Kicker Inc.

06/22/2023

Filming: Airplane stuff in the far North. DOP Logan getting the shots.

04/14/2023

Week ends with another solid corporate shoot with a major airline

03/21/2023

Can an algorithm create you a great marketing video? Yes and no. The key is understanding the power of what's coming 👇 more....

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Using AI to help flush out an idea and even help with writing video scripts is a no brainer. The key challenge is knowing what inputs to give the algorithm and the instructions you give in order to get you started. Any video producer who tells you don't use advanced computing in a video project is just, well, not getting it. AI has the power to really help accelerate your project. It won't help you create great visuals of your office or your operation or your people. It won't help you stay on brand (for now). But it will help you organize your thoughts, and nail your idea. Use a video firm that can enhance your next video product using the latest tools available.

03/15/2023

Animators take note. Your world was just disrupted. Wow. Link in my bio.

03/04/2023

Great to be back in L.A. Filming for a logistics technology client based in Europe. DOP PaulH and Producer PaulB working it.

02/10/2023

Trying out the new FX30 today on a corporate shoot. Low profile, fast, all business. Love it.

02/08/2023

What if I could help you increase your proposal acceptance rate by 41%? Sound too good to be true? (read on) ⬇

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I just read an interesting report from Proposify, that conducted research into over 1 million proposals being sent out and the data on the most effective winning business proposals. It found that adding a video to your proposal can increase close rates by up to 41%. Video drives 56% higher proposal engagement and helps close your deal 26% faster.

The report, released this week, said when your champion inevitably shares your proposal internally, your video ensures your firm is present in every single conversation about the deal. Busy decision makers and buying committees will love you because you can demonstrate how you’ll solve the problem in 5 minutes, asynchronously, instead of 30 minutes over a scheduled call.

Add testimonial videos from your happy clients into your proposal, and bingo, every single proposal you sent out is a closing machine.

Drop us a comment below and I will send you the report. It's a great insightful document on business proposals. It will help you understand how to calibrate your closing machine with video.

02/07/2023

We’ve entered the age of generative AI. The use cases for video production are everywhere—from writing scripts to creating visuals from text inputs, to video editing. Why is this awesome: 👇

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Once these creative tools come out of beta, more and more people like you can experiment with video. You can write video scripts by just adding key messages, you can auto-create animated text to underline key messages, and coming soon, add AI generated visuals.

As a video producer, shouldn't I be worried? No, I'm excited. The more of you that get the opportunity to use generative AI to create videos the better. You can test concepts, test scripts, test if you like the generative visuals. Then, when you're ready to hire a professional video team to execute for you, you engage us with your idea already flushed out. I imagine reduced re-writes of scripts, reduced revisions on the videos, and faster turnarounds.

The truth is video is an emotional medium. Your buyers make a purchase decision based on emotion (but justify it with rational argument). And so to order to fully take advantage of emotion in your storytelling (especially with B2B), you need to see and hear from people. You need to show your buyers your asset (your tech, your team, your equipment, your facility etc), not made up images or video pulled in from something else.

That's why we embrace AI in video production. And look forward to helping our clients navigate the possibilities, and leverage it to save costs and get faster turnarounds.

https://buff.ly/3YgzW5G

02/05/2023

Remember, it’s not a product or service that makes something “boring,” that's a cop-out. It’s your marketing ⬇️

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Some of today’s hottest brands are centered around traditionally “boring” industries. Wealthsimple, Warby Parker and Casper (who trade in — you guessed it — robo-advising, direct-to-consumer optometry and mattress sales) produce some of social media’s most engaging content and enjoy global reputations for being fun, fresh young businesses. They do it with video content that is bold.

01/25/2023

Seems like a smart idea. Who's in?

01/24/2023

Join us in shaping the future of technology

Been following Open AI's Chat GPT? You might associate the brand with AI, neural networks, ML - maybe thousands of servers/computer screens. But they don't. ⬇️

The team released a marketing video a few weeks ago that focuses on the people that work there. The mission of the company, and what they think the future of the tech and the company. It's a nice video. The genius is the brand knows its customers. And the customers don't care about the tech. Its customers care about what Chat GPT and AI can do for them.

Focus your marketing videos on the customer and you'll reach your goals faster. Link:

Developing advanced artificial intelligence systems requires people from a wide range of disciplines and backgrounds. At OpenAI, we’re always looking for cur...

01/20/2023

OK, I thought I had it all figured out. The marketing video script was tight and on brand. But then... 😱 ⬇️

All the cooks arrived in the kitchen. The client said he was the only one to approve the various steps during the video production. But now, oh boy, we have Finance, the VP Sales for Europe, the Comms person in Houston, and the marketing agency rep who was added because, well, she should know.

Is this a bad thing? Not necessarily. So long as there is a clear (using a George W. Bush euphemism) "decider" on the client side - then as many folks can review and add feedback.

In this case, we quickly discovered the original client overstated his role - and now we are left to sort through all the feedback and decide what feedback to proceed with. This isn't a good way to proceed. It caused delays - and even though the client understood and tried to help as best he could - we were able to still deliver the video about 5 days late.

Tip: Discuss the approval process with the production team and provide a clear mechanism for providing accurate feedback. Your project will sail smoothly.

01/19/2023

Some surprising info about the top B2B video types last year. Overall, B2B video continues to skyrocket, some video types are still lagging. Which ones? 👇

The most popular video types for B2B are product demos and brand videos. Not surpising as these are the most popular requests we get. But here's what's interesting about the study released this week by Statista Research.

Training videos were used by 45% of global marketers and (this is nuts) only 39% of respondents were producing customer testimonial videos. 🤷‍♂️

This is stunning as video testimonials are, in our experience, a top lead gen tool for B2B. Not to mention speak to brand and product. Watch for video testimonials to rise in 2023.

01/18/2023

Some surprising info about the top B2B video types last year. Overall, B2B video continues to skyrocket, some video types are still lagging. Which ones? 👇

The most popular video types for B2B are product demos and brand videos. Not surpising as these are the most popular requests we get. But here's what's interesting about the study released this week by Statista Research.

Training videos were used by 45% of global marketers and (this is nuts) only 39% of respondents were producing customer testimonial videos. 🤷‍♂️

This is stunning as video testimonials are, in our experience, a top lead gen tool for B2B. Not to mention speak to brand and product. Watch for video testimonials to rise in 2023.

01/01/2023

Happy New Year! We wish you happiness and health.

12/15/2022

Check it out: https://buff.ly/3WfMMjc

12/14/2022

Why was the video editor always calm? Because he always had a lot of clips at his disposal.

11/29/2022

Crushing it.

07/13/2022

Always cool to be shooting in an awesome corner office

07/04/2022

Happy Independence Day 2022!!

07/02/2022

To our clients across Canada, Happy Canada Day! 🇨🇦

05/05/2022

Great to be back in NYC shooting with our cool client

10/01/2021

3 tips to achieve great lighting for product photography - Kicker Inc

Getting good lighting is probably the hardest and most important part when doing product photography! 📸

Here are our 3 tips to achieve great lighting for your product shots 👇

https://www.kickervideo.com/blog/3-tips-to-achieve-great-lighting-for-product-photography/

Getting good lighting is probably the hardest and most important part when doing product photography. When shooting product photography, you want to have the perfect set-up for high-quality images. You’ll need to make sure you choose a good background and maybe add reflectors to avoid unwanted sha...

09/11/2021

08/25/2021

Why you should invest in studio headphones for music production - Kicker Inc

Music is such an important part of a video! Make sure you have the best equipment to produce it 🎶👇
https://www.kickervideo.com/blog/why-you-should-invest-in-studio-headphones-for-music-production/

It’s critical to have the right equipment when recording or producing music so that you can accurately capture what you’re doing. Studio headphones will let you hear with precision the sounds that are being recorded. As a result, any flaws that a standard headset would miss can be captured.  Wh...

08/25/2021

Why the DJI Mini 2 is the best drone for beginners - Kicker Inc

Ever thought of using a drone but don't know where to start? 🎥
https://www.kickervideo.com/blog/why-the-dji-mini-2-is-the-best-drone-for-beginners/

It’s not a secret that drones are pretty expensive and can be hard to control for first-time users. If you are getting into videography or just want to try it out for fun, you probably don’t want to overspend on a drone. Luckily, the DJI Mini is the perfect drone for beginners, for many reasons....

07/26/2021

How to improve your posture while working at your desk - Kicker Inc

How to make sure you have a good posture even after hours of editing! 🧑‍💻

https://www.kickervideo.com/blog/how-to-improve-your-posture-while-working-at-your-desk/

It’s not a secret that sitting in an incorrect position while working at your desk can put you at risk of chronic pain or injuries. Many people suffer from neck pain, back pain or eye strain due to a non-ergonomic desk setup. Fortunately, you can simply correct your posture by following the basic ...

07/19/2021

A guide to choosing the best microphone for your home studio - Kicker Inc

Learn how to choose the best microphone for your home studio! 👇

https://www.kickervideo.com/blog/a-guide-to-choosing-the-best-microphone-for-your-home-studio/

Searching for the right microphone is not an easy task. There are various types of microphones on the market, each with its own set of features. The dynamic microphone, the condenser microphone and the ribbon microphone are the three most common types of microphones that you’ll find. Which one sho...

07/05/2021

Enjoy Independence Day! And a belated Happy Canada Day to our friends everywhere.

06/30/2021

New work: making edits on a fun shoot inside a massive logistics warehouse

06/25/2021

New work: Before and after. Our storyboard illustrations help our clients understand our creative vision before we start animating!

06/22/2021

Back in Houston shooting a marketing video for a fast growing tech startup in

06/17/2021

How to shoot professional videos with your iPhone - Kicker Inc

Filming professional videos might be easier than you think! Learn how to create great content with your iPhone👇

https://www.kickervideo.com/blog/how-to-shoot-professional-videos-with-your-iphone/

You will be surprised at how well your iPhone can give you high-quality video content with the right conditions. It all comes to basic filmmaking techniques when trying to film a professional video on your iPhone. Among other things, you need good resolution, good lighting and proper editing.  Here...

06/11/2021

Types of videos you should post on social media to boost engagement - Kicker Inc

Learn how to boost your engagement on social media with video content! 🎥

https://www.kickervideo.com/blog/types-of-videos-you-should-post-on-social-media-to-boost-engagement/

Using videos as a marketing tool is a great way to drive sales or bring awareness to your brand. Videos send a clear message to your target audience while being interesting and effective, while boosting conversions and sales. In addition, posting videos on your website or on social media will also h...

06/08/2021

Aerial Perfect Home

Our drone pilot Tim had some fun with this shoot! https://vimeo.com/560558432

FPV drone shoot

05/10/2021

Filming: remote interviews via Zoom for this fast growing tech firm in Las Vegas

04/28/2021

Apple's latest iMac offers plenty of power to satisfy the needs for all filmmakers, designers and 3D artists. - Kicker Inc

Apple releases its new iMac soon! What are you thoughts about it? Tell us in the comments 👇

https://www.kickervideo.com/blog/apples-latest-imac-offers-plenty-of-power-to-satisfy-the-needs-for-all-filmmakers-designers-and-3d-artists/

A powerful new addition to the Apple product line was announced in September. The updated features of this sleek machine offer a range of capabilities that will appeal to professionals who use their computer as part-time workstation or hobbyist (like filmmakers).  For those with less technical know...

04/20/2021

A Quick Guide to Steadicams - Kicker Inc

Do you know the difference between Steadicams and gimbles? 👀

https://www.kickervideo.com/blog/a-quick-guide-to-steadicams/

The Steadicam is an incredible invention that revolutionized the way movies are filmed. It has been used in dozens of major motion pictures and won Academy Awards for Best Cinematography three years running! What’s so great about it? Let me ask you a question: would you rather have shaky footage o...

04/07/2021

How to start off the right foot with your new Director of Photography? - Kicker Inc

You might want to read our last article if you had new additions to your team lately 😉
https://www.kickervideo.com/blog/how-to-start-off-the-right-foot-with-your-new-director-of-photography/

There is a lot that goes into making a video production. The person who oversees the filming process, known as the Director of Photography (DP), has to work with the director and camera crew to capture all of the shots needed for an entire film or commercial. This article will tell you everything yo...

03/30/2021

The Sony Alpha 1 vs. the Canon EOS R5, which one should you chose? - Kicker Inc

Read our latest article to find out which camera suits your need:

https://www.kickervideo.com/blog/the-sony-alpha-1-vs-the-canon-eos-r5-which-one-should-you-chose/

There was a time when photographers were either Canon or Nikon. But as Sony came into the game, it’s been hard to choose which one is better for your needs. There are some pretty stark differences between these two brands and it may be difficult to decide on just one camera body! The Alpha 1 …