Q:
What kind of services do you offer?
A.
Second Sight has the capabilities for VHS duplication,
video transfer to DVD, video to CD-ROM, and PAL/SEACAM (European
VHS) transfer to NTSC (North American VHS).
We
also offer production for photo and video montages. These
are special video memories, perfect to show at anniversay parties,
birthday parties, weddings, or other special events. We take
your photos and add music and motion to create a beautiful story.
Jim
Davidson of Second Sight provides beautiful coverage
of weddings and special events. Don't let your special
day pass by without a video to remember it by! See the wedding
and event page for more information.
Second
Sight also can do editing work on a completed or
partly completed video that requires only minor tweaking to
be finished. See the video
editing page for more information on our editing services.
Please
give us a call for more information on any of our services:
(925) 935-1200
FAQ
for Promotional Video or Commercial Production
Q. Why
do I need to produce a commercial or video anyway?
A. Video
is an extremely effective way of communicating a message because
you can show your audience an image instead of just describing
it. It is effective for selling products or services, training
of employees, or as a public relations tool. Moreover, everyone
loves to watch TV, so it is something your target audience will
want to view.
Q. Who
should consider producing a commercial or video?
A. People
with unique products or services that are better being shown
than described. Anyone looking to gain an advantage on their
competition. Employers who need to train their personnel, particularly
if the concepts are abstract or visual. Companies looking to
upgrade their image or improve their work force morale. Large
companies with satellite offices who need to disseminate information
quickly and effectively.You don't have to be a creative genius.
The main pre-requisite is that you have a need to communicate
your message. This will lead to the creation of a primary theme
around which the concept of the video can be developed. We at
Second Sight Video can help you match your theme to visual images
in your video.
Q. Isn't
video production expensive? I don't think I can afford it.
A. This
used to be true, but times have changed. In the old days (the
1980's) if you wanted to produce a video, you had to go to a
big commercial production house and sacrifice your yearly marketing
budget producing one 10 minute video. With the advent of computer
based, 'non-linear' editing, you can now affordable produce
a video that features animation, graphics and special effects
so that it looks like it was done at one of the expensive places.
Our hourly editing rate, including an experienced editor to
work with you, is only $80.00 per hour. As a result, simple
projects can often be completed for only a few hundred dollars,
just a fraction of what it used to cost.
Q. What
is 'non-linear' editing?
A. Traditional
video editing was done from machine to machine, and was known
as 'linear' editing, because the editing began at the beginning
of a tape and progressed through the program in a linear manner.
The problems was that once you finished the editing, it was
often difficult to go back to the beginning of the program and
change the editing without destroying all the subsequent work
you had done. Many videos are now being edited on computer based,
or 'non-linear' editing systems. First, all the video that is
to be edited is transferred to the computer's hard drives (or
'digitized', since the video must be digital to be edited on
computer). The editing is then accomplished by pulling all the
elements together (video footage, titles and graphics, audio,
effects) into a project timeline to complete the editing.
Q. What
is the advantage of 'non-linear' video editing?
A. Because
all the elements are in a project storyboard, substantial changes
can be made to the editing without the problems associated with
'linear' based systems. Also, adding special effects to video
is now accomplished with ease. New storage systems also allow
projects to be saved indefinitely, which makes re-editing later
much easier.
Q. How
will my commercial or promotional video be distributed?
A. Commercials
and informercials air on television. We can advise you on cost-effective
ways to buy media time and get your commercial spot on broadcast.You
can distribute your video on tape in the following ways: 1)
Direct mailing to prospects targeted as part of an overall marketing
campaign (new lightweight cassette housing allows tapes to be
mailed at a cost comparable to printed materials) 2) Offered
to customers in response to a print ad by calling a toll free
number (we will do this later in this newsletter, if you would
like to see an example of this) 3) Show the video at a trade
show or retail locations on a 'loop tape' (a tape that repeats
the sequence over and over until the end of the tape) 4) Of
course, if you have a captive audience you can simply play the
tape for them (on a big screen TV if it is a large group).
Q. Producing
a quality video will take months, if not years. By the time
we're done, won't the information be out of date?
A. Video,
as opposed to film and other mediums, is actually noted for
its immediacy, since there is no lab process involved in developing
the finished product. The video is shot and, in many cases,
is available for immediate review. Although it varies from project
to project, editing can usually be accomplished in days, not
months. And when the information does go out of date, the computer
based editing system we use generally allows us to update your
video simply and easily.
.
. . . .