Pardiman Productions Launches Discover Thurston

Pardiman Productions launches new weekly video magazine covering the events, attractions, and businesses of Thurston County.

Watch our first 4 episodes below.

If your business, event, or non-profit would like to be featured on Discover Thurston contact us at 360-259-6672 or info@discoverthurston.com

Placement is Key in Website Video

As printed in the Thurston County Chamber's June 2011 Voice.

Adding Video to Your Linkedin Profile

Linkedin has recently made it easier for you to add video to your Linkedin profile.  Check out this article which explains the process.

You can check out my profile and video here.

You can also add video to your companies product and service listings on Linkedin.

For more marketing ideas and advice contact Pardiman Productions at 360.259.6672 or info@pardimanproductions.com.

Introduce Your Business To New Customers

Why not let your customers get to know a bit about your business when they land on your home page?

It increases SEO, and keeps customers on your site longer.

 

This video was produced for Scott Homes in Olympia to let customers know more about their business and building practices.

For more marketing ideas and advice contact Pardiman Productions at 360.259.6672 or info@pardimanproductions.com.

Web Video - Overcome Your Fears

The number one reason most people don't produce a video for their website or social media, is because of the fear of being in front of the camera.  Even more than the fear of public speaking, the fear of the camera seems to make people weak in the knees, and can turn the most eloquent speaker into a stumbling apologizer.

In order to help you overcome your potential fear of being in front of the camera, let's look at the 3 most common fears that people have.

• Fear of how they look
• Fear of how they sound
• Fear of what they'll say

For most people how they look on, and off camera is very important to them.  Everyone is concerned about the camera adding extra weight, or a wrinkle or crease that they would like to erase.  One of the great ways to remove the fear of the camera is to remove the camera from the equation.  At Pardiman Producitons we often use an interview style for shooting videos that focuses the on camera clients attention to an interviewer, and not on looking into the camera.

Some people feel compelled to deliver from a script verbatim, either off a teleprompter, or cue cards, or from memory to try overcoming the fear of how they sound on camera or what they'll say.  However, for people who aren’t experienced being in front of a camera, this can make them sound very unnatural, and will still often mess them up to the point of being very dissatisfied with their performance.  You don't have to memorize everything that you want to say in a video. In fact memorizing ISN’T a great idea.  It's good to be prepared, and have a bullet list of things you want to talk about, but even the best of actor's don't deliver their lines exactly as written.

If you're going to have us edit your video at a later time, we can easily record each of your points and then pause.  This gives you time to think about what you want to say next, and then we record your next thoughts. We almost always go through the material from at least two different angles so we can edit out any mistakes and give the viewer the most interesting video possible.

For the most self consious of business owners we can create a video where you let your customers do the talking, or we can shoot an on camera introduction and then use your voice over other images to illustrate your message.

Video is a very effective way to attract new clients, generate traffic to your website, and increase the likelyness of being found on search engines.  Don't let the fear be paralyzing.  Let Pardiman Productions - "Put motion in your promotion."

For more marketing ideas and advice contact Pardiman Productions at 360.259.6672 or info@pardimanproductions.com.

Writing A Better Profile Script

Ever wonder why no one is watching your profile video?

The profile video is unique among promotional videos.  This is typically the first video a customer will see introducing them to you or your company.  It's like a "Digital Elevator Speech" as Jeffrey Hayzlett calls it, or you might know it as a 30 second introduction if you belong to a leads group.

Customers might find it as a link on your email, or while searching YouTube, or looking at your social media profile.   What you put in the video, however, is vitally important in catching their attention and getting them to take action.  The following outline will help you to create a better script to use on video or at a networking event.


Step 1 - The Bait
This is where you grab the viewer's attention.  This isn't where you introduce yourself, talk about your accomplishments, or list what your business does.  This is where you spend 10-15 seconds painting a mental picture of how you can solve the customers known or unknown problem.  This is where you offer a solution to what ales them.

Step 2 - The Taste
Here is where you introduce who you are, and what you do.  Don't just list your name and services.  This is where you spend 15-30 seconds talking about your knowledge and passion for what you do.  Don't waste time name dropping, let them hear about who you are.

Step 3 - The Tug
Spend another 5-15 seconds describing your uniqueness in your industry, and why you're the best choice to solve this particular problem for the customer.

Step 4 - Reel 'Em In
The last 10-30 seconds should be your call to action.  Your audience needs to know what to do next, or they will move on and forget about you.  Be specific and instruct them to call your phone number today, click on a particular link on your web page, or direct them to a web page designed to move them through to the next buying process.  This is the most important part, and often forgotten, part of your script.

Forgetting to include the call to action is like cutting your line, and letting the fish swim away.  They're probably not going to bite again.

For more marketing ideas and advice contact Pardiman Productions at 360.259.6672 or info@pardimanproductions.com.

Promote Your Personal Service with a Profile Video

If you're wondering how a Personal Profile Video from Pardiman Productions can benefit you check out these statistics.

"54% of Americans have substituted the Internet for the phone book." Source: The Kelsey Group

"81% of Internet users look for information online about a service or product they are thinking of buying." Source: Princeton Survey Research Associates Intl.

 Check out a recent video we did for a client to help her promote her personal service.

 

(for best viewing quality choose 720p)

This video was shot in our studio in Olympia, WA and produced using additional photos provided by the client.

If you want to learn how to promote your personal service with video call us at 360-259-6672.

Local Business Profile

We recently produced this business profile video for local business Cabinets by Trivonna.

This video includes a profile of the business, introduces customers to the business owners, and provides a great customer testimonial.

Want to know how you can get a profile video for your business?


Call 360-259-6672 or check out www.pardimanproductions.com

Small Business Saturday Video Profile Promotion

 
















Doing our part to help small businesses we are offering our $300 personal profile video shot in our studio for only $99.

You come in for a 1 Hr block, and we'll create your :30-:90 sec. promotional video suitable for YouTube, facebook, websites, email links, etc.

What better way to let potential customers hear your message and get to know you before they do business with you.

To check availability of spots call: 360-259-6672 or email info@pardimanproductions.com

Why Create a Personal Profile Video?

Because sometimes it's important to just get personal.  If you're in a business that's person to person like a massage practitioner, financial adviser, or real estate agent you're not going to build customer trust and confidence with a corporate branded marketing piece. 

Someone looking for a personal service like that is looking to see that you are honest, pleasant, and have integrity. Those things don't come through in a flashy animation or an actor presented message, but they can come through if you're giving a short talk about your philosophy and what clients should expect when they set an appointment.

Another thing to think about when starting the process of creating a Personal Profile Video is who your clients are. If your clients are business owners, then a professional video directed at highlighting the benefits of doing business with your company might be appropriate. If your clients are consumers with whom you will have a long relationship with throughout the purchase process, then a more casual get-to-know-you profile video might be in order.

Ultimately, a personal profile video helps break down the barriers to the purchase process.  People are more likely to do business with someone they know and trust, and a Personal Profile Video is a  great introduction to a world full of new clients.

Check out my Personal Profile Video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FEk2JuoWGI

To find out how you can get one too... call 360-259-6672

2010 - Business Profile Videos

Online retail video brings products to life in a way that static images and text can’t, often providing the final push a consumer needs to make a purchase.

No wonder the number of online shoppers who watch retail videos grew 40% year over year from 2008 - 2009.

What will 2010 bring? At Pardiman Productions we believe nothing beats video for introducing new customers to your business.

A Business Profile Video from Pardiman Productions lets customers get to know you better, and gives them all the reason they need to choose you over the competition.

Check out this video we did recently for Community Values Magazine & Click Here to see just how affordable our videos are.

You Can Shoot Video With Your Still Camera (if you know what you're doing)

Check out this article about the pros & cons of using a digital stills camera to shoot HD video.





Seismic Shift: Why DSLRs Are Changing the Game | Studio Monthly

Are You Maximizing Your Lobby Space?

Ever wonder why grocery stores place candy and tabloid magazines at their check out counters? These are called impulse items and most people are probably familiar with the term and tactic. These businesses know that you will be waiting in line for some time, and that crazy headline will probably catch your attention.

Well, just because you don't own a grocery store doesn't mean you can't use the same tactics to entice your own customers. If you have a showroom or client waiting area this is prime area for using promotional video to entertain, inform, and up sell your current and potential customers.

What is the return on investment for all those magazines sitting in waiting rooms? Wouldn't a video explaining new sales, products, procedures, or simply thanking customers for spending their money with you have a better return? Why not make them comfortable with testimonial videos form happy clients or profile videos of your friendly and talented staff?

If you'd like to take advantage of your captive audience and produce a promotional video give Pardiman Productions a call.

360-259-6672
www.pardimanproductions.com

What Would I Do With A Video?

Last week a potential customer I met at a networking event mentioned to me that she wasn’t sure if her business could benefit from our Promotional and Marketing videos. She runs a small service business, and she had no idea what she would do with a video if we produced one.

Here are some of the ideas that I came up with for her.

WEBSITE –
Microsoft did a survey and found that 91% of people check out a companies website before they buy. Your video should be placed prominently on your homepage. On average visitors spend less than 10 seconds to decide if they are interested in a site or not. The key is to keep people on your website as long as you can. Video does this. People will stay on a site for 2-3 minutes on average if there is video.

VIDEO SHARING SITES-
If someone has never heard of you how do they find your website? Place your videos on other video sharing websites like youtube, vimeo, google video and more. You can take one video and place it on a number of video sharing websites. I do not care how they find you, just that they do.

SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES-
Videos should be put on your social networking sites (facebook, myspace etc) – show your friends. This way your video gets spread around, and you’d be surprised where your next warm lead will come from because they saw your video.

ASSOCIATION PRESENTATIONS-
Are you a member of groups or associations? See if you can sponsor an event or give a presentation about your business. Then make sure to let your video do the talking. They a say a picture tells a thousand words. Well, what about 5,400,000 words? That’s what you get with a 3-minute video. (For the math inquisitive it’s 3x60x30x1000=5.4 million)

DVD’s-
These are ideal for trade show booths, lobby screens, handing out to prospects, and direct mailing to potential customers. The cost of duplicating the DVD’s is comparable to a full color tri-fold brochure.

MOBILE DEVICES-
Laptops, iPhones, iPods, and PDA’s all have the ability to show video in a compact device. Why not use it at your next sales presentation or client meeting.

So as you can see, one video, so many uses. Lets not forget that on-line you have a 24/7 sales presence. Contact me today 360-259-6672. Your business needs video.

10 Tips to a Better Profile Video - #5 Sound Tips

Tip #5 – Sound Tips

Part of a 10 part series based on the presentation given on June 1st 2009.

There are many aspects of a profile video that viewers will make accommodations for, but poor sound quality is not one of them. There are a few simple tips that can make a big difference in how your profile video sounds.

The first thing you want to do is find a quiet place to shoot. Now this may sound a bit obvious, but a noisy shooting area can make a profile video almost unbearable to watch. Music in the background, loud air ducts or machinery, phone conversations from coworkers can all make your important message hard to hear.

The next thing you can do to make your profile video sound better is use an external microphone. A built in camera mic is designed to pick up a wide pattern of sound. This means that not only will it pick up what you're saying, but also that clock ticking on the wall, your computer humming, and your foot tapping nervously on the floor. Many external microphone options are available, from ones you would put on a stand to lavaliere mics that clip to your clothing. Just make sure that the mic has a narrow pick-up pattern, and you position it close to the person speaking.

Also, you always want to monitor your audio with headphones when recording to catch and noises or sound glitches that your mic might catch that your ears don't. Not monitoring the audio can also lead to accidentally recording no audio at all.

Lastly, if your camera has a visual meter to monitor audio you should make sure to set your audio level before recording to make sure the audio is not too low, or too high. Usually the meeter will tell you it is too high by a visual meeter with a red zone. Going into the red every once and a while is okay, but if the sound stays there it will sound bad on your profile video

Check back for "10 Tips to a Better Profile Video - #6 Camera Tips

10 Tips to a Better Profile Video - #4 Lighting Tips

Tip #4 – Lighting Tips

Part of a 10 part series based on the presentation given on June 1st 2009.

Lighting for video is part technical knowledge and part art form. Professionals spend years gaining the experience to know exactly what type of lighting to use in what situation, and what quality of light a particular fixture will provide.

For profile videos there are a few key things you can do to make your videos look better and more professional.

The first thing to look at when setting up your profile video shoot is if there are any windows in the room. Windows can provide a nice natural light source if used properly, but if used wrong can really ruin a profile video. First and foremost don't shoot toward windows. The daylight coming in from a window is not only a different color balance than the indoor lighting that will be in an office (That's a different post all together) but it's also way brighter than anything you will be able to provide with additional lighting. Even if you have to rearrange an office to do so you will be better off than if you shoot toward open windows with direct sunlight. If you absolutely have to shoot toward windows, pull the blinds at least to minimize the light hitting the camera lens.

The next thing to look at when considering the lighting of a profile video is the exposure level on the camera. Always set the exposure for the person speaking and not the background. It's acceptable for the wall behind your speaker to be dark, or the window blown out, but not for your speaker to be unrecognizable. (Unless it's a video where you are trying to keep the speakers identity secret)

If you have the ability to use lighting try using a basic 3 point lighting setup. This includes a Key Light, Back Light/Kicker, and Fill Light. Your key light is your strongest source, and should be at a 45 degree angle from your speakers face. This can be a light source on a stand, or even light coming in from a window if you can position your speaker properly. The back light is a a light that you place behind your speaker. This light serves to separate the speaker from the background and should be your second strongest light source. You should also place this light at a 45 degree angle from the speaker, and depending on your options for space often looks best opposite your key light. The fill light is a softer light source, sometimes a white reflective card, that should be placed to lightly fill in the dark side of the speakers face, or to remove shadows under the chin.

These tips won't make you ready to light the next Hollywood feature film, but they will help you make your profile video look much better.

Check back for "10 Tips to a Better Profile Video - #5 Sound Tips

Low Cost Local Video Option

Everyone who is in business for themselves is looking for low cost ways to increase sales and traffic to their website/storefront.

Video on your website can raise your ranking in search engines, and distributed on free video hosting sites like Vimeo & YouTube can generate new links, traffic, search listings, and customers.

Even if you are uncomfortable being on camera, we can produce a video like this which is informative and effective.

Send me an email corey@pardimanproductions.com or give me a call 360-259-6672 and I'll be happy to explain just how quick and affordable this type of promotional web video can be.

10 Tips to a Better Profile Video - #3 Incorporating B-roll and Testimonials

Tip #3 – Incorporating B-roll and Testimonials

Part of a 10 part series based on the presentation given on June 1st 2009.

Most profile videos are nothing more than talking heads in a little square video box. One way to improve your profile video is by incorporating other elements that help to reinforce the story that you are trying to tell. Some of the elements that you might use to enhance your profile video are B-roll, stock photos and video, and customer testimonials.

B-roll is any additional footage that you might already have or that you might have shot of you or your business. This could be you or your staff interacting with customers, video of a particular service or operation that you perform for customers that is hard for people to grasp without seeing it, or footage of your business/staff/fleet in action. This is a great way for you to reinforce what you are saying with visuals and can also be used to cover up any rough spots in the on camera part of your profile.

Another option for adding to your profile video is adding stock photography or video. This stock material can be great if your business is not in an ideal location for filming (i.e. your home), if you or your clients are camera shy, or if you just don’t have the time or money to have a professional company come shoot it for you. Stock material can be a very affordable way to add a more symbolic bit of imagery to your video. Sites like istockphoto have royalty free (you don’t have to pay again to use it) photos and video that can be very affordable.

Everyone feels more comfortable doing business with someone they feel they know and can trust. That’s one of the best reasons to do a profile video in the first place. A good way to help establish credibility in the eyes of prospective clients is by having a satisfied customer give an on camera testimonial to the benefits of using your product or service.
Customer testimonials can give your profile video that extra bit of authenticity that can make the difference of whether a prospect contacts you for your product or service, or keeps on shopping.

With just the right amount of additional material any profile video can go from dry and informative to engaging and compelling.

Check back for "10 Tips to a Better Profile Video - #4 Lighting Tips

Pardiman Productions Gets a Profile Video

For some time now I have wanted to create a profile video similar to the videos I have been producing for others, but I am always behind the camera and not in front of it.

A while back I had the opportunity to go to an event put on by Biznik and have an HD profile video shot by a colleague.

I have edited it down, and I think it does a good job of explaining what we do here at Pardiman Productions, and what makes us different than other production companies.

10 Tips to a Better Profile Video - #2 Pre-Plan Your Videos Structure

Tip #2 – Pre-Plan Your Videos Structure

Part of a 10 part series based on the presentation given on June 1st 2009.

I’m sure we’ve all heard the saying “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” If you’ve ever marched head long into shooting a profile video, only to be disappointed with the outcome, then you’ve probably made a few mistakes that a little planning could have prevented. Planning the structure for your profile video is a key step in having a pleasing and effective profile video.

The first thing you want to do when your planning your profile video is follow a basic three part structure. This structure was first documented in the writings of Aristotle, and is very simple. Have a beginning, middle, and end. When was taking classes in public and competitive speaking many moons ago the structure was explained in this way. “Tell them what you’re going to tell them, tell them, tell them what you’ve told them.” In a creative writing class it was once described as, “Get your protagonist up a tree, throw rocks at him, and get him back down (dead or alive).” I like to look at a basic structure for a profile video like this:

Introduction – Who, What, Where (Who you are, What you do, Where you do it)
Middle – Why (Why you do it, Why I need it, Why you’re the best)
End – When, How (When will I see results, How can I get it)

The next thing you want to do when planning your video structure is making sure you have all the video elements you need before you start to put it together. What images, audio, props, notes will you need before you can put the video together. If you are planning a video that’s going to involve some other element, you don’t want to find out after you’ve shot that the element won’t be available, and you’ll have to shoot your video again to make up for that element that’s missing.

Finally, plan your profile video with a call to action at the end. This call to action will be different depending on where the video will be shown, and what your product or service is, but you definitely want the viewer to take some sort of action after watching your video. Whether it’s calling for more information, click on a link, or logging on to your website, it’s the call to action at the end of your video that will prompt the viewer to move closer to doing business with you.

Check back for "10 Tips to a Better Profile Video - #3 B-roll and Testimonials