Often times, new ideas can fall flat simply because a message isn’t effectively communicated and the idea isn’t properly demonstrated. Sometimes ideas for new products, etc. can be so complex that it takes an extraordinary amount of time and money to prototype them, or to communicate its benefits and functions.

This can be a point of frustration for start ups, and others, who are in the business of new ideas. The most efficient and cost effective way to get funding, get to market, and get going with your new idea is with video.

Here are 2 great examples.

Example #1: Figure8 Sternal Closure System
Developed by Dr. Tom McClellan

Dr. McClellan recognized that the closure procedure for open heart surgery needed to be better. He had an idea and went on to develop the Figure8 Sternal Closure System. It is now revolutionizing how open heart surgeries are performed.

To help promote and train surgeons – and other stakeholders – a 3D animation was created to demonstrate proper procedures, offer advice, and show the benefits of using the innovative medical device. The animation was critical in helping communicate Figure8’s message because it allows the viewer to get a clean, unobstructed, close, and accurate view of the process. Traditional video methods simply can’t capture the same angles and details.

The process in producing the animation involved careful learning and planning. We started with live demonstrations with Dr. McClellan to learn the procedure and the role of each device. The demonstration was then recorded on video to be used as a reference in animation and production. Once an understanding of the system was established, we collaborated with Dr. McClellan to create a script. After that, pre-viz animations were produced to ensure that the process was accurately captured. Once everything was solidified, the final animation and edit was created.

Example #2: Kill-Ur-Watts
Developed by KeyLogic

KeyLogic developed a great smartphone app (Kill-Ur-Watts) for helping people manage their energy efficiency. Originally, the app was entered into a Department of Energy competition along with similar products. The app eventually went on to win an award for the #1 Energy Efficiency Smartphone App in 2013.

Before the app was completely finalized, we collaborated with the KeyLogic development team to learn about its functionality and benefits. We formulated an idea and produced a video that would promote and inform viewers in regard to the new app.

The hands and phones were shot in our studio. We then went on to compose the story and finished the piece with a large dose of special effects. It’s a new and surprising way to promote this innovative product.

Video production and animation were introduced at the beginning stages of these two great ideas. It helped communicate a message, inform, and get folks excited about products that are having a major impact.

That’s what video can do as a communication tool. Do you have a new idea?…
We can help you sell it!

The post How can you make your new product or idea a reality? appeared first on Pikewood Creative.

Television commercials, like any type of custom designed product, will range in cost from free to literally millions of dollars. Did I say free? Yes, there are some local television stations that will not charge to produce a commercial, because they’ll recoup their expense when you buy commercial airtime on their station. And, yes, some commercials produced at the highest level can cost well over a million dollars.

Ok, let’s remove the extremes and provide some realistic budget ranges for producing a thirty-second television commercial for local, regional, and national broadcast.

Cost is determined by several factors:

Commercial Production Time

Exactly how many combined hours will a production company spend on your project? This total includes planning, actual production (filming), and post-production (editing and motion graphics creation).

Crew Size and Numbers

How many people are involved in the project? This could range from one person to more than a dozen. The level of complexity required to acquire the shots or create the images determines crew size. The expertise of crewmembers is invaluable. On-location shooting can present a myriad of challenges that require a crew to be nimble and creative.

Equipment Needed to Properly Produce the Commercial

Just how much and what type of equipment is needed to produce your commercial? A camera and microphone may be all you need for a very simple commercial. However, equipment ranging from cameras, lenses, jibs, cranes, lighting and electric truck, green screen, etc. may all be needed to properly execute your project.

Average Commercial Price Ranges

A single-day production utilizing a crew of up to three people, including post-production, can range between $500 and $5,000 dollars.

A commercial utilizing a crew of up to 10 people and a complete HD camera package and lighting/grip truck, including post-production, can range between $10,000 and $50,000 dollars.

Multiple day on-location productions that include crews that exceed 10 or more, and equipment that includes custom designed sets, helicopter aerials, professional actors, animation, and extensive post-production can range between $50,000 dollars into the millions.

Understanding your Budget

The easiest and most efficient way to determine how much a television commercial will cost is to tell the production company how much you’re willing to pay. That may sound counter to how we normally transact business, however it actually helps everyone involved.

A production company can provide examples of past projects that are in your budget range.

We’ve found this process to take away any mystery involved in production. Ultimately the client has the commercial they want produced within their budget. The production company has done its part by meeting and hopefully exceeding the client’s expectations.

So there you have it. The cost of a television commercial can range from free to millions of dollars, but in reality you can produce a commercial for the budget you have available.

Still curious and want a more refined answer as to what you might spend on a TV commercial production? Contact us [here] or call us today at 304-554-3910.

The post How much does it cost to produce a television commercial? appeared first on Pikewood Creative.

While these facilities can be found nationwide, and carry the McDonald’s name, they each operate independently and have to promote themselves and fundraise independently as well.

Families who have children that have to be treated at a hospital far away from home, can take advantage of the Ronald McDonald House in that hospital’s area. They can stay there at a minimal cost (or free if the family cannot afford to pay the minimum), they will be fed there, and they’ll be able to empathize with the other families in similar situations.

Volunteers cook meals each day for the families. The Houses also accept donations for everything from food to laundry detergent to paper towels. Monetary donations are helpful too.

The Morgantown RMHC wanted to be able to share their story – if you’ve never needed to stay at one of these Houses, many times the surrounding community is not aware that they exist; or, if they’re aware, they don’t know how they can help.

This video illustrates how the local community member can help to foster an already established program to keep families warm, fed and cared for during what is often the worst part of their lives.

The promotional video was created and produced completely from scratch by the Pikewood Creative team.

For more information, visit rmhcmorgantown.org

The post Ronald McDonald House Charities: Free Promotional Video appeared first on Pikewood Creative.

If you’ve never been on camera before, doing so for the very first time can seem like a daunting task. The possibility that your role in the production could be seen by a significant amount of people can feel a little overwhelming. Luckily, you can prepare yourself ahead of time by knowing some of the basic tricks to looking and feeling your best on camera before your interview rolls around.

Here’s how to make the camera love you:

DON’T

Wear logos, stripes, polka dots, or other busy patterns
High-definition cameras will pick up on anything from the tiniest pinstripes to the boldest floral patterns. Any distracting shapes, stripes, and logos can divert the main focus onto the patterns themselves instead of on you.

Choose harsh colors as your outfit’s main focus
The same principle applies to loud colors and stark shades. The eye will be immediately drawn to your alarming yellow blazer and, before you know it, the audience will have missed half of what you said. Even wearing colors such as all black or all white fails to translate well through the camera lens.

Wear jewelry that rattles
Layering multiple bracelets (especially metal pieces) often creates a distracting clanking noise when speaking with your hands. Some necklaces and dangly earrings can create the same rattling sound. If possible, keep your jewelry to a minimum so your voice can be heard with total clarity.

Wear Tinted Glasses/Sunglasses
Clear, everyday glasses are completely appropriate on camera, especially if they are part of your everyday wear. However, some people may overlook that many everyday, transitional glasses may adjust to a darker tint and stay that way in indoor lighting. If you want to avoid the Bono look, plan to wear contacts or bring an extra pair of transparent glasses.

DO

Be comfortable
Wearing a crisp, new suit on camera seems like a great idea…until about an hour into filming, when your sports jacket starts to feel more like a straightjacket. It’s best to stick with a staple outfit you know you’ll be comfortable in. When you feel good, you will appear to be much more relaxed on camera.

Wear solid, neutral colors
Solid, neutral colors are always the safest bet on camera. They allow you to be the focus without overpowering your appearance. That said, neutrals aren’t just limited to the standard tans and browns. Navy blue, gray, cream, light purple, and grayish greens and blues are all toned-down hues that translate nicely on camera.

Turn off your cell phone
And beeping watches. It will save time, energy, and battery life!

Bring spare clothing options
Bringing a few extra wardrobe changes will be helpful for both you and the production company for several reasons. For one, it ensures that you won’t blend in to a matching background. It also makes certain that not everyone on set is wearing the same color, while also making sure that your outfit works well with the camera and lighting conditions. You may want to consider bringing a few options of the following pieces: shirts, ties, jackets, blazers, pants, glasses and jewelry. Realize that each option is one you may end up wearing on camera, so, again, make sure every piece will be comfortable for you.

Sources:
ReelSEO
Media Training
Real Men Real Style

The post On-Camera Attire Do’s and Don’ts appeared first on Pikewood Creative.

Pauley won for his work in Motion Graphics/Animation under the academy’s Craft Achievement category.

“As a group we’re thrilled that Dan has received an Emmy®. He’s an unbelievable talent that were so proud to have on our team,” Pikewood Manager Tony Caridi said.

The composite submitted for Pauley’s nomination included his animation and motion graphics work for Citynet, Muriale’s River Terrace and The Book Exchange.

This was Pauley’s second Emmy® nomination; he was also nominated in 2011 by the Mid-Atlantic Emmy® Awards Chapter for animations he created for the Robinson Auto Group.

View and learn more about Pauley’s award-winning work…

The post Emmy® Award for Graphic Arts & Animation appeared first on Pikewood Creative.

It turns out he had recorded a video of his cat with his iPod. The video starts with his cat sitting comfortably and contently in front of the camera for a few seconds. The scene then suddenly transitions to the cat attacking the iPod. The screen goes black and the viewer – this viewer anyway – is left with one thing in mind… you can’t trust cats. Just kidding. It was funny. I mean, I didn’t giggle about it all day, but it was good content.

My first born then proceeded to tell me about how he’d captured the footage, shared it with all of his friends, and how his friends had shared it with family and so on. I was so proud. My boy was making videos and viral ones at that.

What is compelling to me about this, on an albeit small and giggly scale, is what a great impact video can have. We take it for granted, but it’s an effective and meaningful way to communicate with others… Especially with all the social media and technology we have today. All of us can participate and experience success.

As far as businesses and organizations are concerned, the optimal way of communicating a message is in the form of a commercial. It’s been used for years on TV and is increasing in effectiveness with the addition of the Internet. At Pikewood Creative, we produce commercials for TV and online campaigns on a regular basis, and we’ve seen first hand that the real power behind using video in today’s market is the social aspect. The fact that people will share your message, if it’s good content, is exciting and powerful incentive for including video as part of an online campaign. Adding the social factor makes the ROI of online video production skyrocket, and the potential is unlimited.

eMarketer reports that “video is the fastest-growing ad format online, and social sharing capabilities can only help that growth by allowing users to act as curators and promoters, passing appealing videos to a larger and larger audience of network connections. eMarketer estimates US advertisers will spend $3.1 billion this year on video ads, up from $2 billion in 2011. By 2016, $9.3 billion in online ad spending will go toward video.”

There’s no better time to get started with online advertising with video. If you have content that will make folks giggle, then let’s get the camera out and produce something great.

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Yet, here we are and the mobile phenomenon is changing the landscape of advertising, marketing, web development, video production, etc. Businesses and creatives are having to change the way they do things. It’s an exciting time. It’s also a competitive and challenging time. Traditional mediums are decreasing in effectiveness and now, more than ever, content is king. Content, your message, and the way you deliver your message are of significant importance and here’s why…

It’s a well known fact that it’s important to think about your message and communicate it in a creative and memorable way… a way that’s tailored and targeted to your audience. And everybody knows that attention spans in the Internet world are short. You’ve got to be on your game. That’s not news. But when you add mobile to the equation, you’re presented with a new dynamic. People are consuming your content from more places and in a much different way than before. It’s becoming the norm—wait, it IS the norm—and users are finding that the mobile experience fits their lifestyle. They want more of it and they expect more.

eMarketer estimates that by 2016, more than 110 million Americans—or one-third of the total US population—will watch video content on a mobile phone at least once per month. This year, just under 20% of the population, or 25.2% of US mobile phone users, are expected to watch mobile video monthly.

To compete in this realm, you’ve really got to think about your content and how you’re delivering it. Websites need more sophisticated navigation systems and your website must be responsive. And clearly, you need video content. It’s what people want.

The content you’re putting out there must be engaging and relevant and custom video production for mobile devices can be the best way to go.

The post Video for Mobile Devices appeared first on Pikewood Creative.

A recent study by MediaMind indicated that “rich media and video boost metrics on both the direct response and branding sides. Rich media and video made users significantly more likely to click directly on display ads—in the case of video, the likelihood of clicking on an ad went up more than ninefold.” This research demonstrates the powerful effect video can have in the online world.

Other forms of content marketing, such as blogging, are an important part of a successful marketing strategy. However, including video as part of online ad placement and as good content on your website is quickly becoming the most effective way to communicate.

Successfully getting more website visits with online video can be achieved by carefully considering your business and the message you want to communicate. Once you have a firm understanding of what you want to say, then it’s time to get to work.

Online videos can take on many forms. Sometimes the best approach is to choose a representative to get on camera and talk about your organization and sometimes you may need a series of animated videos that describe a product or service. In this exciting time of ever-changing and advancing technologies, the possibilities are endless.

In most cases, it’s best to talk with a online video expert to help ensure you move in the right direction. By getting into the routine of consistently producing video content for your website, you can be sure to captivate and communicate to your audience in an effective manner.

The post More Website Visits with Online Video appeared first on Pikewood Creative.

Here’s an example. Recently, we produced a short promotional video for the progressive city of Bridgeport, West Virginia. The video was part of a campaign to promote the brand new online city newspaper. The website will be the primary source for news for the city.

Our philosophy is that any successful media outlet, business, organization, etc. starts with a great brand identity and message. And so, the project began with a new logo and style guide to complement an existing identity already being used by the Bridgeport CVB.

We carefully considered all the various aspects and applications of such an organization and developed an identity that would set the online resource apart from other news websites. We then carried the brand through to other promotional materials such as flags, t-shirts, and more. We also designed the user interface for the website… A complete package with personality, style, and a unique identity. And so, Connect Bridgeport was born.

To introduce this website brand to the world, we produced a promotional video. The video was meant to generate interest, describe the purpose of the new website, and convey the unique qualities of Connect Bridgeport to prospective users.

The promotional video was used on social media and on a website landing page. The new website launches on April 16, 2012, and the promotional video has served as an excellent way to jump start this new website adventure and help ensure its future success.

Please watch the video and then contact us to find out if a promotional video can help you.

The post Promotional Video for Website Success appeared first on Pikewood Creative.

West Virginia Development Office – Department of Commerce Film and :30 Commercial

Pikewood Creative had the pleasure of working with Stonewall Group and the West Virginia Department of Commerce in the summer of 2011 to complete a business development video and :30 commercial to use in their business recruiting efforts, showcasing why West Virginia is best positioned to serve as home for a variety of business operations.

For two weeks in June, we traveled all over the state filming executives from several companies, large and small, to interview them about why they enjoy doing business and having their operation in West Virginia. We interviewed staff from Coldwater Creek and DuPont Washington Works in the Parkersburg area; the team at BrooAlexa in Charleston, and the team at Renick Millworks in Renick; executives at STaSIS, Quad Graphics, and the Macy’s Distribution Center, all in the Eastern Panhandle; and we came closer to our home in Morgantown to film the President & CEO of Azimuth in Fairmont. Those who are new to the state talked about how proactive West Virginia was in helping them decide to bring their businesses to the state, and how much help the Development Office and Small Business Administration have been as their businesses grow and expand.

They also spoke in great detail about the proximity of West Virginia to the east coast markets: the ease of travel for both business meetings and events as well as for shipping their product. Jay Petre from Renick Millworks even refers to West Virginia as “the hub” of the east coast!

Not only did we conduct interviews at each of these companies, but we also captured their workers in action through days of b-roll footage filming – everything from race tracks to construction sites to chemical plants to distribution centers to high end word working. It was exciting to see how much business activity happens on a daily basis in West Virginia!

We also filmed lifestyle and family shots all over the state. We captured farmers markets, scenic historical streets, a train station, a race track and casino, lots of dining and shopping, an outdoor concert and scenery at Coopers Rock and the campus of WVU to name a few. For a business considering a move or a start up in West Virginia, the staff at those companies will never want for activities outside of work.

The :30 commercial debuted to a national audience during the 2011 Greenbrier Classic. The video and the :30 commercial both won Addy and Telly Awards for 2011.

The post WV Department of Commerce Video Production appeared first on Pikewood Creative.

Lohmann has been the Executive Producer at Pikewood Creative for the last eight years, creating videos and commercials for a wide range of clients.  Earlier this year, Lohmann was awarded an Emmy^® for his work on United Bank’s “Anticipation” television commercial, centered around the lead-up to the Mountaineer football season.   In addition to his regular production work with Pikewood Creative, Dan has worked for the Olympics host broadcaster for every Olympics event in the past seven years.

Aside from his work at Pikewood, Dan has been active on the board of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes for the last five years and coaches youth soccer and basketball. He also devotes time to support Chestnut Mountain Ranch, a home for troubled teen boys, where he has produced videos to help tell the ranch’s story. He finds himself fortunate to be able to use his creative gifts for the good of the community by producing the annual United Way fundraising video each year.

The Young Guns awards were created in 1999 by West Virginia Executive.  Each year, a new class of Young Guns is selected.  Nominations for this prestigious honor are accepted throughout the year, and new members are selected each September.

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WordPress is easy to use
It’s often said that if you can edit a Microsoft Word document, you can edit a WordPress website. You don’t have to be a web designer to update your content. Updating a post or page is effortless thanks to the built-in visual editor in the WordPress dashboard. The interface is easy to navigate and everything is organized in a way that makes it easy to find.

WordPress is flexible
Wordpress is completely open source which means there is a worldwide community of programmers and designers working together to add more features and functionality to WordPress. Add-ons, or plugins, can be easily installed in the WordPress dashboard area to further enhance your website.

WordPress will save you money
Another advantage of being open source is that there are no setup or installation fees. WordPress is free of charge and basically serves as a blank canvas for creating professional website designs. Many advanced features can be added to your website by installing free plugins that were coded by professional programmers – which also include frequent security updates.

WordPress is SEO (Search Engine Optimization) friendly
WordPress is the most SEO friendly among all content management systems and allows full optimization through its features and SEO plugins. Matt Cutts from Google says, “Wordpress takes care of 80-90% of (the mechanics of) Search Engine Optimization”. With much of your website being optimized automatically you can spend more time developing better content for your users.

WordPress is here to stay
In August 2011 WordPress founder Matt Mullenweg announced that 22% of new active websites in the U.S. are powered by WordPress, and 14.7% of the top million websites in the world are taking advantage of what it has to offer. As the number of WordPress-powered sites continues to grow, so does the number of developers who are making it a better and more robust content management system.

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