The Difference Between a DLSR and Mirrorless Camera

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With the advances we are making with cinematic and photographic content creation, there are all sorts of cameras that we use. One of the most basic cameras that is used by freelance and professional video production companies alike is the DSLR camera. However, there is another camera that many individuals confuse with the DSLRs, the mirrorless cameras. If you don’t know cameras, they may look alike and even function similarly. However, there are quite a few differences.

DSLR

The DSLR is arguably the most common camera used for photography and video production companies. The acronym stands for Digital Single-Lens Reflex, which essentially means that the user can capture an image on a digital sensor instead of film. In addition, there is a mirror within the camera that reflects the light that passes through the lens, giving you the shot you need. Even though the reflective mirror technology is an additional portion that the mirrorless cameras do not have, when you press down on the shutter button, the mirror automatically flips up and takes in the light with its image sensor, capturing the shot.

Considering there is a mirror and an image sensor inside DSLRs, these cameras are usually bigger and heavier than mirrorless cameras. For a lot of frequent camera users, this may seem like a big deal, but what the DSLR has that mirrorless doesn’t, is the ability to attach a wider variety of lenses that enhance the photographers shot. However, whether you are using a camera for a video production company or for freelance work, mirrorless cameras are just as good, if not better.

Mirrorless

For the most part, the mirrorless camera is not too different from a DSLR, it just doesn’t have a reflex mirror. This means that the camera’s sensor is exposed to direct light with every shot. While it may seem like a big deal that the lighting can be a little tricky to work with, there are lenses that can help the outcome of an overexposed mirrorless picture significantly. In addition, mirrorless cameras have phase and contrast detection sensors that sharpen the focus of their shots. Some people argue that the mirrorless camera is going to replace DSLR cameras. The reason for this is because of the quick and superior autofocus ability that it possesses. In fact, a lot of video production companies are starting to switch over to mirrorless cameras.

Conclusion

While the difference between DSLR cameras and mirrorless cameras may exist, both are truly great cameras. Whether you are new to photography and videography, there are A LOT of options, but DSLR and mirrorless cameras are most likely the way to go. However, as more advancements are being made to mirrorless cameras, as a beginner videographers may want to follow the example of video production companies and go with mirrorless cameras. They are more compact and are easier to use when focusing on subjects. Nonetheless, you cannot discredit the certain aspects of DSLR cameras that can’t be replaced.

If you are looking for a video production company to help you produce a high-quality video, contact us at Fusion 360. We have the expertise and experience you need when using cameras like these.

When to Use Drone Footage

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Drones are brilliant tools that filmmakers can use, and the technological research and advancements tied with these innovative machines have only helped video production companies elevate their content. Whether you’re filming a documentary, news story or a vlog, it’s important to know just how a drone can help you achieve video production greatness and when you should be utilizing its capabilities.

Drones should never just be thrown into the mix of a video, they serve specific purposes. We here at Fusion 360 Studios have compiled a guide for you to follow when it comes to drone usage — here’s what we recommend.

When You Need an Establishing Shot

The most successful video production companies use drones when they want to film an establishing shot. These shots help set up a specific scene or showcase a specific location, and a drone is going to help you get a more dynamic view of said location. You’ll most likely see drones in use during the introduction or transition parts of a video or movie.

When You Want to Provide the Audience with a “Break”

Touching more on transitions, drone footage can also be used to give the audience a break after an intense scene. For example, say you’re watching an action movie, if the content has been super dramatic and up close, a drone shot can be used to give the audience a break from the up-close intensity. Video production companies know that it’s important to retain an audience’s attention, but they also don’t want to make a production too overwhelming, and that’s where drone footage comes in handy.

When You Need “Smooth Motion”

When you’re shooting that showcase high-speed chases or movements, a drone helps ensure that the scene flows naturally and the footage comes out smooth. A chase car is used in higher-budget productions, but if you’re looking to simplify the process, a drone is going to do just fine. You don’t have to have a major motion picture to take advantage of a smooth sweeping shot, they can be used in brand films when you want to set up a location or sense of motion.

For Size Comparison

If you’re trying to capture the magnificent size of a specific location compared to, let’s say, an actor, then drones are going to be the best way to achieve this. For example, video production companies will shoot a close up shot of a subject in a specific location, then they will fly the drone up and away from the actor to show the incredible size of the location or the insignificance of the subject by showing how little they are.

There are various ways to use a drone, but it’s important that you don’t overdo it. If you’re looking to create some stunning visual content with the help of a professional video production company, give us a call here at Fusion 360 Studios. When it comes to video production companies, we’re a force to be reckoned with.

Images vs. Videos

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Although most content on social media platforms used to consist of images and text, now we are seeing more images and video than ever before. Visual content as the ability to capture users attention and allow them to use their imagination. Social media marketing companies have seen an increase in video marketing in the past few years, yet companies are not abandoning using images on social media.

Three Simple Things You Can Do to Promote Your New Company

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Starting a business is perhaps one of the most, if not THE most daunting task imaginable. You’re putting in your hard-earned money, valuable time, and all of your marbles into creating something hopefully valuable and something that will generate success for you, your family and your employees, so of course you’re going to be nervous. Up and coming businesses need to hit the ground running if they want to have a chance at success, and the best way to do this is by focusing on simple and effective tips to begin with.

Oftentimes, businesses overwhelm themselves by overcomplicating the initial promotion process, which leads to poor decisions and a devastating launch. Social media marketing companies are aware of this and know that if they want to help a start-up succeed, they need to simplify the initial process while making sure that they create a strategy that will help generate the most amount of traction. Here are three simple things that you can do to promote your new company.

Don’t Hesitate to Join Social Media

The very first tip that social media marketing companies will give you is to create social media accounts for your company. Social media is a great way to gain exposure, and the sooner you start, the better. Social platforms allow you to build and engage with an audience, showcase your content, and run free advertisements — social media is no longer just an option, it’s a necessary marketing method for all businesses.

2. Set Up a Website

Your website is going to act as your lead generation tool and information source for potential customers. To start, just worry about a basic website; don’t get too caught up in complexities, that’s where you’re going to start running into issues. Social media marketing companies often have web development teams that can help you create a website, but you can also use sites like Wix, Square Space or Word Press if you’re not looking for anything too fancy.

3. Network with Similar and Relevant Brands

Word-of-mouth is the single most effective way of marketing your product or brand. Hopefully, your customers are going to be the primary source of word-of-mouth advertising, but similar businesses can also help spread your company’s name. It’s important that you aren’t trying to solicit customers, but rather work with these companies to learn how you can grow your own consumer base.

From social media marketing companies to other brands within your industry, there are various ways to market your company, but these tips are going to get you some quick results while you come up with a more advanced and more rewarding strategy. If you need help promoting your new company, social media marketing companies are ready to help, and no company can help you more than us here at Fusion 360.

History of Marketing Companies

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It is hard to imagine a world without marketing, but such a time has to have existed, right? When did marketing become a thing and what was its earliest form? The goal of this blog is to explore these questions and look over the evolution of marketing/marketing companies over the years.

The First Signs of Marketing

The word “marketing” is found in dictionaries that date all the way back to the 1500s. While etymologists are able to prove that “marketing” has been a thing since the 1500s, the fact that people traded and sold goods well before this time might provide enough evidence to argue that marketing existed before that time as well. It is hard to really say when products and company owners first started to market their goods, but the printing press might have pushed things along.

Print Advertisement

Once Gutenberg created the world’s first printing press (in the 1450s), individuals and companies began to print and hang posters more and more. As time passed, people began to produce magazines, providing companies a wonderful opportunity to tell others about what they are doing. However, most individuals would agree that the practice began to take more shape during the Industrial Revolution.

The Industrial Revolution

Up until the 1700s, companies were still unable to figure out a way to distribute products in a mass production and would, therefore, sell out of their products. Nonetheless, as the Industrial Revolution continued to change the world, companies began manufacturing enough product that they could sell their goods to a larger number of people. At this point, business owners could now push more people towards their products. By the close of the 1700s and the beginning of the 1800s, advertising agencies began to open up in London. While marketing companies and advertising agencies differ (especially today), this might be the closest thing to a marketing company or firm.

Evolution of Marketing

During those days, there really wouldn’t be too many marketing tactics outside of advertising in a magazine or on a poster, but with the development of technologies also came the development of marketing. Towards the end of the 1800s, companies could slap their copy onto the world’s first billboards, but once the 1900s started, the evolution of marketing really began to ramp up almost exponentially. Some historical facts can mark this evolution: the first radio ad played in 1922, the first television ad ran in 1941, telephones use became the majority in 1946 and telemarketing followed a quarter of a century later, and now we have digital marketing for the wide world of the internet. With the internet comes ads on normal webpages, in our emails, on online games, and more. As more media platforms develop, the more marketing evolves.

It is hard to say when the first marketing firm was established, but the first advertising agency is a good indicator as to when these kinds of companies started popping up. However, in today’s world, there are marketing companies for just about every different kind of marketing tactic. If you need help with any content marketing, SEO, brand development, social media and more, reach out to us, Fusion 360, the best digital marketing company in Utah.

How Realistic is the Advertising in the Mad Men TV Series?

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A lot of our understanding of reality and the accompanying mental images that we create are shaped by TV series and movies, so, with that said, how realistic is the advertising in Mad Men?

If it’s been a few years since you’ve seen Mad Men, it is the four-time Outstanding Drama Emmy-winning AMC original TV series that is based on a variety of characters that work at an advertising agency in New York during the 1960s. As you watch this fabulously-written TV series, you will follow multiple stories, all fictional, that show the characters presenting advertising pitches for companies like Kodak, Heinz, Life, Hilton and more. However, with the show still being viewed daily (thanks to its contract with Netflix), people still want to know how the “Sterling Cooper-Draper Pryce” agency compares to an actual advertising agency.

Mad Men Ads vs. Real Ads

Considering we are talking about advertising, we might as well start with the actual ads that the writers and the designers of the TV series created. Business Insider did a great job creating a compare and contrast of the ads you see in Mad Men vs. actual 1960-advertisements from the companies mentioned in the show. While the Mad Men ads have components of an actual ad that a company would produce, they miss out on the research and the captured target market in their ads. However, the creators of the TV series did a good enough job reproducing believable images that normal viewers would not question.

The Advertising Process and Pitches

There are multiple scenes that show intense pitch meetings, but where you’d usually find creative directors, account supervisors, and copywriters brainstorming and coming up with fresh ideas, you see television drama. Mad Men is often praised for its attention to detail and authenticity (as it should be), but you can’t have a successful TV series (that is based on a fictional story) by showing everything that happens at an advertising agency. For example, an area in which they lack, naturally, is how long and how much detail goes into actual meetings with potential clients. While Mad Men may share a few ideas and make negotiations in their brief meetings, they miss the additional detail of discussing casting, placement, videographer recommendations, slogans and much more that comes with an advertising campaign.

Stress

One of the areas that some ad junkies would agree Mad Men’s representation is accurate is the stress that comes with the job. Advertising agencies are definitely exciting places, but there is some serious pressure and high-stress that comes from trying to come up with a good idea that is supported with solid research.

Takeaway

Now, it may be a little unfair to be so critical of Mad Men — their authenticity of New York in the 1960s is quite amazing. The alcoholism, smoking, issues with gender and racism, and other reoccurring themes are definitely worth praising in this recreation, however, you just can’t capture everything that advertising is in a dramatic TV series. If you were to make it into a factual documentary, you’d be able to better see what an advertising agency looks like, but a TV series like this can only capture aspects. With that said, the depiction is pretty close, but it is like judging and understanding an individual’s entire life based on their Instagram alone.

Advertising has developed a lot since the 1960s, and we are in a world that is ran by digital media. If you want to learn more about what a modern advertising agency looks like, return to our homepage and take a look.

What is a Social Video?

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Videos content is amassing billions of views online, and if your brand isn’t taking advantage of video content marketing, you’re going to see yourself falling behind your competition. Video production companies exist because businesses need these professionals to create killer video content that’s going to bring in new audiences and help retain existing ones.

While you might be able to create your own video content, having a video production company help is definitely the best route to take; these companies are experts in video production and can be the difference between a successful social campaign and a social failure. Before we go on, we should probably explain in more depth what a social video is.

Social videos are a form of digital content that is designed to be seen and shared through social networks. Brands distribute these videos through social media platforms such as Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. There are other platforms such as Vimeo and Tumblr, but the big four are modern businesses’ target platforms.

Since these videos are distributed via these different platforms, they have to be optimized for each one; each platform has unique characteristics and audiences and therefore they require unique videos and editing patterns. Facebook videos will need to be edited differently than Instagram videos, which will be edited differently than Twitter videos, and so on.

Another thing worth noting when it comes to social video is that it by no means has to be a “viral” video. While it’s what we all want, social videos don’t need to get millions of views to be successful, it’s all about shareability and how effective it is when it comes to reaching your target audience.

Why Social Video is Crucial

People today watch millions upon millions of videos, choosing videos over articles, books or movies. This is why it is important for companies to take advantage of knowledgable video production companies to help them embrace social videos and connect with their audience. Brands across the nation are utilizing social videos to create more engagement, and if your brand doesn’t jump on board, you could see yourself falling behind.

Hopefully, this blog has helped give you an idea of what a social video is and how it can benefit your company. Video production companies know that these videos are valuable pieces of content, so your business shouldn’t hesitate when it comes to giving us a call here at Fusion 360 Studios. We’re ready to help you get started on your next social video project.