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Increase Your Audience During Live MMA Broadcasts

Live MMA Broadcasts
 
Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) live events generate huge audiences—and incredible revenue. Streaming an MMA live event will bring a much wider audience to your event and keep them watching during the entire fight. This is important not only for the sport, but for the promoters. The longer your audience watches, the more advertising they’ll see from your sponsors.
 
How to Choose an Experienced Studio for Live MMA Events
 
If you’d like to live stream your MMA event to your website (and maybe you’d like to offer special content to subscribers or create an on-demand video), you should look for a studio and staff:
 
Who Have Experience Streaming Live Broadcasts
 
The right streaming production company will draw in larger and more diverse paying audiences. Many companies are new to the streaming world, and don’t have a background in video production. In our experience, video production knowledge is critical to streaming live events. Be sure to ask a studio how many events they’ve streamed and what their video production background is like. Also ask to see several of the shows they have streamed online. These shows should include graphics, promotions, interactive elements (such as asking the audience to tweet about viewing the fight, along with a particular hashtag), interviews of MMA fighters, and sponsor commercials, to name a few.
 
Who Have a One-Stop Shop
 
Choose a studio that will not only record and stream your live MMA broadcasts, but will handle all of the graphics, commercials, promotions, and sound effects. There’s no reason to hire piecemeal production staff for different services when just one experienced studio will do. Cut ‘N’ Run Studios handles all aspects of a live streaming MMA event, from DVEs, to stingers, to instant replays.
 
Who Have a System in Place for Live Streaming Capabilities
 
Quality live streaming is dependent not only on staff, but also on specialized equipment. We use this equipment to keep your live production running smoothly while streaming your event to anywhere in the world. We can also produce pay-per-view and on-demand options that allow subscribers to watch the event on their computer or any mobile device.
 
Don’t leave your live MMA event in the hands of an inexperienced video studio. Use a professional, experienced, and reputable company like Cut ‘N’ Run Studios that has years of experience with live streaming video services for MMA fights.
 

Live Streaming Trump’s Video for Entertainment

Live Streaming
 
If you’re trying to reach a new audience, but have a limited budget and equipment, live streaming is a great way to attract more people to your event or presentation. It’s budget-friendly, but can get you incredible results. Our Pittsburgh live streaming clients like the options that live-streaming and on-demand video offers.
 
Live Streaming and On-Demand Advantages
 
Reach a Wider Audience for a Fraction of the Price
You can connect with thousands of new people using live streaming services. You’re no longer limited to only those who are at an event or gathering. Now, anyone with a computer, tablet, or smart phone can view your event. Instead of advertising an event and hoping that people show up, you can offer an audience a convenient second option: watch professional video from wherever you are.
 
Generate Revenue
 
An audience can watch your event live, and if you’d like, they can pay for that privilege. Streaming large sporting events, dance recitals, and school musical and theater productions can help you offset the costs of running these kinds of shows. You can also make your event a subscription or on-demand option by giving them the opportunity to view events, shows, or presentations later at set price. It’s another way to subsidize costs. Additionally, you can promise sponsors prominent commercials or advertisements on any of these videos.
 
Bring Your Audience Together
 
If you are showcasing an event that you want an audience to see live—like a wedding, concert, or football game—streaming video services are an easy way to include those both near and far. Instead of just the people in the room, the auditorium, or stadium, you’ll instead be able to allow folks overseas (or anywhere) to see exactly what everyone else is seeing. For those who can’t travel due to health, financial constraints, or military service, live streaming gives them the opportunity to be a part of the action—or of the moment.
 
Professionally Capture Important Moments
 
Many entertainment or sporting events take place on a field or a stage. It’s a very large area to cover, and requires a multi-camera set up with refined audio control. Professional video also can include live edits, commentators, graphics, text, and sponsor and commercial production. It can be done on-the-spot or added later for on-demand text, and can be used in place of video that was once only saved to DVD. For instance, if you need a video that will be sent to a college sports recruiting department, you don’t have to create DVDs anymore. You just need a video with the right footage that you can put on your website with a link. The process is now streamlined and professional—and available on any device.
 
If you need professionally-edited videos of live events or ones that can be called up on demand, contact Cut ‘N’ Run Studios. We cover many Pittsburgh events, as well as any in Eastern Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, Maryland, or other nearby states.
 
 

Need to Improve your Video Production Quality?

Online video marketing is driving customer behavior today. Are you leveraging video as part of your strategy?
 
Video is the way to go.
 
Not only are more consumers choosing to watch video over other content formats (studies show 80% in fact), more than half of them take action after viewing the advertisement. And, once you invest the time and money to create one video, it can live online forever, being viewed countless times for years. That’s the power of video marketing.
 
But how do you keep the consumer interested? Keep them watching? Here are some tips to improving the quality of video production so that your marketing content stands out from the rest.
 
1. Tell a story—make it catchy.
 
During the planning phase, write a script that is original and creative.
 
  • What’s your hook?
  • Draw a storyboard and create a shot list.
  • Be choosy when casting actors for your video. Are they forcing their lines or do they deliver their dialogue in a natural way? This attention to detail is critical.
  • When it comes time to write content to attract viewers, use a catchy title.
  • Have all details well mapped out before the day you film so that no time is wasted with logistics.
  • Consider the set and match it to the concept. If your set is not an office, don’t shoot the video in an office and try to disguise it as something else. It will look fake and you’ve lost the viewer. Pay attention to these details.
 
2. Content, content, content!
 
Develop the story with informative, relevant content. You might have all of the other details worked out, but if the actual content of the video misses the mark, you’ve blown it.
 
  • How-to’s are an excellent way to deliver relevant content that viewers gravitate toward.
  • Position yourself as a subject matter expert so the viewer walks away having gained specific information. They’ll come back for more.
  • Consider shooting a series of content-rich videos. The goal is to attract viewers and keep them coming back for more. A series is a great strategy for building on your brand identity.
 
3. Get the production right the first time.
 
By focusing on all of the production details as you shoot, you’ll save time by lessening the need to re-shoot or edit later. What are the key elements of production?
    

  • Sound quality—how do the actors sound on set? Do you have lapel microphones for seated actors?
  • Lighting—are there shadows? Is the footage over exposed? Under exposed?
  • Tripod—is it level? Be sure the sound quality on set is good and be prepared to use lapel microphones for seated actors.
  • Camera—is it focused? Are you positioning the actor according to the rule of thirds? This means you don’t want to center the person’s head while they’re speaking, for example, but have them slightly off-center. Not only does it look better, it gives you room to display branding on the other side or their name, title, and company.
 
4. Include a call to action.
 
Edit your video as part of post-production. Is your content indeed targeted to the audience you’ve intended? Is it engaging and well-paced or does it drag on? Aim for eight seconds to capture the viewer’s attention.
 
  • Include your URL in your video to drive your viewers to action
  • Add a text box to your video during editing to display your website.    
  • Take advantage of branding opportunities by adding the company logo  
  • Embed the video on your website
 

Get Your Videos Out There!

Launching a successful video campaign not only requires the ability to produce high-quality video media, but it also requires you to properly promote and bring awareness to the video before and during the launch of the video online itself. Implementing a few tips and tricks along with professional services can ensure you maximize the reach you get with any type of video you share online, whether it is brand-related or personal.
 
Build Excitement and Awareness
 
Building excitement and awareness about an upcoming video release is highly recommended when you want to get as much exposure as possible regardless of the video’s content. Create new hashtags that represent your video, utilizing specific keywords or a message you want to share with your followers and online audience.
 
Working With the Right Video Production Professionals
 
When you want your video production done properly, consider the option of working together with professionals such as those from Cut ‘n Run Studios out of Pittsburgh, PA. Working with video production professionals is a way to ensure your final cut of any video you create is high-quality and worth your investment.
 
Uploading Your Video Online
 
After video production is complete, uploading your video online using YouTube is the first step to getting publicity necessary for success with a video campaign. If you have a more creative or unique video, it is also advisable to consider joining the Vimeo community, where it is also free to upload videos. Uploading your video to YouTube is one of the quickest ways to share video media content within browsers and mobile devices, optimizing your video campaign for all visitors and users interested in your content.
 
Selecting the Right Thumbnail for Your Video
 
Be sure to review the thumbnails that are available for your video before selecting one. Avoid choosing a thumbnail including a close-up of a face or an unidentified object or individual. Instead, choose a thumbnail that is bright, inviting or that captures a message or information about the video itself. Using a clear thumbnail that is also interesting or leaves a bit of mystery is another way to gain traction with page views and visitors to your content.
 
Choosing Ideal Keywords to Your Video’s Metadata
 
Choosing keywords wisely for your video is also essential for proper promotion. Include relevant keywords and phrases with less than two to three words to maximize optimization within the metadata of YouTube and search engines including Google and Bing.
 
Consistent Promotion of Your Video Using Social Media
 
Once you have uploaded your video to YouTube and Vimeo you can begin sharing your content immediately with plugins and social media sharing buttons, giving you the ability to instantly reach hundreds and thousands of users worldwide simultaneously.
 
Having an understanding of how to properly launch a video with maximum reach and exposure online is a way to expedite the process of sharing new media and gaining new traction with promotions and when sharing your content with others. The more time and effort you put in to promoting each of the videos you want to share with your audience, the more impact and influence you are likely to have altogether.
 

Storing Your Images is Very Important

Modern videos are stored as digital files that can be very large. Many people are also converting older formats into digital files because they do not degrade. Something you might be concerned about is storing video images in a safe way. You should understand some of the benefits and drawbacks of different video storage options.
 
Internal Hard Drives
 
Internal hard drives are the default storage medium for many people. These are the drives inside desktop systems or laptops. Internal drives are a good place to store video for everyday use. They are commonly used by professional video production companies when performing editing and post-production work. They are not an option for long-term storage. Hardware, software and power issues can all destroy data on an internal drive. Videos on internal hard drives should be backed up in at least one other location.
 
Memory Cards and Thumb Drives
 
Many video devices and even some converters use memory cards. Thumb drives are larger versions of memory cards that use the same solid-state technology. Memory cards and thumb drives are good options for storing video images since they are stable media. They do require proper storage and care in order to protect the data. Additionally, memory cards and thumb drives have a limited number of reads and writes. They will eventually fail if used too much.
 
CDs and DVDs
 
CDs and DVDs are two of the most common ways to store video images. Professional video production services like Cut ‘n Run Studios in Pittsburgh, PA produce high-quality output on this type of media. CDs and DVDs are a good choice for making backups of existing video files. They do take a long time to create and can contain errors due to the burning process. The advantage is that CDs and DVDs are inexpensive, resistant to damage and easy to store.
 
External Hard Drives
 
External hard drives are independent devices that attach to a computer or laptop through a cable. These drives can be incredibly large and hold terabytes of data. There are even special external drives used by video production professionals that work at a high speeds to make editing and transfers simpler. External hard drives are a good choice because they are large, easy to use and portable. The downside is that they are hard to share and could experience technical problems after a decade or more.
 
Cloud-Based Storage Options
 
Another option is cloud-based storage though a service. Videos can be kept in an off-site location that is accessible from anywhere over the Internet. This is a safe and stable option. The main drawback is that it can take a very long time to transfer videos to cloud storage service since they need to be uploaded over the Internet.
 
Consider Professional Media Transfers
 
It is important to convert any older formats to digital files for storage. Video production companies like Cut ‘n Run Studios out of Pittsburgh can convert nearly any analog format into digital files. Those files can then be copied, backed up and stored in a variety of ways. It is far easier and more reliable to store these valuable old videos as digital files since older tapes and other analog formats are likely to degrade and become irretrievable at some point.
 
 
 

Making a Promo Video: How to Not Get Struck Dumb in Front of the Camera

A promo video can be a multipurpose introduction to customers, new employees, and casual website visitors. Create a 2 to 5 minute promo video that relays a strong concept to impress your viewers. Create a written script and practice it so you don’t appear stilted on camera.
 
 
Top 7 Things to Make Your Promo Video Shine</strong> You may end up doing the video a couple of times until you get it right. Here are a few things to include in your script:
<p style=”padding-left: 30px;”>1. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) in Your Headline – Your headline will be the most important text that will be used to bring in viewers. You need to include keywords and buzzwords in your video production. Use SEO in description boxes on sites like YouTube, as well.</p>
<p style=”padding-left: 30px;”>2. A Business Intro Slide – This should be one slide put at the front of your video and it should introduce your company, its website URL, and its logo. Third-party sites will require this information from you at some point. Have that information ready to publish.</p>
<p style=”padding-left: 30px;”>3. An Exciting Concept – To capture people’s attention instantly with your promo video, get to the point quickly. There will be plenty of time to introduce yourself personally later. For now, concentrate on trying to pinpoint your demographics biggest problem and building rapport. Who is your core audience and what makes them inch closer to the screen? Once you know that, getting their attention is easy.</p>
<p style=”padding-left: 30px;”>4. Product Benefits – Your video production is basically a video landing page. As such, you will eventually need to list the benefits of your product or service to overcome any objections. List as many objections as possible that a customer might have even before you write your script and then prioritize them. Then, assign benefits that negate those objections. The top five should definitely be included in any introductory video script that talks about products or services.</p>
<p style=”padding-left: 30px;”>5. Have Fun with Innovative Features – If you have really innovative features you wish to showcase in your video production, now is the time. You can use video with animation characters, avatars, scribing, or comedy skits to provoke humor. Not all introductory videos have to be a business PowerPoint presentation with a boring background monologue.</p>
<p style=”padding-left: 30px;”>6. Your Credentials – If you are doing consultation services or pushing a book or have credentials that add to your authority, then don’t be afraid to introduce yourself at the end of the video. A master’s in a particular specialty, a special challenge overcome in your own life, or years of experience in a specific industry can only add to your credibility.</p>
<p style=”padding-left: 30px;”>7. A Call to Action – If your purpose is to get marketing leads, you need to ask your viewers to sign up to your email list. If you are trying to sell a product, you will want to ask for the sale. You do need to be very specific as to what you expect a viewer to do upon viewing your video production.
 

Video Killed the Radio Star, Online Video Saved the Unknown Star

Video may have killed the radio star but it also opened a new door for unknown artists. With television and now Internet, radio is not the most popular medium for music anymore. iPods, iPads, and mobile phones with personalized playlists eliminated the need for radio. In recent years, most music is purchased digitally and the sales of CDs and records are declining. The Internet has transformed the music industry and created a broad network in which bands and artists have a greater opportunity to thrive.
YouTube was the start for many current famous musicians such as Justin Bieber, Gotye, and Carly Rae Jepsen and the website has become an outlet for artists to post music videos in hopes of a viral hit. YouTube also acts as an effective portfolio for bands and musicians with live concerts and videos. Online presence is a top priority for all artists with YouTube now having more than half a billion users worldwide and racking up to almost one hundred billion views each month. It is used by 39 countries and broadcasted in over 54 different languages. This accounts for more than a trillion views a year. Never in music history have artists had such a powerful medium to launch careers.
Social media integrates YouTube and enables artists to promote without much cost. Facebook and Twitter incorporate YouTube links allowing users to comment and share. This combination of social media and online video elevates artist awareness through multiple channels at the same time.
Though the Internet has been a boon for artists and digital music sales, music videos still require basic principles. A homemade video with poor quality will not get hits and a creative, high definition video is required for an artist to be considered seriously. Opportunity may lie online but this also means there are millions of others with the same strategy. Marketing your video and band will require professional production and a strong fan base. Integrating a high quality music video across multiple social media networks is the standard promotional strategy even for well-known artists.
Some people still believe the famous lyrics “Video Killed the Radio Star,” however, radio did not give artists the same realm of possibilities that the combination of Internet and video provide. The land of musical opportunity exists on the success of online video, musical composition, and social media awareness.
2014 – 06 25

Law and Video Production

Two separate fields have begun to more successfully integrate over the past decade.  Video has become vital for law firms and the legal industry. While some legal companies seek to have their own department, others often allocate work to video production entities. Whether law firms utilize inhouse or outsourced services, videos are imperative to any lawyer’s stature and commercial operation. The necessity for video production services are numerous and include legal business marketing, , depositions, mediation statements, evidence recording, and even large documentary productions.
 
Law firms must convey a sense of professionalism and also express empathy and trust to audiences. Creative scripts and high definition video can be the difference in attracting or repelling potential clients. An amateur commercial can display a negative image of a law firm which is why it is so important for law firms to have professional videographers handle their marketing needs. . Image and trust are obtained through the quality of legal services and video production value.
 
Court videoed projects are required to meet certain set standards by the Council of the National Court Reporters Association. Unexperienced videographers may make a mistake that could result in videos becoming inadmissible to a case.
 
Mediation statements can produce quicker settlements through visual display of evidence, injury, and damages. Documents cannot express active and/or punitive damages in the same light as a video showing concrete explanation, testimony, and b-roll. Editing and music also can add needed emotion to a video while still delivering the legal motivations behind a case.
 
In our previous blog, we discuss the surge in Internet video over television commercials, as more than 85% of Internet users now view online video content. Website videos have become a standard marketing tool even outside the legal community. With the constant adaption to technology, law firms require an appropriate source for video creative services. The recognition of this common partnership will produce greater cost efficiency and organization within the legal industry.
 

Converting your old film or Videos to Digital

With modern technology, everything is quickly outdated these days, including videos. You may remember your parents (or yourself) hauling around the old 20lb camera recorder that recorded to VHS tapes. While modern technology can be frustrating because you’re constantly forced to upgrade to the latest and greatest products to be compatible with other modern technological devices, new modern technology allows us to capture some of the best moments of our lives and manipulate the video exactly how we want it and in excellent qualities. Modern technology and new video services also allow us to take old films from family and friends and convert them into higher quality videos that are compatible with today’s technological devices. Below are several services that companies like Cut N Run Studios in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania provide that can allow you to transfer your videos or film into new and easy-to-view forms.

Online Video

Television advertisement spending amounted to 62.8 percent of the total global advertising expenses in 2012. Television commercials have changed dramatically in the past twenty years Prior to the 90’s, commercials were limited to corporations because of the cost. Currently, small businesses can afford to stay within a moderate budget and purchase local airtime for a 30 second commercial. With local broadcast opportunities, small businesses can appeal to particular demographics by selecting the program and specific time of their commercial. With 99% of the American households owning a television and the average american watching television 5 hours a day, it is no surprise that television continues to dominate the media advertisement world.<!–more–>
 
In recent years, digital and internet videos have surged as a new medium for advertisement and promotion. TV continues to be the number one advertisement outlet, however with social media and mobile devices, the age of the digital video has arrived. It is estimated that internet video advertising will rise by nearly 40% percent next year, approximately $5.7 billion dollars. Embedding videos online became a complex issue with the diversity of browsers, mobile devices, and computers. The introduction of H.264 video format made online videos viewable in nearly every scenario. Internet video advertisements quickly benefited from the technological advancement and will ultimately challenge television for the top marketing medium.
 
A progressive approach to modern day advertising would be to invest in cross-medium videos. Television encoding standards now include the H.264 format in broadcast safe guidelines. 30 second spots for television can also now be embedded to a business’s website as well. With television and internet convergence, video has solidified its importance in the advertisement world as radio and print continue to see decline in investment. It is essential for any business to not only possess a user friendly website but to also benefit from a cross-medium video.
 
Digital technology has closed the gap between corporation and small business advertisement opportunities. Both are now able to produce promotional material in the top two mediums. With the tremendous impact and growth small businesses have on the economy, it is apparent the market for cross-medium videos will continue to rise and the need for television marketing will decline.
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