Blogs

What To Expect On a Professional Filming Day

Emblem Media Productions | December 4, 2023

So you’ve decided to invest in video marketing services (with Emblem Media Productions, no doubt!) and the day of your shoot is here! You’re either heading on location to film your commercial/documentary, or you’ve got our crew coming to your personal space. Either way, if you’re new to a production set, we’ve got you covered with this list of things to expect at your video shoot. 

  • Call sheet

The first thing to expect will actually come right before your shoot, and that is the Call Sheet! This is an information sheet that includes locations, scheduled call times, parking information, a schedule of events, and other information. This is usually sent out by a Production Coordinator one day before the shoot. Make sure to save this document, so you can come prepared! 

  • A dress code 

This one mostly applies for those who will be appearing on camera in your video. Your Producer will let you know what color clothes are best to wear, typically neutral colors other than white. This is because of how the colors appear on camera, and with color correction in the editing room. 

  • Equipment and movement 

With cameras, lights, audio gear, and the crew, it can get pretty busy! Depending on the size of your production, you may have just one or two small cameras and minimal lighting. Some productions will require larger crews, more cameras and more lighting, which can be overwhelming for those who aren’t used to it. Don’t worry – we are professionals at controlling the chaos!

  • Adjustments and repeats 

Expect to do one thing – and then do it again, and again! This is something called “coverage”, which means that we want to capture several takes of your shot so that our editors can have options.

With all of this in mind, the best thing to do is come to set ready to be flexible! It’s always best to contact a Producer or Coordinator with any questions you have before the shoot (and we’ll always be happy to help!)

Happy filming!

Small Business Spotlight – South Coast College

Emblem Media Productions | October 28, 2022

Our small business spotlight today is none other than South Coast College! This college has been in operation for over 50 years, preparing students for careers in Court Reporting, Paralegal, and Medical Assistant professions. 

South Coast College was founded in 1961 in Long Beach, CA, as a private college called Stenotype School of Long Beach. The school relocated a few times before settling in Orange, California – where it has served its students since 2001. The school is headed by President Jean Gonzalez, who was nominated for OC Business Journal’s Women in Business Awards.

SCC is unique in its dedication to a student-oriented environment that supports the work-life-school balance that so many students are navigating. They offer one-on-one support to their students, help them transition into their careers, and continue to check in and support them even after they have graduated. 

Both Court Reporting and Paralegal programs offer day and night classes, increasing students’ flexibility in their schedules. Their small class sizes and industry professional educators give students a more tailored training and journey than they may experience at a larger university. 

Emblem MP had the joy of filming the 2022 Graduation Ceremony, which you can see here! 

How To Shoot Like An Editor

Emblem Media Productions | September 16, 2022

Check out these 4 tips from a video editor on how to shoot your film with your editor in mind!

  1. Movement 

Using movement is the easiest thing you can do to help inspire dynamic editing. In some videos, this might mean you get to go all out with quick dollies and tilts. Is there an effect you hope to add in post-production, such as zoom, spin, or fade? Consider your desired end result and see if you can manually create that effect. In most cases, however, the simplest movements can add style and depth to your video. Even for typically static shots such as interviews, movement in the camera can be artfully integrated to create a more engaging viewing experience.  A great example of this is this video EMP created for the 2020 launch of the Porsche Taycan. 

  1. Transitions and Cuts 

Filming for intended transitions is a great way to add to the uniqueness of your video’s edits.  One example of this is the cut-away or pull-away shot. This shot begins on a static scene and then pans/tilts away to reveal the next shot. This is commonly done with wide location shots, but can be used in many ways! You can see an example of this in the intro of this video we created for our client Peacock Law. 

  1. Action 

A good rule of thumb for editors is to cut on the action. So as you shoot your video, look for the action, or create it! Are you shooting a large event with tons of people? The best shots are going to include action – laughing, smiling, handshaking. Static shots of blank stares don’t create a compelling video. Don’t be afraid to ask people to pretend for the camera; typically, light conversation and a few jokes with your non-actors will create genuine smiles anyway! This technique is for things like corporate events or awards ceremonies. This video of the GarageExperts® 2020 Conference is a great example. 

  1. Takes 

Last but not least, shoot as many takes as you can. If you have to opportunity to shoot something more than once, you should absolutely take it. For live events, you should be setting up multiple cameras and different angles, so that your editor has options, and you eliminate the chance of them having unusable footage for any segments. 

These shoots aren’t so realistic for the run-and-gun type of filming – ideally, they involve some pre-planning and intention. Make sure you have a visualization of your desired outcome. This can be a storyboard or an example clip from another piece of media. Just something that shows what you envision to happen on screen or created in post. Going out and panning your camera around in various directions does not mean you’re guaranteed to produce more engaging footage. Having your editor on set with you while filming can definitely increase this planning, and double your ability to create unique and dynamic edits for your video. 

Of course, we at Emblem strive to make videos that go above and beyond expectations. These are just a few of the ways we get intricate with our footage to create stunning videos for our clients!

Top Video Marketing Trends in 2022

Emblem Media Productions | July 13, 2022

We know that our clients want to stay on top of the latest marketing trends so as to increase their brand awareness. Considering that in 2022 it is predicted that 85% of internet traffic will be video traffic, we feel like this is an important topic to cover!

Here are some of the Top Video Marketing Trends 2022.

1. Silent Video With Captions
Take a moment to think about your time scrolling on social media feeds or other video platforms. You may realize that you are often in an environment where having the volume up isn’t the most tactful option. Now think about how this affects the way your viewers experience your content. The average viewer of your video content will be watching silently, relying on closed captions to understand the context. Even more significant is how accessible your content is to disabled communities. Closed captions are essential to reaching and connecting your entire audience. It is important to take this into account when creating video content for social media so that you can prioritize visual engagement, and worry less about SFX.

2. The Infinity Loop
There is something so satisfying about a seamless video loop. One where you can’t tell where it starts and where it ends. This can be beneficial to your content in multiple ways.
The infinity loop encourages repeat viewing. Without a definitive start and end point that cues viewers to scroll on, the viewers’ eyes will remain engaged with your content longer.
It can be more aesthetically pleasing. If your social media pages auto-play your videos, having an infinity loop helps to maintain the suspension of disbelief – the illusion that keeps the audience engaged in the story and world you are portraying. Anything that pulls the audience out of your video experience is considered a detriment to this technique. An infinity loop won’t solve this problem, but it can help smooth out transitions.

3. Behind the Scenes
Remember when DVDs came packed full of behind-the-scenes content? Director commentary, conception art, and tons of on-set footage. Nowadays, you find this type of content on a brand/production’s social media pages. There is a reason this type of content was included in content releases – because people love it! No need to shy away from what’s going on behind the scenes, at the office, or in your personal life! If you feel comfortable sharing, this can help humanize your social media pages and increase your engagement with your audience.

4. Guest Stars & Experts
A great way to add to your viewers’ experience is by introducing them to outside content that may be relevant to their interests. This can mean anything from sharing relevant articles to recommending outside content that your audience may enjoy, to bringing in guest stars to talk about specific subjects! By now you have probably seen the occasional “Social Media Takeover” campaign that many brands and productions utilize in their social media strategies. This usually consists of a notable figure in your specific industry or community spending 24 hours posting on your brand’s social media pages, making sure to utilize all forms of content posting such as stories and reels. Bringing in outside sources to your video content can be an eye-catching technique that is sure to benefit and engage your audience.

What to Wear On Set

Emblem Media Productions | June 13, 2022

A commonly asked question from our clients is how they should dress for their on-camera appearance. You may think you should put on your Sunday best and call it a day, but it can be a bit trickier than that. As your videographers, it’s our job to make sure you look stunning on camera. Here are a few tips that can help us achieve that!

A good rule of thumb is to stick to solid, neutral colors. Loud patterns like stripes or florals can often come across much more starkly on camera than they do in person. Bright or neon colors can be distracting, and even sometimes create problems in post-production. A solid, neutral color like brown or navy is going to define you against your background, without disrupting the image composition. Avoid black and white, which can also pose technical problems – although some white/black is fine, such as undershirts or other minimal features. Your Producer will typically guide you in which colors would be best for you to wear during your shoot. 

You may be asked to wear make-up while in front of the camera. This is not to do with making you appear a certain way, but rather, to offset glares and other distortions that can be caused by the camera. This may be as simple as a mattifying powder. If you choose to do a little extra, or if there is a make-up artist on the set, there are a few areas that either you or they should focus on. The camera can make you look washed-out, so it is important to add back color to your appearance. This can be done by adding a bold, matte lip color, and neutral blush tone to the face. The eyes are also another key area to define – eyeliner and mascara are often a must in accentuating these features. A neutral eyeshadow can also go a long way in making the eyes pop. Higher-budget shoots like commercials or live shows will have a greater need/use for a professional makeup artist on the set, while smaller-budget shoots will typically opt for those on camera to do their own makeup. If this sounds like you, then these tips will certainly come in handy. 

Another thing to consider is jewelry. You may have already guessed that the biggest issue is that it can look distracting. This is true, but another big reason is that it’s loud! If you choose to wear jewelry, opt for simpler pieces. Large pieces, dangly earrings, and bracelets are almost always picked up by the microphone. Stud earrings and single-chain necklaces are ideal. 

The last thing to consider is more-so personal preference and style, and a question that your Director will answer by communicating to those commissioning the video. Do you want your video to evoke the times, show the culture of your business, and the individuality of those on screen? You may be open to trendier options in all of the aforementioned categories. Do you want to avoid your video feeling dated? Looking for something that isn’t going to define itself in a certain era or style? Classic and simple is your friend. You could even use your business or organization’s uniform/logo. 

By keeping these tips in mind when you are preparing for your shoot, you can feel confident that you will look your best on camera. Your production team will make the magic happen behind the camera, all tying together for your beautiful video! 

5 Reasons You Need Video Marketing

Emblem Media Productions | June 9, 2022

If you aren’t already using video to get the word out about your business, you should be. Video is the best way to put your brand, product, or story in front of your audience. When reaching your audience, your goal is to keep them engaged. Video is the best way in our modern world to keep the attention of your viewers, clients, and supporters. 

We’ve compiled a list of the top 5 reasons we think you should invest in video marketing for your brand. 

1. Video has the largest reach of all forms of marketing.

The Cisco Video Networking Index predicts that video will make up 82% of internet traffic by the end of 2022. That’s almost your ENTIRE market audience with one form of content. There are no two ways about it – you really cannot reach your audience without video. 

2. It is the most engaging form of content. 

With stunning footage, animation, and graphics, your video has the potential to engage your audience for a compounded amount of time compared to other forms of content. With video,  your vision can be expertly crafted to showcase your brand, product, or business. With the growing popularity of video formats such as IGTV, reels, and TikTok, it’s clear that video is the preferred form of media intake across all market audiences. 

3. Social Media platforms prefer and reward video content. 

Video content tends to perform the best on most social media platforms. Even on Instagram – a platform originally created for photo sharing – videos see more engagement than any other type of content. These platforms also want to encourage their users to create content using their new features, a lot of which are video-centered due to the high level of engagement! Utilizing stories, reels, and adding video to your posts is going to push you up in that algorithm. 

4. It’s the best way to share your brand’s culture and values.

Some of our most popular social media content has just been behind-the-scenes looks at our team doing what we love! Obviously, people don’t go on social media to just see advertisements, but they do like to engage with their favorite brands. Showing your audience a day in the life of your business, your team having fun together, or even how-to videos is a great way to give your audience a different side of your business. 

5. It is the most fun and creative marketing content to make! 

Without a doubt, video is the most fun and engaging form of marketing for the creator, too! Seeing your vision come to life on screen gives you a whole new level of brand awareness, audience engagement, and marketing style for your business. 

SBS: Jessie Rees Foundation

Emblem Media Productions | February 11, 2022
NEGU volunteers packaged over 17,000 JoyJars® in a single day.

This week we celebrate an incredibly impactful Orange Couty organization, the Jessie Rees Foundation. Since 2011, the JRF has been encouraging kids with cancer to Never Ever Give Up. They have sent over 350,000 “JoyJars®” to kids fighting cancer, helping them and their families to experience happiness during some of the most difficult experiences imaginable. These JoyJars® were created by Jessica Joy Rees, a 12-year-old girl who fought cancer in 2011. The 64oz plastic jars are absolutely stuffed to the brim with age-appropriate toys and games and are given to both the child fighting cancer as well as their siblings supporting alongside them. 

Jessie felt an innate need to bring encouragement to other children and families fighting childhood cancer and remind them to Never Ever Give Up. Although Jessie is no longer with us, her impact has spread far and wide to all 50 states, and over 40 different countries. Her family has upheld her mission and legacy through the Jessie Reese Foundation, spreading their message for children and families fighting cancer to NEGU®. 

Any family with a Courageous Kid, SuperSibling, or Courageous Parent facing childhood cancer can sign up for Club NEGU, a free program that will deliver monthly boosts of love, encouragement, and joy for a full 18 months. The Jessie Rees Foundation aims to be able to say “yes” to any Children’s Hospital requesting JoyJars®. 

The JRF also created the NEGU Athletes® and NEGU All-Stars®. This program allows individuals with a platform to spread the message of NEGU®. These are adulthood athletes, celebrities, and survivors of childhood cancer who travel to Children’s Hospitals to deliver JoyJars® and provide extra encouragement to those in long-term care. 

Emblem Media Productions has had the enormous joy of being a part of their Video Production team. Together, we have been able to create stunning videos and live stream productions that reach all NEGU families. The Jessie Reese Foundation is a hugely impactful organization in their community and around the world, which is why we are so proud to support and uplift them.  

Small Business Spotlight: Bracken’s Kitchen

Emblem Media Productions | January 17, 2022

Bracken’s Kitchen is a 501(c)(3) organization founded in 2013, which has made it their mission to restore food security and lives in Orange County through their community feeding program. They partner with local nonprofit charity organizations, businesses, volunteers, and employees to feed underprivileged Orange County families in need. 

In 2020, one of the only video productions that Emblem MP agreed to work on was a food drive organized by Bracken’s Kitchen and Brewery X. This was a COVID-19 safe, free drive-thru event in Anaheim, aimed at feeding restaurant and hospitality workers in Orange County who had been unemployed due to the pandemic. It was so successful, they organized a second food drive later in the month in Dana Point. Any leftover food was quickly preserved and utilized by Bracken’s Kitchen to deliver hot meals to several local organizations. In the year 2020, they reported having provided over 1.5 million meals to Orange County residents. 

On their website, Bracken’s Kitchen reports that there are over 400,000 people struggling from hunger in Orange County, and 1 in 5 children are at risk of hunger every month. Another shocking stat reported on their website is 28,000 homeless children in Orange County. 

The organization’s impact on its community is monumental. We are excited to continue to support them in their mission and document their continued impact on the residents of Orange County!

Small Business Spotlight: Dressember™ Foundation

Emblem Media Productions | January 7, 2022

The first feature in our Small Business Spotlight series is one close to our heart. The Dressember Foundation is a non-profit based out of Orange County, that helps raise awareness and funds for anti-human trafficking efforts around the world. Although our Founder, Blaire Wayland, has participated in the Dressember style challenge for several years, Emblem Media Productions had a chance to tell their story last year in the Dressember Documentary.  

We sat down and spoke with Blythe Hill – CEO and Founder of the Dressember Foundation. Hill told us the story of how she became involved in the anti-trafficking movement, and how wearing a dress became synonymous with the freedom and dignity of survivors of trafficking. 

Hill first came to know of the horrors of human trafficking in 2005 when reading an article that described children being bought, sold, and transported across international lines to be sexually assaulted by paying “customers”. Hill recalls, “I had never heard about human trafficking before, and I was physically sick.” Having a personal connection to the issue of Child Sexual Assault, a fire was immediately ignited. 

Hill was so determined, she says, “I thought I would have to quit my job, change careers, and move to India to have the impact that I wanted to have.” 

“My skills didn’t line up with contributing and engaging in the fight in a significant way”, says Hill. “I’m someone who’s interested in fashion, trend analysis, writing, and puns.”  As time went on, Hill became discouraged in her ability to join this fight. 

“I was getting my Master’s degree [in English] and just had, like, no free time, no social life, and needed a creative outlet,” says Hill. “I decided to create a style challenge where I would wear dresses every day for the month of December, and I called it Dressember!” 

Hill first did the style challenge by herself – after all, it was just for personal expression. However, the next year she was approached by friends who wanted to participate with her. Then the following year, even more women were interested in participating. Of this exponential growth, Hill says, “I began to realize that maybe these people weren’t just humoring me – that maybe, this was a good idea.”

A friend encouraged Hill to align the Dressember style challenge with a cause – to create an annual fundraiser. “I realized that this could totally flop, and I could look really stupid”, recalls Hill. “But I thought, If I can help even one person, then it’s worth looking like a fool to the entire world. 

So in 2009, which was year 5 of the style challenge, Dressember aligned with International Justice Mission – the number one leading anti-trafficking organization in the world. Hill set a goal of $25,000 for the first-ever Dressember fundraiser. “It was a huge, scary goal,” says Hill. To her amazement, the fundraiser met her goal – on the first day of the campaign. As of 2021, the Dressember annual fundraiser has raised over $15,000,000 to directly support victims and survivors of trafficking worldwide. 

The story of the Dressember Foundation is not only inspiring but has made a direct impact on the community. The Orange County Human Trafficking Task Force reported that even with the pandemic, human trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation continued as traffickers and exploiters took advantage of the vulnerabilities of victims. The Orange County Child Abuse Registry experienced an increase in calls for Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC) that identified more Orange County youth compared to previous years along with information from law enforcement. It was also reported that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, much of the work helping victims navigate the criminal justice system process was significantly slowed as investigations and the court system were unable to move at the same levels as before the pandemic. 

The Dressember Foundation focuses on prevention, intervention, and survivor empowerment. This includes identifying at-risk youth and providing early intervention and education to significantly reduce the risk of youth being targeted by traffickers. They also focus on creating safe, culturally-sensitive exit pathways for those trapped in exploitation. Perhaps most importantly, Dressember provides and funds long-term support and rehabilitation for survivors of trafficking, to ensure they do not fall back into exploitation. This means directly supporting survivors through safe housing, legal support, education, and career opportunities. The goal is always to help survivors embrace the life they deserve – one of freedom and dignity. These funds and support methods reach worldwide, fighting human trafficking not just in the US, but in the Philippines, Uganda, India, Thailand, and many other countries. Though most in-person Dressember events are in the Orange County area, there are Dressember advocates from all over the world. Emblem Media Productions is honored to support and uplift this amazing organization. 

Happy New Year!

Emblem Media Productions | January 4, 2022

Happy 2022 from all of us here at Emblem Media Productions! With 2021 behind us, we look forward to beginning the next decade of storytelling. 

Last year, Emblem marked its 10th anniversary as a production company. While this is a huge milestone, COVID-19 restrictions over the last two years have kept us away from many of our favorite small businesses. Emblem began first and foremost to showcase the impactful stories of our community, and the pandemic has distanced us from that community the same as all of you. 

To keep these stories alive, relevant, and documented during a time where it is largely difficult to maintain scheduled video productions, the Emblem MP Blog will be beginning a new Small Business Spotlight series! Many of these organizations and businesses will be familiar faces if you are an Orange County local. Do you know someone with a story worth sharing? An organization doing good in your community, or maybe a small business with a rich history? We’d LOVE to hear about them. Email info@emblemmp.com with your recommendations.