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How to Use Video Effectively in Your Inbound Marketing Strategy

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A behind the scenes shot on a shoot for Mikasa. For the last 4-5 years, video has been all the rage in online marketing.  A few years ago, Google all but mandated video exist on a website in order to maintain rankings.  Their reasoning in making this decision was sound. Since more people were watching video than reading copy for their information, Google wants to make sure its users are getting the experience they crave. Inbound marketing, as a process, is a bit newer to the scene.  And it has quickly taken over as the de- facto method of attracting consumers to a brand.  The process of identifying the brands ideal buyer, and then targeting them at each stage of their buying process, translates to more potential customers engaging with a brand, more often, ultimately leading to increased conversion rates. In my 24 years of content creation, I have never found a marketing strategy that marries so well with video production.  By using video throughout the inbound process, c
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AI and It's Use In Film

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing the world of filmmaking by offering innovative tools and techniques to enhance the creative process, streamline production, and engage audiences on a deeper level. Let's take a look at five compelling ways in which AI is being harnessed to transform the landscape of filmmaking. Pre-production and Script Analysis: AI-driven algorithms are now used to analyze and optimize film scripts. These tools can identify potential weaknesses in storytelling, character development, or pacing, helping writers and directors refine their narratives. Furthermore, AI can process vast datasets to determine trends and audience preferences, allowing filmmakers to make data-informed decisions regarding the content and target demographic of their films. Visual Effects and Post-production: AI-driven visual effects (VFX) are reshaping the way filmmakers create stunning visuals. Machine learning algorithms enable realistic rendering, object removal, and facial
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Behind My Why

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Behind My 'Why" The topic of 'Why do I do what I do?' is often spoken about in the circle of entrepreneurs and business professionals.  Business coaches tout it as the most important piece of information a budding mogul must know.  Countless interviewers ask this question every day, hoping for someone to have a quick soundbite that sparks of genius and true inspiration, and acts as a divine predictor of future potential.  But often this question is misleading. August, Ga. 2019 The why as a singularity is pointless.  How many of us approach any activity with a singular purpose or reason?  Do you clean the house to keep germs down or to make it look pretty?  Apply this to any task in your life and let me know if you find anything different.  I haven't.  And I'm not expecting to, either. When I applied this line of thinking to my own drive and desire in my career, I actually found three very specific reasons I decided to become a cinematographer.  Creativity, Cama
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The Beauty of Soviet Lens

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 So, what happens when you compare a modern zoom lens to a Cold-War-Era prime lens.  Yeah, I was curious, too.  So I did it.  Below are frame grabs from 4 different scenarios shot during the same test.  No post production was done to keep the results as clinical as possible. The Test In this test, we put a Sigma 24-27 f/2.8 against a Helios 44-2 on an FX9 camera.  Not something that you'd ever think to use together.  But a great comparison to realize just how far apart these lenses are.  Check out the results below.  Be sure to comment your thoughts on the test and the analysis! Shot #1 This is the basic set-up for the test.  We used all tungsten lighting throughout to keep the color temperature consistent. Additionally, the exposure was changed through camera settings, not light dimming.  This allowed for more consistency throughout the project.   Helios Zoom Shot #2 For this shot we put a light directly behind the model.  Here we were looking for the halation through her hair.  T
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What happens when you only shoot with available light?

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 New technology is always fun to play with.  As an artist, the possibility of greater flexibility with new options for creative self-expression is tantalizing to say the least.  So when my new Sony A7RIV came in, I was anxious to see how it would change my art. The Idea Since I first discovered the genre, black and white fine art photography has been a curiousity.  My entire career has been commercial in nature, ie everyone was dressed.  So stying and lighting a human form was never a skill I needed to develop.  For my first shoot with the new camera, I decided to produce a short series of images in this genre. The Rules Art without limitation rarely works out well.  Constructs, such as time, equipment, talent, etc. all contribute to bringing the creativity of the artist to the forefront.  Following that wisdom, I set the following rules for this shoot. No color.  From the beginning I wanted to reduce the number of elements I needed to control to produce quality images.  Color seemed l
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Making the Shot

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 Hey Blog! Making great content is not about the equipment you have.  It's about how to maximize what you have to get the most out of is.  Today we are going to discuss how we created a national product campaign, in the studio, with only two lights. The Project The Ad agency came to us about this project with only 10 days to get it shot and delivered.  By the time we had the signed agreement, we were left with only 6 days.  This project was to highlight the collaboration between Delonghi and Nespresso on a series of three coffee makers.  Nothing like big-brand pressure! Pre-Production We were lucky to find a day at a studio with a huge kitchen set and a great gear list on such short notice.  The client provided the products, food stylist, and props.  We provided the team of myself as DP, a DIT, a gaffer, and two grips.  This was essentially a low-budget shoot, but needed big-budget results. The beautiful light through the kitchen window gives shape and depth to the
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The Importance of Camera Testing

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This is the color chart we used for this test. Hey Blog! Today we are going to discuss a recent camera test we conducted in our studio.  The purpose of the test was to explore the differences between under and over exposure on the Black Magic Cinema Camera.  Mastering your film and video tools is a vital part of the filmmaking process. Why Test? Testing is an important part of learning your craft.  Knowing how to get the best performance out of your film and video equipment is crucial to the final product Tools Let's start with the filmmaking tools we used create this test.  It includes: Black Magic Cinema Camera on a tripod. Rokinon Cine-DS 50mm T1.5 lens . A color chart - We used THIS one. LED Light Panel. LUMU light and color meter. A shot of the back of the camera. How We Did It First we set up our camera to frame the chart out, like this.  We lit this with an LED light panel from over camera.  Be sure to put the light high enough that you don'
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Greg Stewart

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Greg Stewart ©Robert Michael Productions LLC Every community has, at it's core, a group of hard working, dedicated servants, passionate about improving it.  On the surface, we see police officers, fire fighters, EMT.  Occasionally we'll see someone's face on a re-election sign without giving much thought to who these people are, what they actually do, and most importantly, what they are willing to give up to fulfill this role. I've known Greg for a number of years.  His involvement in the community is substantial, including being active on numerous boards and foundations and as a Councilman.  Greg also recently was named the 2017 Businessman of the Year by the Mount Olive Chamber of Commerce. It was an honor to photograph Greg.  And knowing what I know about him, there was only one way to represent him; a pillar of strength within the community who has his big hands in everything!
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