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There is a little restaurant in Denver called Stoney’s where local patrons fill the bar on Sunday nights for a Game of Thrones watch party packed with themed competitions and GoT themed foods and drinks. While many viewers choose to watch the show in the dark and silence of their living rooms, uninterrupted, viewing parties like these are popping up across the country. Similar to what we see with sports fanantics, people want to be surrounded by like-minded individuals and root for their favorite player (in this case, character).

While we gather to see who is going to rule the Iron Throne, a larger question emerges. Will TV continue to be a social experience after GoT ends? What will we be watching next and how will we be watching it?

TV and the way we consume programming has changed drastically since Game of Thrones’ first episode aired in 2011. Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime dominate with their original and award-winning content. TiVo is nearly a thing of the past now that we can stream from our cell phones whenever we want. The term “binge watching” is so popular it now has a place in the dictionary.

However, there is a social aspect to watching TV that gets lost when viewers binge-watch a series or stream on their own time. We bite back our enthusiasm about the latest episode because a co-worker isn’t “caught up” yet. We avoid social media to ensure spoilers aren’t revealed. We even stop talking to each other altogether when we realize we’re on different seasons.

What was once a social practice, an avenue to bringing friends and family together for a half an hour or an hour, is becoming an isolating experience. Game of Thrones is one show that still brings people out of their dark living rooms and gets them excited to share with others. Will there be shows in the future capable of doing the same?

More niche content is being created today. With more and more series being delivered through various platforms, the mainstream appeal of programs is diminishing. People are loading up on content they enjoy, but not something they can necessarily banter about with their friends.

And let’s not overlook how we are consuming content. We no longer just sit in front of our TV’s. We stream from our phones on the train to work. We watch from our laptops on our lunch break. We sit in a room full of people and stare at our iPads. Chief Marketing Officer of Factual, Brian Czarny, contributed an excellent article on fragmented viewership and what it means for the future of content. He writes, “Rest assured that, for the next hit show, the live viewing numbers will be smaller because consumer behavior is swiftly trending toward…mobile.”

As we move into in the final season of GoT, a series that has greatly influenced pop culture and has risen to become one of the most talked about shows in history, we have to wonder if this is the end of an era. Will there be another show that can bring us together the way Game of Thrones has? Or will we become a nation of binge-watchers, turning TV viewing into a solo sport?

Success in any field or endeavor in life usually starts in the same place; establishing goals. As your business heads into 2019,  it’s important to consider what your goals are and how you plan to achieve them. You may want to recruit new clients, branch out from corporate videos to commercials or increase your revenue. Wherever you’re looking to take to your business this new year, here are a few solid tips to help you get there.

Attend Conferences

If you want to be the top crew in your city, you’re going to need to spend time with experts. Video production conferences are an excellent way to receive one-on-one guidance, learn about new equipment, explore trends and mingle with other professionals. An invaluable experience (and often quite the party), here are a few top conferences to consider attending in 2019.

• NAB Show April 6th – 11th
• Cine Gear Expo – LA June/ Atlanta October 2019
• Blackmagic Design Television & Video Expo – Various Dates
• Keyframes Conference  – February 25 – 27

I highly recommend attending marketing conferences as well. There you can learn the ins and outs of marketing trends and how your company can be an asset to corporate and commercial video marketing in the coming year.  Also, be sure to attend hometown events and conferences for excellent networking opportunities.

Trends

For your company to be successful, you want to stay relevant. Maybe you’ve been doing the same type of work for 15 years and it’s been going well for you, but now a millennial-owned tech company wants to hire you to do some VR work for his new video game goggles and you barely even know what he’s talking about let alone how to execute his vision. Falling behind on trends is a quick way to fall behind in business.

Here are a few video production trends you are going want to stay on top of in 2019:

• • Virtual Reality
  • Aerial Video & Drones
  • 360-Degree Videos (Immersive video)
  • 4K Cameras
  • Cinemagraphs (a.k.a gifs).
  • Hyperlapse (Check out this badass video from Rob Whitworth that took hundred of hours to execute so perfectly)

Barcelona GO! from Rob Whitworth on Vimeo.

Live Streaming

Nothing has been blowing up in video production the way Live Streaming has the last few years. Everything from City Council meetings to pro sports games stream daily on a variety of platforms.  Understanding the technology behind live streaming is an excellent way to attract new clients in 2019. I highly recommend researching how to use three of the most popular live streaming platforms to bring your business to the next level:

• Facebook Live Broadcasts
• Twitter 
• YouTube 

Social Media

While it’s important to understand social media trends for your clients, it is equally important to have a social media presence of your own.  A website is great, but these days clients also want to check out your BTS & time-lapse videos on Instagram, they want to read your reviews on Facebook and watch your videos on Vimeo and YouTube. The more outlets you are on, the more ways you can reach new clients. Also, social media is an excellent way to remind people that you’re out there producing stellar work on a daily basis. 

Establishing Goals

Goals are just daydreams unless we take action to achieve them. When you think about your vision for the New Year, take some time to write down what you plan to accomplish and challenge yourself to write a step by step process to follow through. It’s pretty simple: determine what you want, why you want it & how you’re going to get it. Don’t forget to:

• Be Specific
• Be Realistic
• Be Proactive

Here’s to making dreams a reality in the New Year!

Sound designer Ed Kaufman of Coupe Studios provides post production insight for any video production crew wanting to understand more about how to best make dialogue, music, and audio pieces all fit together!

Q: How did you get your start in the industry?

A: As a young musician, I took an interest in recording and album production. After playing professionally with rock bands and burning out on life on the road, I worked in music stores learning about the gear. In the mid 80’s, I sold a piece of recording gear to my future partner—Scott Roche of Coupe Studios. He asked me to work with him at his fledgling 16-track studio. We’re still working together!

Q: What is one piece of advice you always follow?

A: Philosophically, just follow your passion. My dad told me that one. On the practical side, I tell all young engineers to double-check their work before they send it. It saves a lot of grief.

Q: What does a video production crew need to know about how the dialogue, music, and audio pieces all fit together?

A: I first learned to mix by doing music projects. I like to approach all mixing from that background. In a rock song, you build the energy first by creating a cohesive and punchy foundation from the rhythm section. The rest of the layers—the melody, both vocal and instrumental—are added to that core.

In commercials, documentaries, and other pieces with visual elements, the dialogue and narration are usually the core of the soundtrack. You build from there. So it works for me to mix from the top down with music, effects, and production sound—all used to support and drive the emotion and credibility of the spoken word. When a scene is more visual and less spoken, the music track builds the intensity and the mood, giving the opportunity for good sound design. Whatever the audio component available, the goal is to enhance storytelling and its emotional impact on the audience.

Q: How does sound design contribute to communicating the message/story of the piece?

A: In live-action, literal (real) sound effects bring viewers into the scene while non-literal (cartoon, for example) sound effects create the feeling of viewing from a distance. In animated pieces, the literal sounds versus non-literal effects greatly change the mood and message. In addition, adding reverb or delay can put words or sounds into thoughts or a dream.

Q: What makes a well-designed finished product?

A: A good audio mix becomes one with the visual, revealing the story. For my part, that often starts with lots of dialogue smoothing and noise reduction. After that, I choose production sounds that work and replace what doesn’t, and then I add sound effects that make the soundtrack bigger. Finally, I finish with the music bed, which brings the emotional effect. If I have enough time to fully develop the project, the director is usually surprised at the final product because of the transformation through the sound mixing process. It’s a whole new experience—even for those most intimate with the project.

Q: What do you do when the sound quality is bad?

Sometimes, potential clients make poor decisions onset or just have bad luck with location sound. Although there’s always something that can be done, big improvements can be very labor-intensive and costly. I do my best with all the technology available, but there’s no substitute for good decisions. I sometimes spend a lot of time polishing the proverbial turd.

Q: Why is sound design worth investing in?

For the audience, the soundtrack is half of the experience of any animated or live-action video piece. Some clients tend to worry only about the visuals and ignore the audio. I strongly believe that if the audio isn’t enhanced, it will detract from the visuals. On the other hand, a good sound design will intensify the visual experience. If you are an audio guy like me, you surely know that most people use their eyes more than their ears. I’m always noticing sounds that no one else around me does. But even so, I know that a good soundtrack will add a sense of quality and impact to a video project that everyone will notice.

Q: Do you have any suggestions for studying exceptional sound design?

I think the best advice, especially for a young sound designer, is just to open their ears up to the everyday world around them. In so many situations, that’s what we’re all trying to recreate. Take a moment to listen and study everyday environments. Listen for what makes things sound far and close, busy and still, outside and inside. Knowing what goes on in the real world can also help you push the audio boundaries for unreal worlds with more sophistication. Imagination is key. Keeping a childlike wonder about our world is a powerful tool for developing an effective sound design.

About Crew Connection:

Crew Connection connects you with video production crews across the country and around the globe. With more than 25 years of experience and thousands of shoots with film crew pros to our credit, you can trust our expert coordinators to match you with the right freelance video crew and equipment—every time.

The minute you send an Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) into the air, you’re officially an aviator just like the Wright brothers and Amelia Earhart before you. That’s why the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is requiring all UAVs to be registered.

Here’s why it’s time to go ahead and register that drone:

It’s Cheap

If you purchased that drone, you can swing the five bucks it costs to register it. Seriously.

It’s Easy

Hobbyists can register online with just their name, address, email address, and a credit/debit card.

For video crews and other commercial operators, it’s a little harder, but we did the up-front work for you in this post.

It’s Safe(r)

With millions of new aircraft competing for airspace and pilots reporting drone sightings from the cockpit, the FAA wants to decrease illegal activity and make sure people are flying responsibly. Registered drones will be marked with a tracking number in case of collisions or other violations.

Jail Doesn’t Sound Fun

The FAA isn’t playing. This is the law of the land now and violations could land you some big fines and possible jail time.

You’re A Professional

With your fun new title of aviator comes a lot of responsibility. Whether you’re just enjoying a scenic flight or are a video crew for hire, people are going to want to know you’re playing by the rules.

About Crew Connection

Crew Connection connects you with video production crews across the country and around the globe. With more than 25 years of experience and thousands of shoots with film crew pros to our credit, you can trust our expert coordinators to match you with the right freelance video crew and equipment—every time. Contact us today to find a video crew.

Technology is one of the biggest blessings of the business. We used to have to break our bodies just to carry gear that has since been replaced by small DSLRs. The challenge with technology is that it’s changing so fast that it’s hard to invest the money for equipment or the time to learn a video skill while it’s still viable. 

Buy or learn when:

• You will use the gear or skill a lot: Pierre Habib of Dunia Rentals says that in smaller markets, typical rentals run 5 percent of the cost to own. That means that if you’re going to use the gear for 20 days or more, you are better off buying. In the major markets, you’re likely to see rentals as high as 9 percent of the cost to own for a one-day rental. So if you’ll use the gear 11 or more times, you’re better off buying.

• There is low risk combined with potentially high reward: Even if you don’t expect it to be a large part of your business, if the technology or skill isn’t too cost or time prohibitive, you don’t have much to lose. Dive in. Have fun.

• You’ll make it a big portion of your business model: If your budget allows and you will be using the equipment frequently—invest. It may be an up-front investment, but if it brings new business or allows you to offer the best to your clients, it’s worth it.

• You will get high value for your gear even if the technology quickly improves: Wineries have long been using drones to get aerial views of their property. This allows them to see how the vines are doing—a huge value to their business for as long as the equipment works. Who cares if better, sleeker equipment is available later? They have a huge reward for the gear right now.

Here are more things to keep in mind when buying equipment, what rental houses teach us about buying versus renting equipment, and when to hire versus learn a skill.

Enjoying our series on how to invest in your freelance company? With almost three decades in the industry, we have a lot of tips—and connections. Sign yourself up on Crew Connection for free and let our international clients come to you. Want to talk to one of our coordinators? Contact Us here or call us anytime at 303-526-4900.

About Crew Connection: Crew Connection connects you with video production crews across the country and around the globe. With more than 25 years of experience and thousands of shoots with film crew pros to our credit, you can trust our expert coordinators to match you with the right freelance video crew and equipment—every time.

Camera-equipped drones are a great example of a rapidly-evolving product with increasing consumer demand. In the film production industry, this potential slice of the business model simply cannot ignored. But even as the barriers to entry drop, the fact remains: it takes great skill to fly unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) well—let alone to capture stable, worthwhile images.

We’ve been discussing the age-old dilemma for this business: When freelancers and video crews should invest in equipment rather than rent. Another angle on this is when to learn a new skill versus hiring an expert. We have answers on both!

Rent (or hire) when:

The technology is brand new

In 1991, consumers who just couldn’t wait to get their early digital cameras forked over $1,000 for a Dycam Model 1 that captured grayscale images at 376×240 pixels. The equipment held 32 images at a time. A decade later, novice photographers could get into the game for $69.99 for a camera with higher resolution, color images, and more storage. Today, we can spend a couple hundred bucks for a smart phone that takes higher quality images, shoots video, and practically makes dinner.

You don’t expect to make this a major aspect of your business

For example, if you intend to use videography on land (with aerial images as the occasional supplement) as your main source of business, find an expert in drone photography to hire when the client wants that service. This ensures customers still get the best product and you expand your connections without having to invest the time or money required to do it well.

The rules are unclear

Again with the drones. The rules and permits required can be a little overwhelming. If you have someone who can lead the way and knows the process, it’s best to leave it to them so you can focus your valuable time elsewhere. If the FAA may crack down on the operation, you don’t want to risk fines that will cost you more than you’ll make on the next 10 projects combined. As rules are loosening and being defined, you may decide to go ahead and pull the trigger and buy the equipment/learn the skill.

It’s not an exact science, but making smart decisions is possible. Check out our other posts on this topic:

Here are more things to keep in mind when buying equipment, and what rental houses teach us about buying versus renting equipment. 

Enjoying our series on how to invest in your freelance company? With almost three decades in the industry, we have a lot of tips—and connections. Sign yourself up on Crew Connection for free and let our international clients come to you. Want to talk to one of our coordinators? Contact Us here or call us anytime at 303-526-4900.

About Crew Connection

Crew Connection connects you with video production crews across the country and around the globe. With more than 25 years of experience and thousands of shoots with film crew pros to our credit, you can trust our expert coordinators to match you with the right freelance video crew and equipment—every time.

Whether you realize it or not, you’re seeing more and more shots filmed with unmanned aerial vehicles (commonly referred to as drones). They’re silently making their way into sports coverage, reality TV programs, and even real estate listings.

As an owner of the equipment himself, Freedom House Productions founder and principal Mark Isherwood has an eye for recognizing such shots, saying of a scene in Chicagoland that pans across a school’s roof: “Unless it’s a 1,000-foot jib arm, that’s a drone.”

Perspectives from a few hundred to a few thousand feet used to be limited by the length of a crane or the locations a manned helicopter could safely and legally fly. Aside from the logistical benefits of using drones, they also increase production value: A user can get a GoPro on its maiden voyage for a relatively minimal investment. With all their benefits (and for the sheer fun involved), drones are finding their way into hobbyists’ hands as well as into professional production houses, such as Freedom House Productions.

Stay tuned here on our blog, where we’ll be covering drones in greater detail in the coming weeks. In addition to breaking down the gear, we’ll cover the pros and cons, security and legal issues, and tips from early adopters.

And if you want to explore using a drone for an upcoming shoot, our friends at Crew Connection have crews on the tarmac ready for takeoff.

About Crew Connection: Crew Connection connects you with video production crews across the country and around the globe. With more than 25 years of experience and thousands of shoots to our credit with film crew pros, you can trust our expert coordinators to match you with the right freelance video crew and equipment every time.