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Utah Video Production

How to Master 2 camera angles with one Camera

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In video interviews, it is always preferred to have 2 cameras positioned to make editing easier. Many times it is not always possible to set up two good angles. In my years directing interviews, I have had many difficulties in lining up both angles to have optimum framing.

Todays Interviews

Zoomed in Framing of 4K footage rendered at 1080p

As a video director at Levitate, having over a dozen tears experience interviewing thousands of just regular day to day people, you know, business owners, employees, customer testimonials. (Not Professional Actors) \

The biggest challenge is getting the average person to be comfortable in the interview. There are many techniques, such as warming them up, but for me, the biggest thing is to just have a frank conversation with them. People tend to get quite unnatural during the interview process, the lights, multiple cameras, multiple camera operators, it can be quite overwhelming for a person being interviewed that does not have professional acting or commercial experience.

The 90 Degree angle shot

In my experience as a video producer and director, I have always found the 90 degree angle interview frame a bit unsettling, it just looks off to me and feels so unnatural to go from a clip looking just off camera, to almost a profile view in the interviews.

Todays Technology

Professor Joseph Ward wide angle view, shot in 4K and rendered in 1080p

With the advance in technology and today’s 4K cameras, I have found the solution to be quite simple! With one single camera, framed correctly, you can set up your cuts effortlessly with this simple framing technique! The first step is to set up a good looking medium wide frame for the interview, I then position myself right behind the camera. Traditionally, interviews set up to look past the camera right or left frame, you then set up your rule of thirds accordingly. The biggest challenge with this, is often times, I find it very hard to set up two angles that both look great.

Looking Directly at the camera

Does it work? Yes, in my experience looking directly at the camera produces the most natural cinematic interviews. By positioning myself, the director as close to behind the camera as possible. I have found that the persons being interviewed are much more comfortable interacting with me and truly being their authentic selves!

why it works

When the person being interviewed is looking directly at the camera lens, It immediately builds trust and confidence for the viewer, it also conveys authenticity! When I position myself directly behind the camera lens, and engage the person authentically, we can have a normal conversation that ultimately converts into good quality video that not only engages the viewer, but ultimately communicates our desired communication efficiently.

Levitate Media Group

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Hollywoods love affair with utah

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Pioneering Days

History of Filmmaking in Utah

Utah’s filmmaking roots started in the early 20th century. The state’s diverse landscapes, from deserts to mountains, attracted filmmakers seeking unique backdrops. In 1912, “The Passing of the Third Floor Back” became one of the earliest films shot in Utah. Its success spurred interest in the state’s potential for moviemaking.

Hollywood’s Love Affair

Hollywood's Love Affair

During Hollywood’s golden age, Utah gained much interest as a prime filming location. Iconic westerns like “Stagecoach” (1939) and “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” (1969) showcased Utah’s stunning desert scenery and vistas, cementing its status as a go-to destination for filmmakers.

Utah Film Commission

Utah Film Commission

In the late 20th century, Utah experienced a filmmaking rebirth with local many productions gaining momentum. The founding of the Utah Film Commission in 1974 further boosted the state’s profile in the industry, attracting both independent and blockbuster films.

Major Milestones

Major Milestones Footloose

Utah witnessed the creation of several Iconic productions. “Footloose” (1984) captured the spirit of small-town America, while “127 Hours” (2010) showcased Utah’s rugged terrain. These films not only entertained audiences worldwide but also showcased Utah’s cinematic potential.

Modern Era & Continued Growth
Modern Era and Continued Growth

Fast forward to today, Utah continues to be a successful location for filmmaking. Its diverse landscapes, tax incentives, and supportive infrastructure attract filmmakers from around the globe. From blockbuster hits to independent festival films, Utah remains a sought-after destination for storytellers.

Looking Ahead: A Bright Future
Looking Ahead A Bright Future

As Utah’s film industry continues to progress, the future looks promising. With advancements in technology and a growing pool of talent, the state is ready to make an even greater impact on the world of cinema. Whether it’s epic adventures or intimate dramas, Utah’s landscapes will continue to inspire filmmakers for on and on! As for Levitate, we’ll keep creating engaging video content for businesses!

having an experienced director for your business videos is important

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Strategic Vision:

Director on set with strategic vision.

A skilled director plays a pivotal role in ensuring that business videos are not just visually appealing but also strategically aligned with the company’s overarching objectives and vision.

By understanding the core goals of the organization, the director can tailor the content, messaging, and visual elements to effectively communicate key messages to the target audience. This alignment enhances the impact of the videos, increasing their potential to resonate with viewers and drive desired outcomes, whether it’s boosting brand awareness, increasing sales, or educating stakeholders.

In essence, the director acts as a guiding force, translating the company’s vision into compelling video content that leaves a lasting impression on the audience.

Brand Consistency:

A director’s grasp of the brand identity is instrumental in maintaining consistency across all video content. Through a deep understanding of the company’s values, tone, and style, the director can ensure that every video aligns seamlessly with the brand’s identity. This consistency helps with trust and familiarity among viewers, reinforcing the brand’s image and making it instantly recognizable. Whether it’s through visual aesthetics, storytelling techniques, or the use of language, the director’s attention to brand identity ensures that each video contributes to the brand narrative.

Professionalism:

Profession director reviewing brand guidelines

An experienced director upholds a high level of production standards, which not only elevate the quality of the videos but also serve as a reflection of the company’s commitment to excellence. A skilled director ensures that each video meets or exceeds the clients expectations. This dedication to quality not only enhances the viewing experience for the audience but also portrays the company in a favorable light, showcasing its professionalism and attention to detail.

Emotional Connection:

A skilled director will be able to put the subject at ease, allowing them to be comfortable, when someone is comfortable on camera, they are free to be authentic, this helps evoke emotions that resonate with the audience, fostering a deeper connection to the brand or message.

Adaptability:
Adapting on set.

A great director knows how to handle different problems that might pop up during filming of a video, like when something technical doesn’t work right, or when there are difficulties with organizing everything, or even when coming up with new and creative ideas gets tough. By being able to deal with these challenges, they keep everything running smoothly and make sure the final video turns out as intended. They’re basically their to make sure everything goes according to plan and the end result is what the client wants.

Message Clarity:
Brand Clarity

When the message in a video is crystal clear, it means everyone watching understands it easily. This clear direction helps to avoid confusion and makes sure the message hits home. In videos, when the message is clear, it has a bigger impact on the audience, making the whole video more effective and powerful. So, clear direction is essential in creating a quality video with a concise message. Levitate has an amazing crew with an awesome director!

MAKING CITY VIDEOS

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Michael interviewing Mayor Hales at the brand new city building.

MAKING CITY VIDEOS

Making City Videos takes a large amount of planning. To start, there is a vast amount of info that needs to be told in a short video. To condense this much info takes a good video editor. They need to be able to shorten all of the video clips into a dense compact story that keeps the viewer watching.

Planning the video outline

The way we start planning almost any video we produce, is to make a bullet list of the things we want to highlight in the story.This can include a wide scope of the main subjects, and the key points we want to share within the video.

The Start of the video

A good video is organized, the same way a book is, the outline is really like a book’s chapters. First of all, we have the start, this needs to be good. It needs to get the viewers attention. It can also tell the viewer what the video is about. In the case of making videos for cities, it can be both.

Main content of the video

Next comes the body of the video, this is the main info being conveyed to tell the story. You can think of the main body of the video as all of the chapters in a book except the first and the last. Most times, in making city videos have a few guests who talk about a single subject in the video.

For example, in the video we produced for the city of Cottonwood Heights, one of the guests, David Neeleman spoke about the vast amount of class “A” office space in the city. Why he chose Cottonwood Heights as the base for his new airline company Breeze Airways.

In the video we produced for the City of Murray. One of the guests was Making City Videos Gail Miller, Gail spoke about doing business in Murray for over 40 years, she spoke about how great all of the Mayor’s were to work with. How happy they were to have started out in Murray and how they grew to have 6 auto dealerships in Murray. Eventually growing to 64 dealerships and buying the Utah Jazz Professional Basketball Team. Now reformed to the Larry H Miller Group.

These segments are normally 30-90 seconds depending on the content. A guest speaker adds credibility to the video, they are not from the city, they add an interesting view of the city.

The funny thing is, these guests may have 10-15 minutes of interview material that we then have to condense into a 30-90 second clip. This is why a good editor is so important! It is also very important to have an ample amount of b-roll for editing.

B-roll is the video footage used to show what the guest speaker is talking about. B-roll is vital for a few reasons, first it is used as a way to keep the viewer interested in what the guest is talking about. Second it is used to cover the cuts made in editing. In editing video you may cut out some of the video to condense the content. This is known as a jump cut, if done with 2 cameras it will usually look okay. If you use the b-roll over the jump cut, it looks much better! Ample b-roll allows the video editor to deliver a succinct message that looks good and is interesting!

ending the video

The last thing is of course the ending. The last chapter of the book, the last chapter of the video. In the case of making city videos, this is a short summary to support the video’s message. Making city videos differs from marketing videos. A marketing video has a call to action at the end. In making city videos, what we do is recap the video, it may include their logo and website URL but it does not have a call to action.

Here at Levitate, we love making city videos! It is a challenge we are up to! We have the knowledge, the team, and the tools necessary to share your city’s story! If you are looking to create a city video feel free to get in touch!

What I love about Video Production

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What I love about being in video production is, the scene is always changing, as are the stories we tell, as well as the opportunity of having so many different views to tell it from. Recently I have had the chance to do extensive filming in the beautiful Moab area.

Salt Lake City Video Production capturing a VIP event in Moab UT.

Filming In Moab

Moab is just simply a beautiful area full of desert nature and plant life! I love when I get the opportunity to travel and film, over the years, we have been to Moab many times, from corporate videos, to commercial shoots, weddings and everything in-between!

Salt Lake City Video Production traveling to Moab UT to film a corporate video

Okay back to the normal life in a week of a Video Production schedule. Today we are heading up to the U of U to shoot a segment for the Kathy Ireland Business to Business show. Friday I have the privilege and very rare opportunity to film the day in the life of a beautiful 2 ½-year-old girl, who was oxygen deprived at birth and as a result, has severe brain damage that has drastically changed the path of her and her parent’s lives. At this tender young age when most toddlers are talking, learning to run and out exploring this big world, this young girl doesn’t talk, she uses a walker to help with her with her balance, and the common things all developing children do with ease naturally that we simply just take for granted, she struggles with. Being in such an intimate space with a family you have never met is so fulfilling! Some may not have the stomach to film a hard day of struggle full of emotion, I am looking forward to it, you see, the reason we are creating this video is to show it in a malpractice lawsuit, making a captivating video that relates the everyday struggle this family now goes through is what this is about!

The amazing thing about producing videos is, they have the power to tell stories and convey visually, information that simply cannot be put into words in such a dramatic compact presentation. I LOVE shooting, directing, and producing videos and I love having the small windows of opportunity to meet real people in real life doing what they do! I have always had a hard time trying to figure out what I am supposed to do when I grow up, as I look back over the last 35 years, I have been, done, and tried many different careers, Professional BMXer, Insurance Salesman, Retail Manager, but at the end of it all, I now know who I am, and I know what I love to do! Direct, produce and shoot compelling videos that make a difference!

 

 

 

Tips for Filming Your Promotional Video

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 Tips for Filming Your Promotional (1)

 

 

A promotional video is a unique and successful way of promoting your business. We want to share and give you the best advice in helping with the filming of your elevator pitch and promotional video. We are going to focus simply on the videos and clips that are typically launched on Kickstarter, GoFundMe, or your social media account. These are tips that we have found to be beneficial to our clients that have filmed their elevator pitch and promotional videos with Levitate Media Group.

Kickstarter-gofundme (1)

Be Authentic in your Promotional Video

This is the biggest and most important aspect of any promotional video that you put online for your company. Essentially, you are creating a voice for your business and brand and it is important to always stick to the same voice/persona. We say this because it’ll make it easier to move forward and make decisions about your business and for real-life encountering. For example, if you released a video online of yourself and someone came up to you in the grocery store, you should be able to easily reflect that same person that was on the video.

Utah Green Screen Studio
Levitate’s Green Screen

Show Where You Started and Where You Want to Go

Map your success for viewers.

Everyone loves a good success story. It’s inspiring and people like to see growth within others and use that motivation for themselves. With your Levitate promotional video you should give background on your business and introduce yourself to those new viewers. Start out with where you started and show the process that you have completed to become who you are. Finally, show where you want to go. Give the audience your plans of growing as a business and how you will accomplish your goals.

 

 

Tell Viewers What You’re Going to Tell Them,

                    Tell Them, Tell ThemParaphrasing

Continuing from telling your possible customers/investors about where you’ve been and where you’ll be going, you’re going to do a lot of rephrasing. Words are powerful tools, but not everyone hears the same way. That is why rephrasing has become a quintessential part with videoing your promotion. Pick out the important phrases that you want your listeners to hear and try rephrasing them in 2-3 different ways. Use them throughout the promotional video with different shots and for the opportune moment for the viewer to understand.

 

 

Relax and Let Levitate Take Care of You

One of the best and most often heard compliments Levitate receives is, how nervous the clients were, but how comfortable Michael and the Levitate team made them feel. It is imperative to the Levitate team that our clients feel comfortable during the filming process, and our team does a great job of putting you at ease, asking the right questions and giving you the feedback necessary to shoot a great promotional video. We want to showcase your business and you in the “Best Light Possible”.

Promotional video filming at Levitate Media Group
Levitate Media Group

Video Production
Gabe filming in Studio 99

These are the best four tips we have given our clients while filming their Levitate video. They are tried and true and ultimately produce the best videos for clients. Check out promotional videos on our media channel on YouTube.

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