• A Newcomer’s Guide to Drone Videography

    A Newcomer’s Guide to Drone Videography

     At this day in age, it’s amazing to think that remote controlled drones (or UAVs) are becoming a part of everyday life. They can be seen in search and rescue applications, lighting scenarios, and of course aerial videography. When it comes to other places it can be useful, the sky is the limit (pun intended).

     

    Let me preface this write-up by stating that I am still a newcomer to the drone videography world. My goal for a while has been to learn any video rig I can get my hands on, and this is the most logical next step. The value in drone videography is obvious as well; shots from the sky add an interesting perspective to your video that simply cannot be replicated.

    At first I was under the impression that someone can go out and buy one of these and use it freely, similar to a remote controlled car- boy was I wrong. Here are a few tips and other things you should consider when becoming a drone enthusiast

    1. Start Small: A drone big enough for a camera complete with all the necessary batteries, prop guards, gimbal, and controllers will set you back at least a couple thousand dollars. Before making such a purchase, I found that buying this $70 drone is a great stepping-stone before graduating to the bigger contraptions. It helps with getting a feel for the controls, air resistance, and aerial maneuvering. It’s also inevitable that you’re going to have a few crash landings, which won’t damage it because of the small size (the drone in the link fits in the palm of your hand).
    1. Take a Class: Flying a drone is not a “plug and play” solution. There are important details such as calibration, course setting, home lock, airport communications, and many other things you need to know that can’t be summed up in a brief YouTube video. I found that taking an in-person course really helped me get familiar with both the drone and the app. The instructors are all licensed helicopter pilots who can address any other questions you may have, and there’s a block of class time that’s used for flight practice.
    1. Stay Current with Government Regulations: The FAA controls all of the airspace in our atmosphere. Whether it’s a few inches above your head or 400 feet off the ground, they are the ones who make the rules. It’s important to read up on their current and proposed regulations, so that you don’t get ticketed or fined for flying illegally. Right now, in order to make money from flying you’ll need to obtain an FAA 333 Exemption, or be a commercial airline pilot. While this paperwork can be easily applied for, it takes roughly six months for it to get approved and sent back. I’m writing this blog in June, and it’s been rumored that the FAA will be coming out with a separate set of drone pilot regulations this month. We’re still waiting on that, which leaves a lot of us commercial drone pilot hopefuls in limbo.
    1. Practice, Practice, Practice: Similar to the first tip I covered earlier in this blog, you can never have enough practice. After all, a great aerial shot cannot be achieved without great aerial maneuvering. Setup a chair or trash barrel in your yard and practice orbiting around it, with the nose of the drone constantly facing the subject. Once you’ve mastered that, give these a try.

    To sum it all up, it seems like drone flying is a hobby/professional tool that is here to stay. It’s an activity that should be done with safety as the number one concern, and enthusiasts should not rush to the finish line. I’ll leave you with my three favorite drone videos on YouTube (1) (2) (3). Happy flying!

    Fill out the form below to schedule a free strategy call with our team.



    Matter

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  • Does your PR Agency “Do” Video?

    The statistics are everywhere: people are hungry for online video. Overall, research estimates that the number of video views among Internet users grows north of 25 percent per year. If you think that number is going to recede any time soon, you’re likely also banking on the fax machine as the future of lead generation.

    So what has this to do with public relations? Here are three ways engaging video can help with any public relations efforts:

    1. On social channels, posting videos increases engagement by 100 percent or more, depending on which survey you read. So, if 50 people click on your text-based post, on average, then you can expect 100 clicks if you include video. More clicks means more chances to attract buyers of your products and services. More eyeballs is good PR.
    1. News outlets are always hungry for great video content that their readership will click and share. If you understand the media landscape for your company, and actively identify the sites and blogs that accept video, you can essentially develop a syndication network for your content. That’s powerful, but the key is that the video has to be entertaining or otherwise add true value. Sales pieces aren’t going to fly.
    1. Quality video can effectively humanize a brand by bringing the viewer “into the fold.” When fans, prospects and others are able to see your culture, hear your thought leaders talking and experience a slice of life from your company, they feel more invested in your success and are more likely to buy from you – or want to work for you.

    The key to all of this is the quality of the video. More is better, but quality always trumps quantity when it comes to using the power of visual imagery for public relations.

    What other ways do you use video for PR?

    Scott Signore

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  • Why I Get Amped When Visiting Our PR and Social Media Office in Portland!

    Last week I shared some thoughts related to the experience that clients have when engaged with a PR and social media agency that has a national presence – and this week I had the opportunity to spend some time with my dynamite crew of professionals in one of our offices on the West Coast. Here are a few reasons why I get pumped when I visit Portland, and in particular, when I spend time with the smart, savvy and hard-working gang from Matter in that city:

    First, Good Lord – what a town. Portland has a terrific blend of people, culture, hobbies, and happenings. It’s a city that supports an active lifestyle – and please see our gang getting recognized for being so healthy! –while also offering more eating, drinking and merriment options than all other cities of comparable size and scope. It’s a vibrant community that’s fueled by solid and honest people.

    Second, speaking of those people, our office is jammed-packed with a group of outstanding locals – and those who are quickly becoming locals. There’s a great blend of local knowledge, balanced by perspective from the East Coast. Half of our crowd are born and raised in the great Northwest, but a number of staff have moved to this great city from Boston, Atlanta and other hot spots on the eastern seaboard. As a result, it’s so nice to be here in person to meet new people – but also to see some of the familiar ones who made a great life choice to add to their career experience by spending time in Portland.

    Third, it’s special to sit with the team here in Portland in person and be reminded about their capabilities and their PR savvy. I love hearing first-hand how they are working creativity into their client programs – in terms of imaginative pitch ideas for media relations, or highly visual content produced by the creative team. It’s terrific to hear them overcome media challenges, and celebrate successes. While improvements in connectivity have changed all of our lives for the better, nothing really compares to talking shop in the office or catching-up on life during a visit to a pub.

    Fourth, this town has a steady and growing technology buzz. Beyond its thriving start-up scene, in which Matter client Urban Airship is so active, a constant stream of established players, such as Google, Intel and eBay, have moved people and their gigs to the region in the past few years. There’s so much energy that results from having credible, thriving and opportunistic technology players side-by-side, and the buzz can be felt while walking in the Pearl District – or glancing quickly at GeekWire.

    I like spending time here in our Portland office – can you tell?

    Scott Signore

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  • 3 Video Trends for 2016

    2015 was a great year for online video – just check out the excellently crafted and entertaining #YouTubeRewind video. And there’s no signs of the momentum slowing as we enter 2016. From a communication professional’s perspective, I’d like to offer-up three trends that will likely have the greatest impact on how video will influence the industry in 2016.

    1. Mobile Video

    50% of video views will be via mobile in 2016. And more specifically, the biggest video platform of them all and the one that reaches more 18-49 year-olds than any cable network in the U.S., YouTube, supports that more than half of their video views come from mobile devices. Adults in the U.S. spend an average of 5.5 hours watching video each day, with 1 hour and 16 minutes of that on digital devices. Mobile video should be the biggest consideration for online communicators, especially in public relations and content marketing.

    2. Attention Spans and Viewing Habits

    Mobile devices and their connected counterparts (aka TVs) will continue to contribute to video viewing behaviors and ultimately increased attention spans. 81% of consumers watch videos longer than 10 minutes, and 65% watch videos longer than 30 minutes. Holistically, the number of hours people spend watching videos on YouTube has increased by 60% year-over-year. For mobile YouTube audiences, the average viewing session is now greater than 40 minutes. One interesting tidbit to note is that the weather can actually impact viewing habits; viewers watch 29% longer in cold weather while consumers watch 6x more video content on mobile devices during warm weather.

    3. Demand and Advertising

    According to Cisco’s staggering numbers, video traffic will be 69% of all consumer internet traffic in 2017 and could reach 80% by 2019. Fortunately, video converts better than any other medium according to approximately 70% of marketing professionals, likely due to the fact that the average click-through-rate for video advertisement is higher than any other digital advertisement.

    1+1=$

    YouTube’s mobile revenue has doubled year over year, and according to an eMarketer study, mobile ad spend will top $100 billion which accounts for more than 50% of the digital market. Despite all this, there’s still a huge opportunity for digital content marketers and advertisers in 2016, as only 24% of brands are using online video to market to consumers.

    Ultimately, video will have a remarkable role in how audiences engage online, as well as greatly influence content marketing and advertising budgets in 2016. Research shows 60% of companies who have a documented content marketing strategy rate themselves highly in terms of effectiveness, so it’s very important to have a documented video strategy for – and proceeding into – 2016.

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    Sources:
    https://www.youtube.com/yt/press/en-GB/statistics.html
    http://www.emarketer.com/Article/Mobile-Ad-Spend-Top-100-Billion-Worldwide-2016-51-of-Digital-Market/1012299
    http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/solutions/collateral/service-provider/ip-ngn-ip-next-generation-network/white_paper_c11-481360.html
    http://www.codefuel.com/blog/video-marketing-statistics-for-2015-the-next-big-thing-is-here
    http://kantarmedia.us/insight-center/reports
    http://www.emarketer.com/Article/US-Adults-Spend-55-Hours-with-Video-Content-Each-Day/1012362
    http://www.marketingprofs.com/articles/2014/26719/2015-will-be-the-year-of-video-marketing
    http://www.reelseo.com/50-per-cent-video-views-mobile-2016/
    http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/2016_B2C_Research_Final.pdf

    Tim Bradley

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  • 3 Things to Look for When Watching a Video Sizzle Reel

    3 Things to Look for When Watching a Video Sizzle Reel

    At year’s end, most video production houses should be recapping their latest and greatest work into a short video for the world to see. Also known as the “sizzle reel,” this video showcases said video house’s best work and truly provides good insight into the group’s production value, quality, aesthetics, and knowledge in industry. This best-of-the-best video is ultimately edited very intentionally to project or parallel the type/style of video the House wants to be creating in the future, so I’m offering some tips of what to look for when watching a video house’s sizzle reel. If you’re a B2C or B2B content marketer or business in need of a video and researching production houses, keep an eye on these key elements within a sizzle reel:

    1. Production Value

    A simple quality control check, ask yourself this question: does this look good to me? From drones to jibs and image stabilizers to dollys and sliders, there’s nearly an infinite amount of production gear readily available to video producers to create dynamic video that help craft your story and detail your message. A professional video house should be using ALL of them, and not resting on the laurels of any given one. The sizzle reel should exemplify all facets of production tools and techniques. And two major things that are equally as important as the video quality are the lighting and audio. Lighting sets the tone and mood of the picture so working beyond just natural lighting is important. And many splashy sizzle reels tend to omit audio clips and soundbites, choosing to let the music bed do the talking, but we all know that audio can make or break a video so it’s important to provide examples of professionalism.

    After these essential fundamentals, it’s important to dive a little deeper and acknowledge the editing choices and techniques showcased in the sizzle reel. Shot selection in a sizzle reel is important to acknowledge because every video editor should be very deliberate in any video project; each shot should tell it’s own story in some way. In a sizzle reel, each shot should highlight some facet of the video house’s production value: camera movement, framing, lighting, audio, video coverage type, and/or industry knowledge. Lastly, bonus points for advanced editing techniques such as timelapses, transitions, overlays, color grading, motion graphics, animation, etc.

    2. Industry Knowledge

    In a 1-to-2 minute sizzle reel, there’s plenty of opportunity to showcase one’s expertise in any particular industry. Especially when, to reiterate, the sizzle reel is a video house’s opportunity to present the type of work they want to be doing. As a content marketer, it’s important when reviewing a sizzle reel to note what type(s) of industry said video house has produced work with/for because each has it’s own opportunities and challenges. Primarily working with an industry that’s based mostly outdoors vs. working indoors is probably the most obvious, but others include: product vs. service, people vs. places, and action vs. static.

    Working with a creative services group that’s in-house of a PR and social media agency offers a wide berth of industry perspective and knowledge that ultimately translates cross-businesses. Not being stuck in just one industry can open up possibilities for how you look at other projects, and allows for fresh perspectives as well as best practices when creating different types of videos.

    3. Story-telling

    A video house’s expertise can fall under any number of arenas: company explainers, thought leadership, company or product launches, testimonials, recruitment, lifestyle, event coverage, social media, live broadcasting, etc. And obviously a sizzle-reel is a compilation of many such individual stories. But it’s important that the sizzle reel should tell a story within itself as well. A content marketer should be able to watch the sizzle reel and have a good understanding of the video house’s service offerings as well as the expertise they can bring to the table.

    If you’re a content marketer who plans to produce engaging and compelling video, we’d love to brainstorm your ideas. What types of video do you intend to create? Check our Agency Reel:

     

    Tim Bradley

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  • Infographic Best Practices

    Infographic Best Practices

    Data, data, data… how can we make the communication of data quick, clear and interesting? Of course an infographic. Love it, great idea. But not all infographics are created equal. So what makes one stand out as effective and unique? Well, in my first couple of months here in Studio C at Matter Communications, I was tasked with creating a couple of these information graphics one of which ended up in Times Square in New York. I figured this was a good time to share some infographic best practices for creating and laying out an infographic.

    Start with a concept

    Depending on who the client is and what their data is about, deciding on a visual direction is the first decision you’ll make. For example, one of the infographics I created recently was for a company that tracks food safety. With that in mind, I selected visuals for the infographic that reinforced their story. Fish on a plate, pizza, bread—all of these visuals were either used as basic illustrations to give greater context to the information, or were turned into representations of the data.

    Keep it short

    One of the bigger challenges I’ve come across is a client submitting long explanations for each data point. Focus on a visually interesting number or percentage is usually distracted by a long statement expounding on the data. While there should always be a description of the data—so it makes sense and is true to the facts—some clever copy editing can help de-clutter the design returning the reader’s attention back to the most impactful parts.

    Charts and graphs

    Here is an opportunity to have some real fun. Since you started by selected a visual concept, you can now turn a regular pie chart or bar graph into something interesting that stregthens the concept. In my example earlier of the food safety client, I used a flat vector style for the design and selected different foods to be in the layout. In one area of the graphic I cut a loaf of bread in two, making one section of bread just about 2/3 of the entire loaf. The data was refereeing to how 2/3 of the respondents of a survey answered a certain way. This visual representation of the data was certainly more interesting then a generic chart.

    And Some Technical Thoughts 

    When it comes to color and typography, less is more. But you can get a lot of mileage out of just a couple of typefaces and a few colors. My first suggestion is to stick with a client’s visual corporate standards. Choose fonts and colors that are on brand and work well together. The key is to choose a font that has a large family — many weights and styles. This will allow you to create emphasis, texture and contrast to the typesetting. As for color, use a few “percentages” of a color to create depth. Both of these strategies will lend the overall layout a uniform feel while presenting variety in the design.

    Have fun creating your next infographic. I know I will!

    Matter

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  • 4 Tips to Stay Creative when the Inspiration Just Isn’t There

    When it comes to creating visual content for a client, the intention is to always make something that sets itself apart so it gets the high levels of engagement that we all covet. Unfortunately, us right brained folk go through times when we don’t feel like we’re living up to our artistic potential. I recently attended an event hosted by Boston Content, to chat with others about this exact feeling. Here are a few takeaways that may help out when you get the imaginative writer’s block.

     

    1. Create (and continuously check) Your Holy Grail of Creativity

    For me, these places include the Vimeo Staff Picks, motionographer.com, YouTube channels of motion graphics experts, and definitely Instagram. They allow me to quickly check out what people in my field are creating, as well as what’s trendy at the moment. It helps that these spots are curated so I don’t have to spend much time finding something that may inspire me. I’m willing to bet that your cloud security clients aren’t checking in on these, so looking at a tutorial for a crafty animation technique and then tweaking it to your client’s branding can help wow them without making you feel like your brain is melting.

     

    1. Maintain Your Confidence, Even Through the Dullest of Days

    The reason your company hired you is because of your skillset, attitude, and potential. This is something to keep in mind, especially when you receive a laundry list of constructive criticism on a project that you thought was some of your better work. Some people will keep a folder in their email of all the positive feedback from clients, and go through it when it seems like a current project is running around in circles with no end in sight. It helps clear the mind, and keep you aware of why you chose this career path in the first place. For me, the “clearing of the mind” usually involves a mid day pit stop at the variety store near to our office for gummy bears or a cup of soup.

     

    1. Find Out What’s Inspiring Your Coworkers and Peers

    Sure, some of these people you wouldn’t find yourself hanging out with on the weekend, but it helps to see what is catching your colleagues’ eye. Here at matter, we have created a “cool creative” email alias that anyone in the company can sign up for. Instead of sending along marketing trends, or the latest study on consumerism amongst millennials, your might see an explainer video for a carrot, or perhaps an infographic of celebrities first pitches at MLB games. The content of what’s sent in these emails just has to be something cool and creative (hence the alias name) and doesn’t have to have anything to do with work.

     

    1. Drink Coffee

    Lots of it. Hot, iced, it doesn’t matter. Try to save those double shots of espresso for the days when you really need a boost, instead of making it part your everyday java routine. I think we can all agree that by some principle of divine intervention, coffee makes you more creative.

     

    Editors’ Note: “The Business of Content Creation” was hosted by Boston Content and broken into sessions. Check out some other takeaways in these Matter blog posts:

     

    The “Science” of Content ROI

    Follow me on Twitter at @MatterStudioC and @MatterComm on Instagram.

    Matter

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  • Animate Your Infographics to Maximize Your Reach

    In today’s media landscape, there’s no such thing as “too much content.”  The amount of platforms, outlets, and opportunities for getting your message seen and heard is enormous, and it’s crucial that brands take notice and stay ahead of the game.  

    As both the Boy Scouts of America and Scar from the Lion King advise, “Be Prepared.”  It’s best to always be ready with content (especially visual content) before it’s needed, because inevitably, it WILL be needed.

    Here at Matter, we’re big proponents of maximizing content and creating cross-platform campaigns.  It’s one of the many benefits of having a full suite of creative services under one roof, working with both the PR teams and each other to keep messaging and aesthetics consistent, regardless of what the “output” is.

    While larger projects (product launches, cause campaigns, etc) benefit most from utilizing the “Holy Trinity” of Creative Services – integrated Web Development, Design, and Video (more on that in another post), smaller initiatives can benefit immediately from simply going one step further with your content production than initially planned.

    With that, I give you The Animated Infographic – A cost-effective way to spread your message across as many platforms as possible, while maintaining a consistent design aesthetic.

    By developing both a static infographic AND an animated video based off of that infographic, you’re ready for almost any application.  Examples:

    -Post the infographic on your site (obvi…)

    -Add the video to your YouTube page (also obvi…)

    -Print out the infographic to use as collateral.  Clients have used our infographics at presentations, sales meetings, or even blown up and displayed as artwork on walls (we do that too)

    -Include either the infographic or video (or both!) in press releases and blog posts

    -Run the video on TV screens at trade shows or at your office.

    And the best part is, as your story gets pitched to media and spread on social channels, you can accommodate any content request.  Some websites may prefer to embed videos, while some may want the static infographic.  Print publications, obviously, would prefer the infographic if they plan to print it.  Double-up on Facebook and Twitter blasts by sharing both pieces of content separately.

    This way, you can be sure that you’ve got a consistent message and design aesthetic, and have maximized your opportunities for sharing across all possible outlets.

    Check out some examples we’ve produced here at Matter!

    Tyco Integrated Security:

    Anna Jaques Hospital:

    Madico Window Films:

    High Liner Foods:

    Matter

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  • From NBPT to PDX: The Importance of Face-to-Face Communication

    A bi-coastal, cross-office exchange program – how cool is that? With the importance of office culture always top-of-mind at Matter Communications, a program was created wherein each month two professionals from our East Coast locations are offered the opportunity to visit our new Portland, OR location. The goal: foster work relationships and encourage collaboration.

    Sarah Ellis and myself were recently (and fortunately) selected for the trip, and it was a blast. Exploring the sites and sounds (and eats) of a new city is always reinvigorating for the soul. Pairing that with new and/or improved work relationships was a true reminder of how fun and fulfilling working at Matter can be. Since I’m more of a visual guy, I created a short video essay to describe the trip:
    https://vimeo.com/97553022

    #PDXMatters

     

     

    Tim Bradley

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  • 5 Reasons Why Having a Creative Studio Kicks Ass

    Most public relations and social media agencies still haven’t seen the light. They haven’t yet embraced creative deliverables as a requisite for going to market in today’s communications world.  Most haven’t complemented their existing client programs with high-impact videos, infographics, or other creative elements that improve the story-telling and help key messages reach key audiences in an effective manner. We opened our physical studio a few months back – after outsourcing too much creative work to other providers – and our in-house team of producers and designers are hopping!

    Here are five reasons why having a creative studio as part of your public relations and social media agency kicks ass:

    First, the market demands visual storytelling and any PR agency with in-house talent and related equipment has a leg up on the competition. Clients understand that they benefit when their PR and social media representatives work in lock step with their creative staff.  An agency can go to a pitch – or propose a program to an existing client – that is truly comprehensive, and that’s a key differentiator.

    Second, the efficiencies of having the PR and social media team in the same building as the creative team are many, and they relate to both process and budget.  A minor change can remain minor, while something more significant comes out of the starting block several steps ahead.  Those who help with key messages and how to connect those messages with key audiences are already in the building and on staff.  Rather than working with two providers, maintaining alignment with one “team” is ideal for project management.  (Editor’s note: the efficiencies are so great that here at Matter we are commonly finding that our creative team is able to deliver sought-after creative content faster and more cost effectively than the client’s own in-house creative team.)

    Third, investing in people and technology continues to pay dividends. We’re experiencing it first hand by having made a technology investment for one client and now having the opportunity to offer the same service to our entire client roster and prospects. (In Studio-C by Matter we have the ability to execute live and interactive broadcasts with any broadcast TV station globally. We’re offering satellite media tours for our clients at a fraction of the cost of the traditional vendors.) Having creative equipment is unique and while the market is competitive, there’s opportunity to offer new services to new clients.

    Fourth, we can do “more” because we have a physical space dedicated to creative activities. We have multiple backgrounds for our video shoots, and an area dedicated to still product shots, as well as enough lighting equipment to create virtually any environment desired by a client. We can get creative – as creative as we need to be – because the space was designed specifically for such activity.

    Finally, it’s exceptionally fun. It’s new and refreshing. In some ways I believe it’s exactly what the PR industry needed following the meteoric rise of social media. While we still spend lots of time and energy thinking about the words we use (and how to share them most effectively), it’s fun to think visually and deliver complementing creative content that dramatically improves engagement.

    Do you work with an agency with an agency that has a creative an in-house creative studio? Do you agree that that set-up kicks ass for you and your business?

    Scott Signore

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