Pardiman Productions Featured in Chamber Magazine

Pardiman Productions Owner Corey Lopardi shooting an event.

Marketing Tips for Chamber Members

Pardiman Productions Owner Corey Lopardi is seen in this photo participating in the Thurston County Chamber's Marketing Clinic.

Use Video to Enhance Your Event

There are so many ways to use video at your event:

• Customer testimonials on a loop playing at the event
• Employee or company profiles on a loop playing at the event
• Quick interviews with attendees and speakers shot at the event and used for later marketing
• Recorded workshop sessions posted to YouTube or you website
• Live streaming the event with UStream.tv.

Want to know how you can use video to enhance your event?

Contact:
Pardiman Productions
360-259-6672
www.pardimanproductions.com

Online Video Drives Retail Sales

Exerpt from Companies Throw Their Weight Behind Online Video - eMarketer


Retail is a sector where online video is becoming more important for driving sales. When asked by Multichannel Merchant to identify rich media features that they used, 46% of US multichannel retailers picked video, making it the highest-ranked category in the survey. Another 42.3% of respondents said they planned to add video capability in the next year.

Several studies point to increased use of video by US companies. According to Forrester Research, the percentage of the top 50 US online retailers that offer videos on their sites skyrocketed to 68% in 2009 from 18% in 2008.


Want to know how you can use video to increase your online sales?

Contact:
Pardiman Productions
360-259-6672
www.pardimanproductions.com

Pacific Northwest Mushroom Festival 2010 - TV Spot

Check out the most recent spot we did for the Hawks Prairie Rotary Pacific Northwest Mushroom Festival 2010.




Interested in finding out about getting your own spot produced?

Contact Pardiman Productions
360-259-6672
www.pardimanproductions.com

Using Photos in Video - Part 2

Lets take a look at how the different video resolutions match up with the types of photos you might have for a video. (The black background represents the size of the video screen. Photos have been made smaller for space, but dimensions are relative for example)

This is the original image that you might get from a 10 megapixel digital camera (3872 x 2592 at 300dpi)






This is the same image dropped into a standard definition screen without any modification (all you see on screen is the blue upper left corner)






Here is what the same image looks like dropped into a standard definition screen when converted from 300dpi to 72dpi (conversion was done before importing into video editor)






Here is what the same image looks like dropped into a standard definition screen if it was taken from an iPhone (1600 x 1200 at 72dpi)






And here is what it looks like when you drop a web thumbnail into a standard definition screen (150x150 at 72 dpi)

HD720p and HD1080p screen looks:

Original image dropped into a HD720p screen (3872 x 2592 at 300dpi)






Original image dropped into a HD1080p screen (3872 x 2592 at 300dpi)






Here is what the image looks like dropped into a HD720p screen when converted from 300dpi to 72dpi (conversion was done before importing into video editor)





Here is what the image looks like dropped into a HD1080p screen when converted from 300dpi to 72dpi (conversion was done before importing into video editor)




Here is what the image looks like dropped into a HD720p screen when taken from an iPhone (1600 x 1200 at 72dpi)





Here is what the image looks like dropped into a HD1080p screen when taken from an iPhone (1600 x 1200 at 72dpi)





And here is what it looks like when you drop a web thumbnail into a HD720p screen (150x150 at 72 dpi)






And here is what it looks like when you drop a web thumbnail into a HD1080p screen (150x150 at 72 dpi)





So what does this all mean? Well, next time we'll look at how your project dimensions and photo dimensions determine how or if we can use your photos.

Using Photos in Video - Part 1

At Pardiman Productions we often get asked by clients to incorporate photos and other images into the videos that we produce for them. Unfortunately, these photos are often unusable for one or more reasons.

We hope that the following information might help you in choosing photos for use in your next promotional or marketing video.

To help you understand what goes into determining if a photo is usable or not for video we'll look at the resolution, dimensions, and file types that are most suitable.

The resolution of standard definition video and HD (high definition) video are both 72dpi (dots per inch). A digital photo from your camera is more than likely going to be 300dpi. However, the resolution of the web is 72dpi as well, so when that photo is converted to be used on the web, more than likely the resolution is also decreased. A photo coming from a mobile device like an iPhone is also going to be 72dpi.

The dimensions of your screen and photos are where you'll find the real difference in numbers. The dimensions of a standard definition video are 720 pixels by 480 pixels. In both photo and screen dimensions the first number is always the width, and the second number is always the height. A wide-screen standard definition image is 854 x 480. 720p HD dimensions are 1280 x 720, and 1080p HD are 1920 x 1080. An image at highest resolution from a 10 megapixel camera is going to be aprox 3872 x 2592, while your iPhone image is listed at 1600 x 1200, and a web based thumbnail is usually a mere 150 x 150.

You can easily find the dimensions and resolutions of your photos by right-clicking or control-clicking on the photo and choosing the 'get info' option.

Next time we'll show some examples of differen't images and how they match up to video screen dimensions.

Multi-platform Marketing with Video

Every once in a while I stumble across a company that is using video in their marketing across multiple platforms to really take advantage of the sales, educational, and viral opportunities that video offers.

SEABEAR is one of those companies.

They are using video in different formats on YouTube , and linking to it through their website, online catalog as well as their print version, and in social media like Facebook.  That being said, there are still things they could do to make the video more easy to find and view, but they are on the right track.

Want to know how you can do something similar?

Contact:
Pardiman Productions
360-259-6672
www.pardimanproductions.com

Video in Email - A Powerful Sales Tool

An often under-utilized marketing technique is email marketing.

Unfortunately, many small businesses are intimidated by the thought of effectively incorporating video into their email campaigns.

Leveraging the power of online video in email is an effective way to gain visibility, compel actions, and expand the influence of your brand, products and services.

The key to email video success is to keep it relevant and user friendly. No one wants to watch a video that doesn’t relate to their needs. Nor do recipients want a video that takes a long time to load, is low quality or can’t be accessed easily.

Use the following as a guide to effective video in email:

• Always host your video and link to it through your email. This will ensure load time and quality is consistent for every viewer, allows you to introduce the viewer to other content you may have available, and it provides an easy way to create a viral campaign where viewers can share your video with others.

•You need more than just an image to engage subscribers to watch your video. A short description of the key message in the video will confirm the subscriber’s interest and compel them to click-through and watch.

• Use flash video (FLV) whenever possible.  Flash has the highest market share of any computer video player, has better usability, and a higher compression rate that allows for better streaming capabilities.

Want to know how you can do something similar?

Contact:
Pardiman Productions
360-259-6672
www.pardimanproductions.com

Using Video to Teach...and Sell

Are you communicating with your customers via this important medium?

If you have products or services that require help, advice, or how to’s consider using a video format versus the traditional pdf or web version. It’s more interactive and allows for demonstration.

Look at what the Pottery Barn is doing to add value to their website:

Want to know how you can do something similar?

Contact:
Pardiman Productions
360-259-6672
www.pardimanproductions.com

Leadership Thurston County Graduation Video

Here is a project we did for Leadership Thurtson County.  They asked us to put together a video for their graduation highlighting the participants and the program.



We shot 20 interviews in one day to put this together.

Web Video - It's really popular

Did You Know...

According to comScore, the average U.S. Internet user watched 170 videos last month. 

Forrester said you're 53 times more likely to have your site appear on page one in Google with video on it.

Clearly, web video is "gotta have" stuff for your business.

Let Pardiman Productions "Put motion in your promotion."

Owner Named 2009-2010 Ambassador of the Year

Pardiman Productions owner Corey Lopardi was named Thurston County Chamber of Commerce's Ambassador of the year at the Chamber's Annual Meeting this week.

Ideas to Spark Your Video Creativity

This is an excerpt from a larger article by Amy Porterfield

#1: Educate
Tell people about your product or services.  Give the details on features and benefits.  Tell them everything they’ll receive once they make the purchase.

#2: Answer questions
What do you get asked most about your product or services?  Most of us can think of a list of at least 5 to 10 questions we get asked often.  Make short 2- to 3-minute videos clips where you state the question and then the answer.  These are easy to make and extremely valuable to your prospects.

#3: Do a product review
Find a product or service that would be of interest to your niche and your audience and do a review on its benefits and features.

#4: Grow your list
If you have a business, you need a list of potential clients.  Make a video to encourage your prospects to give you their name and email in exchange for something you will give them.  You can give away an ebook, an article (tips, strategies and how-tos are always popular), a tutorial video, a free consultation, a type of assessment, etc.  Figure out what your prospects would find most valuable and create a giveaway around that. (Here’s a hint:  give away your best stuff.  Don’t hold back.)

#5: Talk about your case studies and results
Make a video about the results you were able to achieve while working with a client or talk about a case study and show what you did for them and how you can do the same for the viewer.  You can also show a case study of someone who did not follow your guidance or use the method you teach and failed. Another similar idea is to read testimonials from your most satisfied customers while weaving in key examples.

#6: Tell a story
People can relate to you when you tell a compelling story.  Weave a lesson into your story as a takeaway.  You can also tell about an event from your past that has shaped who you are or how you do business today.

Full contents of this article can be found here.

How to Supercharge Your Videos

This is an excerpt from a larger article by Amy Porterfield

How to Supercharge Your Videos

To make sure your video stands out above all the clutter on the web, here are a few strategies that will give your videos an extra boost.

1. Create a Campaign: To get noticed, think beyond stand-alone videos.  For greater reach and exposure, create a series of content-rich videos that you publish regularly.  Not only will this create a great synergy around your content, but it will also allow you to build upon your brand identity as each video is released.
2. Always Include a Call to Action: Never miss the opportunity to ask your viewers to take some type of action at the end of your video.  You can ask them to sign up for your newsletter, go to a specific website, leave a comment about your video or visit your blog.  If your video is good, you’ll likely have their full attention; make sure to take advantage of it!
3. Don’t Make a Sales Pitch: There is a lot of sales clutter on the web and you want to make sure you come out above this.  There is nothing wrong with selling your products or services, but use your video to define a problem, discuss solutions and support others—when you combine the three, your video will attract the right following.

Full contents of this article can be found here.