Filtered by Tag: pro tips
Whether you are looking to “up” your current production quality or even start producing video content for your business, you should consider hiring a professional video production company. Identifying the right partner for corporate video production may seem challenging, but this article outlines five tips for choosing a successful and reliable video production company.
Another Chicago 48 Hour Film Project weekend kicks off on Friday, September 23rd, and we have pulled together a team for competition once again! This wild weekend of filmmaking occurs once a year and challenges teams to write, shoot, and edit a short film in just…you guessed it…48 hours!
Video marketing/production has a language of its own. Some terms are straightforward, while others may have you scratching your head. It’s good to have a basic understanding of the jargon you may hear during the course of your next video project. We are following up on our “10 Need-to-Know Production Terms” blog with, you, guessed it, another 10 terms. Read on to expand you video vocabulary!
Video production studios are valuable partners when it comes to creating video content. They can help you with everything from creative conceptualization to shooting and editing and more. But what should you expect when working with a professional production company? We'll break it down for you here.
Are you looking to help your company thrive in 2022? Keeping up with corporate advertising trends will help you attract new clients and grow revenue. Marketing strategies and trends change from year to year, though, so you need to make sure you know the best strategies for 2022. In this blog, we'll get into the top advertising tips for 2022.
Video production has never been more popular. It's even considered a necessary tool in today's climate. In order to pull off an engaging and high-quality video, you need the right skillset, equipment, and, sometimes, a studio space to make it happen.
But what should you look for in a studio rental, should your project need one? How do you know you're getting the best deal? Continue reading for five tips on how to choose the right studio for you and your project.
Many projects require hired talent so casting becomes an important part of pre-production. We assist our clients with casting and offer the option to hold auditions at our studio. Clients can attend these sessions or receive video files to review. Either way, we offer guidance to clients in selecting the right talent for their project by keeping a few tips in mind.
Brand videos are among the most popular types of videos out there these days. Differing from standard commercial or corporate videos, brand videos (also referred to as brand films or brand stories) focus on connecting with the audience, typically through emotion. It becomes less about the “who” and the “what” and more about the “why” and the “how”. Let’s take a look at some key features to a successful brand video.
The new year is up and running and that means resolutions are in full swing. Why not include goals for your video marketing? Last year, we offered a few suggestions based on some of the most common personal resolutions. This year, we are offering a three-part approach to apply to video objectives: something to continue doing well, something to improve on, and something new to try.
You may have heard the term “4K” when doing some research on video production, but do you actually understand what it means? While it is not necessary for your video, it does offer benefits as well as a few drawbacks that are worth considering.
Welcome back to our blog series “Industry Insights”, where we interview members of the production world that we have had the opportunity to collaborate with! This week, we are featuring a talented scriptwriter, who we have worked with on several recent projects. Meet Lindsay Siegel!
In my last blog article I addressed how to prepare yourself for being on camera; or, at the very least to ensure that you don’t entirely freak out. However, a successful on-camera experience, like most ventures in life, is a collaborative effort. It isn’t enough for the person in front of the lens to be as prepared as possible--the people behind the lens need to be equally in-tune with what is going on. This is precisely why I have always considered personality to be 50% of the hiring decision when considering new crew members. It isn’t enough to be talented if you want to be successful within the video production industry; equally important is compassion and strong social skills. You can set up the most exceptionally gorgeous shot in the world, but if you are incapable of making the subject of that shot shine, you are left with a bunch of fashion and no function.
This article is going to focus on how a competent crew can help ensure that their subjects are as comfortable as possible, and by extension, performing at top capacity, when in front of the lens. And, perhaps even more importantly, how that same crew can assuage the subject’s nerves if they are kinda-sorta freaking out.
So, the day has finally come. After all of the planning and preparation, the lights have been switched on, you have a microphone looming before you, and the camera is staring you down. Your mind has conveniently gone blank, and you begin to feel your palms go sweaty. You hate public speaking, but you thought being on camera would carry less tension. You were wrong. More than anything, you just want to raise the white flag of surrender and retreat to your office. Why did you even agree to do this?
Hold on there. Slow down. Let’s rewind. As with most things in life, being on camera isn’t nearly as bad as anticipated: doubly so if you practice a few simple tips to help secure success. So, I won’t waste any more time cueing it up. Here are the not-so-secret secrets to being comfortable on camera, or, how not to freak out when you’re in front of the lens.
Summertime lends itself to an increase in opportunity for outdoor productions. While we love the four seasons of Chicago weather, and each provide their own beautiful backdrop for video, summer gives us the longest daylight of the year and typically most consistent warm weather. In any season, however, there are challenges to filming outdoors. Here are some tips and tricks to consider to help your next outdoor shoot go smoothly.
Following the launch of the new Motion Source website, we released our next major marketing initiative: a wave of 150+ custom video brochures! These beautifully designed products were loaded with a :30 reel and delivered to businesses and creative agencies throughout the Chicagoland area. Shortly after, we followed up with a one-two punch of postcards to round out this knockout marketing combination. Learn more about these products, our strategy, and the execution of these projects!
At the end of February, an exciting event occurred: the new Motion Source website went live! Before then, small updates to the site had generally occurred on a monthly basis, but the last time the website was fully overhauled was back in 2014. Over the last four years, we have evolved significantly as a company, and our site no longer felt like an accurate representation of our team, our work, and our capabilities. This project didn’t happen overnight; to be honest, it didn’t even happen over the course of a year either. But it did take a good deal of self-reflection, dedication, and patience to produce a better suited platform and a successsful project.
As a production company, we cast on-screen talent quite often for roles in everything from industrials to commercials to music videos and short films. Holding auditions allows us to meet and connect with actors on a more personal level compared to simply reviewing resumes, reels, and video submissions. Based on my experience coordinating casting calls and sitting in on auditions, I have put together a few tips to keep in mind to give you the best chance of success!
New year, new New Year’s resolutions to make. But let’s be honest, those don’t typically last very long, right? While we won’t be able to help with your resolutions per se, we can help with your 2018 marketing goals. Let’s take a look at a few of the most popular New Year’s resolutions in terms of video production. Whether or not you follow through with your personal goals, these resolutions can help keep your project goals on track.
Film competitions are increasingly popular, especially in the independent filmmaking community. These online contests allow for indie filmmakers around the world to create and showcase their works in the company of their global creative peers. Subcategories have splintered out, including timed film competitions: the premise that, within a given timeframe (48 hours being the most popular), a team will write, shoot, and edit a short film. A few members of the Motion Source team recently participated in a 77-hour film competition and came away with not only a completed short film, "The Golden Lion," but with lessons that can be applied to future productions.
If you said May flowers, you would be correct! But if you said more opportunities to capture outdoor footage, you would also be correct. While we love the four seasons of Chicago weather, and each provide their own beautiful backdrop for video, springtime begins the long-awaited shift into warmer weather and greenery in bloom. And with spring in full swing, and May around the corner, we wanted to put together a few tips for successful outdoor productions. I met with Craig Bass, Creative Director, for his insight on the topic.
Video Production