Most single-media projects I’ve worked on in the last few years have included an afterthought. “Wouldn’t it be great to use this ______.” Fortunately I tend to over shoot things and have had the creative ability to find solutions for these afterthoughts. But the average commercial production these days usually has little budget for getting extraneous footage beyond the 30 second cut.

What’s a marketer, an agency, or a content producer do? Discuss maximizing the production before the cameras roll or even the script is finished. A small investment in a longer shoot day or an extra shoot day can yield a campaign that works on four screens instead of one. On a television, YouTube, iPad, mobile device. One that works on a homepage and not just as a 30 second spot.

Making great content for an iPad isn’t just encoding an mp4 of your TV spot. Consideration should be given to the media in the creative process.

Things to keep in mind:

Wide shots feel epic on a 50 inch plasma but just small on a mobile screen. Get lots of footage at various focal lengths and consider using multiple cameras to maximize your production time.

You often have longer to tell a story online, so make sure you get longer takes and give your actors time to breathe. It’s often more convincing in the end too.

Your brand’s engagement most likely isn’t an interruption if it’s on YouTube or your home page. Treat your audience with respect and make sure the content is actually entertaining.

The online environment has so many different platforms it can confuse even the oldest hats. Make sure you work with people who know a codec for a file container.

Recently Zacuto, a cinema gear company finished it’s Great Camera Shootout 2. They tested many of the most popular cameras now used in commercial production as well as 35 negative film. The results were surprising to some and proof for the initiated.

But what does it really mean to those in the creative industry facing more and more challenging budgets, timelines and clients? Does this mean everything can now be shot on a Canon Digital Rebel in your brother-in-law’s basement? Not even close.

What it does mean is in the hands of a professional director of photography, with solid crew and on the right project, amazing results can be achieved from a camera system that costs less than your house. It also means that your workflow can be quicker and more responsive. Saving you time and adding creative freedom for your team.

10 years ago it was popular to shoot reversal film and process it for negative. Five years ago it was popular to shoot tungsten film outside and then desaturate it in transfer. Film stocks gave us an extra tool to express our creativity. Now this new wave of digital cameras is giving us a similar toolbox but this time with cameras that have different strengths and weaknesses.

Here’s my oversimplified cheat sheet:

DSLRs are like 16mm was, nimble less expensive to produce with. But they are not the pinnacle of image quality. Right now, compression is still an issue for some applications.

Panasonic AF100 is like shooting super 16, many people won’t be able to tell the difference between it’s image and 35 mm film but it’s smaller sensor size means less options for lenses, greater depth of field, and its compression, thus image quality, isn’t as good as the big guns.

Arri Alexa is like shooting a 35mm negative, it preserves the most highlights, giving you amazing image quality on par with 35 mm film.

Red Epic 5k is like shooting super 35. This camera provides a larger image that give even greater room for cropping, plus Red Raw preserves more color information and latitude for manipulation in post.

These are just a few of the more popular cameras often discussed with commercial shooters. When your bidding your next job, ask the director why they want to use a particular camera over another. It’s not just a budgeting choice, it’s a creative one too.

Like when Gale Tattersall chose to shoot House with Canon DSLRs because it was the best way to shoot in confined spaces. He then worked within the systems limitations to achieve great television.

Or maybe if you’re shooting on a set, you don’t need the same depth of field so the workflow of the AF100 could save you money to use in post or the art department.

For the last 50 years, advertising broadcast and video production has been an outsourced process that utilizes a vast amount of agency billable hours, vendors and freelancers while providing little direct control over the process for the client. It’s not uncommon for a commercial shoot to rival a movie production with the number of crew and semis.

Unfortunately this is often the world where the best talent operates. One where the client is stuck in video village, isolated from the process by a 200-foot video cable, multiple layers of producers and an elitist attitude.

For those that have been trying to ignore the stock market, whose pagers keep buzzing with calls to work as 4th assistant to the assistant on a beer commercial, it’s time to wake up. Clients don’t need to put up with the old model anymore. I suggest you stop making fun of the kid with the 7D and consider buying one yourself.

Thirty years ago we were here in print technology. Every major city had specialized type houses, photo labs, and pre-press shops. There were teams of people who perfected the building and delivery of print ads to newspapers and magazine ads. They were staffed by talented professionals with a high degree of skill. Most of these places don’t exist anymore.

Today we have digital presses and software that enables one person to do it all on the same desktop. But we also have digital cameras that shoot cinematic images at native 800 ISO and products like Adobe CS Production, Apple FCP Suite, and Autodesk Smoke that can potentially complete post production from a single desktop.

This means leaner and meaner crews, no film developing and transfers, and a more integrated production process. It also means that it’s feasible for a single organization to possess the ability to script, produce, direct and complete post production without being a massively expensive company to operate and hire. This is where Fluid Films comes in. Welcome to the future.

A study by Cisco VNI states that by 2014 90% of web traffic will be video. You might want to read that again. And no, it’s not a typo.

This is probably one of the more shocking numbers on the rise of video on the Web but maybe not the only one that will amaze you:

Did you know that Netflix accounts for 30% of internet traffic.

Or that iPad users watch three times more video?

Or that video traffic will exceed 50% of mobile traffic this year?

I don’t need to flog the newspapers. We know that printed word has lost its dominance. Video content has established itself as the primary form of mass communication. And web distribution is quickly becoming the best way to reach diverse audiences on their own terms. And as connected devices including tablets, smartphones and set top boxes become more important that computer desktops, Web video will not only be important but essential to a brand’s success.

Your audience no longer just has a lean in, “interactive”, work relationship with the web. Today it’s also social, relaxed, playful and fluid. It goes where she goes. And you have to too. That’s where Fluid Films comes in.

A year ago I began a journey that started at my former employer. My job transitioned from being simply a writer to a video content creator. Not only did I love this new role, I discovered I had a real passion for it.

I also believed in what I was doing. It was the right thing for the clients.

This passion birthed a business plan. One that I feel very strongly about and that I had hoped to execute with my former employer. But that didn’t happen.

When others don’t act you can sit around and complain or you can harness your passion, work with others that feel the same way, and do something creative. The world today is a tough place but it’s up to creative people to make the most of it and create opportunity for us and others.

So today, my business partner, Jason Gorbett and I are officially announcing the founding of Fluid Films. Over the next several days, I’ll be sharing our vision for a transmedia company and how what we’re doing is the right thing for companies and institutions. Please stay tuned.

I don’t usually blog about personal things. I usually post about personal stuff on Facebook. But this is one of those few times that the personal and professional are one.

Over the last couple years my professional direction has changed slightly. No longer just writing copy for ads and social media, I began editing and then shooting video. Which isn’t all that crazy since during the time I was working in Los Angeles I was directing commercials as well as freelance copywriting.

It was inevitable that this transition was coming from copywriter to writer/director. And with the rapid rise of web content and shrinking advertising budgets there’s no better time to embrace the change with my full attention, passion, and on my own terms.

I’ll be blogging about what exactly this means over the next week.

This article is reposted from KilgannonSays, my former employers blog.

Last week the Twittersphere was all abuzz about Google+. A simple search shows the network already has 9 million users. Probably even more by the time you read this.  My first impression is that it is no Google Wave, Apple Ping, or even Google Buzz. In fact, I’m predicting a hit – probably not on the scale of Facebook, but a hit nonetheless.

While 9 million is still a paltry sum compared to Twitter’s 200 million or Facebook’s 750 million users, Google+ is destined to be a place where marketers can learn about their customers and effectively target them. Not to mention, a good showing on the social network should have a positive effect on your brand’s search engine recognition.

So what’s a brand to do? Wait, mostly. Google+ is by invite only for the time being. Your business can apply to be one of a limited number of businesses on Google+ in the future. Of course, as an individual, once you’re on the network, you can hock your wares to anyone willing to listen.

Soon, you’ll be able to monitor your brand’s activity on Google+, at least in public posts. This should provide a valuable new way to gather information and respond to customers and potential prospects.

Remarkably, Google+ is currently ad free. But just like YouTube, search, and most of Google’s other products, contextual and banner ads are certain to arrive.

As new functionality is revealed, opportunities will arise. Marketers should pay attention to changes here and, for that matter, at all the social networks.

Whether or not your business takes an active role on Google+ depends on if it makes good business sense. Ask yourself: Are your business customers there? Can your business communicate valuable information to them on the site?

Has Google+ factored into your marketing plans yet? If so, how do you plan on using it?

It seems when Google or Apple unveils some product the Twittersphere goes nuts for a few days or maybe a week. People have being flaming the comment streams and message boards over FCP X for the last week, Google Buzz was a huge topic of conversation for about three days. Wave, a little longer but even then, it turned out to be a giant flop. Oh, and do you remember when Google Voice was the invite to get?

However, Google constantly has a lot of new stuff and beta stuff happening. Maybe you didn’t know it but there’s also Music Beta happening (check it out).  And over at Google Labs you can tweak your search or check out new products that aren’t +. Also did you know about Google.org? Here you’ll find out how Google is trying to save the world.

This isn’t a puff piece about Google, I have good and bad feelings about how they’ve affected the advertising industry. What I am saying is that social media causes us to act very mob like. We get so focused on the present shiny object as a group that we fail to talk about all the other stuff that’s happening and, even more exciting, the larger trends that truly affecting our careers and lives. Like say, mob behavior.

A recent article I wrote for my former employer’s blog:

Studios are reporting the biggest Memorial Day weekend ever.  Why is this important? The advertising industry is consumed these days with articles about the “changing” media landscape, detailing why it will never be the same. While it’s important that we keep up with the advancement of media technology, it’s also important to recognize that we’re not experiencing a rapid, wholesale transformation of an entire society’s media consumption habits. People still love to go to the movies, watch cable television, and, gasp, read the occasional newspaper.

What we’re experiencing is more of an evolution. Some people are quickly adopting  new technology – but not everyone. And many of the adopters aren’t necessarily dumping the old media but rather adding another way to consume media to their diet. Here are nine statistics that might surprise you if you’ve spent too much time reading and listening to the gurus.

• While every social media expert may own an iPhone, most Americans still don’t own any smartphone at all.
• Unlike me, most people aren’t dumping cable for Internet TV. More people than ever are subscribing to broadband Internet and cable TV.  Only 3.9 percent have broadband.
• 45 percent of all ads recorded on DVRs are actually viewed.
• Only 10 percent of Americans have devices that connect their TVs to the Web.
• The top bandwidth hog for mobile is e-mail, not social networking.
• Pop stars are still selling millions of singles.
• E-book sales may be skyrocketing, but only 5 percent of people own a dedicated device to read one on.
• People are using iPads with TV, not instead of it.
• Most people are not interested in owning a 3-D television. In fact, most don’t even own an HD set yet.

So what’s the takeaway for a marketer who wants to make the most out of the latest technology? Know your customer, learn her habits, and you’ll find it easy to speak to her where she is.

Online video has been exploding over the last several years. And there’s an army of wanna be auteurs posting to YouTube and Facebook with garage quality video aiming to meet the demand. This is great for personal projects and just having fun. But it’s not the way to proceed if you’re representing a quality brand.

How should you proceed? Well, if you have the budget, hire professionals — heck, hire me. If you don’t have the budget, here are a few tips to help you improve your production quality.

Start with a script. Winging it is for improv artists, not for serious marketers. Get a script that speaks to your audience, demonstrates a key benefit, tells a story, and stays true to your brand. And why not make it entertaining? No one wants to listen to a talking head drone on and on about product benefits.

Plan your shoot. That’s awesome if you’re going to keep it simple and just shoot yourself in a simple setting. But know exactly what you will need ahead of time including appropriate clothes, props, snacks, equipment, and helpers. You should even create a formal schedule. An art director I used to work with taught me to literally draw a frame for every single second of a 30 second spot.

Location, location, location. It may be real estate parlance but it’s just as important in film and video. In your case it’s not about wow factor, it’s about finding a place that’s quite, easy to light, will fit all of your gear, and looks good. You want it simple, uncluttered and without any bright colors or patterns.

Use a great microphone. It’s not the one attached to your camera. If you’ve ever been to a regional film festival, you may have noticed that bad films usually have really bad sound. Bad sound makes it hard to follow the story and renders your production a worthless marketing tool. Professional films always have great sound. Your brand marketing is professional, right?

Hire a cameraman. You wanted to do this all yourself, but if you don’t know how to properly level a tripod or check your focus and exposure maybe you should get some professional help. No budget, well at least RTDM.

Rent the appropriate camera. I’ve written about cameras before so I won’t go into great detail here but suffice it to say, the better the camera, the better the end product. Also, the more expensive the camera, the more complicated. Your $100 flip camera may have an HD logo on it but it doesn’t have and XLR microphone connector (or any microphone connector) or decent glass attached to it. Just go rent a camera and ask for advice on which one to select.

Use a tripod. And don’t move the camera while it’s recording. Heck, don’t move it between takes either.

Hire an actor. Sure, you may be great at meeting theater but if you were destined for the big screen you’d probably have been discovered by now. Personal dynamism and what shows up on the screen are different. Trust me, I’ve met some pretty insecure actors who blossom in front of a camera. And speakers, that can hold a room in the palm of their hand, yet falter under the lights.

Bring a stopwatch. What for? Well, you wrote a script and know how long this thing is supposed to be, right? There are also a lot of placement opportunities for web video that are in 15 second and 30 second increments too. You’ll need a stopwatch if you want to make sure your timings are correct.

Light it properly. Lighting is photography and it’s also cinematography. I can’t teach a reader to light in one paragraph. So I’ll just say get one of those LED light panels and position it at a 45 degree angle to the side and above your camera. Provide enough light to “fill” the subject but not make the subject considerably lighter than the background. Pay special attention to the eyes.

Shoot more than you need. Those stories about directors doing it all in one take – they may be legend but they’re also myth. It’s not going to work out well for you if you try it. Stanly Kubrick was famous for shooting hundreds of takes. You’re better off using him as a role model – without the surly demeanor, of course.

Review. Review. Review. In the old days they’d say check the gate to make sure their was no dust that could have spoiled the negative. Today we can actually look at our digital capture and make sure it doesn’t suck. Do this before you move to the next shot. Once you move the camera it’s unlikely that you will get it back in exactly the same place, ruining your ability to inter cut.

Back up. Hell, back up twice. If you’re shooting on location send one with your partner and one with you. You never know, your car might catch on fire on the way back to the office (yes, it happens). Heck, I’ve even met producers who won’t fly with the rest of the crew for this very reason.

Watch your footage with a note pad. Then watch it again. Take lots of notes.

Hire an editor. Give her your notes and your footage. Want to do it yourself? OK, use something like iMovie and dig in. Remember to keep it simple and don’t use any silly transitions or special effects.

Sound mixing. When you’re done with the edit seriously consider whether the sound needs professional help. If you’re mixing music and dialog or you have any problems from your footage, you do. Also, make sure your levels are 0 db. Don’t know what the means? Hire a pro.

Color correction. This is when you adjust the color balance and output levels so that all your footage matches and looks great. Apple Color is a great low budget tool to accomplish this. Most editing programs have limited tools for color correction. If you’re using Final Cut, try the 3-way color corrector but make sure your monitor is color correct before you start moving sliders.

Use simple titles and graphics. Professionals do this in After Effects and Cinema 4D. Since you probably don’t have these tools or the training keep it simple. White type on a black screen has been used successfully by Woody Allen for 40 years.

OK, so now you have some of the information you need to make a video that will live up to your brands reputation. Break a leg, as we say in show business.