video production companies

Quick Tips for Professional-Looking Videos

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With video content playing such a big role in marketing, video production companies are in high demand. But you don’t always have to rely on them. There are some things that you can do right now to make your videos look like they were done by a pro. Here’s a few:

Plan Ahead

If you really want to look like a professional, try drawing out a storyboard. Draw simple illustrations of your scenes in order so that you can visualize what your video is going to look like before you invest the time and money into making it. Also plan what time of day will give you the best shots and anything you might need along the way for your shoot.

Simple Background

Clutter is distracting, especially in video. It takes the viewers’ attention away from the subject of your video. Of course, video production companies know that certain scenes might need the clutter to make a point, but overall it’s a best practice to keep your scenes looking clean and focused.

Rule of Thirds

Don’t just point and shoot. Even with good equipment, this will quickly label your video as the work of an amateur. Do a little brushing up on basic composition. One of these is the rule of thirds. It places your subject’s face a little higher than the center and off to the side. This is a common rule used in art because it’s more pleasing to our eyes.

Think Editing

Even when your filming, video production companies will tell you that it’s important to think like an editor. There’s nothing as frustrating as coming back to your desk after a shoot and realizing that you should’ve gotten a shot from a different angle. Don’t be afraid to take extra shots. It’s much easier to cut out extra later than to recreate another shoot.

This might seem like a lot of work, especially if you’re already busy trying to perfect the product or service that you’re trying to advertise in the first place. In this case, there is a lot to be gained from outsourcing to video production companies. At Fusion 360 Studios, we’ve created award-winning video content for all sorts of different brands. You’re could be next! Visit our website to learn more.

video production companies

2020 Video Trends

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When it comes to marketing content, videos are here to stay. They remain one of the most effective ways to catch the eye of your audience. However, as with any medium of marketing, trends change. Here’s what you should know for 2020:

Identity

Brand image has always been important. It’s expected that in 2020 video will become a bigger part of what identifies your company. You can start now to develop templates that will keep your videos looking consistent.

Hosting

As consumers, we tend to have a love-hate relationship with social media. One way to stay on top of your marketing during low tide is to look for other places to host your video content. Video production companies know that the best place to be is wherever your audience is.

Personable

This is always important for video content, but it’s predicted to become even more so in the coming year. Many companies are now using personalized, one-on-one videos in order to communicate with clients or other businesses

Production

Video production companies will remain in high demand as the need for video content grows. If you can be on top of trending topics, you stand out as an authority on up and coming issues. This will mean a higher production of videos optimized for different social media platforms.

Trying to keep up with these changes can be overwhelming, especially if you’re just starting in on all this video content stuff. It might be worth the investment to hire out to video production companies. Our team here at Fusion 360 can help! Our videos have gone a lot further than social media—they’ve won television spots and Emmys. Visit our website today and we’ll help you get started!

video production companies

Why You Need Fusion 360 to Produce Your New TV Commercial

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You might be in the market for a video production company to help you create a visual masterpiece that showcases your company’s talents, but video production companies exist in the thousands, so how do you know which one to hire? Lucky for you, we here at Fusion 360 Studios are here to show you why you need us to produce your next TV commercial.

Our Bragging Rights 

If you like winning awards, it only makes sense to have Fusion 360 Studios handle your next commercial production. We have a 100% in-house, Emmy, Telly and Mercury award-winning video production team with the creative abilities to tackle anything from TV commercials to motion graphic videos. Here are some of the awards we have won throughout the years:

·     Emmy Award: “Rocky Mountain Chapter” three-time winners

·     Telly Award 12-time winners

·     Mercury Award one-time winners

·     Davey Award Three-time winners

·     W3 Award one-time winners

·     Webby Award one-time winners

·     Utah Business Magazine “Top 25” Public Relations Firms Four-time winners

·     Utah Business Magazine “Top 25” Advertising Agencies six-time winners

 If you’re still not convinced that we’re the best of the best when it comes to video production companies, just take a look at who we’ve worked with. Ever heard of multinational food, snack and soda corporation by the name of Pepsi? How about vehicle giants Ford? We’ve worked with some big names because we’re a big deal, but it doesn’t stop there.

We’ve also created professional and highly successful video productions for dozens of our clients, winning awards along the way.

One of our most successful commercials, “Shania” for Robert J. DeBry and Associates, was featured in Super Bowl LII. The purpose of this commercial was to showcase the dangers of distracted driving. “Shania” was distributed via the Internet and TV.

Our agency was also the mastermind behind the “Dance Like a Wookie” campaign, a movement that was aimed at stopping texting while driving. This campaign was well received and got a ton of media attention from news stations like Fox 13.

There’s no reason to keep looking at other video production companies. Give us a call today so we can get started on producing your next TV commercial. If your dream is to have an award-winning commercial under your belt, you won’t regret it.

video production companies

Why Your Company Needs a Brand Video

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Asking why your company needs a brand video is essentially asking why your company needs branding — you need to tell the world (or your community) who you are and how they will identify your brand! Some reasons support this claim, and we can tell you what exactly those reasons are.

As an expert video production company that produces a wide variety of films and videos for ma-and-pa businesses or more giant corporations alike, we know why your company needs a brand video. Essentially, through a brand video, your company will be able to share its story, communicate its values, build trust and leave consumers wanting more. Let’s dive in, shall we?

Telling Your Story

People love authenticity, and highlighting things like how your company was established and how it functions is something everyone appreciates. The first thing producing a brand video will do lift the blinds and open the doors to others trying to learn more about your company. Doing this creates transparency, something today’s consumers are looking for (and something a video production company can help you with). Consumers want to know they are working with an honest business, and by telling raw stories from within the walls of your company, you will be able to show everyone who your company really is.

Communicating Your Brand’s Values

Next to people’s appreciation of authenticity is their admiration for depth. What we mean here is, whether you are getting to the heart of an individual or the core of a particularly juicy story, people love details. Getting to know more about how someone tics or how something works makes people feel a deeper connection with whomever or whatever they are learning about. A brand video that communicates the brand’s values allows viewers to get past surface levels and create a stronger relationship with the company. Depending on how well the video production company executes the video, consumers should know who your company is and what to expect for years to come.

Building Trust

It’s excellent to help consumers (and clients) know who they are buying from (or working with), but without building trust, why would they want to? Telling your company’s story and communicating its values is only useful if it evokes the right kind of emotions in the viewers. Video production companies should know how to make your company’s unique characteristics compelling. When a brand video is made right — when it opens the blinds and tells an original story and communicates who your company is — you are essentially building a bridge between your company and your consumers. This bridge is what allows consumers the ability to trust and connect with the brand, forming a stronger relationship.

Leaving Your Audience Wanting More

By telling a raw story and building trust with the viewers of your brand video, they are going to be ready for more! The more your audience connects with your brand, the more loyal to your company they will be, and the more loyal they are, the more they’ll anticipate the next release from your company.

In the end, a brand video made by a professional video production company will help your current consumers better identify with your company, and help build up your brand recognition among those who do know you. For help creating your brand video, contact us at Fusion 360.

5 Video Lighting Tips

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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.

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!

Careers in Video Production

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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!

Why You Need a Brand Film #2

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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.

Lighting 101: Three-Point Lighting

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When an individual first start learning about lighting techniques, one of the first lessons they’ll learn will be about three-point lighting. By implementing this technique, they can take their video (or photo) shoot from an amateur level to a professional level. The thing is though, they can’t just set up three different lights anywhere around the on-scene subject and call it good, they need a little more instruction.

The three different lights consist of the key, fill and back light. As a video production company that shoots professional-grade videos, we understand the importance of the proper use of these three lights. We’ll expand on the role of each of these lights and how you can use them appropriately.

Key Light

As you may expect, there is a light that is going to act as the primary light to brighten up the subject of the shot, and this main light is known as the key light. However, this light doesn’t sit on top of or right next to the camera, but is placed off a ways to the right or left side of the camera — sometimes at a 45° angle. Amateurs may bring a light to their shoot but may not understand that a key light on its own might overexpose the shot. Video production companies and other professionals know that they need another light or two to balance out their shot.

Fill Light

The way professionals and video production companies control the effect of the lighting is by adding a fill light to the shot. In comparison, a fill light is much dimmer than the key light but it lightens up the shaded areas that are created by the key light. When you shoot with a key light and no fill light, you encounter harsh shadows that will oftentimes darken one side of a person’s face or other areas of a different subject. With a fill light placed on the other side of the camera (opposite of the key light), you can brighten up those shaded parts. Depending on how bright or dim you want the fill light, you ultimately control how soft or harsh the shadows will be.

Back Light

The two lights already mentioned really control how a subject appears behind the camera, but the third light, the back light, adds one extra dimension that completes the shot as a whole. This back light, also known as the rim light or hair light, is usually placed behind the subject but raised up above the camera’s view, casting light down from above the shot. Sometimes, video production companies and other professionals substitute the back light with the sun but then use a reflector or foam board to decrease the sun’s intensity. With light coming from above, there is more depth to the shot and the subject will look less two-dimensional.

Whether your a professional that works with a video production company or an individual with zero shooting experience, everyone understands that lighting enhances a shot. However, without three-point lighting, the end result will be missing that much-needed professional level. For any help with creating a professional video for your company, contact us today.

The Best Video Editing Software of 2019

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Depending on your needs, the best video editing software is going to differ from that of someone else. Speaking in absolutes — “the BEST” — assumes that everyone has the same needs, however, the fact of the matter is that it’s a case by case situation.

If you are a beginner, you will not need advanced software, and a professional at a video production company is going to need something different than that of an editor in Hollywood. The needs of an Apple user that heavily relies on Apple products may alter significantly from PC users. be different as well. While the needs are going to differ from person to person, there are some characteristics and capabilities that set certain software apart from the rest. Here is what we think are the most recognized programs that give users the ability to do what they need in the most efficient way.

TWO DOMINANT EDITING PROGRAMS

We are four months into 2019 and video production companies still agree that Adobe’s Premiere Pro and Apple’s Final Cut Pro are the “best” editing software for professionals.

PREMIERE PRO — The reason this is oftentimes the first software people will talk about is because of its ability to support a variety of different formats, cameras, and devices, and its ability to work on multiple platforms. Further, Premiere runs on Macs and PC computers without difficulty. Whether its a commercial made by a video production company or a feature film made for the big screens, the advanced editing capabilities work for both. With the latest update to the program in 2018, editors are able to use HDR media, playback media faster, and still utilize its other main features (like precise color grading, VR editing, and audio layering). In addition to all of this, using Premiere is convenient if you use any other Adobe products.

FINAL CUT PRO — Apple’s highest quality editing program has a lot of similarities with Adobe’s Premiere. Like Adobe’s ability to work great with other Adobe products, obviously, Final Cut works nicely with other Apple software. It also supports HDR and RAW formats and a lot of other interfaces. As time passes, while Final Cut can execute some advanced editing, it is starting to be seen as a good developmental program.

We mention these two programs first because these are what the professionals at video production companies are using, and they will give you more capabilities than anything else. Nonetheless, as we said before, the needs of each person or entity are different. That being the case, beginners may not need Premiere Pro or Final Cut Pro, and Hollywood editors may need other editing software that specializes in CGI, 3D effects, and more.

OTHER Software for OTHER NEEDS

Here is a simple list of other software that beginners and/or Hollywood editors may consider to be a better program for their needs.

FOR BEGINNERS:

  • Avidemux
  • Shotcut
  • Rocketium
  • Nero Standard
  • Davinci Resolve
  • Video Pro X
  • Wideo
  • MacXvideo
  • Lightworks

FOR HOLLYWOOD PROs:

  • SynthEyes
  • PFTrack
  • Mocha
  • Boujou
  • Houdini
  • RealFlow
  • 3D Studio Max
  • Cinema 4D
  • Maya
  • Adobe After Effects

While these different programs may not be used by professional video production companies, they will still accomplish similar things for beginners and accomplish more for the industry leading professionals in Hollywood. Ultimately, there is a lot of different editing software, but based on your level and needs, the best program may differ from someone else. However, many video production companies, like us here at Fusion 360, would say that Adobe’s Premiere Pro is the best program to use in 2019.