Public Speaking!

Learning how to become a terrific public speaker just got a lot easier. Professional speaker Ted Fattoross will be giving a 90-minute "how to" at GBP studio in Lambertville on Thursday, January 6th starting at 4 pm, and admission is FREE if you're a Network PLUS member! GBP will be videotaping this event.

After the presentation, stick around for GBP's monthly Network PLUS meeting from 6 pm - 7:30 pm. We had 40-networkers at the last meeting, and this one should do as well or better! Network PLUS Lambertville is a terrific way to network, get business, and enjoy yourself. For $15 cover, GBP provides a gourmet meal, free wine, and a pleasant atmosphere to socialize. This month's menu, prepared by Deirdre (D. owned her own restaurant called "Babette's" in Flemington at one time), includes Carbonnade Flammande (Belgian style beef stew with carrots onions and dark beer), a delicious salad, and crusty bread. The perfect meal for a cold January evening!

Here is more information about Ted's presentation:

Ted Fattoross:

ALL MY SECRETS : HOW I GOT PAID 7000+ TIMES TO SPEAK"


- learn how to speak without fear
- learn how to speak like a pro
- learn how to have people stand on line to buy from you
- learn how to get booked as a speaker
- learn how to get paid to speak

Investment in your future success :

Network PLUS Members: FREE

Non-Members:
$95.00 in advance
195.00 at the door

3 Awesome Ideas for your New York Marketing Videos

New York marketing videos are an important part of your business’s marketing plan. Both internal and consumer based videos add appeal to your company. People often respond far better to this type of marketing than they do to simple print information. You could be broadcasting to the world or just to a prospective client, business associate or investor. Regardless of how you will be using the information, it is critical that you use the right company to create the type of video that is going to impress. For that reason, turn to Green Birdie Productions.

Unique Ways To Use New York Marketing Videos

Often times, the goal is to stand out. One of the things that marketing professionals learn right away is that they need to make an impression on the person or group they are focusing on. That is not easy to do when you are using the same marketing methods that have been used for years. However, the following three ideas will help you to move in the right direction.

1. Video Briefs: One of the biggest places for growth for many businesses is online. However, you have to stand out from the rest. Do this through a video placed on your website in which the company owner or spokesperson discusses the business, what it offers and who the business is with the prospective client. This is a growing type of video production doing very well right now.
2. Event Coverage: Event coverage is yet another way that you can grow your business. With a descriptive narration summary of what occurred at the event, plus shots from the local event as well, testimonials and music, the event will come to life in front of your eyes. Consider doing this at the next trade show, for example, so that your marketing methods are front and center long after the trade show doors are closed.
3. Commercials: You know what they are and you know that they work. That is why so many businesses use them and invest millions into them each year. However, do not go with the local cable company that is going to slap together a non-professional looking commercial for you. This only does you harm.

There are many ways to bring your business front and center, but with New York marketing videos, like those used here, you get more out of the process. With these tools, you are able to get the word out. You are able to build on your company’s brand and you are able to communicate your message of who your business is and what it can offer to the consumer. These three elements are critical to helping your business to succeed.

With the right level of New York marketing videos, and using them in the proper manner, you can create some of the most impressive programs for your business’s needs. Green Birdie Productions is the ideal place to work with to create just that. Look at how easy it can be to get this process started.

How to Hire a Spokesperson for your Corporate Video

A NJ video production company can help you to get your message out. From a small company to a large company, you have a message to communicate. As the owner or the marketing director, you may not feel comfortable stepping in front of a camera and delivering that message yourself. On the other hand, you may be willing to do so but know that if it was done professionally, the results would be better. These are just a few of the reasons so many businesses turn to Green Birdie Productions for their video production needs.

Hiring a Professional NJ Video Production Company

For many reasons, it makes sense to hire a professional spokespersons to handle your video production. How do you hire one? You could scout out your own person and hope that they fit the needs that you have set in place for your video. Then, you will likely need to hire another company to handle the production of that video. That only complicates the process. Instead, you could hire a NJ video production company to handle the entire process for you. For example, Green Birdie Productions makes it a point to offer the highest quality professionals to handle your video production.

Why go this route? There are some very good reasons to do just that.

· You can use a NJ video production company to create professional commercials that feature trained professionals in the videos. The finished commercial looks professional and impressive.

· Perhaps you are having a special event and want a spokesperson to cover that event for you. A personable person is the ideal person to handle this type of transaction.

· Keep costs down. When you hire a spokesperson through the NJ video production company, you cut down on the overall cost of your video production. That makes sense for any company’s bottom line.

· It’s effective. When you consider the options available to you, you will quickly see that by hiring a video production company and a spokesperson who is familiar with working with that company, you make the process simpler for you while not jeopardizing the quality of the finished product.

· It saves you time. How much time do you have to devote to the project yourself? Would your time be best used looking for a spokesperson or applying that time to your business’s bottom line?

Keep in mind that you can use this service for many other types of video needs as well. You can use it to create a video for your website or use the video in your next company promotion, special event or even corporate event. For all of these reasons and many more, companies are turning to NJ video production company Green Birdie Productions to help them in the hiring of a professional spokesperson for their video needs. Look at the services and options available through this company. You will be impressed by the quality and the ease of using this company for all of your particular needs.

New Green Screen Studio For Hire!

Let your imagination run wild!
Green Birdie Productions threw a fantastic party to celebrate the opening of their new Green Screen Studio! The October 28th, 2010 event attracted more than 100-business owners and friends of GBP.
Our new green screen studio stage is 220 square feet, with 14 foot ceiling. It can easily accomodate a dozen people at once, and can be used by both photographers and videographers for a low hourly rate! Please contact us for details.
Clients can use their imagination to promote their businesses with our extremely flexible green screen stage. The background can be completely keyed out, allowing new images, videos or animation to work seamlessly with whatever is placed on the stage. For more information about booking our green screen studio, or booking a Green Birdie Productions video, please log onto Green Birdie Productions and click our Contact Page.
Rob Bell

Top Business Options for New York Video Productions

New York video productions are available through companies such as Green Birdie Productions. But, why exactly should you use them? For those who are ready to take their marketing or Internet presence to the next level, there may not be a better way to do this than through the use of video. Video engages the audience in a way that written word simply is unable to. Even on the web, it may be content that is king, but the video is in charge. To take your business to the next level, consider the services and tools available to you through Green Birdie Productions in their New York video productions sector.

Video Briefs

One of the options great for any company is video briefs. This service allows you to display a video message to those that visit your website or turn to your site on YouTube or Facebook. All you need to do is to communicate your message through a brief video, which can include professional video spokespersons and testimonials. The key here is that the message provides information about your business, including information about your business's products or services, business philosophy or even your business's overall message.

Commercials

Commercials still play a role in today's marketing campaign of any business, either locally or nationally known. With Green Birdie Productions, the video is able to hit a specific mark. Unlike working with a local cable company through a pre designed commercial, you can create your own message and use it to help market your business's message effectively, based on what your business needs are. You get the flexibility that you need.

Video Emails

Imagine how impressed your clients will be when they open up their email and find a video email from your business. You can send these effective and relatively easy-to-use videos through email with little trouble. You can send them as often as you need to in order to keep in touch with your business. Email video is a fun campaign that allows you to customize your message in any way that works for your particular goals.

More to Consider

If you are still looking for ideas on how to use video within your business to reach your sales goals or just to bring awareness of your business to the masses, consider these options, too.

• Professional video spokespersons can do your videos for you, so that you do not feel the need to get in front of the camera yourself.

• Use 3 D animated graphics to really make your Internet website pop out. This is an easy way to get your message out there.

• Use testimonial interviews to show others what other people have to say about your products and services.

These examples of New York video productions can help to improve your business. You can improve your advertising budget by having more effective marketing methods. Green Birdie Productions can help to make that happen for you. Consider where you can use video, if you stop and think, we’re sure you can find a few areas that need a little more excitement.

How to Market with NJ Corporate Videos

NJ corporate videos are one of the most important parts of your website. You may have thought about creating a video, but chances are you don’t have any up and running just yet. Videos have become a very important part of the Internet marketing world, no matter what type of offline or online business you may have. The concept is simple. Present your business in a short video on your website, or create a longer video, called a video brief, that educates the masses about your business. The result is positive turnaround. Green Birdie Productions can help you to put together effective videos to market your business.

When to Use Them

There is no time not to use these video briefs! NJ corporate videos can play an effective role in helping you to create the type of business message you want the public to hear. The difference is similar to seeing an ad in a newspaper and seeing an ad on television. There is more interaction between you and the potential customer and the customer is more likely to pay attention to your message. Consider how others are using these services:

- Communicate about who your business is through video briefs. It is as easy as allowing the business owner to record a message that shows who is behind the business itself.

- Use video to help inform the customer about your company philosophy. This allows the customer to gain a connection with your business and with you, the business owner.

- Use your video briefs as a tool to educate others about your business's products and services. Perhaps your product or service is not cut and dry. Explain the value, benefit or usefulness of those products through video.

The key to remember is that video allows you to share your message easily and without any complicated processes. You can say what you want in the way that you want to.

How to Use NJ Corporate Videos

There are many ways that Green Birdie Productions can help you to get your message out. The company provides services such as free script writing, free embed coding to get the video on the website easily and efficiently and other services. NJ corporate videos may also incorporate professional video spokespersons to help you with the video, professional narration and 3 D animated graphics. In addition to this, all of the images are high definitional video images, so that your business looks as great as it is. Use testimonial videos. Use others to discuss your business or products. The unique aspect is that you can be as one of a kind as you would like to.

Green Birdie Productions provides your business with the resources and tools it needs to perform well in the marketplace. You need to do something to jump off the page and by using NJ corporate videos, you can accomplish just that and much more. Take some time to consult with the company to find out how a service like this could push your business to the next level.

Video Spokespersons!

Green Birdie Productions is attracting a lot of very talented on camera video spokespersons for our clients to choose from on their upcoming videos. Our next shooting date for talent presentations is scheduled for Saturday, September 25th, so if you have the skills, please contact Deirdre at 908-392.3681 to book your appointment.

People sometimes agonize when they have to make a choice between great alternatives. But when it comes to choosing a video spokesperson to represent your company, having a variety of talented people to choose from is truly a win-win. Speaking of win-win scenarios, we are now encouraging our clients to book multiple presentations with their chosen spokesperson at the same time. Not only do they get the consistency of having the same video spokesperson presenting different topics to their customers, but these videos can be released one by one over time to the public, creating a steady stream of compelling, informative video clips which can both be uploaded to social media sites online and posted to our client's websites.

Clients also save money and time by booking multiple videos at the same time with the same video spokesperson. For more information about video spokespersons and booking multiple shoots, please log onto Green Birdie Productions and click our Contact Page.

Rob Bell

President

Green Birdie Productions

Top Four Video Production Choices for Any Company

Your business needs video production. The question is, then, what type of video production should you select? How will it be used? Each business will need to take into consideration its own unique standpoint and goal with a video. For many, the underlying goal is simple: promote the business's products or services. In other cases, it may be just a video to help promote the company itself or to education others about the video. Take into consideration what you want to convey, what message is important for your business. Then, determine which of the four New Jersey video production choices most popular with businesses works best for your situation.

Book Trailers
One option to consider is the book trailer. This type of video helps to bring to life a book that may not otherwise get the attention it needs and deserves. Today's average person needs to be drawn into the video by visualizing it. A video can help to accomplish this task. If you have a book release, consider drawing in your target audience with a compelling book trailer video.

TV Broadcast
Another way to get your message out is in perhaps the most easily recognizable way: the commercial. A commercial can provide a business with 30 seconds of time to educate the world about the business, its products or services and its marketing message. It may not seem like a lot of time, but that 30 second commercial can captivate your target audience enough to make them clients. With a quality video, you can increase sales and awareness while building your company's brand.

Corporate
Corporate video production is just as important as a traditional television commercial. These educate your employees and prospective clients, business partners and other interested third parties. They can be simple videos of presentations your company has put in place or multi camera shoots of special events. You determine what you need, and how you would like to communicate your message.

Online Videos
Consider the importance of using online videos. These go on your business's website and they convey an important amount of information to your website visitors. Websites that have videos on them see a statistical increase up to 40 percent on requests for more information. For any size business, that is a substantial amount of new interest! Online videos draw in new customers. They can also be posted to free online social media sites like Youtube and Facebook, creating more links that point to your website and drawing in online customers. Even if your market is not online based, today's consumer heads online to learn more about a company or a business long before making a decision to work with the company.

New Jersey Video production is an important part of any business's marketing and branding campaign. With a well-constructed video, a message can easily be conveyed from the business to the consumer, the potential business partner or to others interested in the company. Without a video, your business could be lacking the informational element it needs to move forward. Focus on video production as well as what it could offer to your business. Select a company that can deliver the type of video you need.

When and How to Create a Quality Video Production for Your Business

Have you thought about using New Jersey video production as part of your business marketing or branding program? If not, you may be falling behind. In today's visual world, businesses get bigger and better responses by creating interesting videos for viewers. Whether these viewers are customers or clients, the goal is to present the company in a video to help show who the company is, what it offers and why it is important. The results of using online video are staggeringly positive. It should be something you focus on as well.

When to Create a Video Production for Your Business

Do you really need to consider video production for your business? The answer is yes. When should you do this? That answer is now. The fact is that videos are influencing the way that people make decisions. For example, a video on a business's website can help to generate more than 20 percent more inbound sales calls than those websites without a video. Another statistic is that viewer response increases up to 50 percent when the business uses a video!

There are many reasons why you should invest in video production right now. Statistics show that 16 percent of viewers purchase something after viewing a video. Moreover, 28 percent of those who view a video come back to look for additional information. In the business world, these are high statistics for improved bottom line. For those businesses that are unsure if now is the right time to invest, consider adding these types of numbers to your bottom line.

A low cost New Jersey video production for your business can be in use in many ways:

• Use it on your website to provide website visitors with key information necessary to work with your business.
• Place it on YouTube.com and dozens of other free social media sites as an educational or commercial video you want the world to see.
• Enjoy the increased Search Engine Optimization (more visitors to your site) that your website gets from being linked to your online video.
• You can also use your online video on broadcast television.
• Use these videos in any way that works for your business plan.

As you can see, one low cost video production can add to any campaign you need it to. It can deliver the types of results you are looking for affordably.

How to Obtain Video Production

What you do not have to worry about is creating such a video yourself. Video production done by a highly trained professional is always a good idea. Luckily, these providers are readily available and the cost of doing business with them is minimal. Another way to consider the value of investing in such a video is by considering the actual risk of not having one. What business can afford to turn away the 22 percent increase in requests for more information that statistically comes with having a video on your website?

All you have to do is to find a company that can provide you with the video production you need. One example is Green Birdie Productions. Our company can create a compelling high definition video for your company at a competitive price, part of an overall marketing strategy to boost your business into the forefront in your industry! An effective video will definitely help your company's bottom line goals.

Green Birdie Non-Profit Project Winner Announcement

First of all, I'd like to thank everyone who took the time to nominate their favorite non-profit organization for a free video up to 2 1/2 minutes in length. The worthy nominees included:

* Anderson House

* The Community Diversity Council of Hunterdon County

* Big Brothers, Big Sisters of Hunterdon, Somerset & Warren Counties

* The "Project Earth" Project of the Catholic Community of St. John Neumann

* The Mama Mare Foundation

* The Joseph Lapinski Foundation

* Steininger Behavioral Health Care

With so many great candidates to choose from, picking the winner of our first Green Birdie Non-Profit Project was a tough choice! So tough, in fact, that we plan to revisit the list in future and offer more free videos!

For now, Green Birdie Productions has chosen Anderson House, a halfway house dedicated to providing quality treatment for women as they, to quote the organization, "develop the necessary goals and life skills to return to the community as responsible, sober and productive individuals." Anderson House is based in Whitehouse Station, NJ. Their dedicated staff attend to 14-women at a time who live in their halfway house under supervision, helping them learn how to control unhealthy, self destructive behavior like alcoholism and drug abuse. Anderson House has an amazing success rate of 78-84%! For more information about this worthy organization, please click here.

The Anderson House video is now in pre-production. Once the video is completed, we will post it on our website, Http://GreenBirdieVideo.com, along with other non-profits we've donated videos for including; America's Grow-A-Row and The Center for Educational Advancement.

Thanks again to everyone who participated in our first, but definitely not last, Green Birdie Non-Profit Project!

Rob Bell

The Green Birdie Non-Profit Project

Know of any non-profits who could really use a promotional video? A truly deserving ".org" who's mission really stands out? At Green Birdie Productions, we believe in giving back when we can. We are offering a high definition video up to 2 1/2 minutes in length FREE OF CHARGE for a local non-profit.

If your organization is a non-profit, or if you have a favorite non-profit to recommend, please enter your recommendation and contact information in the "comment" box below. To become a Green Birdie Blog follower, please click on the "follow" button on the upper right of this screen to add your email. Thanks!

The Green Birdie Non-Profit Project. Spread the word!

Louisville, Kentucky Job Openings - VP, Video Services & GM, NLBS-TV

My niece Laura Rodriquez is is a headhunter for Sky Castle. If interested in the positions described below, please contact her at skyycastle@yahoo.com or her cell phone at 415-225-7426.

===================================================================

POSITION: Vice President, Video Services
DEPARTMENT: Central Operations
LOCATION: Louisville, KMY
REPORTS TO: EVP Central Operation
DATE: 6/24/2010


POSITION SUMMARY:
The VP of Video Services will be responsible for:
• Developing the video product roadmap and strategy in conjunction with the Video Product Marketing team.
• Architectural design in support of current and future video features.
• Technology and vendor recommendation.
• Proof of concept, architectural and technological choices and applicability to our specific and existing platforms and systems. Including the design and implementation of an end to end test plan to ensure a successful launch.
• Follow up and support the implementation team to a complete and successful product launch.
• Follow up and support the transfer of the product to video operations team for day to day and ongoing product support and maintenance


ORGANIZATIONAL RELATIONSHIPS:
The position will lead a team of video product architects and Engineering professionals to influence the following:

Internal:
Executive Leadership
Field Operations senior management staff
Central Operations Management and Staff
Corporate Legal team
Corporate Finance team
Corporate Accounting team
District Personnel
Corporate Marketing staff
Media staff

External:
Technology Partners and influencers
Outside Counsel
Video Equipment (hardware, software and systems) Vendors

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS OF THE JOB INCLUDE, BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO:
• Video Product Strategy
• Identify and evaluate next generation video products and features. Identify and evaluate next generation user interfaces for delivery of video products.
Develop video product roadmap and strategy in conjunction with the Video Product Marketing team.
• Work closely with Video Product Marketing team to develop timing and strategy for video product releases.
• Research, analyze and develop strategies for new video delivery options such as IP video.
• Manage video product enhancements and upgrades from concept to execution and transfer to video operation team for ongoing support and maintenance.

• Contract Negotiations
• Responsible for negotiating vendor agreements for all hardware, software and systems required for introduction of new video products resulting in optimal business and financial terms

• Work closely with legal counsel on key non financial business and legal terms
• Establish and strengthen key vendor relationships including managing relationship with the Cable Labs and other appropriate and industry recognized technical authorities.
• Provide expert advice and guidance on engineering and security requirements in programming contracts.


• Cost Containment and Management
• Work closely with Central Operations and corporate Finance team on cost containment and budget projections for new video product launches.
• Resource to Accounting for development of video related capital and operating buget.

• Deal Implementation
• Primary contact with other departments including Project Management, Other engineering teams, Ad Sales, Marketing and Finance.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:
• 5-7 years product engineering and development experience
• Some product management experience preferred
• 5-7 years vendor negotiation experience in cable, telecommunications
• 4 year college degree required
• Applicable post graduate degree strongly preferred
• Proven ability to develop and execute video product strategies
• Extreme attention to detail and strong organizational skills
• Strong analytical skills
• High energy personality
• Strong interpersonal skills; ability to communicate with all levels of internal and external contacts
• Ability to juggle multiple tasks and responsibilities

WAGE/SALARY: Salary, Exempt

WORK HOURS: Full-Time


It is our policy to seek and employ qualified persons in all jobs in a manner which will ensure equal employment opportunity as well as administer personnel actions in a manner as to not discriminate against any person on the basis of race, religion, national origin, age, sexual orientation or disability, or any other protected category. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals to perform the essential functions of this position.

============================================================================

POSITION: General Manager
DEPARTMENT: New Local Broadcast Station (NLBS)
REPORTS TO: President/COO
DATE: 7/15/10


POSITION SUMMARY:
The General Manager of NLBS will be the leader of the NLBS business unit within our company. The GM will therefore have business, editorial, and operations, and managerial responsibilities. The GM will also be the representative of a highly visible company service to constituencies both inside and outside of our company. As an innovative and unique service within the Kentucky media landscape, NLBS requires a GM who can bring a range of experience, energy, and creative business thinking to bear on the programming and business challenges inherent in managing the development of a new television and broadband service.

ORGANIZATIONAL RELATIONSHIPS:

Internal:
NLBS Staff
Executive Leadership
Corporate Legal team
Corporate Finance team
Corporate Accounting team
Corporate Government and Public Affairs
Insight Media staff

External:
Outside Legal Counsel
Government Officials
General Public

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS OF THE JOB INCLUDE, BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO:
• P&L responsibility for the NLBS service
• Budget development and oversight
• Capital spending plan
• Revenue development planning and strategy
• Liaison with ad sales management and team
• Program / series budgeting oversight
• Recruiting and management of NLBS team
• Management of NLBS on-air talent
• Oversight of NLBS programming
• New programming development
• Implementing editorial guidelines and standards
• Final responsibility for all on-air programming
• Oversight of NLBS marketing and promotion
• Representation of NLBS to constituencies within Insight
• Representation of NLBS to a wide variety of public constituencies within the state of Kentucky

ADDITIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES:
• Perform other duties as assigned by executive management.

PREFERRED SPECIAL KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES:
• Bachelor’s degree in Television and Film Production or a closely related field
• 5+ years experience managing all aspects of the television programming development and production process (news and documentary) for a broadcasting or cable service
• Experience and /or familiarity with the practice of scheduling a broadcast service
• Experience developing and /or managing a business enterprise
• Experience and /or familiarity with the broadcast / cable advertising and sponsorship market
• Experience with broadcasting facilities and equipment, including studios, cameras, editing systems, master control, etc.
• Ability to work with people in a uniquely collaborative corporate culture
• Ability to represent the service in an articulate and highly competent manner
• Familiarity and /or experience with web-based services which include video
• Strong leadership skills

WAGE/SALARY: Salary, Exempt

WORK HOURS: Full-Time


We will only consider those candidates that meet the minimum requirements of the position.

It is our policy to seek and employ qualified persons in all jobs in a manner which will ensure equal employment opportunity as well as administer personnel actions in a manner as to not discriminate against any person on the basis of race, religion, national origin, age, sexual orientation or disability, or any other protected category. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals to perform the essential functions of this position.

Watch The Book: Have your book video posted on Watch The Book.

Watch The Book: Have your book video posted on Watch The Book.

Coming Soon To A Video Near You!

I was reading news items in NJ.Com this morning and noticed that their job listings now have a video component! When a job is posted, they simply narrate the job description and cover the narration "track" with generic images related to the job; for example, a job for a trucker has video of a guy getting into a truck and driving, a job for a teacher has shots of a teacher in front of a classroom, you get the idea.

It's amazing how quickly video is taking over as a major form of communication, especially on-line. Video is an entertaining, three dimensional presentation, a more effective way to communicate in the 21st Century than the simple written word and/or photos. The statistics are impressive:

Online video gets results!

Here are viewer response statistics after watching video online (according to a 2008 Marketing Sherpa report):

• Videos create an average 20 percent more inbound sales calls.
• Viewer response to business increases 52% with video.
• 30% of viewers visit a store.
• Clicks for more information increase 30% to 40%.
• 28 percent of viewers look for additional information.
• 16 percent of viewers purchase something!

And according to the Forrester report, having a video on your website makes it 53-times more likely your website will land on the first page of an internet search! The odds of your website being visited if it does not land on the first page of a search? Zero.

A lot of businesses that would benefit from having a video on their website promoting their company are still on the fence about moving forward. They have a fear of commitment in large part due to their continued uncertainty about our nation's economic future. But with the price of an effective, well produced, Green Birdie high definition video at its lowest point in history, this is the BEST time to take advantage of video and reap the benefits while your competitors remain frozen in place.

Video Gourmands

Being a gourmand (that means I like to eat - a lot!), I have developed a long list of favorite eating spots across the 5-boros of New York City, as well as Northern and Central New Jersey, Westchester, and Eastern Pennsylvania. I came across these spots out of necessity, as I was a hungry traveler covering news stories across the tri-state area for many years (decades, actually). I was never the type to bag my lunch, just wasn't that well organized. And I always considered spending a few bucks to try out a new ethnic cuisine (or revisit one of my many tried and true favorites) money extremely well spent! In a typical good week in my glory days, I might hit Chinatown for dim sum in Manhattan on Monday, grab some Argentinian steak in Corona on Tuesday, hit my favorite Jamaican restaurant for jerk chicken in downtown Brooklyn Wednesday, cruise up to the Bronx for a slice of the best Italian tomato pie you ever tasted Thursday, and end up in Newark for the seafood special in the Ironbound on Friday. When it came to food, variety was truly the spice of life!

Now that I'm (a bit, don't rush it) older, I can't get away with eating so much rich food without gaining a lot of weight! I've cut down a lot, but luckily, my significant other is a terrific cook and very health conscious, so when I'm at home (and not cooking myself when I revert to indulgence), I am eating pretty healthy (and still tasty- still adding plenty of spice, grilled veggies and a dab of hot sauce!).

Here comes the tie-in people: video is a lot like food, and video consumers are a lot like gourmands! 1) Like food, there is a lot of variety in videos; action, romantic, educational, commercial, effective, ineffective, beautiful, ugly... You get the point! 2) The key to great food is preparation: a good recipe, an experienced chef; fresh ingredients; a light touch; a good balance of flavors; and getting it all out on the table hot at the same time. The key to great video is also preparation; a good script; an experienced videographer, producer and editor; proper lighting; high quality audio & video equipment; and a great sense of editing rhythm to get all the images, sounds and special effects working together to tell a compelling, effective story.

At Green Birdie Productions, we take pride in the way we prepare our videos, just as an experienced chef takes pride in the food he or she serves. Let's face it, the general public is advanced when it comes to watching videos, and won't settle for poorly executed, badly conceived presentations. They have increasingly become "video gourmands;" in love with their video in all its infinite variety, and with the creation price of a high definition video down to historically low rates, there's no reason for anyone to settle for less than the very best!

Why risk the equivalent of video food poisoning? Contact Green Birdie Video today... and start cooking!

Timing Is Everything

Being at the right place at the right time often ends up being a matter of luck, but you can sweeten the odds by becoming skillful at positioning. I learned the importance of skillful positioning as a news videographer at WWOR-TV; a business where getting well positioned BEFORE an event happened directly related to my ability to get the "story" or not!

An exciting example occurred when I got a call from my assignment desk while traveling back to the newsroom after producing a story in Queens. One of the main jobs of assignment editors is to listen in on the police radio as first responders are directed to "breaking" events. Much of the time, these events turn out to be non-events, something called into 9-1-1 that the cops are obliged to respond to. On this particular day, the dispatcher sent some of New York's Finest to a building site in Harlem near Park Avenue on 124th Street, just by the elevated train platform, on a report that some of the building's bricks were falling off. At first glance it didn't sound like much of a story; after all, the area is largely abandoned, and noone had been actually hit by one of the bricks!

I arrived at the scene about half an hour later, where I found that a four block area around the building had already been completely cordoned off. I parked my car and walked up to a line of men in blue standing behind the yellow "do not cross" tape. "Hi guys," I said. "I'm with channel 9. Any chance I can get in to take a few shots of the building?" My credentials clearly state that, as a member of the New York Press, I am "entitled to cross police and fire lines wherever formed," yet the officers deny my access, telling me it was "unsafe" and that my presence would "interfere" with the responders working by the building. This was a fairly typical response from the police rank and file at breaking news locations, and not unanticipated. Cops are generally not allowed to make decisions, only take orders; they usually say "no" or "no comment" to any and all requests from the media. I then asked the officers if I could "Speak with the officer in charge," gesturing at a lieutenant speaking with EMS workers half a block away. "NO," came the strict reply, adding, "move along!" Like civilians, accredited news people have to obey a direct order from a police officer or face a fine, arrest, or the confiscation of our largely useless press pass! I reluctantly agreed, thanked the officers and walked away, then circled around the block and came back to the same intersection from the other direction, positioning myself on the side of a large emergency vehicle that blocked their view of me. From this vantage point, I gestured to that lieutenant inside the cordoned off area; and he walks right over and smiles at me. "Hi Lou," I said. "I'm with channel 9. Any way you can get me inside somewhere so I can get a shot of the building?" He nods. "I watch your news all the time. No problem. Just keep on the opposite side of the street so you don't get hurt." He pulls up the tape, and we walk down 124th Street, right past the officers who kicked me out! The lieutenant asks me to stand behind a chain link fence directly across from the building, and I comply.

I start interviewing an irritated woman sitting in her car who can't drive out of the area until police give the all clear, when suddenly I hear a noise from the direction of the building. Instinctively, I turn, camera on my shoulder, and "throw the focus" from 5-feet to infinity. Through the eye of the lens, I watch as the building tumbles to the ground; the cops and first responders running from the crashing debris; the dust rising as the walls crash sideways onto the street and nearby empty lot. It is over in seconds, the woman in the car screaming, "Did you see that!?" "Wow, did yo see that?!" I hear first responders calling out to each other, "Are you all right?" And far away, behind the police lines, I see passersby swarming the police tape, desperate to see, well, anything at all. The lieutenant runs up to me. "Did you get that?" he asks. "Yup!" I nod happily. "Great, I'll watch it on channel 9 tonight!" We give each other big grins.

As it turned out, my footage was seen not only on channel 9 but on all the New York television stations, beginning with their 5 pm shows, as well CNN and the Fox Network. My boss was very happy, as we had the exclusive, so he could put our channel 9 "bug" on the footage they all ran (a great publicity scoop!). Because I hadn't given up, and had done my best to position myself well, I had put myself in the right place at the right time to get the story. Timing is truly everything, but skillful positioning oneself for any business opportunity is a key to ultimate success!

If you'd like to see the footage, please log onto my resume website, http://Rob-Bell.tv. The building collapse is shown about a minute into the "Intro" video that plays automatically on the home page when you first log on.

To find out more about how a high definition video can help your company position itself well for whatever the future may hold, please log onto the Green Birdie website at http://GreenBirdieVideo.com.

Intimacy Rules

One of the great things about video is its intimacy, its ability to catch the viewer's attention and hold it, and no one knows that better than a seasoned television newsman like myself.

On breaking news stories, we always rushed to the scene of the crime, accident or disturbance not only to shoot great images, but to interview people directly associated with the breaking news. Getting to a fire scene in time to shoot orange flames shooting out of the roof is much more compelling video than getting there when the firefighters are packing up to leave and the house is a wet, smoldering wreck. And the chance of finding the distraught homeowner, or at least a passerby who saw and can describe how the homeowner jumped out of a window to escape the flames, is much greater if you get there fast than if you get there later.

Video also creates intimacy on feature stories we would set up in advance. Is there anything more compelling than the look in a mother's eyes and the sound of her quavering voice as she describes a successful medical procedure that saved her child's life?

It's no secret that big companies create elaborate video commercials at great expense, and spend even more on distribution, to catch the attention of prospective customers. While we love to create those big time commercials for broadcast here at Green Birdie Productions, we also produce more reasonably priced commercials for small and medium size businesses. We also create our very reasonably priced "video briefs," which involve a simple one on one interview edited down to an average one and a half minute presentation, to quickly add the intimacy and communication power of video to our client's websites.

The intimacy of video, and its ability to hold our attention, is undeniable. It's no wonder experts predict that videos will be on half of all U.S. based websites within the next 3-5 years! (Currently less than 10-percent). The time to get intimate is now! Contact me at 908-268-4533 to find out how to get yourself a video, and let the power of the medium go to work for you.

Video Sells, That's Why Everyone Wants To Be In One!

When I was a television producer at WWOR-TV News, most of the stories I covered were "hard," breaking news, like a murder, a bank robbery, or some nut climbing the side of a high rise without a net. A significant number of my stories were also "soft," feature stories, like a retired politician donating his time and good name for a charity, a soldier returning home from the war front, or some nut participating in a hot dog eating contest! What did these stories all have in common? The need for an on-camera interview with an expert who could elaborate and detail the facts.

For example, when I did a story about how hot it was at the beach, the angle was usually sun screen, and the expert would be a skin doctor at a local hospital. If a dog bit a mailman, I'd seek out a dog trainer. And if a celebrity got busted for drunk driving, I'd find a magazine writer who followed such things. Finding experts for a video interview was easy! All it took was a phone call to any of a dozen local hospitals, veterinary clinics or magazines. The expert would usually be available within a couple of hours, which was crucial because I was producing stories "day of air" and my deadline was always looming!

Just about everybody wants to be on television. Going "on the air" as an expert is great for one's ego and one's business. And once one television producer puts you on the air, the likelihood that others will follow suit is almost assured. Get on television often enough and you might even be offered a job on a 24-hour cable station, a celebrity in your own right!

But getting yourself noticed in a video is no longer contingent on a news producer calling on you under deadline so he can interview you for your expertise. Let's face it, once I found a retired airline pilot who could explain plane crashes, I didn't need to seek out another one. It is up to you, the business owner, the expert in what your company provides in the way of goods and service, to take the initiative and create your own video interview. Then take that video presentation and post it online, put it on your website, and send a link to it to your local newsroom when something timely happens in the world you can comfortably comment on. Chances are, that video you created will generate a phone call from a news producer under deadline.

And don't forget to smile when the camera light goes on.

Welcome!

Dear reader,

Thank you for visiting my new Green Birdie Blog. Please log onto http://GreenBirdieVideo.com to check out some of the videos I have produced in recent months. When you're ready for your video, please give me a call.

I look forward to working with you!