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Office Space Available

By Corporate Video Production, Tips/Techniques, Uncategorized

We have several offices available for sublease here at Serendipitous Films.  One is a large corner office measuring 17ft8in X 17ft9in.  Another is a small office that is 14ft6in X 8ft3in.  We also have a reception area, common areas such as kitchen, etc. Our offices are located in Haltom City, a suburb of Fort Worth, on the Dallas side.  We are in the Studios121 building on Airport Freeway.  The synergy here is great, with 3 stages and other creative businesses in the building. At Serendipitous Films, we produce corporate videos and communications, commercials and feature films.  If you think you might be interested, give us a call and let’s chat.

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Editing the Corporate Interview Video

By Tips/Techniques, Uncategorized, Video Production

Corporate Video Documentary Style One common style of corporate video is the “documentary-style” approach– the story told through interviews.  This can be in conjunction with a voice over narrator, but more commonly, told entirely through interviews.  It’s called “documentary-style” due to most docs relying heavily on interviews. Production The quantity of interviews can vary– a good number is a minimum of three (though there are times the one person video works, especially in a short video, or web video that’s around 60 seconds or so).  We’ve had projects where we’ve shot as many as 30 people for one video.  Because Dallas Fort Worth is home to many large corporations, we see many videos shot in this style in the metroplex. Post Production The way we approach the Doc Style video at SFilms is to create one timeline of “selects.”  We…

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How Long is a Corporate Video?

By Corporate Video Production, Tips/Techniques, Uncategorized, Video Production

It’s a Matter of Length One of the most common questions we get asked by our clients is how long their video should be.  In some ways, it’s akin to asking how long is a piece of string.  Well, it all depends.  Let’s look at some of the variables. Variables for Your Corporate Video Who is your audience?  Is it an older crowd that grew up on 1960’s and 70’s television and movies?  Or is it a much younger crowd who has grown up on YouTube?  That younger person is not going to easily sit through even a ten minute video, unless you keep a very fast pace in the editing.  Likewise, the older person might be turned off a bit by the “MTV” style editing.  We did a video on a retirement plan– it was a little longer than some…

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SFilms Assists TopPup

SFilms Assists TopPup in Opening of NTE

By Tips/Techniques, Uncategorized, Video Production

After more than three years, and nine months early, the construction has all but come to an end in Northeast Tarrant County, home to Fort Worth and neighbor to Dallas.  NTE, the North Tarrant Express, is a project to widen a heavily congested portion of roads through six municipalities near Fort Worth, connecting to Dallas.  TopPup Media was called on to video document the construction over the past two years, and SFilms partnered with TPM to make that happen. Construction video is extremely different than the normal corporate video shoots.  First, all crew people out in the construction zone had to be safety trained and wear the proper safety equipment.  Also, the type of shots for showing construction are different– the story is told through aerials and timelapse, with a little standard video shooting. We have really enjoyed shooting for NTE…

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One Person Shoot and Edit

By Uncategorized

Shooting And Editing Sometimes, we get a call for us to send one person on a client’s job that requires shooting and editing.  In this post, we’ll discuss the best practices and tricks/techniques to help it go smoother. What to Take on a Video Shoot and Edit: For a recent job that required the Shooter/Editor to be on a tour bus with the client, our shooter took five cameras, a MacBookPro and several USB powered harddrives.  In addition to support equipment like tripod, etc, he also took a drone for aerial footage.  The cameras were a C100 for main recording, a 5D mark 3 for additional shots and the ability to shoot stills for the client as needed, and three GoPros. The biggest hit for the client was the drone– we were able to get those “wow” shots that pulls…

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Going On-Camera for Corporate/Commercial Video

By Corporate Video Production, Tips/Techniques, Video Production

Tips and Suggestions for being interviewed on camera Congratulations (or condolences) on you being selected to be in front of the camera for that corporate video.  Maybe you’re a client and are doing a favor for a company with a product or service you love.  Or you’re employed by a company and have been selected to tell the corporate story.  Here are some tips and things to keep in mind to help you out. Most interviews are conducted “documentary” style—you’re being asked questions by an off-camera interviewer, so you’ll look at them and not the camera.  When you look directly at the camera and talk, it’s usually a “spokesperson” role, and is very different to the interview we’re talking about here. Many people desire to have the questions beforehand.  There are pros and cons to this.  Most likely, you’re being…

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How To Use Video Marketing to Generate Business Leads

By Uncategorized

Today more than ever having a web presence is essential to building a strong brand, qualifying prospects, and generating more leads. One of the most effective ways to promote your business on the internet is through videos. Visual media is shared more often than traditional text, using the power of video you can deliver a more contagious and effective message that spreads through social networks. Video marketing is one of the most underrated methods for lead generation; if used correctly, however, videos can be the most significant part of any online marketing campaign. Here are a few tips that will help increase your lead generation with video marketing: Create engaging videos that educate or inform A lot of the time when you see videos for service providers, product owners, and other companies you see self-promotion videos. While these videos have…

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Unconventional Warfare in Corporate Video Shooting

By Corporate Video Production, Tips/Techniques, Video Production

Video Recording Equipment and Specialty Tools We Use As technology forges on, new tools and techniques are being created that have made a recent dramatic impact on the corporate video landscape.  In the army, you have a soldier and a rifle.  In special forces, you have all sorts of different weapons and ways to get the job done. At Serendipitous, we feel that in addition to a strong “standing army” to cover your corporate story, that a “special forces” group is imperative to give the video an edge in this highly competitive battle field for the attention of the viewers.  This means thinking outside of the box– and in video production, the box is a static camera, about five feet high (where the cameraman’s eyes are).  Many video production companies tell the majority of the story from this point of…

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Tips for Being Interviewed On Camera For The First Time

By Corporate Video Production, Important Info for Your Corporate Video, Tips/Techniques, Video Production

Telling your story for your company’s video Congratulations (or condolences) on you being selected to be in front of the camera for that corporate video. Here are some tips and things to keep in mind to help you out. Most interviews are conducted “documentary” style—you’re being asked questions by an off-camera interviewer, so you’ll look at them and not the camera. When you look directly at the camera and talk, it’s usually a “spokesperson” role, and is very different to the interview we’re talking about here. Many people desire to have the questions beforehand. There are pros and cons to this. Most likely, you’re being interviewed because you’re an expert in the subject matter—speaking off the cuff will have a more natural feel. However, you can be more prepared if you were given the questions before the interview. Also, many…

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The Hero’s Journey Storytelling Part II

By Tips/Techniques, Video Production

  Continuing the Story with Part II of the Journey This is part II of the journey, a continuing story that allows us to break down the pieces of a story to craft a message that people will remember for the way it made them feel. The power of a story comes from people being able to relate to it and share it with others for generations to come. 6 Last Steps of the hero’s journey Approach for the Inmost Cave The Hero must make preparations required to Approach the Inmost Cave that leads for the Journey’s heart, or perhaps central Ordeal. Maps may be reviewed, attacks planned, and maybe the Enemy’s enforces whittled down, before the Hero could face his greatest fear or perhaps the high danger lurking within the Special World. The confident Hero could bypass these preparations…

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