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• 9 Internet Market Predictions for 2010
• Metro Studios helps families connect with their loved ones in the military
• Stepping outside the box at Metro Studios
• Youth Marketing: Don’t be so 2008.
• 15 free guides that really teach you useful stuff.
• Giving thanks and giving back.
• Whet your appetite with a video for Scottsdale Community College.
• Inside the Photographer’s Studio
• Learn to play hockey the Metro Studios way.
• We probably know your password: 5 tips to improve your online security

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At Metro Studios, we know how important family is – especially during the holidays. That’s why Metro Studios teamed up with Avnet Inc. to connect families with their loved ones serving in the U.S. military overseas.

How did we make it possible? In December, we helped families record free five minute video messages. We were more than happy to provide professional video equipment and assist in recording, complete with proper lighting and sound quality to help families create an ideal video message.

“It just means so much more when you can see someone, even though we can’t feel each other, hug each other and touch each other, but it just means a lot that they did this for us,” said Alisha Holland.

Holland’s husband is stationed in Taji, Iraq, and this is the first time he missed spending Christmas with his wife and two sons.

“It was such an honor to be part of delivering words of love and encouragement to servicemen and women from their families and we hope to continue this tradition for years to come.” said Lisa Ellis, Vice President of Business Development at Metro Studios.

Each family received a DVD at the time of the recording, and we also provided families with their own personal link to share with an overseas family member over the Internet. We truly enjoyed partnering with Avnet Inc. for this great project, and were proud to have a small part in bringing military families a little closer during the holidays.

The SCC’s Culinary Arts Department needed to create a video “appetizer” for potential students.  Their theme was “Think”, and during this shoot, we “thought” about sushi, strudel, stuffed chicken, plus culinary delights we’ve never heard of—students learn it all right here!

Our recipe for a successful shoot

Our recipe for a successful shoot was…extremely detailed planning.
Preparing the HD shoot schedule for each day was a challenge.  We had to make sure we were ready to shoot in the bake shop when they were forming the ambrosia cups, or in the classroom when the cake was being created or in the dining room, which serves lunch and dinner to actual customers.

Did you know flowers can be made out of rutabaga?

Lighting food items is tricky, especially in a white and stainless steel kitchen.  It was key to have enough people on the crew to manage all the lights and keep the “chefs-in-training” from tripping on cables.   This video is just the “first course” in a video series that Metro Studios is producing for Scottsdale Community College. We look forward to “sampling” all that is to come!

View photos from the shoot.

This summer, Metro Studios was contracted by the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders, a USHL hockey team, to meet a wide variety of marketing and production needs for their 2009-2010 season. We’re thrilled that Metro Studios can be ONE place - so many solutions for the Riders. Here’s our take on Metro Studios’ style of hockey.

Rethink everything you know.

The Riders came to Metro Studios looking for a complete branding and production upgrade – transforming a simple hockey game into an entertainment experience. We were up for the challenge.

Forget shin guards, go for the big screen TVs.

We installed four huge video screens above the ice rink, with cameras located across the arena to capture every angle of the game.

Light up your fans.

We developed a production plan from scratch, including video content which will play during the pre-game show and during the game. The video clips include player interviews, sponsor mentions, advertisements, and custom clips for each game.   We even produced an original music video just for the Riders.

Forget the net – take it to the web.

Our web team built a new website for the team featuring high definition videos on every page, a design worthy of the NHL, and increased opportunities for fan interaction with weekly e-mail updates. Our website blends seamlessly with our production coverage – enabling the Riders to post game coverage just minutes after the final buzzer.

Don’t wrap your hockey stick – wrap your production trailer.

As part of the project, we hooked the Riders up with a 52 foot production trailer that serves as the command center for all in-game production.  We wrapped it in a custom skin designed by our art director to give it a unique Riders’ branding.

Hook the public.

Metro has produced a number of TV and radio commercials to promote the upcoming season throughout the area. We’ll also produce a 30 minute TV program every Saturday throughout the season, featuring Mark Carlson, the Riders’ head coach.

“We couldn’t be happier with Metro’s work.  We’re confident these changes will bring the Riders to a new level of competitive intensity this year, while growing our fan base, and giving people a new appreciation for the team,” said Jeff Jauch, co-owner of the Riders.

So, what’s next for Metro Studios? We’re getting our mullets cut on Friday.

Interested in advertising on TV, but have no idea where to start? Here’s a quick guide to the art of “media buying” -  purchasing ad space on specific stations during a specific time period.

Determine your target demographic.
The first step is to determine who your target demographic is. You will want to choose different stations, programming, and day parts based on the target demographic you are trying to reach. It is common to have both a primary and secondary target demographic. For example, your primary demographic may be Women 35-54, and your secondary may be Adults (or Persons) 35-54.

Decide on your objectives.
After you have determined your target demographic, decide on your media objectives. This usually involves meeting a certain average Cost Per Point for your entire buy, or achieving a certain number of Gross Rating Points. What does all of this media speak mean? Let’s start with rating points:

Read more

It’s been a busy, exciting few months at Metro Studios! Here’s a quick look at some projects we’ve recently been working on.

ACE Awards Live Webcast

We had a great time producing the ACE Awards Live Webcast for hundreds of in-person and online viewers.

Scottsdale Community College

Scottsdale Community College’s Department of Culinary Arts asked us to shoot a series of promotional videos for their program. We learned the secrets of making those cool vegetable garnishes, filleting a huge salmon, frosting a fancy cake… the chefs and students didn’t have to ask us twice to sample their creations!

Kirk shooting a close-up for petit-fours, when he wasn’t busy thinking up food puns.

Getting volunteer diners was a piece of cake!

The Grill Toppers Photo and Video Shoot

What a week it was when Metro Studios took on The Grill Toppers project. Our facility was transformed into the ultimate grilling event, complete with dozens of pounds of meat, countless side dishes, as well as numerous place settings to match all of the NCAA team colors. After getting our product shots, we took the gear, food, and props on the road to several different locations.

Donna, our food stylist extraordinaire, lends her expertise, while Susan, our art director, drops in the lemons “just right.”

Connie, Metro’s senior writer/producer, dresses the set. By the time we finished each shot, the food had been sprayed, glued, and was completely inedible.

Our newest “intern” samples some extra prop food and lends morale support during the shoot while her dad, Aaron, takes care of the video editing.

Kendra, Metro’s project coordinator, directs one of the actors on his grilling technique.

With the photos and videos completed, we are looking forward to building The Grill Toppers website this summer.

Commercial Shoot with Wisconsin Football Coach Bret Bielema

Bret Bielema, head coach for the University of Wisconsin football team was the star of our recent commercial shoot at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin. I wonder if the Big 10 schedule came up in conversation?

Metro Studios’ Social Media Seminar

John Whaley, our Director of Internet Marketing spent a day with Phoenix business professionals teaching them how to grow their businesses through social media marketing.

Whew! As you can see, it’s been a whirlwind spring - but it was spent doing what we enjoy most - providing our clients with effective, innovative solutions.  Like what you see? Please contact us if you’re interested in learning more about the solutions we can provide for your business.

To see more photos of Metro Studios projects, visit our Flickr photostream.

It’s not everyday you get to help make dreams come true. Especially a dream that’s been 20 years in the making. But this spring, that’s exactly what Metro Studios had the privilege of doing.

In 1988, Field of Dreams, thought to be one of the greatest sports movies ever made, was filmed in Dyersville, Iowa. Following the movie’s release, an unlikely group of men came together to continue the Field of Dreams legacy as a traveling baseball team, performing at military bases and family-oriented events around the world. They became the Ghostplayers.

For the past 20 years, Joe Scherrman, owner of Dreamcatcher Productions and a Ghostplayer himself, has chronicled their adventures on video. His documentary tells the story of how this zany team ranging from a hog farmer to a state representative moved audiences around the world and changed the players’ lives forever.

Dreamcatcher Productions enlisted the help of Aaron Spears, one of our Metro Studios video editors, to take more than 200 hours of Ghostplayers video and cut it into an hour documentary spanning the team’s 20 year journey. This included organizing the raw footage, writing a screenplay, conducting interviews and editing it all together.

From January through April, Metro Studios worked to create the film, and the results have been phenomenal. The documentary was shown to a sold-out preview in April, with an official premiere taking place in July. What’s more, Iowa Public Television plans to broadcast the documentary in July.

Metro Studios is proud to have a part in showcasing this Iowa legacy. We’re also glad to say that Aaron isn’t trapped in the editing suite surrounded by more than 200 hours of video footage.

If you’d like to learn more about the Ghostplayers documentary, check it out online at http://ghostplayer.us Or, watch them play their final game July 19 in Dyersville, Iowa against the U.S. Military All-Stars.

Or, if you’d like to learn more about how you can benefit from Metro Studio’s video editing services whether in Iowa or Arizona, visit our website.

At Metro Studios, we’ve got our baseball caps on backwards and inside out. Why? Because it’s our way of saying “Congratulations!” to our very own Cedar Rapids Kernels for winning Minor League Baseball’s top honor – the John H. Johnson award.

The award is given to just one team in the U.S. in recognition of the season’s most outstanding baseball franchise. Merits such as franchise stability, contributions to the league, promotion of the baseball industry, and community support all factor into the decision.

As the production team for the Kernels franchise, Metro Studios provides all video coverage during home games, scoreboard graphics, and live and prerecorded video entertainment – transforming a baseball game into a multimedia entertainment event.

Recently, Jack Roeder, General Manager for the Kernels, shared his thoughts on the award with us.

“Metro Studios has been an ideal business partner for the past seven years. Your staff is so involved in our program that we consider you part of our front office team. It’s great working with a company that has such a ‘can do’ attitude. We ask a lot from Metro, and you deliver every time…I honestly believe that without Metro’s involvement over the years with the Kernels, the [John H. Johnson] award would not reside in Cedar Rapids.”

Our team at Metro Studios is honored and proud to be counted part of the Kernels’ award-winning, family-friendly franchise. For a schedule of upcoming Kernels’ games, visit their website!

Looking for a team who can make your next live production a grand slam? Contact Metro Studios – we’d love to make your business stand out – just like the Kernels.

As companies continue to look for opportunities to reduce operating costs and pursue an effective communication strategy, the internet is becoming the clear technology of choice. By using internet streaming media technology, corporate information can be presented in real time to viewers around the world. Following a live webcast, the program can be packaged for video on demand playback for those who were unable to watch the live event. Metro Studios can turnkey a solution that will benefit your company and help you achieve your communication goals.

How you can use webcasting

Businesses, organizations and others are using webcasting for a variety of applications, including:

1. New product announcements
2. Annual meetings and conferences
3. Investor relations messages
4. HR, organizational development, and benefits updates
5. Corporate communications and training
6. Medical and live surgery webcasts
7. Special events, town hall meetings, division updates

Why webcasting is good for your business

Webcasting provides a return on investment through its many benefits, including:

1. Extends event to a larger and geographically dispersed audience
2. Saves travel time and travel/entertainment costs
3. Available for playback as a video on demand program
4. Portrays a cost-conscious, yet professional image
5. Less expensive than satellite broadcasting, print, road shows
6. Delivered directly to the audience member’s computer

How webcasting works

A live video webcast requires video production, video encoding of the stream, transmission over the Internet, and an audience connected to the Internet with a current streaming media player. Metro Studios provides an end-to-end solution that walks you through the process, provides the necessary resources and expertise, resulting in a great viewer experience.

The viewer experience

Viewers are given a web link that allows them to connect directly into the live event portal. Various levels of security are available, from as easy as entering a guest name, on through password and pre-registration screening. Once logged in, viewers see a live video feed of the event, PowerPoint slides, and a chat window where they can type in questions for the presenters. Viewers can see, hear and interact with presenters in real-time.

Making it happen

Whether your communication event is driven by financial considerations, real-time integration of audio, graphics and video media, a need for turnkey services, or any combination of these, webcasting can be a great solution. A growing number of organizations are discovering that webcasting is the right strategy for accelerating their communication success. Contact Metro Studios today to find out how we can provide you with a unique webcasting solution.

Metro Studios was recently honored with four awards (otherwise known as ADDYs) from the American Advertising Federation of Cedar Rapids and Iowa City. We had a great time working on these projects and are extremely pleased with the results they’ve produced for our clients! Here’s a rundown of the honored projects:

Client: Clearheart Spirits
Project: Internet Marketing Campaign
Silver ADDY – Web/Online Campaign
Metro Studios created a new website for Clearheart Spirits, as well as optimized the website for optimal search engine placement. To further launch their internet marketing efforts, John Whaley, our director of internet marketing used social networks such as YouTube and Facebook to help drive traffic back to Clearheart’s website. We also completed an online media campaign including banner and video ad placement within a variety of vertical markets.






Client: The Rose Company
Project: Identity Collateral
Silver ADDY – Collateral Material: Stationery Package

The Rose Company is a local retailer who supplies specialty promotional products. Metro Studios was responsible for the design of their logo, as well as the creation of a unique set of identity materials for the company. We chose a light green paper stock that complimented the rose icon and solidified the brand.

Client: University of Iowa Children’s Hospital
Project: “Letters” video
Silver ADDY – Public Service – Broadcast/Electronic – Audio/Visual

Metro Studios was commissioned to write, produce, shoot and edit this touching fundraising video for the University of Iowa Children’s Hospital. The hospital wanted a video that they could play at a series of fundraising dinners they were holding in various locations around the state. At the very first dinner where the video was played, the goal was to raise $50,000, but the hospital ended up with $100,000 by the end of the night. The Children’s Hospital Medical Director said “of all the videos we have done for twice the budget, none came close to the quality and emotional pull as this one produced by Metro Studios”.

Client: St Luke’s Hospital
Project: Women’s Health Interactive Flash Video
Gold ADDY – Interactive Media

Mark Jones, Metro Studios’ Manager of Web Services, built an interactive flash video application for St. Luke’s Hospital Women’s Health. The video featured a variety of experts and everyday women addressing women’s health issues.

Great expectations

Junior Achievement is the world’s largest and fastest-growing organization dedicated to inspiring and preparing young people to succeed in a global economy. When Metro Studios was chosen to produce JA Worldwide’s new volunteer orientation video, there were large tasks ahead of us - Junior Achievement’s current orientation video was more than 15 years old! Needless to say, JA’s more than 220 offices across the world were clamoring for an updated video.

Globe trotting!

At Metro Studios, we were up to the challenge. As an international organization, it was important for JA to show the different environments where their programs are held—from inner-city schools to suburban classrooms. Our video shoots took us across the United States to Los Angeles, Phoenix, Peoria, IL, and Cedar Rapids, IA.

More than just a training video

Our goal was to create a video that was informative, inspiring, encouraging, and creative. To accomplish this goal, we even incorporated our own version of a reality TV show into the project! We followed a brand new volunteer through her JA experience – from preparing for her first session with a group of at-risk high schoolers all the way through to her last session with the students. Hearing her testify how her weekly sessions probably turned her students around is amazing. (You can check out her interview here – her segment is entitled, “Experience It!”)

Writing it right

Junior Achievement wanted nearly all of the training information to come from testimonials. We interviewed a diverse group of people including: brand new and seasoned volunteers, students, and school administrators. Writing good questions for the interviews, and arranging to interview a diverse group of people made scripting a challenge—in a good way! There were so many great quotes and stories that ended up on the cutting room floor!

Not another boring training video!

Throughout the 51 minute training video, we added several fun segments such as having some 5th grade students spell “entrepreneur” and including a series of student bloopers. The kids we worked with were great, but despite their best efforts, we eventually caught them doing some pretty silly things on camera!

Delivered!

To top it all off, we shot the entire video in HD. That way, it was easy to transfer our footage to a hard drive for JA, enabling them to use the footage in-house. In the end, the DVD had a menu with 9 video segments, as well as an original designed folder that detailed each segment. You can watch the all of the segments at JA’s website. Or, check out some of the highlights on our own site.

Inspired!

To meet the volunteers and hear their stories about why they volunteer…and then to hear the students’ stories about how JA turned their lives around—it was amazing! Metro Studios was proud to be a part of this wonderful project, and the videos were truly a labor of love.

Do you dream of being the next YouTube phenomenon? The explosion of digital video in the last decade has brought about many changes.  Now, more and more people are dabbling in amateur video editing. However, the key to creating truly outstanding videos is to know the tricks of the trade that will elevate your video from a wet rag to wildfire viral content:

1. Choose the right software.
Today, most computers come with a pre-installed video editing program. While these programs serve basic functions, the serious amateur editor may want to consider purchasing a more robust editing program such as:
•    Adobe Premier
•    Final Cut Pro
•    Sony Vegas
These programs enable users to really dig into the entire editing process, including fine tuning and trimming of video clips.

2. Cut and trim!
Cutting and trimming is a vital – yet often painful part of video editing. While you may love each and every second you’ve filmed, it’s likely your viewers will not. If you find it hard to determine what areas should be trimmed, have someone else review your footage and provide feedback on what parts seem unnecessary. Overall, “trimming the fat” from your video will leave exactly what you’re looking for – the juicy goodness that is the “meat” of your video.

3. Use Transitions Sparingly.
A transition is how a video moves from one clip to another, and can be a tricky part of video editing. I strongly believe that the fewer transitions you use, the better. Flashy transition techniques make videos look cheap and amateurish.

Yes, it can be tempting to use a cross fade, a quick dip, or a burst of color to transition clips, but overall, the best transitions are those the viewer doesn’t notice.  “So,” you ask, “why do video editing programs provide all of those flashy transitions if I’m not supposed to use them?”  We may never know. But until we find the answer, consider this: When was the last time you saw a movie, sitcom, or commercial that used a transitional technique such as a “star wipe” or “cube spin”?  Probably not for more than 20 years!

4. Remember, it’s not Star Wars.
Special effects are similar to transitions in that most special effects will have the greatest impact when used sparingly.  It’s best to leave the special effects to Steven Spielberg and George Lucas.

5. Don’t Tune Out the Audio!
When editing, it’s easy to become so immersed in the video’s appearance to lose track of how it sounds. You could shoot the most beautiful footage imaginable, but without high quality audio, you may as well be staring at a picture on the wall. After all, video is meant to be a multimedia experience.

6. That’s a Wrap!
By following these editing tips, you’ll be well on your way to separating your video from the masses. If you’re interested in producing a video that truly makes an impact, contact Metro Studios. We have the expert script writers, talent, directors, and audio & video editors to ensure that your video has an outstanding professional touch.

On Monday, November 17, 2008, Metro Studios produced a Live Webcast directly from an operating room at St Luke’s Hospital in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.  Drs. Rozeboom and McCarron  performed this robotic-assisted hysterectomy at 9:30am CST.

Metro’s 2 cameras with operators, audio engineer, and technical director provided the video and audio support.  Our video and audio feed  streamed live over www.stlukescr.org and to a viewing room at the hospital.

Dr. Rippentrop narrated the surgery, and Ashley Hinson of KCRG-TV  fielded questions from viewers.
This is not the first time Metro’s production team has shot video in an operating room, but it is the first time we’ve shot a surgery that will be broadcast live over the internet.

It was a great success for all involved!

Metro Studios officially dived headfirst into High Definition acquisition this past spring.  One of Metro’s major international clients requested that we shoot HD and then hand off the footage to their field producers, like we used to do with their raw tapes.

Our solution is a Panasonic HPX500 camera, which shoots on the P2 format in Standard Definition and High Definition.  Out in the field, a “video wrangler” transfers the files from the P2 card, through a laptop, and onto a portable hard drive.  The field producer takes the hard drive back to their office, downloads the footage to their in-house system, and then ships back our hard drive.

An international crewing company complimented our process, saying it is the “best and most defined procedure for handling tapeless footage that they’ve encountered anywhere”.

This HD answer is working unbelievably smooth for Metro and our clients.  Rest assured that if you require HD footage to be shot in Iowa, Arizona, or elsewhere, we have a proven transfer system already in place!

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