Blog

October 24, 2026

Hiring a Livestream Crew in Atlanta: What Out-of-Town Producers Should Know

When your event has to go live — a town hall, a conference keynote, a product launch, a press event — you need a crew that can stream reliably, not just shoot. A livestream that drops, lags, or sounds bad is worse than no livestream at all. Here’s what a professional livestream crew looks like and how to hire one in Atlanta.

What a livestream crew looks like

A standard livestream crew is four to five people:

Director / switcher — runs the show, calls cameras, and switches the live feed
Camera operators — two or three cameras for coverage that actually looks like television, not a webcam
Audio mixer — a dedicated sound mix for the stream, separate from the room sound, because stream audio is what the audience hears
Streaming engineer — owns the encoder, the connection, and the platform, so a glitch gets fixed before the audience notices
Graphics (optional) — lower-thirds, titles, and slides for a polished broadcast look

The crew arrives with everything: cameras, switching, audio, lighting, and the encoding gear to get the show out to the world.

The stream itself matters most

A good livestream crew builds redundancy into the connection. That means bonded cellular (LiveU) plus a hardwired venue connection where available, so one failure doesn’t end the show. Ask any crew you’re considering: what happens if the venue internet goes down? “We’ll figure it out” is not an answer — a backup path is.

We stream to YouTube, Facebook, Vimeo, Zoom, and custom RTMP destinations, and we deliver a clean recording of the event afterward for replay or editing.

Audio makes or breaks a livestream

Room audio and stream audio are different jobs. A room mix built for speakers in a hall sounds muddy and distant on a laptop. A dedicated stream mix — presenters on wireless lavs, audience questions mic’d, music and playback balanced — is what makes a remote audience stay. If a crew doesn’t talk about a separate stream mix, keep looking.

Booking from out of town

Most of our livestream clients aren’t in Atlanta — they’re producers, agencies, and organizations running an event here from another city. What makes it work:

One point of contact — you call us, we handle crew, gear, and logistics
A tech check before showtime — we test the connection, the platform, and the audio before the audience arrives
Platform access sorted in advance — stream keys, accounts, and permissions confirmed the day before, not five minutes before air
A recording after the show — the full program delivered as a file, in your format of choice

Beyond Atlanta

While we’re based in Atlanta, our crews travel regularly across Tennessee, Alabama, and the Carolinas — Nashville, Knoxville, Chattanooga, Charlotte, Greensboro, Raleigh-Durham, Birmingham, Huntsville, Montgomery, and everywhere in between. If your event’s in the region, we’ll get there with the full package.

Fluid Films provides livestream crews in Atlanta, Tennessee, Alabama, and the Carolinas — multi-camera switching, dedicated stream audio, bonded cellular backup, and producers available on short notice. Contact us with your dates and event details.

Frequently asked questions

What does a livestream crew typically include?

A director/switcher, two or three camera operators, a dedicated audio mixer, and a streaming engineer, with cameras, switching, audio, lighting, and encoding gear sized to the event. Crews scale up for large conferences and down for simple single-camera streams.

How much does it cost to hire a livestream crew in Atlanta?

Crews start at $2,800 and go up depending on staffing, gear, and the needs of the production.

What platforms can you stream to?

YouTube, Facebook, Vimeo, Zoom, and any custom RTMP destination. We confirm stream keys and account access the day before the event.

What happens if the venue internet fails?

We build in redundancy — bonded cellular backup alongside the venue connection — so a single failure doesn’t take the stream down.

How far in advance should I book a livestream crew?

A week or more is ideal so we can run a proper tech check, but we regularly crew events on short notice when the calendar allows.

Do I get a recording of the event afterward?

Yes. We deliver the full program as a file after the show, in your format of choice, for replay or editing.

Related crew services

October 4, 2026

How to Staff a Corporate Video Shoot in Atlanta

Corporate video has a reputation for being simple — “just an interview and some b-roll.” Anyone who’s produced one knows better. A well-staffed corporate shoot runs like a machine; an understaffed one burns the day and the budget. Here’s how to build the right crew.

Start with the deliverable

Crew size follows the scope. Before booking anyone, nail down:

How many interviews? One executive or six?
How many locations? Single office or three facilities across town?
B-roll needs? Factory floor, lab, warehouse, lifestyle — each adds time and complexity
Turnaround? Is there a hard deadline driving the schedule?

A single-interview testimonial might need three people. A multi-location brand film might need eight. Staffing to the actual job — not a template — is where experienced producers save money.

The core crew

For most corporate shoots, the essential team is:

Director of photography / camera operator — runs the Sony camera package, lights the interviews, and owns the look. This is the hire that determines whether your video looks like a commercial or a webcam recording.
Audio — dedicated sound mixer with wireless lavs and boom. Corporate interviews live or die on clean dialogue, and office HVAC systems are the enemy.
Gaffer / grip — on bigger setups, someone dedicated to lighting while the DP shoots. On smaller days, the DP handles it.
Producer — keeps the schedule, manages the client, handles releases, and makes sure the executives show up on time.
Hair/makeup (as needed) — for on-camera talent and executives, non-negotiable at a certain level.

The Sony camera package question

Clients ask about cameras more than anything else, and for good reason — the camera determines the image quality ceiling for the whole project. Our crews shoot on Sony camera packages: the broadcast and cinema standard for corporate work. That means proper depth of field for interviews, clean low-light performance for dim offices and factories, and codecs that hold up through color correction and graphics.

If your project needs to match existing footage or meet a network’s delivery specs, tell us upfront — we’ll build the package to match.

What a good corporate shoot day feels like

The crew arrives early. Interviews are lit and sounding good before the first executive walks in. B-roll is shot with intention — not “spray and pray” but the specific shots the editor actually needs. The producer keeps everything on schedule. Media is backed up before anyone leaves.

Nobody’s standing around. Nobody’s scrambling. That’s what you’re paying for — not just people with gear, but a team that’s done this hundreds of times.

Local crew, no travel costs — and we travel too

Flying a crew to Atlanta means flights, hotels, per diems, and gear shipping. A local crew eliminates all of it. Our teams are Atlanta-based, know the locations, the traffic patterns, and the permitting quirks — and they’re available for half-days, full days, or multi-day productions.

And when your shoot isn’t in Atlanta, we come to you. We regularly staff corporate productions across Tennessee, Alabama, and the Carolinas — Nashville, Knoxville, Chattanooga, Charlotte, Greensboro, Raleigh-Durham, Birmingham, Huntsville, Montgomery, and throughout Georgia. Same crew, same Sony camera packages, same standards, on the road.

Fluid Films staffs corporate video crews in Atlanta, Tennessee, Alabama, and the Carolinas — Sony camera packages, professional audio and lighting, producers, and full production support. Request a quote with your shoot dates and scope.

Frequently asked questions

What’s the minimum crew for a corporate video shoot?

A two-person crew — camera operator and sound mixer — covers most interviews and b-roll days. Larger productions add a producer, gaffer, grip, and additional cameras.

Do I need a producer on a corporate shoot?

For single interview days, usually not — the crew runs itself. Multi-day shoots, multi-location days, and projects with talent logistics benefit from a producer keeping the schedule on track.

How much does a corporate video crew cost in Atlanta?

Crews start at $2,800 and go up depending on staffing, gear, and the needs of the production.

Can you crew a multi-day corporate shoot?

Yes — crews are available for multi-day and multi-location corporate productions across the Southeast, with consistent crew and gear throughout.

Related crew services

October 4, 2026

EPK Production in Atlanta: What a Good Electronic Press Kit Crew Delivers

Movie premieres, press junkets, album launches, book tours — when talent comes through Atlanta, someone has to capture it properly. That’s EPK work: electronic press kits that feed entertainment news, social channels, and marketing campaigns. Here’s what goes into doing it right.

What an EPK shoot actually involves

EPK coverage moves fast and doesn’t forgive mistakes. A typical day might include:

Red carpet arrivals — talent walks, poses, and keeps moving; you get one pass
Junket interviews — round-robin press interviews, often 5 minutes per outlet, back to back for hours
B-roll and behind-the-scenes — the material that makes the package feel alive instead of canned
Sound bites that actually work — clean audio in chaotic environments, which is harder than it sounds

Miss the moment and there’s no second take. The crew has to be experienced enough to nail it the first time.

The crew and the kit

A solid EPK crew is compact but complete:

Camera operators — often two: one locked on the interview, one roaming for b-roll and arrivals
Audio — dedicated sound mixer running wireless lavs plus a boom, because red carpet audio is a war zone of crowd noise, PA systems, and competing crews
Producer / DIT — managing media, backing up cards, and keeping the day’s mountain of footage organized

On the gear side, Sony camera packages are the standard — networks and studios expect Sony’s color science and codecs, and files need to cut cleanly with everyone else’s coverage from the same event. Matching what the other outlets are shooting isn’t vanity; it’s what makes your footage usable in a shared media environment.

Add professional lighting for the interview setup (junket rooms are notoriously ugly), wireless systems that can handle RF chaos, and enough media and batteries to run all day without a card swap at the worst moment.

Why Atlanta — and beyond

Atlanta’s a regular stop for premieres, tours, and productions — and a lot cheaper to crew locally than to fly a team in. A local EPK crew knows the venues (Fox Theatre, Cobb Energy Centre, the hotel ballrooms that all look the same), knows where to park the truck, and knows which loading dock security will actually let you use.

And when the junket isn’t in Atlanta, we travel. Our EPK crews regularly cover events across Tennessee, Alabama, and the Carolinas — Nashville, Charlotte, Charleston, and beyond — bringing the same full package on the road.

What you get at the end of the day

Raw or cut — your call. Most EPK clients want organized, labeled media delivered fast: cards handed off on site, drives shipped, or uploads overnight. If you need selects pulled or a sizzle cut, that’s post-production we handle in-house too.

Fluid Films crews EPK shoots across Atlanta, Tennessee, Alabama, and the Carolinas — junkets, premieres, and behind-the-scenes coverage with Sony camera packages, pro audio, and experienced operators. Get in touch with your event dates.

Frequently asked questions

What is an EPK?

An electronic press kit is a short promotional video package — typically interviews, behind-the-scenes footage, and b-roll cut together for press, distributors, and streaming platforms.

What’s included in a typical EPK shoot day?

Interviews with key talent, behind-the-scenes coverage, and b-roll of the production — captured by a crew sized to the project, usually camera, sound, and a producer.

How long does EPK post-production take?

A standard EPK edit takes a few days to a week after the shoot, depending on the amount of footage and rounds of revisions.

How much does EPK production cost in Atlanta?

EPK shoots start at $2,800 and go up depending on crew size, gear, and whether editing is included.

Related crew services

October 4, 2026

Hiring an ENG Crew in Atlanta: What Out-of-Town Producers Should Know

When news breaks in Atlanta or you’re producing a story here from out of town, you need an ENG crew that can move fast and deliver broadcast-ready material. Here’s what a professional ENG crew looks like and how to hire one without the guesswork.

What “ENG crew” means

ENG — electronic news gathering — is the run-and-gun backbone of television news. A standard ENG crew is two to three people:

Photographer / camera operator — shoots the story, frames interviews, gathers b-roll
Audio — dedicated sound mixer with wireless lavs and boom, because bad audio kills a package faster than anything
Producer (optional) — for bigger stories, someone managing logistics, releases, and editorial

The crew shows up with everything: Sony camera package, professional audio kit, lighting for interviews, and the support gear to keep moving all day.

The camera package matters

Not all “camera crews” are equal. For ENG work, you want a Sony camera package — the industry standard for news and broadcast production. Sony’s cinema and broadcast cameras are what networks expect: proper codecs, broadcast-acceptable color science, XLR audio inputs, and files that drop straight into an Avid or Premiere workflow without transcoding gymnastics.

When you’re booking from another city, ask specifically what’s in the camera package. “We have a camera” isn’t an answer — “Sony camera package with broadcast lenses, tripod, and full audio” is.

Live shots and quick turnarounds

A lot of ENG work in Atlanta involves live shots — hits for morning shows, evening newscasts, or breaking news. A capable crew handles:

LiveU / bonded cellular transmission or coordination with satellite truck operators
IFB so your anchor or producer can talk to the talent
Lighting a live shot that looks good, not just visible

Turnaround is the other half of ENG. Same-day edits, quick feed of raw material, or a fully cut package — tell the crew what you need on the front end and they’ll build the day around it.

Booking from out of town

Most of our ENG clients aren’t in Atlanta — they’re producers in New York, LA, or DC who need someone reliable on the ground. What makes it work:

One point of contact — you call us, we handle crew, gear, and logistics
Clear call times and locations — we confirm the night before and morning-of
File delivery your way — hard drive handoff, FTP upload, or cloud delivery in your codec of choice

We’ve crewed everything from network news day-stories to documentary field shoots to corporate crisis communications. The formula doesn’t change: experienced people, professional gear, no surprises.

Beyond Atlanta

While we’re based in Atlanta, our crews travel regularly across Tennessee, Alabama, and the Carolinas — Nashville, Knoxville, Chattanooga, Charlotte, Greensboro, Raleigh-Durham, Birmingham, Huntsville, Montgomery, and everywhere in between. If your story’s in the region, we’ll get there with the full package. No travel-day surprises — we quote it upfront.

Two weeks ago that meant Greensboro, NC, covering a JD Vance event. Next week it could be your story.

Fluid Films provides ENG crews in Atlanta, Tennessee, Alabama, and the Carolinas — Sony camera packages, professional audio, lighting, and producers available on short notice. Contact us with your dates and story details.

Frequently asked questions

What does an ENG crew typically include?

A standard ENG crew is a camera operator, a sound mixer, and often a producer — with camera, audio, lighting, and grip gear sized to the shoot. Crews scale up for multi-camera days and down to a one-person shooter for simple interviews.

How much does it cost to hire an ENG crew in Atlanta?

Crews start at $2,800 and go up depending on staffing, gear, and the needs of the production.

How far in advance should I book an ENG crew?

A few days’ notice is usually enough, and same-day or next-day bookings happen regularly for news. For multi-day or multi-camera shoots, a week or more gives the best crew availability.

Do you provide the gear or just the crew?

Both. Crews arrive with full camera, audio, lighting, and grip packages — or can work as labor-only alongside your gear.

Related crew services

November 18, 2019

Commercial Production In Atlanta

Want to make it in the commercial production business? You’ve got a few options on where to make a go of it. New York, LA or Atlanta.

We all know that New York and LA are crazy expensive to live in. Plus they have established labor markets and expensive fees for permits and locations. And then there’s Atlanta.

Atlanta is no secret anymore. But it still has the nation’s best tax credit and a less established crew base. This means we have talented technicians moving to Atlanta everyday. Most of them have gained years of experience working in LA, NY and formerly booming North Carolina and now plying their trade in the production hotbed that is Atlanta.

So what does this mean for brands and agencies? It means it may longer make financial or creative sense to shoot your spots in LA. It used to be that we did not have the same access to talent in Georgia. Now, we have the third-largest technicians union in a right-to-work state. We have actors choosing to live in Atlanta because of the number of roles available in film in TV projects shot in GA.

Every producer needs to at least consider shooting in Georiga. Sure, you LA has the best weather in winter and NY has some a lot of stage actors. But any brand that wants to see the highest possible return production dollars would be silly not to look at the numbers.

October 14, 2019

No that the Super Bowl is over, let’s talk about what’s important for most advertisers

The super bowl is an amazing opportunity for the handful of brands that outbid the competition for a chance to have one of the very few mass audiences left in American Media. But for most advertisers and marketers it pretty irrelevant. Kinda like the latest Bently Automobile being irrelevant to a subway commuter in Guangzhou.

For most businesses, reaching an audience is only affordable on a smaller scale. Often this is accomplished with cable television buys or social media placement. Even for large brands like retailers for who mass-market media can be inefficient.

What they do need is smart placement and great creative content that gets noticed and remembered. If you’re interested to learn more about how Fluid Films can help you achieve this don’t hesitate to reach out to us.

September 30, 2019

Online Commercials

You may be thinking that your brand needs a commercial. And you’re probably correct. Most brands can use some promotion or branding help. Very few products truly sell themselves.

So what do you need to know about creating an online commercial?

First, you need a solid strategy. You need to know who you’re talking to, what you’re going to say and where you’re going to say it.

Second, you’ll need amazing creative if you want to stand out in the crowded marketplace for attention.

Third, you’ll need a tools, resources and people to pull off your awesome execution.

Fourth, you’ll need to get your idea in the right place at the right time so it will get noticed.

Got it? It’s easy to make a great online commercial if you have the simple plan to get it done. Need help with any of these steps? Just give us a shout and we’ll be happy to help may your idea a reality.

July 18, 2018

It no longer takes an army. But it does take compromise.

Orson Wells famously said “a writer needs a pen, an artist needs a brush but a filmmaker needs an Army.”

Back in Orson’s day. Cameras were heavier, lights we very cumbersome and most movies were made within the studio system. Well, it no longer takes an Army to make most films but it doesn’t take considerably more collaboration than what a writer or an artist needs. With collaboration there is also compromise. But it’s up to you how you compromise and where you give and take.

At Fluid Films we’re constantly evaluating new technology to maximize the dollars our clients spend on production. Our goal is to make sure they have to compromise as little as possible when it comes to the technical side of their productions. Budgets are not what they used to be and demand for content is greater than ever. Compromises must be made. This means smaller crews and tighter production schedules usually.

Fortunately cameras are more nimble with much better picture quality than older video cameras and equal if not better than film. They’re much more light sensitive meaning huge fixtures are no longer a requirement. Learning how to leverage this technology has allowed us to provide the best possible results for our clients.

June 27, 2018

Announcing Subscription Services

Fluid Films is proud to announce video production subscription services. A subscription includes discounted monthly videos produced for social media channels on a prepaid basis.

This means clients will get videos on a scheduled basis that meet their social media needs. Fluid Films can produce any type of video the client would like for their social feeds including explainer video, comedy or commercial type videos. The subscription model provides a cost efficiencies that make it less expensive to have consistent content for social media fields.

To learn more please reach out via our contacts page.

April 16, 2018

You need a campaign. Not a video.

We love our work. Every commercial or online video we make is a precious piece of art that we guide from concept to completion. We love each one of them and hope that they have a dramatic impact on their audience. They have our hopes and aspirations, like children.

But like children, sometimes are expectations for the videos we produce are unrealistic. Not everyone’s child can grow up to be president. And not every video production can grow up to be a viral video with 100,000,000 views. That just doesn’t happen anymore without a little help. Or a lot of help in form or ad dollars and paid celebrity retweets.

If you’re about to launch a video project, we urge to love your videos individually. Give them the attention they deserve but to also see them as part of an ongoing campaign for the attention of your audience. The more touchpoints, videos and other online assets, you create, the more likely your audience will be listening.

Show your audience you’re in it for the long haul and that you will keep providing them quality entertainment and they’ll come back to you for more. And more. They may even share your videos with their friends and you’ll build your own audience. Wouldn’t that be cool.

March 19, 2018

Video technology is no substitute for storytelling

National Association of Broadcasters trade show

It’s almost time for the annual NAB Show in Las Vegas. It the annual show where the suppliers to the television and film industries show of the latest in video technology. There will be all sorts of cool new stuff introduced, no doubt. Tech heads and the business press will eat it up. Most of it will be extremely expensive and much of it unavailable until a later date.

We will not be there. You see, we have the important task of working with clients. Our clients are our priority. Without them all the new wiz-bang stuff would be pointless anyway.

As producers of creative content, our job is much the same as the job of the poets of ancient Greece. Tell a story well with the tools you have at hand. The new devices that will be show at NAB would probably blow Homer’s mind. But once he got the hang of them, we feel pretty confident he’d be able to tell a story using the newest technology. Just like Clint Eastwood is still making great movies into his 80s.

Sure, we may have to read a manual and learn a few new systems every year. Maybe even learn a new software program. We’re eager to take advantage of the latest tools. VR cameras, drones and immersive sound recording. It’s all cool. And when serves the story our clients need told, we will deploy it! And so why we may be reading about the new video technology announcements happening at NAB, don’t look for us on the showroom floor. We’ll be busy working for our clients.

March 3, 2018

Georgia Film Day

This week the Georgia Film industry and Georgia legislators celebrated Georgia Film Day at the gold dome. Hundreds of film community members came to the gold dome to recognize the achievement of the Georgia Tax Credit. Georgia Film Day was a huge success.

Poster celebrating film day

Georgia is now the top market for major film and television productions in the world. There are more big budget productions happening in the state of Georgia than Hollywood, New York, Toronto or North Carolina.

2.7 Billion dollar success

Over 2.7 Billion dollars was spent on production in the state in 2017. This represents a increase of %1000 since the law changed in 2008. With the addition of a tax credit for post production, Georgia is expecting more growth in the entertainment industry for years to come.

Do you have a commercial, music video, or independent film that could benefit from the Georgia Tax Credit? Contact us today and let’s discuss.

February 14, 2018

Atlanta Video Production Market

The Atlanta Video Production Market. A Producers Prospective.

In 2017, Georgia topped Los Angles in film production. This number represents a huge shift in the Atlanta video production market and a very big change for producers and below the line crew members living and working in Atlanta. If you’re a smaller production company or a marketer looking to produce your own film and video projects in the Atlanta area, there are a few things to keep in mind as Atlanta continues to grow with the Georgia tax incentives.

There will continue to be pressure put on the labor market for highly skilled professionals.

It’s important to understand there are several different production markets that tap the same skilled professionals.

There’s the big-budget studio projects that pay well and fund retirements and healthcare through union benefits. These producers get top pick of talent, some of which is shipped in from Los Angeles.
There’s mid-budget entertainment jobs, including TV shows that provide steady employment on both union and non-union terms.
There is union and non-union commercials and corporate work that provides a decent day rate which professionals can string together enough days to create a steady paycheck.
Indy films, ultra-low-budget films and music videos. Generally these projects do not provide income sufficient for mid-career professional. Unsurprisingly, they are harder to staff with experienced technicians. Often you’ll find a variety of experience on these types of sets.

If you want the best crew, make sure you have the budget.

People are the most expensive part of of any film and video production project whether you’re producing in LA, New York or Atlanta. While Atlanta is still a cheaper place to live and work than LA and New York, there is a highly-competitive labor market taking root. Good people aren’t fighting for scraps anymore. This means finding the best technicians doesn’t come cheap. You will need to pay somewhere close to union rates for non-union jobs and kit fees for will most likely need to be paid to department heads.

Want to get a good understanding of current rates? There is no better place to start than union sites. Here you can get an idea of what producers are contracting for at a union negotiated rate/term.

Good luck on you next Georgia production. Feel free to reach out if you need help staffing your next shoot in Georgia.

February 6, 2018

What story give your business meaning?

Every business has a story that gives it meaning? Most success successful business started with a purpose in mind. They answered a question that someone or maybe a lot of people were asking. Like is there a better way to connect a lot of people? Is it possible for a modern car to both desirable and electric?

These questions write a story that creates meaning for the owner, employees and customers. And any story that creates meaning is a story worth telling. Meaning gives purpose to owner who comes to comes to work everyday for more than a way to put food on the table. Meaning is a reason other than the bosses bank account to work hard and do a great job for every single customer. And meaning gives customers another reason to purchase from you and not your competition.

Businesses should never underestimate the importance of their own story. It can inform you, your employees and your customers. It can connect you and help you grow. Video may be the best way to tell your brands story today. And since we’re in the video business, we’d love to help you tell your story.

February 2, 2018

Facebook Live Production Services

Facebook Live may be today’s most important platform

Seems like all the influencers are “going Facebook Live”. You could argue that it may just be a trend but it’s one that’s being rewarded big time by Facebook. Smart brands and agencies are getting on the proverbial band wagon and taking advantage of Facebook’s bias to live content. After all, just about anyone with a iPhone is capable or providing live content on demand. But what does this mean for brands?

Really it’s a no brainer. Facebook is helping provide an audience at a low cost so brand should definitely make live part of their mix. Fluid Films is on top of this trend and we’re currently updating our rate sheet to include live streaming productions instead of custom bidding live jobs to make it easier for our clients to get a quick idea of the costs associated with live streaming their client’s events. We’re looking to make it as simple as possible for our clients to get into the live space as possible.

If you’re interested, we can provide you quick information on what is required to get your production up and running including the necessary equipment and people. We understand that brands want this transition to live to be as seamless as possible, that why we’ve done the legwork for you assembling the team and resources to get the job done without any hiccups.

First and foremost for brands to consider is the production quality they want to bring to their events? Is this a simple announcement or will it be treated more like a live TV show. Or somewhere in between. All will require the same encoding and streaming technology but production will be on a different scale.

Second they need to consider the event production itself. Many clients are used to filming web videos and commercials but have little experience with live events besides trade shows and internal presentations. Live events require preparation, rehearsals and an many cases, professional presenters.

Third, make sure follow best practices completely through the process for concept to execution. There are not second takes with live so you really can’t make any mistakes. This includes things like promotion of the event, notifying your fans through posts and giving your audience a chance to log on after the broadcast starts. Not to mention any of the technical aspects.

Facebook Live is an exciting opportunity for brands. Be sure before you start broadcasting to make sure your team is up to speed and ready for the challenge. Feel free to reach out to us at Fluid Films if you have any questions about Facebook Live.

January 25, 2018

Need Atlanta Video Production resources? Tap ours.

You need Atlanta video production resources. Good thing we have spent the last two decades learning the ins and outs of producing in Atlanta. We use our 20 years of learning every day to be more effective for ourselves and our clients.

It wasn’t glamorous getting our experience. It involved long days, heavy workloads and sore backs. But the dividends have been huge. Knowledge that makes us an asset to our clients.

Our two decades of experience producing film and video in Georgia means we know the who, what, when and where of getting it done. Need to know where to shoot a sunrise with the skyline in the background? Need to know who is the best director of photography to shoot a fashion video on the 10th of May? Need to know when is the best week to shoot fall leaves in the North Georgia mountains? Need to find a great location sound mixer in Georgia?

These are just some of the questions that people have when producing in Atlanta and Georgia. We’ve seen a lot of things working in this city. Many of which can never mention online. If you’re new to Atlanta or just new to producing and need some help on your next project, feel free to reach out and let us set you up for success. We’re happy to answer questions about how we can not just get your production of the ground but help you make it great.

January 24, 2018

Is video really different now? Or there are no game changers.

The news business, whether the business trades publications, the political reports or the technology pages need something new to report. They need change to keep us reading. In the video business, this is 4K, 8K, 3D, VR, drones, social, programatic, Instagram, streaming, web, mobile and the list never ends. This is all well and good. And we should keep up with what’s new and news.

But how much has the business of video really changed? I’m going to argue that the fundamentals haven’t really changed and never will. If you view things from a creative mindset, storytelling is was, is and always will be the reason people engage with video content. The technology has changed over time but the desire for a great story hasn’t. This is evident in the fact that we can sill watch a movie like Citizen Kane from 1941 and still think it’s a great movie. Certainly the technology has come a very long way since the debut of Star Wars: A New Hope in 1977 yet fans are still arguing about whether it was the best Star Wars movie of all time.

Despite being filmed with old tech, the frist Star Wars movie is still regarded as the best by many.

As video makers and producers, we should always learn what we can about the latest technology. But we should never think of it as “game changer” because our game is story telling and that will never change.

January 23, 2018

Top Production Company on AgencyList

Fluid Films is excited to announce we have been listed as one of Atlanta’s top video production companies by AgencyList. Atlanta is currently the biggest market in the country for video production. Atlanta currently has more shooting shooting days than either New York or Los Angeles. Everything from blockbuster features to web videos are being shot everyday around Atlanta and Fluid Films has been lucky to be part of this boom a top video production company. We are indeed proud to be part of this vibrant production community as one of the best video production companies in the state of Georgia.

AgencyList is a prestigious listing that compiles the top advertising agencies, banding agencies, digital marketing companies, web design firms and video production companies. This is the fourth year Fluid Films has made the list as a top production company and we are excited about our continued success in Atlanta’s film production community.

Atlanta's Top video production company list

Fluid Films named to AgencyList

Agency list also complies lists of other major markets including New York, Atlanta, San Francisco and Los Angeles. The list also includes top advertising agencies, SEO agencies, branding agencies and internet marketing companies. Making the list, means a company excells in it’s field wether it’s creative, production, or technology.

Fluid Films specializes in the production of advertising content including commercials, corporate video, branded content and social media video. We work with advertising agencies, corporate marketing departments, marketing firms and not-for profit organizations. To learn more about how we help ad agencies, corporations and not-for profits create memorable advertising campaigns, please send us a note here.

January 17, 2018

Production services for out of town producers

Atlanta is becoming a more and more prominent production location. It seems like everyone is shooting here now. This means there are more out-of-town producers shooting in Atlanta, needing production services and to find crews, cameras, production coordinators, production sound mixers, gaffers, and grips. If you don’t have a lot of contacts here it can be frustrating finding a great crew on short notice.

You call one number and everyone they know is booked and same with the next. This is not uncommon in Atlanta right now. The plugged-in people are getting a lot of work. If this describes your predicament, you’ve come to the right place. Our contact list is deep enough that can get a crew together even on short notice. And not just bodies on set but people who know their tools and their trade.

You can feel confident that you will not need to fly in a camera and operator at great expense. And then head to the rental house to fill out a bunch of paper work and then pull an insurance certificate. The list of problems goes on and on and they’re very difficult to handle from afar or in a strange city.

With over 20 years (50 combined) of experience producing in the Atlanta area, we feel confident we can help make your next production a success. Once you work with us you’ll have immediate access to the local contacts you need to pull of your production in Atlanta. Reach out to us now and we’ll help you get your next production on track.

January 10, 2018

CES Predictions for video advertising. Don’t get too excited.

CES is going to create a lot of buzz about new and exciting products that promise to change the way we all spend our time and interact with one another. There’s always also a lot of predictions for video advertising and how it will be changed by these new products. Remember all that talk about 3-d tvs a decade ago. Or VR a few years ago. A lot less talk about that stuff now.

CES’ poll dancing robots

Problem is, most of them will not change behavior in any meaningful way. The way say Facebook has or mobile devices have changed the way we interact and live our lives. And none of them will change anything at all in the next year or so. CES is certainly informative about what can be done with technology but it’s not always the best predictor of human behavior.

Let’s take VR and AR as an example. There is huge money and energy being put into VR by none other than Facebook. Facebook controls eyeball more than any company has in the existence of humanity (Google is a close second). We’ve yet to see significant adoption of this technology. This will not change anytime soon. VR is indeed compelling technology but most people are not willing to put VR glasses on for extended periods of time or at all. Truth be told, a lot of the technology as amazing as it is makes people ill.

More gimmick technology is going to “blow people away” like holograms and “voxels” that look on the surface like they’re game changers until you start to think about human behavior.

What’s the point here? Don’t get too excited about how CES is going change your business. Most predictions for video advertsing will suck. Like most predictions about the future are a misguieded ego boost for a fake futurist. In the last 40 years there haven’t been that many game changers in the media and advertising business (the internet, social media and the iPhone qualify for me) and they weren’t introduced at CES.

Instead of focusing on the shiny and new introduced as CES, those of us in the video advertising and marketing business should be focused on strategic goals and creating tactical advantages for our clients. We should also focus on mastering our technical skills in the areas that server our clients today.

January 5, 2018

Video Production Quality and Quantity

The quantity of video production is exploding today. A decade ago, internet speeds didn’t support web streaming with consistency. Buffering was as common as well playing video. Now people are watching live sports on their phones while riding the bus. It seems like everyone is watching video a different video on a different device all the time.

How does a brand compete with so much content competing for attention? People will watch what’s interesting for them so you need a strategy that takes that into account.

Brands must focus not just on quality but a quantity of videos that address all the relevant niches for your brand. We stress not mass just quantity. It’s not enough to do something really great because there’s a lot of really great out there. With such a huge amount of content available for all sorts of different demographics and interests, you have to be in multiple places at multiple times with great quality content that’s relevant to your audience.

People now only watch what interests them. If you’re not creating what they’re looking for, there’s little chance they’ll seek you out. If you’re a mass market brand you’ll need to create enough content that appeals to enough people that they’ll want to find you.

Now back to quality. This is a subjective word. Ever read Robert Persig’s Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry into Values. He drones on and on about quality for hundreds of pages. The easiest way to decide if it’s high enough quality is would you want to watch it if you had the same interests as your target. Is it a good story well told? Also, does it meet the industry standards of production quality.

Good luck with your content strategy. If you need any assistance developing one, please feel free to reach out.

October 12, 2017

What video production clients notice on set and what they actually should.

We’ve been producing video a long time and we’ve worked with a lot of clients on all types of shoots. Here’s a list of the top 5 things clients notice and then the things they should. Of course, not our clients! Ours are the best because we educate them. We make it a point they notice the important stuff!

Sound Team

5) They notice how many people are working on their project. Sometimes they’re happy how far their money has gone and sometimes the think they could have saved more money.

4) They notice the actors performances. This is a good thing.

3) The craft service table and the extent of the healthy snacks offered.

2) The quality of the wifi and cellular data connection in video village.

1) Whether or not they’ve heard from the home office in the last hour.

Now the top five things they don’t notice but should.

5) The quality of the sound. Clients rarely take Comteks receivers and/or headphones for listening to the audio recorded and when the do they usually tire form using them quickly. The production sound mixer is one of the most critical people to the success of a project.

4) Schedules and how closely production is sticking to the schedule.

3) Coverage. How well the production team is covering everything if in cutaways, b-roll and alternate shots.

2) Whether there’s been any thought to multiple endings, title cards or any other un-anticipated changes in post are being addressed.

1) How closely what’s been shot is actually inline with what the THINK they have approved. (This may be over some client’s heads, in which case they need to make sure they over communicate their expectations.)

If you’re an advertiser, be sure to take this list to your next shoot. If you’re a producer, make sure you go over these points with your client to avoid any problems like unexpected overtime, audio issues, editorial problems and the worst of all, producing the wrong film.

October 5, 2017

Two biggest video marketing trends of 2017

You may have thought we were going to say 360 video or VR video and augmented reality would be the biggest video marketing trends. But then you’d be wrong. The trends are actually more of what was happening last year.

First is social media video. YouTube is still blowing up and Facebook video is going gangbusters with user generated content and live content. And now both platforms are now adding their own content YouTube has their Red Originals Programing. And Facebook is aggressively getting into the game. Both of these platforms have the ability to be not just the next Netfilx but the next Disney or Turner when it comes to content creation and distribution. Yahoo failed in their quest to be a major media platform but don’t expect Google or Facebook too. The next few years will be interesting.

What does this mean for marketers? Certainly you can’t be creating your own shows and putting them on social media? Sure you can! Red Bull has been doing if for over a decade. Their website looks more like a TV network than a drink manufacturer.

Mobile video is the next big video marketing trend. 60% of video consumed on mobile devices! Just a few years ago that would have been impossible. People are consuming content on their mobile devices at a greater and greater rate. Content is consumed fluidly from device to device. They want to watch it on their laptop, their phones and then airplay it onto their TV.

What does that mean for marketers? Your content needs to be optimized for all devices. People expect to be able to pull it up on their phones and watch it when it’s convenient, not when they get in front of a desktop. Be in the right places and be easy to watch or your audience will leave you behind.

So what about next year? 2018 is right around the corner. It’s more of the same folks. But also expect Over The Top programing to be even more influential.

September 5, 2017

Producing Exceptional

What is exceptional? As far a film and TV production, something like Game of Thrones comes to mind first for most people. It’s truly an amazing series. It’s got everything – amazing writing, acting, practical effects and computer generated imagery. Pretty much every department on the series does amazing work camera, sound, make up, props and costumes.

But if that’s the bar we measure exceptional by, everything would be the same. A giant extravaganza with little budget constraints. That’s not the reality most of us live in.

Well, what if you need an exceptional film. Surely your criteria, unless you’re producing a costume drama isn’t going to make sure it has outfits as awesome as Cerci Lannister’s. Also your budget is likely a little south of 10 million an episode.

At Fluid Films, we believe exceptional production is production that focuses on using our creativity to deliver the best possible content for the stated goal of the client. Doing our best possible work to achieve the result the client wants on a big budget job or a small budget job. That means thinking about the production’s goals, the budget and the creative holistically.

Something we hear a lot in production is that it can’t be done on x budget. “Good luck getting that produced for x dollars.” An exceptional producer doesn’t manufacture money to make it happen for x dollars. An exceptional producer flips the job on it’s head and see’s what can be done x dollars and see if this will solve the clients problem. Creative solutions to creative problems is what seperates the exceptional production company from the pack. Producing exceptional is not about about spending more money on a TV show than anyone else in history. Exceptional producing is about making every penny shine.

August 19, 2017

Four Factors of a Professional Video

There are four areas that make a professional video vs. amateur. And it’s no accident that you will find tradespeople building their careers around these disciplines.

First is camera operation.

This is the most obvious area. Besides having a properly exposed and in focus image it’s important to frame the image in creative ways. A good camera operator or Steadi-cam operator will know how to frame an image to make it more interesting and follow the action in a way the tells the story.

In addition to framing, an experienced camera operator will move the camera in a matter that helps tell the story. And many times it’s not just one person that’s moving the camera, it’s a team pushing a dolly and racking focus simultaneously.

Director of Photography Chris Mills on set of commercial production

Second is lighting

Like an impressionistic painting, excellent lighting can tell the story through the expression of mood and drama. An example would be the low key lighting of Citizen Kane. Another example would be the deep shadows of the old film noir movies. A more modern example would be James Laxon’s Academy Award nominated work on Moonlight. His lighting made you feel the moonlight.

Third is sound

Sound is something you don’t actually see on the screen but has a profound effect on how you interpret it. Just imagine watching a silent movie. No one makes those any more for a reason. Even if there isn’t dialog there’s sound design and scoring have a tremendous impact. Both have a profound effect on how we experience cinema. Because sound is so critical to a successful production, we always have a professional location sound mixer on set.

Fourth is art.

Art is the broadest and includes the most varied professionals. This includes production design, props, costumes, set decoration, hair and makeup and acting. And the lead artist, the director. Basically anything the technicians are filming on is considered art.

Putting these four factors together to make a professional video and is what Directors and Producers do. We use passion guided by experience to source and direct the best people to bring a vision to life in front of a camera. Want to learn how we can make your next production the best possible, reach out to us today.

August 15, 2017

Creating a brand video

We’re currently working on a brand video for a startup. This is something we’ve done for companies usually when they’re going through a re-brand. Besides telling your customers what your brand stands for, creating a brand video can be a great way to get the company on the same page about their brand.

The following video was created for Manheim, a subsidiary of Cox when they were going through a rebrand. Besides the video we created an advertising campaign featuring the same language.

Want to tell the story of your brand? We’d love to dig in and help tell the story of your brand with a captivating brand video that you and your customers will love. Please reach out to us today.

August 11, 2017

Video Content Marketing

What exactly is video content marketing? This is one of the hottest topics of brand marketers today but also one of the least understood.

Isn’t video content marketing just a fancy jargon for saying a commercial you may ask? Well, no. A commercial is usually a 30 second spot that no one really wants to see. They’re an interruption. Content marketing is something that someone really wants to see that also has a sales message. Something your audience may have actually sought out.

This can be very overt, like a YouTuber pitching their product throughout a video or as subtle as Hasbro’s animation studio and TV network partnership. Disney is an amazing content marketer and so was George Lucas. How many toys have those movies sold over the years. It’s hard to fathom.

What strategy is right for your brand. Well, that depends on the size of your brand, the personality of the brand and knowing your customers. Most marketers aren’t on the level of Disney. But if you have an interesting product you probably have interesting content waiting to be developed.

Want to discuss a video content marketing strategy with our team? Just reach out to us today.

March 20, 2017

Producing a corporate video – what you should know

Producing a corporate video is easy. Producing a good one on budget isn’t.

What should you know if you want to cost-effectively produce a good corporate video? You should leverage trust, creativity and questions to your advantage.

Work with people you trust. When you trust someone you know they’re spending your money efficiently. Since video production can require a large amount of labor it’s important you trust the person making the decisions about labor, equipment and other expenses.

If you’re not the creative type, work with people who are so that you can make sure end up producing something that captures your audiences attention and holds it. And even better, motivates them. Working with a dedicated marketing writer who understands the medium can improve the quality of video greatly.

Ask questions about what can be cut or what can be added cost effectively to make the video better. For example do we need craft services if we’re shooting a series of interviews? Maybe or maybe not? Would a makeup artist and stylist be a inexpensive way of increasing the production value? Ask questions about the line items and see if they left anything out and why.

Producing a corporate video should be a fun and rewarding experience. Follow the above advice and you’ll be well on your way. Want to learn how we can help, contact us here.

March 14, 2017

New entertainment production

Fluid Films is proudly producing First Draft – the show about craft beer. First Draft follows our hosts John and Robert “The Brewru” as they learn, taste and joke their way through some of the nation’s top craft breweries. You’re bound to learn something you didn’t know about craft beer and get a laugh along the way. Executive Producers Christopher Mills and James Gilmore. Season one has been completed. Interested distributors should contact us here.

First Draft, the show about craft beer, on production in Decatur, GA.

February 24, 2017

Social Media Video

Creating effective social media video for your brand

When you look at social media today, you’ll find all sorts of examples of social media video for brands. There is standard YouTube videos, Facebook video, live video, Pariscope video, Instagram video and even 360 VR content. With such a wide range of possibilities how does a company know what to do?

First and foremost know your brand. If you know your brand and its core customer you’ll know what type of content represents the brand well and you’ll also know what the customer is watching and on what platforms. It really as simple as drawing a Venn diagram and seeing where the overlap is. If you’re a fashion brand, Instagram makes a lot of sense. If you’re an accounting firm you may want to focus on LinkedIn. But if you’re a packaged goods brand you may want to focus on multiple platforms like Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

When considering the type of content, again, know your customer. What interests them? Are they looking to be educated or entertained? Be sure you’re content represents your brand effectively and you’ll be off to a good start. Then listen to the feedback after you start creating content.

Production quality is a big component of social media videos. For live video there seems to be an expectation that someone may just be talking to a propped up phone or tablet. That’s probably OK for now if you’re a YouTube star or you’re not a major brand. But as media matures the so do expectations of quality. For medium to large size companies wish to make an impact with social media video content, it’s important to create high-quality content. And this does not include walking around the office with an iPhone talking to the sales manager.

Want to talk about your social media video campaign, feel free to reach out to us for some advice.

February 13, 2017

Online Video Tips: How to much to spend?

One of the first questions we get from new clients is how much does an online video cost? Which is always an impossible question to answer since we don’t know anything about what they want yet. There are just so many variables in the production of a video, asking how much one will cost is almost like asking how much will it cost to build a house.

A much better way to look at the problem is how much is this video worth to to my business. And then find out if it’s doable at that price. Ideally, any video produced by a marketer should be solving an existing or predicted problem that has a business cost/benefit ratio.

An easy to justify example would be a new product video featuring a demonstration and some beauty shots. Provided the product isn’t a car that’s racing through the desert, a simple product video would be a relatively inexpensive video shoot. This is likely doable for a smaller budget and will likely fit most ROI models.

The opposite end of the equation would be branded content. BMW Films is the perfect example of this equation. It features car chases filmed by A-list directors and starring A-list actors. No doubt was this extremely expensive but no doubt it has got a lot of attention and will continue to get more. This is harder to justify with a simple ROI calculation for most marketers.

Most online videos are somewhere between these two extremes. We suggest that rather than approaching a production company with “how much does an online video cost” ask them if they can help you solve your business problem on budget. We suspect you’ll like the answer a lot better.

February 9, 2017

Is VR still the next big thing?

Is VR the next big thing? I’ll bet on it, even after Facebook just closed 200 of its pop-up stores for its acclaimed Oculus Rift headset.

You may remember six years ago when 3-D television sets were all the rage. Disney even created ESPN 3-D as a premium service. It didn’t last long. I believe this had to do with people not really wanting to pay a premium to stick silly goggles on their heads in the middle of a social experience.

Well, what makes VR different? VR is much, much more immersive. Don’t believe me? Go to one of the pop-up stores that isn’t closed or get one of Google Cardboard viewers and use your smartphone, they’re really cheap. 3-D TVs were an expensive novelty and VR is an inexpensive immersive experience. Still don’t believe me? Than look at what’s happening in the adult entertainment industry. You can Google that one yourself.

So what does that mean to us not in the adult entertainment business? It means we have to learn new forms of storytelling. We need to adapt our techniques and tools to what’s next. We need to educate ourselves on the cutting edge.

Most importantly, I do believe that VR is the next big thing but it’s not going to completely take over entertainment and advertising. It’s going to become another platform much like mobile, set-top and the web are now. Or a better analogy might be gaming. Gaming is huge but it hasn’t taken over traditional media and entertainment platforms and also isn’t for everyone.

February 8, 2017

Producing great video within your limitations

To paraphrase Clint Eastwood’s character, Dirty Harry, in Magnum Force, a “video producer’s got to know their limitations.” This doesn’t mean settling. It means maximizing the effectiveness of the resources available and not worrying about the ones you don’t. Let’s be real, unless you’re Steven Spielberg, there are always resources you wished you could have on set that you don’t. Heck, I bet even Spielberg doesn’t always get the cast he wants.

So what if you don’t get the all of the equipment, locations and actors you wanted on your production? Focus on what you can control. And the thing you can always control is the story. Make the story the hero.

If you’re as old as me, you may remember the late 90s cinema movement called Dogme. The idea was to strip away the unnecessary and focus on the story and acting. It led to some great stories and performances that in some cases were poorly lit and recorded but none the less powerful pieces of cinema. These movies proved that a great story is the most important part of filmmaking.

When it comes to the production budget, at Fluid Films, we like to see how many resources we can afford on a project and then figure out how we can maximize those instead of worrying about the limitations.

For example:

If we can’t afford an expensive location how do we dress one we can afford to make it look it’s best.

If we can’t afford the most expensive camera package, figure out how to work within the limitations of the one we have.

If the actor we wanted wasn’t available, maybe we can tweak their part so we can get the best possible performance to fit the one we have.

These are just some ways we’ve thought of to make the most of the projects we’ve worked on in the past. To learn how we can help you produce great video with your production budget, contact us here.

January 30, 2017

Video production tip: Video Production Quality Control

For marketers, video production quality control is critical in today’s price competitive environment. The downward cost pressured created by a combination of less expensive equipment and less labor intensive production has created a bit of a quality control problem for marketers. Gone are the days of a limited pool high-paid professional producers watching your back and protecting their position at the top of the food chain. Unfortunately, our business now has a lot of bottom feeders chasing limited dollars. But the good news is, if you’re diligent and find the right partners, you can get great content produced cheaper than ever.

What do we do? Vet your vendors carefully by:

Looking at their work and making sure it’s up to your standards.
Asking them how they are going to achieve the results at such a cheap price.
Making sure they’re going to be using the same resources on your job as the examples.
Asking for references if you haven’t worked with them before.
Keep asking questions till you’re satisfied

If you’re not in the business, it’s impossible to keep up with all the latest technology to know if you’re getting the best possible resources used on your job. That’s why using the above guidelines can help your with video production quality control on you next project.

January 27, 2017

Video Production Tips: Don’t over shoot.

Over shooting can cause big problems downstream in your production. Don’t over shoot.

This may seem obvious but it needs to be stated – don’t over shoot. With media costs getting so cheap and digital cameras being able to shoot continuously it seems to make sense to shoot more footage than is necessary (just in case) but it doesn’t really if what you’re shooting has no specific need.

I’m a firm believer in extra coverage. That means grabbing another camera angle or an extra take. However, I’m not in favor of an extra set up or an extra scene just because we can. Besides making your crew and actors tired it also creates a data management complication for your editorial team downstream.

Imagine you spent a few hours rolling on some extra bits which you may or may not use. It’s in the can and didn’t really cost you anything, right?

First it needs to be backed up. That can take hours. Then it needs to be logged. More hours. Then your editors need to review it as do your producers and or the creative team. Then they may waste even more time messing with it to see if they can find any use for it. Too much of this and you’ve wasted days of man hours that could have been billed to a real job or spent getting your show closer to completion. Good set-time management has downstream consequences. So don’t over shoot. Especially without a plan.

Need a plan to maximize your next production drop us a note and we’ll be glad to help.

January 25, 2017

360 Video: Five uses in marketing today.

Now that 360 video is available to anyone with a smartphone smart marketers are figuring out how they can use it to connect with customers and sell more products. Here are a few uses you may not have thought of yet:

Product demonstrations in real world environments. Traditional video can only show a demonstration in 2d. With 360 video you can really see and feel how a product works in a real world setting. Imagine getting in a new car without driving to a dealership.
Previewing locations. In the hotel or travel business? Don’t make your future guests guess what it will be like staying in one of your rooms. Show them in experiential video.
Integrate 360 product video right into your e-commerce experience. Imagine what a few percentage points better online conversion can do for you metrics.
Bring your advertising campaign to life. Add a 360 competent to your campaign and ask potential customers to experience your brand in a new way.
Use 360 live video to offer customers a live and direct VR brand experience.

These are just a few ways we think 360 video is going to transform marketing in the near future. Want a little help getting your 360 brand experience up and running? We’re here to help.

January 19, 2017

Website Video Is Now Expected

It seems like just last year website video was optional. Now with fiber optics cable and LTE wireless, everyone expects video on a website they’re visiting and want to see a video demonstration of a product they’re buying. Video on your website is no longer optional.

Fortunately, if you’re willing to spend upfront, you can schedule a video shoot to get most of it taken care of upfront. If you plan well, you may be able to cover social media video in the same shoot. A great overview of your product can be featured on your Facebook page. A shorter video could be edited and posted to instagram. You can keep them fresh with unique edits using similar footage and slightly different information.

To discuss strategies for an effective website video plan, just reach out to us for a quick discussion.

January 10, 2017

2017 trends in video and marketing

The big trends in video for 2017

Every year technologist tell us that it’s going to be different. Usually we’re let down as things move slower than expected. As soon as the iPhone came out 10 years ago, the experts were telling us that mobile video was the next big thing. We think we can now say that mobile video has established its self as a big thing but it certainly hasn’t topped the big screen in the living room.

So what do we think are going to be the big trends in video to watch this year?

Over-the-top video grows in importance: Video delivered to via set-top box is gaining market share and becoming more innovative every month. All major entertainment companies now have apps on Chromcast, Amazon Fire, Roku and Apple TV. With the spread of fiber optics and hardware improvements, expect this trend to continue.

Definitions of TV and web video will blur: Netflix was the first company to offer very high-quality original programing via streaming. Now Amazon, HBO, Hulu, YouTube and a plethora of others offering quality programing via streaming. Add to that, Direct TV Now and Sling, which are basically cable content services via streaming, and we can start re-defining TV now.

Feature films become less important: We think this trend has been going on for awhile. As home theaters become more immersive, with more available content, there are fewer reasons to leave the house for $10 popcorn. With exceptions of course, viewers usually have better options available via streaming.

Virtually Reality: With 72% of Americans walking around with a VR device in the pocket (smart phone) and production and delivery technology rapidly advancing, expect to see incremental adoption of this technology this year.

VR is not going to be like the 3-D fad of a few years ago. The content is going to come slowly. VR is not going to work for a lot of entertainment vehicles but it’s going to be profoundly effective for some uses. Examples would be gaming, experiential entertainment and live experiences (backstage at a concert or sidelines of a football game). Narrative story telling is going to be more difficult and will seem novel at first, like the first 3-d movies of the 50s.

Ad dollars will continue to chase eyeballs with bad metrics: Stories like this will persist as technology advances more quickly than the systems to prevent abuse. Marketers can only watch their dollars closely and diversify to protect themselves.

Well, that’s the trends in video we see coming down the pike for 2017. Let us know if you agree or disagree.

November 11, 2016

Video Advertising Spending Is Up for 2016

Good news – video advertising spending is up for 2016! Whether you vote Green, Blue or Red, one positive you can learn from the election is that video advertising is increasing. Especially in app advertising.

Also the emerging Over The Top category is stealing eyeballs from traditional channels, both increasing opportunity and potentially costs. What’s an advertiser to do as video advertising spending increases? Know your consumer – as spending increases so do opportunities. Develop a strong strategy and develop great content or sponsor it. These days, your advertising could look like an ad but doesn’t have to.

Want to learn how you can make the most of your video marketing dollars in today’s changing landscape be sure to reach out to us today.

September 13, 2016

1,000 online videos produced last year.

As we begin the start of football season now is a time to look back at the last year. Over the course of the last 12 months we’ve been working with NCSA and their app The Florida Vault. As contractors we digitized, project managed and edited over 1,000 online videos from old game footage and feature content of the Florida Gators football team.

Still from Online App Content Project

This was exciting work no doubt. And a lot of it! What we learned in the process is that there’s a lot of interest in content creation for the web, apps and set-top boxes and the work is a lot of fun. Want to discuss an online content or branded content project, just reach out.

September 1, 2016

Why Is Branded Content Hot Now

Branded content is the hottest thing in marketing right now. And there are some very good reasons.

Actors talk with client on set of a branded content production

First, the cost of media buys for eyeballs isn’t getting any cheaper while complexity rises. The proliferation of channels and types of media has diluted the paid market to the point where the value proposition for a traditional TV buy isn’t what it used to be. This means more complex and expensive media plans are necessary to reach the same audience. This also mean the additional expense of creating more media executions for placement.

Second, platform opportunities made possible by the internet are increasing every day. The fractured media landscape also means more opportunites to reach customers in new and potentially more engaging ways. For a company like Red Bull that’s meant creating their own media empire with their own Roku Channel.

Hasbro is another example of a company that’s blurred the lines between advertiser and content marketer. Are they a toy company or a Hollywood studio that makes toys. Not every advertiser has to do things on the same scale as these companies to be effective. Remember, the Soap Operas got their name for a reason.

Third, the cost of producing content is getting lower and the process less complex. Need to publish and article, create a blog. Anyone can do a podcast provided they have something interesting to say. Want to make a TV show? Professional quality filming of broadcast quality content is far cheaper than it was a decade ago. What could be accomplished with a crew of 50 can now be done with a crew of less than half and yes, at half the cost.

The timing has never been better for branded content but there remain significant challenges to creating successful projects. Not every company has the same ability as a Hasbro for creating storylines out of their products, much less the skill set. To get the kinda of eyeballs that Red Bull get’s takes time and patience to build and audience. Also, technical skill is another hurdle not to be underestimated. Bringing in the right people and partners to bridge these challenges is a necessary part of the process.

August 31, 2016

The Golden Age of Content

There’s never been a better time to be a content creator. There’s more opportunity to create it. To publish it. And to get it seen by large audiences. And you can do that for a relatively low cost.

This is especially true for filmed content. Just a few years ago, to reach a wide audience you had to either be very lucky and have resources of a movie studio or TV network or you had to be an advertiser with a big check.

Now content creators have all sorts of outlets that provide large audiences. YouTube, Hulu and Amazon all provide web based distribution of content to audiences worldwide. There are more players entering the distribution game every day.

Digital production tools have driven the cost down of creation in magnitudes. What used to take multiple semis of gear and a small army can now be done with a cargo van and a small well trained crew. The barrier to entry has never been lower.

So what’s stopping you? Have an idea and a modest budget? Give us a shout.

August 30, 2016

How to get the most out of a video production budget: Video Production Tips

Want to get the most out of your next video production budget? The answer may be counterintuitive. Tell your company how much you have to work with.

That’s right, lay your cards on the table and let the pros tell you the best way to play your hand. Talk to a couple production companies and then the one who actually has a great plan about maximizing your budget, work with them.

Get the most out of your budget with your production company

Getting the most out of a production budget

We’re not saying open your checking account and let your vendor see your bank balance. Have a reasonable idea about how much you’d like to stay under on the project and work toward that budget. Be up front and let the production company know your concerns.

It’s no fun for the vendor to guess how much you want to spend and then allocate resources around a number that was pulled out of thin air. Because of this, they may come back with an unreasonable recommendation for you simply because they thought you had a lot more to spend than you do. Also, some companies are set up to handle really large jobs or really inexpensive jobs. So it’s likely best that you at least give a vendor a ballpark before you have them crunch the numbers.

August 10, 2016

Video Production Tip for Creatives

Video production Tip for Art Directors, Copywriters and Creative Directors

Our favorite video production tip for creatives comes from an art director we used to work with showed up on set with a 30 frame storyboard. This seemed like overkill but she said she did before every shoot and it prevented her from having any surprises in the edit.

By sketching out what would be on screen literally every second of a completed TV spot, she forced herself not to just to think about how the spot would cut together but actually do it beforehand.

How is this different from a storyboard or shooting board? Well, a storyboard is really just an visual aid for selling the spot to the client and communicating the idea and vision to stakeholders. By the time you’re on set, things will have changed a lot.

And shooting boards are representations of the angles and shots covered by the camera crew. Helpful for the director and camera crew for getting their job done but they’ll be long gone by the time your project is in edit.

What we’re talking about doing is actually a visual representation of the shot that will be on screen each and every second. Sort of a rough cut before any footage is shot. If you have this done before hand, you should never miss a shot on set ever again.

We hope this video production tip helps on your next shoot. Check out our blog for more helpful ideas on how to make your next video production a success.

August 8, 2016

Producing for the new advertising reality: Complex media production

Agency producers have it tougher than ever with the new reality of complex media production. Back when we first got into the business, campaigns and media buys were simple. Shoot 6 photos for the print campaign or three commercials for the TV campaign. The internet barely supported photography back then. Now, with Google Fiber, you can send images galore, even 4K video is possible. This means your media department and your creative department have colluded to create a very difficult and sometimes expensive process.

We once worked on a campaign where there were over 100 different specs for banner ads and over 30 for pre-roll video. What’s a producer to do when there’s so many assets that have to be created for every campaign? One option is to not sleep. Another would be to work with a team that has the skills and tools to work in multi-media asset creation. Need help executing your next complex media production job without losing sleep? Give us a shout today.

February 28, 2015

Maybe you don’t want to produce a commercial with us.

We want to get this out and in front of everyone just to make sure there are no possible misunderstanding with potential clients looking to produce a commercial. We’re not the production company for everyone so maybe you don’t want to work with us.

Are you looking for the cheapest vendor possible produce a commercial?

That’s not us. We can work miracles with budgets but there’s always going to be someone cheaper, less experienced and less capable. Yes, we’re hungry for doing great work but if you’re looking for dirt cheap try craigslist.com. But if you are looking for great creative talent at a reasonable cost, look no further.

You find passionate creatives annoying.

We’re very passionate about creating great work. If you find an obsession to develop the best narrative, to constantly refine details and push to get the best out of the cast and crew a hassle please don’t call us. There are plenty of folks you can find searching Google who create mediocre work. We’re sure they’ll be much less passionate and annoying about doing it right.

You want someone to just shoot the damn boards and shut up.

We have more to add to your production than a camera and some lights. We view the boards as the starting point for producing something truly great. Much like an architect’s plan, we see your boards as the template for a building something awe inspiring. We believe it’s our job to point out the little things that will push and refine the idea to make the produced piece even better. Great execution is what makes great boards shine when the production is done.

You want to do it the same way you always have.

A lot of things we do, we do the industry standard way. Like we’ll hire a gaffer to rig. But when we can save you some money by using the latest technology, tweaking how something is shot or combining resources of a photoshoot and video shoot we do it. (And it makes most of our clients really happy.) We’re always looking at the newest tech for producing a commercial and thinking creatively to save you money and make your production better.

We understand that many people reading this will think we’re not the right group of people to collaborate with. And you know what, we’re OK with that. Because we really love working with people who have the same attitude about producing great work as we do. Call us if you want to work with a team passionate about making your ideas insanely awesome little films.

February 5, 2015

Commercial Production Tips: No, that’s not a shotgun microphone

Many people, even people in the commercial production business, assume the microphone at the end of a boom pole is called a shotgun. First lets start with what a shotgun microphone is and when it is used and it’s drawbacks.

Shotgun Microphone

A shotgun microphone is an extremely directional microphone used to record dialog and ambiance from a distance of more than a few feet and generally in an outdoor location. There are two types of shotgun microphones, long and short. A short would be used in the majority of situations outdoors, the long when boom needs to be more than 10 feet away. Probably the most popular microphone for commercial production ever is the Sennhieser 416 short shotgun. Developed in the 60s it’s still often the go to microphone for a outdoor dialog.

Shotgun microphones like the 416, although great a rejecting noise from the side, generally suffer from two drawbacks: susceptibility to reflective noise – echo and proximity effect. Echo mainly becomes a problem indoors with these microphones, because they’re designed to work at a distance they’re tend to pick up sound waves as they bounce around interiors. Acoustic reinforcement will often help but in most cases it would be better to just use another microphone.

Proximity effect is something some VO guys use to their advantage, when they want to create a booming dialog, you know, the “In a world where…” schtick. Basically the design of directional microphones, the more directional they are, the more them emphasize bass sounds the closer they are to the source. This can be bad for location work if you want someone to sound natural and not change in tone throughout your picture.

So what do you do? Well, microphone designers have created other pickup patterns to deal with these issues, just like there are lenses to deal with different distances and shooting situations, so are there microphones.

For closest microphone placement distances an omni pattern microphone is used. This is often the type of microphone you’ll see a TV presenter carrying and has a circular pattern, meaning it pics up sound in all directions. Most lavaliere and “plant” microphones are also omni. It’s very forgiving pattern as long as it’s close to your source.

For use a little further away, and often used in interviews, is a cardioid pattern microphone. The word cardioid means heart and it picks up sound in a heart pattern around the microphone. This make the microphone fairly direction and also fairly good at rejecting any reflective sound from more than say 10 feet away often experience in interiors. The cardioid, the hyper-cardioid and super-cardiod microphones are actually the microphone that most often lives at the end of the boom pole on most television and movie sets. One of the most popular in this class of microphones is the Schoeps CMC61.

So what’s the take away? As always, use the right tool is the right tool for the job.

January 29, 2015

Quick Commercial Production Tips: Why so expensive?

What makes your commercial production so expensive?

Even among industry professionals there’s often a disconnect on why things cost as much as they do. There are four major drivers to cost.

Crew Labor: It’s labor intensive to create national broadcast quality content. Someone has to competently run the camera, set up the lights, dress the sets, record the sound. Many of these people are highly skilled, require assistants and don’t come cheap. For many skill sets, prep days are even required.

Talent: Good actors and VO talent don’t work cheap. Put more than one of them on camera and the costs starts piling up. Add celebrity talent and your costs will skyrocket.

Technology: Technology has made some things easier but also caused expectations to rise. When you add things like motion control, compositing, drone or any sort other trick shots, cost savings from technology go out the window. In addition, today’s camera systems are infinitely more complicated than they were a decade ago. Operating them competently requires training on equipment most people can’t afford to own.

Post Production: Hardware requirements for simple editing have become cheaper and less complicated. At the same time, software has become more and more capable allowing more and more creative possibilities. These possibilities require highly skilled artists to make the effects look great. That means labor costs.

So how do you contain costs on your commercial production. Well, it starts with the concept and then ends with execution. There are a lot of ways simplify a shoot and do it cheaper. More on that later.

If you want to discuss your commercial production budget don’t hesitate to reach out to us.

January 25, 2015

Bidding Commercials and Video Production

Bidding commercials and video production can be a very frustrating process and can feel sometimes like it’s hardly worth the trouble. Usually this is because the one party hasn’t communicated enough about expectations, don’t have solid goals or expectations yet, or they just haven’t asked enough questions.

Some clients give us a script and detailed expectations about they want the bid process to work. This makes our job easy. Others don’t really know exactly what they want and have not committed to a budget. This makes it a lot harder for us to bid. It’s like someone shopping for a car and they haven’t decided if they’re buying a used Mitsubishi or a Mercedes Benz S Class.

Having worked as both a producer on the production side of the business and as a creative on the advertising agency side of the business we’ve seen both sides of the process and easily sympathize with our customers.

Best practices for many companies dictates that they blind bid 3 vendors with a focus on cost. This can be the most difficult to bid because there are many ways to control cost, most of which don’t provide the best quality product. These are the ones many of us in the business don’t really like to participate in. We get the least amount of information about specifically what were bidding on and we’re somehow supposed to win an apples vs oranges bid. In the end this rarely works out best for the client because the focus has been on the cost and not what’s the best quality creative that can be achieved for the available budget.

I think the best way for a company or agency to get the best out of a vendor is to give a production company a budget range, be very specific about what you’d like the end product to be and ask them for pitch and not just a tally of numbers. Then you’ll actually get to see the company’s problem solving, creative ideas and how they will innovate to get you the film you were hoping for produced. Good luck on your next bid. Below is our how to to bid a commercial production in five steps

How to bid a commercial production in five steps.

Locate companies and directors
Find one or more companies with the required talent to do the job well. Don’t focus on cost at this point. You’re just looking for ability.
Provide boards or a brief
Give the company a detailed description of what you want to accomplish. Then give them time to think and come back with a treatment. The better the understanding communicated during this phase the better the outcome at the end.
Listen to pitches
Listen to what the company has to say at this point. You’ll get a strong idea of how they want to help bring your story to life or if they have a completely different track they want to pursue. Let them lay their cards on the table.
Pick a company to bid
Pick the company or two that you most want to work with and then start the process of seeing what they can do for the money you have to work with. Asking for the lowest bid at this point will likely cause them to slash needed equipment to realize your vision and compromise the end product.
Award the job
The bidding process, rather than being adversarial has hopefully helped to tease out the best management of funds. Now you’re ready to award the job to the most trustworthy and creative company.

Want to learn how we’d approach your next project? Feel free to reach out to us and learn how we’d like to create something awesome for your next commercial.

December 5, 2014

Quick Commercial Production Tips – Casting commercials

This is probably one of the simplest tips. Yet I’ve seen ignored over and over again.

When casting commercials, cast the best actor period. No exceptions.

Don’t get caught up on things like body type, hair color, eye color, race or even sex (sometimes.) There have been many, many productions struggling to make it through the day because someone thought an actor was attractive or they think someone “looks right” so they cast him/her. Then the actor struggles on set to nail the performance. The actor performs retake, after retake, after retake until everyone lowers there expectations or the director decides he can just creatively cut around the bad performance.

The flip side of this is being creative and rewriting a character from a white woman to a black man if the best actor available is a black man.

I once had a man read for a woman’s role in comedy spot. He was roll-on-the-floor funny but we did not have the client’s approval to make the change. He would have possibly been funnier than the female actor we cast even though she was great.

Acting is a creative art that very few people excel at. A great actor can make you believe the part even if they don’t fit a preconceived notion of who they should look like.

October 28, 2014

Georgia Film production hits tipping point. Now what?

I moved from Los Angeles to my hometown of Atlanta in 2001. Not because I was following a trend or even starting one. I have however seen a dramatic change in the city since I got back after living out of state for a decade. LA was a city dominated by the film and television business. News reports often began with reports of the latest in the movie business. While living there, I experienced a couple of strikes that were very detrimental to people I knew. “The business” seemed to have an effect on everything and everyone.

Back in Atlanta, whose economy at the time was dominated by Coca-Cola, Delta Airlines and the world’s busiest airport was suffering from the airline business restructuring. In 2001, they were very different cities who really only had horrific traffic in common.

That was until the Georgia legislature decided to create the most aggressive film tax credit in the nation. Suddenly, films were coming and the infrastructure was built here to accommodate them. Georgia by many accounts has more major films and television dramas being produced here than in California. That’s a dramatic change for the business and the state. Hopefully, the investment here by major studios will remain. Many in California believe they will. Over the last several years multiple large studio complexes have been built. But what about the post-production industry, development jobs and network jobs? Will those come too? What if the tax credits went away?

The Georgia film production tax credit has definitely brought and kept production jobs in the state but has it cemented a place in the industry for Georgia and Atlanta?

September 29, 2014

New Commercial Production: BayPort Credit Union Spot

A new commercial produced by Fluid breaks this week. This marks the second time Fluid and helmer Jimmy Gilmore has collaborated with Tim Holt, of Marker3 Advertising of Norfolk, Virginia. Cinematography duties were handled by Christopher Mills. The CD/AD from the Merridian Group was Tim Holt. Fluid also handled post production on this job too.

Production was done in Atlanta, Georgia where the agency was able to benefit from great crews, actors and the tax credit opportunities. The agency believes this was very benificial to the quality of the production they were able to achieve and look forward to producing another new commercial with Fluid Films in the future.

BayPort Credit Union – Cash Back Commercial

Need a new commercial for your business? We’re excited about every opportunity we get to create a great TV spot and tell the brand story of a great product or service. We believe that every brand has a story worth telling. It’s only a matter of digging in, learning about the company, it’s customers and history to figure out the right message that will resonate with buyers and motivate consumers into action. Just reach out to us and include a quick note about your brand and what you’re looking to accomplish. We’ll then schedule a call with you to learn the details.

September 25, 2014

Quick Commercial Production Tips: Understanding RAW workflow in commercial production

To get the most out of RAW files doesn’t necessarily mean having a lot of technical knowelege. Know the basics and about a few problem areas you can solve most problems that arise in the workflow.

The two most common camera systems used for higher end commercial production these days are Arri and RED. Both have the capability to capture data in RAW file format. What does this mean? It means, capturing all the sensor data before it’s been processed and had image settings baked in. Provided you have exposed properly, you will have an extreme amount of laititude in color grading your final image. But it also means, if you don’t understand the process you can wind up not getting at all what you want.

People new to working with either one of these formats may find it frustrating and infact may want to shun the workflow because a lack of understanding by someone, somewhere in the pipeline caused a compromise in the image quality. However, both systems provide an equal if not better opportunity to capture excellent footage than film. However, there are a few choke points that can lead to problems down the line.

On set monitoring. The best way to approach shooting RAW on a medium to modest budget is to think about back in the days of shooting film. Make sure your getting a good exposure well composed. The raw camera output is not going to necessarily reflect what your final image will look like. This requires employing and trusting a competent cinematographer.

On set you will see a 1080 stream of what the camera is caputring and potnentially show you whatever settings are applied in camera. In this situation, to accurately determine what it will look like in post, the footage will have to be looked at on set on a computer with color grading software. This will be done on any good production during the media back-up process.

On high-budget sets, it’s possible to provide feeds to monitoring stations that have baked in settings (LUTs) so that you can get a better appoximation of what the captured image is intended to look like. You’ll even have a true Digital Imagining Technician to show the creative team proper looks and a close approximation of what the final product will look like downstream.

The important takeaway here is that these systems were developed to mimic film and the process of capturing data with them should be treated similarly and not like caputuring a live TV show. Ask lot of questions and ask to see some image processing if you don’t see what you’re looking for on set.

File ingestion to post. In the post process, it’s possible to use proxies, trascode or edit naitively. If you’re transcoding it’s imporant to do so without baking in the wrong exposure data or color balance which can be ruin an otherwise pristine image in the post process. Many Avid editors work with 1080 DNxHD proxies which don’t retain the same resolution or color information of the native files. Make sure these files don’t follow you to the finishing suite.

Poor workflow between eidtor and finisher. Back in the film days, there was no question whether the colorist would work with the negative but in some workflows now, the colorist will be handed transcodes, or worse low-res proxies, making it impossible for them to get the most out of the image. Make sure your colorist or finisher is given all the tools they need to make the most of your project.

Follow these guidelines and ask a lot of questions and you’re on your way to getting the most out of the RAW workflow.

September 23, 2014

Fluid Produces Web Commercial

Fluid Films is proud to have produced a new Web commercial for MLT Creative and their client HRTPV. HRTPV is a complicated business to business product that we wouldn’t begin to try and explain here. For that, we worked with MLT Creative to produce this great web commercial. The created a great storyline that did an effective job of communicating the need for HRTPV’s product. And then paid it off with a great ending.

Director of Photography Chris mills frames a shot while the client watches.

Director of Photography Christopher Mils lights a shot during web commercial production

Do you need a web commercial for your business? There are more and more opportunities to run commercials on the internet through websites, streaming services and even mobile apps. Consider whether a web commercial is right for you and if you think so, please reach out to us and let us know how we can help. There’s nothing more we would rather do than help another business create an effective marketing piece.

August 11, 2014

Fluid Produces Print and TV Campaign For Samaritan House

We’re very proud to have worked with Samaritan House Virginia and The Merridian Group in Virginia Beach, VA on a print and TV campaign that we feel is great creative. We assisted in producing three television spots, a radio spot and a print campaign for a very important local charity. Samaritan House assists individuals and families suffering from domestic violence. The spots were helmed by director, Jimmy Gilmore and with Herculean assistance by Mike Morgan on Gaff and Audio.

The most important people we’d like to thank are the wonderful people doing the important work they do at Samaritan House. But also the Creative Director at Merridian Group, Tim Holt, who conceived the campaign, sold it, brought it to us and shepherded it all the way through post production.

Victims

Spanish

Radio Spot

April 21, 2014

Quick Video Production Tips: Two cameras are better than one.

Some video production tips are pretty simple. Never use just one camera when on video production. There are a lot of good reasons for multiple cameras and only one against multiple cameras. Against: that’s your shoot day costs. The cost of a camera and operator.

But how much would you pay for an another option during edit? Like when you’re attempting to make action happen faster on a television commercial or you need to cut out a pause or stutter during an interview, a second camera to cut to is invaluable in this situation.

A second camera can also make your video production’s shooting day go much quicker since you won’t have to reset and do more takes to get a different focal length or framing.

A third, and probably the most important, reason is in case something goes wrong. You could have a camera break, over heat, or even provide a corrupt file. These are things that are seldom planned for but should be in the age of digital cameras. Fortunately, equipment failure doesn’t have to be a big deal when you have multiple camera bodies on set.

Good luck your next shoot and don’t forget to look out for more commercial production tips here.

March 19, 2014

Some Not So Obvious Reasons Your Video Production Came Out Sucky

Great video production is hard and it takes a lot of skill to achieve. There are a lot of reasons why a video can come out horrible, uninspiring or just plain crappy. Fortunately, it’s usually pretty obvious to just about any viewer why a video isn’t very good.

Actors talk with client on set of a video production

Obvious reasons your video production sucks:

Poor camera work that shakes, has actors cut out, or even out of focus.
Poor sound. This could be the result or a badly placed microphone, noisy environment or wind.
Horrible, unflattering lighting. Deer in the headlights anyone?
Disjointed, non-sensical edit. An edit that plain doesn’t make sense or is even ugly.

These are all technical reasons which an average person can look at a video and see that it’s wrong. An untrained person may not know how to fix these problems but they’re sure able to hear the wind hitting the microphone or the lighting that makes the actress look like she’s in a budget horror film. But sometimes you can get all the big technical problems solved but the video still sucks. Well, there are some not so obvious reasons I can share with you here.

Not so obvious reasons why your video production sucks:

Wrong person in front of the camera – Not everyone pops on camera. And even fewer can carry a film. This is why we cast and watch tape. Or when working with real people, we make sure they are “characters” or have something really important to say.
Poor direction – It’s not as easy as point and shoot. The actor or interviewee must understand what they need to communicate to the camera and have someone who can recognize whether or not the magic is happening. The director must also have the ability to course correct in the event of failure.
You didn’t write a script and storyboard – Production technology is becoming so accessible that people now just turn on a camera without a plan for what they are cutting together. Sure, you might get something good but your chances are much better if you start with a great script and plan each shot with a goal in mind.
Cluttered and poor framing – Sometimes amateur photographers get lucky and create a beautifully framed shot. But it takes experience and knowledge to do it every time. Signs a shot isn’t working are clutter in the background, odd angles and not following basic composition rules such as the rule of thirds.
Your lighting isn’t telling the story – The light needs to help tell the audience what they’re seeing. Horror movie lighting is an obvious way, but so is documentary lighting which is generally pretty “normal” looking. This light lets the audience know what they are watching is real. Want to learn how light effects meaning? Just study the old masters, yes, I mean the painters.
There is no story – Just because you’re written a script doesn’t mean you’re telling a story. Even an informational video needs to have a narrative that includes a beginning, middle and end.
You didn’t give the audience a reason to care upfront – Journalist call it the hook. Broadcast networks call it the tease. You have to let people know why they’re watching or they’ll loose interest and stop.
The editing is jarring and doesn’t help the story – Great editing doesn’t impress you with it’s technique; it helps you to become immersed in the story. Like great book editing, great video editing lives to serve the story and the audience.

Of course, these are just a few reasons your video production can come out sucky. The only way to learn proper video production techniques is to keep trying, preferably work with good people and to always carefully analyzing what’s working and what’s not. There’s no shortcut to learning from experience.

March 11, 2014

Quick Production Tips: Five tips to casting the right actors

Casting can be one of the most difficult gut wrenching parts of any film and video production. Many times it can feel arbitrary and even unkind.

Here are a few rules I’ve relied on over the years to make sure things go well on the set and in edit.

1) Cast a very wide net. You may have a specific type of person in your head for a role. Don’t limit yourself, the best actor may look completely different and even be a different race or gender than you originally thought.

2) Don’t rely on the casting director to prep the actors. That’s fine for the cattle call, but call backs you need to dig in and make sure they’re prepared. I often will write up extra info, like a short bio or character sketch, and distribute so the actors can have some context to inform their performance. Actors really like this.

3) Casting is a different skill than acting on camera. It’s like a job interview, mixed with improv and live stage acting all wrapped into one. Use this filter in call backs and, if you like an actor, work with them as you would on set to see how they respond. That’s going to be the best clue you have about how well they’ll do on shoot day rather than a cold read.

4) Be sure to watch the tapes before making a decision. Just because someone charmed you in person doesn’t always mean it translated to the screen. Also, no matter how good your notes are, when you’ve seen 100 actors in one or two days it will blur together. Be methodical and look back through everything but the worst.

5) Cast for performance and acting chops but never looks. When there’s a disagreement about or problem with casting this is usually the root of it. Someone is in love with an actors look and then you’re stuck on set trying to get the right performance out of the right looking actor. This can be painful. Instead, just invite the hot dude or large breasted lady out for a drink. It will be a lot more fun than having them flounder on set.

March 10, 2014

Quick Video Production Tips: To Lav or Not to Lavaliere

So when should you use a lavaliere microphone? The short answer: you should use one whenever possible but in conjunction with a boom microphone. And you should employ an experienced location sound mixer to properly wire the actor or interview subject.

Lavaliere microphones are not a magic bullet for video production that many people believe they are, especially when used on untrained people not used to wearing them. They are subject to rubbing, jostling, clothes noises and turned heads – and with wireless, radio interference. That said, sometimes the audio captured on a lav will be far superior to what is captured on a boom microphone, so it’s always a good idea to capture it as well on its own track. Never, ever capture boom and lavaliere on the same track. Otherwise, if one gets spoiled they both get spoiled and your production audio is ruined. Talking with an experienced location sound recordist about your needs before shooting is always a good idea.

March 5, 2014

Healthcare Commercial Production

Last year we produced four healthcare commercials with Agency Creative Director, Tim Holt of Marker3 Advertising in Virginia Beach, VA and their hospital client. This was a great opportunity to showcase what we could accomplish not only on a healthcare commercial but also with a hybrid shoot. We shot stills and motion, on a relatively low budget in one of the most demanding categories. Handling the stills was one of the Southeast’s top people shooters, Nick Burchell. Having him along was great as he loves to contribute to the production as a whole.

We shot in three great locations in three days and got to see basically how beautiful central VA can be. We were blown away by the wine country. And some of the wine wasn’t too bad either.

Of course, this is one of the great things about going on production, getting to see different parts of world and to capture the beauty. And on top of that, meeting new people and making friends in interesting places isn’t bad either.

We brought the RED configured as light as possible, enabling us to move quickly and shoot when the light was spectacular. This enabled us the get footage that captured the optimistic mood the agency creative team and the client wanted for the healthcare commercial job. In the above still, you can see how soft the light was early in the day in the Appalachian foothills.

Here’s a couple of the healthcare spots we shot that week in Virginia. Editorial was done in native RED RAW using Adobe Creative Suite’s Premiere Pro while color grading was done in Davinci Resolve.

Production stills by Nick Burchell.

March 3, 2014

Quick Production Tips: The “We’ll fix it in post” white lie

So much can be accomplished in post these days it’s hard to completely dismiss the offhand “we’ll fix it in post” comment. Experience tells us however that often when this phrase is bandied about something isn’t going according to plan. Something that is going to take more time than is budgeted to fix. Or maybe the actor or camera crews doesn’t seem like they’ll be able to accomplish the shot.

So what’s the tip here? When someone says this on set, make sure you completely understand your options and costs. We’ll going over schedule cost you anymore or is there some cushion built into your schedule already. Do you have some contingency money that might solve the problem at hand? You may be able to get the problem solved on set right away and not have to carry the problem over to post.

If you do decide to fix it in post you need to be educated about your situation. If you have any doubts about fixing it after the fact, talk to your post supervisor to make sure you’re not walking into higher costs and more problems in post. Things to consider are will the fix require a simple edit or time eating rotoscoping. Also, you need to consider your post schedule. Will adding more in post ruin your schedule and cause your job to be late.

Whatever you decide, you’ll have to live with your decisions because once the set crew breaks down the scene, there’s little chance you’ll be reshooting on that day or on any other.

Image of woman on video production book, clearly she's not planning to fix it in post.

Image from video production shoot

February 28, 2014

Quick Production Tips – Don’t skimp on sound

Don’t skimp on sound. It may be more important than your camera.

It’s often thought in film and video production that the camera is the most important piece of gear on set. While a picture is essential to the creation of a motion picture, it actually comes in a close second to sound.

How many TV spots have you seen with a simply a voice over and type? Or how many times do you see cutaways from an actor or interviewee to b-roll (footage of something other than the speaker)? Also, how much more watchable is an old movie with good sound than a new movie with inferior sound?

How do you know you’ll get great sound? The first step is to hire someone with a solid track record as a sound mixer on episodic television, motion picture or commercial production. And don’t be surprised if it costs you nearly as much as your director of photography.

Second, empower your sound mixer to call out problems. Fixing sound in post requires bringing the actors back in. You don’t want to do this unless you absolutely have to.

Follow these steps and you’re bound to have great sound on your next project. If you need any help getting great sound on your next project don’t hesitate to reach out to us.

February 27, 2014

Quick production tips. The LED lighting controversy, what you should know

LED lighting: What you should know about the pluses and minuses.

As a producer, it’s important to know the benefits and limitations of the equipment on your set. LED lighting has been controversial with some DPs, directors and colorists because it’s trade offs have been fairly significant. But for producers, watching the crew hours, the upside can be big.

First, the pluses that make them a producer’s time saving dream:
They’re light
Easy to work with in many situations
Draw little power
Fairly soft source that can used with little modification for some applications
Dim-able

Now the negative:
Compared to tungsten sources they have a low CRI (color rendering index). I won’t get in-depth here because this is a quick tip but compared to the sun, tungsten, fluorescent and HMI, they fall short in their ability to produce accurate skin tones. Also, unlike a other sources, replacing bulbs as the units age and degrade isn’t possible on set.

All this said there have been significant upgrades to LED fixtures in the past couple years. If your production has invested in the latest equipment and your DP and colorist have experience fixing problems they may be a great choice for your project.

What does this all mean? It means, if you have a beauty shot of an actor, think carefully before using a LED as a key light. Also, problems with accurate color on set become bigger problems in post. Know your material, with non-fiction television LED is probably good enough. But an a-list celebrity would probably be horrified with a green spike in her close up.

February 26, 2014

Quick Production Tips – Plan for problems

Plan for problems so you can overcome them on your next shoot.

Motion picture and video production requires a tremendous amount of planning, labor and resources focused on a fixed amount of time. Many producers forget to plan for problems.

What happens if something goes wrong like someone doesn’t bother to show up on time or a piece of gear breaks down? Potentially you have a bunch of people and equipment sitting around burning up money and getting nothing done.

Problems like this in production are common. It’s how you react to them that determines the outcome of the job. Here’s the tip and it sounds like a no brainer but it’s often over looked. Have flexibility in your schedule? If an actor is late, what else can you be working on. Your sound guy starts vomiting after lunch, who’s gonna step in and not screw everything up? Multiple problems. Do you have slop in your budget for overtime?

Next time, plan for problems and don’t worry about having problems on set. Because you’re prepared when they do happen.

Need some help getting organized for your next production, reach out to us for some advice on how to make it great.

February 20, 2014

How companies can win with content development

How to win with content development

Too often corporate content development is produced because someone has decided that it’s a tactic that they would like to try with little thought as to how it will work strategically and how it will enhance the brand. Then after they’re done, they’ve spent a lot more money then they would have for email campaign but aren’t sure how much more beneficial the process was.

Here are some tips on how not to let that happen to your next video content development project.

1) Know your customer’s relationship to your brand. Are you a high-involvement brand, that requires a lot of thought behind a purchase or are your customers impulse buyers? Impulse buyers aren’t going to want to learn a lot about your product but high-involvement buyers will. Entertaining content will work for both audiences but educational content won’t.

2) Make sure your customers find the content useful. Entertainment is useful to everyone. A short video about how to use a product is very useful to a niche. A diatribe about a company’s core values is mostly useless if not done very, very well.

3) Make sure any entertainment content reflects positively on your brand. A pharmaceutical company will not want to sponsor a web version of Breaking Bad. But take a look at what Chipotle is doing with Hulu. They’ve created a show that fits perfectly within their brand.

4) For product education make sure you follow best practices for writing, length and production quality. A 10 minute, meandering, iPhone video with poor sound quality doesn’t reflect well on your brand even if YouTube is full of that stuff.

5) Remember distribution is part of the strategy. How are big brands making huge impressions with “viral” content? Well, it’s not viral content at all but part of an expertly executed campaign. Don’t forget Google and Google’s YouTube are advertising companies. How will your video content work within your current marketing efforts and your current online presence? These are questions that need to be addressed before the camera rolls because they should influence the production.

Hope these tips help you make more out of your next branded content project.

February 3, 2014

Super Bowl Spot Wrap-up 2014

Super Bowl Spot wrap up including the best and the worst from 2014

Well, the game was a blow out for Seattle. I’d predicted a win but not a humiliation. Payton Manning will need to do some soul searching after an epic blown opportunity and so will a lot of the advertisers.

It’s easy to be dismissive or even mean about some of the spots last night. But to be fair, most advertising is uninspiring. Great advertising is rare and hard to produce.

People who haven’t sat in endless meetings while “suits” nibble away at your great idea will never understand how difficult it is. It’s brutally hard to produce great. And I guarantee, the creatives were swinging for the fences when they produced this years load of mediocrity. And I can almost guarantee that the original concepts were likely 10x better than what ended up on the screen.

The Winner:
Was definitely the Bud puppy spot. This is an animal spot retread but the people love it like their Hangover 3s and their Fast and Furious 6s.

Surprises:
Mazeratti: Beautiful film making by Director, David Gordon Green. The spot feels reminiscent of Terrence Malik’s work and his film George Washington. Beautiful pictures but not sure if it will sell any Maseratis. Also feels a lot like the Levi’s work W+K did awhile back.

Microsoft: Nice creative strategy behind the Steve Gleason ad. Too bad for them and Payton the Saints didn’t make it to the big game.

Wiffs:
Chrysler spot with Dylan. It felt like they were trying to copy last years Halftime in America but badly.

Kia: The Matrix spot is what we call borrowed interest and poorly executed.

Coke: I’m sure someone somewhere thought they were making a great “total market” ad. Instead they produced another Pajama Boy. Keep the politics out of advertising folks. W+K strives to strike passion in viewers but this is likely to bring out the wrong kind in half of their audience – especially with immigration reform being pushed in Washington.

The rest aren’t really worth mentioning.

January 30, 2014

Super Bowl 2014 Advertising Commercial Predictions

This years Super Bowl advertising will certainly contain a several surprises and letdowns. Budweiser looks to be doing more of what has worked in the past. Bud Light has produced something involving celebrities and hidden cameras they’ve been teasing throughout the playoffs – should be interesting.

GoDaddy claims to have grown up beyond their preteens. And there’s some interesting stuff from Intuit where they’re providing a Superbowl spot to a small business. And of course, Doritos is continuing it’s ad contest and likely getting a lot more miles out of it’s media buy than anyone else.

If you’re really interested in the following closely read Adweek’s Superbowl Tracker.

So now for the predictions. Audi has a winner with their Doberhuahua. I suspect this will appeal to a lot of people and may be hailed as a best. I also expect another strong ad from Ram. Budweiser will also have a few good ones and the media will love the sappy one. Coke is likely to do well too. Also folks will like the Toyota Muppet ad. Colbert fans will like his Pistachio spot and women will like John Stamos again. Huyndai spots are good too. People will not be all that impressed with the SquareSpace ad or Kia’s Matrix ad which just sort of falls flat. I also suspect GoDaddy’s grown up add will not be all that.

So that’s our predictions for this year’s Super Bowl Advertising. Now for the game. Seahawks by 6.

January 24, 2014

Is 4k content a opportunity for marketers?

2014 appears to be the year that 4K televisions have hit the mainstream. Too bad the content availability doesn’t yet match the possibilities of these sets offer as they arrive in homes daily.

It doesn’t appear that the traditional content delivery providers, including satellite and cable companies are ready to pipe 4K content to homes anytime soon. It took innovators like HD Net to prove there was indeed a market for HD content long after the first HD sets were available.

The transition to 4K looks to happen much soon thanks to wide adoption by consumers of content streaming already. And the devices that consumers are streaming to are made by the same companies providing the set. That means there’s already a gateway and a desire to get content in the home. In fact, Sony as a content producer and technology company is currently able to provide a growing library of content to it’s customers.

For many still, the only way to see 4k content is YouTube. Which is an open platform for anyone who wants to create content. Soon we expect to see Netfix and other streaming platforms (possibly iTunes and Roku) and apps opening up more ways to get content in the home. Also, camera maker RED is selling it’s own 4K player and announced a partnership for their own content distribution network.

How can a marketer get involved in this revolution? Create your own content. Sponsor content. Or provide your own platform via apps or web delivery. The current market isn’t here yet, but it’s coming and faster than most people realize.

Want to discuss 4K content production please reach out to us today.

January 3, 2014

It’s 2014 so now what? More content marketing of course.

Will 2014 be the year of content marketing?

A lot of the same sort of predictions are being bandied about that we’ve been seeing for the last couple years.

More content marketing
More online ad retargeting
More social
Crowdsourcing of marketing content
More mobile
SEO to be more important
More integration

We’d have agree with most of this. Two of the trends that has been bandied about by the guru types as a solve for everything but cancer are social and crowd sourcing. First, for social, only certain “cult” brands are able to create a very large footprint with social. Brands that have a unique relationship with their core consumers. Frankly, if you make something less exciting than iPads and Harley choppers, good luck finding a large group of people to spread your message for free.

Crowd sourcing of marketing content. If you’re expecting a crowd of free labor to spread a strategic message about why others should buy your product, you’re dreaming. Unless of course your Mr Harley or Mr Davidson.

So what’s the takeaway? Like every year plan effectively, have a good strategy, understand your audience and work on creating marketing content that’s integrated and makes use of social and mobile platforms effectively.

Want to learn how to improve your content marketing with video? Reach out to us today to find out how.

December 16, 2013

Doing it on the cheap. Cheap video is no easy way to live.

Producing cheap video is no way to live or market your brand. But sometimes it’s unavoidable.

Doing it on the cheap isn’t anything we ever want to do but it’s almost unavoidable lately. And if you’re an agency producer there’s really only three ways to get cheap video done.

1) Have really great concepts and a great blue chip client with a decent media buy. Production companies with talent they’re looking to build will be happy to help you out. Send out great boards and you’ll get lots of callbacks. Crap boards and well, nothing.

2) Call in favors. Let’s hope you’ve got a few in the bank and are loyal to the people you work with. We in the production business are constantly called upon for favors. We also know that promises of future work should be taken with a grain of salt by people we don’t have a track record with.

3) Think outside the box. Typically agency producers have two buckets they go to. High-end bi-costal prod cos. Or low end corporate flunkies with a track record of putting out the predictable. One is a no go and two leaves no one happy. (This is also when the Creative Director says, why don’t I just shoot the damn thing.)

It’s important to know what it is that costs so damn much to produce high-quality film and video. Sure, the cameras, lights and audio gear are expensive, but the line item that actually kills a line producer is labor. It’s also the same thing that kills agency revenues and while we’ve all been asked to do so much more since the crash.

On a big budget union set there are things you just can’t ask people to do – just ask a teamster to move a c-stand one day. On an indie production folks are willing to chip in and wear multiple hats or go without an assistant. What it takes is a creative eye in managing budgets and people. And it also helps having experience working with less.

Need some help maximizing your production budget. Just reach out to us and help you make the most of you cheap video shoot.

December 13, 2013

Fluid Films celebrates the holidays with City of Refuge

Every year, Fluid Films celebrates the holidays by donating our services and the concern comes up on how to best mark the holiday season. Maybe do something funny, create something serious, or just send out a thoughtful card. But instead of doing something about ourselves, we decided to get to the heart of the matter and explore the act of giving. So we created a short film about City of Refuge and the volunteers who go out in the city’s most at risk neighborhood and feed those who need nourishment and hope the most.

What we were most struck by, talking with recipients and the volunteers, is that those giving were getting as least as much back as they were providing. Please take a moment to watch and if you feel moved consider making a small donation. Hopefully it won’t only be Fluid Films who celebrates this holiday season.

If you have a non-profit project you’d like us to help you with please let us know. We offer discounted services for those doing good in our community.

December 9, 2013

Fast and Furious Movie Halts

Looks like Fast Furious movie will not continue production in Atlanta anytime soon following the tragic death of Paul Walker. The producers are going on extended hiatus to decide how to move forward, if at all. This means a significant number of people in the Atlanta production community will be out of work for an indefinite period.

This is tragic for the family and also unfortunate for all involved in the production who’s jobs have been put on hold while the producers search for a way forward that honors Mr. Walker and his family. We hope they are able to find a way to finish the movie and keep the franchise going.

December 4, 2013

“Brand content series.” Hulu to produce branded content.

Actor, Comedian and Jim Rome caller, Jay Mohr will host a new game show program on Hulu next year. This will be produced as brand content series and not typical entertainment programing. What’s significant about the new show isn’t that it’s an internet program or that it’s being produced by Hulu. It’s that it has a single sponsor and won’t be featured only on the sponsor website. The new show will be branded content in the original sense, going back to the advent of soap operas and radio programs sponsored by one company like the “King Biscuit Flour Hour.” With multicasting and decentralized distribution, brands now have the opportunity to take even more control of their message than ever by esentially owning the property. The question is, how many will risk their marketing budgets on these types of ventures?

December 2, 2013

Georgia’s tax credit has built a large creative community

Georgia’s creative community owes a debt to the film production tax credit.

Over the last several decades metro Atlanta and the rest of Georgia has grown significantly. It’s not uncommon for a native to drive down a street they once knew intimately and find the landscape unrecognizable from only a few years ago. In fact, the state’s population has been growing at almost 20% for the last decade. Some feel this growth has at least been helped by Georgia’s production tax credit.

Part of this mix has been a huge growth in the creative community. IATSE membership in the state has ballooned from the low hundreds in the 80s to the low thousands now. This means it’s now easy to find talented technicians for producing anything from scripted drama to commercial production. Read more about the good and bad implications for the state here.

November 25, 2013

Georgia film industry spends 933 million in revenue

Well the numbers are in and things are looking pretty good for the Georgia film industry. According to the AJC, the film industry spent $933 million in Georgia for the year ending in July. That’s up from $880 million the previous year. This is good news for state that had pretty high unemployment since the downturn.

The film and television industry is expected to grow in Georgia over the next few years and as long as the state legislature continues to support the production industry the future looks bright. Expect to see growth in below the line jobs including electricians, camera assistants, carpenters and drivers.

November 5, 2013

How to produce a mixed media shoot. Getting stills from your next video shoot.

There’s a lot of production overlap that happens when shooting video and shooting stills for a campaign. When possible, it makes sense to capture both at the same time instead of scheduling two separate shoots. This can have a lot of positive benefits but there are also some things to keep in mind if you haven’t done a hybrid shoot before. But first the positives.

Scheduling just got a lot easier. Getting talent together once to knock out a campaign will save a lot of headaches.
Travel budgets and incidental expenses can be spread out over fewer days instead of weeks or months.
You’re more likely to get all of your creative team focused and in the same place for one shoot rather than two or even three.
Some expenses can be shared. Catering, some equipment, wardrobe, art may be able to combined.
You may be able to spend more on some things like locations, wardrobe and art because they will shared.

Things that won’t necessarily become easier

Planning. You’ll have to coordinate two separate needs and possibly two or more separate directions both internally and externally. Planning has to start early and everyone needs to be hands on in managing till the last frame is captured.
Talent costs. Unless your production is non-union don’t expect your talent cost to drop dramatically. Unions will want usage fees plus session fees. Do your homework first.
Shooting times. A mixed media shoot can really wear out a producer because you may have multiple things happening at the same time and all needing to be supervised. More stuff can happen in few days but just is much shooting or more will happen.
Stress. You’ll still have a lot but the good news is it will be over quicker.
Labor. If it’s a big shoot there are going to still be a lot of people needed for both motion and stills. Unfortunately a camera assistant isn’t the same thing as a photo assistant and she can’t be in two places at once.

Things to keep in mind

Photographers aren’t necessarily directors and directors aren’t necessarily photographers. Sometimes two really is better than one.
Working with teams who have experience working together will help dramatically.
Carefully plan out your days so you can make the right compromises. You will be making compromises but you’ll also create synergy that will have some unexpected benefits.
Motion has a bigger camera and more crew so they can overtake stills. Be aware and make sure you’re giving in for the right reasons.

To learn how we can help on your next mixed media shoot, send us a quick note and we’ll schedule a call.

October 18, 2013

Harmony Television Commercial Shoot

Fluid Films produces television commercial shoot with Alliance Theatre and Barry Manilow.

The Alliance Theatre needed a television commercial shoot to market their most high-profile production of the season, Barry Manilow and Bruce Sussman’s, Harmony. A -list talent only has so much time, so we worked fast and produced this spot and an electronic press kit in one shooting day.

Fluid services including scripting writing, line producing, shooting, editorial and finishing. It was a pleasure to work with the Alliance and Mr Manilow.

Would you like Fluid Films to produce your next commercial, just reach out to us here. Our producers have produced hundreds of spots for everyone from national brands with A-list talent to regional players with limited budgets. We’re experts and making the job great no matter the budget.

Actors talk with client on set of a television commercial shoot

October 18, 2013

Fluid Shoots Manilow Electronic Press Kit

The Alliance Theatre asked us to help them create an electronic press kit for their latest show featuring a score by Barry Manilow. The release was picked up by several outlets including the influential Broadway World.

Of course, electronic press kits (EPK) are valuable for more than celebrities and entertainment. They’re also valuable to corporations and small businesses. Consider how valuable if the press had an easy way to cover the introduction of a new product, the appointment of a new executive or cover a new marketing initiative. If you think you need an EPK, please reach out to us and let us help.

Electronic Press Kit coverage of Barry Manilow.

Electronic press kit coverage, Barry Manilow being interviewed for his new play.

July 22, 2013

Block Buster Flops – A lesson for content marketers?

We’re halfway through the summer of 2013 and it’s been a bloodbath for Hollywood thus far. There have been major block buster flops by “bankable” stars. Proving again, Goldman’s thesis that “no one knows anything” in Hollywood.

But this is a valuable lesson for marketers too. We all have so many choices for entertainment and distraction that to invest everything in one giant project is frankly silly. We need to think about ways to create lots of content that has multiple uses on multiple screens. There is no guarantee no matter how much talent you put on the screen that your next video will go “viral.”

April 24, 2013

Commercial Production In Six Easy Steps

Getting the most out of a commercial production can be hard. That’s why we’re providing these easy to follow steps.

Know your product or services. Understand it inside and out from the consumer’s perspective. Why on earth would someone spend money on it? Why not the competition? Explain it in one simple sentence. That should be your strategy.
Write a script and/or develop rough storyboards. Or hire a professional writer to concept and write a great script for you based on your strategy.
Find a director and production company. Look for a commercial production company that can tell a story, provide a style you like, has an understanding of your vision and also can work with your budget. Bigger isn’t always better.
Supervise and talk about it till you’re blue in the face. There’s little worse that can happen on production than not having your vision understood. Over communicate and you won’t regret it.
Guide it through post. Hire a post facility to turn your rough materials into greatness. Again, look for partners that understand your vision.
Buy media. Now that your baby has been birthed you’ll want to show it to the world.

Want to learn more about the commercial production process and how to make yours great? Just contact us and set up a call to find out how we can help.

April 15, 2013

How to make a video viral

Note the heading is not how to make a viral video. “Viral video” is one of the industry’s most misleading terms, especially when it comes to marketing videos.

It may have been possible to create marketing that was passed around as subversive content 10 years ago. But now, the online audience is pretty jaded. They’re not going to mistake your marketing department’s dancing/singing/smoking baby as something fun to pass on or be open to your marketing message. Video advertising on the web just isn’t new any more. Don’t believe me? Take a look at your Facebook feed and your email inbox? How many “viral videos” do you see? I don’t see one that isn’t “sponsored.”

Ad Age tracks online video adverting and none of the top marketing is truly viral. It’s all from big advertisers and heavily promoted. We’ve seen people who don’t think the rules apply to them spend money on content and none on promotion, it’s nearly impossible for them to succeed.

So is there a way to get your video thousands and thousands and thousands of views? Absolutely. It’s a two step processes and it’s pretty old school.

Step one: Produce a great video that people want to watch.

Step two: Have a media/promotional plan.

Follow these steps and your brand will have a chance of making your video viral and possible on the ranks of the Viral Video Charts.

April 4, 2013

Good Thinking Atlanta

Back in February we created a video for one of our favorite local charities, Good Thinking Atlanta. One that helps…. oh just watch the video.

Good Thinking Atlanta is an Atlanta-based non-profit that helps other non-profits with branding, marketing, design and advertising. We helped them help others through writing, video production and post production. We actually love to work with non-profits because it gives us the opportunity to have our work do something meaningful and make an impact on more than the corporate bottomline.

If you’re a non-profit or other charity, feel free to reach out and let us know about your project. We offer reduced rates for small non-profits who can make a difference in our community.

January 11, 2013

The impending 4K video revolution. Marketers need to get ahead of the curve.

A 4K video revolution has started and few marketers have taken note.

The screen resolution of a MacBook pro retina: 2880-by-1800

The screen resolution of a iPad retina: 2048-by-1536

Screen resolution of a new LG television: 3840 X 2160

All of these devices have a screen resolution well over 1920 by 1080. Ever browse the web and see a picture blow up more than it should be? That’s what your HD video is going to start looking like to the owners of high-end devices pretty soon. And frankly, the competition will be catching up with the iPad soon enough.

Need further proof? YouTube now has a channel dedicated to 4K content. YouTube wouldn’t be serving larger files if they didn’t need to.

If you’re creating content to be played on the latest devices, soon enough it will be expected to created in 4K. Why not get ahead of the curve while you still can?

December 31, 2012

2013: The year of Red

Wondering what the year of RED is all about? The future and 4K content acquisition.

In 2012 we did an awful lot of work with our Canon DSLRs. They provided an excellent value for our clients and the footage looks great when properly lit. We plan on shooting with DSLRs more in 2013 but we have recently purchased a Red Digital Cinema camera system and believe that for most of our clients this will offer an even better value.

Most of our clients are seeking a great return on their investment for their production dollars. We’re not the cheapest but we’re far from the most expensive option either. We achieve a great value proposition by focusing on the things that create good production values: writing, great lighting, authentic performances and technology. The Red Digital Cinema cameras offer some of the best technology available today.

One way is the over 4k image size easily translates into many different applications. Imagine being able to crop your footage for all sorts of different applications including vertical online banners and motion POP and trade show displays without any loss in quality. And with the rise in “retina” style screens and also the trend towards 4k playback, the content our clients are creating today will still be relevant over the next several years.

If you’re interested in learning about 4k video acquisition, and why we believe this is the year of RED, please reach out to us and let us know about your project. To learn why we believe it offers the best value available today, reach out to us today.

December 17, 2012

What does Peter Jackson’s Hobbit mean for the future of film and video production?

By all accounts, Peter Jackson’s Hobbit has been a remarkable event similar to that of Avatar. It introduced new state-of-art techniques that have turned a blockbuster opening into a worldwide cultural event. Kudos to Mr. Jackson.

As a producer of content for commercials, branded content, marketing and even indie films, will this affect you? If you are thinking of using some of this new technology there are a couple things you need to keep in mind. The technology, the expense and your audience.

Technology
Mr Jackson was breaking new ground with The Hobbit but he was using off the shelf camera systems from Red that had merely been customized to shoot in a 3D rig. For all intensive purposes, if you had the money, we could have a similar setup working on your project next week. However, we’ll need to bring in a 3D expert on set to make sure your cameras are functioning accurately for 3D and that the effects will render properly. Also the higher frame rate will require more light since the cameras are working twice as fast.

Expense
Shooting two cameras at once for 3D means twice as much data. Shooting twice as fast means twice as much data again. Shooting at 5K means more than twice as much data again. Data storage has gotten cheaper as of late but it also becomes a manpower issue. All this data must be checked and backed up continuously. This will mean a significant expense for your production. And we also mentioned previously that it will require more lighting. That will cost you too. Big lights cost big money. And we haven’t even gotten to post production yet – but as you can imagine, it will cost you.

Your Audience
For the time being, the only place someone can watch a Peter Jackson’s movie at 48fps in 3d is at a specially equipped movie theatre. And in 4K projection? Very few theaters. There are a lot of home televisions equipped with 3D technology. With the release of RedRay and some new televisions by Sony, we’re certainly going to see this high end of entertainment come to homes sooner than later. But how many people will have a 20K home theatre to watch this with? Not enough to warrant the increased cost except for the blockbuster filmmaker in the near term.

We should all keep our eyes on emerging technology too see how quickly it’s adapted by others and make our own decisions about when or if we should adapt it ourselves.

December 13, 2012

Are you up to the challenge? Web video marketing is getting more complicated.

Just a few years ago, Web video marketing was new and confined mostly to on site video and a random YouTube videos. Now the landscape is much more challenging. Marketers should start taking their web video placement as seriously as they do other media.

Options now include but are not limited to:

In banner: Flash and HTML5 banners now stream video content regularly. However, sizes are often odd and it requires planning and expertise to do it right.

Pre roll: These look and feel a lot like 30 or 15 second TV spots. The main difference between creating one of these and a regular television spot is budget and delivery. Rarely do you have the same amount of funds to create a web spot as you do a television spot, and also there are considerations involved in preparing the files properly for web delivery.

Webisodes: Webisodes can be a great way to get your message to the masses. Considerations include finding the budget and also a production partner that can execute on budget. Also, do you have a built-in audience or do you need to partner with a property that does?

Facebook: Everyone thought Facebook would be a major player in video by now but they’ve disappointed so far. But you can’t ignore the internet’s second most popular site (only behind Google).

YouTube: How do you stand out among four billion hours of video? Well, it takes a strategy and quality content to get noticed – unless lighting strikes and you’ve got a really cute baby with a talking cat who plays the piano…

On site: On your site, video is now expected. Many marketers are finding it useful to have branding content on their home page, product videos on product pages and how to videos on support pages. The the concern becomes how do you execute all of this to feel consistent and do it on budget?

Mobile video: People are watching more and more video on mobile devices. iPhones, iPads, Andriod tablets and phones, Nooks and Kindles are now the fastest growing segment of video watching devices. That means you need be sure your content plays well at these various scales and you need a way to deliver it successfully.

I’ve just scratched the surface of what you need to concern yourself with when producing video content for the web. It’s also a space that is changing daily. That means tomorrow something new could emerge that makes your job even more challenging.

December 6, 2012

How long should your web video be?

How long should your web video be? Most marketers don’t know.

One of the great things about creating television commercials or television programs is there is only one length they can be. Not so for most web video. Most of the time it can be whatever length you decide. So how long should your web video be?

Not surprisingly, length is the most discussed topic and often is the least understood by corporate clients, even ones with experience creating television commercials.

Often marketers think of length in terms of entertainment. A half an hour is a short television show. So a 40 minute web video isn’t horribly long for an informational video? Wrong.

Informational pieces need to get to the point. Your audience won’t invest their time to watch a video hosted online unless it’s only a few minutes long. Sure they’re exceptions. But that exception probably won’t be your video.

If you’re presenting to a live audience, your dynamic will be different and the video can be longer since you have a willing audience that has allowed you to control the presentation. Also, if your material is not purely informational your audience is much more likely to engage with it for more than a few minutes.

We find the best way to keep your online audience engaged is to break the content up into bites no more than a few minutes long. You can then create a gallery of information that a customer can watch bit by bit. Picking and choosing from 10 to 15 different videos is a lot less intimidating for someone with limited time than clicking play on a 15 or 20 minute video.

Of course, every project is different and if you would like to discuss your next web video production with us, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

December 3, 2012

The meaning of professional

One of the frustrations of working as an agency copywriter is having ones writing constantly criticized by people who are non-professional writers. But the fact is, that all white collar employes are paid to write. Write emails, memos, briefs and PowerPoints daily. And while it doesn’t make them all good writers, it does make many of them judgmental of other people’s writing. Yes, even a professional writer’s writing.

And when we go to the store we can buy products that say they’re professional drill, a skillet, a vacuum or whatever one wants to buy. And I guess that makes us all professional maids and chefs as well. It’s a slippery slope.

Since founding Fluid Films, I’ve found a lot fewer people want to step behind the lens and correct my framing as want to judge my word usage. It’s certainly refreshing. But I’ve also noticed just as many people with a misconception about what makes film and video production professional. The last thing it is is a sticker that says “pro” on the side of a video camera.

So what makes someone professional? Being a professional is an attitude of not just doing ones best, but doing it the right way that will net results for a client. A dedication to a life of learning how to constantly improve your skills and your product. Improving your community by teaching and mentoring those who work with you and for you. Keeping your client’s interests first even we they don’t have the insight to do so. Being professional isn’t just doing a job, it’s doing a job better than it needs to be done because you have standards.

Being professional isn’t doing a job for pay or using the right tools, it’s rather how you do your job.

November 20, 2012

Why we’re not videographers

Sure, we shoot “video” but we’re not videographers. So why does it matter?

Sometimes when we talk to new and prospective clients, they’re “just looking for a videographer” mainly because they don’t want to spend a lot of money. Ironically, when we explain to them that we’re filmakers and storytellers who are expert in telling the story of their cause, product or brand using video, a light bulb goes off and their attitude changes.

What do they suddenly see? That the project which started as a simple need to have something “videoed” has become an opportunity to tell their story in multiple channels both internally and externally. Companies will see that a video created for an event will also become a powerful vehicle for the website or to use on YouTube. An ad agency will turn a simple video or television commercial into a web video advertising campaign across banners, pre-roll and YouTube.

Of course, there’s nothing wrong with being a videographer, if that’s you passion. It’s just that our passion is storytelling, we just happen to do it with really cool movie cameras. To learn what it’s like to work with us just drop us a note.

November 8, 2012

Non-Profit video for City of Refuge

Over the past several months, we’ve been working with Atlanta’s City of Refuge to develop a non-profit video that to communicate their mission of doing good works for the city of Atlanta’s last, lost and least. The film debuted before a packed house of 45o donors at their fall gala. The theme of the gala and the title of the film are Imagine.

We love working with non-profits, we feel it’s one of the best opportunities we have to make an impact in our community. Video is a terrific way to go beyond the statistics and tell emotional stories that go right to the heart of why your organization is doing the work that they do.

Numbers don’t lie but when they communicated alone they don’t always leave a lasting impact. Let us help make that emotional connection to your audience. You may be surprised how much of an impact visual story telling can make on your donor base.

Please feel free to reach out to us about your non-profit and how we can help you make a difference in your community.

March 14, 2012

Content marketing. It is all about great content.

Content marketing has been around as long as advertising. Since you’re reading a blog, you probably aren’t even old enough to remember when radio shows were brought to you by flour companies and soap operas were produced with, er, soap companies. Back when broadcast media was new, advertisers and broadcasters were very up front the content was created to grab your attention long enough to hear the sponsor’s message. Product placement didn’t need to be stealthy.

Broadcast advertisers were not the first to create an audience for a purpose. Even the Roman emperors understood the power of amassing an audience with blood and circuses. As technology evolved from the Emperor’s Coliseum, to Shakespeare’s playhouse, to Edward R Morrow’s radio microphone and now to the internet, those with messages and an agenda find an audience with great content.

Today, when people discuss content marketing, they’ll say that marketers need to become publishers to actually be effective content marketers. I don’t think this is true. As a marketer, you can create a show and put it on YouTube or say Hulu and you’re not a publisher. Or you could create or sponsor a column on CNN.com. In both cases, you are using content to market but in neither case would you own the printing press. And as an added advantage you have a built-in audience. Not every company can or should create something like AMEX’s Open Network. Anyone can start a blog but not everyone has the budget to promote a site and build an audience on the scale of AMEX’s.

So what’s different today and why has content become a buzzword? Because audiences have become fragmented by emerging technology. This has created both opportunities and challenges.

Opportunities for the little guy who no longer has to pay a toll to the networks to get his message to an audience.

And challenges to the big guy who is finding his audience more elusive.

Let’s discuss some of the opportunities created by technology. Blogging, website creation, white papers, videos and news articles are all content that can attract an audience. Anything that isn’t overtly advertising would qualify. Kind of like this article which I’m clearly not creating for my health — heck, I haven’t even mentioned what we do. Creating content as a company can impute leadership, expertise, and whatever other qualities the content reflects. Whatever quality the content has, so does the brand presenting it by its relationship. Similar to a great product. This is the reason Chevy makes the Corvette. Thankfully, making a great video is cheaper than building Corvettes.

For the big guy, the challenges of a fragmented audience can create a lot more work. The blunt instrument of media dollars won’t work as hard when customers have so many choices of media outlets. While many talk derisively about today’s media, the death of magazines and print media in general, reality TV, screaming heads on cable news shows and all that celebrity reporting, there is more opportunity than ever.

The tribalization of media has fostered much of the great content being created in television today. HBO, AMC, Showtime, and FX have all created amazing programming to ensure they have an audience and survive. This same tribalization serves to parse audiences and allow for precise targeting of consumers. Also for content marketers, the success of great shows like Madmen, Sopranos, Homeland, Lost and even web based programing demonstrates that great content creates its own audience.

If you can create, develop, harness or buy great content for your brand that reflects its essence and properly promote it, you’ll be able to use content marketing to effectively reach your customers.

March 7, 2012

The five keys to video content marketing

“Content marketing” seems to on the tip of everyone’s tongue I talk to who is involved with marketing B2B brands. Usually they suggest if you blog, write whitepapers and use Facebook enough your product will eventually become the industry thought leader and then the category leader. This may work but it depends on many factors including your industry, what your competition is doing, and the quality of your content.

I’m heartened to see that video is starting to gain ground in these circles without the dreaded “viral” modifier. Besides being an excellent differentiator, there are few ways to drive home a sales point more effectively than video content marketing – you have the customers eyes, ears, and rapt attention for enough time to sell your product. Viewers, in fact are conditioned to watch a 3 minute video and will readily do so provided the story is well told.

Five keys to effect video content marketing:

Tell a story – People will tune out if you just throw a bunch of facts at them
Have a strategy – Know the point your trying to make before creating the video
Have it work with rest of your marketing – Make sure your video supports everything else your brand is doing. That way, it can be easily integrated into your marketing.
Know your brand voice and use it – Is it funny, smart, jovial or edgy?
Keep to your brand standards – This means use the right logo, typefaces, colors and tagline. But it also means make sure your production quality keeps to the same standards as the rest of your marketing.

February 28, 2012

Does your brand need an anti-hero?

Superman. Wonder Woman. Captain America. None of them an anti-hero.

Heroes, all. Multi-dimensional? Not so much.

They stand for good. They fight evil. But they belong to a different era.

The Dark Knight. Tyler Durden (Fight Club). Lisbeth Salandar (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo).

Anti-heroes, all. Multidimensional? Absolutely. And they reflect today’s modern ethos.

The reason anti-heroes are more interesting in today’s complicated world is they access more facets of our personalities, striking deeper chords with our emotions.

So what’s your brand’s story, does it include a hero or anti-hero?

There’s a mess, you address it, like the Brawny man swooping in to soak up spilled milk? How many ads use this formula? How much do they resonate with you?

Is it possible to tell your brand’s story using a different story structure? Bud Light has been doing it for years with tremendous success. Think how much you enjoyed seeing the lizards kill the frogs for the first time.

And recently, Cheetos used their cheetah as anti-hero that’s clearly not there for everyone’s benefit. Tell us what you think.

February 21, 2012

Video Production Pricing for a New Economy

Part of the vision of Fluid Films is the recognition that the needs of video production clients is different than it was just a few years ago. TV commercial productions now have smaller budgets and web video is more demanding. Agencies and marketers need a partner who can deliver a high-quality product quickly and efficiently.

In this reality, it shouldn’t be surprising that it’s common to hear frustration from busy professionals when it comes to pricing. Why can’t they get a straight answer about what something costs? There are a lot of great answers to that question. Especially when it comes to complex commercial shoots with special effects, several locations and multiple actors and extras.

But why can’t there be a simpler model than an involved bid for a simple web video? Do you really need to wait days just to find out the cost of a three-minute internet video? It can also be as frustrating for us to spend the required time to work up a detailed bid only to discover we’re not even in the same ballpark. Well, we think we’ve solved the problem.

We now offer a simple base price for web video shoots. Want to learn more about our new pricing model? Give us a call at 404 357-0301 or shoot us an email and we can tell you more or less what a job will cost right on the spot.

September 28, 2011

Amazon Fire is no iPad Killer but that’s beside the point. Old media should take notice.

While the tech writers and media pundits debate the tech specs of the new Amazon Fire vs the Apple iPad, we in the media, marketing and content creation business need only to focus on two areas. What content does the device actually deliver out of the box and how large of an audience is it likely to capture?
Amazon already has a huge audience with millions visiting it’s site daily shopping. And millions more access it’s content delivery system through eBook delivery and Amazon Prime. This new device will be able to access this system in a more convenient and user friendly way than ever and do at an even more accessible price point than the Apple iPad. Right out of the gate the device will be able to “access to more than 100,000 movies and TV shows; 17 million songs; 1 million books; and hundreds of newspapers and magazines.”

Just like with the iPad, marketers need to look at this device and it’s capabilities and see how it can be leveraged to their brand’s advantage.

September 27, 2011

Are you ready for the opt in era? It’s time for a branded content stragegy.

Take a quick look at your marketing plan. Does it include anything that isn’t an interruption for your customer? A piece of mail they don’t want, a billboard obscuring their view of the countryside, or, the worst sin of all, an interruption in their favorite Thursday night drama. This may have been business as usual yesterday but today the customer is in control. You need a branded content strategy yesterday.

You probably already know that print media is suffering. People are consuming their news reading media on the internet now. Radio is also suffering thanks to iPods and various internet based platforms like Podcast, Pandora, and Spotify. Why would your customers listen to music on a commercial radio station when their are so many better alternatives? The same transformation is happening with all media – especially TV. Viewers are opting in or opting out of your messages. Are you ready with an engaging brand story and a branded content strategy?

Want to discuss your plans for branded content video in the coming year with us. Just click here.

August 31, 2011

What is Branded Storytelling? Your future.

Storytelling emerged from the mists of time with cavemen recounting tales of bringing down mammoths around flickering camp fires. Now those fires flicker in our living rooms, and on screens of every size and shape, anywhere. The medium has changed, but the human hunger for great stories hasn’t. Branded storytelling is just the next evolution.

Somewhere in there, commerce was born too. Buy these pistachios! How about a hunk of meat?

And then somebody got wise and crossed commerce with storytelling. This tonic grew hair on Max’s head. VW: Think small. This revolutionizes everything.

Then people got sick of hearing commercials, so those who trade in messages had to up their game. Product placement was born. Think of Wayne’s World: with these little yellow pills. Then advertisers got more sophisticated: Up In The Air was filmed in Hiltons.

But what’s far more innovative, requires far more imagination, and has seriously more potential, is the quiet revolution that’s happening in branded storytelling. For example, think of BMW’s “The Hire,” a series of 8 short films by directors like Ang Lee, John Woo, and Tony Scott, starring Clive Owen. This is branded storytelling.

Sure, you have a car, a great car, a fast car, but now the Beemer is as much a part of the story as Clive Owen’s secret agent. This is a paradigm shift from storytelling to branding, where the story is being told through the brand filter.

What does this mean? Simply that you can tell the story of your brand in ways that viewers will find absolutely compelling. They don’t have to sit through commercials anymore, and won’t. Not when they can watch the story of your brand unfold without feeling like they’re being sold to. They can follow an intriguing story, your story, without ever wanting to tune out.

That is no small revolution. It opens up the whole world to getting your message across in as compelling a way as your imagination will allow it.

This will require you to open your mind. And your eyes. And most importantly, your imagination.

Where will you let it take you?

The Dayton Dry Goods Company let it take them to Target. That’s hard to argue with.

August 31, 2011

Professional Production. Leaner. Meaner.

Fifteen years ago I rolled up to my first agency shoot, as a copywriter, and there were five semis, even a truck dedicated to breakfast burritos. You may recognize this scenario today if you’re working with pros who are stuck in yesterday’s technology. But let me assure you, it’s not necessary on a professional production today unless you’re shooting an action movie. You’re welcome to call me on this.

Today, a camera weighs less, moves faster, and uses less light but it does require a lot more brains. Yet unfortunately, no camera can tell a story without the right crew behind it.

Now with a small bright crew and talented storytellers, you can accomplish what it took a small army to do a decade ago. A few pelican cases are needed for what was carried in a camera truck. A one ton grip truck can move all the lighting a grip equipment required for most interior shooting of non-action drama. Sure, your star may still require his own Winnebago but that’s not technology’s fault.

Want to see what you can accomplish with a small budget these days, give our professional production team a call and we’ll be happy to discuss your options.

August 15, 2011

Google Buys Motorola. One more sign of a mobile future

Today’s business news starts with the announcement of Google’s intention to purchase Motorola’s mobile unit. The article says a lot about patents and competitiveness but the broader story here is that Google isn’t buying a computer company. Google buys Motorola because they view mobile computing as the future.

Rather they are positioning themselves for where they see opportunity in the future. Last year with the introduction of GoogleTV (as an answer to AppleTV) and this year with the purchasing of Motorola Mobile and launch of Google+ they’re saying they believe the future will be socially connected and revolve around smart devices including phones, tablets and TVs.

How have you positioned yourself to get your message heard in the future? Need to talk to an expert in the mobile video field, just drop us a note here.

August 11, 2011

Cable ditchers aren’t lost to marketers. Brand story telling is the future.

Grim statistics for cable TV providers are rolling in with quarterly numbers. Cable ditchers have created a continued down economy coupled with rapid technological change are not the cable company’s friend.

What are marketers to do with their audience scattering to the internet? Innovate. Get out in front of the change by creating content that can live where your customers are whether they’re on the couch using a cable box, watching Google TV in the family room, or kicking back on the train with an iPad. Your media strategy and content will have to adapt to the already changing landscape.

Netflix has been kicking cable TVs butt for the last several years while cable has relied on sports and live events to keep viewers paying subscription bills.

July 20, 2011

Why you should care about mobile video

The average American spends over an hour a day interacting with the phone, much of that time is spend wacthing mobile video. Smart phones hve been out selling PCs for the last decade. Many consumers only access the internet through their mobile device. Tablets sales are blew away expectations and now wearable tech is the next frontier. And now PublicisSapient are expecting video ad spending on mobile to eventually outpace commercials on TV.

If you are a marketer and you are not delivering branded content to mobile devices you are ignoring your customer base. Not only are they watching it, they’re demanding it, sharing it and interacting with it.

In fact, some brands are creating their own applications and sites for their content. Brands like Redbull and AirBnB have branded content right on their apps! Integrated with their products.

Screenshot from mobile video app.

In fact, new video platforms are coming out every month. And the existing ones are growing. All of these platforms are hungry for content and marketers to help them grow. There’s never been a better time to get in on a new media movement. To learn how you can maximize your impact on the mobile video movement just reach out to us here.

July 6, 2011

The content strategy

An intelligent video content strategy is essential for success.

Build it and they will come is how the famous line goes. The video content strategy is very similar and has been used by newspapers, radio stations and television programers for generations. In a nutshell: if the content is great, it finds and audience and advertisers. Everyone is happy.

An effective content strategy online is similar. Great content properly distributed and seeded finds and audience and helps marketers educate consumers. As a bonus, great content can also help build an effective web presence and enhance your search engine optimization.

How do you get started? Learn about your target audience. Find out what they talking about, what interests them. Then start creating what interests them.

You can start small. Even a Twitter account or Instagram account can help educate your audiance about your brand. A facebook page is also a great place to start seeding content. But don’t try and do everything at once until you have a good idea about what your audience is looking for. As you begin to understand your audience you can invest more time and resources in creating content for them.

At Fluid Films, we have years of experience developing strategy and would love to help you develop your video content strategy. Just drop us a note here. We can schedule time for a call or a meeting to discuss your business and your audience and then help you develop and plan for reaching them with video content and other branded messages.

July 1, 2011

What is your business Facebook Page missing? Video.

If you want your business Facebook page to have reach and grow, you have to have something worth sharing. Fortunately there’s on thing that’s matching Facebook’s growth – online video.

The growth of online video is explosive. Consumers are not only watching more, they’re demanding it. Give them something they enjoy and not only will they thank you, they will share it.

So where do you start? You start by digging in and figuring out what your customers are interested in, are sharing and where your business intersects.

Facebook Live Streaming Atlanta Facebook Business Page

Use Facebook’s API to host professional live video on Facebook

Maybe you’re a tool company and you share how-to videos. Or you’re a bank and you share a series of videos about retirement planning.

You’ll want to keep YouTube content fairly short. However, with Facebook Watch, longer content is starting to become part of the picture. The key to getting the right video length is to get an understanding of your audience by interacting with them. Start by aksing them what they’d like to see, then give them something to test. Over time you’ll gain an understanding of what they want to see and also what drives engagement and sales for your business.

You will then be able to continually create branded video content that is entertaining and sharable within the Facebook community. Want to learn more about optimizing your Facebook Business Page with video? Contact us today!

June 30, 2011

Online video makes us all story tellers again.

Before mass media, average people were story tellers. It didn’t require huge production and budgets to get your vision heard. Every night by candlelight everyone had a captive audience of friends and family with no TV or stereo to compete for attention. Now there’s online video.

Now, media budgets aren’t required to distribute your story thanks to online video. And talented story tellers and filmmakers are doing more with smaller budgets. Smaller crews and better stories. What story do you want to tell?

We can help you write, produce, film and edit the story of your brand. We can make it true, entertaining and relatable to your audience.

June 29, 2011

How long should a web video be?

Just how long should your web video be? The answer is short – shorter than you think.

We understand that you’ve got a lot to say, but unless your brand story is really entertaining, you’re likely to loose your audience after two and a half minutes, maybe even sooner.

The best way to keep them engaged is to break up your content into small chunks. Think of these shorter pieces as paragraphs that enable you to tell your story as a five paragraph essay rather than one giant block of words.

If you have more than one message to communicate, maybe it would be better to break those messages up in to bite sized chunks as well. Start thinking of the videos as chapters rather than a book. Each chapter doesn’t need to contain the entire message just a single subject.

There’s a good chance your video won’t be entertainment. And it’s not fair to compare your marketing message with that of entertainment. Yes, a sports fan will watch their team lose a game for 3 hours straight. But there’s a deep emotional connection there they don’t likely have with your product.

Want to discuss the how to optimize your video presence on today’s changing web feel free to contact us today.