Fox Films Uses Ron Pivovar Music

When Ron Pivovar saw “Fox Films” on his caller ID, he let the phone ring for a bit. “Are they selling a boxed DVD set” he wondered?  At the last minute, he decided to answer the call and he found that it was nearly the opposite.ron-playing

The company had found one of Ron’s songs on CD Baby  and was interested.  They were considering using “Keith’s Tune” from his “Yike’s! More Polkas and Waltzes from Otter Creek” album for a movie.

I apparently made a face; because he said, “Yeah, I didn’t remember the song either”.

I have mixed and mastered Ron’s last nine albums, but Ron does all of the recording at home. He brings the edited, raw tracks from his hard drive to the studio.  Ron is an accomplished button box accordion player and songwriter.  He also is the impetus behind the National Button Box Accordion Festival.

So, in a back yard barbeque scene from “Keeping Up with The Joneses” , a song from an album released in 2013, found its way.

Music Soundtracks

There are many aspects of my job that are rewarding, but one of my favorite things is music for video.  Sometimes its a production for one of my clients and sometimes its for-hire from a third party.  The example I use for this article was done for the highly regarded firm, Cinemanix (Ohio and North Carolina).  SHOOTERSFINALThis group (led by Director/DP, Maz Mawlawi) is a talented and experienced film and graphics company.  Their client for this project was Home Savings and Loan, Youngstown, OH.

Soundtracks are a very subjective thing.  It’s important to consider the message the client wants to convey, and one would obviously want to know if they have a preferred musical style.  Regardless, there are a few things that I feel are necessary to consider when producing music for video.

  1. Combine (if possible) actual instruments with keyboard/electronic versions of them.  This is especially true with violins and strings.
  2. Despite the lure to use keyboard versions of percussion and drums, use real versions of them whenever possible.  The slight imperfections in timing and tone give the music an organic feel.BOARDFINAL
  3. When writing the music, try to use partial chords and incomplete scales during the body of the piece.  This allows for more interpretation and less leading-the-message from the music.
  4. Include one or more major tones of the scale when tagging the music or ending the video.  The message becomes clearer and more important as a result.
  5. If the customer can give at least one example of music they like, it can save a step or two.

In this video, the shots from the studio are followed by the rough video.  The link to the final broadcast version is below the embedded video.

The final video as broadcast is here: 

 

 

Video the CEO

RMARTINRegular, personal messages from a company’s top executive aren’t just more popular, they’ve become imperative.  Unflattering media portrayals of CEO’s are commonplace and these short, informal videos can go a long way toward improving executive image.

Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to do many video interviews with CEO’s.  Whether you’re producing a short message from your own small company’s president, or an interview with the skipper of a Fortune 500 company, here are some suggestions.

People who run corporations are usually very smart. They’ve made careers out of breaking down complex, gray-area issues into elementary components.  Decisions are made in an almost binary way.  They rarely like surprises, and usually rely heavily on their administrative assistant (AA).

Briefing the AA:

  1. Treat the assistant as you would a VP or divisional president.  Be warm, cordial, and extremely professional.  If they tell their boss that you seemed like a jerk, you will have a bad day.
  2. Provide a clear, one-page briefing regarding the purpose of the shoot well in advance.  Bulletize and generalize the message unless the delivery requires a recited script (then be very clear whether it will be memorized or prompted).
  3. Confirm details with the assistant five business days in advance.  While the CEO may know the event is calendared, they probably haven’t read the briefing sheet.  Tell the AA that you are available at any time if there are questions.
  4. Discuss, conceptually, your desired locations and let them know what time you’ll arrive for load-in and set-up.
  5. Provide the names of your crew to ensure that building security is ready for you and your equipment.  Even so, arrive early in case the security team decides to do visual inspections.
  6. Will they need to see the final version before it’s public?  Some companies insist on it.

A few years ago I did a two-camera, three-person-crew shoot with the CEO at a top-ten Fortune 500 company.JBOUCHARD  We arrived well in advance to set up in the office while a meeting finished on another floor.  As we completed the set-up, two of us sat down and rehashed the objectives of the shoot.  When I looked up, I realized that the third person (a recent college film graduate) was sitting in the CEO’s chair playing with the puzzles and knick-knacks at the desk.  I could only muster two words, “What?” and “No!”  Had the executive walked in at that moment, we correctly should have been marched up one flight of stairs to the roof and thrown off.

The Crew: 

  1. Don’t have one.  Unless you absolutely have to have a two camera shoot, do it yourself.  Today’s technology allows you to trim your kit so that you can carry all of the equipment in one trip.  Be efficient.
  2. Dress appropriately.  Khaki’s with a logo-embroidered golf shirt is an absolute minimum.  A suit may be overkill, but you must at least consider it.  The valet staff at the country club probably wears khaki’s and embroidered golf shirts.
  3. Meet for coffee and brief the crew ahead of time.  They shouldn’t sit at the CEO’s desk, for example.  Dear God, what is wrong with me?!

The best thing about getting to know CEO’s is that they are almost always awe-inspiring people.  While their job requires decorum, they are generally wonderfully passionate, and quick witted individuals.  In spite (or because) of this, they fall roughly into two categories as it relates to filming;  those RHARSHMANwith experience and confidence in their media chops and those that detest it.  You are as likely to find a nervous subject as you would with any other shoot.  While you may not think this is unusual, the CEO does.  Entire companies shrink in their presence, but that stupid camera changes them into a seven year old being bullied by a fifth grader.  This is not business as usual for them or you.

The Subject:

  1. All CEO’s have some media experience.  You will have no way of knowing whether it has been pleasant or not.
  2. Be prepared to take them off-topic if needed.  Chat about something they might be comfortable discussing.  A corporate acquisition, recent press coverage, future industry directions, or their daughter’s wedding.  Meaningful prior research is imperative.
  3. The tricky part is understanding that you are in the presence of the boss.  Giving direction is what you usually do.  They are not used to it.  Don’t apologize, but be apologetic.
  4. Be prepared for a “one and done” take.  Don’t ever assume you can take a mulligan.  I had a CEO  do one take and then look me straight in the eye and ask “Are we done?”.  Which, in this case, meant that we were.
  5. Make them look presidential.  Set up that kicker or extra hard light to give them some separation from the practicals.  Don’t forget your gels.  Corporate offices are notoriously surrounded by giant windows.  You will have mixed lighting.
  6. If they are comfortable, I sometimes ask for a second take with the camera/shot at a different position allowing cuts if necessary.

Executives are my favorite subjects, and it has nothing to do with video.  There tends to be more laughter and meaningful conversation than I have in the rest of my day.  Have fun!

Recording Vocals for Music

MACYAlthough I have over twenty years of recording experience, I don’t present myself here as an expert.  I simply offer tricks that have worked for me over time.

Almost all of the home-studio savvy musicians that end up at Mud-Hut have one of two issues; drums or vocals.  I’ve previously given my opinions on recording drums.  So what is it that makes vocals so troublesome?  Most of my clients describe two problems.

  1. Fluctuations in volume.  The vocalist is too loud in some passages and too soft in others.
  2. The inability of the final performance to “sit in the mix”.  Even with volume issues corrected, the vocal track is either underneath or on-top of the music.

Volume Fluctuations:

Let’s assume that the vocalist has some respect for the microphone as an instrument.  Screaming into a very sensitive, condenser mic presents the opposite issues that standing back from a durable, dynamic stage mic can.  Let’s also assume that the signal chain (microphone into pre-amp into computer interface) isn’t out of whack and there seems to be plenty of headroom with no distortion.  These are heavy assumptions, but if you don’t have at least this much…then inconsistent volume and mix placement are not yet your worries.

  • RVOXIt’s all about compression.  I compress vocals on the way IN to the converter, but it’s not necessary.  You will, however, absolutely have to compress/limit recorded vocals with a plug-in as an insert.  There are many available.  I use Waves R-Vox and squash the signal as much as required.
  • I tend to lightly use an Optical Compressor on the Vocal Group (ie. all vocals).  I utilize the UAD LA2A for this.  Compressors are not used here as special effects… If you can hear processing, you’ve overused them.  Listen for the corrections they’ve produced.

    LA2A

    Vocal Opto-Compressor

Mixing Issues:

All microphones have distinctive frequency signatures as do all singers.  Matching mics and vocalists is an art that implies patience and a large microphone collection.  If you have a microphone locker, then why are you reading this?  Forget about it…

  • It’s all about the EQ.  Take a wide-ish band around 1 kHz and cut it moderately/aggressively.  You should notice that the vocals begin to sit.  Don’t hesitate to use a light, short, understated reverb as an assistant.

    EQ

    Vocal EQ

  • Since this EQ cut can reveal and over-emphasize high frequencies, you’ll need to use a De-esser plug-in as an insert to catch the sibilance (S’s) so the high-end doesn’t get away from you.

    DS

    De-Essor

  • It will also potentially give you a problem with the low-ish end, and you may have to address a frequency like 250 Hz and cut it slightly to return the voice to a natural sound.  Use your ears and don’t be overly aggressive.  Slight EQ is usually enough.

 

  • Some vocalists tighten their vocal cords when they strain and this can create a most unflattering tone (around 2.75 kHz?).  It will sound inconsistent and edgy.  You may have to pursue another plug-in.  In this case, I use a multi-band compressor.  Yes, this is a combination EQ and compressor.  It compresses (controls) only the frequencies you tell it to.  Set it to grab generally only the frequencies of the passages that irritate you.

    C4

    Multi-Band Compressor

 

These tools are like any instrument.  If you aren’t playing it… you’re playing with it.  Practice is the only teacher.

 

 

Mining Content

HARD HAT

Content Mining

It’s like a gold rush initially.  Everywhere you turn there’s a yet-unpublished nugget in full view to pick up and post.  Eventually though, you’re going to have to dig.  And just like mining, you’ll need structure.  By the way, social media platforms are simply the vehicles that bring materials out of the mine.  What content will you put in these vehicles and why?  Separating substance from slag is key; if you don’t do it, your readers will.  That… won’t last long.

There is a method to finding, producing and distributing content about your company.

Don’t let your posts turn into the company newsletter.  Nobody wants to hear about the new computers in the engineering department.  We want to know what you’re going to do with them.  We want to hear about the new alloy that you’ve considered using for a part that you might make.  It doesn’t matter whether you use it or not.  It doesn’t even matter if you win the contract for said part…  The information is shiny and it’s in demand.

We can help.  Call (or click) before you dig.

 

Can You Afford Paper?

LITTLE KIDThere was a time in our history when paper was too expensive for the average writer.  Paints and canvas were an indulgance for the rich; materials were simply too costly.  It’s crazy to think that these items were for the elite, not the everyday artist.

Prior to the 1990’s, the equipment used in recording studios was so expensive that musicians were paying more than $100/hour to get the use of a facility that owned some of it.  In fact, time was so expensive in the early days that only well capitalized record companies could afford to rent the studios for the musicians.  The rate included the studio engineer who, by the way, most likely had a college degree in electrical engineering.

Video equipment followed the same plot line.  Before the early 2000’s, Only TV stations and high-end independents with rates to match could afford the equipment necessary to produce professional looking videos.

Today, with a credit card and stops at a big box electronics retailer and a music store, you can take home enough equipment to do both jobs.  Hey, pick up some paint and paper and you can be a writer and an artist too!  I’m being facetious.  The point is this; if you think that media communication is important enough to do it regularly, than you need to consider doing it yourself.

Ian Kanski from IMR Digital and I have discussed this many times.  He believes that once technology can be placed directly into the hands of creative people, everything changes.  The story teller, the artist, and the musician need no go-between.  Once they understand the tools, they can begin presenting their vision.

Sometimes technology learning curves require patience and practice.  Just because we can go buy a Fender Stratocaster at any music store doesn’t mean we’ll be Jimi Hendrix.  So before we set up media production in that empty bedroom/cubicle by HR, there are a few questions that I usually ask my clients;

  1. Do you have a creative person on your staff that would be interested in this type of role part time?  Maybe they have media experience.  Maybe they think it would be fun.
  2. Do you have a digital media strategy that includes the need for professional final products?  Hey, smart phones do a great job of taking pictures and capturing video.  Audio is another story, but if short, regular FB posts are your objective, then good audio may not be necessary.
  3.  Is there a way that Mud-Hut Studios can help you set up your studio cube, train personnel, or even provide on-site production/examples for you?  I am happy to work myself out of a job… I’m used to it!

Digital Dog Years

The processor in the IPhone 4s is 100 times more powerful than the Intel 8088 CPU in the original IBM PC.

Yawn…  Well of course it is.  We’re old farm hands at technology change and that farm’s been bringin’ in a personal computing crop for 30 years.  I get it.

The reason we should stop right where we stand in the middle of the field during harvest time is this:  When was the last time you burst through the front door with a new piece of technology and exclaimed, “It’s twice as fast as my old machine, and only cost half as much!”  Has it been two years?  Five years?  More?  We don’t BEAUTIFUL NESSIE FINALtalk about hardware technology advancement any more.  We talk about applications.  We’re concerned about what we DO with our new toys.  This represents a MAJOR shift in focus.  Think about what first time users (aren’t many around any more) say when they show you their new smart phone…  “I can do email, Facebook, Twitter, text, watch video, TAKE video, scan bar codes, get recipes, Skype, and… I can even make phone calls.”

We don’t mention “the Internet” anymore.  We can do ANYTHING we want to with music.  Well… you get the picture (and don’t forget to take that picture and share it with your phone).  Our lives are now broken down into to two categories…Things that CAN be done on our smart phone, and things that CANNOT be done on our smart phone.

Here’s the thing.  The introduction of the original IPhone (which arguably ushered in this era) was a minute ago in 2007.  What makes this so important is that it’s more than good ol’ advancing technology; we are witnessing CULTURAL change.  The way in which we consume information has changed.  Has your business kept pace?

Media for Non-Profit Organizations

Traditionally Non-Profit organizations produced media (video) for one-time events like galas, fundraisers, TV campaigns, or other  similar situations.  These “movies” were expensive,  Video firms set up booths at Non-Con (I just made that up) and quoted some pretty hefty five figure numbers.  There was an entire sub-industry of production companies that traveled around making these films.   Unfortunately, the productions generally didn’t have an ROI that made them popular.  They were often shown only at a single event or a few other fundraising meetings.  The last time most Non-Profit organizations updated their media was when the director said, “Our VHS machine broke, so we need a new video on DVD”.  Whether the organization sent home a VHS or DVD is irrelevant, the only machine it probably saw was the crusher inside of a garbage truck.

Ironically, the stories of hope that these agencies can tell are boundless.  I simply can’t think of another industry that offers so many opportunities to document improvements in people’s lives.

Here are a few thoughts…

  1. Predictable funding to Non-Profits is dangerously low.
  2. The need for alternative capital sources is undeniable.
  3. The complexity and needs of clients are at an all time high.
  4. Delivery Platforms are abundant and free.

It’s never been more important for Non-Profits to market themselves and it’s never been cheaper.  The Non-Profit agencies should be producing regular content for two very important reasons.

  1. It validates their importance in the community.
  2. It offers evidence to the ever-more-important independent revenue source, that funding this organization offers more benefit (See?  We even document our impact).

Whenever I present these concepts to my clients, I say, “Don’t run back to the office and put social media on the agenda for the staff meeting next week.  Put it on the agenda and never take it off.”  At a minimum, do short web-cam updates once a month…or simple depictions of industry statistics.

 

 

 

Developing a Marketing Script

HARD HAT

Mining Content

Mud-Hut Studios is often called upon to help describe an organization’s competitive advantage (See our other articles about Content Mining).  Script writing is important, but delivering the message in an accessible manner is often challenging.  Over the years, I’ve come to utilize the following concepts 

Begin by listing one or two features of your product(s) that sets you apart from your competition.  Define what advantage(s) the audience should see as a result.  Ex.  “Our product’s simple design makes your busy day less complicated

If you feel that your organization has special advantages for your customers, list these as well.  Many companies have large and diverse product lines.  Features like “manufacturing quality” apply to the entire catalog.  Maybe your company’s organization and structure translates into better customer service for your clients.

These cross product advantages are called distinctive competence and should probably be broken into their own chapter(s).

The entire script is written around these feature/advantage points.  Of course, you may feel that your product(s) have many strong suits, but your target audience will appreciate your brevity.  Break your script outline into chapters like the following.

Concepts for the Introduction

Who is the spokesperson, and why are they qualified to speak?

Acknowledge your audience and thank them for taking the time to listen.

Who are you and what do you produce?

What are you planning to present to the audience?

Body

Our product features and advantages are…

Our company’s distinctive competence is…

Keep the information simple, and clear.  Could graphics help?  Could a customer testimonial help?  How about photos or other visuals?

Closing

What has the client learned today?

What can they do to take immediate advantage of your offerings?

Other

Consider maintaining consistent branding throughout the campaign.

Some companies like to keep their logo or a message in the lower third.

Intro and/or outro graphics or slogan splash can be used as book ends to your message.

Rather than a long production, do three or four short messages, put them on YouTube and link them to another platform like Facebook or your website.

By the way, it is my experience that asking subjects to recite a script is often counter productive.  It sounds too rehearsed and comes off as forced.  Let your speakers ad lib the high points of an outline.  The more natural the read seems; the more honesty it portrays.

Check out examples of our work on our YouTube Channel.