Studio Blog

As 2009 comes to a close, we asked the editorial team to tell us which of your articles and videos from the past year inspired them.

I had never heard of Airsoft until I started seeing the word show up as a trending topic on YouTube earlier this year.   With a little research I quickly learned that this paintball-like sport, wherein players engage in tactical simulations with replica firearms capable of shooting 6mm plastic BBs at 500 feet per second (!), has a massively engaged online community centered on swapping videos of their matches.   One thing I have learned over my tenure at Demand Studios is that when you are dealing with a subject that people have this much passion for, credibility and authenticity play a very important role in the success of your content.  For these reasons, I’m choosing a video from a series on Airsoft Guns as my top pick of 2009.

 

Who Shot It:  Michael Burton

What I Like About It:

 

We talk a lot about the “Wow” shot – that opening shot that draws viewers in and hooks them for the remainder of the video.  This video delivers one of the best of the year, with a one-two punch of well executed hand-held shots of our expert in full tactical gear making his way through the woods.   Not only does this make for a visually stunning into to the video, but it also helps establish the expert’s credibility with the audience.   Now he is not only a talking head, but a fellow enthusiast – something viewers responded too, earning this video over 210 comments and a stunning 143, 4 ½ star ratings.

 

How You Can Copy It:

 

Know your audience.  For titles that require opening b-roll, take a few minutes to research your audience and attempt to give them what they want.  For a surfing video, showing your expert riding the waves in your opening is a great way to both establish credibility and give the audience some cool footage to watch.

 

Shoot more b-roll than you think you will need:  You can never have too much b-roll.  Even if you just plan on using a few shots at the beginning, shooting more b-roll than you anticipate using will give you the flexibility to cut together a dynamic intro segment.

 

Work your way up to the right expert.  In large enthusiast communities like the Airsoft one, finding someone with authority and experience is key.  If you are having trouble finding that person, reach out to the hobbyist communities and ask them who the local experts are.  Being closer to their specific community will allow them to have the knowledge of who the real authorities are and who they would want representing their community on camera.

Hi all –

Many of you have posted on various blogs or in comments here and there about why you enjoy working for Demand Studios. We admit that we love hearing your feedback and thought we’d make it official by creating a thread dedicated to this. In an effort to gather personal testimonials for our PR team, we want to hear your thoughts. Very simply, who are you, and why do you enjoy working for Demand Studios?

In 100 words or less, please tell us a little about yourself and why you enjoy writing for us. These testimonials should follow two simple guidelines:

•    Start off introducing who you are and your writing background, including your full name (or professional pseudonym) and previous writing/journalism experience.
•    Lead into why Demand Studios works for you.

While your personal introduction should be pretty straight-forward, we want to hear your individual stories of why you like contributing to Demand Studios. Feel free to get personal and anecdotal.

With that said, I want to stress that these testimonials will be used for promotional purposes, so do not include anything you are not comfortable with the public reading. Also note that we may make minor revisions to correct errors, and we cannot include anything that doesn’t follow this template. And of course, we will let you know when and where your testimonial is used.

Here is an example testimonial:

I’m Sandra Walton, and I’ve spent nearly 15 years in the journalism industry as a writer and editor for various newspapers and magazines, including “Texas Monthly,” the “The New Yorker” and “The Wall Street Journal.” I love working for Demand Studios not only because I have control of my income, but because it affords me the opportunity to write whenever I want on whatever I want. For so long, I was bogged down by tight deadlines and assigned beats; working for Demand Studios allows me the professional freedom that you just can’t find in traditional print media. 

So fellow Demanders, click here to share your story!

We asked our community earlier what their “must-have” applications were for staying focused while writing. It can get brutal with thousands of distractions just a click away, and I’ll admit I have at least four tabs open at all times when I’m online. It’s bad.

Check out the forum post that continues to develop with more great suggestions from fellow writers on how they stay focused and what applications help them reach their goal.

 

A popular application mentioned was the focus booster. I was curious so I downloaded it to my computer, and it is actually really cool. It’s just a timer that goes at the top of your screen and follows the Pomodoro technique of working in 25 minute increments.  

See other ideas here:

http://www.demandstudios.com/community/forum.html?plckForumPage=ForumDiscussion&plckDiscussionId=Cat%3a857010f6-23d0-4e83-9340-a9c5a0b26390Forum%3ad3b18dac-fcb3-4f69-a9d1-410ad2c755a4Discussion%3a8ca245be-8631-4f49-929f-2ca7e0895110

 

 Enjoy!

Guest blogger Greg Perlstein is the Coordinator of Strategic Alliances at First Book, a nonprofit that provides new books to children in need. Demand Studios is partnering with First Book this December to bring thousands of books to the kids who need them most.

 

Eighty percent of preschool and after-school programs serving low-income children have zero age-appropriate books for their children. These children desperately need educational resources, and First Book cannot reach all of the kids alone. We partner with dedicated individuals, other nonprofits doing great work to combat illiteracy, and companies whose employees are committed to educating and empowering the next generation. When these partnerships begin because a group approaches us and says, “We want to help!” we are especially inspired and incredibly grateful.

 

Demand Studios came to us earlier this year with a proposal to launch the “Write for a Cause” campaign. For every eight articles written and approved during December, Demand Studios is donating a book to a child in need. After just one week, Demand Studios has donated an amazing 2,817 books, blowing away our previous best estimates of what this campaign could do!

 

During the past 17 years, First Book has donated over 65 million books to children from low-income populations. We provide resources to over 21,000 school and community-based programs. The new books that you are providing are incorporated into lessons, used to expand educators’ curricula, and given to the children to keep as their very own. By submitting articles this month, you are making a tangible difference in the lives of children. Our First Book team is extremely appreciative of your support for our mission.

 

Currently, First Book is working with Cheerios to sponsor the 100,000 Book Giveaway, which will grant 20,000 new books to the five states with the most votes in the contest. Together with Verizon and Random House Children’s Books, we are raising money and donating new books through the Season’s Readings campaign. Our annual work with Target and Heart of America resulted in over 1,700 school libraries receiving new books this year. And now, thanks to the Demand Studios community and the Write for a Cause campaign, we will reach thousands more children with new books of their own.

 

Kyle Zimmer, co-founder, President and CEO of First Book, recently shared with me one of her favorite First Book stories. A few years back, she was distributing new books from a warehouse in Ohio when a young boy from a First Book recipient group came running up to her, asking if she had any Spanish books to give away. Since the boy was just six or seven years old, Kyle was impressed that he would already have learned Spanish. She said, “Do you speak Spanish?” and the boy replied, “No ma’am, but I know that it’s out there, and this is my big chance to learn!” Thank you for helping to give thousands of children their “big chance” this December.

 

For more information about First Book’s partnership with Demand Studios, please click here. To donate to First Book, please visit our donation page.

This week’s Video Spotlight hails from Atlanta, Georgia, courtesy of filmmaker Michael Burton. Michael has been a filmmaker for Demand Studios for the past two years. Click on the image below to take a look at some of his recent work.

What was the most difficult or unexpected challenge of this production?
 It was difficult to plan this production because we used Tony Ingle the head coach at Kennesaw State University.  He is a very busy man.  Trying to get the players and coach of a popular basketball team under one roof with time to spare was definitely a challenge.

What equipment did you use for this shoot, and what methods did you use to attain the smooth action shots of the players? Panasonic AG-HMC150, Glidcam 2000, Indislider Pro. The rest of Handheld with “Smoothcam” filter applied. To obtain the smooth shots, I used a Glidecam 2000 and an Indislider for the lower floor shots.  Even then the shots were not completely steady so I through the “Smoothcam” video filter on them located in Final Cut Pro.  That smoothed them out just right.  “Smoothcam” zooms in just slightly on your footage causing your footage to be slightly less quality than it should be.  The larger the shake, the closer it zooms.  Try to avoid this technique if you have too much shake as it will distort your footage.  

What methods did you use to secure the expert? Whenever I go about trying to book a new expert, I always contact people I know first to find out who they know.  It really helps to break down the time that I will need to spend on the phone.  It’s pretty much delegation.  I delegate others to begin the search for me so that I can continue working on other projects.  I found a friend that knew the coach’s son from church.  I called the coaches home and left a message with his wife.  He returned my phone call almost a week later.  Like I said, he is a busy man. 

What is your favorite part of the production process, and why? My favorite part would have to be the actual filming.  I have already done all the pre-production work and the phone calls to get the shoot.  I am in the moment using my equipment which I love to work with.  I am working with people, which I love to do and I get to direct, which I love to do as well.  I am not even thinking about the editing process yet. 

What attracts you to filmmaking? I love the creation process.  That is why I am a producer.  I want to be with a project from beginning to end.  My favorite part of ANY production is when I get to sit in the same room as the client and watch the expressions on their faces to know that I impressed them and that they are satisfied.  I have been in so many rooms where I have made people cry, in a good way of course.  I have made people cry just from creating a commercial ad that was exactly what they were looking for and they were unsure of my abilities to do so with the budget that they had.  In the end if you know that you have created something special, then it makes all the hours spent on the project worth it.

I have to start this by saying how proud I am of all of the writers that contributed to this story. Not only was it so much fun to watch, but we did something that would not be possible in the lifetimes before us.

Individuals from all different backgrounds, from every corner of the United States, in different time zones contributed one sentences (some two) to a story they did not know. Once the line was submitted, it could not be taken back, it could not be changed, and the next line was different because of it. Our story is a bizarre story, but a beautiful one nonetheless.

My goal in doing this was primarily just for fun. But also, I think it helps to show why it is so important for each and every writer to bring an authentic voice, thought, and creative passion to a body of work that may or may not be in a format they are familiar with. Every single line in this story mattered.

Think of this when you write. As Demand Studios writers, you are challenged to maintain your voice within a very structured template. When your voice is absent in a How to or an About, it may not seem like a big deal, but it's missed. Just like every sentence of this story, the collective voice that was created out of each one of you bringing your own to the table made this crazy, Alfinian, speed dating experiment just brilliant.

Remi and I were able to watch this unfold carefully, and every once in a while we jumped in to help "steer the ship" but this was all you. This story had a life and an energy to it that came from you. I was floored to see that.

Thank you all and here it is. Enjoy!

 

A Day in the Life of Another World

I woke up, my head fogged, my eyes unfocused. Something familiar about the people in the room, but I couldn’t put names to any of them. I couldn't understand why they were all wearing blue or how come all their nametags said, "Hello. My name is Alf;" even the women. Lost in the low hum of conversation, I was startled when from behind me she said "Hello, I'm Alf."

Where was I?

Think!

Her warm smile greeted me harshly. I was instantly reminded of where I was; a place with no windows, a door and a stage ready for me. Outside, 3,000 suns whirled in a fuchsia sky. Had the Planet Alf speed date convened, yet again, in the Andromeda Galaxy?

The concept of a planet-wide speed date was staggering, but on Alf, it was only sensible. After all, the planet's inhabitants were just waiting for something new to happen. Their lives lacked the friendship connection. Hopefully, maybe today...  there would be a sign, they hoped.

I knew the speed date event was concocted to make sure all gathered in one place. I had to speak up.

"Why are you all here?" I asked, looking for verification of my speed date theory.

One of the inhabitants sent me a sharp glare. They didn't understand my part in all of this and neither did I. But I knew that I had to get through to them and make them listen.

"And why," I couldn’t help adding, "do all your nametags say Alf?"

It was the sort of mystery that could get very distracting, see.  Unfortunately, they had no ears, which explained the piercing looks the crowd was shooting my way every time I opened my mouth. Were the missing ears a human adaptation that occurred during my cryogenic sleep? No matter. I knew 200 different types of sign language from back in the day when I was a universal interpreter. Or so I thought.

What could they possibly have thought I was trying to say? Then, I heard, “You, with the ears," a woman said without opening her mouth and holding a gun, "are you a mute?”  Will she hear? Where was she coming from?

Just then 2 women emerged from backstage, rolling a small table toward me. On top, 2 metallic briefcases labeled "A.L.F: TOP SECRET." I couldn't help but notice one of the women bore a terrible resemblance to my college roommate, who had broken my heart and turned me into an alcoholic.

The drink divine - the alcohol burns my throat.

 I try to lick my lips - only to find them gone. I cannot scream. I definitely need a drink to put this chaotic play in full perspective as it unravels before me. I reached for a shot of vodka. Desperate to communicate I began speaking in the Alfian way. I pulled up my shirt carefully articulating words with my navel, but the women with the briefcase on stage quickly stole the show.

The A.L.F briefcase was opening and silenced the room. Inside was a plain white envelope, two gold earrings, and something else I couldn't quite identify. But suddenly I knew it was a bomb, and it was set to go off in a matter of minutes. I opened the envelope hoping for instructions, but instead I learned I could fly.

Nobody was happy about that -- especially me! I started to float up and was no longer in control. The Alfs clapped with each tick of the bomb, and I went higher and higher until my mind began to feel fuzzy, my ears started ringing and everything started to go dark.

I was blacking out and I could only pray that this would make sense. The clapping stopped & the bomb rang.

 

 

It wasn't a bomb at all, but the start of the planet-wide speed date. They were looking for something in their lives that had been missing, but why was I there?

 My mind flashed back to my first blind date, I wasn't comfortable then and I certainly wasn't comfortable with speed dating A.L.F.’s.

 I asked the Alf to go away; he would not listen. I grabbed his hair and he pulled away so fast that is came out. The woman I correctly recognized as my former college flame floated quickly to my said and said, “Alf 3.14, that’s no way to treat… the mother of your son! You’re going back into the hypnosis tank for aberrant behavior. Again.”

Fascinated by her crisp navel articulation, I didn’t notice the briefcase that had been set down near my feet. It was an odd, blue color; maybe teal.  Is that the same? Nonetheless, I knew I was the chosen one.   The name tags meant: Aware Life Form. Pushing LSD-like thoughts into our heads was part of their psychic experiment.

But the experiment failed.

Producing great video is tough, especially when you're the one doing all the work, from preproduction to delivering the final cut. If you're working on a freelance project, there may not be another editor to make suggestions for changes, or to notice glitches and spelling errors before delivery. Self-editing then becomes imperative. And as the volume and demand for your work increases, so does the importance of developing great postproduction workflow habits. 

Editing video is a lot like editing for any other rhetorical medium. After sitting with your nose to the screen for 3 hours, it's difficult to achieve an objective angle on the details. Is it funny anymore? Is it compelling enough? I recently saw an interview with Ira Glass of the public radio show This American Life, talking about producing good video in which he said, "All video production is trying to be crap. It's like the laws of entropy... Anything you put on tape, from the moment you try to put it on tape... it's trying to be really bad. You have to be ruthless if anything is going to be really good." His point is that great video production requires an attentive orchestrator to make all the elements support the final edit.
 
Often, I've found taking a break from the details in which I'm immersed will allow for mistakes to emerge from the video when I come back to it later. Viewing the work within the context of its larger story will also help to gain a more editorial 3rd-person perspective. I'll watch the entire video from beginning to end and look for distractions or interruptions. You may want to break up your revision process into several steps. View the video once after a rough cut for major revisions, and then again as a sort of proofread for minor fixes like misspellings.

Every one of our filmmakers will have a different process for ingesting files or capturing tapes, but taking a moment to document or tweak your organizational scheme will give you the confidence to predict and manage your time expenditure. Clean organization clears the path for a successful edit by eliminating distracting clutter and providing easy access to media when you need it. Whether creating backups of media in intuitive directories or labeling footage in appropriate bins, defined workflow tasks will ensure that your focus is where it needs to be, on the timeline.

In this week's Video Spotlight we are featuring the work of Lisa Fenderson, one of our talented filmmakers located in the Pacific Northwest. Click the image below to take a look at some of Lisa's recent work.

 

How long have you been a DS filmmaker? I have been shooting videos for DS since late 2006.

Shooting at a golf course can be difficult. You have tree shadows and the changing sun conditions to deal with. How did you set up your camera workflow to get the best image for each segment? I set my camera to "Manual" and manually adjusted the iris depending on when it became sunny or got cloudy. This happened constantly, so it was a challenge.  It doesn't help when your "monitor" is your small screen on your camera. It can be hard to see in that thing when it is really sunny. Of course, some editing tricks always help too!  I used a Canon XH-A1, and Sennheiser Wireless Mic System on the shoot.

What is your favorite part of the production process, and why? My favorite part of production is the shooting and producing/directing. I really enjoy the creative aspect of the shoots. Some assignments are better and easier than others. My favorite lately though has been the golfing assignments. Conan Elliott is so good on camera and knows his subject matter so well, that usually it is done in one take. LOVE THAT! Easy in and out and done!!! Of course, then there is the editing….

What was your first filmmaking job? Not sure if you want to call it "filmmaking", but I started shooting about 20 years ago at a local news station back home in Virginia. Started in studio production, then shooting stories with 3/4 tape and then Beta, as well as reporting and weather anchoring.

What attracts you to filmmaking? The ability to tell stories through video and convey a message. The fact that people can walk away with some kind of message, whether it is learning how to do something, of just being able to say "Wow, I didn't know that".              

Lisa Fenderson is a Producer, Director, Talent, Videographer, Editor and Writer with 20 years of experience. She began her career as a Weather Anchor/Report and moved into freelancing as Producer/Director/Talent.