Content Marketing & Film Resource

Unleashing The Full Power of Facebook Live

Ian Barrett July 21, 2016 Production, Tips & Tricks, Video production, live stream, facebook live Leave a Comment

Here are the facts: Video performs well on Facebook and Live Video performs even better.

Most of the videos you see on Facebook Live are people sharing 5-20 minutes of an event.

Facebook Live is a great feature for sharing events with your friends the moment it happens. It lets you tap into the power of your curated social network and it makes viewing with a mobile device simple.

Now, if I were to cite a drawback it would be the limited quality of the shared audio and video. Cellphone video may not always be the best vehicle to share your brand.

We take a different approach. We've been using it to produce and share live multi-cam shows. In fact, we've had so much success with it, we started producing two live multi-cam shows at our studios.

You're may wonder how we can pull off a multi-cam switch with cellphones. The answer is that we don't. We use a Broadcast switcher and run optical connections to our cameras. We're running a television studio into FB live. This allows us to add some fun bling to our broadcasts: custom graphics, great audio and pre-packaged content.

What we love about it (and what you probably love, too) is the immediate sharing to a targeted audience through a social network.

This is the exact same set-up we use for Broadcast television, Livestream, Ustream, Justin.tv, etc. - but without the expense and hassle.

For many clients this type of sharing is groundbreaking and creates traction on a network that they have been cultivating for years.

The interface also allows for interaction via comments and reaction emojis with a slight, but manageable, delay.

Now, the technology itself is not new or particularly groundbreaking. But the power it gives to anyone with an account and a device is. Everyone now has the potential to be a broadcaster.

The secondary benefit is the ability to share the finished video in a variety of different ways. Research has shown that a 2/3 majority of the views happen after the live broadcast. Once a video publishes, Facebook Insights shows you where people joined and where they left. The insights also lets you see what parts of the broadcast they liked the most by noting the reaction emojis.

Our own recent experience with a radio broadcaster and our client was an out of the park success. The radio station loved it because it enhanced their broadcast AND gave them content to share after the broadcast was over. This meant that thousands of fans who weren't able to attend still got to see what they were missing.

The Daily Beast, CNN, and TMZ are just a few of the early adopters to Facebook Live video and they've seen great success.

This is the beginning of a big trend. We predict that as adoption increases, you'll see more high-end multi-cam productions on Facebook in the near future. And I'm sure it's making Google and YouTube a little nervous.

The way we look at it, if you are marketing person who wants to make something big happen for your company or your client, Facebook Live is a powerful option. And if you are looking to make a bigger impact than your competition, then looking into a multi-camera option is the right way to go.

Production Tips & Tricks Video production live stream facebook live

4 STEPS TO MAKING AN ANIMATED MUSIC VIDEO

Nick Clarke December 21, 2015 Animation, Strategy, Video, Tips & Tricks Leave a Comment

Johnny A.'s "Sleigh Ride"

Well it’s that time of year again, and Christmas is upon us once more!

Whenever the holiday season rolls around, I'm reminded of the year I created an animated music video.

In 2012 guitar virtuoso, Johnny A., asked MediaBoss to produce an animated music video for his rendition of “Sleigh Ride.” I was the animator on the project.

I was still a fresh face around MediaBoss and only had a few animations with them under my belt. It was my first long format animation and I was extremely excited to take a shot at animating the entire song.

In this post I'm going to share the 4 part process I used to create "Sleigh Ride" - and share the one part I’d change.

1) Reference & Research

The first step in the process is creating and finding reference footage. This allows you to see how the subjects you’re creating will look and move.

We took footage of Johnny A. playing the song in our studio so we knew the positioning of his hand and fingers on the neck of his guitar.

Throughout the song Johnny flies around the world - from city to city and country to country. I pulled reference photos of the different locations I wanted to show Johnny flying by.

2) Sketching

Before I create the characters digitally I sketch them out on paper. This lets me design the characters more freely and creatively than doing them straight to Photoshop or Illustrator.

I did this for Johnny’s character, Santa and Doug The Christmas Moose.

3) Digital Drawing

I took the sketches I’d created on paper and scanned them into my computer. Then, I brought those sketches into Illustrator to complete the line work. Once the line work was done, I brought them into Photoshop. Then I applied color, shading and texture.

When creating the backgrounds, I skipped the step of going into Illustrator. I drew the line work, color and shading all in Photoshop.

For this style of animation it’s important to separate the different body parts into individual layers. This way you can animate them independently.

4) Animation

The final, and most important step (duh,) is animating what I created. I set anchor points on all the individual body parts and parented them accordingly so his motion mimics that of a Real Life person.

It’s the, “Elbow’s connected to the… wrist bone” song. Or how I more commonly refer to it, "the paper puppet".

Remember when you were in Kindergarten and you made puppets? You cut out different parts of a body and stick pins through them so you can move them around on your paper person. Same principle.

Along with animating the characters, I placed a camera in the scene so I could go from a wide establishing shot to a close up of Johnny and Doug.

Finally, I composited clouds and snow and completed color grading and color correction. And there you have it - the animation is complete!

What I’d Change:

There are changes I’d make in all the animations I create. But, due to approaching deadlines and more projects coming in the door, you have to learn to let it go and let the project be finished.

If I could do it again (with more time), I would add more scenes on the ground. I'd love to show different people from all over the world celebrating Christmas with their own traditions. This would give the animation a great dynamic that would make it even more interesting and fun to watch.

But, due to the tight turnaround time of this animation these edits weren't able to make it to the final cut. But who knows, maybe we'll run into Johnny A. and Doug the Christmas Moose again soon!

CONCLUSION:

Like many parts of production, the process we use to produced animated video depends on the project. The step that doesn't change is the high quality end result we deliver to our clients.

Additional Resources:

Animation Strategy Video Tips & Tricks

When Is It Wrong to Use Stock Photos?

Erin Hayes December 10, 2015 Tips & Tricks, Photography Leave a Comment

We all use stock photos. We do. You do.

It’s fast
It’s easy
And you can find great ones for cheap or even free

Then why is it wrong to use stock photography?
Because:

It’s fast
It’s easy
And everyone can find great ones for cheap or even free

…and that’s what’s wrong; the best stock photos are also the most frequently used.

This means the ‘perfect’ stock photo on the banner of your web page is the same photo that your competition is using.

We recently solved this problem for a client, who hired us to capture still images of his colleagues collaborating in the office.

He had run into issues using stock photos in his last campaign and he didn’t want to have the same issues with the new one.

Retain the rights (don’t have to worry about seeing these photos in a competitors campaign!).

and that would:

Accurately reflect his company’s culture.

The fact is, stock photos of people wearing pressed, grey suits with perfectly coiffed hair may not be true to your brand’s personality.

Yes, paying a professional will cost more than downloading free stock photography from the Internet. However:

You’ll get more photos than any free bundle, in which case it becomes less expensive.
They’ll reflect your imaging and color palette
They’ll be original to your brand and use case.
You’ll can retain all the rights to them*.
You’ll have a say in how the images are captured.
You can use them however, and wherever you’d like.

Are we suggesting you should forgo the use of stock photography all together?
No, there are plenty of great use cases (holiday cards), and even we use stock photography!

However, we never use stock photos to represent our equipment, staff or company activities, especially for social media.

When you are in a pinch and need an image for your next blog or social media post, then stock photos can be a great way to go.

In the meantime, start planning to capture a corporate activity that might be an ideal opportunity to gather images and hire a pro to get you the material you need.

Set aside one day once a quarter or twice a year and schedule a photo shoot.
Ask your colleagues if they’d mind participating and get a signed photo release.
Create a ‘shot sheet’ with your visual needs.
Review some portfolios and then hire a professional photographer.

If you need help you can always find us here. Good luck and happy snapping!

Tips & Tricks Photography

3 Easy Ways to Transcribe Video

Erin Hayes December 08, 2015 Strategy, Video, Tips & Tricks Leave a Comment

Why should you transcribe video?

Before we discuss how, let me answer the why

You just spent all this time producing a video, can’t you just post it and move on the next project on your To Do list?

Well, technically, yes. You can.

But if your goal was finish a race, would you stop just short of the ribbon? Why not carry through all the way?

The bottom line is that transcribing your video opens your content up for a wider audience.

When you transcribe video you make your video viewable in noise sensitive environments. If a potential viewer is on a noise bus, they can now understand your video. If your viewer is in waiting room or at work, they can now understand your video.

Hearing impaired viewers can watch your video and get your message. Transcribing also helps English Language Learners follow along with your content (not to mention, now you can translate your video’s transcription!).

And, transcribing video helps your SEO.

Google crawlers index text. This is why your meta description, title and tags are all so important. But when you transcribe video, you open all of that content up for Google to index.

Amazing, right?

According to Cambridge-based transcription company, 3PlayMedia, their clients This American Life and Discovery Digital Networks saw a significant increase in views on captioned videos.

For example, TAL saw organic search results increase 6.68%. Their inbound links directly attributable to transcript pages increased 3.89%. [Download 3PlayMedia's white paper here for more in depth analysis]

Convinced transcribing is a good idea? Good. Here are three simple ways to get it done:

Do It Yourself

You could always do it yourself. All this involves is your time and your attention.

However, this is our least recommended route.

Transcribing is more time consuming than you may think. Especially if you are not accustomed to the process. It could take you ten times the length of the video for you to accurately transcribe it. If you have many videos to transcribe you could be looking at entire days taken up by this tedium.

Have YouTube Do It

YouTube has a transcribe option in their video editor. Using it as simple as using YouTube.

Now, word from the wise: YouTube is hardly accurate. You will need to scrub through these transcripts and make edits. It’s not quite as time consuming as doing it yourself, but it’s not as hands off as hiring someone else to do it.

Here are a few screen grabs from our experience transcribing our web series, Partners:

Where to Find YouTube Caption Tool

YouTube Gets Captions Wrong

How To Fix YouTube Captions

And that leads me to No. 3...

Hire Someone To Do It

Google “Transcribe Video” and you’ll get pages of results pointing you to different services that would be happy to have you hire them to transcribe you video for you.

This option is particularly great for off-the-cuff presentations, ensemble pieces or conference videos. Transcribing video can be time consuming and many of these services make it affordable to have it done by a third party.

We offer to transcribe the videos we produce for our clients as part of the package. We take pride in our videos and want to enable our customers to be as successful with their premium content as possible.

Curious about our production process?

Additional Resources:

Strategy Video Tips & Tricks

4 Common Misconceptions About Video Production

Erin Hayes December 03, 2015 Production, Tips & Tricks Leave a Comment

]Businesses small and large are creating and distributing video content more than ever.

Despite its popularity, the process involved in producing a successful video is often misunderstood.

Clients come to us feeling overwhelmed by the complexity of the process just as often as they come to us expecting it to be a snap.

In this post, we clear up four common misconceptions about video production we've come across in our years as video producers.

1. Just Press Record

There’s a lot of prep that needs to happen before a camera op presses record and answers, ‘speeding’ to a director.

Capturing a professional and effective video is not as simple as going for a take as soon as the subject walks on set.

The production crew will need to light the set. They'll make tailored adjustments to the lighting and camera angles once the subject is on their mark. And they'll need to test the audio to make sure it's perfect.

This takes "as long as it takes" to get right and make your video look and sound amazing.

It’s a good idea to figure in at least 20-30 minutes for setup depending on the complexity of the set/scene.

If you have actors that need makeup and hair, add another 30 minutes per person.

Once makeup is done, the lighting is perfect and the audio is pristine, the director will let the crew know it’s time to record.

2. Don't worry, we can fix it in Post.

Every once in a while we're asked to take someone else's footage and "fix it" for a client. There are tweaks that we can make, but ultimately, poorly executed video production cannot be fixed in post-production.

Yes, footage can be color corrected and low audio can get boosted (to an extent) during the editing process. But, if you didn’t light your video well, compose your shot right and didn’t test your microphones, the only step you can take is re-shooting your video.

Poor pre-production can’t be fixed in post either.

There isn’t a De-Awkward-izing Filter in post-production software. So, if your actors don’t know their lines or aren’t familiar with the script, post production won’t be able to fix that.

If your storyline or pitch is weak in pre-production, then the final product will be weak, too. Sure, editors can add quick cuts and a thrilling music track to pick up the pace of the video. But it won't fix the content.

Bottom line, preparation is everything. The weeks leading up to the shoot are just as critical as the production day.

Make sure your script is tight, your subjects rehearsed and you hire a professional production crew.

3. It Costs More Than It’s Worth

A good video does not cost more than its worth.

Video is considered to have the highest ROI our of any visual content by 51.9% of marketers, according to eMarketer.

And in terms of biggest bang for your buck, consider this: A one-minute video is worth 1.8 millions words.

Video Brewery made this comparison:

"...That’s the equivalent of 3,600 typical web pages. If you write an average of one web page an hour, it would take you 150 days of writing to achieve the impact of one minute of video."

What would it cost you to pay a marketing consultant to write one web page an hour for 150 days?

Well, if you hired a consultant at $50/hour to write for 8 hours every day for 150 days, it would cost you $60,000.

Sure, a one-minute video could cost you $60,000. But if that's outside your budget, there are plenty of excellent, less expensive options.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying cheaper is better, either. A bad video is never worth what you paid for it.

The key to making sure that your video is worth what it costs to produce is hiring the right video production partner.

We'll write more on that in another post.

4. It was shot today so we’ll get a finished product tomorrow.

In today’s Need-it-Now world of smartphone video uploaded directly to YouTube, it’s not surprising that this is a common misconception.

When it comes to professionally produced video, the timelines are longer. How much longer? It depends on the complexity of the project.

Once footage is shot it needs to get backed up and imported into a system.

There is no easy chart to definitively determine: "This amount of footage will take this long to back up and import."

Different file types take different lengths of time. Some import in real-time, some import faster. Some file types take exponentially longer to import.

Let’s say you shot an hour of footage with two cameras and an additional 30 minutes of b-roll (supporting background footage).

If we use the rule of averages, the backup/import process will take half a day.

Then an editor will want to go through the footage so he or she is acquainted with the project.

The time this takes depends on the editor and his or her process.

But a professional will want to take the time to make sure they’ve seen everything that was shot.

This way they can create the best possible final product.

Then, the editor will create a first version. This is their first pass at executing the producer’s vision for the video.

The producer and the editor will watch the first version together and the producer will let the editor know if he or she is on track.

Once the producer signs off on the first version the editor will go for a final version.

If the final is approved by the producer, then the editor will begin the finish edit.

In addition to editing the story together, the editor also color-corrects the footage, adds graphics and music, sweetens the audio, etc. All of this takes time to do...and time to render.

Editing is tedious. It isn’t a process you’d want to rush if you care about quality.

It’s possible to have a video turned around in a two or three days if you’ve paid for a rush fee. But generally speaking, you should expect anywhere from a week to a month turn-around.

Again, exact timing depends on the length and complexity of the video.

Video is an immensely powerful marketing tool if done right. Treat the production process with respect and you’ll be satisfied with your end result.

If you’d like to learn more about our production process, check out this resource.

And if you have questions about an upcoming project, we’d love to talk!

Production Tips & Tricks

In Post We Trust: Our Approach to Editing Video

Monica Duque December 01, 2015 Production, Video, Tips & Tricks Leave a Comment

Back in the day when I was producing weekly shows in Colombia, I remember putting all my faith in “Alvarito”, my editor.

This guy was a magician! Not only an efficient operator but an organized mind, capable of giving a nice finished touch to our projects. A guy who took our job seriously and always gave every edit his best.

At the time, I enjoyed the power of keeping things under control. It was a lot of responsibility but I loved it.

My agenda was always organized; is the driver on time? Is the gear checked? Is the crew ready? But even then there was always a risk of something going wrong.. Why? Ask Murphy. It’s the law of production.

Luckily, I had “Alvarito” to help me trough those tough moments. I’m not gonna lie, post-production was my lifesaver a few times.

A few years later I became an editor and as “Alvarito” I challenge myself with each project. I came to find editing very similar to puzzles. My job is getting the best pieces of raw footage and telling stories by putting these pieces together.

Video is the go-to visual content today for a large number of businesses – so editors, we have a lot in our shoulders!

Editing, like storytelling, is all about the small details which helps to design a product that will speak to your target audience. Full disclosure: I'm not one of those editors who takes the footage, logs and transcribes each shot into text. That takes forever and I find it limits my creativity.

Here is how I do what I do:

Take a deep breath and dive in.

Sometimes projects get confusing, especially if I wasn’t in the shoot. So, I take a deep breathe, set up my timeline and just get to work creating my wide cut.

At this point I don’t pay too much attention to shots, narration or sound bites. I just try to take my best shot at telling the story I want to tell.

Then, I watch it front to back; no matter how long it takes or how boring it sounds. This is the moment when I get the key pieces of my puzzle - when I establish the line I want to follow.
I mark all those moments I know I’ll need and everything starts to make sense. For sure my next cut will be more clear and tighter.

Focus on the design.

By the design I mean all those details that enhance my edit, like music, Color Correction, GFX, VO, FX and much more if needed.

Watch it again.

If the result gets me close to the goal, I put on my brave boots and call the director and/or producer for their approval. I’m glad to say that most of the time I just have to adjust a couple of shoots or frames, render and goodbye! - getting OFFLINE before 5 pm.

Being able to customize elements makes me valuable as an editor and having freedom to shape stories makes my job exciting. Yes, some projects ask to be treated by the script, but b-roll and design elements allow for plenty of creative freedom.

Here are some tips that help me on my day to day job:

Take some time from the edit.

After spending so much time in the same edit, it’s easy to become desensitized to the material. So it’s important to step away. Taking a break from an edit and returning with fresh eyes can help you to do a better job.

Avoid one camera angle.

If your material includes multiple cameras angles, take advantage of it and make sure you switch among them. That makes your product more dynamic and interesting.

Once your audience gets the idea of space, you can avoid wide shots and jump into medium and close ups. It’s engaging to watch body language and facial expressions.

Remember, you are taking your audience on a journey with your video. Make sure you are using the best shots to achieve your goal and reach the viewer's expectations. Don’t forget, what you may have is less than 30 seconds to grab people’s attention So get them as quickly as you can!.

Never stop learning.

As editors we need to stay fluid and learn new tools. Make sure you can create an experience for the viewer. Motion graphics, voice over, animation, color correction, matched footage from different sources – these will help you create a dynamic product. You have a lot to do more than just edit.

Become a storyteller.

Also, knowing what works for your edits is more important than operating the software. Your goal is to create video that people will enjoy watching. Storytelling is definitely more important.

Respect the job.

Behind every video there is more than a tired editor. There is a supporting team.

If you are not an expert, hire one. I respect this job, and editing is not just cutting and pasting. It takes years to get good at it and that’s why hiring a professional makes sense. You get the best product this way.

If you're looking for inspiration on what content you should include in your video marketing strategy, download our Guide to the 7 Must-Have Videos:

Additional Resources:

Production Video Tips & Tricks

Making the Pilot: A No Nonsense Guide to Pilot Production

Ian Barrett October 27, 2015 Creativity, Production, Tips & Tricks Leave a Comment

Pilot production is tough.

There’s a lot riding on the pilot. This single episode needs to present all the unique characteristics of your production and sell sponsors or networks on your idea.

If you are talking to networks, they generally fund the pilot. You would have already attached a director and talent to the production and the network would generally set you up in one of their studios to create the pilot.

To be clear, this blog isn’t about that.

It’s about you.

You don’t have a network budget, but you do have a great idea and some money. And you really believe your show idea can go somewhere.

It’s time to put that script and that budget on the line and get it made. But where do you start?

First, let’s dig a little deeper.

Many show pilots go on to become the first episode in a series. ‘Great!’, you think. ‘One out of the way.’

Well, yes and no. Because of this, there’s quite a bit of pressure to immediately engage and capture an audience.

Now, Netflix released some interesting data this fall that shows the pilot is rarely the episode that hooks a viewer. In fact, according to their data, that magical episode is usually between episode 2 and 8!

However, that doesn’t mean that the pilot can be phoned in. A 22 episode story arc won’t mean anything if the pilot falls flat on its face. Because chances are, you won’t be given the chance to either:

a) produce the remaining 21 episodes or

b) air the remaining 21 episodes.

Another obstacle is that your pilot really needs to look as much like a typical episode as possible.

That means it’s necessary to work as hard as you can to nail talent, locations, costumes, props, lighting and camera all at the same time.

What’s changed about the business is that web series have become the new concept development hot bed.

This means you can make a successful web series and get the attention of anyone from Producers to Network Execs to the actual Agents who are looking for vehicles for their clients.

That’s how “Broad City” came to the attention of Amy Poehler. She stepped in as Executive Producer and got them their deal.

1. When do I know I need to make a Pilot?

When people approach us about producing their show pilot, it’s usually because people have expressed interest in their show idea.

Whether it’s an unscripted or scripted program, they need a pilot to fully pitch a network or sponsor and get the series funded.

Thanks to the rise of online video series, we’ve seen a spike in interest in pilot production in recent years. This is largely due to the fact that the number of outlets has gone from a few to hundreds.

And there is an entire business for branded web series (sponsored original content) outside of any network or distributor.

2. How much does it cost?

That’s always the first or second question people ask us, and we respond the same way every time:

How much does a car cost?

How much does a watch cost?

How much does a stroller cost? (new dad, here.)

It’s absolutely relative. But the important factors are the scale of the production: i.e. the number of days of shooting, locations, props, costumes etc.

What’s important is that your pilot looks like you are invested (read: you spent a lot of money).
Good production is absolutely the key component to making the people who watch your pilot go, “Wow” instead of “Ummm, we’re not interested.”

On our end we do everything on a fixed budget. This means you pay us and you get a guaranteed broadcast quality pilot that you can show to networks and sponsors alike, with no post-production surprises.

In addition, every element of the production will meet broadcast standards. This is critical, because in many scenarios your pilot becomes the first episode of the series.

You don’t want to do this twice. And in most cases, you won’t get that second chance, anyway.

3. What’s involved?

Well, MediaBoss is a production company that produces unscripted and scripted television shows. We have created hundreds of hours of television and we bring that experience to the client. Our pilots are award-winning and have resulted in broadcast programs.

That’s important because making a pilot is a lot harder than shooting an episode that is part of an established series.

Everything is brand new in a pilot: the music, the graphics, the shooting schedule, the actors and crew and their relationship with the director.

It’s really difficult to make it look like this is Episode 100 and not Episode One, or the first time everyone has worked together.

But that’s the job we love and it’s where our experience pays off.

First, you bring in your script and meet the team. The team includes the producer, director, production manager and staff writer.

After a reading we do a script breakdown and figure out what needs to be done to make it happen. That’s where our budget comes from.

5. When does the shoot happen?

The first shoot happens after the budget is agreed on, a production agreement is signed, and a deposit is delivered.

The production agreement will outline the shooting, editing and delivery schedule.

But first, we get into the pre-production stage. Casting, locations, makeup, props, legal clearances are just a few examples of things that need to be locked up before you can start shooting.

Then there’s the conversation with the MediaBoss production team about your show’s “look”.

How will it be lit, shot and edited. The color palette, acting style, production style, etc.

The whole team needs to be on the same page with all of these elements. In the end, that’s what the director is responsible for on set.

So when that’s lined up it’s time to shoot.

6. What’s the shooting like?

It’s hell on wheels. I think the fantasy of the ‘set life’ and the reality are pretty far apart.

Filmmaking is blue-collar work. Period.

You have a job to do and it has to be done to these specs. And it has to be good.

I’ve meet a lot of well-dressed directors on set and I have to say that on a managed budget production, you better see some sweat and a team of people hustling otherwise your not going to make your shot list for the day!

When you are shooting on a tight schedule with a lot of set-ups, you don’t have time to screw around.

You can’t afford one part of the production to hold any of the other parts up.

So, no you can’t take all day to light that cutaway. It needs to be lit and shot in 15 minutes. And you need to move onto the next thing and the whole crew has to be in synch with that.

Sets can go from chaos to ‘We are shooting this now, action!’ in a couple of minutes. It’s so important to have a good experienced crew, because they all know what’s needed and they do it.

The director also needs to get the best out of the actors and that rapport can’t take all day to develop. He also needs to know when to take an alternate shot or move on even thought something isn’t perfect, because time is the enemy and when you run out of that, there is no more production.

That’s not to say that the mood on set needs to be tense.

In fact, it should be the opposite and everyone should feel like they are on the same team working a very long series of days to an amazing goal.

A good director can make that happen, too. If you hear yelling on set, it’s not a good thing.

The best crews just know what to do instinctively.

7. What’s next?

Next is the post-production phase. This where all those pieces are edited together to create a program.

It’s important to remember that post-production is actually the bigger part of your budget.

There are no ‘simple’ edits. Everything needs to be done to the highest standard, from audio to color correction and effects to graphics.

It’s about a 5:1 ratio. Five days of post for every day of shooting. That’s not a fixed number. There are a lot of companies that can spend a month on a :30 second spot. But that’s not the world of pilot production.

Generally people want to start sharing a pilot as quickly as possible.

8. And then what?

And then it’s done!

Now you take meetings, put it online, share it in festivals and try to get the series made.

We are happy that all of our pilot work has been so well received, regardless of budget. When people see a MediaBoss produced pilot the reaction is always, “That looks great!” We never want to hear that someone lost a gig to a poorly produced pilot. And trust me, we have met more than a few people who blew a budget on a pilot that they couldn’t even share with anybody when it was finished. This extends to the network level.

9. How do you prevent that?

Do your research. Find a good team. Manage your budget and be ready to show it to everyone you can.

Ask questions:
Are they insured?
How many things have they done?
What kind of cameras will they be using?
Audio?
What do they use for post-production?
Do they rent or own?
Do they have a studio?

Ask to see a reel of their work.

We have over 400 television shows and nearing a thousand videos under our belt. We pride ourselves on producing award-winning products for our clients. We are fun to work with and we get the job done, on budget.

We’re really proud of what we do and we are dedicated to making each product better than the last.

Check out MediaBoss’ pilot for the show “Partners”.

Creativity Production Tips & Tricks

3 Rules for Workprov: How to Incorporate Improv In the Workplace

EricaLeBlanc August 27, 2015 Tips & Tricks Leave a Comment

[Spoiler Alert: Workprov is Never Defined]

Q: What is a location that will fit on this post?
A: My office!

Great we’ll take the suggestion of office to start this blog.

I am an employee of Boston's Improv Asylum and during my (nontenured) time there, I have seen my fair share of businesses holding company outings to enjoy the funny people of the stage.

From the company’s standpoint, it is a great way to bond with coworkers and have something to talk about by the water cooler on Monday. As an employee, one just sees a large group of adults lost in the freedom of an open bar.

A company outing to a local improv theatre should be used as an opportunity to observe skills that can be translated into any and every situation one could encounter in the workplace…and to watch the funny people be funny.

[tweet_box design="default"]Here are three staples of improv that you should attach your company to at work.[/tweet_box]

1. The "Most Basic of Basics Rule": Yes, And

It’s a book title and Improv master, Tina Fey, swears by it.

It is the rule of Yes, and. This is the concept of not only accepting what someone is saying, but also adding to it.

It’s safe to say that progress comes to a halt when forward steps in a process are negated. It becomes difficult to work past an absolute “no.”

In Improv, if an actor establishes that the scene is in a dog park and another actor says, “No, this isn’t a dog park, we’re sky diving,” it essentially plows the scene into the ground (I’m on a roll folks).

Let’s apply it to the business world:

When brainstorming ideas for a new campaign, how much does it suck when someone shuts down your contribution, “No, that will never work,", "Please leave, you were never asked to join this meeting,", "You're not an employee here.”

A terrible experience, right?

It is much more proactive to accept the idea and build upon it, “Yes, a dog theme is a viable option and this is how we can apply it.” This allows minds to flow freely in a creative way without the fear of being shut down.

2. The “Two of the 5 Senses” Rule: Listen

Yes, the other senses, like taste, are important in Improv and work. But whether it’s performing, brainstorming, or interacting with a 3 year old, it is important to hear an offer in order to build on it.

“Hey, that’s only one sense, I feel cheated!” I’m honored you feel that way, but calm yourself.

In this case, hearing links to seeing. Much like you learned in Communication 101, nonverbal interaction can provide greater meaning to verbal interaction. If an actor says, “Your dog is definitely alive,” while violently shaking their head and another actor, who was not fully listening, jumps into the scene playing with that dog, then the magic of make-believe is kind of destroyed.

Not listening properly at work can lead to lost ideas, tension, and awkwardly still showing up at 9AM every day even though you were fired a week ago.

3. The “Intention of Belts (ATTN: Millennials)” Rule: Provide Support

One of the comforts of improv comedy - in comparison to stand up comedy - is your team. When you get stuck in a scene (unable to think of another line, the audience isn’t laughing, or the peak of the scene has been hit) your team will literally sweep you out of it.

They’re also there to support your choices.

If you walk on stage and say, “Dr. Steve, I’m sorry you lost that patient today, ” you can count on your scene partner to “yes, and” you with a response such as: “I’m just sorry I got the same sketch artist as Tom Brady to do the rendering” (Get it, cause the patient was lost…like a dog. It took me a significant amount of time to write that, to the point I’m not sure it’s relevant anymore).

The ability to depend on a supportive team is invaluable in the workplace. You can trust they will build on your ideas, back decisions you’ve made or, help you make them. They will also support you trash-talking that one guy who always happens to be leaving the kitchen with a look of both shame and pleasure when someone’s lunch goes missing.

Ta Da!
Now you are partially equipped to become a stronger employee and coworker! If this doesn’t work, have a fellow coworker read it as well and perform some two person scenes at the next company-wide meeting. Oh, and Periscope it so we can watch!

Workprov - A word I think I made up: The concept of combining aspects of improv into the workplace.
I'm fully aware this addition makes the headline a lie. #NoRagrets

DISCLAIMER: No dogs were harmed in the making of this post.

Tips & Tricks

The Ultimate Guide to Producing an Animated Video

Erin Hayes July 23, 2015 Marketing, Video Marketing, Production, Tips & Tricks Leave a Comment

Animated video is a powerful communication tool. Humans have communicated by using pictures since the beginning of time.

Our ancient relatives drew Pictograms and Ideograms to convey their messages. And our love of visuals has not waned over the course of millennia.

Visual content is the key ingredient to make the marketers' coveted unicorn - online engagement. Posts with videos attract 3 times more inbound links than plain text posts. And videos increase people’s understanding of your product or service by 74%.

This is because people process visuals 60,000 times faster than they can read.

We're contacted about animated videos for two reasons:

1. Clients are looking for a highly shareable video. Most of us grew up watching animation and learning from animation. The threshold to inspire a potential viewer to click on an animated video is low.

2. They have a complicated product or service they'd like to explain. Animation lends itself well to explainer videos because it can make the complicated sound simple. And that is appealing.

'All right', you say. 'Sign me up. But how do I go about producing such an incredible communication tool?', you ask.

This is where our Ultimate Guide to Producing an Animated Video will help.

1. Know Your Goal

We love animation. Most people do. But chances are, you aren’t producing an animated video just for entertainment. Defining the goal for your video before you write the script is essential.

How do you define a goal? Easy. What action are you trying to inspire your viewers to take?

Sign up for a webinar?

Join an email mailing list?

Dive deeper into your website?

Sign up for a demo/free trial?

Share the video with their networks?

Choose just one goal. Define that one goal and list the ancillary goals under it.

2. Know Your Tone

Do you have a style guide? If you do, then it will outline the tone your animated video should take.

If you don’t have a style guide, then now is a great time to think about tone. How should your company handle communicating your message?

Should the tone be straightforward without nuance?

Should the tone be playfully smart?

Should the tone be academic?

Should the tone be colloquial and contemporary?

Trust us. Taking time to decide on tone before you start writing the script is a good idea. Knowing the tone will make writing the script easier. It will keep feedback cycles manageable. And it will help you communicate your vision to the production company you hire.

3. Know the Feedback Hierarchy.

Speaking of feedback, knowing who's involved in the approval process is a must.

Before you get into production, find out who needs to sign off on each stage. This may seem like a mundane task and one that can be pushed until the process begins. But trust us, it isn't.

We've seen it happen before. A client gets the approved script to us and they sign off on the storyboard. We deliver the final animation and suddenly there are changes to the voice over and/or the graphics. Not only does this delay the final product, it costs more money.

Clarifying exactly who needs to approve assets before you begin will limit surprises down the line.

4. Create A Through-line

Now that you know the video’s goal, its tone and the approval process, it's time to think about the storytelling.

A through-line is the structure on which your script's story hangs. Typically, this is a character’s journey. But you don't need to personify your character.

Your character may be your product's buying cycle or your service’s benefits. And that brings us to number 5.

5. Use Metaphor

Does your product create a speedway from A-Z for your customers? Then think about a driving metaphor to help tell your story. Does it give your clients a detailed view into their billing? Then maybe a scientist with a microscope could work. There are no wrong ideas.

The bottom line is this: If you have fun writing the story, your audience will have fun watching the story.

6. Keep It Short and Simple

Did you know that 20% of viewers will click away from a video in 10 seconds or fewer? That percentage only increases with time. According to Visible Measures, 45% of viewers will stop watching after 1 minute of video and 60% drop off by the 2 minute mark.

Animated video should be between :30 and 2:00. This means your script should be no longer than a single page, or about 300 words. Worried you can't hit all your key points in 300 words? Don't be. You got this.

And you know what? If you don't, then the production company you hire can help. We're happy to work with our clients during the scripting process.

7. Understand the Process

Animated video is a little more involved than live-action video. There are many moving parts (har, har).

Understanding the process will help you manage expectations across the board. Your team will feel more at ease and your production company will too.

The timeline to delivery depends on the complexity of the animation but the process is generally the same. Here's a breakdown of what to expect.

Step 1: Creative meeting with the production company

This is a good time to discuss goals, tone and any creative concepts you have for a through-line. It's also the time to talk about look and feel.

Step 2: Provide approved script:

Nothing can move forward without a script. If the production company is writing the script, build in at least two weeks to your production schedule. This time allows for iterations and your feedback cycles.

Step 3: Storyboard

Once you approve the script the production company will create a storyboard. The storyboard will show you how the visuals will tell the story. These are either simple sketched drawings or clip art, depending on the company’s preference. We prefer to sketch our storyboards.

Step 3: Voice Over

Once the storyboard is approved, the script will get sent to a Voice Over artist. This step generally happens after the storyboard’s approval. The visuals will help the production company give acting cues to the actor.

Step 4: Animation

Once the approved, final voice over is in-house the animators will begin animating. Animations are created to the specific timing of the VO. Any changes to the VO will change the animation. Changes to the VO and the animation will add to both production time and to production cost.

Step 5: Music and Sound FX.

Once the animation is finished the animator edits in sound effects for texture. This could be footsteps, wind, office background noise, etc. Then the video is scored with a music track.

Step 6: Delivery

The video is then encoded and exported. Depending on the complexity of the animation this could take 10 minutes or an entire day. Once it's exported, the animated video is delivered to you! Barring any mistakes on the production company's end, this version is the final version. Any extra changes after the final is delivered will need a new invoice. This is why it was so important for you to know your feedback hierarchy!

We hope you found this guide helpful! If you'd like to talk to us about an animation project we'd be happy to connect. Contact us here.

Marketing Video Marketing Production Tips & Tricks

4 Invaluable Tools Every Video Marketer Should Use

Erin Hayes July 09, 2015 Video Marketing, Tips & Tricks Leave a Comment

Creation is 20% of the video marketer's strategy. The final 80% involves publishing and optimizing. Here are four tools we find invaluable in our video marketing approach.

Creation is 20% of the video marketer's strategy. Publishing & optimizing are the final 80%.

Analytics

Every platform out there has some form of free analytics. Make checking them regularly part of your marketing strategy.

Evaluating analytics will help you understand whether your message resonates with your target audience.

Google Analytics is an easy place to start. Take a look at the page where your video lives. How long do your visitors spend on this page? What's the bounce rate? Where are they coming from? Keep track of this data and tweak your content according to your findings.

Host on YouTube? Take a look at your analytics there. The first three charts it shows are Performance (total views), Estimated Minutes Watched and Average View Duration. If you have a two minute video but the average view duration is 10 seconds, then you know you've missed your mark.

Vimeo shows you similar statistics. It includes whether the play was an embedded one or a direct one.

For more in-depth analytics, check out Brainshark or Wistia. These platforms give you the flexibility to see how viewers interact with your video. You'll be able to see the common drop-off points in your video and the places your viewers click back to re-watch.

Buffer

If a tree falls in a forest but no one is there to hear it, it still falls. If a video publishes in a vacuum and no one is there to watch it, well. It doesn't do anyone any good.

Promoting your content is part of that 80% we mentioned at the beginning of this post.

There are many great scheduling tools out there. But at MediaBoss we prefer Buffer. We manage many different accounts for ourselves and for our clients. Buffer is the best bang for our buck.

Create custom schedules for each social account and fill them up with awesome content. Keep track of the content that resonated with their easy-to-understand analytics. Adding content is simple with their free browser bookmarklet and smartphone app.

Evernote

MediaBoss's work flow would be tedious without Evernote.
Our team uses Evernote to keep track of everything. We have notebooks for on-going marketing efforts, production processes, inspiration, active projects and more.

This helps us organize creative and practical process without bogging our teammates down with emails.

Our Active Projects notebook is our universal notebook. This is where you'll find our many To-Do lists. We love Evernote's 'check' function. You can see it in the photo below. Everyone can look at the list and check off tasks as they complete them.

The work chat function is pretty neat too. This lets us send short messages to team members or share links to notes.
Here's a recent To-Do note we created to guarantee our process for our latest video blog on Live Stream Production:

Notebook

Yes, as in a notebook with a paper pages. Anyone in the creative field should have one by their side at all times.

It's tough to stay focused when you have the whole world at your finger-tips. The pull to check your email or re-read your latest traffic report can be too great.

There are plenty of apps and plugins to help you stay off the internet when working from a computer. But nothing beats not having the option. When you sit down to brainstorm, alone or in a team, you should be distraction-free. Paper notebooks help this process.

We give each new employee and intern a moleskine notebook when they join our team. It's our expectation that they will fill that notebook and need a new one in a month or so.

You need to catch and jot down your amazing ideas as they come!

Don't hesitate to contact us if you'd like help planning your video marketing strategy. And if you're looking for inspiration for a starting point, download our Guide to 7 Must-Have Videos.

Video Marketing Tips & Tricks

Tips & Tricks

Johnny A.'s "Sleigh Ride"

Pilot production is tough.

[Spoiler Alert: Workprov is Never Defined]

Johnny A.'s "Sleigh Ride"

1) Reference & Research

2) Sketching

3) Digital Drawing

4) Animation

What I’d Change:

Do It Yourself

Have YouTube Do It

Hire Someone To Do It

1. Just Press Record

2. Don't worry, we can fix it in Post.

3. It Costs More Than It’s Worth

4. It was shot today so we’ll get a finished product tomorrow.

Here is how I do what I do:

Take a deep breath and dive in.

Focus on the design.

Watch it again.

Here are some tips that help me on my day to day job:

Take some time from the edit.

Avoid one camera angle.

Never stop learning.

Become a storyteller.

Respect the job.

Pilot production is tough.

[Spoiler Alert: Workprov is Never Defined]

1. The "Most Basic of Basics Rule": Yes, And

2. The “Two of the 5 Senses” Rule: Listen

3. The “Intention of Belts (ATTN: Millennials)” Rule: Provide Support

Workprov - A word I think I made up: The concept of combining aspects of improv into the workplace. I'm fully aware this addition makes the headline a lie. #NoRagrets

DISCLAIMER: No dogs were harmed in the making of this post.

1. Know Your Goal

2. Know Your Tone

3. Know the Feedback Hierarchy.

4. Create A Through-line

5. Use Metaphor

6. Keep It Short and Simple

7. Understand the Process

Step 1: Creative meeting with the production company

Step 2: Provide approved script:

Step 3: Storyboard

Step 3: Voice Over

Step 4: Animation

Step 5: Music and Sound FX.

Step 6: Delivery

Analytics

Buffer

Evernote

Notebook

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Workprov - A word I think I made up: The concept of combining aspects of improv into the workplace.
I'm fully aware this addition makes the headline a lie. #NoRagrets