Videographer for eTown Videos visits with owner Lisa Godin of Lisa’s Hair Shop in Easthampton, MA

Peace, Love, and Hair – eTown Videos visits with Lisa Godin of Lisa’s Hair Shop in Easthampton, MA

Today we had the pleasure of meeting the delightful and charming Lisa Godin, owner of Lisa’s Hair Shop in Easthampton, Massachusetts. During the upcoming Easthampton Chamber Video Spotlight, Lisa will talk about her enhanced services and talented stylists. Lisa has been operating her business for 26 years and she’s perfected the art of making you look and feel great.

Stayed tuned and check back on the Chamber’s and eTown’s Facebook pages in early June for the completed video production.

Beautiful time lapse video of Western Massachusetts sky and clouds

We created this time lapse video on May 10th, 2013 looking at the Western Massachusetts sky. Hope you enjoy it.

Online videos come in many varieties – from dogs on surfboards and people dancing. I watch them because many are indeed fun and entertaining, you could also become an unexpected star on YouTube Many online videos are shot with low res phones or smart phones. Interestingly though, per Mashable, 9 out of the top 10 YouTube videos in 2012 were produced professionally. If you are a business considering a marketing video then quality plays an important role. High quality video builds trust and reflects on your companies or organization’s vision. As a business owner you take pride in offering the best service and products possible, therefore, your marketing video should reflect that commitment to quality and service. It is critical that your first impression is a good one. Someone discovering your business online for the first time wants to be impressed. Put your best foot forward, be original, authentic, and showcase your business with a high quality marketing video. I am not saying that you need to spend tens of thousands of dollars, a high quality marketing video can be produced even with a limited online marketing budget.

If you are a business located in Springfield, Northampton, MA or any of the Western Massachusetts communities, feel free to contact us and we’d be happy to provide you with a complimentary video marketing consultation.

Even the most casual Internet user is realizing that the online experience is increasingly driven by web videos and video marketing. comScore, an Internet analytics and research company, estimates that the online video audience has reached approximately 85% of the entire US Internet audience.
Some time ago, Forrester Research found that a webpage which has a video included, is 50 times more likely to make a first page appearance during a Google search.
Well, what does this mean for local and regional clients based in Northampton, Springfield, Massachusetts or any of the surrounding business communities? It simply means if you  are utilizing online marketing strategies to attract new customers then some of your marketing dollars must be spent on video marketing. If you’re wondering how much of an investment is necessary to have a marketing video produced, perhaps this blog post can be of assistance in your decision making process. Keep in mind that video marketing production means different things to different people in Springfield, Northampton, Massachusetts (or any place else for that matter).

Here are the web video marketing costs:

We produce basic marketing videos for our clients for  as low as $500-$800 per video. Typically these are small businesses with 1-5 employees. The video includes interviews, background music, basic text and title animation, some logo motion graphics, as well as B-roll footage, and of course video marketing editing services. Many times businesses use these web videos for months or even years, nonstop 24/7, in other words,  you can get a lot of online marketing mileage out of a single video marketing production. Here’s video marketing example from one of our Northampton, MA clients.

Other businesses have also requested storyboard development, script writing, professional voice-over narration, in addition to the above mentioned services and prices can be as low as $1800-$2000 but in many cases these larger web video marketing productions range between $3000 to $5000. Keep in mind, marketing videos typically require a significant amount of on-location production times as well as post production editing services. Developing a concept, telling your story to reflect your company’s vision and brand and then creating a marketing video that is consistent with your vision is indeed time-consuming. But quality matters and your potential customers to do appreciate the well produced video with relevant content.

Marketing videos are not the only type of videos which our clients in the Western Mass region have been using. Consequently, the pricing structure for video production could have a different cost range. As an example, we recently completed a marketing video production for an attorney in Springfield, Massachusetts who will be using his videos within his blogs. The videos have an average run time of two minutes, and consist of basic informational videos during which the client talks straight into the camera, more or less uninterrupted, providing useful information and advice to his audience. These two minute informational web videos may require a script which is prepared by the client. These types of videos require less post production and editing time. Much of the cost for video production lies in both the concept development, pre-production planning, and post production services.

Therefore, to be clear on what type of web video or marketing video your business or organization requires will determine how much production time, resources, and cost is required.

Carolyn Shiel of Shiel Farm and Greenhouses located at 66 Pequot Road, Southampton, Massachusetts. Interview during her video marketing production for the Greater Easthampton Chamber of Commerce.

Visiting Shiel Farm in Southampton for the Greater Easthampton Chamber of Commerce

A few weeks ago we shared some details about our visit with Carolyn Shiel of Shiel Farm and Greenhouses located in Southampton, MA. Well, here’s the completed web marketing video which we produced on behalf of the Greater Easthampton Chamber of Commerce. As many of you know, eTown Videos creates the monthly member video spotlight for the chamber. The business owners and community members we meet during these video shoots never fail to impress us which is why we enjoy these particular video productions as much as we do. Carolyn has been operating Shiel Farm since 1982 and she’s one of the friendliest and most helpful greenhouse owners you’ll ever meet. Her selection of flowers and plants are indeed beautiful and versatile – you may just want to watch the video and see for yourself   Shiel Farm is now open for the season.


Of course this blog post would be incomplete if I didn’t suggest that you become a member of the Greater Easthampton Chamber because these marketing videos are one of the many benefits of membership.

There are plenty of videographers and video production companies to choose from, so how do you pick one? First off, decide what kind of video project you are looking for. Is it a dance recital, a marketing video, a live event, or training video? Secondly, make sure that the video production company that you’re considering has a video demo reel published online – you need to be able to view a sample of their video portfolio. Frankly, if you like the web video samples you see then there’s a good chance for a potential match. At a minimum, you have an indication of the production value the video production company is offering.
Another aspect when choosing a video production company in Northampton or any of the surrounding communities is innovation. Innovation is of particular interest if you are considering having a marketing video produced? There is a sea of web video content available on the Internet and in order to distinguish your products and services it is important that your video is engaging and contains an element of surprise.

If our team at eTown Videos can assist in any way during your search for a video production company in Northampton, Springfield, or Amherst, Massachusetts please feel free to contact us.  We’d be happy to provide you with a complimentary video production consultation.

Al Gordon recently hired eTown Videos to produce a marketing video series to help target new clients and cases.

Discovering the power of Attorney Video Marketing

Meet Attorney Al Gordon of Springfield, Massachusetts. Al Gordon recently hired eTown Videos to produce a marketing video series to help target new clients and cases. The videos are designed to educate, teach, and provide valuable information to potential clients. The topics for the marketing videos were carefully chosen and developed by Attorney Al Gordon based on what online searchers want and need in terms of education and information. Next, the eTown Videos team and Attorney Gordon decided on several video marketing strategies which included total run-time of the videos, the look and feel, the actual office setting, and effective CTAs (call-to-action) for each video. It was important to us that the message is direct, simple, and passionate with a clear premise.  During the shoot the eTown Videos production team provided guidance, discussing what works best, and making sure that Attorney Gordon felt entirely comfortable in front of the camera. Of course it was very helpful that Attorney Gordon has a natural ability to connect with his viewers in a warm and personable manner. Although the topics were prepared in advance, Attorney Gordon’s delivery come across as very personal and caring. With this blog post, we are posting one of the marketing videos we produced.

There’s no doubt that the most enjoyable part as a videographer and filmmaker is working with our clients. We plan and prepare well in advance. Scripts, storyboards, location scouting, meetings, etc. When the day of the video shoot arrives there’s a certain excitement in the air. The days of the shoot begin early, packing up the equipment, check lists, double checking directions to customer locations in Massachusetts, Vermont, or Connecticut. Taking our springer spaniel to doggie day camp (she gets to have fun too that day).

However, when we arrive, often there is a slight indication of nervousness present -  which is quite natural. Therefore, the best medicine to overcome a small case of stage fright is the use of humor. Humor and laughter goes a long way in creating a connection with your customers, partners, and employees.

Here’s a big thank you to our customers who allow us an opportunity to share many laughs with them during their video shoots. We are grateful.

Sven Kielhorn explains to a group of multimedia students why the movie “The Hobbit” was shot at a groundbreaking 48 frames per second.

Videographer located in Southampton, Easthampton Massachusetts explains frame rates for DSLR and traditional video cameras

As most of you know, moving images are just an illusion, you are just seeing a series of pictures. In fact, a single second of video contains 30 frames per second (fps) if your are watching broadcast TV. Most movies which you might see in the movie theaters are being shot in 24 frames per second. What’s the difference between 24 and 30 frames per second you might ask. Why should you care? Well, let me explain:-)

DSLR, Professional Video Cameras, and Frame Rates

There are two common frame rates for video shooting in the US: 24 frames per second and 30 frames per second (fps). If you are doing a video shoot in Europe then you would actually encounter 25 fps. The reason frame rates play an important role in video production is because that fps tends to effect the artistic and emotional feel of your film or video production. There is a difference in how the completed video production looks and feels, if you watch two scenes side by side shot with different frame rates.

Specifically, 30 frames per second looks more like a traditional TV broadcast. Whereas 24 fps looks more cinematic. DSLR and Professional Video Cameras that have the ability to shoot at 24 fps have become extremely popular in the last few years because they most resemble the cinematic appeal of motion pictures.

What about 50 and 60 frames per second? Shooting at 50 or 60 fps is typically used to create slow motion effects, slow motion effects can be seen in many music videos and special effects sequences. For the most part, I recommend sticking with 30 or 24 fps.  For those of you who work with digital video editing, you probably know that 30 fps is actually 29.97 fps and 24 fps is actually 23.976 fps when editing the video footage with professional editing systems. This difference is simply a mathematical correction that is necessary in digital non-linear editing.

“Just One More Thing”, as Detective Columbo used to say …..has anyone seen the movie “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey”? Well, it was not that long ago when I was telling a classroom full of multimedia students that “The Hobbit” was actually shot at 48 fps. Shooting at that frame rate in motion pictures is somewhat unusual but director Peter Jackson chose this groundbreaking new frame rate based on the theory that the higher frame rate would produce much more clarity and better 3-D images. Apparently, brain researcher found that the human brain takes in reality at about 24-48 fps. Some say we perceive our world at over 60 fps. However, neuroscientists and filmmakers are debating if the higher frame rates translate to a better movie experience – the viewer will be the judge.

Well, after the video shoot we all go home All kidding aside, after the video shoot, the video production moves into the post production phase and for those of you unfamiliar with video terminology, it simply means editing the raw video footage.

If you are located in the local communities of Northampton, Easthampton, Springfield, and Amherst, Massachusetts, and you have  a specific video production project which you’d like to discuss feel free to contact us and we’d be happy to provide you with a quote or video production price list.

It is not unusual to have 1-2 hours of video footage for a two-minute video. Most businesses that we work with here in the Easthampton, Northampton, Springfield and Amherst Massachusetts areas, are sometimes surprised that we film as much video as we do considering that the final video project will only have two minutes of run time.
However, as a general rule, a professional videographer or editor can expect to have one hour of raw footage for each minute of completed video.

The junior editor or rough-cut editor would scrub the raw footage to begin cutting some of the video footage that is clearly unusable. This step would eliminate 30 to 50% of the raw footage right from the start. Following this step we would begin some of the final edits to match the available footage with the storyboard. In many cases the senior editor would take over at this point, and begin editing the available footage down to the expected runtime. Most marketing videos would have a total run time of 60-120 seconds.
Once the edits of been completed,  transitions are added to each scene, followed by color correction and in some cases motion graphics. Motion graphic elements such as titles are used for the names of the persons in the video. We may also choose to add an animated logo image or basic graphic animation to help explain a concept which is not easily conveyed with words.

Finally music is added to help set the appropriate mood for the video. When the video has been completed then it is encoded, meaning compressed so that it may be viewed on the Internet without losing the high-quality HD footage in which it was filmed.

The above is a basic description of what happens after the video shoot. A videographer or video production company  in Massachusetts may have different experience and knowledge levels. Therefore, it is always a good idea when choosing the video production company to view their video demo reel to make sure that your expectations are in line with their capabilities.