Case Study: 2012 McCallum Theatre Open Call Talent Project
1 day 21 hours ago

It’s always a joy to have ongoing relationships with our clients, developing there video brand over time. So when it came time for us to work with the McCallum Theatre for their annual Open Call Talent Project a second time, we were thrilled to be involved again. Over 140 talented groups and individuals from around the the Coachella Valley auditioned to become a part of the live theater competition. Our mission was to create twenty-three vignettes, one for each of the Open Call finalists. Each video would be shown before their performance and provide an introduction for the audience.

Annual projects like this provide an interesting challenge and excitement at Point7West. Not only does it give us a chance to re-imagine aspects of our previous work, but it allows us to expand on the process. That’s why we modified our approach in every department to ensure we deliver something fresh and visually interesting.

Production
Twenty-three different interviewees. Twenty-three different points of view and stories to be told. We wanted to shoot this differently than before. The McCallum Theatre is a large and beautifully constructed space. Why not show it off? Sitting our interview subjects directly in the center of the audience gives a wide perspective and showcases the performers in a live environment. We also changed their focal point, having them talk directly into the camera. This allows a deeper emotional connection with audience members from the start.

We also added an impactful vignette from festival producer and Director of Education, Kajsa Thuresson-Frary that explained the importance of arts education within the local community.

Post Production
Once captured on video, it became our post production department’s goal to develop the most informative, engaging content for each of the contestants. For live audiences, some things play better than others. Having been so involved in the 2011 Open Call Talent Project, we learned that impromptu performances and humor resonate the best. Making sure to alternate between these two story-telling methods made relatable video vignettes that people could really respond to.

With visuals and story in place, we asked ourselves one question. How else could we engage with the audience members and enrich the experience?

Digital signage. Working with Synergy Digital Media, we created visuals to be digitally displayed in the lobby and theatre entrance to give theatre-goers a taste of the festivities ahead.

Elevating a Brand through Video
The McCallum Theatre’s Open Call Talent Project has been a popular desert tradition for almost fifteen years. The McCallum, like any organization or business, is always keeping an eye focused on the future.

How can we continue to outdo ourselves and reach audiences in new ways? Adding video is an impressive new way of mixing mediums. It provides endless opportunities for creativity and elevates the brand in both perception and reality.

 
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The Future of Advertising Dollars is Moving to Video
4 weeks 1 day ago

Where will you be in 5 years? For some, that’s an easy question. When we look at the advertising world as a whole, there are many predictions. Sometimes the best way to see the future is to analyze the patterns of the past. I can make one prediction in which we can all agree. Not to sound too redundant on this blog, but video is the future of advertising.

Mobile advertising, web, social media; video has become the backbone of all these mediums. If we look at advertising 5 years ago, it paints a very different picture. Mobile devices couldn’t take the extra bandwidth to play videos. Watching a movie online seemed all but impossible. Things have gotten exponentially faster and video has become an expected part of everyday life; on the web, on our phones, through our televisions.

More than 500 billion dollars a year is spent on advertising worldwide. With a large portion of that rapidly moving to the web and social media, video has become the go-to solution for advertisers.

Why is this happening? Why is the medium of video expanding as well as it has? The answer is clear: EMOTION. Video, in all forms, provokes an emotional response and that generates more conversions than any other advertising medium. It’s easy to relate to someone in video, because we can see their humanity better than an ad in the newspaper. They become more credible and credibility drives consumer conversions.

Advertising will always be a part of our lives. It’s forms may change, but the message is the same. Whether on the web, on our phones, or on television, video will continue to be one of the strongest advertising mediums. Now let’s talk in 5 years. 
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4 Rules to Follow in the Future of Online Video
6 weeks 6 days ago

Predicting the future can be, as they say, “a bit challenging” especially when we’re talking about the future of online video.  Online video is what we call a moving target because once you figure out how to use it and where to use it - it’s changed.  Where your target audience is, or how your video is being used it’s constantly evolving.  So in this constantly evolving ecosystem how does anyone know what video is going to do in the next 2, 3, or even 5 years.  Well here’s 4 little tips on where online video is going and what to expect in the years to come:

Mobile, Mobile – Oh and did we say Mobile?

You can really sum up the future of video with just that word alone.  Everyone, and yes we mean EVERYONE will at least a few times a week consume one or more videos on a mobile device.  Whether thats an iPhone, Android phone, iPad, or some other tablet – those devices are the future of mobile video aggregation.

 
 

Broadcast Networks, meet Online Networks.

Right now your traditional broadcast networks are finally seeing the light when it comes to the online digestion of video.  With the advent of Hulu, Netflix, Vudu, Amazon Unboxed you’re finally getting your traditional over-the-air content, over-the-internet.  And this is just the beginning.  Soon you’ll see exclusive video content that will only exist online and the traditional over-the-air broadcast entities will migrate to an online video model.

 

Please Sir, Can I Have S’more?

In the “just google it” generation we live in our attention spans have become smaller and smaller.  As a society, we need constant visual stimulation and a large amount of differing content to keep our focus.  We as content providers have realized this and have focused on a show length of around 2.5 to 3 minutes.

 

 

Plan for the Future.

Networks are getting exponentially faster every year - able to push many gigabytes of data faster than ever before.  Video codecs are getting smarter by the month with new ways to compress videos even smaller while still maintaining amazing quality.  With all these advancements in network capabilities and video technology it’s no longer necessary to keep your videos the size of a “postage stamp”.  Youtube, Hulu, and AppleTV have already begun pushing 1080p video over the internet – its time to start showcasing your videos in HD and get the exposure your message deserves.

 
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HighTower Advisors: A Corporate Video with a Unique Approach
11 weeks 20 hours ago

How do you show trust?  How do you show financial security? More importantly how do you show a lifestyle that exemplifies both of these attributes?  Those are the questions we answered in a new image film for HighTower Advisors.  As a team, Point7West decided the best way to tell this story was with lifestyle-driven B-Roll and a stylish storytelling technique. 

We shot 5 interviews total; nearly two and a half hours of content.  From those interviews we formed a script that told the story of HighTower Advisors, and immediately embarked on finding the right lifestyle imagery.  This imagery needed to convey: family, security, trust, and well-being; all the adjectives that would describe someone who has financial security.

"This edit was a lot of fun, and quite challenging.  It’s a fast-paced glimpse at a lifestyle that is formed when you have a talented group of people managing your financial health. There is a aura of confidence that surrounds this group of advisors and it really shows throughout the film."

Steve Tharp
Art Director, Point7West

Apart from the Image Film we also created 15 vignettes, each around 60 seconds long.  Each of these videos focus on specific facets of the company and their service offerings. More subtle and explanatory, they serve essentially as a visual FAQ. Vignette videos from Point7West are the perfect accompanyment to a lifestyle-driven Image Film like this because it makes sure all the bases are covered.
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Video SEO: 10 Great Tips to Make Sure Your Video Gets Views Online
12 weeks 6 days ago
It’s clear that video is a large part of the future of the internet. If you’re considering making an online video or already have one completed, you may wonder “What is the best way to reach the most people?” Here are some tips and suggestions that can greatly improve the amount of views your video will receive online.
 

Choose Your Content Wisely

Don’t listen to the old saying, “There’s no such thing as bad publicity!” Just putting any old video out there is not the best way to establish trust and credibility with consumers. A video can be a company’s first impression. If you don’t impress the viewer from the beginning, why would they trust you in the end? At Point7West, we fine tune every message we deliver, making sure you put your best foot forward. Always.
 

Keep it Short

There’s no need to make a five minute video anymore. No one has that much time. The best way to get views and convert customers is to make a short, informative and well-produced video. If someone watches a video all the way to the end, they’ll be more likely to forward it to someone else. That will spread your message virally!

 

Keywords

Keywording is the lifeblood of the web. All day, every day people are searching for your business. Loading your video’s description with valuable, specific keywords will ensure your video receives high level search results. Be accurate! Think of every word or phrase someone could use looking for your services. Some people search in completely different ways. Use as many unique and descriptive terms as possible, but be honest! Search engines penalize results with what they consider “Keyword Spam.”
 

Transcribe

This is a fairly new addition to the "Video SEO" equation, but it could be a helpful way to expand your keywording capabilities. If you take the time to transcribe your video, there is a whole new field of data for search engines to mine and categorize your video. Adding a transcription, to either the video description or within the metadata of your website greatly improves the ranking of your video in search results.
 

Distribute

You just made a great new video. Why not put it on display? YouTube is great, but it’s just the beginning. There are tons of video and social networking sites where your videos can get unique views. Upload it to your website, Vimeo, Facebook, Myspace, Pinterest, Flickr, Yahoo Video and anywhere else you can. The more places your video can be, the more potential views you can get. Make sure to include all your keywords to make sure it shows up high in search results too.
 

Spread the word

Be social! Tell everyone you know about your new video. It takes time to build an audience online, but you can jumpstart the process by letting people know where it is. This where social media really comes into play. Use Facebook, Twitter or any other online community to get your video out there.


Get People on Board

Followers, subscribers, friends. Sometimes you can never have too many. Today, you don’t want people to just take a look at your video and move along. You want them to stick around and see what happens next. Are there customer testimonials? Tutorials? FAQ videos? Keep them informed of all the latest media your company has to offer by asking them to “subscribe” or “become a fan.”


Optimize your Title

It’s sometimes the last thing you think about. What should I call this? Include your most important keywords, but still make the title easy to read. Put yourself in your viewer’s shoes. What is a title that might peak their interest?


Pick a Great Thumbnail Image

We are visual creatures. When clicking though video websites, we’ll make a quick first impression based on the little image next to the video. If it’s not something pleasing to the eye, you might have just lost a viewer. Video upload sites will sometimes choose a random image from your video to represent it in their search results. Don’t let them control your destiny! Select the best photo you can and make sure people are intrigued enough to click.
 

Say Something!

Comment, comment, comment. If not you yourself, enlist friends or anyone else to say something. Videos that have comments, likes, ratings, etc. will always show up higher in search results. Sometimes people will turn off interaction options, like commenting or ratings, but this is a mistake. Don’t be afraid of the “unknown commenter.” You can always delete things later if you don’t approve.
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