Indianapolis Video Production Service

This has very little, if anything, to do with online video production or software that helps you distribute your video content online. It was, however, sparked by what I've seen around the Cantaloupe office and in the offices of our clients.*

I'm curious - what inspires and motivates you to do what you do everyday? What makes your role (in the workplace or another aspect of your life) special or your job rewarding (beyond the paycheck, or perhaps simply because of what it enables you to do)? Where do you get the energy to do all that you do?

* On a daily basis, I watch my co-workers get excited about the stories they are able to help our clients tell. I watch them go above and beyond to make sure all aspects of the video will wow their clients. I watch as our clients talk about what they are doing and how their companies make a difference. It's amazing to watch what gets people out of bed each morning and I invite you to share your passion and excitement with us in the comments below. 

Cantaloupe is expanding!  You may know us best as an Indianapolis Video Production company, but we have been doing work for our clients all over the country & even outside of the country for the past 5 years.  Now we are focusing on the Windy City!  We have been creating online video for many clients in Chicago over the past year... and now we are making it more permanent - we have found a resource to represent Cantaloupe in the Chicago market! 

It wasn't an easy position to fill - we needed a great personality, with experience in the Chicago Marketing community, that had a solid understanding of the needs of online marketers.  Someone with talent and experience to build relationships with clients and enthusiastically promote our video marketing solution. 

We finally found her!  We'd like you to meet Abigail Salch.  We like to call her "Chicago Abbey"

She's a Chicago native that has been working in the marketing industry for - well, we don't want to show her age.. lets just say 10+ years.  In addition to being a marketing whiz she is an avid biker.  She recently did some crazy week long bike ride across Iowa!  ragbrai.com/

Welcome Abbey, we look forward to seeing more of you.. give her a shout if you are in Chicago, she'll be a great resource to help you with your online video marketing needs!

We all did this exercise as children. We ask a question of an adult and get an answer. We then follow it up with "why?". Another answer from the ever-patient adult. "But why", we ask.

When did we stop trying to dig a little deeper and begin taking things at face value? I've watched clients' faces when I've put on my kid hat (not my kid voice - let's not get those confused) and asked, "but why" in a meeting.

Yes, you want to do a video about X, but why? What's the story? What's the business goal it serves? What's the objective this video or the larger online marketing campaign? Why now? What is the larger plan that this marketing video fits into? Why this particular audience (you do know who your audience is, right?)?

Answering the 'why' questions will help reveal the deeper objectives of the video and will help us craft the most effective online video for you. Ask yourself "why" when you are making decisions about your authentic video stories. Ask "why" of your coworkers when they pitch the next great story idea. And don't be afraid to ask your Cantaloupe video production team "why" when we recommend your next video strategy and series to you.

 

ReelSEO, a leading blog in all things online video, did a post recently on the pros and cons of self-producing your online marketing videos vs. hiring a professional firm. If you're thinking - like many of your peers - "I'll do it myself (or have the intern do it). How hard can it be?", take a gander at the balanced argument they offer.

They post comes down on the side of hiring a professional and includes the following benefits:
1. Added value & services from a partner who can bring knowledge and best practices to the table
2. Creative collaboration
3. Minimal wasted time & energy
4. Quality in line with your brand and image

They go on to conclude:
"There are really only three instances when choosing to self-produce is the best choice:
Remember: video production is only one of the hurdles to take into consideration. Learn about the five hurdles of online video during our weekly webinar.

I stumbled across this link a couple weeks ago and was thrilled with the possibilities. What a great client USA Football could be for Cantaloupe TV. Whether they do stories on some of the $1 million+ awarded to youth/high school football programs or any of the work done with the NFL and the player's association, the possibilities are endless. 

This is an awesome move for the city of Indianapolis and I think this is a great organization that could really benefit from online video production. They have stories which aren't done justice when written in text. 

Now, I just have to help our sales guys make this happen! Hmmm.... 

 Need further proof that authenticity is the way to go?  Well check this story out.

LOFT, a popular retailer, decided to leverage their Facebook page to promote a silk cargo pant.  So, they decided to do it the traditional way -- with a tall, blonde model; an attempt to blend traditional and social, interactive marketing.

What ensued was an excellent example of authenticity and an open brand.

"Fans" started commenting that the pants only looked good on the tall, slender model and would look terrible on average women.  So, the LOFT responded by taking pictures of their own employees wearing the pants, and posting them to their Facebook page.  Their "fans" were ecstatic, some purchased the pants for themselves, while others were further convinced they wouldn't look good in them.

Chalk this one up as a win for the LOFT.  Their open embracement of criticism and their candid, authentic response made their "fandom" a lot bigger and a whole lot stronger.






To learn how to merge authenticity with your video marketing campaign, email me at bevans@cantaloupe.tv.  Cantaloupe TV is more than a video production company; we are online video experts!

Search engine optimization for online video (SEO) remains a hot topic in the world of online marketing. Here are a few tips & tricks to getting the most bang for your buck.

1. Make sure you use your keywords in your video's title, description and tags. The tool you use to manage your web videos should enable you to specify these pieces of information and adjust them over time.

2. Use the content of your website to support your video's SEO. Place your video on a page that makes sense to its message and tags. Let the textual content of the page reinforce the content of your video. This will make it easy for Google and the other search engines to figure out what your videos are all about and serve them up as results.

3. Target specific search phrases, not just single words. "Cupcakes with organic frosting" is better than "cupcakes" (if you're an organic bakery) or "authentic video production in Indiana" rather than "online video" (if you are Cantaloupe).

Yesterday I was catcing up on a show on a FOX.  I find myself only watching shows online anymore, more convenient.  Even more convenient than my DVR.  I was again reminded of why video ads are such garbage.  I saw they exact same Wendy's commercial several times.  They showed me the same, lame commercial over and over.  I was so annoyed that they had me - had my attention - if I wanted to continue watching the show, I had to endure the ad.  What a wasted opportunity.  They could of showed me a creative story - or a series that continued through the show -  some ad that made me say hmmm, want to find out more, or remember their brand in a positive way.  They know the demographic that watches this show - probably in my age bracket - and I would guess, more women than me.  AND THEY SHOWED ME THE SAME COMMERCIAL!  They should of showed me how their .99$ frosties are a healthy reasonable sized treat for my kids instead of the huge oversized treats you get from some places....

Okay - so I have high expecations.  As party of an online video marketing company, we are constantly working on getting people's attention and driving them to action.  But the online video production market is getting savier and pickier.  And its because we are losing our faith that advertising has anything real or relevant to offer us.  No one clicks on ads, because they have a connotaion of being cheap and cheasy - lose 10 lbs in 10 days, improve your performance, car insurance, blah blah.  Stop giving me car salesman content and use all the data big brother is collecting and give me something more interesting!

How am I supposed to maintain a good work ethic during the World Cup? It's hard enough simply knowing that there are games being played. Games with an intensity that comes along once every four years. Games on DAILY.  

With people realizing the importance of online video production and the fact that I work for a company like Cantaloupe TV... I am able to stream these daily matches. Watching them right at my desk, live nonetheless. 

Wow! Internet video is a powerful beast.

USA all-the-way! 

To wrap up the series on common web video mistakes marketers make, I thought I'd hit on the most fundamental - failing to ask for help when you need it.

Asking for help is super scary and failing to do so may be the biggest mistake we - as professionals and as people - can make. Whether it's crafting your company's new marketing message or determining that web video is a good tool for getting that message out, you are never expected to have all of the answers. 

Producing, distributing and measuring interactive, engaging, authentic web video is what we do day in and day out. Take advantage of Cantaloupe.tv's experience and expertise to round out your team - whether its in strategy, story development, online video production best practices, or interpreting analytics of your website and online videos.

If you don't know... ask.

Working for a video production company like Cantaloupe TV that films and produces all types of web video for clients, I see some days that are more exciting than others. This week, I had the opportunity to shoot a video for a client of ours who specializes in safety equipment for transportation vehicles. The type of vehicle that we were focusing on this time was school buses for children. This client equips school buses with new state of the art seat belt systems for everyone on the bus. Wow! I wish there had been this type of safety on buses when I was a kid. All we had was an "escape window" that wouldn't even open enough to let cool air in on a 90 degree summer day Indiana. How the times have changed. Anyway, this shoot turned out to be really cool. I know you're saying, "Right. Seat belts on buses... Must have been a really cool shoot Christian." Well, it actually was. The amount of training that goes into school bus driver certification is amazing. On this shoot, Producer, Justin Gutwein and I were able to get a hands on look into the training facility. Sirens, smoke clouds and everything. Turning the most mundane shoot into something that is very interesting to watch. The final video is not complete yet, but if you search around our blogs enough you might just find a behind the scenes look at our shoot. Happy Hunting...


Just incase you can't find it...

My wife subscribes to Indianapolis Monthly and was reading through the most recent May 2010 issue. She called me in to show me a very brief mention of how the Tony Stewart Foundation (one of my Cantaloupe TV clients) utilizes online video. Well, not exactly...

Leading Indiana news provider and video services and software provider combine to offer viewers dynamic video content

Cantaloupe.TV, LLC, has just announced a partnership with the leader in Indiana business news and video content, Inside INdiana Business, to provide an enhanced video experience for its online viewers. Cantaloupe.TV is an online video services and software company headquartered in Indianapolis, IN. The partnership allows Inside INdiana Business to provide leading edge video viewing capabilities through its website via Cantaloupe’s online video platform, Backlight.

“Cantaloupe offers an outstanding video management, hosting, and analytics platform for our viewers,” explains Gerry Dick, President of Grow Indiana Media Ventures, the parent company of Inside INdiana Business. “It is easy to integrate into our website and allows our viewers greater access to high quality videos. Our partnership with Cantaloupe will enhance our position as the Indiana leader in video content.” With Backlight, Cantaloupe offers a software platform that takes the guesswork out of online video, making it easier for media companies and businesses to manage their video library, incorporate video content in their online properties, and track its success.

Cantaloupe worked closely with another one of Inside INdiana Business’ partners, Bitwise Solutions, for the rollout of Backlight. “We recommended Cantaloupe’s Backlight product as a good fit to incorporate into the customized media website solution built by BitWise Solutions. Integrating the Backlight product into the website not only extends the video capabilities desired to benefit site visitors, but also allows Inside INdiana Business to continue making the updates themselves,” says Curt Franke, Vice President of Business Development for BitWise Solutions.

“Inside INdiana Business is a natural fit for our online video platform,” says Stacy Billanti, Cantaloupe’s president. “The user will be able to view and engage with videos easily, and Inside INdiana Business will be able to point-and-click to embed videos into the website, upload pre-roll advertising video, track video activity, as well as manage all of its online video content in a single library.”

OK, this is a little scary. My 7 year old daughter met a boy at a wedding of a dear friend. They danced the night away and she insisted it was love. Because we all know 7-year-olds know a lot about love.  Anyway, "the boy" lives about 2 hours from out home.  For months she has talked about him and vice versa.  Finally, after much prodding the two talked, with the parents sitting on the other end of the respective lines. No, they didn't talk on the phone they insisted on Skyping. It was kind of cute.

So, what does this mean about online video production or video marketing? It shows the power of video and what it brings to the table.  Video, when pulled off well (very important phrase), brings a lot of things together that simply cannot be done as well in text or photographs.  Video allows one to experience an emotion better than any other medium.  Pictures, while they can be moving, are merely a snapshot in time.  Video pulls the viewer into a more rich experience.  Text, while it can also be impactful, does not bring the emotion of the moment or the character into account.  Internet video marketing has the power to do all of that in one 'experience.'  Subtly pepper in marketing messages, showing a visually compelling scene and getting the viewer to feel something are integral in the success of any marketing video, especially when it is on the internet.  These are the three ingredients I continually 'preach' to Cantaloupe TV clients.  That's why my daughter opted for Skyping over talking on the telephone.  She wanted to hear AND see her "little boyfriend."  Video accommodated that.  It was a much more enriching and memorable experience for her...and me!  And, no she will not be doing this regularly and is not allowed to go on a date until she is at least 25!   Rock on. 

Again we're discussing common mistakes marketers make with their videos in their online marketing campigns. On- and offline videos are a representation of your company, your people and your level of quality. It may be someone's first impression of you.

So, you have a fantastic online marketing video including all the right people, a perfectly polished message and a gorgeous setting. It's been edited exquisitely and is ready to be posted on your website. There's one final step that can make or break you're viewer's perception of the video, your company and your quality - the video encoding. Yes, a little technical. Yes, a little critical to success of your online video.

Video encoding helps prepare it to be played in a number of players - since we already know your site visitors use a number of players on a number of browsers. During the encoding process, decisions are made about the resolution, bit rate, frame rate and many other items that directly effect quality of playback.

Whether you do your own video production, or use a partner like Cantaloupe, your digital video editor must be mindful of how his or her decisions impact the final product you lay before your potential and current clients. Quality (real or perceived) is not the place to cut corners.

 Video marketing is quickly becoming a crucial part of a company's marketing efforts.  Yes, it is important for a company to have online video content available for their clients to see. However, what's more important than simply producing online videos and throwing them on your site is getting people to not only watch what's there, but to crave more.... 

One way to ensure you're maximizing your views is to put thought into your character(s) or who your video is featuring. Oftentimes, clients are too worried about getting their President or CEO in the video, rather than determining who can speak passionately and knowledgeably about the story and content. If your CEO is a "stiff," no one will want to watch the video.  Instead, I urge my clients to choose an ordinary employee or customer, someone who is in the trenches experiencing the story you're trying to tell.

By choosing those everyday employees or those ordinary customers, you're giving the viewer something/someone to relate to. It will make your story stronger and more entertaining for the viewer. At Cantaloupe TV, when it comes to online video production, ordinary is often remarkable. 

Often, your most powerful online videos are retired and forgotten about after several months of being featured on your website homepage or in an online marketing campaign. 

Don't retire those online videos, let your sales reps use them!   They aren't just for your online marketing campaigns, they need to be re-purposed, reused, and leveraged as powerful content for the sales process.   Just think, what would you rather see after an intro meeting with a potential new vendor?  A boring PDF or PowerPoint, or an engaging video of the vendor's President talking about the very business issues you are facing?   And in a sales call, wouldn't you rather see a client testimonial than hear a rep talk about their processes and great staff?  And web video product demos are a powerful door opener for sales reps.  

So share all your online videos with your sales team and let them brainstorm about how best to use with prospects.   And be sure to give them training and provide them with an easy platform to embed the videos into their emails, PowerPoints, and during sales presentations.  Check out how Backlight can help marketers and sales reps engage more prospects and sell more by viewing this video.  

“I'm shaking all over. I was just interviewed for my company’s online marketing video, and my mind froze. I couldn't remember even simple concepts. I was stumbling all over myself. I had stage fright. It was an embarrassment.”

Public speaking and being recorded are common fears. Never mind that the videos produced for you by Cantaloupe are not live, will be edited to present your best possible image and messages and the interviews can be shot repeatedly to capture you at your best, this can still be a nerve-wracking process. Relax.  

Below are a few common questions that often help the characters (interviewees) during our video production shoots.

When will I receive the script? I’m not good at memorizing lines, by the way. Our authentic story telling format alleviates the need for scripts. Our producers will ask you questions in a conversational style. Talk from your heart and as if we are your client, friend or employee.

Which way to wardrobe and makeup? Again, think authentic. We want to see you how you are everyday. If you wear a suit and tie to work, wear a suit and tie to the video shoot. If you wear jeans and carry a hard hat, that’s how we want to see you.

What if I don’t know an answer or my mind freezes during the interview? Let the producer know that you are unsure, need to consult the notes you smuggled into the room with you or need a minute to regroup. Our goal is to make you and your company look good.  
You know your material – you live it everyday. Whether the video is for a new product launch, an internal message to key employees or an opportunity to showcase your company to new prospects through interactive marketing - your streaming video is about you. Take a deep breath and speak from your heart. You’ll look mahvuhlus!

If you have other questions, please ask your producer, project manager or client success manager anytime.

My husband, being a "man's man," loves these kinds of silly, quasi-perverse rhetorical questions.  And the age-old querry, "does size really matter?" always gets a smirk from him.  But, really it does apply to video marketing on the internet.

Online video storytelling, in any capacity, is much more labor intensive and costly than writing an essay, article, or a blog. So, often times those who purchase videos believe they must be scripted epics that cover every single marketing message their team of managers, assistants, and directors can concoct.  Whereas I truly appreciate their efforts, a well-rounded web video strategy looks at each individual video as a simple part of a more well-crafted branding image.  Instead of having an executive spend 20 minutes on a video telling me how great his/her people are at XYZ Company, I'd rather hear from and see the individuals in short and impactful video stories. 

In my experience, successful online videos have several key components- they are visually interesting, convey an emotion, and do not drag on and on for the sake of dragging on and on.  The last thing any marketer wants is to spend a ton of money on a video nobody can stomach to watch.

In my tenure at Cantaloupe, I can't tell you how many times I have told folks that we are not like a lot of traditional website video firms.  With our style of web video production, we don't price on the basis of how long a video is (unless it is a 20 minute epic- I wouldn't recommend that anyway), rather we price based on the number of videos and the style.  So...does size really matter?  You can interpret the question however you want, but sometimes (to my husband's delight) smaller is better.