Forrester Media's Atlanta Video Production Blog

Movers and shakers...and Forrester Media

I like working with executives, so I was a happy camper last week. We were hired by two clients to cover events - both private - but one of which was still high profile.

The first event was for Microsoft. We were tasked with covering the announcement of the Release to Manufacturers (RTM) of Windows 7. It was a big announcement made here in Atlanta during their annual MGX meeting of sales and marketing staff. Enough of them to nearly fill Philips Arena! It was a big show - 7 cameras, giant video walls, lots of fun technology! While we weren't involved with the larger production, we tapped their resources for our portion.

In addition to shooting our own material of the RTM announcement, we recorded the feed going to the video walls which provided multiple camera angles. The announcement was made by David Ballmer, the President of Microsoft and was filled with his high-energy enthusiasm which inspired and engaged the 10,000 plus in attendance.

After taping the announcement, we edited the material and loaded it onto our server for download by people in Redmond for both web and broadcast use.

Our second project, which I can't divulge in detail, involved a four-star Army General. A quick look at Wikipedia revealed that there have been 198 four-star generals, the first one being the father of our country - George Washington. It's a pretty exclusive group that includes John G. Pershing, Douglas MacArthur, Dwight D. Eisenhower, George S. Patton, Norman Schwarzkopf and Colin Powell.

I'll admit it's nice when high profile companies and organizations call us. We have a history of working with movers and shakers (take a look at the list on our news page: http://www.forrestermedia.com/news.html) and I always enjoy adding new clients to that list. I'm proud of our reputation of providing quality crews who always look, behave and work at a higher level of professionalism than what seems to be the industry standard.

Where did the summer go!!!!

    Well I can't believe it's nearly the end of July. Summer's almost over...In fact, schools in Atlanta go back in two weeks and traffic will, yet again, become it's unbearable self. The last couple of months have been great, on the traffic front, who knew that a combination of summer and school being out could lead to such a drop-off in cars on the road. As they say the honeymoon is almost over.
   The blogs have dried up (as has my lawn) in the past few weeks...but I have a great excuse. We've been busy with a variety of projects both large and small. You never know who's going to call and what we'll be doing next.
   We've started making more local commercials for various businesses and we've become good (just ask us!!!!) at producing quality spots for a reasonable price. We've found companies want to advertise their products now it helps them get their message out so they can hopefully beat the recession.
    For example, we got a call from an apartment complex in downtown Atlanta that rents out to students. They needed a thirty second ad produced that could help them attract clients. We helped write the script...then with their help found some people to appear in the video. We shot everything in a day and had it edited the next...so they could give us their feedback. We then hired a voice talent to read the track and sent it directly to Comcast's internal site ready to air. The process was quick and relatively easy and the client was excited about the final product. They're now in a position to sit back and wait for the phone to ring with prospective tenants.
So if you're reading this and you're thinking about advertising your business and product and want it to look good for a reasonable price feel free to contact us....

Media Connection with Guest Sue Rodman

In this episode of Media Connection, Amani Channel interviews Sue Rodman of www.fieldtripswithsue.com

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Chances are you are using social media not only for personal communication, but also in the workplace. If you want to know more about the professional applications of social media then click on an episode of MediaConnection TV.

MediaConnection TV is an online show about social media news, trends and innovations. Seven episodes already online include conversations with a "serial entrepreneur," a mommy blogger, a marketing guru and a politician - all from right here in the metro Atlanta area.

On MediaConnection TV, all share their compelling stories of how they got started in the social media realm, how it's helped them develop business or careers, and how their unique and shared experiences in the medium have enriched and broadened their lives.

HD at Your Fingertips....

Often one of the first questions we will ask a client, if they don't mention it, is "which format?" I spent some time Vimeo, which is more or less a youtube site with quality videos. Just like youtube, there is an HD section of the site as well. Most users on the site use the Sony EX1 and the Panasonic HVX200. I really enjoyed watching one video and noticed it had some color correction, but it was a very well shot and well edited piece. I looked to see what it was shot on and to my surprise it was shot on the Canon 5D Mark II, a Canon still camera! These are typically used for stop motion, such as Robot Chicken or the movie Corpse's Bride, but for HD video?

Now a days, with the invention of the Flip video camera, as well as Nikon and Canon adding HD video capabilities to their digital SLR cameras, anyone can have decent HD video at their fingertips for a low cost. At least when you compare that cost to a $40,000 HD broadcast lens. I will be very interested to see what lies in the future in the consumer and prosumer camera market.

Canon 5D Mark II Video