Buzzing ERA Crowd at Stingaree in San Diego

(Reposted from Electronic Retailing Magazine Blog)

It’s not a far stretch to say that everyone that attended the ERA Networking Reception in San Diego on Monday, October 19, had a FABULOUS time. With 200+ direct response pros in attendance on the rooftop of Stingaree, the vibe and overall buzz of the evening was upbeat and optimistic. The drinks were flowing, the atmosphere was perfect and the conversations were flowing! Many people said they were making more connections during the two hour reception than they had made all day on the conference in town!

Having Andi Barness and Ben Freedman from PrimeImage Media at the reception also created a lot of buzz – they managed to get more than a dozen interviews with attendees asking why they were planning on coming to The Great Ideas Summit 2010 in New Orleans. Check out the video they produced below and the pictures that Kim Lewis with ERA snapped. www.ERAGreatIdeas.org



For all of you that attended – we hope it was a worthwhile and successful networking event for you!

Photoshopping Real Estate Pictures for Fun and Profit

We've all seen the recent kerfuffle over Ralph Lauren's photoshopped model photos (in case you haven't, they're here), but there are definitely times when a little photoshopping is in order.

Take, for example, a recent aerial shoot we did of a gorgeous home here in Paradise Valley, Arizona. This is really a stunning estate, but due to the time of year and absence of the owners, the lawn was less than perfect. You could actually pay a lot more to get a far better photoshop result, but these images, while far from perfect, do a pretty good job of conveying the look of 'grass', and we were able to turn the project around in a single day, without breaking the bank.

Here's a few examples, with the 'before' following the 'afters'. Let me know what you think...

Again, our goal is to produce something that conveys the right emotion on a tight timeframe, even if it can't stand up to the closest photographic scrutiny. If you have a project that you'd like to photograph, but might need a little sprucing up after the fact, drop us a line at 480.240.9270.

Traveling with your studio... It's all in the bag.

One of the most common questions I receive is how I manage to schlep an entire studio-worth of production gear around the country and stay sane... My answer: It's all in the bag. The right kind of baggage can really help make traveling with production equipment manageable. Here's what I bring:

This is my only check-in bag. It's an Eddie Bauer rolling duffle -- the largest they make. It's so large, in fact, that I almost never fill up the top section, which is where my clothes go. You'll notice there is a separate bottom compartment, though, which is where the utility lies. Inside, wrapped in a thick production blanket are my two tripods.. One is for my video camera, and one for stills (I've yet to find a tripod that is light enough for my dSLR, but rock solid enough for my video camera, and could do double duty). The two tripods make up most of the weight of this bag, which, when added to my clothes and toiletries and such, comes to around 45lb, just under the 50lb check-in limit on most airlines.

This is the jewel of my luggage system... The Think Tank Airline Roller, which I carry on with me whenever possible (I have to gate-check it on small aircraft). Let's take a look inside...

Here we have everything a portable studio kit could need. From top-left, there's an on-camera LED light (made by Zylight), my dSLR lens, Sony EX-1 XDCAM camera, rain cover, charger, Sennheiser Evolution wireless microphones, cleaning supplies and batteries, and finally my Nikon D300 SLR camera. The lid flap has room for cards, flyers, etc...

Finally, there's my backpack of choice, which is currently the Skooba Designs Check-Through bag. This bag is cool in that it's TSA approved so you don't have to take your laptop out at the airport. Saves a few precious moments...

Inside is my MacBook Editing studio, a portable HD, Sprint AirCard, iPhone, and a few other essentials. This is the bag that stays with me under the seat so I can edit on my flight home...

This combination has served me well for a couple of years now, but I'm always looking to find news ways to pack light and still carry everything I need. If you have any suggestions, drop me a line at ben@PrimeImageMedia.com

Innovating on the road... The story of the Amazon Kindle DX

One of the things we pride ourselves on at PrimeImage Media, is thinking outside the box. So often, videographers are taught that there's one way to do something, and that becomes a dogmatic stance that prevents them from seeing other solutions that might otherwise present themselves.

Case in point, our recent trip to Asheville, North Carolina to shoot a 315 acre estate. I took along professional presenter Andi Barness (www.andibarness.com) as the host. Normally when I work with Andi, we have a teleprompter for her, but working in a vast, outdoor windy location made setting up a teleprompter impractical. In other, similar situations, we've just taped paper to the bottom of the camera's lens, but this has its own problems, as the paper gets blown around in even the slightest breeze, and it requires printing before hand (not good for on-the-spot changes).

As it happens, I have an Amazon Kindle DX e-book reader which we recently reviewed on our tech-podcast, Neo-Fight.tv (www.neo-fight.tv). It struck me that it might make a good in-the-field teleprompter... so why not 'think outside the box' and give it a try!

So here's where our scripting process starts... on the plane with my laptop, where Andi and I review the details from our client, and proceed to craft the script. Not all of it will be on-camera (which would require a full-blown teleprompter). Rather, the snippets of on-camera that Andi does will be teleprompted, and the rest will be read as voice-over, and then we'll shoot "B-Roll" to cover her dialog.

This is usually our next stop... :-)

Here we are on-site. You can see the Amazon Kindle mounted on top of the XDCAM camera we're using. I used an old iPod windshield-suction mount screwed to a cannibalized flash shoe to attach the kindle to the camera. Let's take a closer look...

Here you can see the Kindle hanging above the lens. While most teleprompters use a mirror to sit right in front of the camera lens, we didn't have that option, so we mounted it directly above. As long as the talent is more than 10 or so feet from the camera, it's hard to tell they're looking slightly up from the lens.

Here's Andi reading from the Kindle. The great thing was that we could easily make changes to the script right on site on our laptop, and upload them wirelessly to the Kindle. That sure sped things up. No printer required.

Finally, here's Andi reading her voice-over from the Kindle back at the hotel. Once again, nothing to print, and easy to make changes. Of course, she could just as easily have read from the laptop, but really, how cool would that have been?

Got an innovative video product that comes from out-of-the-box thinking? Drop me a line at ben@PrimeImageMedia.com

Not your normal training video...

I love to shoot training videos, because I often feel like I can learn something at the same time. Most of the training videos we shoot, however, involve fairly 'grounded' topics like how to use a home inspection web service, or how to take advantage of real estate short sales. Not this week, however. 'Grounded' was probably the last word I'd use to describe our latest client...

RotorSense Helicopter Services is a firm dedicated to training helicopter pilots in the finer skills of pilotage. Unlike fixed-wing aircraft, for which there is already a large library of training materials, the selection of quality video training products for helicopters is relatively sparse. RotorSense is embarking on a journey to produce a library of titles on a wide range of helicopter training subjects.

The man flying this bird is Ken Klarfeld, the instructor/pilot behind RotorSense, and that beautiful hilly landscape is his hometown of Eugene, Oregon. We pick a gorgeous 95 degree day to shoot the promo for his first video.

The first title RotorSense will be producing is dedicated to helping pilots avoiding 'Wire-strikes', a nasty condition where low-flying helicopters unknowingly fly into power-lines or telephone wires, especially while on approach for an off-airport landing. So we spent most of the day finding cool places to land that aren't airports.

There's something wonderful about landing on a tiny river rock island in the middle of stream (notice the wires in the background), in a Robinson R44 with the doors off. It's like the Jeep Wrangler of helicopters.

Ken is great on camera, and provides an entertaining and informative dialog that will help any pilot fly more safely and feel more confident about their off-airport landings. The RotorSense website is still under construction as I write this, but check back in a few weeks at www.RotorSense.com to catch a preview of the video we shot today.

Ben Freedman
www.PrimeImageMedia.com

Why capture an event on video? Three compelling reasons...

To some, it seems obvious: You're producing an event, you should produce a video of the event. Some folk love having a record of the event for posterity, reference, or just to 'have on hand' down the road. For those 'crazy' folks among us who have to actual 'reasons' to spend the time and money to videotape the proceedings, here are the three most common reasons we get when we ask our clients why they hired us...

Reason #1 - To promote a future event.


Events are often yearly, quarterly, monthly, or cyclical in some nature, and the forward-thinking promoter is always looking to the next event to increase attendance and sponsorship. One great tool to have when promoting an event is 'look at how great the last event was'. Yes, you can show attendance numbers, comment cards, and the like, but nothing shows off the form and function of an event like a video, which of course, has been tactfully crafted to highlight the best moments from said event. Talk to the exhibitors, talk to the attendees, talk to the sponsors, show off the sessions, and then distill that down to a slick, quick, 2-4 minute promotional piece. It's a great way to attract more attention next time from both repeat clients and new business.

Reason #2 - Generate revenue from the video.


If you're capturing snippets from an event to use for a promotional piece, it might also make sense to capture the full content of some of the featured speakers or panels. These can then be edited to include their PowerPoint (or other visual media), and formatted for Internet or DVD delivery. The finished product is worth a lot to people who either missed the event, weren't able to attend, or would like to review the material at a later date. We've had clients who charged $299 to attend an event, or $399 with a DVD package that included all the keynote addresses on video. While not everyone paid for the more expensive package, enough did to more than cover the costs of the production and thereby increased the total revenue for the show promoter. The video can also be sold after the fact on DVD, or Internet download, from an e-commerce website. Offering a $29.95 video package after the event to people who couldn't attend can be a very lucrative product, and will get your message out to a second, previously unadressed audience.

Reason #3 - Generate leads and prospects.


While many events are educational in nature, they can also be used to generate leads and prospects for your sales staff, even when the event is long past. An event video can easily be turned into an 'online webinar' on your website that is placed behind a registration page. The video is free to watch, but to access it, a prospect must 'register' by providing their name, email, phone, and other demographic information. While many visitors to your website may not feel comfortable just offering up their email address for nothing, the educational value of a webinar video is perceived as more than a fair trade for this coveted contact information, and with separate links to different videos, you can even divine exactly what a given prospect is interested in when they sign up.

Of course, there are more reasons than just these, but the great thing about video is that with just one up-front investment to capture the event, there are many ways to repurpose the content to suit your current needs now, and in the future. Content is a wonderful thing in that you only pay for it once, but it works for you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, in a diverse and broad range of possible venues.

PrimeImage Media can help you plan, capture, edit, and distribute your event video, and help with the creation of webinar pages and registration forms for your website. We'd love to help you get the most out of your future events. Drop us a line at 480.240.9270, or visit us at www.PrimeImageMedia.com.

Is getting professional photography for your listing really worth it?

That's probably one of the hardest questions to answer because what constitutes 'good' photography can be different amongst various observers. Back in the 80s, Apple came out with with the first easy-to-use desktop publishing system. The next day, everyone decided they were going to forgo expensive designers and produce their own business cards.

Of course, owning a copy of "PageMaker" didn't make you designer, and just because high-quality digital cameras can now be had for under $500, it doesn't make you a photographer.

The other side of the argument is that, for many people, digital 'snapshots' may be good enough, and are actually far higher quality than what may have been available even professionally 10 or 20 years ago. So, is it worth spending the money on photos that are marginally better than what you could take yourself?

Our answer is 'no'. It's not worth spending money on professional photos unless they are noticeably, significantly better than the photos you could get on your own... and to us, better means not that they are more pleasing to the eye or that they are artistically composed, but rather that they will attract more attention and generate more calls to you, the agent who hired us.

The photos in this post are all from a recent shoot for JP King Auctions of a condo complex located in Austin, Texas. We're located in Phoenix, so JP King not only has to pay for our photography services, but also our travel costs. Why would they go to that expense? Several reasons...

1) Several condos are for sale in this development, so the cost of hiring us can be amortized over multiple units.

2) The photos we take will be suitable for their website, brochures, and print-media advertising (newspapers and billboards). Repurposing the photos in more than one media also distributes the cost.

3) ...and finally, our pictures are different. They stand out. They look strange...some even say 'surreal'. We use a system called "Enhanced Lighting Compression" photography that combines high dynamic range, sharpening, and level compression to create photos that leap off the page. It's something that catches the eye as it drifts through a magazine or drives down the road. And eyeballs on ads is what good commercial photography is all about.

Of course, traveling to texas to take photos requires a project that can support our travel fees, so if you'd like us to come out to where you are, it most likey needs to be a large estate, or multiple units that can be aggregated together.

On the other hand, if you're located in Phoenix, ELC photography can be extremely reasonable, and saves you the time of taking the photos yourself. Drop me a line at 480-619-8164 if you have a listing in town or a project across the USA that you'd like us to quote.

There are many more examples of our ELC Photography, Aerial Photography, and incredible videos on our website at www.PrimeImageMedia.com


-Ben Freedman, Owner/Producer

Creating a video for radio

This morning saw us shooting a video for Career Launch Radio, a new radio show featuring career consultants Jane and Al Andersen. The video will be a promotional piece to be used on their website...

Their radio show can be found here: Career Launch Radio. Jane and Al are fiercely committed to helping folks who are looking to change career or find a new job, which of course can be extremely tough in the current economic climate. If you've followed our productions, you'll probably recognize Jane and Al from their 'Pinked-In' parties, where they organize networking events that bring employers together with potential employees: Pinked-In Party Video.

Recording a radio show is challenging because of the close quarters. Being in such a tight space and the constraints of this particular project's budget means that we're limited to a single camera for the shoot. The goal for PrimeImage, however, is to make something that looks like it cost a lot, even thought the budget is small.

The show runs for an hour, but the promo will only be 1-2 minutes long, so the best practice for video is to capture enough of the conversation to ensure you have some interesting footage...

...and the capture some 'b-roll' clips to spice up the visuals (after all, this is radio, so there's not a lot of 'action' to capture). We recorded about 30-minutes of the 1-hour show, and then spent the 2nd half capturing close-ups and reaction shots, which we'll use to cover cuts in the promo and make our 1-camera production look like we had a whole crew.

Capturing shots of the guests and hosts nodding and looking 'thoughtful' is vitally important. Even though these were captured later, we'll use them in the video as 'reactions' to what the speaker is saying. It's a nice trick that creates a compelling video.

If you have an upcoming event, discussion, or meeting that you'd like captured, drop us a line at 480-240-9270, and let's see how we can produce a high-quality web-video that you can use to promote your services and marketed your company.

Another rotten day at the office...

I won't kid you... this year has certainly seen its share of challenges. Between the housing crisis and the economic meltdown, it seems like we're working twice as hard just to keep up. Having said that, however, I always feel blessed by the fact that as much of a roller-coaster as it's been lately, there are still very few things I'd rather be doing.

Case in point: Today's shoot was for Silver Spur Tours, a wonderful tour company based in Sedona, AZ. It's beautiful country up there, and just elevated enough to be out of the blistering heat of the Phoenix summer.

I love road trips because, compared to flying, you can pack so much more gear. I'm a bit of a pack-rat, so I tend to bring at least one of everything I might need.

Mike Kaser of SST (directing me in this photo) has recently decked-out these amazing Sprinter vans for his tour company, so one of the things we were spotlighting today was these incredible tour vehicles.

They truly are the ultimate in luxury vehicles. I'd much rather ride around in one of these than a limo. Far more headroom!

It's always great working with great talent, and Mike's favorite is Tiffany Young, so I twisted her arm and brought her along on the trip.

Mike always likes to get shots from the air for his tour videos, and in Sedona, that means a helicopter. Here we are about to step into our Bell Jet Ranger. Yes, it was a very tough day indeed...

There's the horrible view out of the window. OK, I think I'm overdoing the sarcasm at this point.

The final shot of the day here amongst the red rocks. Mike has a unique way of creating these videos which makes his shoots challenging and fun at the same time. He prefers to shoot what he feels is important, and then add the scripting and voice-over later on, which is the reverse of most of our clients. Skeptical at first, I've come to appreciate the technique.

...and as the sun sets slowly in the West, everything goes back in the truck for the 2 hour drive back down the hill to home. We're equally as comfortable traveling across the country as we are across the state, so if you have a project in mind that you'd like video for, please don't hesitate to drop us a line at 480-240-9270.

Here are links to a few of our previous Silver Spur Tours videos...

Arizona Landmarks

Grand Canyon Country

Sedona Wine Country

In economic slow-down, golf courses turn to online video

I have to hand it to Club Corp, the firm that owns and manages hundreds of golf courses here in the USA. Most marketing experts will tell you that during slow economic times, you need to increase your marketing efforts to maintain market share. Of course, most businesses do exactly the opposite, slashing marketing budgets during down times and then spending lavishly during the booms. Not Club Corp, however. Recognizing that they need new and exciting ways of engaging prospective customers, they've turned to online video to generate renewed interest on their websites.

Left-to-Right: Producer Jay Lee, Host Tiffany Young, and Seville Golf Club Membership Director Ryan Barmore.

For Seville Golf Club and two other courses here in AZ, we're using a combination of video, still photography, and aerial photography to tour virtual visitors around the grounds, including the course, pro shops, fitness facilites, and dinning accomodations.

In this scene, Tiffany is extolling the virtues of "Boleros": a bar and grill located on the gorgeous grounds of Seville Golf Club.

Of course, the obvious temptation for us is to shoot this scene last, and then stop for a 'cold one' at the bar (an offer always put forward by the gracious Mr. Barmore). Unfortunately, it's back to the studio for us to get down to editing.

Here's the Gainey Ranch Golf Course that we shot a few months back:

Gainey Ranch Golf Course Video

If you'd like information about producing a video for your firm, please don't hesitate to drop us a line at 480.240.9270.