Must Hear TV?

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You remember Must See TV, right? The hay day of NBC’s classic Thursday night line up.

Cheers, Friends, Seinfeld.

In the 90’s things were a little bit different. Music was played on instruments. We tried to be kind so we would rewind. I had hair! Damn…I miss the 90’s.

Well more than just fashion and forehead lengths has changed…the way we consume our entertainment is completely different.

Instead of sitting down and watching our stories at the exact same time as they air…we’re DVRing them. Or streaming them on our time.

And of course, No ONE THING has our attention for one particular time. So, in order to compete for our attention…NBC Universal is trying out a new commercial format called Must Hear TV. The idea is to make the show and the commercials as seamless as possible.

For instance, an article on AdAge.com mentions The Kardashians. Let’s say they are on a tropical island the screen would go black…the commercial would start…screen still black and you hear birds and ocean waves and a commercial for Carnival Cruise would begin.

They say competition is good…because it makes everyone better. I’m excited to see the innovations that are coming…for TV and radio.

Are Video Production Agencies the New Creative Powerhouses?

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Advertising has gone through a ton of changes. With the increased use of the internet, the rise of social media…plus, thanks to the financial crisis in 2008, businesses have had to make budget cuts to save on advertising fees.

Guess what? Facebook…Instagram…Twitter…all free!

Evelyn Timson from Aspect Film & Video in the UK talks about this in an article at RightMixMarketing.com.  She goes on to say the need for online videos is still on the rise. An average 1 billion hours goes to watching YouTube videos…and that’s not just my 7-year-old watching slime videos.

Online audiences demand frequent video content from brands that they love. So, brands should get super creative by staying in-house or partnering with video production companies to increase the quality and quantity of video that’s needed these days.

While this certainly isn’t the end for advertising agencies…it may mean evolution.  Will ad agencies establish in-house production departments? Or will outsourcing video projects to professional video content creators become a mainstay?

Everyone is looking for that edge when it comes to content.

Rock Radio Imaging Demo

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      Rock Radio Imaging Demo

Rock Radio Baby!  In my tenure in radio land, I worked with quite a few VO’s.  I love working with imaging guys.  My favorites have a killer voice but their delivery was where it was at.

The read is everything.

I like being able to tell the story and to do it within the length of a sweeper is a challenging but super fun exercise.

Add in the ability to play around with the script and add my own personality (aka: stupid jokes) and you can count me in.

Bristol Studios in Boston MA

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This sounds like the beginning of a joke…but it’s not.  So, stay with me.

A monk slowly walks along a road when he hears the sound of a galloping horse.

He turns around to see a man riding a horse coming his direction.

When the man gets closer, the monk asks, “Where are you going?”.

Without even slowing down, the man replies, “I don’t know, ask the horse” Read more →

Elin Barton, White Knight Productions

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Facebook.com/elintracy

 

Elin Barton, White Knight Productions

Today we talk with Elin Barton, the owner of White Knight Productions out of Vestal, New York.  When the business was first conceived, they created high-end video productions for television commercials.  Now, the business has shifted a bit so Elin got creative and invented what she call’s Video Crisps.

She works with production houses around the country to give her clients (according to her website) “Fresh, bite-sized and consumable video content that is designed to keep your social media, websites, blogs, and newsletters up-to-date and top of mind.”

Not everybody wants or can afford the top quality video.  It might even be more beneficial to focus on great creative content and be a valuable resource for the target demo.  The great thing is…Elin talks with the client and they figure out a plan that is going to fit them.  It’s not a one-size-fits-all situation.  Elin loves working with people to get the best fit for their video goals.

White Knight is actively looking for

Videographers

Editors

Voice overs

to be partners in this Video Crisp effort!

Elin also hosts a podcast called “Ready Set Grit“.   She talks with influencers and professionals to help people live “an intentional and successful life with inspiration, tips and a little help from the power of the Universe too.”

Find Elin and White Knight Productions at whiteknightpro.com/contact.html

Check out the podcast here or subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher & Google Play.

 

Pivoting with Skylark Recording

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In this episode we talk with Justin Farley, owner of Skylark Recording in Davenport, Ia.  Skylark Recording is a boutique recording studio in Davenport catering towards musicians of all genres.  I sat down with owner, Justin Farley to talk about how he got started & where his business continues to grow.

Farley is a super talented performer and producer. His ability to pivot from marketing toward rock bands to rappers was super smart.

One Night in Charlotte

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Saturday night my band, Folk n’ Stages (which consists of Jeremy Folk, my cousin Bob Stage and me…thus “Folk n’ Stages”) played at Markham’s Saloon in Charlotte, IA.

The bar has only been open a few months…so, it’s got that new bar smell…but man, it’s a great little place!  It’s an old time saloon, complete with swinging doors and guns for toilet paper holders…which I assume is period accurate.
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And the food!  I was afraid my drummer would be in a food coma before we played, but we made it through!

I invented a new drinking game, that I hope catches on at Markham’s.  The bathrooms are barn doors.  So they don’t swing…they slide!  Being on stage is great when you’re a people watcher like me…so every time someone would use the restroom…they would pull on the door and be confused until someone yelled “Don’t Pull…Slide!”.

Drink!

Our buddy John Doyle & his wife Jenny who both play in Barncore Betty (great band!) came out & John put together this little wrap up video of the night!

 

 

Cropduster Buzzes “Stage Tower”

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The family & I were rockin in the garage this weekend.  My wife & I were painting some boards for our porch wall and the kids were riding bikes & begging the adults to stop being so boring.

We had the music cranked, so we weren’t anticipating what came next.  A cropduster buzzed our garage!  I literally ducked as if that was going to help at all if we really were getting a new roof ornament.

I don’t know what it takes to become a crop dusting airplane pilot…but I know I don’t have it.  These guys have some incredible skill to be going up & over wires….the near misses of the houses & barns have to make the blood pressure skyrocket.

No VO was getting done whether I wanted to or not, but we appreciated the show!

Cropduster

Cropduster

Cropduster