MotionMasters Blog/News

Did you see the Jan. 15 story in the Charleston (WV) Daily Mail about the filming of an educational video called “Deadly Driving Distractions”?

That’s Part Two. Here’s Part One: in mid-December, we set up and shot three student-discussion groups led by our former intern, Concord University student John Meadows.

We brought students from area high schools together and asked them about their driving habits. They were candid, sometimes shockingly so. When we asked them how often they checked their cell phones, the median answer was once every three minutes.

We asked the students to turn off their phones while the discussion group was in progress and then asked if it were difficult to be without instant-messaging. They all agreed that it was really hard and asked for a phone break! (Some of the students in our discussion group revealed that the average number of texts they send each day is anywhere from 200 to 400.)

Ward Hiney and Wesley Poole were each manning a camera to capture the fast-paced discussion. With the three discussion groups held in early December and an interview session (as reported in the Daily Mail on 1/15/10), the shooting for “Distracted Driving” is now moving into the expert interview stage and B-roll shooting. If you have stories or incidents involving distracted driving, send them to us via this Web site and let us contact you to talk about them.
Go to our Flickr site to see all of the pictures.

Want to maximize your online presence? Add video to your site. Not only will an online video draw more visitors to your site, it will keep them there longer and encourage return visits and sharing of your content.

Consider these stats:
- as a nation, we watch about 16 billion Web videos each month
- that’s up 25% from just a year ago
- 80% of online viewers recall seeing a video
- 52% take action and
- 16% of online video viewers make a purchase.

LET’S TALK TRANSMEDIA

Transmedia is using multiple platforms and adapting various productions to reach—and build—an aggregate audience.

Engaging in transmedia is simply a matter of telling your story and distributing your brand message via traditional and new media outlets: radio, blogs, earned media, TV, Twitter—and a video on your site!

VSEO

When you put a three-minute video on your site, you significantly improve your rankings on Google and other search engines. It’s also been reported that a video can raise response rates by more than 100%!

Companies of all sizes and types, with products or services to sell, or a B2B message to convey, are good candidates for online videos, including law offices, retail establishments, ad agencies or colleges, churches and universities.

“If you invest in just one new marketing effort before the year is out, make it an online video,” says Diana Sole Walko, CEO, MotionMasters.

It’s a good thing the MotionMasters crew is accustomed to shooting under rigorous and challenging conditions because the sight—and smell—of celebrity chef Jamie Oliver’s cooking is nothing short of torture. Tapped by ABC/Disney for another day of shooting Oliver’s upcoming TV shows, we stayed busy from the first rough chop of the vegetables to the final stir fry in an al fresco kitchen set up near Huntington’s Pullman Square.

According to MotionMasters Videographer Wesley Poole, “We got lots of great angles and close-ups of the food, but we never got to taste any of it because we were shooting 100 percent of the time. I was starving when we finished!”

MotionMasters also shot interviews and cover video for an EPK, an electronic press kit that will be used by ABC affiliates to promote “Jamie’s Food Revolution.”

One hundred woks were set up by Oliver’s student chefs and hundreds more of the local residents turned out to prepare a healthful, delicious meal—and see a TV show in the making.

“It’s a very big production,” said MM Executive Producer Brian Peterson of the ABC/Disney shoot. “Well coordinated and well executed. We’ve done two shoots for the ‘Food Revolution’ series. Maybe the third time will be the charm and we’ll finally get to taste something.”

All eyes were on Huntington, W.Va., when British celebrity chef Jamie Oliver was in town shooting his new ABC-TV series called “Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution.” MotionMasters was called in to help shoot what turned out to be a show within a show…

Multiple Crew Call

While Oliver’s crew (and there were plenty of them) were assigned to taping him in action at Frankie D’s Italian Chophouse, the TV show “Extra” called on us to shoot footage for its story about the much-touted “Naked Chef” (which is the name of his first TV series on the Food Network, not a reference to his commando-style of cooking).

“Extra” needed an experienced crew with state-of-the-art equipment and we supplied it. Executive Producer Brian Peterson, along with our production manager/videographer,  Doug Morris and Production Assistant Ward Hiney, signed on for the assignment in Huntington and once there, jockeyed for camera and mic positions among Oliver’s crew.

On the day we were on set, Oliver and several of his student-chefs were preparing a dinner for Huntington’s community leaders (and the kids’ parents) as part of the chef’s “Food Revolution” storyline: teaching kids how to improve their lifestyles through better nutrition.

“The restaurant was teeming with producers, directors, cameras, mics and still photographers,” says Peterson. “But Jamie took it all in stride and interacted with his young chefs in a really warm, personal way.”

We also were present (and rolling) when Oliver was presented with his designation of honorary West Virginian, a title he seemed genuinely touched to receive.

Stay tuned to this blog to find out when the “Extra” segments will air in the coming months. Check out these pics from the shoot and take a look at more on Flickr.

If you could cash in on a marketing tool that’s affordable, effective and still ahead of the trend, you would, right? Online video is all that and more.

Why online video works so well

A simple three-minute video on your Web site can sell, influence, persuade, inform, explain or introduce products, services and staff. It can be a demonstration, a quick lesson, a life story, a limited-time offer or testimonials from clients and customers. It can even be crazy and weird and go viral. But most of all, video is personal and it’s a sure-fire way to connect with visitors to your Web site.

Online video gives your firm an advantage over competitors without Web videos. Once visitors get to your site and see you or your staff in action, they’re more likely to become engaged with whatever you have to tell—or—sell them. Showing somebody something almost always trumps telling somebody about something.

Who uses Web video?

Companies of all sizes and types can make good use of online video, especially if your product, service or offer translates well to a visual message. Consumer goods or business-to-business services generally fit within this category. But so do attorneys, physicians, real estate agents and financial advisers. “Meet” your potential customer, client—even a future patient— with a video on your Web site and earn instant credibility.

To keep your video from having too much of a home-made look and feel, it’s wise to have it shot and edited professionally. We can help you with budget, script, props, wardrobe and everything else you need to make your online video boost that bottom line. Remember, it’s not a vanity piece (although you will be proud of the way it works for you); online video is an investment that’s sure to garner a strong return.

See some of our online video work at www.MotionMasters.com or give Diana Sole Walko a call at 304-345-8800 to talk about putting online video to work for you.