“How much will it cost?”

There are 2 schools of thoughts about when to have that conversation.

• Old School says – “The first one to mention money loses”.  
• New School says – “Talk about money early and often”.  

Here are 4 really BIG reasons why new schoolers have it right.

Really BIG Reason No. 1 - It Lays a Foundation of Openness

It’s always better to begin a relationship with transparency. Doing business shouldn’t be a game of poker. We should lay our cards on the table, be honest and up front. Knowing what you have to spend, and/or what a product or service costs, shouldn’t be a secret. Be open.  

Really BIG Reason No. 2 - It Establishes Realistic Expectations 

Sometimes clients wants “Gone with the Wind” on the budget of “The Blair Witch Project”.  Both are acceptable solutions, but if we don’t have a clear knowledge of your budget assumptions, it’s difficult for us to give you what you want because their are unspoken expectations – realized or unrealized.

Really BIG Reason No. 3 – It Saves Time

Eventually, one way or another, we’ll agree to a budget. By being open and realistic we can save each other a lot of time. And you know what they say about time? “Time is money.” When we know your budget we propose solutions that fit your budget. Sure we can bring in a helicopter and shoot it in Maui, but if your budget won’t allow that, it’s not the best use of our time.

Really BIG Reason No. 4 – It Allows Everyone to Focus on the Project

Once budget expectations have been established, we can invest our time and resources in your project. And the sooner we can do that, the sooner we can deliver the solution that moves your audience. 

Don’t start your project in arrears, be open, communicate your budget early on, articulating realistic expectations, saving time and allowing everyone to focus on the project. After all, “budget” is NOT a bad word.  

QUESTION: What do you think? Are you old school or new school?

The Audience

You’ve got to know who you’re talking to, otherwise, no one will be listening or the wrong audience will be listening. And more than broadly identifying your audience, “Everyone who breathes” you’ll be better off to drill down and clearly identify that audience with factors like:

The Objective

What’s the single thought you want to convey? This can be very difficult to distill. There is a tendency to try and tell your audience too much, which can leave you unfocused and your audience clueless. The objective forces you to be clear on your purpose. Your objective also serves the purpose of telling you where you’re going so you can actually get there. 

The Message

Make your message about your audience, what they want or need and what you can deliver. Remember, it’s not about you. It’s about them.

Being a student at Belmont has its perks- and one of them is the career connection resources readily available online. One boring night, I was browsing through and sulking about my lack of internship experience in the past, and saw a new listing that caught my attention. I had no idea what Comprehensive Media was- and had never worked in the Video Production industry.

So why did I all of a sudden decide to quit my steady part time job in an industry I loved? Because life is all about learning.

I’ve always heard that if you always do what you have always done, you’ll always get what you have always gotten, and I was ready to do and get more out of my career- so I took a chance. This risky move landed me in what many jealous classmates have called “the coolest job”, and I couldn’t agree more.

From social media to market research and SEO, I am responsible for the different aspects of our marketing strategy. Jumping into an industry, office, and company I knew nothing about was challenging at first, but I soon realized it was time to put my big girl pants on and suck it up.

In the short time that I’ve been here, I’ve learned 4 key lessons that everyone should take into consideration when it comes to their job, or any new adventures for that matter.

1) Be Yourself

Don’t try to fit in. That will make you feel inadequate, and chances are if you got the job in the first place, you are far from that. Yes it is very tempting to act like everyone else and pick up on his or her ways around the office, but that won’t help you stand out as a great employee. You’ll just be like everyone else.

2) Ask Questions

The worst thing you can do is pretend like you know what someone is talking about when you really don’t. We’ve all done that, including me (Sorry Joel…) and it might lead to an instant gratification and feeling of success when the other person smiles and continues on, but that big question mark left in your head won’t be easy to ignore. Asking questions means you are engaged, listening, and willing to learn more about something you might not be familiar with. Trust me, that is much better than pretending to know something you don’t, especially when the time comes to actually act on your knowledge.

3) Be Honest

If your boss shows you something or is dead-set on a specific idea that is just plain heinous, it’s really tempting to nod, smile, and go along with it. If they are that passionate about it, it must be good, right? Wrong. Everyone has different ideas and opinions and sometimes hearing another opinion or perspective changes everything. Agreeing to disagree and showing that you have a valid opinion or suggestion is more valuable than a yes-man attitude.

4) Learn About The Industry

Like I have said before, I didn’t know anything about the Video Production industry, and still have a lot to learn. Being in charge of our marketing efforts means I am constantly finding ways to show off our company and our abilities and skills. How can I do that without knowing them? Without knowing what our target market is looking for? That’s right, I simply can’t. You need to know what you are selling in order to make a sale. Anyone can describe a service or a product, it’s the passion and deep understanding that makes something so enticing to buy.

QUESTION: What key lessons have you learned?

When Ray plowed up his corn field he put into practice 4 lessons that enabled him to realize his vision.

1. Innovation – No one else was plowing up their corn field to build a baseball field.  He was leading the pack – which takes courage and purpose.
2. Value – He saw the value in what could be and built a beautiful field to rival all others.  It was in a corn field, so he would have been justified with a few mounds of dirt.
3. Relationships – His vision brought others together and changed his community.
4. Heart – His vision gave him purpose and assurance that what he was doing was important.

Ray had a vision of what could be.  And in spite of the obstacles he faced – doubt, fear, financial ruin & humiliation, he saw his vision through.

22 years ago we had a vision, one that would shape people’s lives, one that continues to impact others.   And much like Ray we have tilled the soil of…

Innovation

…by looking at our clients problems and working together to develop solutions.  Solutions that benefit both our clients and their customers.

Value

…by offering the kind of value built on quality, reputation and experience.  There will always be cheaper ways of doing business, but that’s not who we are or what we’re about.

Relationships

…by committing to the long haul.  This is about more than a field to us, we’re not here to grow more video – there’s lots of that.  We’re here to help our clients harvest stories with vision and purpose.  We care about our clients and their organizations and listen to what they need – investing accordingly.

Heart

…by believing in the stories we share and the organizations for which we work.  More than lip service, if we don’t believe in an organization, we won’t work with them.

Our leap of faith didn’t involve plowing up a corn field, but it was building something before anyone knew they needed it. Comprehensive Media has something incredible to offer.  Something unique and of great benefit – the ability to share a story, your story.  And that is something that CAN change the world.

We know there are lots of video production choices our there but we believe it takes more than a camera and software to be a great.  It takes vision – the ability to see what can be and like Ray Kinsella, build it so that others can come and reap the benefits.  We have built it so you could come experience it.

When you’re ready we’re here.  We’ve been ready for 22 years.

• paintings
• architecture
• music
• stories
• calligraphy
• sculpture
• furniture
• tapestries
• and the list goes on.

The Structure of the Canvas

Creativity never exists in a vacuum. There is always a canvas, a place the creativity is expressed. For painters that may be a literal canvas. For photographers it’s found through the viewfinder of a camera. For graffiti artists it may be a brick wall. For a weaver creativity is realized on a loom. For a composer creativity begins its expression as a notation on a stave. Each of these are expressed within the confines of a canvas or medium. Yet those mediums don’t hinder the creativity, they provide a structure for their expression.

The Structure of the Tools

After a canvas has been chosen a creative needs tools as a means of expression on that canvas. Whether charcoals, paints, pastels, keyboards, chisels, spray paints or ink, a creative uses tools to express their creativity on the canvas. Creatives have always adapted their tools as a better means of expression. If the nib of the quill didn’t lay down the right thickness of line, they adapted it and reshaped it until it served their creative needs.

The Structure of the Habits

Habits are those things creatives do over and over again. Habits are the best ways they have determined “to do” the process. Whether it’s a particular way paints are mixed, how and where a video file is saved so the editor can find it later, the keyboard shortcuts of a graphic artists or the way tools are sharpened. The more the artist “does” these habits, the more refined they become and the more time they save the artist, which in turns gives the creative more time to be creative.

QUESTION: Are you a creative?  If so, do you feel structure is friend or foe?

VIDEO TRANSCRIPT

Everyone’s looking for a way to save a buck on their next video production.  The real question is how do you do that without sacrificing quality.

Here are 4 things that can help you save money on your next video production.

Plan Ahead

It sounds simple enough, but I think planning is the most overlooked and underrated component of video production.  Be crystal clear on your objective, your purpose and how you’ll determine success?  Those are all questions that have to be answered BEFORE you can even think about production.  By the way, we have a great free resource for you on planning called: Creative Briefs – Your Map To Success.  Just click here to take a look.

Don’t Rush

You know that it costs more to send your package FedEx priority overnight than FedEx ground.  Well guess what, it’s the same with video production.  But in addition to those tangible costs associated with rushing a project, there are also less tangible costs.  For example, we find that clients who rush through the process often realize later that there were details that were overlooked or they’re simply just not pleased with the end result.  So, don’t rush.

Remember Economy of Scale

If you can combine multiple videos, shoots or locations, shooting everything at one time, it can really help your budget.  That may be working with another department to use the same on-camera talent to shoot a scene or asking the expert a few more questions while you’re doing their interview. Regardless, those kind of economy savings can make a big difference in your bottom line.

Be Flexible

As a rule, the more flexibility you have the easier it is to keep your costs under control.  For example if we have to shoot on a specific day at a specific location with a specific talent then we have less production flexibility which can certainly increase costs.

The next time your planning a video, remember these 4 simple ways you can save money by

• Planning Ahead
• Not Rushing
• Remembering Economy of Scale
• Being Flexible

You’ll be glad you did.

QUESTION: What other ways have you found to save money on video production?

Yesterday businesses were asking, “Can we afford video?”  

Today businesses are asking, “What’s it costing us NOT to use video?”

Email, call or post your questions here.  We’re glad to help.  

A few years back, Dave Knox, a veteran of the motion picture industry wrote a book about the language of the production industry called, Strike the Baby and Kill the Blonde: An Insider’s Guide to Film Slang.  In it he shares some of our industry speak.  Here are 20 of our most used favorites.

1. Available Light – Available light is naturally occurring light, ie: sunlight, moonlight, daylite, street lights, store fronts, etc. used as the source of light for a scene.
2. B-Roll – B-Roll is a term, used exclusively in video and TV production used to designate additional cutaways shots and other generic footage the editor might later need to share the story.  On feature films, this is usually the second unit.
3. Baby – A baby is a 750 or 1,000 watt movie light with a squiggly shaped lens on the front.
4. Barn Door – Barn doors are metal flaps on the outside of movie lights that can be adjusted to control the spill of the light.
5. Blonde – A blonde is 2,000 watt open face (no lens in front) quartz-bulb movie spotlight.
6. C-47 – C-47s are just clothespins which are used by electricians to hold pieces of gels and diffusion onto hot lamps.
7. CG – CG or character generation is used to refer to on-screen titles.
8. Cowboy – During the heyday of westerns a director wanted to see a shot that framed both the actor and his gun.  It’s wider than a medium shot and closer than a full shot.  And so, a “cowboy” was born.  All these years later, it’s stuck.
9. DP – A DP or a Director of Photography works under the director and is over the crew in charge of photographing the film.  They are responsible for decisions on light, lens choice, filters and film exposure among other things.
10. Gaffer’s Tape – Gaff tape is a movie’s version of duct tape but it’s way more expensive and won’t leave a residue when removed from a surface – in theory.
11. In the Can – “In the can” just means that you’ve got the shot.  It originates from the old days where a physical roll of film was placed in a tin container (can) when the shot was finished.
12. Kill – Kill is a term the electric department uses for turning off or unplugging lighting or equipment.  Thus, “Kill the Blonde”
13. Kroger Lights – Kroger lights is slang for fluorescent lights, like the ones found in a supermarket or large retail space.
14. Lookie-loo – A lookie-loo is a gawking passerby who ruins shot by walking into the action.
15. Man-Maker – A man-maker is actually an apple box which is is a small wooden box, in varying heights, that can be used to raise an object.  It’s name “man-maker” comes from it’s use to “increase the height” of a male actor to appear taller than his female counter-part.
16. Pancake – A pancake is the smallest part of an apple box (actually a small square of plywood) that can be used on set to level furniture and make an actor 3/4″ taller.
17. Shoot – Shoot is just the act of recording a scene onto film, videotape or digital media.  Some people will also “filming” in place of “shoot”.
18. Sticks – Sticks is slang for a tripod, a stationary camera platform which holds the camera steady.
19. Strike – On a set strike means you’re removing something from the set, ie: “Strike the baby”.
20. Taco Cart – A taco cart is a 4 wheeled cart with various grip equipment to include lighting stands and apple boxes.

Now that you know our “secret speak”, you won’t worry the next time you hear we’re going out to “shoot” someone.  It’s just the language of a killer…video. QUESTION: Which is your favorite term?

• 1,500 exhibits,
• more than 800,000 square feet of exhibit space,
• with 85,000 professionals,
• representing $30 billion in purchasing power,
• from 157 countries.

All with one purpose, to explore the latest technologies and trends to help us focus on what we do best, Share Great Stories.

We’ll see the latest solutions that will expand our capabilities, provide cheaper solutions with more flexibility.  While that’s great news, the future of video production is not technology, it never has been.  The future of video production is found in 5 things.

Great Content

It always begins with a great story.  Story is the source from which everything else must flow.  Without this foundation, success is impossible.

Great Storytellers

To identify the “great content” requires a storyteller – someone who can carefully carve away everything that is not the story and in the process find, articulate and bring that story to life.

Proven Experience

What’s so great about experience?  Failure.  Experience means you’ve learned from your mistakes and don’t want to repeat them.  What do we say about inexperience?  ”They don’t know what they don’t know”.  On the flip side of that an experienced team can be more innovative because they have a greater wealth of knowledge from which to draw and that always works in the clients favor.

Purposeful Planning

It’s been said that all problems begin in pre-production. So while planning is not particularly glamourous, it is certainly necessary. Why? Because to succeed, you should always plan for the unexpected.

Process-Driven Approach

A process-driven approach goes hand-in-hand with planning. Why reinvent the wheel every time? Focusing on the process can help simplify and streamline the approach, which means more energies can be focused on the creative.

• complicated
• confusing
• stressful and
• based on fantasy, (because most creatives aren’t always concerned with schedule and budget)

We call that way of thinking Video 1.0.  You usually hear it expressed in phrases like:

• “We’ve got the latest piece of equipment.”
• “We’ve won awards.”
• “We’re very creative.”

Don’t get me wrong, each of those are well and good, but the reality is – each of those should be assumed.  Who walks into a showroom to buy a new car only to hear it has

• “pistons in the motor”
• “wheels that turn” and
• “shiny paint”?

No, you expect all of those when you buy a new car as you should expect technology, awards & creativity in video.

Enter, Comprehensive Media and Video 2.0

Our uniqueness is not a single ingredient, but a “Secret Recipe” that is expressed in these 5 qualities which mean our clients can experience…

• Confidence in a team with heart, discipline, focus
• Assurance in 20 + years of history
• Consistence of a process-driven approach
• Quality through the transparent use of technology
• Trust in the affirmation of an industry

What Makes Video 2.0 So Different?

First and foremost, it’s about the Story.  So in order to tell a story, you need a storyteller, but not just any storyteller, you need a Digital Storyteller.

Here’s a recent example of our Digital Storytelling.

Why Do We Do What We Do?

Simple.  We do what we do because it’s our calling, our reason for being, our purpose. Telling Stories is what we GET to do!

Do we LOVE it?  Take a behind-the-scenes look at how much we love it!

So the moral of the story is, don’t settle for Video 1.0.

Because the way you tell your story Really DOES Matter.  And we would be honored to tell yours!

QUESTION: What’s Your Favorite Story?