Brand Consistency

One of the pieces of advice I give to my clients as we begin planning their video project is to think about the look they are trying to sell. Since we are often our own brand, it is important to make sure everything we put out for the public to see matches the image we want to convey (and accurately represents our products and services).  This consistent look is extremely important for effective marketing.  The look people see on a postcard or flyer that sends them to your website should reflect the image they see on your website, and so on.

I recently completed a show promo video for a magician in Switzerland. His website (TheMagicofJad.com) has a very elegant, distinct look; from the purple wallpaper and gold picture frames to his stylish logo. My goal was to capture that aesthetic in his video.

I created a 3D version of this 2D image with picture frames on a wall that would serve as transitions between each sequence of clips. All of the performance footage in this video was provided by Jad. I consulted with Jad about capturing his show on video, shooting from different angles, getting wide shots as well as close up, and what routines would look best in a montage-style video.  Over the months that followed, Jad would send me new footage as he did more shows. Once we had collected a substantial amount of high quality footage, I began working on the motion graphics and editing the footage together to fit the nonlinear structure.  After layering in music and titles with a professional Voiceover, the result is a promotional video that is consistent with his brand:

Stage Fright

Have you ever experienced stage fright?  Think about the first time you ever got up in front of a group of people to give a presentation or perform a show.  If you have ever experienced that nauseating sensation then you will certainly appreciate this terrific short film, appropriately titled – Stage Fright by Elina Minn.

I loved the use of perspective in this and the way the features of the face became objects. As I was watching this I was reminded of Salvador Dali’s image of The Surrealist’s Apartment aka Mae West Face.

In this painting, features of Mae West’s face are actual furniture pieces laid out in such a way that the perspective from straight on shows a proportional face. Here is an image of the actual setup on display at the Salvador Dali museum in Figueres, Spain.

Serenade to Miette

Today I would like to share with you a wonderful animated short film by Toniko Pantoja. Coincidentally, it involves magic; more specifically, a street magician and a professional illusionist, and a run-in with the mafia.  Great storytelling and unique animation make this worth the viewing. Enjoy this fun film called “Serenade to Miette”!

Expanding Your Brand

While creating videos for individuals and companies, I feel one of the most important services I provide is assisting people with expanding their brand through video marketing.

There is a lot of convincing evidence that now suggests that online video marketing should be a major focus of a business’ advertising and marketing budget. Dr. James McQuivey of Forrester Research said that one minute of video was equivalent to 1.8 million words. Imagine writing that much text to describe all the aspects of your business. Not only would it be a time-cosuming undertaking but it would surely bore visitors to your site. While many sites still rely heavily on text and photos, ComScore Video Metrix found that visitors stay on sites with video content longer than sites with no video. Furthermore, ComScore says there is a 64% greater chance of website visitors buying a product after watching a demo video. The bottom line is if you are not using video marketing, you are missing out on a huge opportunity to inform people about your brand.

Make Your Video Effective

In order to maximize the effectiveness of your video marketing it is crucial to have a video that starts strong. You want to pique people’s interest in the first ten seconds of video. Next, consider the difference between a video people look at versus a video they share. According to research conducted by Jun Group, videos that are 15 seconds or shorter are shared 37% more often than those that last between 30 seconds and 1 minute. What is the intended purpose for your video? Is it to entertain and have people share it with their friends or do you want people to be educated and inspired about your service or industry? These are important distinctions to keep in mind as it will greatly affect the structure of your video.  Finally, keep it simple. With people’s limited time and attention spans, shorter videos get the job done.

Once you have a video, where will people see it? If you want to get the most exposure out of your video don’t just put it on your website, share your video on social media sites. One of the most effective tools to increase brand awareness and draw new prospects to your website is by sharing your video on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. A compelling video will speak louder than words, evoke the viewer’s emotions, and build authentic long-term relationships.

A Few Recent Examples

This video was created for psychic entertainer Rob Sevin to give a back story to his character and promote his show:

This video was created for Recycling wizard Cyril the Sorcerer to promote his character and, more importantly, raise awareness about the environmental message of his magic:

This video was created to educate prospective clients about Mr. Right’s corporate and trade show services:

Much Better Now

Created by Salon Alpin, here’s a touching story about an old, forgotten bookmark getting the ride of his life.  A superb mix of visual metaphor and meaningful story with wonderful animation.

And here’s a short Making of video that shows the cleverness in their design and animation:

Proteigon

Here’s a wonderful piece of CineMagic for you dealing with manipulations. The concept of material manipulation or transformation has always interested me. Steven Briand uses clever stop motion photography to create brilliant animations with a (seemingly) single piece of paper.

 

Loaded

Last night on Mystery School Monday we discussed the topic of Preparing for a Show. How do magicians prepare? What is the process a performer goes through to ensure their performance is a success? This great short film by Joe Larue shows exactly that!