• Matter Communications Acquires B2B Video Agency Skyscope

    Matter Communications Acquires B2B Video Agency Skyscope

    Further Positions Fast-Growing PR Agency as a Top Video Provider in U.S.

    (Newburyport, MA) – April 5, 2016 – Matter Communications, an award-winning PR and social media firm with in-house creative services and search marketing groups, has acquired Skyscope, a state-of-the-art B2B video production agency with offices in Worcester and Cambridge, Mass.

    Though terms of the deal were not disclosed, the acquisition effectively doubles the video capabilities of Matter’s own award-winning video/creative services group, Studio-C, which serves an array of both consumer and B2B brands nationwide. The demand for video is only increasing, as 74 percent of B2C marketers and 92 percent of B2B marketers use video as a key component of their marketing efforts.

    “The Skyscope team joins Matter at an exciting time in our history, as we have a rich pipeline of client demand for all things video,” said Matter Founder and CEO Scott Signore. “We’ve long been impressed with the elegance and authenticity of Skyscope’s work, as well as their team, customers and unique production processes. We look forward to innovating together to offer clients the best video technology and expertise available anywhere, anytime, at any price.”

    “We’re excited to join an agency that has such a strong entrepreneurial slant and a willingness to invest in products and services that drive client success,” said Alex Dunn, COO, Skyscope. “We know first-hand how the prevalence of visual story-telling will only increase in PR and social campaigns, and we look forward to contributing to the success of Matter’s clients and the agency overall.”

    Added Skyscope CEO Sam Shepler: “We’re thrilled for this opportunity and what it will mean for the clients of both Skyscope and Matter. Ultimately, this partnership is a force multiplier that will let us both deliver on our brand promise in an even bolder and more exciting way.”

    About Matter Communications

    Headquartered north of Boston in Newburyport, Massachusetts, with offices in Providence, Rhode Island, Portland, Oregon, Boulder, CO and Boston, Matter Communications executes creative, results-driven public relations and social media programs on behalf of clients across the U.S. and Europe. Matter maintains a broad portfolio of clients in high-technology, consumer-technology and consumer markets – including, among many others, Akamai, FootJoy, Harris Corporation, Lexar Media and Verizon Wireless. Founded in 2003, Matter’s PR services include company and product launches, product reviews, analyst and media relations, social media, crisis communications and thought leadership programs. The company offers an in-house creative services group, as well as a search marketing team. For more information, please go to https://www.matternow.com.

    Media Contact

    Parry Headrick
    VP of Marketing and Communications
    [email protected]
    978-518-4547

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    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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  • 4 Ways to Go Beyond Reading and Watching with Interactive Content

    Last week, Leo and I attended the quarterly Boston Content meet-up to engage in a discussion about Interactive Content. You’ve likely seen the term on several “trends & predictions” lists for 2016, but what is interactive content, exactly? And how can you use it to support your brand’s content marketing initiatives? Senior Content Marketing Manager at SnapApp, Lena Prickett, was the leader of the discussion and she had four key takeaways for using interactive content to help boost business goals.

    1. Interactive content requires consumers to engage in a way that goes beyond reading or watching

    Bringing users into the experience and allowing them to tailor the content to their interests is what interactive content is all about. This also allows marketers to essentially have a conversation with their prospects. Brands are able to gather additional data to then deliver a more personalized experience to users. It’s one of the best ways to deepen information exchanges with an audience. Especially if you have proprietary data – do something with it!

    2. Interactive content can take on different shapes, but requires you ask the same questions

    Content formats include, and are not limited to: interactive infographics, “gifographics,” quizzes and assessments, data visualization and maps, calculators, surveys, and generators and tools. The latter of which gave this blog post headline a “B+.”

    And I must personally highlight one of 2016’s top trends, 360-degree video:

    No matter what format you decide on, you should be asking:

    • What is my goal? How will this content format help me meet it?
    • What do I want my audience to gain?
    • What resources do I need to make this happen?
    • What existing content do I have that I could make interactive?

    3. Speaking of questions, you need to ask yourself, “Why should this content be interactive?”

    Sometimes it simply doesn’t make sense. If the interactivity is not actually adding any value for your audience, then spend your time and resources on something else.
     
    4. When done right, interactive content can help you meet a variety of business goals, from qualifying leads to increasing blog interaction

    As a content marketer, you’re often competing for people’s attention with Buzzfeed, the king of interactive content. So you should do your best to distract people with your own Buzzfeed-esque, “bored at work” content that ultimately keeps your brand top-of-mind and engaging. If people can engage with your content they are going to stay on your site longer, which can in turn help boost your SEO. The longer someone stays on your site, the more you learn about them and the better you can engage with them in the future. Appeal to the interests of your audience, while giving them something useful. And consider scalability by looking for and creating an interactive tool that will scale across all of your programs and channels; investing in a repeatable, templatable platform is often ideal.

    What types of interactive content do you like the best, and why?

    Tim Bradley

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  • 5 Tips for the Traveling Videographer

    5 Tips for the Traveling Videographer

    If you are a professional in the Video industry, chances are you find yourself spending a lot of time in airports, hotels, and rental cars. Traveling is my favorite part of my job, mostly because of the sense of freedom and opportunity to see new places. With that said, I do not think there will ever be a time when I can travel as light as my PR colleagues, who show up to the airport fully prepared with only their laptop, a notebook, and a couple changes of clothing. I have spent a lot of time over the past few years flying around the country conducting shoots for our clients, and wanted to share a few tips that might help ease some of the stress you will inevitably encounter during your next voyage.

    Pack Heavy and Keep your Baggage Minimal: In the video production world, “traveling light” is not in our vocabulary. Practically every shoot will require multiple cameras, tripods, lights, and a steadicam rig. Right away, a two-person crew’s hands are filled with cases of necessary gear. Since most of this is going to be checked at the gate anyways, we always try to cram jackets, toiletry bags, or extra pairs of shoes into whatever spare room lies within these cases. It helps alleviate the weight that would be otherwise carried around the terminal in a backpack and stuffed into an overhead compartment, or underneath the seat in front of you. Once you arrive at your destination, send someone to get the rental car while the other waits back at the terminal with the monstrous bags of equipment. Your arms and back will thank you later.

    Keep your Commute Short: When booking travel arrangements, be sure to look up the address where the shoot is taking place. Once this information is confirmed, see where the closest (halfway decent) hotel is. If it’s available, book it! You will thank yourself the next morning when you’re spending a few extra minutes sleeping off the jet lag, instead of fighting off the morning rush hour traffic.

    Find a Window of Personal Time: Many times the destination cities are places you may have never been to before, and who knows when you’ll have a chance to make it back there. Try to spend a few minutes before traveling to figure out when there might be a little bit of down time. If you don’t need to be on location until 10 or 11 AM, go get coffee near that landmark you’ve always wanted to take a photo of. If you flew in around the dinner hour, then it may behoove you to find a restaurant that specializes in local cuisine. As I grow older, it also seems like more and more friends are moving away. Business trips give you a great reason to make an after hours pit stop to catch up with those you haven’t seen in a long time.

    Bring Something Else to Work On: As refreshing as it is to break the day-to-day routine and spend a little time out of the office, that first day back at home base is just around the corner. When this day comes, there will be a mountain of unread emails to go through and reply to. While it’s not possible to bring all projects with you, see if there are a few things laying in your queue that are close to the finish line. You’ll feel better knowing that something can be checked off your to-do list upon your return. For a three-day trip, I always try to bring at least two projects along with me, as well as some tutorials or brain exercise for the flights.

    Don’t Overstay Your Welcome: Get in, do what you need to do, and get out. There’s nothing worse than wrapping your shoot and then having to wait an extended amount of time before your flight home. If your company works with a travel service, its always smart to see what other flights are available around the time you’re scheduled to depart. Find one that’s on the early side, and one on the later side. Depending on how the shoot is going, you should be able to sense if your day is going to run a little early or late. I always keep the 1-800 number for our company’s travel partner in my phone in case an issue comes up. Typically, they can book you for another flight in the time it takes to hail a cab to the airport.

    It is my hope that some of the tips listed above will help keep your blood pressure in check while on the road. In less than 24 hours, I’ll be keeping these ideas in mind while traveling to North Carolina. I’m scheduled to land around 4; I think I’ll have barbecue for dinner. 

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



     

    Matter

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  • 4 Reasons Why Digital Video Will Win The Decade

    4 Reasons Why Digital Video Will Win The Decade

    Last week at CES 2016 in Las Vegas, Robert Kyncl, Chief Business Officer at YouTube, presented the keynote on why digital video will win the decade – and video and content marketers should take note.

    But before diving in, let’s refer back to 2012 when Kyncl made some bold predictions. He said that by 2020, “90% of all internet traffic was going to be video traffic,” and “75% of all video people watched in the US was going to be transmitted through the internet.” Fast forward to the CES 2016 Keynote, Kyncl justified his predictions by educating the crowd:

    • “Cisco predicts that video will actually reach around 90% of global internet traffic by 2019 – so a full year ahead of schedule.”
    • “By 2020…digital video will only reach about 60% of the total pie, not 75, as predicted.”

    However, Kyncl is standing by his latter prediction because he doesn’t think digital video will grow linearly – currently at 25% a year – but exponentially. “So, this being Vegas, I’m doubling down. I believe digital video will overtake TV to become the single largest way people spend free time before the end of the decade,” states Kyncl.

    Per Kyncl, here are four reasons why digital video will win the decade:

    1. It’s inherently mobile

    Bigger, brighter and sharper screens, longer battery life, stronger and faster data speeds, and better sound quality are all trends producing devices constantly improving on the mobile video viewing experience. “And app makers and publishers, from Snapchat to The New York Times, are all investing in making video a core part of their experiences, accelerating mobile video consumption,” adds Kyncl. “And on YouTube, the average time people spend watching video on their mobile device is forty minutes, a gain of 50% year-on-year.”

    2. It’s endlessly diverse

    With digital video, not only can audiences share and search, but choose to consume at their leisure. The mobility is “successfully changing the way we consume video into the way we consume books – you can find one on whatever interests you and consume it whenever and wherever you want,” explains Kyncl. “That openness has led to incredible content diversity. Not only do we have videos on every topic imaginable, entirely new genres of video have been born on YouTube.”

    3. It’s never been more important to music

    Aside from sleeping and working, watching video is the #1 way people spend their time. What’s #2? Listening to music – at just over four hours a day. “And YouTube is a major source of that music,” Kyncl reports, “More than half of all teenagers use [YouTube] as their main way to find and listen to new artists, in large part because we have the biggest and best music library available. If an artist has a live performance, a remix, an acoustic version or an out of print track, chances are you can find it on YouTube. But the best thing about music on YouTube is that music videos can become massive phenomena, whether they’re from established or emerging artists.”

    4. It’s immersive in a way TV can never be

    CES 2016 product and technology trends in Virtual Reality and 360 video are at the forefront of this statement, and leading content creators around the world are using this technology to tell richer, immersive, and interactive stories.

    “Already on Android and soon in iOS, you’ll be able to watch any video on YouTube in VR…making VR truly democratic and primed to grow exponentially,” concludes Kyncl.

    These four reasons and trends all point to digital video’s success during the decade.

    To watch Robert Kyncl’s Keynote in its entirety with compelling cameos from Scooter Braun, founder of SB Projects, Nick Woodman, CEO of GoPro, and Chris Milk, CEO of Vrse, carve out an hour for the video below:

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



    Tim Bradley

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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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  • Smartphone Video: The Future of Professional Filmmaking?

    We all know that smartphone cameras are the most popular point-and-shoots in the world right now. Each generation, they’re  packed with more megapixels, higher frame rates, and crispier color capabilities than ever before. You’ve probably seen Apple’s newest campaign that shows a breathtaking slo-mo drone shot of someone surfing, or a billboard that features a photo that looks like it was taken straight from Claude Monet’s garden. Optical lens attachments are available from a variety of third parties at just about any focal length, making your back pocket the home to production quality that was unimaginable ten years ago. An iPhone film has even won an Academy Award. Ever seen ‘Searching for Sugar Man’?

    Staying (at least) one step ahead of the masses is something that we find ourselves thinking about as professional filmmakers. Here are a few reasons why professional video still reigns supreme.

     

    1. Dynamic Range

    Dynamic range is the difference between what the camera thinks is completely black, all the way up to what it thinks is completely white. This is measured in F Stops, and a high end camera will feature a greater amount of range than your smartphone will. Ever notice how when you want to take a sunset photo on your smartphone, you have to choose between getting the great sky colors, or making your foreground visible? That’s because the camera’s dynamic range is not wide enough to encapsulate the difference in light all at once. A professional camera is able to do this, creating a more aesthetically pleasing image.

     

    2. (Lack of) Touch Screens

    In the consumer world, touch screens make everything easier. They minimize the amount of buttons that fill up a particular device, giving it a sleek look. But when I’m on a shoot, I don’t necessarily want to navigate through menus everytime I change white balance, exposure, shutter speed, or shooting style. I personally like having all of these controls live in their own space on the actual camera body so they can be quickly accessed at any point. I would much rather have the screen space to check waveform levels to make sure both the exposure and color is balanced properly. An LCD screen should be saved for tools like this, or to navigate through options that do not get changed that often, like picture style or autofocus method.

     

    3. Audio

    Ever hear that crackling hiss noise when someone sends you a snapchat of them riding their bike? Or perhaps the ambient noise of a crowd behind a person when they are FaceTiming you? Yeah, its the worst. Audio is half of the final product you’re creating, so if it is captured with poor equipment then there isn’t much you can do to save it in post. I think this is the biggest difference between a consumer video and a professional one. When we shoot a client video outside, bringing along windsocks, zeppelins, and wombat fur covers are always a necessity. If positioned correctly, they will help capture the audio you want, while massively cutting down on wind and other unwanted elements. Professional video cameras will also include inputs for XLR audio cables, along with knobs to adjust the different audio channels. The closest a smartphone can come to this is the built in microphone on a pair of earbuds, however, that’s only a single channel of audio.

     

    Wrapping up here, I realize that many people are on the other end of the spectrum, and want to make their smartphone video look just as good as something they’d see on TV. Here are a few smartphone apps that can help you make your iPhone videos come out better.

     

    Magisto (Free, iOS/Android): This app lets you add basic edits, music, and interesting looks to your smartphone videos.

    Socialcam (Free, iOS/Android): This app allows you to shoot and edit video within the app, and it does not put a time limit on how long your clips can be, like Vine does.

    Cinefy (Free, iOS/Android): This app has fun effects and animations that you can add into your video, and also allows you to import music straight from iTunes.

    Matter

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  • Finding Inspiration: Filming with the Freefly M?VI

    In the video world, new gear comes out seemingly every day.  It’s equally exciting and frustrating to see the rate at which technology is improving and prices are dropping (“there’s now a 4K version of that camera we just bought last year? Awesome!  But also, Grrr…”).

    As someone who very closely follows the announcement of every shiny new tool released for videographers, I’d have to say that, to me, around 95% of new products more closely resemble the planned obsolescence of the iPhone than truly radical innovation.  Which is perfectly fine, by the way – those who love the newest, best, and brightest are constantly satisfied, while those content with their existing equipment still get years of quality performance from their investment.

    But every once in a while, I get my hands on something that is such a revelation that I find myself re-invigorated, inspired, and reminded of why I love doing what I do.  And find myself saying, “I NEED THIS NOW!”  Mainly because it will benefit our clients as much as ourselves.

    That happened to me a few years back when I bought my beloved 5D mark II, and was suddenly able to capture images previously unattainable without investing tens – if not hundreds – of thousands of dollars in high-end film equipment.

    It happened again a week ago, when the video team here at Matter got our hands on the Freefly M?VI camera stabilization systems.  We were fortunate enough to get a private, intensive masterclass at our local rental shop, Rule Boston Camera, on how to properly use this tool in many scenarios (while overall a magical system out of the box, you DO need to know how to use it properly).

    https://instagram.com/p/zqLAOelAC5/

    For the layman, The M?VI is a handheld camera stabilizer that came out a couple of years ago (admittedly, we’re a little late to the game on this particular piece of gear, but hey, we’re busy folks).  It allows you to mount your camera, grab the handles, and run around shooting handheld to your heart’s content while the footage remains smooth as silk.  Essentially the same as a Steadicam shot, which you’ve seen in countless movies (think “The Shining,” the Copa scene in “Goodfellas,” all of “Birdman,” and pretty much every other movie you’ve ever seen).  There’s a slightly different quality to the M?VI – a little dreamier – but essentially the same idea.

    Now, why is this worth writing about, or reading about if you’re not a videographer?  Because this is one of the few tools we’ve encountered that can be applied to pretty much every video project we do for our clients.  Live Action Explainers? Check.  Commercials? Check.  Office of factory tours? Check.  Event Coverage? Check.  Plain-old solid B-roll? Check check.

    It allows us to bring both energy and polish to footage – something every brand video needs these days in the crowded world of visual content.  And it does so easily and for a relatively modest price.

    The first thing Tim, Colter and I said to each other the day after our training session was “Man, I wish we could spend all day today shooting on the M?VI again!”

    Consider us inspired and invigorated.  Stay tuned for our future work, which will undoubtedly feature shots using this awesome system.

    For now, check out a quick sampling of what we shot at our session.  Admittedly, it’s pretty much us running around the Rule office like idiots, but hey, It’s cold and snowy here in Boston (in case you haven’t heard).

    https://vimeo.com/121668657

    What about you?  Have you encountered a tool recently that has inspired your work?  Let us know!

    A very special thanks again to Dylan Law and Rule Boston Camera!

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    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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