It’s a common occurrence. Photographers go through an internal debate whether or not to shoot something depending on the likelihood it will make it in the final product. Today, I’m sad because my mind defeated my heart.

T60 produced a pair of videos for the Lincoln Park Zoo this past summer. On one particular day, I spent two hours in the Lion House to capture a time-lapse video. That’s the day I met Marta.

Marta was the zoo’s black leopard. She passed away this week after far exceeding her life expectancy, and she was simply my favorite animal at LPZ.

Hermione the cat

It’s no wonder I took to her. I live with a mini-Marta, my frequent T60 editing companion, Hermione. They were two black cats who love playing in boxes.

Now, Hermione is a house cat and Marta was a leopard, so their color and love of boxes is where the comparison ends. It’s never good to equate a wild animal to a domestic one, but it was hard to look at Marta playing in her box and not think of my cat at home.

Anyway, I was sitting next to Marta’s cage for two hours during this time-lapse shoot and eventually I wondered, should I get some video of her too? We already had shots of lions and tigers which were a sure thing to make it into the videos. I knew in my head that video of another big cat would simply be destined for the cutting room floor, so I decided not to hit the record button.

Marta the black cat

Boy, do I regret that decision. I would have loved to show you some video today of Marta hanging out in her box, but I don’t have any and it makes me sick. The best I can do is show the cell phone photo I snapped that day.

Next time my heart and mind are battling it out during a shoot, I’m going to let my heart win for a change.  That’ll be for Marta.

–Tony Gnau

eMarketer reports a new study by BIA/Kelsey and ConStat shows that 97% percent of U.S. internet users clicked on web media to find LOCAL products or services in the first quarter of 2010. Search engines, social media… both are in the mix.

Reward those web surfers with a nice video.  You have a chance to literally show them what your company is all about.

Make your first impression a good one.

–Tony Gnau

I blog a lot about the power of video and what it can do for a company or organization, but don’t take my word for it… follow the money.

Glenwood School for Boys and Girls gets kids out of bad learning environments and puts them on a path to a better life. Every year school leaders host a fund-raiser luncheon, and they like to include a video during the program.

In 2009, T60 was brought in and asked to take raw video shot in the past to create a new video, but this year they gave us a couple of ideas and simply let us run with it.

So how did it work for them? This year’s fund-raiser exceeded last year’s by $100,000. That’s in a down economy folks.

It prompted an email from their marketing and special events director, and she cleared me to share it with you.

“Everyone LOVED the video,” said Crystal Phillips. “There were some tears. It made my mother cry. Excellent job. I can’t wait to post it (online) so even more people can see it.”

Sure, I’m tooting our own horn a bit, but really it’s a tribute to the school’s leadership. They invested in video, and it paid off… BIGTIME!

–Tony Gnau

While experts report the recession is over, many companies are still suffering. That’s why marketing tools like online videos are becoming increasingly important.

They are absolutely one of the best ways to promote a product or service. There are plenty of production companies that can create videos on a tight budget, or businesses can can look for in-house solutions if they currently can’t afford a pro.

As long as your company is marketing over the web and developing a social media strategy, video is now one of the easiest, cheapest, and best ways to get in front of consumers.

–Tony Gnau

American Express OPEN is going to start “airing” webisodes its calling, Project RE:brand. The series will document how the company is helping a few businesses with branding expertise.

T60 does not work for or endorse AmEx, but we can offer a free branding tip… no credit required. Have webisodes produced like the ones AmEx will be showing. The preview looks great.

WATCH VIDEO PREVIEW: Project RE:brand

–Tony Gnau

You could get away without it a few years ago, but that’s not the case anymore. Video, especially online video, is becoming an essential part of any business marketing plan, and a new study proves it.

The website emarketer.com reports some of the biggest jumps being made by companies promoting themselves on the web are through the inclusion of rich media content.  Translation… they’re using video.

According to the latest study, 34% of companies that branded themselves online in 2009 were using rich media.  In 2010, it shot up to 84%.

That means if you are branding your company online and you’re not using video, then you’re in the minority and you might want to reevaluate your marketing strategy.

–Tony Gnau

One of the great things about video is it allows you to shape a first impression, and that can be done in more ways than one. Sure, you can craft your message, but don’t overlook the obvious.

I received a reminder on this over the weekend during a video shoot for DuPage Habitat for Humanity. We were all set to capture one of the group’s builds for a promotional video we’re producing when it started to rain… big time! Now, we could have still made the situation work, but why?

There isn’t a tight deadline here, better to come back and shoot on a nice day. It’s more representative of what most builds are like, and it’ll put the organization in a better light… literally.

Squeezing in another shoot to offset an unexpected hurdle might be a challenge for you, but it’ll make for a better video in the long run.

–Tony Gnau

I’m here writing about the power of video all the time, but hey, I’m in the biz. I love producing videos. You might think I’m just pushing my industry… not the case.

Video is becoming increasingly important for businesses and turning non-believers into believers. Gini Dietrich is a digital marketing expert. I read her blog all the time and today she’s the one writing about the power of video.

Whether you produce it yourself or turn to a professional, video is no longer a luxury… it’s an essential marketing tool.

–Tony Gnau

One of my wife’s friends recently posted a note on her Facebook wall asking if anyone had ever used an aviation child restraint while flying with their kids. She also included a link to the product’s website and guess what you find after clicking… a product video.

It’s the perfect example of why businesses should post videos, especially if they have a unique product. In this case, the video itself is pretty lame and could have been better, but that’s not the point. The website doesn’t “sell” this product, but the video sure does.

Now, my wife’s friend has 185 Facebook friends. How many of those do you think watched the video after seeing her post? How many of them went on to share it with their Facebook friends who have kids? Do you see where this is going?

I think that company just made some sales.

–Tony Gnau

One of the reasons video has become an essential business marketing tool is because of its accessibility. It isn’t just for television anymore. As a matter of fact, you can even find video in your pocket.

The experts at emarketer.com report the number of people watching videos on mobile devices is set to double in the next two years. That would mean more than 45-million people watching video on their phones, iPads, you name it.

That’s millions of potential customers with your video in their pocket… right next to their money.

–Tony Gnau