Shoot 4 Success

I Can't Wait For The Movie!

2012-02-10T09:44:00.000-05:00

Day 7

This was our last full day in Haiti. I woke up after a great night sleep in my own room. I did, however also wake up with a little upset stomach. I put that aside and went down to the gazebo at the retreat center and watched the sunrise. Chrissy, Alissa and Nicole were already down in the ocean.

I figured, morning swim, that sounds great. So Art and I changed into our swim trunks and headed for the ocean. The water was fantastic. In fact, it was the warmest water I felt all week. The only bad thing about it was the "piranha" that kept nipping at us. Well, at least Alissa was convinced it was a piranha. (Last time I checked, they were fresh water fish.)

Then some of us decided to take a hike into the surrounding hills. Six of us set off along the beach. I carried the Edna (my camera) along with us. It was quite a climb as we headed up the hill. At the top was the most breathtaking view of the surround mountains and ocean.

We stayed up there in the sun for a bit and then decided to head down the other side of the hill and wrap back around. Then it hit me. I began to get light headed. Gary, the RMI rep gave me his water and I sat down under a tree.

That was the first time I have been dehydrated since I was ten years old! If it has never happened to you, it's not a fun experience. I had to sit there for quite a while.

Here I was, looking down a long path back down the hill. Gary decided that he would go on ahead and bring the car to the bottom of the trail to drive us back. I tried to stand up and saw stars. It was pretty obvious to me that I was NOT ready to move on.

The one bright spot was that I had a Wawa clerk and an associate from Kohl's, so I was in good hands. (Note from Darcie - this apparently is an inside joke...I still don't get...but it's not meant to insult 2 of my favorite stores! In fact, I sit here drinking my Wawa coffee wearing my shoes I bought at Kohls!)

(Side note - Woody found a bull tied up on the hill right below us and got it very irritated. Well thought out Woody!)

After several bottles of water and a quick prayer, I was good enough to go on. So we walked down the hill and Gary met us at the bottom with ice water. Well, at least the footage from up there is pretty sweet!

After lunch we headed back to the RMI guest in Les Cayes. We had a great dinner at the local RMI missionary's house and then back to the guest house. I know, not very exciting. Sorry.

We will be leaving here at 6 am to travel back to Port Au Prince to catch our flight back to Miami. I am already sad to be leaving this place. This really has been a life changing experience. What was great was that I got to experience it with some old friends and develop some new friendships that will last!

I learned a lot about God, travel, love, hospitality, food, friendships, Woody and myself. I learned that there are people in this world who have such love for the Lord that they will band together and give you something better than they have themselves. The people of Dame Marie searched the town and anyone who had a mattress gave it up so that we would have a comfortable bed. They made more food for us then they will see in a month. The ladies were outside every morning at 5 am preparing breakfast. Not even my mom does that!

There is this saying that when you go on a missions trip you will actually learn more from the people to whom you are missioning then they will from you. And it really is true. I got so many ideas to bring back to my church, so many thoughts about what praise really is. These people made a huge impression on me and I can't wait to go back!

So from Pastor Glass, Joe, Emmanuel, Art, Chrissy, Alissa, Nicole, Woody, Ryan, Jeremy and myself, thanks for following along on this journey. Your prayers and well wishes were just as important as what we were doing. This has been a great blog to write, but I CAN'T WAIT for the movie!!!

Kris King
www.EVideoProductions.net
kris@evideoproductions.net
www.twitter.com/evp_kris
www.facebook.com/evideoproductions

Don't forget to read Jeremy's blog too! http://jeremystephens.wordpress.com/

A Messed Up Family Vacation

2012-02-09T09:48:00.002-05:00

Day 6

Today was a travel day. We started out with a very early breakfast at 6 am. After going to sleep around 2, the ladies who cooked our meal began cooking at 4! God bless them!

After breakfast, we began to load the trucks in the first light of the morning. We loaded to the beautiful music sung by the early morning worshipers.

Once we finished, we piled into the church with the pastor, his wife and the important people of the church. We all formed the "goodbye circle", which was actually more like an amoeba. The pastor gave us all blessings and wished us Bon Voyage and we all said good bye.

We didn't sleep much this week and it finally caught up with us today. Several of us, including myself, got pretty car sick. The terrible condition of the roads was the main culprit.

If you read yesterday, you know that we had to leave early so as to pass a section of the road where they would be doing blasting after their lunch break. We made it.

We stopped for lunch on top of the mountain to eat tuna fish sandwiches made for us by the ladies of the church. I have never had tuna fish sandwiches made with mayo AND ketchup! That was interesting especially because Haitian ketchup is spicier than its American cousin.

After lunch, the ride was much smoother. We arrived at Zongalay, the RMI retreat center, at around 3. It's a beautiful place that overlooks the Caribbean Sea. We unloaded our bags and found rooms. I am in the "motel" section where you get your own room. Pretty sweat!

As some of the team went for a dip in the Caribbean, I promptly feel asleep for 2.5 hours until Jeremy woke me for dinner. We had beef, mashed potatoes and green beans. Don't get me wrong, I really liked the goat, but this was heaven. Oh, by the way, half of Don Gone came back with Emanuel Paul, a Haitian born American citizen.

After diner, we convened in the gazebo to "debrief". We talked about the low and high points for each of us and what to expect when we get back home. My low was the first night when I just couldn't sleep even though I was dead tired. My other low was my first bucket shower. (I quickly got over that.) My high point was the grand welcome we received when we got to Dame Marie.

After that, a few of the guys, including myself, and Alissa sat and played poker right up until I started to write this, which is technically day 7 already!

Tomorrow, we leave here around 1 and head back to Les Cayes to the RMI guest house where we can visit local vendors. I can't wait to see what I can pick up.

Until then, I leave you with the quote of the night:

"I feel like I am on a messed up family vacation."
- Alissa

My view at the retreat center:

Haitian Coastline:

Kris King
www.evideoproductions.net
kris@evideoproductions.net
www.twitter.com/evp_kris
www.facebook.com/evideoproductions

Bondje Beni Ou! (God Bless You)

2012-02-08T08:11:00.001-05:00

Day 5

Today was the hottest day of the trip by far! And the longest shooting day of the trip. I think it was around 98. The day began as a group of people were sing the most beautiful song at 5:00. I just laid there in bed listening. I knew I should have tried to at least jump up and get audio of it, but it was a little early for my taste. So I just enjoyed the song.

The first thing we did today was visit one of the other churches in the district. It was a short ride so we sat in the back of the pickups. That was a bad idea. Very rocky roads without cushions does not a comfy ride make.

The name of the church was Malaya. It's a very small church but it has a lot of heart. From a video perspective, it was a beautiful church. They are about to begin to build a new building, though, because the one they have is very close to breaking apart.

The people in the church greeted us with open arms and wide smiles. We all did our greetings again. This time I remembered my daughter!! (See honey, told you I'd make it up to you!) After the service, we handed out candy and toys to the kids. Never under estimate the power of a pixy stick.

Do you remember the goats I talked about yesterday? Well, there was another goat that was already at the church. All the goats we donated were female. But this one was a man and he was out of his mind. The poor guy was tied up, and there were 20 female goats just out of his reach. He seemed a bit frustrated. With the look in his eyes, he was dubbed "Don Juan de Haiti".

Later on, a group of us went out to another district church to install one of the water filters. Now, I thought that in Dame Marie, we were in the middle of nowhere. Turns out that I was wrong. We were actually 40 minutes east of nowhere.

At the pastors house, we installed the brand new filter. These filters can supply the water needs of a family of 10 for 10 years! That's efficiency!

While we were waiting for the first bucket of water to filter through, we were standing outside under a papaya tree. I looked up and saw a ripe papaya. I casually mention how yellow and ready it was. Next thing I know, a guy comes over with a pole and knocks it down for us!

That was the single most incredible papaya I have ever had. Jeremy took a picture of me with papaya all over my face! Thanks pal!

One of the other members of our team had been saying he wanted a fresh coconut all week. Pastor Glass mentioned it after seeing ripe coconuts around. Then we hear a few thuds. So I grabbed the camera and ran towards the sound.

Up at the top of a 75 foot coconut tree was a 70 year old man knocking down fresh coconut! They sliced them open with their machete creating a small hole, trough which we drank the coconut water. (A side note....Kris has ALSO always wanted to go on Survivor. He wanted to audition for the first season. I (Darcie) talked him out of it!) All I can say is "ridiculous"! Once the water was gone, he fully opened them and we ate the meat. Best coconut ever!

By the time we got back, we did not have enough time to go and visit some of the widows who live in town. That was very unfortunate because Pastor Glass has a huge place in his heart for them.

Around 5, some one noticed that Don Juan was missing. Then dinner rolled around and we found him again. Don Juan is now Don Gone!

Later that evening we started our farewell service. It was a bitter sweet service. They were very happy to have had us for the week. But we were all sad to be saying goodbye. We each got up and gave our thank you's and goodbyes. Plus we, as a group, sang a few songs for the people of Dame Marie. We all discovered throughout the week that we all love to sing. So we thought that it would be nice to share God's gifts to us, with them.

Pastor Glass' message was fantastic. I felt bad, though, because it was late and most of the kids conked out. One of them fell asleep on Jeremy.

After the service, we were greeted by most of the congregation. They all gave us there goodbye and "Bondje beni ou" (God bless you!)

It's sad, it's our last night in Dame Marie. Tomorrow we shove off at 7 so we can try to get over the mountains before they close the roads for blasting from 12-6. We are headed for the retreat center in Zongalay. We will be there for one night, then a night in Les Cayes, then we jet on home.

I will miss everyone here and all the things we did together. But I am, however looking forward to seeing my family, a hot shower an my own bed. Until tomorrow, Bondje beni ou!

Lunchtime!

Jaka, or stinky fruit - tastes like fruity gum!

Last morning in Dame Marie.

Kris King
www.EVideoProductions.net
kris@evideoproductions.net
www.twitter.com/evp_Kris
www.facebook.com/evideoproductions

Fé Travay Li - Make it work!

2012-02-07T07:22:00.001-05:00

Day 4 - Rule #2 - Learn to run with your camera!

I woke up this morning after the sun came up for the first time this week. So I had renewed energy which was good because today was a full day of shooting.

The ladies making Pumpkin Soup for Breakfast:

After breakfast we went out to the courtyard to begin the building project. This year's project was building benches for the school. Best part was, we actually had power tools. As the team began working on the benches, I had to break off and go with Serge, one of the Haitians who work for RMI, plus two others, to go pick up the 20 goats for which people in the states had donated money.

We started our 1 hour trip, back over the mountain to Chambala where the goats were. The guys would grab each goat, tie their front legs to their back legs and wing them into the back of the pickup. Now, I have heard a goat make its "baaaaa" sound, but I've never heard one scream. That was a new experience. The footage is pretty interesting as well.

A typical Haitian road:

The view from along the way:

Once they were loaded, we began the hour trek back with the goats bleating and scream all the way. That was something i wasn't ready for. I hate to be cruel, but it was actually kinda funny. We started up the mountain when Serge came to a dead stop, the doors behind me opened and the two guys began to run!

One of the goats had come loose and had made its get-away! (Thanks Pat Tanis - i blame that on you!) The goat ran about a quarter mile down the mountain before the guys caught her trying to go over the edge - all the while with me running with the camera behind them. I felt like I was on an episode of Cops. (Note from Darcie: Kris always said he wanted to be a camera-man on The Amazing Race.)

A cow along the side of the road:

Once we returned we were able to get back to helping the team with the benches. By this time they were painting them. I figured that it was time to put the camera down and help. Problem was, having no running water makes it really hard to wash your hands.

After lunch, Pastor Guy Glass had a meeting with the teachers of the school were he presented them with two suitcases filled with school supplies. He also gave them maps and charts for their classrooms.

At about 3:00 was the children's service led by Pastor Jeremy Stephens from First Baptist Church of Toms River. The kids began the service with songs and readings. I had to get pretty close to pick up some of their voices because some were kinda shy. Needless to say though, they were extremely cute!

After that, we had the presentation of the goats to the families. They were very happy and very thankful. So on behalf of them, thank you very much to everyone at home who donated!

We ended the night with a wonderful meal and a nighttime stroll down to the water front. It's kinda of an eerie beauty to walk through a town where there is no power and if you don't have a generator, it's all candles. The pastor of the Haitian church lead us around town. There is an outdoor movie theater that runs first run bootlegs. You wanna see it, we got it!

We also took a walk through the old church that this congregation used to use. As we walked through the streets, we saw kids out reading under the solar powered street lights. After all, it's free!

We only have one more full day here and when we think about it, it's sad. These people are great and life here, although it can be tough, is simple. It makes you realize how much "stuff" you have and how much of it you probably don't actually need.

It's really easy to fall in love with this place and with these people. They are a hearty people who know how to survive. If you don't have exactly what you need to get the job done, Fé travay li - make it work!

Kris King
www.EVideoProductions.net
kris@evideoproductions.net
www.Twitter.com/evp_kris
www.Facebook.com/evideoproductions

As an addendum, here's the video that Kris showed in Haiti of our son Ryan.

Rule #1: Always Carry a Flashlight

2012-02-06T07:25:00.000-05:00

Day 3

I woke up today at around 5 am to the bleating of sheep, crowing of rosters, clucking of chickens and the banter of the Haitian women who prepare our meals, in the dark, outside, with just charcoal. They are a cheerful bunch who are full of the Holy Spirit and a zest for life unmatched in my 36 years.

It was dark as I went outside. It's amazing just how many stars you can see when there is no light pollution.

Breakfast consisted of a pumpkin based hot soup. Not what I would normally have ordered out, but man it was good!! There is also fresh squeezed lemonade at every meal. Kinda like boardwalk lemonade only WAY better.

Then it was off to Sunday morning church service. This was something I wasn't prepared for. I knew it was coming, but it knocked me over like a strong gust of wind. At the start of service there had to be 400 people in the church. Then more came, and more, oh, and more! They kept bringing in chairs to keep up with the arrivals. They filled the aisles and people even sat in the window sills.

The Haitian people like their service loud!!! Rocking band and loud singing. Just imagine what 500+ people singing in a language you barely understand is like. Hands waiving, people feeling the Spirit and general love and happiness. Just amazing... and the footage is incredible.

Then we were asked to give our personal greetings. This is something that is a tradition in Haiti. Each one of us stood up in front of all those people and introduced ourselves and gave greetings from our church and families. I have got to give Krissy props though, she did hers completely in Creole! She got a standing ovation for her efforts.

Note to self: learn Creole.

When I did mine, I gave my greetings from my church, my wife Darcie and then I played the message from my 7-year-old son Ryan that I recorded on my iPhone. The congregation loved it! I got so caught up in listening the the translator repeating what I was saying, I forgot to mention my daughter!!! Sorry honey! I'll make it up to you at the other district churches we will visit.

The service lasted three hours. But it was so engaging and emotional, I didn't even notice the length. I only realized it was going that long when my battery on my camera began to get really low on power. Somehow my arm never got tired holding the camera for that long.

After a tremendous lunch where we exacted our revenge on the chickens, roosters and goat, we took a couple of footballs and frisbees out onto the street. Within seconds kids were coming out of the woodwork! They were everywhere! One of the group members, Joe, seized the opportunity to talk to the kids about Jesus. Then we chucked the footballs and threw the frisbees with the kids for a while. It's actually easier to teach a kid how to throw a football without speaking the same language than you'd think it would be. When you speak the same language, you tend to over complicate your direction. When all you can do is pantomime, there is a lot less garbage in the message.

The one thing I have noticed is that Haitian people's eyes are so expressive. When I zoom in tight to these children's faces, you can almost see what they are thinking. Then when I turn the LCD panel around, their faces light up and they giggle.

Then we took a stroll down to the beach where I was able to get some great footage of the shoreline and some of the tin houses that are typical of Haitian architecture. The shore is littered with conch shells. Conch is a staple food here and it's really quite good! It's kinda like shrimp and scallops got together and had a tasty delicious kid.

Sunday afternoon we were on a break and we were sitting in the shade relaxing when we heard drumming off in the distance. It was getting closer so we ran out to the front of the church to see what the ruckus was (can you describe the ruckus sir?). And that, my friends, is why I always have the camera in my hands.

Turns out their Carnival (car knee val) is coming up soon. It's actually a voodoo carnival. Voodoo is the biggest religion in Haiti.

Sunday evening brought us our second service of the day. This time there were more people if you can believe it! Best part of the service was when the generator that supplies the church and parsonage's power, took it's ball and went home. Everyone just kept on singing a cappella. It was really cool. Little cell phone flashlights started popping up all over the church plus I had my flashlight in my pocket. (Thanks honey!!) You tend to start carrying it around when the power comes and goes as it pleases. Just ask me about seeing the footage when I get back.

This place just blows my mind every time I turn around. I could live here. It's that awesome. Although I can't wait to take a shower that doesn't consist of a bucket of cold water and a cup.

Kris King
www.EVideoProductions.net
kris@evideoproductions.net
www.Twitter.com/evp_Kris
www.facebook.com/evideoproductions

If you have a message you'd like to get to Kris, please email darcie@evideoproductions.net and I will get it to him!

Bonsoi!

2012-02-05T16:58:00.000-05:00

Day 2

After a rough night sleep because of intermittent power and a stuffy room with 11 people in it, we set off for Dame Marie. We had four trucks, 18 people and a ton of stuff.

There is only one road to Dame Marie and there is only pavement occasionally. It is mostly very rocky and dusty. The truck I was in was a Toyota Hilux. I am guessing that most of you have never heard of that model. That's because it's not available in the US - it wouldn't pass emissions. But, its the only truck to have ever made it to North Pole! So it's fine here.

The truck carrying all the supplies has four tires on the rear axle. About half way to Dame Marie, at the top of a mountain, the two tires on the passenger side went flat - no spare of course!

It was fixed by taking one tire from the left side and putting it on the right. That took over an hour. Just going to prove that God never gives you more than you can handle.

The rest of the trip had so many things to see - beautiful green forests, Caribbean Sea views from the mountains, the mountains themselves, random goats and cows tied up on the sides of the road and naked people bathing in the river.

It took over 6 hours to get to Dame Marie but it was worth the wait. When we finally arrived in town we were greeted by, well, the town! The children's brigade was in full uniform with a color guard and drum line. The ladies from the church were all dressed up and each greeted us with a "Bonsoi" (good evening) and a hug and kiss, all 50-something of them.

It was truly overwhelming! All of us were almost in tears with the amount of love that was pouring out of the residents of Dame Marie! We all walked a mile back into town together lead by the youth brigade and ladies of the church, singing the whole way!

We all piled into the church for a greeting from the pastor and the deacons. Even though there is a cultural difference and a language barrier, we all worship the same God and believe the same things and THAT is awesome and all you need.

We then sat down to a fantastic meal that consisted of (all homemade from scratch) rice and beans, fried plantains, lobster, conch, cabbage, this amazing fish and a scalloped potato-like dish. All in all it was a fantastic day.

Kris
www.evideoproductions.net
kris@evideoproductions.net
www.twitter.com/evp_kris

Kris also texted me today something that I wanted to share. He said "a parade for the upcoming Carnival just went by the church. It was pretty awesome. After it went by, I turned to Ryan (another Forked River Baptist Church member on the trip) and said 'and that is why the camera is always in my hands!' He was joking earlier that he hadn't seen me when I wasn't shooting with either the NX5 or my cell." Now, that's the Kris we all know & love! :) Just further proof that he will have some AMAZING footage when he gets back! Below is a collection of some of the stuff he's sent me.

Before he left, he asked our son, Ryan, to make a video about himself to show to the kids down there. Ryan asked for Kris to get a video of someone down there for him to see. Here it is:

Kris and the team also got some down time to sing together. You can see Jeremy playing guitar, Elyssa singing and you can hear Kris in the background singing.

Darcie King
www.Evideoproductions.net
darcie@evideoproductions.net
www.facebook.com/evideoproductions
www.facebook.com/12monthsofvideo
www.twitter.com/evpDarcie

A View from Up Above

2012-02-05T11:53:00.000-05:00

Kris sent this video to me from the air on the way to Haiti! I forgot to post it yesterday in my rush to get his other blog post up.

He texted me last night that he sent his Day 2 update, but I haven't received it yet. He said he would have connection and power issues after he left Les Cayes, and I guess that is proving true! The one update I did get briefly was that the truck carrying their luggage on their 6 hour ride to Dame Marie had 2 flat tires on the side of the mountain! They were stuck there for over an hour in the 90+ degree heat. When I talked to him, he was at a stop along the way, about an hour from Dame Marie.

I can't wait to see his footage! The stuff he's sending is just what he shot on his iPhone. The good stuff is on a hard drive. :) We'll all have to wait to see that!

Darcie King
www.evideoproductions.net
darcie@evideoproductions.net
www.facebook.com/evideoproductions
www.facebook.com/12monthsofvideo
www.twitter.com/evpDarcie

A Different View

2012-02-04T18:00:00.000-05:00

Haiti Trip Day 1.

We left Newark Airport at 6 am today. After two very uneventful flights - Newark to Miami then Miami to Haiti we landed in the 93 degree 90 percent humidity. We left the jet way to go collect our bags. We were greeted with a Haitian band singing songs to us as we walked in the customs area. Customs was normal and baggage claim was routine. Then we left the airport and that's where my view on my life changed forever.

There were people everywhere going in every direction. It was like rush hour in NYC except the chaos was magnified 100 times. One of the people in our group was almost run over by, or he backed into a car. I am not sure which. The fact is, the airport parking lot was only the beginning.We all piled onto our, thankfully, air conditioned bus for the 6 hour ride to Les Cayes where were going to spend our first night. I knew that Haiti had massive devastation from the earthquake and the hurricane that followed. But I was not as prepared as I thought I would be, to see it up close. Thousands of people are still living in tent cities throughout Port au Prince. And most of the island still has intermittent power.I am just glad that I wasn't driving. The traffic was unbelievable. Think of the traffic you see from clips from India - it was like that - only less motor bikes and more trucks with smashed windshields and wobbly tires that are about to fall off. There were pickup trucks with 15 people in the back, a bus with a guy on a kitchen chair on top of it, another bus with a guy texting from the roof and another bus with three goats on top.The Trip to Les Cayes was 6 hours through the mountains. It was sad to see the landscape because after decades of corruption and environmental devastation from over harvesting, there is nothing left for people to find naturally. They have stripped the land of almost everything usable.We had a bathroom stop about halfway to our destination at a little bar/restaurant/store/gas station. The men's room had no door and there was a woman in there. That was weird.

A few hours later, we arrived at the missionary guest house. Thankfully we have AC tonight - last for the week. We leave for Dame Marie Saturday morning at 8:30 am and then the real work begins. Over all the people here are very nice, very kind and really just want to know - Comment allez-vous - or How are you doing?

Kris King
www.EVideoProductions.net
kris@evideoproductions.net

For more details on this mission trip to Haiti, read Jeremy Stephen's blog!

Video with a Mission

2012-01-31T14:40:00.001-05:00

E Video Productions is making our first international trek. From February 3rd through February 10th, I (Kris) will be in the country of Haiti. I know, I know, you're saying to yourself "Haiti, who in their right mind would want to go there?" It's a missions trip with my local church. I have been asked to go along and document the entire trip. We have also been asked by the overall ministry that is supporting our church, RMI (Reciprocal Ministries International), to cover some of the other things that they do in Haiti for promotional and fund raising purposes.

This will be, by far, the most exciting and nerve racking shoot I have ever been on. But the funny thing is, I was more worried about how I was going to charge my camera batteries than the fact that I have to look for tarantulas when I go to shower in the morning. The spiders don't bother me, but the lack of power does. Is that weird?

I won't just be shooting video while I am there, though. First and foremost, I am there on a missions trip with a purpose. We are bringing along water filtration systems to the people of Dame Marie, Haiti. Each system, which runs about $95, will fill the water needs of a family of 10 for 10 years! That's impressive. We are also, with the help of many generous individuals and corporations, providing 16 goats to the families there, not sure how they are gonna fit in the overhead compartments! Thank you to everyone who donated.

Well anyway, keep checking in on this blog through out the week for more updates on all the things that we see and so while we are in Haiti.

Kristopher King
http://www.evideoproductions.net
Facebook: evideoproductions
Twitter: @evp_kris
Youtube: evideopr

Turn Off The Dark, but leave the video!

2012-01-26T12:51:00.000-05:00

If you have not seen Spiderman: Turn Off The Dark on Broadway yet, what are you waiting for? For a life-long Broadway fan that has seen many shows over the years, I must say this was one of the most unique! It took traditional Broadway and pumped it up with U2's pounding music, amazing acrobatics, and of course, what caught my eye - amazingly choreographed video screens. As I watched the fabulous animations and graphics fly across the screens, I was immediately impressed by the production quality, but who would expect anything less from the Great White Way? But when I realized how the floor to ceiling screens were gliding across the floor, switching places with each other in a perfectly timed choreographed routine while the images remained in the correct order to show the full panoramic scene, I began thinking about the time and skill involved in creating this masterpiece. All this time, my 7 year old sat, mouth agape, mesmerized by his hero flying through the air, defeating the Green Goblin.

So this show has me thinking, what other ways can we use video to enhance our every day activities? You might not be directing a show of Broadway caliber, but what about your company's annual dinner? Or perhaps, a local talent showcase? A trade show, conference or expo is a terrific opportunity to use video in unconventional ways! Your budget might not include choreographed, floor to ceiling video panels, but a creatively shot & edited video shown on a large flat screen TV might achieve the same affect for your audience. Try thinking outside the box when it comes to planning your next event. Think about how you can use video in a non-traditional way to deliver your message to your audience.

5 Strategies for Video Socialization

2012-01-19T14:11:00.000-05:00

When you create a flyer, do you post it on your door and wait for people to find it? Or do you get out there, pass them around, give them out at networking events, ask other businesses to display them for you? If you wouldn't wait for people to find your flyer on your office door, why would you post a video on your website & wait for people to find it? You need to get it out there, pass it around, show it to your networking groups, ask other businesses to display it....all VIRTUALLY and ONLINE! These five tips will help you socialize your videos without having to leave your desk!

1. Upload, upload, upload. Do not upload once and hope that source will carry you through to virtual fame. If you use a private video host, you can still upload to YouTube! Don't just post a link to your YouTube video on Facebook, upload your video there too. There are many advantages to uploading your video to multiple platforms. First of all, you're reaching a different audience in each place. Someone might subscribe to your YouTube channel that doesn't get your newsletter or "like" your Facebook page. There are other pages also that allow you to post video to specific audiences.

2. Take advantage of each services unique features. In YouTube, for example, you can add neat features such as an overlay, mobile capabilities, and more. In Facebook, you can tag anyone that might have something to do with your video, alerting them AND their friends to the presence of your video. Check into unique services offered by each site that hosts your video.

3. Tell everyone you know about this amazing video! Tweet about it on every account you manage. Start a discussion about it in your Linked-In groups. Ask for reviews on Facebook. Show it on your blog. Feature it in your e-newsletter. Get it out there!

4. Choose your (key) words wisely. If you are a financial planner, words like "finance, money, planning" are over used. Try searching for them and see how many results come up! Get as specific as you can. Think about what people might be searching for that would need your services. Could someone searching for colleges possible need the expertise of a financial planner? Don't cheat & use competitor's names (this will get you taken OUT of search results), but think outside of the box when coming up with Key Words. And most definitely - USE THEM! Most video upload sites allow key words. Don't skip this step! It is how your videos are found.

5. Make your video sharable. Make it easy for people to share your video. Don't lock any features or restrict the video in any way that makes it difficult for people to spread the word. Remember, this is FREE ADVERTISING! The more people that like, favorite, share, comment, etc. on your video, the better chance that others will find IT and thus YOU.

Darcie King
E Video Productions
http://www.evideoproductions.net
http://www.youtube.com/evideopr
http://www.facebook.com/evideoproductions
http://www.twitter.com/evpDarcie

Video Focus: Beauty Deserves to be Seen

2011-12-02T10:23:00.000-05:00

When you sell a product, service, location or event that is overwhelmingly beautiful, why wouldn't you do Video Marketing? People need to SEE your company in order to realize the true beauty. A single photograph or wordy description can't begin to compare to a live panoramic shot of your amazing view or the motion of the sun gleaming off of your exquisite jewelery. Beauty deserves to be seen. Video captures the beauty as a person would experience it first hand. Through video, you can share it with a regional, national or international audience that might not be able to visit you otherwise! If you are selling a vacation spot this is extremely true - most people will not visit a vacation spot prior to booking it! But if they see a video online, it's almost as good as being there. A shaky, amateur video can hurt your business in cases like this - they don't want to experience it as a tourist - they want to see all of the potential available to them!

Take a look at this video from Staten Island Yacht Sales and tell me that you don't wish you could jump on one of these yachts and sail off into the sunset! I know I do!

I am thankful.

2011-11-23T09:04:00.002-05:00

God has given us many amazing gifts. The one that I think stands out as one of the most important is FREE WILL. When Satan causes chaos in our lives, we have a choice. We can choose to crumble and fall, find blame for all of our problems, and ask “God, why did you do this to me?” Or we can stand tall, be thankful and glorify God in all we do.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 reminds us to “give thanks in all circumstances.” Its not always easy, but as I found myself saying multiple times over the past few weeks – sometimes you need an explosion to make a change for the positive. In bad times come better times…if you make the choice to see things with a thankful heart.

I am thankful for laundry – it reminds me that I have clothes.
I am thankful for dirty dishes – they reminds me that I ate a great meal.
I am thankful for tragedy – it reminds me of the good times, and helps me focus on better times to come.
I am thankful for change – it reminds me I have a choice.
I am thankful for arguments – they reminds me I have a voice.
I am thankful for protestors – they reminds me I have freedom.
I am thankful for an empty wallet – it teaches me how to be resourceful.
I am thankful for temper tantrums – they remind me of the two amazing miracles God has given me.
I am thankful for Kris’ bad jokes – they remind me I have a husband that embraces laughter.
I am thankful for illnesses – they remind us how strong we really are.
I am thankful for those that question my faith – they help me to realize why I am faithful.
I am thankful for negativity – it makes the positive stand out.
I am thankful for a crazy day at work – it means I have a job.
I am thankful for endless repairs – it means I have a home and a car.

God gives us plenty – love, laughter, friends, family and especially holidays when we take the time to remember the good things in life.

And in other news...

2011-11-22T10:55:00.000-05:00

Sometimes it's fun to get off topic and talk about something completely different. Yes, we primarily focus on marketing videos and helping companies get a video presence online. But every once in a while we get an opportunity to do something outside of business, marketing and corporate America. A couple of years ago, we were approached about shooting a news segment for a movie. The concept was that the characters in the movie are watching a news report on TV. They didn't want the news report to look like the rest of the film, so they hired us to do an on-location shoot TV news style! We went to NY for the shoot and worked with two different actresses. Here's the clip. Enjoy!

Reduce, Reuse, Repurpose!

2011-11-18T13:03:00.001-05:00

Money is the number one issue why companies don't do enough advertising. It is important to know what you will not grow if no one knows you exist! The question should not be whether or not to advertise, but rather how to best maximize your advertising dollar.

One great way is to repurpose your existing marketing video. If you have a promo video that your made for your website, trade show or sales DVDs, it typically doesn't take a large chunk of money to re-edit it into a 30-second TV commercial! And when you do this, you are also better able to continue a consistent message through various mediums.

We recently did a promotional video for NJ Best Lawn & Irrigation, which you can see on their home page when you click on that link. When they decided to advertise on local television, we were able to repurpose that video for a 30-second spot.

Another option is to create a new campaign, but using the same production company. There is a higher cost to this, but it still allows you to keep a consistent message with similar graphics, shooting styles, etc. If you had videos done for your website by one company, and then go with the cable company to produce your TV commercial, they will look very different and might not be complimentary to each other.

But wait, there's more!

2011-11-04T09:52:00.001-04:00

I know you've all been to a trade show somewhere where there's a large both at the end of an aisle with a man or woman talking through what sounds like a McDonald's drive through microphone. "Wah, wah, wah, wah, when you use it this way you can, wah, wah, and then the benefits are wah, wah." It's over modulated, too close to their mouth and too loud for your sensitive ears already bombarded with tons of trade show noise. If you can get close enough, you can see how that amazing rag really does soak up a soda bottle full of water! But often times, you are stuck behind a really tall guy and can't see a thing. There must be a better way to demonstrate a product.

Yes, you finally figured it out! You can do an infomercial on TV! You get quality microphones so people can actually hear what you're saying. You get a live studio audience to "ooh and ahh" at the end of every sentence. The production studio edits together a beautiful package that is high quality and ready for TV. You sit back and wait for your return. Uh oh. You spent so much money on producing your infomercial that the only people able to see the amazing stain fighting power of your product are those suffering from insomnia at 3am. Their eyes are glazed over and they're feverishly looking for reruns of Three's Company. You think there's nothing else you can do to demonstrate your amazing product.

But wait, there's more!

There's another way to demonstrate your product directly to your target audience. A promotional video. This video can be shown at a trade show (with high quality production value shown on a top of the line HDTV), displayed on your website (fully optimized to appear on the first page of Google) or used in social media (for a truly viral experience that is as beneficial as word of mouth advertising). A product demo video can be cost effective if produced correctly and free to display. You can show the benefits, the product in use in a real situation, testimonials, and much more. For an example of a product demo, check this out:

Darcie King
E Video Productions
12 Months of Video

Get ready for your closeup!

2011-10-21T13:51:00.000-04:00

One thing no one thinks about until it's upon them is how you should prepare your staff for your day of shooting. There are a few different approaches. You know your staff best - choose what you think fits their personalities the best. We get many different reactions from staff when we show up with cameras in hand.

THE REACTION "I look awful! I didn't know we were doing this today!"

In this situation, you could have avoided it by either giving them plenty of notice or at the very least, telling them that morning before we arrived. By telling staff in advance that there will be a video shoot, they can get their hair and nails done so they have the confidence to appear on camera and represent your company well. However, this can backfire too. By knowing too far in advance, some shy personalities will stress over the impending shoot for days and won't be able to focus on their work. They will be nervous and by the time we get there, they will be a complete wreck. Give them some notice, but don't let them stress over it. Make sure they know the scope of the shoot - will they be featured? Will they just be doing their job and naturally caught on camera like a fly on the wall? Will they need to stage anything on camera? If you choose to tell them the morning of, make sure you give them enough time to at least freshen up if they choose to do so.

THE REACTION "Oh, this place is a mess! You can't shoot here!"

You can't tell me you just scheduled the shoot this morning and had no notice to at least straighten up your place. Most shoots are scheduled days or weeks in advance. Try to at least run a vacuum cleaner and wipe down counter tops. I understand if your office is always a mess due to the nature of your business, and you don't want to misrepresent yourself in your marketing material. However, your potential clients don't want to see day-old candy bar wrappers, your extra large soda that came with lunch or another client's confidential papers. Spend a few minutes cleaning up your area and alert any in charge of the other areas where the shoot will take place that they need to do a once-over on their area as well.

THE REACTION "I hate being on camera. Get someone else."

This is the most common reaction. Most of the time, employees will only be on camera doing what they do every day. Most likely, all they have to do is what they typically do - perhaps with a cleaner desk, sitting up a little straighter and with a light over their head. We are usually in and out in minutes, so we don't take away from their day. If you let them know ahead of time that all they will be doing is sitting there looking productive, most people will give in and allow it. Block their complaints by letting them know up front that they don't have to say any lines, they don't have to force a fake smile and they don't have to be someone they're not. You want to capture them as they are on a daily basis.

If the employee will be talking from a script, you should give them the script ahead of time so they can get used to it. They do not have to have it 100% memorized by the shoot date. We have ways of shooting it in clips so they only have to know a small part at a time, and I'm sure most other production companies can do the same. If they will be interviewed on camera, you can give them some idea of what they'll be talking about, points that you want them to make sure they hit, and what you DON'T want them to say, but don't give them fully written scripts. Also, encourage them NOT to write out paragraphs of what they want to say. We encourage an unscripted interview. You chose them because of the knowledge they have on the subject. We (or whatever production company you hire) will be asking questions about this knowledge. They know it, so there's no need to memorize it.

Remember, the better prepared your staff is, the smoother your shoot will go. Taking a little time to talk to them about the focus of the shoot, and what you are looking to get out of it will help tremendously on the day of shooting.

What the heck are QR codes?

2011-10-13T14:16:00.000-04:00

You see them everywhere. People tell you, "oh, that's our new QR code! Scan it!" You stand there thinking...."If I tell them I have no clue what they're talking about, will they still respect me? Maybe it's a Star Trek reference. I'll stare at it and they'll think I'm processing whatever it is I'm supposed to see. Then I'll smile and nod and slowly back away."

Ok, maybe it's not that drastic. But these days, it seems that new technology has us constantly asking "what's that and how can I use it?" QR codes are everywhere. When you buy a plant from Home Depot, there's a QR code that leads you to planting and care instructions. When you are enjoying french fried at your local restaurant, you can scan the back of the Heinz ketchup bottle and enter a contest. Before I get into using video with QR codes, let me take a minute to explain how you use them.

First, make sure you have a smart phone. Without a smart phone, QR codes mean nothing. Sorry guys - that's just the hard truth of it. Next, go to your app store or wherever it is you buy your nifty little apps and search for a "free QR code reader" such as "ScanLife." Download it. Now you're ready to go searching for a QR code. I'll make it easy for you. Here's one for you to try.

Open the app on your phone and hold it over the QR code so the entire code appears on your screen. That should be all you have to do. Now your phone should be whisking you away to 12MonthsofVideo.com - one of our promotional sites. Neat, huh? Ok, take some time to check out that site and then come back and finish this blog. I'm just kidding...you can save the website for later.

How else can you use QR codes? One of our clients had a great idea. He has a large staff and it was important to him for his clients to get to know their representatives on a more personal level. With email and social media, people rarely have to meet face-to-face anymore! We went to their location and shot a quick intro video of each employee. They all have personalized QR codes that each link back to their own video. They can put the codes anywhere - business cards, letterhead, office doors...anywhere they can engage someone.

To see what the videos look like, go to EVideoProductions.net/stqrvids

Yes, I am smarter than a 5th grader...

2011-10-05T15:09:00.002-04:00

There's no point to this other than to make me giggle. :)

Created by GiftRocket

Writing for Speaking

2011-10-05T12:41:00.000-04:00

Writing for reading and writing for speaking are two different arts. Think about how a book translates to a movie. It must be shortened, long descriptions are replaced by a quick panoramic shot.

Many people try to write eloquently - which is beautiful for a narrative. However, most of us do not speak that way. We wouldn't say "So therefore, I come to you to present a phenomenal product that will not only help you save time and save energy, but will also bring forth an era of worry-free days and restful nights." We would say "Check out my product. It saves you time and energy and will help you sleep better at night."

When writing for video, think about your personality. If you're not the one that will be on camera, think about that person's personality or the personality of the company that is represented. If you're stuck, talk out loud as if you're talking to a potential client. If you think the person in the cubical next to you might think you're rather strange, put your blue tooth headset on and go for a walk. People will figure you're on a client call. But be sure to say it out loud before committing it to paper.

When you're done, read it. If you stumble over something more than once, then it's a problem spot. Even if you're not the one doing the on-camera read, if you're stumbling and you're the one who wrote it, then the talent will be sure to stumble as well. Read it through multiple times and make sure everything is easily read without stumbling and stuttering and can be read naturally.

If someone else is doing the read besides yourself, encourage them to make small changes to the script. Don't be offended if they change something that causes them to stumble. We all have different speech patterns and don't always say things the same way. Encouraging them to modify the WAY it is said, not necessarily the content, will allow for a more smooth shoot and a better end product.

Also, try to stay away from long lists. They are not only difficult to read, but also can be rather boring to watch. If you must convey a long list to your audience, consider doing it through a scrolling graphic rather than the voice-over. It allows for the video to switch from voice-over to just music, giving it a more interesting tone and jarring the viewer's attention. Switching it up says "this is important - pay attention!"

Finally, keep it short. If you want to do a 30 second spot, don't write 40 seconds of copy & ask the voice-over artist to read it quickly. How do you like the ends of medical commercials where they list the side effects at Micro-machine speed? If your entire commercial is at that speed, do you think the viewer will understand what they are hearing? Less is more. For a 30 second spot, write 25 seconds of copy and allow the music to fill the rest.

Video Focus: 1 Day MBA

2011-09-29T13:07:00.000-04:00

People often tell us they're planning a big event and want to use video, but don't know how. What is the best way to use video to generate a buzz when it comes to events, seminars, fundraisers, etc.? We feel the post-event recap/promo video is the way to go. It is the most cost effective use of video in the event industry.

We have combined a recap of the event and a promotional video for future events into one piece. It serves both purposes very well and the event planner doesn't have to pay double the price.

What should a good recap/promo video include? While we typically encourage at least two-camera coverage of any major event, we find that one-camera coverage is sufficient in this case. The camera can be mobile and capture snippets of each presenter, crowd interactions, exhibition booths if needed and even testimonials from sponsors, exhibitors and attendees. All of these elements can be woven into a brief video featuring the story (how the event came together and the plans for the future), the "what's-in-it-for-me" factor (benefits, highlights, memorable moments) and can even include details on when the next event will be or where people can go to find out about future events.

The Missing Pieces

2011-09-22T11:44:00.000-04:00

One of the comments we hear most often after a client views their first proof is that we had the wrong logo, wrong colors, wrong font, wrong graphic, etc. Let's rewind a bit. When we start a project, we ask clients to get us all their info and pieces that we need. We'll try asking for a logo, font or color, but typically we are dealing with busy CEOs or marketing managers that don't have time to search for it, so they say "take it from our website." Sometimes this is fine. But other times, they haven't looked at their site in quite some time and it is outdated. Or the graphics files are small - and when we're dealing with HD footage, we want the graphics to have the same quality!

This is not just an issue in our industry. I'm sure printers, sign makers, online advertisers, etc. all face the same issue from time to time.

Every company needs to have a graphics folder easily accessible on their computer. If your company is too small to have an in-house marketing department, you probably don't have staff dedicated to ensuring a consistent marketing message and branded exposure. By keeping a simple file on the desktop of the main computer in your office, you make it easy for every marketing piece you make to have the same message, same look, same feel. Here are the things you should include in that folder:

1. Your Logo - you need various versions. A low res version is easily uploadable online. A high-res version is best for print. An EPS or vector-based version is best for those highly knowledgeable in the graphics industry. A square version is good for social media. One that looks good on black and one that looks good on white also might be necessary at different times. You want to make sure the names of the graphic files make sense so someone can easily go in and find YourLogoLowRes.jpg or YourLogoSquare.jpg.

2. Color samples - there are various types of color files, and you should know exactly what colors you use. It's great to say our colors are orange & black, but we have found that orange doesn't always print the same. You should know your CMYK colors, RGB colors, Web color and Pantone colors. I'm not a graphic designer, so I'm not going to go into more detail here...if you have questions on this, you could do a search or ask your graphic designer.

3. Font - do you have a specific font in your logo? A specific font for your tag line? Other fonts you like to use? Save a Word document with these different fonts for quick reference.

4. If you use any stock images in your advertising, make sure you have these files easily accessible as well. Again, make sure there are high-res versions to use.

5. If you have done video or audio advertising in the past and have a certain piece of music that you like to use, have that readily available. We can always match something that is similar, but cannot always locate a specific piece. HOWEVER, please make sure the music is NOT copyrighted! In the video industry, we CANNOT use copyrighted music without permission under ANY circumstances.

Ending Thoughts

2011-09-07T13:48:00.000-04:00

Words are funny. The meaning depends on where you put the emphasis. No, this post is not about my thoughts as I end a chapter of my life. The title is not ENDING Thoughts. Rather, this post is about Ending THOUGHTS. Or more specifically, ending your on-camera appearance, either in an interview or a stand-up.

Human nature is to continue talking until someone else talks. When you're in an interview, typically the interviewer will wait for you to stop talking to go on to the next question. Particularly in the way we do videos, you don't hear the interviewer in the finished video, so it doesn't sound good for him or her to interrupt the speaker. So when I interview someone, I'll wait for them to stop before I go on. When you are doing a stand-up, you're just talking to an imaginary audience - there's no one there to give you any clues to stop talking. You must complete your thought and stop.

For example, a typical person will say something along the lines of.... "Hi, I'm the owner of This Company and I'd like to welcome you to my website. We can help you solve These Problems and want to make sure you have a great experience doing so. Take a look around and contact me if you have any questions. We are here to answer your questions. We know how difficult it is to shop for Our Services. So look at our website and hopefully you'll find all the answers you need. If not, click on the "contact us" link and we'll respond right away. Thanks for visiting. Hope you enjoy your stay. And don't forget, we love our customers."

That blurb could have ended many times. But most people, when speaking, won't realize that. When getting ready for a stand-up, have an opening line in mind, three major bullets, and an ENDING point. Don't ramble. Remember, if your video is for the internet (as most videos are), people have a very limited amount of time and don't want to hear you repeat yourself. The ending point should be your mission statement, tagline or another strong phrase that sells your product or service. You may need a call to action as well, depending on where you are placing your video and how it is used, so make sure to incorporate that into your ending point.

When in an interview, focus on answering the question. Many people want to go off on tangents and answer every question in one answer. That's great in some situations, but may make it more difficult in editing, and could possibly make the video seem disjointed. A good editor can help that NOT to happen, but if you really ramble badly, sometimes your interview will just end up on the cutting room floor. You don't have as much time to prepare (unless you have the questions ahead of time), but you can still think it through before you speak. Take a deep breath, and think of 3 parts of your answer, the beginning, the middle and the end.

For example, if you are asked "Why did you come to this event today?" Your answer can start with how you found out about the event, then the middle can be your view of the event and you can end with a strong statement of exactly what you expect to get out of the event.

Even if you are focusing on answering the question, and you're not repeating yourself, it still can be difficult to end a thought. Just as in writing, make sure you put a period at the end of your sentence. Nothing sounds like more of a non-commitment than a statement phrased as a question.

"What is your primary function as a company?"
"We solve our customer's problems.....and.....uh.....??"

That statement should have been...

"We solve our customer's problems."

Can you hear the difference? Ok, so perhaps this should have been a video blog post...but you get my point...right?

Ending thoughts - make sure you end your thoughts with a period.