Recent Loud Life Work
Highlighting the importance of working with a local company and community partner, Loud Life Productions recently created a commercial for Joseph Motors. It was important not only to emphasize some of our trusted “car guys”, but also to help the viewer relate to everyday people and the way that Joseph Motors plays a role in helping them cruise through life- literally! If you’re local to Lakeland, you’ve probably seen the Joseph Motors logo on the back of many cars around town, and this is because they’ve been in Lakeland for decades. They’ve built a lasting reputation of being hard workers, trusted advisors, and all-around good people.
Your First Goal in Every Video
You’ve finally done it. You saved up the money, you hired a production company, and you’re writing the script. You are making a commercial. Do you know what your goals are? I mean, sure… you want to sell your products or services. The question is: do you have goals specific to the project you’re currently creating?
Think about this for a moment. You can spend thousands of dollars, work with the best in the business, and have a commercial that you think is second to none. But if your viewers don’t watch the entire video, then what is the point? It doesn’t matter if you sell cars, sandwiches, or photography. Your goal must still be for the viewer to watch the video all the way to the end. So, how do you do it? Here are some tips:
- Open Big – A 2015 study showed that the average attention span is around 8.25 seconds. That means you’ve got about 8 seconds to hook the person watching your video! Most people stop watching a video at around the 2% mark. It’s vitally important that you open with something to capture their attention. Instead of just talking about yourself, quickly communicate how you plan to help the viewer!
- Stick to the Truth – Sure, a compelling bit of clickbait is great for getting someone to your website, but those people aren’t going to stick around and hear your message if you got their attention in a way that was more about hype than fact.
- You Do You, Boo – Originality is key. Find a way to be unique and stand out from the competition. While it may be easy to reuse a concept you’ve seen before, this can cause you to blend in too much, which means you won’t be noticed. When someone chooses to watch your video, they are giving you their time and attention. Reward their sacrifice, and give them something they’ll enjoy and follow to the last second.
In the Community: ¡Come!
You probably already know this, but Lakeland is home to some incredible filmmakers! We are super stoked about an upcoming short film from Matt Herbertz, the Program Director and Assistant Professor of Film at Florida Southern College. The project, ¡Come!, started as a final screenplay assignment from one of his students, Puerto Rican American Pamela Rodriquez. Set in Florida, a 12 year old Puerto Rican girl’s perspective changes when she brings a popular dessert dish, Arroz con Leche, to a Thanksgiving event at her school and no one eats it.
“I saw the potential in the script as a story that needed to be told and found capital outside of the college as well as some internal grants to help fund and bring in industry professionals from Austin, Texas and the Area,” says Herbertz. “Through the primary collaboration of my production company, Kiltered Productions, and Indie Atlantic Films, we moved forward in hiring Lizette Barrera, as the director for the film.”
Barrera is a two-time alumnus of the South by Southwest (SXSW) Festival, an annual conglomerate of film, interactive media, and music festivals and conferences. Her work has been featured on HBO and numerous festivals around the world. In addition to Barrera, Herbertz says that half of the cast and crew members were women and minorities, which not only aligns with the mission of his production company, but also serves to more effectively tell this important story.
This past summer, the film went into production using local elementary schools, as well as a campus house at Florida Southern College. Currently, the film is in Post-Production and awaiting finishing touches on sound design and color “as we submit to festivals around the world, including SXSW, Tribeca, Sundance, and more,” says Herbertz. “We have high hopes for this film.”
We do, too, Matthew! Join us in keeping up-to-date on the latest about ¡Come! through their Facebook page.