Walking Down Memory Lane, First Post
With the current pandemic going on and the video production industry in freefalll, this has given me tons of time to go through old videos and see what I was doing years ago. Actually, I’m going to post these videos over the next few days, and they are ones I had lost, and just like going through old albums, it’s a cross of disbelief, “I’m never showing this to anyone” and “Oh yeah remember that.”
So hopefully, you enjoy some of the stuff, as I think it will be at least entertaining.
MJ
So here is my first video, it’s actually my first reel. IF you don’t know what a reel is, it is supposed to be the combination of your best work that you show to prospective clients in order to get work. I watched this thing a thousand times when I made it as I couldn’t believe I even had one….
It’s funny as there are so many first in this video…the check thing was my first job with TJ Max and Homestore it was surreal as I was still working a day job at the time, and I had to take a lunch break to film the grand opening in Georgetown. It was such a big deal that my parents came out to see me work (hahaha)….Oooohhhhh the dodge challenger commercial!! That was my first car commercial actually I had a friend you told their manager I do video as they were looking for a local production shot for their website…it was so guerilla-style as at the time I only had a camera and a mic, in the end, that’s all you need but showing up to a set with just you, a book bag, and a mic…and your client asking where are your lights…was definitely a learning experience……
How to Advertise your Event, Service or Product with Video
You don’t know how often I receive a phone or email inquiry requesting an advertising video. Well, more specifically, a video to highlight an upcoming event. The first thing I’m told is that they want a three to a five-minute video highlighting the event with the goal of having people come to the event. Their thought process is; they will post the video on youtube, Facebook, or their website, pay for advertising or not, and people will watch the full video and immediately come to their event.
My first question to you is, when was the last time you watched a full three to five minute video of an event, activity, or conference that you had no idea about and/or just popped up in your feed on your phone.
If you’re like most people, the chances of you watching that video is very slim.
Now, with that same thought process, how often would you watch a fifteen to thirty-second video that caught your attention and you no previous knowledge of it? If you’re like most people, you watch just enough of that commercial to understand what it is, what they are offering, and do you want to know more.
When you do any advertising, you want to get the most bang for your buck and drive traffic.
How do you do it?
Produce a short-form video clip with the idea of driving traffic to your website, landing page, or IG page where you have the longer video. With that strategy, you do two things: 1. You will have more engagement with your short-form video because, as I said above, more people will watch it, and in turn, more people will see what you have to offer. 2. That increased number of eyes on your promotion will turn into an increased number of people going to your longer video, which will turn into more engagement with your offering and more sales.
The one thing I like to tell people is that to increase your sales you have to have more eyes on the item you are promoting. You can have the best product, be announcing the best ideas, be doing the most fantastic work, but if no one sees it, then no one can comment, purchase, or engage with it.
The Elaine Massacre Documentary
September 1919, Elaine Arkansas, five whites and an estimated 200 blacks were killed in the deadliest racial confrontation in Arkansas history and possibly the bloodiest ethnic conflict, post-civil war, in the history of the United States.
In the early 1900s, blacks were chasing their part of the American Dream. As US citizens, they were promised the opportunity of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. With the Northern migration, blacks were searching for a way to obtain these rights that seemingly were god-given, society promised by our constitution, but in actuality impossible to achieve.
In Elaine Arkansas Blacks were Sharecroppers, Sharecroppers were a tenant farmer who gives a part of each crop as rent; with the hopes of one day owning the land they worked. During the planting season of 1919, the price of crops were some of the highest it had been in a generation. The black sharecroppers were aware of the unfair practices of the white landowners; this year, they would ensure that their voices would be heard, and they would receive a fair dollar settlement for the corps they provided through unionization. When the local white landowners heard about the organization and formation of the Union by their sharecroppers, they wanted to ensure that even though this organization for fairness began, it would not continue….
INTERVIEWEES FOR THE FILM
David Krugler
Author of “1919, The Year of Racial Violence” & Professor of History at University of Wisconsin,
Shelia Walker
The descendant of Albert Giles
Robert Whitaker
Author of “On the Laps of Gods” and Journalist
LTC Malcholm Reese U.S. Army (Ret.)
Historian & Resident of Helena
Chester Johnson
Historian & Descendant
Patrick Garland
Historian & Scholar
Kyle Monroe
Resident of Elaine
Pictures from the Film
3D Modeling and Motion Animation
About a week ago, I was asked if I knew how to do graphic animation. The conversation was about me providing editing services, and with those editing services, they wanted words on the screen, nothing fancy, just a fade in and a fade-out. I told them, of course, I knew how to provide that service, at which point I was asked to show an example.
Rewind to about eight years ago, if you didn’t know, I am a completely self-taught videographer, video editor, and graphic designer. I remember countless nights of staying up and just modeling to learn how to correctly shape, model, and mold. I, of course, know and use motion graphics and word text, but can also do Maya and Cinema 4D.
If you look at the things posted on my site both personal and business, I have a love of everything automotive; thus I post a lot of automotive projects, but I love the consistent progression in work and style and the continuation of growth in the art.
The Hello Girls Documentary (2018)
About “The Hello Girls”
This documentary features rare 100-year old film footage of America’s first female soldiers courtesy of the National Archives and never-before-seen photos from family archives.
In 1918, the U.S. Army Signal Corps sent 223 women to France as telephone operators to help win the Great War. They swore Army oaths, wore uniforms, held rank, and were subject to military justice. By war’s end, they had connected over 26 million calls and were recognized by General John J. Pershing for their service. When they returned home, the U.S. government told them they were never soldiers. For 60 years, they fought their own government for recognition. In 1977, with the help of Sen. Barry Goldwater and Congresswoman Lindy Boggs, they won. Unfortunately, only a handful were still alive.
Awards to Include:
Best Picture
Best Documentary
Best Documentary Feature
Click the picture above to see an excerpt
Thoughts on the Film
In the Summer of 2018, I was contacted by a local Producer, Jim Theres, he stated that he was interested in doing a documentary on World War 1 and that he was looking for a production house. Honestly, at the time, I hadn’t filmed a Hollywood level documentary completely, I had shot parts of two films called Innovative Technologies (1 & 2) that aired on HBO, but he was looking for the complete film production of a feature.
When it comes to telling a story, I have my own particular style of filming and camera movement, and i remember during the production of this film, I not only learned a lot but also my style of filming and camera production was vindicated with the 30 or so awards this film took home.
One final thought; the meeting and learning of history through people that lived that history. If you have never noticed when a person tells a story they lived and one that was so profound, they lose themselves in the story as if they are back in that time and space. Watching this story unfold through the families that lived it was an honor as this film, I believe, does them justice and tells their story to future generations. I can’t thank the participants enough to allow us to tell this amazing story
Just How Important is Email Marketing for Small Businesses?
With a Return on Investment of a staggering 4,300%, email marketing is about the most effective marketing tool, small business owners and entrepreneurs can leverage.
Have you ever come across those junk emails that do nothing but irritate you, and the next thing you do is to look for the ‘unsubscribe’ link? Well, the senders of those emails hardly have any email marketing strategy in place. Gathering hundreds or thousands of emails, by whichever means, and sending sales pitches while hoping some customers will respond or purchase a product from you is by no means email marketing. If anything, using this method will guarantee you a spectacular failure regarding click-through and conversion rates. It would be best if you were more strategic in your email marketing campaigns. In other words, success in email marketing is not a function of trial and error or chance; it is a result of precision in terms of content and timing.
Here are three tactics you can use in your email marketing campaigns for higher ROI.
Timing is cardinal: Target the senses and consider the time you send your emails
Your customers don’t have all the time in the world to read every email that hits their inbox. It is estimated that the average number of emails that hit the inbox of an average busy person daily is 97. How many of these emails do you think can be read? With that in mind; if you are lucky, your email might be opened.
For an email campaign that is untargeted and/or sent at the wrong time, the most likely place it will end up is in the trash bin.
No matter how big your brand, most consumers will not spend more than a few seconds trying to figure out whether the email before them is worth opening and reading. You only have a small window of opportunity to seduce your subscribers to open your email.
Unfortunately, many marketers and small business owners squander this golden opportunity by sending their emails at the wrong time and using generic texts and images. Your success hinges on reaching and resonating with the recipient at the right time and delivering the right message.
When is the right time to send emails?
The long-standing advice to email marketers about the best time to send email has always been, “Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, between 8.am and 10 a.m.” the logic behind this notion is that people tend to open their inboxes in the mornings. However, that may not always work as much as you would like. As it turns out, there are other unconventional times to unleash your campaigns.
Let us look at some important email marketing trends and stats. This will give us an idea of when the best time to send email would be.
- According to an Experian study, most emails are opened at night with unique open rates averaging 21.7% between 8 p.m. and 11.59 p.m. and 17.6% between 12. a.m and 4 a.m. Moreover, click-through rates during these times are 4.2% and 3.2%, respectively. Return on investment per email is also highest between 8.00 p.m and 11:59 p.m.
- Experian quarterly email marketing benchmark release also showed that emails sent on Monday have the highest ROI even though emails sent on Fridays have a higher click through rates. Ironically, fewer emails are sent on Saturday and Sunday despite the fact that these days experience higher click-through and conversion rates. According to Experian, unique open rates for Saturday and Sunday is 17.8%, which is higher than any other day of the week.
Based on these findings, you should send your emails at unconventional times, such as on weekends and during late hours (between 8: p.m and 11:59 p.m). You can also capture the early birds by sending your emails between (12:00 a.m and 5: a.m).
While this is not a blanket ban on conventional email sending time, it would be a brilliant strategy to counter the competition and stand out from the crowd.
In other words, try not to send your email campaigns when most others are sending.
Mjrvisuals can help you increase your reach out of that content through our expertise. We run the gambit of visual imagination, including video production, digital marketing, video editing, print design, advertising, graphic design, graphic animation, motion graphic and media design.
We believe everyone has a story; the question is; who is telling yours?
How Video Testimonials Can Powerfully Boost Your Sales
Click the image above to see an example.
Video testimonials are one of the most powerful and under-utilized marketing techniques available to a business. If you aren’t using video testimonials, you’re losing out on the ability to upsell customers, acquire new business, and convert visitors who come to your website.
Why Video Testimonials Are Important for Your Business:
Risk Reduction:
A video testimonial for your product or service reduces the risk in the mind of the consumer. I believe that risk reduction is the purpose of all online reviews. Think about buying anything on Amazon. Would you be more likely to purchase a product with three positive reviews, or three hundred positive reviews? Obviously, the more reviewed one, because this makes the purchase less risky in the eyes of the customer. Other people have bought and used the product; therefore you feel more secure that you’re making the right purchase decision.
If you’re in the business of selling high-value products or services, video testimonials are extremely valuable as there is a more significant financial or reputational investment involved in these purchasing decisions.
Upsell Customers to More Expensive Products / Services:
Video testimonials are also a valuable sales aid. If your landing pages present a video of satisfied customers, you’re likely to enjoy more engagement from visitors than simple plain text outlining your offerings. In a study of 1,000 U.S. consumers (who had bought products online in the previous year), the top factor influencing purchases of a higher-priced option was better reviews.
Generating Testimonials: Existing Customers
E-mailing existing customers is a powerful method for generating high-quality video content. If you have a good working relationship with your customers, they will often be willing to provide words of praise or recommendation through a simple interview format. If you interact with your clients regularly, I would recommend using a videographer to professionally edit and capture your video as a strong marketing tool.
My advice is to ask the questions that your customers would want to know as someone new to what you offer. For example, certain questions to ask your customers could be:
- “Why did you initially use product X/ service X.”
- “If you had one thing to say about product X / service x, what would it be?”
Make the questions simple, relatable to your target market, and relevant to what you’re selling. Through some solid questions, you can record the answers from your interviewees and organize the responses into a winning video testimonial.
Video testimonials are a powerful way of minimizing risk for the consumer and upselling your product. If your clients are happy with your products or services, they will be highly likely to agree to a short video testimonial. A simple interview format where you ask questions that would be highly relevant to a new customer is best. Once this is captured, it’s possible to edit it into a polished, high-quality video that acts as a sales aid for any visitors to your website or viewers on social.
MjrVisuals can help through our expertise. We run the gambit of visual imagination, including video production, digital marketing, video editing, print design, advertising, graphic design, graphic animation, motion graphic and media design.
We believe everyone has a story; the question is, who is telling yours?