If you’re looking at a few different video options, you’ve probably noticed video professionals who are called directors, filmmakers, cinematographers, or visual storytellers. Me, I am a film marketer, which you probably haven’t seen before (I don’t think anyone calls themselves that).
Depending on the focus/objectives you have for your video, this will be an important distinction — let me explain:
If you want to have a video done because you want to identify, attract, and drive in new business/clients/patients/customers, well, that’s “marketing”, so it would make a lot of sense that the professional who films your video has a passion and expertise in marketing — that’s where I come in. My college degree (B.S.) is in business administration/marketing, and I’ve lived and breathed it and in the professional workplace for a load of different professions since 1996. Here’s more on why you should hire me to film your marketing video.
I know how to leverage video to drive in business, and that’s the number one reason why clients hire me. The truth is, if the persons you hire to film your video cost more money than they make you (bringing in new business), you hired the wrong person/company.
I film promotional marketing videos for Arizona (mostly in Scottsdale, Chandler, Mesa, other East Valley areas, and, of course, Phoenix) small businesses, dentists, medical professionals, artisans, and sports teams/athletes who are passionate about what they do — and they are darn good at. Clients have often called me a “walking creative marketing agency” for small businesses because I can not only provide online video marketing, but also branding, photography, marketing content, and graphic design.
In the doldrums of typical Ohio winters, particularly on days when streets were filled with a gray/brown slush, kids would bunker in for an all-day He-Man, Transformers, and Bugs Bunny cartoon marathon. Not me. I’d break out Dad’s newly bought VCR/video camera combo (circa 1986) and shoot footage of everything from fake commercials for Brut cologne and Gillette shaving cream to electric football games (while I gave the play-by-play announcing), and even
Mr. Bill skits in which I molded the Playdough-based characters and performed all of the voices.
Other kids watched commercials; I was filming them at age 12.
I was doing video marketing before my voice started to change!
However, as most of us, childhood aspirations were sidelined for more important things like sports, dating, education, and the “real world.” The VCR/video camera is long gone, and the VHS tape containing the footage I filmed as a young protégé was eaten by a rogue VCR — Mom never forgave me for how that went down.
And while my background in design (branding), marketing, and writing, didn’t stray too far from my creative roots, it wasn’t until I took a position managing a team of six creatives at a large church in Chandler that I did something I hadn’t done in several decades: I picked up a camera and remembered the same joy I had experienced as a boy. Things haven’t been the same since.
I get to do what I love — sharing the stories of real but extraordinary people doing “relatively” ordinary things — just doing them incredibly well and passionately. I get to help small businesses find and get customers, dentists find and get patients, and athletes and artisans get exposure. You might have noticed that I don’t exactly have a set title either. I am apprehensive about using traditional titles doled out by marketing agencies, video editors, and video production companies here in Phoenix (e.g., videographer, director, visual storyteller, or even cinematographer). I see myself more as a marketing guy who has a filmmaker’s eye.
Well, that’s my story—what about yours? Believe it or not, you have one — a good one that is worth sharing.
Let’s discover it together.
Check it out, the first camera I ever got: the X50 Magimatic—wow, that’s old school. You can actually see the excitement on my face. My brother leans in — looking to get a piece of the action, but it wasn’t going to happen. That camera was attached at my hip for weeks! I might have been 8 year old in this photo. At age 12, my childhood friends were watching commercials on TV — I was filming them.
If I have a good full-time job, why would I do this?
Why not use my spare time to take up golf, travel, or participate in a fantasy football league?
1) I believe that all small businesses, dental practices, artisans, and athletes have a story that’s worth telling, and everyone can compete
If you love what you do and the people you serve, you’ve got a good story that should be shared. You might not see it, but it’s there. As Indiana Jones searching for buried treasure—I get a charge out of helping you to discover, unearth, and then share your story.
Second, in today’s marketing landscape, small businesses with modest budgets can compete with the “big boys.” That’s exciting, and I want to be a part of it. Anytime a David takes on a Goliath, sign me up to help on the underdog’s side.
2) I am inquisitive and fascinated by people and their professions
Remember Mike Rowe’s TV show Dirty Jobs on the Discovery Channel? Mike’s a regular guy who meets extraordinary professionals doing what they do best. Mike got to meet terrific people and get a first-hand glimpse into their unique professions — being a part of their lives for a while, and being a part of their team while telling their story. This is exactly what I do (and love to do). However, I steer clear of clients who are croc hunters, snake wranglers, hazardous waste handlers, or fish squeezers — yikes!
3) Delivering the three Cs everyone wants
Looking beyond bringing in new customers, delivering a high ROI, and quickly reaching a client’s break-even point, clients expressed the real value they got from hiring me were the three Cs (and one H).
Clients feel more credible after working with me — they looked and felt like trusted advisers, which made attracting customers easier. In showing their video to customers, friends, and family, they became more confident. Some of the transformations I’ve seen in clients’ confidence levels have been remarkable — it’s cool to see that. With their new or renewed sense of credibility and confidence, I see clients become more competitive. A new video just seems to get people ready and willing to take on the competition.
Last, because of the work we’d done together (and the outcome) I see people with hope — a new or renewed hope that their business, practice, or brand can get to that next level of success.
Helping clients make money is something I suppose I take for granted — good videos bring in
new business. However, helping great people to feel more credible, confident, competitive, and hopeful (and seeing those changes first hand) is why I do what I do.
If I sound like someone you’d like to work with—even if it’s just starting a dialog—drop me a line and we’ll see if it makes sense for me to help you out. Part of what we’ll do is talk about (and discover) your “why.”
Admittedly, this is a less-than-impressive piece of design — if “design” you can call it. It’s pretty embarrassing. Furthermore, I am not sure what motivated my parents or me to keep the photo, and yet, this is probably the first photo evidence that I have illustrating the curiosity, propensity, and passion I’d have for creative design. Yes, I would use the word “design” loosely to describe what I was attempting to do here at 8-10 years old. I do remember thinking a photo of that block of wood would look cool if I artfully arranged my baseball stickers on it, as well as framed the shot in front of our home. Try not to laugh too hard