Proliferation

Jun 01
0

5 Video Lighting Tips

By | advertising, Brand marketing, Utah SEO, Video, video production | No Comments

Lighting up your video is just as important as writing it, filming it and editing it. All of these aspects of video production need to be executed properly on their own in order to bring them together to create one finished masterpiece. Video production companies work hard to ensure that this happens, and today we’re going to be talking about the top lighting tips to help make sure that you get the best possible shots while filming your next video project.

So, if you’re struggling to get adequate lighting while on set, you might want to take the time to read this blog on the 5 top video lighting tips.

Use Three-Point Lighting

Using three-point lighting is going to help when you shoot interviews, promo videos, webinars and other related content. Three-point lighting is a common lighting setup that consists of a key light, fill light and a backlight. The key light is the main light used to brighten up a subject. The fill light offsets the key light’s brightness by taking away the shadow cast on the subject. This is accomplished by placing the fill light opposite from the key light. The backlight separates your subject and the background and creates depth to prevent flat shots. Having all three lights is ideal, but you can live without the backlight.

Check You Locations for Lighting Opportunity

Video production companies also like to scout out their shoot locations to make sure that they know exactly how the scene can and will be lit. Depending on your location, scouting it in advance could save you money on lighting as well. Indoor locations are trickier because you could get good natural lighting in the venue or you might have to light up more area to give you the brightness you’re looking for.

Utilize Soft Lighting

This lighting technique requires more lighting equipment, but it’ll help create a softer appearance when it comes to facial features in actors, hosts and interviewers. The closer a light is to your face, the harder that light will be, meaning that you’ll have strong angles and your face might be too well lit. Soft light is achieved by placing lights farther away from the subject.

Determine Your Budget

You’ll be able to achieve decent lighting no matter what your budget is, and while not every filmmaker has the budget of successful video production companies, lighting is something that you should definitely invest in. Basic lighting can cost you as little as 10 dollars each, while mid-range and high-end lights will run you anywhere from 100 to 500 dollars. As mentioned previously, you don’t need to shell out hundreds of dollars, but it will certainly help your next video production.

Don’t Mix Lights with Different Color Temperatures

Have you ever noticed the different lighting in places like a doctor’s office, your living room and a store? What you’re witnessing is called color temperature, and different light temperatures are used depending on the location. When filming, it’s important to look out for this color temperature, as you don’t want to mix two different temperatures. For example, you should make sure that all your lights have the same bulb to ensure that you’re using the same color temperature for each shot. You should also take the natural lighting in your set into account to determine if it’s negatively affecting your shot.

These five lighting tips are going to help your next production significantly, and if you’re looking for a video production company to help you get started on your next project, give us a call here at Fusion 360 Studios. Our award-winning video team can help answer any questions you might have as well as get the ball rolling on your production.

May 31
0

5 Video Production Tips

By | advertising, Brand marketing, content marketing, SEO, Utah SEO, Video, video production | No Comments

It doesn’t matter what line of work you are in, you are going to have to make a video at some point. As a video production company dedicated to quality work, we want to help everyone produce professional-grade videos they can share. In order to create a video that your target audience enjoys, here are five tips that will get you there!

PROPER PRE-PRODUCTION WORK

All video production companies know that pre-production work is arguably the most important portion in video making. Without putting in work before you start shooting your video, you can run into a handful of problems. For example, if your company forgoes researching what your target audience’s interests, behaviors or selling points are, you’re going to waste a lot of time and money on a video that doesn’t appeal to the audience you want.

Speaking of money, without proper planning, you will have problems with things like budgeting, execution and purpose. When you don’t plan appropriately and end up misjudging your budget, you can expect bad results overall. In addition, how your video is executed oftentimes comes down to how well you’ve planned. Video production companies always have a detailed plan for each video they make, that way they are able to stay within budget, execute on everything they intend to, and ultimately follow to the purpose of the video.

After you’ve put in the work needed during pre-production, you are ready for the production aspects.

CAMERA

Before anything else within the production phase, you’ve GOT TO HAVE A GOOD CAMERA. If you try to make a video without a quality DSLR camera, you are going to end up with a video that people won’t be able to take seriously. If the image is questionable in the least, people are much more likely to not take your business seriously. Make sure you find a quality camera and someone that knows how to work it.

AUDIO

The same goes for your audio — if your audio is unprofessional, it makes it just as hard to take your company seriously. This means that the voices can’t be too quiet, muffled or accompanied by ambient noises. The best resolution is to invest in a microphone for your on-screen talent to use. If you do not have any dialog, you still need to be careful with the decibel-level of any background music you use.

LIGHTING

Unlike the previous two factors, lighting isn’t something that will wreck your production entirely (unless it’s REALLY bad), but it is something that can take it to the next level! Video production companies will often suggest that you set up three-point lighting in order to make sure your on-screen subject is captured professionally.

SIMPLE POST-PRODUCTION

The last tip is to keep your post-production simple. This has to do with your planning and execution, but in order to wrap up your video smoothly, you can’t expect your video editor to throw everything together easily if your video demands complex edits. Animations, motion rendering, key-framing and more can be really difficult and cost a lot of money. By keeping your video simple and not overly complex, your post-production work will be much easier.

If You Need Help From Professionals

Fusion 360 is a quality video production company that can help your company with your video needs. Contact us today and we will see what we can do for you!

May 30
0

Why SEO is Important

By | advertising, Brand marketing, content marketing, SEO, Utah, Utah SEO | No Comments

Search engines, especially Google, are being used every second of every day by people who want to learn a new word in a different language, find the nearest café near them, or even by brands to look up reliable marketing companies in their area. Whatever it may be, search engines help people facilitate their everyday lives as well as help companies grow, which is why they are crucial in today’s marketing techniques ⎯ more specifically, SEO techniques.

SEO, or search engine optimization, is a set of rules made my search engines that online companies follow in order for their website and business to rank better on Google, Yahoo, Bing and other searches. All online companies need to take SEO seriously if they want to make an impression on their targeted audience. Marketing companies understand this importance and want their clients to understand the same things in order for their company to have success. Here are a few things that all companies need to know about SEO.

SEO Creates Web Traffic

Perhaps one of the first and most obvious reasons as to why SEO is so important is its effect on driving online traffic to your website. Almost 33 percent of clicks are given to the first ranking page on a search engine, and the first five listings share over 75 percent of all clicks, which is why SEO is a must for your company. The main goal of marketing companies across the nation is to achieve high rankings, and you can’t do that without an SEO strategy.

SEO Builds Trust

Well-thought-out SEO strategies could help your brand build trust with your current and potential customers. Ranking high on search engines not only helps drive traffic to your site (and promote your business in general) but it also shows potential consumers that you have a loyal audience. Seeing that you are a competent company with a loyal following will help build your brand’s reputation. This reputation then turns into authority, which is established through elements such as positive user behavior, machine-learning signals, optimized on-page elements and content, and quality backlink profiles.

SEO is a Long-Term Strategy

SEO will remain impactful for years to come, and that initial impact that occurs within the first year is something that should propel your company forward. While SEO techniques are constantly changing, marketing companies know that the basic principles of SEO “will establish a framework that will stand for your company in the long run.

SEO involves different techniques and practices, which could get complex, and that’s where marketing companies like us here at Fusion 360 Agency come into play. If you’re looking to start ranking on search engines to get your name out there, don’t hesitate to give us a call. We’ll work hard to come up with an SEO strategy that will get your business on the road to digital marketing success.

May 29
0

Can Social Media be Part of Your SEO Strategy

By | advertising, Brand marketing, content marketing, SEO, Utah | No Comments

In order for a company’s brand to show up at the top of Google’s list when products and services are being searched, SEO work must be completed first. Things like keyword-focused content creation and a countless number of backlinks need to be created. This usually is completed by content marketing teams producing large volumes of blogs, videos, infographics and more on specific websites. Sometimes though, these links are posted on a company’s social media, but what effect does that have?

Within the large umbrella of online marketing, SEO marketing and social media marketing draw a lot of confusion as to whether or not they are related. Typically, there is some separation between the two marketing styles. In fact, there are social media marketing companies and SEO marketing companies alike that focus solely on their particular craft. However, is there any overlap? Can social media help boost your company’s SEO ranking?

FACEBOOK, TWITTER and INSTAGRAM’s INFLUENCE

Social media marketing companies are constantly posting relevant content on social pages for all kinds of companies, but that kind of marketing does not DIRECTLY boost the SEO ranking of those companies. There is plenty of research out there that will show you how posting on these social channels may INFLUENCE your company’s SEO score, but not like creating blogs and backlinking will.

The influence these social posts have really only spike your score if you get thousands of individuals clicking your link. However, even Google has said that social media ‘shares’ do not count as individual links. Meaning, even if a social media marketing company created a post with 500 retweets or shares, it wouldn’t boost the SEO score more than the original post would (though, a post with that much attention would be good in terms of traffic).

DISCUSSION BOARDS and FORUMS

What people tend to forget is that forums and discussion boards are also considered social platforms, and posting content on these kinds of pages WILL BOOST your SEO score. Forums and discussion boards simply function differently from platforms like Instagram and Twitter, and therefore, the links posted there work differently. Not a ton of social media marketing companies or SEO marketing companies take advantage of this, but they should.

Takeaway

There are some social media platforms that can boost your SEO score, but it is not the initial ones you may think of. The big social accounts may have a lot of eyes, and with enough shares or clicks, you might see some influence, but discussion boards and forums will work better. SEO marketing companies and social media marketing companies have enough separated work, but they can work together as one.

If you are in need of any help with your SEO marketing or your social media marketing, contact us here at Fusion 360 Agency.

May 28
0

Careers in Video Production

By | advertising, Brand marketing, Utah, Video, video production | No Comments

Video productions is one of those industries where there are so many different fun occupations that someone can find themselves involved in. However, outside of the director, actor/actress, cameraman, editors and other commonly known positions, many people outside of video productions don’t see all the possibilities within the field. In reality, there are jobs that entail work up to the last fine detail of a video or film. For example, video production companies hire individuals for things like on-set prop design, but then they are also accompanied by a lot of assisting positions that are in charge of actually finding and purchasing those props. Additionally, there are other jobs that need to be filled for costume design, lighting, make-up, architecture, animation, storyboarding, casting, microphones, sound effects, video effects, and more!

Just one video production company can provide dozens of individuals different career paths. Below is a short list of a few of the different positions based on the different departments. 

*SIDENOTE: these categories may differ from one video production company to another — our list is equally subjective*

WRITING TEAM

We won’t get into this quasi-group too much partly because there’s not much more to it, and it’s difficult to really place them into any other group. Anyone with a creative mind and a knack for storytelling can be a screenwriter or scriptwriter. However, these roles are crucial to the overall success of a video production company and film.

ART TEAM

Within the art team, production designers and art directors have to come up with the storyboard and overall on-screen visual of buildings, landscapes, interiors, props and more. In order to do this, there are A LOT of positions. To list a few, you have the set decorator, costume designer, set costumers, special effects coordinator, makeup artists, hair stylists, barbers, etc. These positions are supposed to make everything on a set look exactly as the director and writers intend them to look.

PRODUCTION TEAM

The main production portion of a film or video really can be broken up into a lot of subgroups that deal with the cameras, lighting, audio and more. You don’t necessarily have to be a cameraman in order to be apart of a video production company, you can be a specialist with microphones or the dimness of the lighting. These different production positions usually consist of chief light technicians, regular lighting technicians, gaffers, boom operators, sound mixers, sound utility, camera operators, camera assistants, and camera loaders.

EDITING TEAM

Apart of the post-production stage, there are multiple editing teams that focus on piecing every shot together. There are lead editors that cut all the shots and put them together with the correct audio clips as well. For audio alone, there are music editors, re-recorders, sound effects specialists, Foley artists, Foley mixers, mix technicians, mix engineers, and more. After the audio and main editing, there are also animators and video effects supervisors, coordinators and technicians.

OTHER

Beyond all of these positions are the other jobs that still need to be filled in order to have everything run smoothly and legally. There are office coordinators and assistants, travel coordinators, financial accounts, and of course, casting associates and assistants.

A career in video productions does not necessarily mean that you have to be a producer, director, actor/actress, cameraman, or editor. If you love movies or simply the film industry, you can find a variety of different occupations within a video production company. To get a job in this industry, you simply have to build your skills, share them with others, start applying, and then get involved as much as you can!

May 27
0

Why You Need a Brand Film #2

By | advertising, Brand marketing, content marketing, Utah, video production | No Comments

Traditional marketing efforts aren’t as effective as they once were, and video production companies know that in order to stay relevant in the evolving world of digital media, they have to push out projects that will wow an audience. What’s the best way to do this? Well, through a brand film, of course. Video production companies are focusing their efforts on creating brand films for their clients, as this is the best way to truly connect with your target audience.

Brand films provide a unique and effective way of connecting with your customers both visually and effectively, and they help bring your brand to life. So, with that being said, here are several reasons that video productions will tell you that you need a brand film.

They Help Achieve a Stronger ROI

If you want to generate both leads and revenue, brand films are going to be the way to go. Inbound marketing in the form of brand films costs 62 percent less than traditional outbound marketing, and if your brand film features a clear non-sales driven call-to-action, you’ll gain the attention of new and existing customers more efficiently. One way to really make your brand film that much more effective is by making it interactive content. Social media, dedicated webpages and microsites can also help increase the reach and lifespan of your video.

To Take a Complex Idea and Simplify It

Your audience needs to be able to understand your call-to-action, which is why video production companies focus on distilling new, complex ideas into shareable ideas. Brands need to be able to provide a clear yet compelling explanation to an issue they are trying to resolve, and a brand film is one of the best ways to simplify the information you’re trying to get across to your audience. When video production companies use brand films to explain a complex idea in a simple way, you’ll find that customers will grasp the information more efficiently.

They Provide Your Customers with Meaningful Content

Brand films help you avoid having to rely too heavily on promotional posts. Instead, they provide your customers with content about topics that inspires them and helps them find you naturally. Video production companies will take information that is relevant to the customer and create a video that appeals to them and lead them naturally to your site.

Brand films are crucial if you want to succeed in today’s competitive market, and video production companies are the best way to ensure that you create a brand film that will really help your business make a difference. If you’re in need of a professional agency to help get your brand film noticed by the general public, don’t hesitate to contact us here at Fusion 360 Studios. We’ll create a brand film that is sure to impress both new and existing customers, keeping you at the top of your industry.

May 25
0

How to Measure Social Media Success

By | advertising, Brand marketing, Utah | No Comments

Companies are turning to social media marketing companies more and more in order to help them build their online presence. The problem is, while it is nice to have someone take over your social media accounts, how can you tell if they are doing a good job? There are a lot of self-proclaimed “social media marketing companies” out there but what credibility do they have? Besides posting content and making your Instagram page look pretty, are they making a difference for you?

Obviously you want your accounts to be well organized and aesthetically pleasing, but when it comes down to it, there really are two indicators to look at for your social media success: growth and traffic.

Growth

Measuring your social accounts’ growth is tricky and sometimes misleading, but there is merit to looking at the numbers. It is easy to worry about your success if it doesn’t seem like there is any increase in your following, but growth doesn’t always mean increase. With social media, retaining your followers is hard enough, especially when you start posting more. However, when we talk about growth, we also mean broadening your reach.

Social media is a road in which customers and potential customers can come in contact with your company, and as such, you want to be on that road in order to interact with these individuals. That’s why, even though seeing an increase in your following is great and something to aim for, it is not the only indicator in terms of growth. Your analytics can show you how many impressions you are making with people that don’t follow you, and if those numbers are where you want them to be, then you should be celebrating that success.

Traffic

To go along with the road analogy, it’s one thing to make impressions and interact with potential customers, but it’s another thing entirely if you can get those individuals to exit from their current road and head over to your company’s website or account. Social media marketing companies end goal should always be creating more traffic to your landing pages.

It is nice if your social media accounts are creating a good reputation for your brand’s name through its reach and growth, but the real aim is to get eyes on your products. The better you navigate individuals from their social media platform to your online purchasing or inquiry pages, the more successful your social media efforts are. Again, take a look at the analytics and make sure that the numbers are where you want them to be.

Fusion 360

If you are struggling to find growth and an increase in traffic to your company’s website, consider hiring a professional social media marketing company. While there are plenty of freelance phonies, you can find the social media marketing company you need with just a little research. Check out Fusion 360 Agency today and contact us if everything we do checks out for you!

May 24
0

The Best Marketing Strategies for a Startup

By | advertising, Brand marketing, Utah | No Comments

Everyone has to start somewhere, and while startup companies face various challenges, the right marketing strategies can help your business go a long way. You might be thinking that the best marketing strategies come from expensive marketing companies, but a lot of the times these strategies can come at little to no cost; you just have to be able to come up with them and put in the work.

If you’re currently working on building your startup company and you don’t know where to start in terms of marketing strategies, we here at Fusion 360 Agency have come up with the perfect list of marketing strategies for the ambitious startup. Here are some strategies that you could implement into your marketing plan.

Identify Who You Target Audience Is

This might sound like an obvious one, but so many companies forgo doing research on who they should be marketing to, which can be detrimental to a company’s success. Before you do anything, you’re going to have to decide who you are going to sell your products or services to. This research can be broken down into four different categories: geographical, demographic, psychographic and behavioral.

Utilize Content Marketing and SEO Tactics

While marketing companies are experts when it comes to content marketing and SEO, this is a strategy that you can easily utilize. As far as content marketing goes, all you need is an on-site blog that contains content that you add to each week. Within this on-site blog, you should post infographics, written content and videos that inform or entertain your readers in a unique and practical way. By inserting SEO keywords and other practices into this content, you should see significant growth in your SEO score and overall online presence.

SEO may seem complex, but all it is is implementing trending keywords into your content to help you rank higher on search engines. Online tools like Moz’s Keyword Explorer can help you find the appropriate keywords for your brand.

Email Marketing

It is believed that email marketing can yield up to a 400 percent ROI, and it is one of the most cost-efficient marketing strategies to date. Marketing companies still utilize this method because of these reasons, making it a great and viable option for startups.

Social Media Marketing

If you put in the time, social media marketing can help you achieve great success. Though not something you can do casually, social media marketing is freely available and is a great, affordable and effective method for startup companies. Marketing companies establish profiles for their clients on platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to help them connect with their audience.

These are the best marketing strategies for startups because they are affordable and easy to do on your own. But, if you’re looking for a marketing company that can do all of this for you, give us a call here at Fusion 360 Agency. That way you can focus on growing your business in other ways, while we provide you with some of the above-mentioned services.

 

May 22
0

The Difference Between Marketing and Advertising

By | advertising, Brand marketing, content marketing, Utah, Utah SEO | No Comments

Some people think that marketing and advertising are the same thing. Others know that they are different but don’t know exactly how to differentiate between the two. If you’re struggling to grasp the differences between advertising and marketing, don’t worry, you aren’t alone. Marketing companies across the nation know that in order to put your business on the path to success, you have to be able to know the difference between the two and do your market research. Do this and you’ll see your company reach new heights.

So what’s the best way to finally grasp the differences between the two? We here at Fusion 360 wrote this blog to help you understand how marketing and advertising differ, and yet the work together to bring your company the success you’re working toward.

Marketing Has Various Components

Marketing is comprised of systematic planning, implementation and a mix of activities intended to bring buyers and sellers together. Marketing companies like to think of marketing as a step-by-step process that begins with a proposition for your clients and customers — this is just the first step.

As simple as this comparison is, think of marketing as a pie. The marketing “pie” can be divided into categories — or “slices” — such as advertising, market research, media planning, public relations, community relations, customer support and an effective sales strategy. As you can see, the work that marketing companies do is comprised of different strategies and techniques, and each element, while separate in category and execution, work together to fulfill one unified marketing campaign.

Advertising is Just One Slice of the Pie

As mentioned above, advertising falls into the categories that make up the marketing “pie.” This is the most obvious difference between the two. An advertisement is any announcement that acts to persuade an audience by conveying a message crafted by a company, organization, or person to existing and potential customers or a non-profit member base.

This “slice of the pie” is a component of marketing, and when combined with the other marketing techniques, it helps a brand achieve marketing success! That is, if the campaign is properly planned and executed.

At the end of the day, the main difference between advertising and marketing is that advertising is just one cog in the machine that is marketing. If you’re looking into investing in a marketing company to help you bring your campaign to life, make sure to give us a call here at Fusion 360 — our award-winning team is ready to help take your business to the next level.