flooded with wannabee filmmakers.  Most are inexperienced and extremely low-cost providers who lack proficiency with the tools.  Many companies hire these people with the excitement of getting a “screaming cheap deal.”  For the filmmakers, it’s on-the-job-training; for you it’s someone with a questionable skill set who is tinkering with your public image. There’s the danger, and it’s a big one.

Experience and quality count.  They always have, and they always will. 

Video is an incredibly important branding tool for your business when made by people with experience in business, a mastery of the tools, and a discerning sense of style and taste.  A professionally produced video may cost you a little more, but it’s damn well worth it.

David and Kathryn Seay are video producers based in the Dallas area.

www.davidseayproductions.com

How Much does a Corporate Video Cost?

The single most common question we hear in our video production practice is “How much does a video cost?”  The answer?  “It depends.”

That sounds evasive I know, but it’s the truth.  Really.  Our financial advisor and I were talking about this several years ago and he was trying to pin me down to an average price.  He made the point that the average cost of a home in Dallas (at the time) was $135,000, couldn’t I do that with videos?  To which I said, “Great, I’d like a 5 thousand square foot home in Highland Park on 8 acres.”  “No no no no,” he said. “It doesn’t work that way. That’s different.”  “Ahhhhhhhhhhh,” I said. “Now you understand.”  No two homes are exactly alike.  No two videos are exactly alike either.

You were interested enough to check this out, so I’ll give you some general pricing guidelines.

For a 3 - 5 minute corporate video we have charged as little as $3500 and as much as $70,000, and everything in between.  It all depends on what goes into it: a 2^nd camera unit; dolly and crane; location sound man; 3d computer modeling; aerial video shooting; Godzilla tramping through New York City, All that stuff costs money.

Another way to relate to the price/performance of a video is to compare it to the cost of an automobile; it’s roughly the same: 

TOYOTA COROLLA-                                                                   13k

(used) You want something inexpensive, reliable and basic.

HONDA ACCORD-                                                                       25k      

(new) You like a little more refinement in your life.

LEXUS ES-                                                                                    40k

Quality and image are important to you.

ROLLS ROYCE-                                                                            245k +

Quality is paramount.  Whatever it costs to have the best.

Of course this is meant to be use as a guideline.  For some projects it will make sense to be basic, for others you benefit more by putting in more.  See?  It depends.

WARNING:  There are providers out there who will do a video for whatever you want to spend … $2000, $1000, even less.  The old saying holds true:  YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR.

David and Kathryn Seay produce corporate videos and documentaries.  They are based in the Dallas/Fort Worth area.
www.davidseayproductions.com

Corporate Video: Important Information to Know

WEBSITE VIDEOS: 


Dos and Don’ts

Despite the laundry-list appearance, this is all information you need to know.  And you might even be surprised by some of it.

• A website with a video scores 50 times better in a Google search than a website without video.

• Social media is a worldwide force where video plays a significant role.  Every business needs to have an organized social media strategy, and video helps you control your messaging.

• Video shapes perception better than any other media. 

• Every time your video plays you have a well-crafted, perfect pitch message -- no misspeaks or wrong information.

• Testimonials are powerful.  Testimonials on video are even MORE powerful.  People relate to seeing real human beings talking about real experiences.

• Quality counts - always has, always will.  Using video effectively is the reason Kennedy beat Nixon.  So get someone who knows how to make videos.  This is not a job for your brother-in-law or the receptionist’s son.

• Videos do not have to be expensive to be good.  If cost is an issue (and it usually is) there are ways to make a video simple, clean, and effective while keeping costs down.

• The tools to produce videos are readily available and there are some extremely cheap video options because of it.  Beware.  Think of it in terms of someone selling the same thing you do, but for a 10^th of what you charge.  What red flags would go up?  What compromises would they have to make to have such a low price?      

• Video builds image like no other media.  Trust your company image to someone with experience, and know how.

David and Kathryn Seay are video producers based in the Dallas area.
www.davidseayproductions.com

The Era of Bad Video

YouTube, Vimeo, Google Video, FaceBook, and the list goes on and on of venues where you can watch video on line.  Some of these videos are good.  I mean REALLY good.  Dr. Horrible for instance was one of the best web-based videos I’ve ever seen and if you haven’t watched it, do yourself a favor and check it out (right after you finish reading this of course). 

On the other hand, there is some real crap out there too.  I think most of the consumer-generated material on YouTube is some pretty bad stuff.  What’s even worse is that flip phone videos and the like have “dumbed down” the perception of quality.  In fact, through this crush of homemade video, a new style has emerged: Guerilla video.  This ultra-basic type of production has come to the forefront and clients are actually asking for it.  Can you believe that?  Years ago, it happened with a technique called cinema verita’, where the camera has a wobbly, shaky kind of look.  It started as bad shooting but evolved into its own artistic style…just like guerilla video is doing. 

So it seems to me that the best course is to take this new style and develop it. It’s interesting though, to produce a video and make it look edgy and immediate, and with good production value is actually quite challenging, so don’t try this at home….how ironic.

David and Kathryn Seay are video producers based in the Dallas, Texas area

www.davidseayproductions.com