SilverHook Studios

We just got an email from Christmas In Action Odessa, TX saying the video we done for them helped them get a huge government grant and they were awarded a new building warehouse to store all of their materials. We are so excited for them! Christmas In Action is a great cause, and we are glad to have created the video that has helped this organization continue to help handicapped and low-income seniors! To view the video, check out this posting: http://www.silverhookstudios.com/blog/?p=233

We had a chance to put together a promotional video for the Odessa Texas division of Christmas In Action. They were so pleased with the work we did for the Oakland County Michigan branch, that they wanted a video of their own. Christmas in Action is a great cause. If you can find one in your city, we highly suggest you make a donation of your time or monetary gift!

We had the pleasure last week of filming some Emory Health Care Surgeons with Broadcast Atlanta and had a great time being so up close to what really goes on in the surgery room. I have a lot of respect for the field and the entire process in general. We did a few interviews and shot some excellent B-Roll. It was like a scene straight out of Grey’s Anatomy.

Some of you had inquired about the helicopter shoot we did a few weeks ago. Here’s a few seconds of being up high above the city of Atlanta. Enjoy the view.

Some of you have been following our upgrading process as we have been talking about getting new video cameras for the studio. We’ve settled on the Sony NXCAM series because the workflow and footage has been absolutely phenomenal. We had a bride call and thank us for truly making her wedding look like a movie and ask, “how did you get it so clear and colorful?”.

Sorry lady, we don’t make the technology, we just know how to use it to make you look fabulous.

I thought I would post a picture of the boss in the camera store testing out the new camera. I took a screen shot from the video to show he’s not always all business…

Give us a call today at 404-421-2477 to discuss your next video production project. Remember at SilverHook Studios we want you to Be Seen, Be Heard, Be Important!

Recently we had the chance to be a part of the Families First Foundation tribute to the Touhy family who were the subjects of the Hollywood blockbuster, The Blind Side. Along with Broadcast Atlanta we provided the filming for the red carpet interviews, and the exclusive one-on-one interview with Sean & Leigh Anne Touhy. The event raised awareness around the foster care industry and was a great cause to support. We appreciate the opportunity to be a part of the evening. This is a short snippet of the evening’s events:

In the creative field of what we do, we often get confronted with issues where we feel our creativity is taken for granted. We are hired to make the client look important and present the best project possible. Even at the cost of our, *yikes*, creativity. There have been plenty of projects that have started with the best creative push in mind (why you hire creatives), and then the client waters it down with input that derails from the original reason we were hired. We found a great comic that put this whole idea in perspective.

Remember, your designer is there to help and give you the best product they can. They have been trained and know what works based on years of experience and education. They only want the best for the client.

But when you think you are doing our jobs for us, it’s an insult to the art, and you end up spending way more money in the longrun later paying someone else to repeat the cycle over again.

We are here for you! Let us do what we do best!

SilverHook Studios owner, Will Bearyman, has been doing several consulting sessions lately with businesses and individuals on how to better use video in their business along with proper steps in music and video production period. We’ve found this opportunity to be great for those of you who may have a small budget for handling your own production and want to maximize your dollars into doing it right instead of learning the hard way.

To book Will for a consultation, give our office a call at 1-877-341-4801. And be sure to use our contact form to inquire about services offered. Will has worked with numerous music industry artists, entertainment moguls, and all types of commercial businesses.

Video has moved to be the #1 tool for websites now and we’ve started to publish most of our ending projects straight to web video. Call us today to schedule your next video project. Don’t be left in the dust by your competition! (404)462-3118.

And with Apple announcing it’s new “IPad”, video is going to be one of the major mediums displayed on this unit. We can’t wait to try it out! What are you waiting for? Get video on your website now. Call us at (404)462-3118.

Apple’s New iPad

In the video industry it has become very easy nowadays to run out and grab a camcorder, computer, editing software and start calling yourself a video professional. It’s almost as bad as so many individuals who go from having no talent to all of a sudden telling you they have a music career. The market has gotten so saturated with overnight video companies that not only has it made it more difficult to negotiate a fair rate on a project, but it has really put a hurt on the video production image.

Without even blinking, you could run to an online forum site and start your search for someone to do a video for you. Chances are your email box will be full within minutes. Replies will range from people who are qualified to do the job for you to people who are only qualified to take your money.

We’ve been approached by several potential clients that after receiving a quote from us they say that "so and so" said they could do it for waaaaaay less. I usually say best of luck with that.

There’s the old saying that the cream rises to the top, so no matter what, SilverHook Studios has built a reputation for creative excellence, integrity, and professionalism that I’m not too concerned with having to price match, but it kind of makes our industry look bad when there are so many overnight guys out there literally working for peanuts. They help make the consumer feel as if paying for a professional’s time, effort, and experience, is only worth the money they are willing to wave in your face at the moment.

My advice to other’s in the profession, stick to your guns. You’ve developed a relationship with other clients, you’ve taken the necessary educational courses, you’ve paid your dues with experience, longevity, and integrity, and it isn’t worth grabbing a new client for a quick buck who doesn’t appreciate the worth of your craft.

A friend of mine sent me these posts from Craigslist that I thought were absolutely fabulous. I am not the original author, so please give the credit elsewhere. I guess as the last post unfolded that the video community had been "flagging" service ads where individuals were asking for extreme video work for little to no pay. Supposedly there was a post from someone in the "video community" who put out a post saying that the video community was not going to stand anymore for little to no pay for their experience, time, and equipment use. Then there was a post that exclaimed that because of this attitude from the "video community" is why companies were taking there business to other states such as Tennessee and Florida:

"To the "video community" that is flagging posts for asking for reduced or free rates, YOU are the reason I am taking my (paying) production and hiring from Florida and Tennesse. The negativity you create in the Atlanta video/film group is pathetic and harmful. The solution is "do not reply". It could not be that hard. Believe me when I say that I am not the only one doing this so you are cutting your nose to spite your face."

Then comes along this post. That once I read it was obviously from some video professional who was explaining the hostility, but informing those who may think that any warm body with a camera and a computer is of the same caliber. I definitely disagree…check out the post:

"I am happy that folks from FL and TN are willing to travel from 2 to 6 hours to work here in Atlanta for $200 a day. They can bring their HD cameras and other expensive equipment with them to come away with a few bucks in their pockets. Sounds like a deal. I don’t think that it is a case of cutting nose to spite face. I think it is a case of negotiating for a better rate and training folks who need professional work what those charges are. What do you think plumbers charge? How about electricians? Do you think this is any different?

If reasonable rates were offered I’m sure you would have a lot of takers. Offering $10 to $20 an hour isn’t much of an offer. That is basically wages for manual labor. When equipment and experience is factored in, rates need to go up. Now on the other hand if you already have the equipment and just need an operator then you are getting closer to being reasonable. What is it that you object to? That people are not willing to work for wages that don’t pay for their equipment, time, experience, mortgage, food for the table, etc.??? This is a technical and creative occupation. Respect the expertise that is needed to get you the product you want. Again I am happy for the FL, TN and don’t forget about AL or the Carolina residents who are willing to come to Atlanta. If enough come here and find out what is being offered you may need to try Kentucky, Ohio or other states further west.

Then again if all you can pay is the lower end of the scale then the quality of work you get will reflect that. This business really does equate cost with quality. Now given you can have people who charge a hell of a lot and bring back mediocre results and vice versa. But generally speaking you get what you pay for. Do you have any idea how much a good camera costs? Have you tried renting one? They start at $250 a day in the local rental houses. That should give you an idea.

I think it is somewhat healthy for a dialogue to happen between those who wish to hire and those that are for hire. I would prefer that folks who offer minimum wages to just be ignored or for high school kids to work with you. That would be my preference. Because I think all you need is a warm body to aim a camera (of any sort) at whatever you want taped. I don’t think you care about quality of audio, lighting, composition or image. If you did, you would be more interested in offering decent rates. I really don’t understand why you just don’t buy a camera and do it yourself. You initial cost would be $500. After that it would be all gravy for you.

That’s my 2 cents."

I thought this was fabulous. Video professionals take a stand.