Director's Blog - CORTRON Media, LLC

THINKING ON YOUR FEET

8/5/2019

Lou Cordera at Wexford Acting Studio

Making a video is a fluid, exciting process. If your production company is staffed by experienced, creative people, you may receive more benefit from your project than you originally bargained for!

That’s even more true if your producer has done due diligence in the pre-production phase and nailed down your goals, defined your audience and designed a creative concept and scripting to convince the audience to take a desired action.

Once all of those elements are in place, a second script can be developed, a “shooting script.” The shooting script does not follow the chronology of the original script document. Instead, it is structured around the camera set ups dictated by the main script. So, everything that is going to be shot on a certain set or locale is shot at once before the production moves to another set up spot and makes adjustments for sound and lighting.

This is often where extra value comes in. When a good production team gets into a mindset of “what else can we shoot here?” that question can prompt filming statements or recording voice over tracts that can be used later in the current video production or used as enhancements of existing marketing strategies. A good example of that would be using the video shoot to create a short social media post, or taping a video email invitation to watch (accompanied by a direct link to) your new video project!

The formula for taking advantage of these types of value-added benefits is simple:

1. THINK THROUGH THE PROJECT

2. TAKE EVERY ADVANTAGE OF HAVING SPOKESPEOPLE ON CAMERA WHO CAN HELP

3. PROMOTE YOUR BUSINESS

Director Doug
[email protected]

SATELLITE MEDIA TOURS - THE POWER TO CHANGE

7/1/2019

Cortron Media Satellite Media Tour Control Room

One of the services that sets our television and video production company apart from our competition is the success we've had producing Satellite Media Tours.

SMTs, as they're known in the television business, represent a phenomenal public relations value. They are also a very effective way to raise public awareness about products, research, causes and issues. And when presented with information that also performs a public service role, they can even work as a direct marketing tool.

All of this may sound a little exotic, but we've all seen hundreds of satellite media tours in the course of our normal TV watching. Good Morning America, The Today Show, and news magazine shows produced by local network affiliates are chock-full of SMTs.

They are three to five-minute interviews that often include the presence of a celebrity spokesperson, and an expert from the sponsoring entity. These organizations include, among many others, healthcare providers, corporations and non-profit organizations. The interviews are pre-booked with local and regional programs and, depending upon the content and newsworthiness, national and international networks.

The power of the SMT lies in the fact that twenty or thirty of these interviews can be conducted in one morning, from one studio efficiently and comfortably. The expense of travel to many different markets is eliminated, as well as, time on the road away from work.

That value is multiplied by the fact that the client company pays nothing for airtime to broadcast their message. That's because the topic is generally something that is of high interest to the viewing public, and therefore fulfills a programming need for the station.

There are costs, of course, associated with a satellite media tour. There are production and studio costs, expenses associated with marketing and scheduling the stations, and rental time on the "bird" or TV satellite. Still, those costs are a small fraction of what it would cost to run traditional commercial messages on air, or to travel to each of the cities where the SMT is aired to deliver a message in person.

The cost of an SMT is approximately $25,000.00 contingent, of course, upon how elaborate the production is. However, in comparison with the costs of travel as described above, it is a worthwhile investment. In addition, paired with the release of an advertising campaign, an SMT can be an effective tool to enhance public awareness and branding.

Finally, Cortron Media just completed a very successful SMT for a client about a hot topic across the country – childhood immunization. Carefully crafted questions were asked by the station reporters to the on-camera experts in order to focus the message in an informative and positive way. And, of course, that is the goal of every Satellite Media Tour.

Below is one of the many successful interviews conducted during our latest SMT

Director Doug
[email protected]

HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY

5/1/2019

Memorial Day 2019

That's what millions of Americans will be saying on May 27th, as we enjoy a traditional three day weekend that launches swimming pool openings, picnic season, car cruises and garden planting.

Many, though, including those who served in the military or lost a loved one in service, know that this is more than an excuse for an extra day off. It's a time to remember and honor those who have sacrificed greatly for our freedom.

There is considerable discussion about how Memorial Day was started. For many years, it was actually known as Decoration Day - when the graves of veterans were festooned with American Flags and arms full of beautiful flowers.

Personally, that fits with our family tradition in observing the reverent side of the holiday. My grandfather served with infantry troops fighting in France in World War I, and my father did the same in World War II. Their graves are both in our family plot under hundred year old oak trees on a hill top in a large cemetery in Pittsburgh.

My mother would always insist upon she and I visiting the cemetery on Memorial Day equipped with a lawn rake, grass clippers, a broom and cleaning supplies. As we approached the plot from a distance, we were gratified with the beauty of the setting. But that changed, a bit, as we arrived to see the state of the individual grave plots. They were usually strewn with downed twigs and branches, acorns and other debris.

We'd immediately spring to action fueled by righteous indignation about those conditions. It never took us more than fifteen minutes to render the graves pristine with granite and bronze name plates buffed and shining. Then we'd get quiet and reflect for a moment.

I would think of how Grandpa had suffered mentally and emotionally from being hit with mustard gas by the Germans. He needed to spend time at a family retreat in the woods of Indiana County when he first came back. And I usually thought about Dad, isolated from his unit as an advanced scout, hiding the way he'd learned as a boy in the woods of that same family retreat, as he observed enemy movements and troop strength.

It was so little for us to do, our cleaning of the graves, in acknowledgement of how much they did for us.

God bless them and all who have fallen, or are serving us still. Cortron Media joins with millions of Americans in commemorating Memorial Day. Please visit our Veterans Television Network honoring veterans 24/7.

Director Doug
[email protected]

HOW CORTRON MEDIA BECAME STUDIO DESIGN CONSULTANTS

3/1/2019

Cortron Media Studio Installation

Everyone knows about the maternal benefits brought on by necessity. For Cortron Media, our clients’ needs have led us to invent a whole new area of service.

In the live TV portion of our business, newsmakers visit our downtown Pittsburgh studios on an average of seventy times a month to participate in interviews aired on all major domestic and international news networks. There are occasions, though, when these major influencers don’t have time to visit our studios. In those cases, we can go to them by means of our satellite uplink truck.

But there have also been situations where staff members of an organization are being asked to do satellite interviews so frequently, that their normal activities are severely disrupted. In that case, Cortron brings the studio to the client.

With 2 decades of studio design, construction, provisioning and installation experience, Cortron can provide clients with the ability to facilitate live television interviews from their own offices without the need of an expensive satellite truck. From small footprint studios to large professional broadcast venues, Cortron provides solutions.

Cortron Media Small Office Live Shot Configuration

Small Office Live Shot Configuration

Cortron Media Large Multicamera Control Room at the Pittsburgh Video Tech Center

Large Multi-Camera Control Room

We assess needs, analyze equipment and acoustical requirements, provide drawings and instructions. Our involvement might stop at recommendations, or, include full-scale involvement including supervision and training.

In the fall of 2010, Cortron had a chance to take our design and install capabilities to new heights with a major project that was dear to our hearts. After making the best of former studios inherited from a local network TV affiliate for over a decade, we were tasked with designing and building out a brand-new studio for our company on the ground floor of the Gateway Towers building in Pittsburgh. The project included dealing with critical noise abatement, with a major traffic route adjacent to two of our studios’ exterior walls. We also had the technical challenge of interfacing the studios with a control room being outfitted with new digital/HD equipment and connecting all three rooms with our new editing suite and sound booth.

Finally, we needed to create an attractive, cohesive design for support areas including a stylish green room suite with facilities for serving snacks and meals to clients spending the day with us, and office, reception and video conferencing suites.

But one of our most visually stunning and successful assignments occurred at Weather Trends 360 located in Bethlehem, PA. Weather Trends 360 had been providing some of the nation’s most accurate weather forecasting services, but their video imagery lagged far behind their forecasting capabilities.

Cortron entered the picture and the look and sound of Weather Trend’s online presence jumped forward dramatically. They now receive compliments for the look of their broadcasts that mirror the positive feedback that had previously been reserved for the quality of their work product.

In summary, what began as a response to a client’s time crunch dilemma, further developed into open air studios, and has matured into state-of-the-art private studio design and construction services. What’s next for Cortron? It’s something we call the Veteran’s Television Network.

Below is an infographic highlighting some of Cortron Media's Studio Consultation & Installation Clientele

Cortron Media Studio Installation Clients Infographic

Director Doug
[email protected]

A NEW DEFINITION FOR "LABOR OF LOVE"

2/1/2019

The Veterans Television Network

Over the years, our company has had opportunities to distill what we do for corporate America in producing effective media projects, to serve non-profits and entrepreneurs at rates they can afford.

When we serve those communities, it is often in the mode of being a Labor of Love. That was never more true than in the years we enjoyed working with the Department of Veteran's Affairs. We produced public service announcements, video presentations and a television documentary project for the VA.

That exposure to veteran's issues prompted us to explore creating a television network for and about our veterans. We saw this as a way to serve our veterans with programming tailored to their specific needs and interests. The general plan was to create the network on the web, first, attract viewership and sponsors to the enterprise, and eventually move the network out to a cable television operation to expand the audience.

We went through a period of testing the idea and seeking an endorsement of the concept from well-established veteran's service organizations, and friends in the media. That was a positive experience. The idea of doing things to support and aid our veterans is as universally accepted and endorsed as motherhood and apple pie! But we reached a point, eventually, when it was time to put wheels to the concept.

That is when we connected with a remarkable network of leaders and managers of Pittsburgh-based organizations who serve our veterans. Here, we must sincerely thank Crystal McFadden of CASY, Corporate America Supports You, an outfit that connects and coaches veterans into opportunities in Corporate America. Crystal caught a vision for what we are doing, and quickly provided access to her important contacts within the veteran's support community.

As a result, we are interacting with these people almost daily, now, exchanging ideas and
creating opportunities for them to offer their services to our former GIs through the network. We have a dedicated URL, vtvn.tv where we offer on demand viewing of existing videos describing services available to our vets. As we build viewership and attract corporate backing, we will be able to create original programming which will air regularly and move us into a true TV network format for viewers.

Here is an outline of the types of presentations now available on VTVN

Original Content:
Street Vets - PBS Homeless Veterans Documentary (From UT)
It's Worth It To Me: A Veteran's Documentary (Cortron Media Production)
Psychiatry in the Military: The Hidden Enemy (CCHR Documentaries)
The Longest War (Veterans Breakfast Club Podcast)
Military Bible Stick (Charity)

"Let's Talk" with Diane Richard:
The Wall That Heals (Part 1)
The Wall That Heals (Part 2)
Tribute To Walt Yager
The McKeesport 23

"Veterans' Business Journey" with Jesus Hernandez:
Veterans Business Journey with Jesus Hernandez March 2019
Veterans Business Journey with Jesus Hernandez February 2019

American Legion:
Faces & Places: American Legion 100th Anniversary
Memorial Day 2018

Vietnam Documentaries:
Vietnam: West Virginians Remember (From WV)
Stateline: My War (From OK)

Director Doug
[email protected]

WEXFORD ACTING STUDIO VIDEO CASE STUDY

1/4/2019

Behind The Scenes Look

Watch this "making of" video case study about the CORTRON MEDIA production of a marketing video for Pittsburgh's WEXFORD ACTING STUDIO operated by musical theater star Sarah McGraw Krushinski, and remember to follow The Wexford Acting Studio on Facebook, Instagram, and Alignable!

READ FULL SCRIPT HERE:

Sarah McGraw Krushinski starred on stages on three continents playing lead roles in the classic standards of American musical theater. She became known as not only an excellent singer and actor, but also a consummate professional who could master new and challenging roles very quickly.

Doug Malcolm, of CORTRON MEDIA, met Sarah at the networking group, Christian Business Partners and was aware that she had had, "a career" on the stage. But when she gave a presentation about her experiences to the group, Doug realized how important it would be for Sarah to do a video both as a legacy piece for friends and family, and to enhance the marketing of her business, the Wexford Acting Studio.

Sarah responded to the idea positively and agreed to move forward with the project almost immediately. But we identified two real challenges to the production from the outset:

First, Sarah is a confident, but modest person. Doing a talking head account of her triumphs on stage is something she would never be comfortable with.

Secondly, Sarah teaches several classes a week in her studio, produces and directs musical theater in the community, and heads theater productions for a large high school program in Pittsburgh. She would obviously have very little time to participate in a video project.

CORTRON MEDIA designed a format for production that addressed both of those issues.

We decided to have an actor draw out Sarah's experience from her in an on-camera interview, done in a relaxed atmosphere. We asked Sarah if she could recommend an actor with specific musical theater background to provide additional empathy and insight. Again, she responded immediately, and Brad Spencer got the role.

Choosing the right setting was important, too. We thank Rick Rivero, owner of the Cala Lilly Cafe, for allowing us to come in during off duty hours to set up and shoot. Rick's beautiful restaurant gave the production an artistic, New York bistro appeal.

CORTRON'S president, Lou Cordera, adheres to a consistent mantra, “thorough planning in pre- production is the key to a good project.” So, for Sarah, we were able to generate all the footage needed for both long and short versions of her video in one, two-hour shoot.

We edited a three and a half minute marketing video that quickly establishes Sarah's credentials for prospective students and their families. The video is positioned in the top right corner of the home page for the web site for Wexford Acting Studio. It effectively answers all the questions a student or their family could have about Sarah's qualifications to instruct either a young person looking to become more confident in front of people, or a talented student aspiring to a career on stage.

Sarah's loved ones have access to the full two hours of footage that describe her career in greater detail.

We join them in celebrating her remarkable career!

Director Doug
[email protected]

WHY SHOULD PEOPLE DO BUSINESS WITH YOU? (A CASE FOR CASE STUDIES)

12/3/2018

Answer that question convincingly, and you'll be successful. One of the most effective ways to communicate the performance of your products and services is by offering a case study. Case studies break through the typical language of marketing claims to discuss how you've specifically helped a client to solve a problem or fill a need.

Case studies gain credence, too, by providing details about an existing client's needs instead of offering vague generalities. A typical scenario might be:

" Before using our product/service, our client suffered from __________________ and because of that, he/she was in danger of ___________________. They were afraid they wouldn't be able to afford to adopt our _________________, but after we showed them how much would save by not having to ________________, they actually were better off financially, almost immediately. The positive results were verified quickly. In fact, just two weeks after _______________, our client reported ___________________!

That was two years ago. In the meantime, they've referred half a dozen friends and family members, all of whom have experienced similar benefits. These referrals have been so effective in building our business, we are now implementing a rewards program of gift certificates to popular area restaurants to thank referring clients."

Marketing this way works because you use your strong past performance to earn new business. But your story does have to be told clearly so that prospects can easily imagine gaining similar benefits by becoming your client.

There is no more effective way to share a case study than through a well-produced video. Here's why:

Video that includes a variety of visual elements avoids the mind-numbing effects of watching and listening to a "talking head."

People either learn by hearing, seeing or doing. Video comes closest to letting the viewer
experience all three stimuli, sometimes all at once! The result is people absorb and retain four to five times as much content by watching a video.

Tell a real story, and tell it right!

PLEASE NOTE! You should always seek your clients' approval before offering case studies that describe their business activities. Be sure to allow time to submit a draft of their case study for their approval before publishing anything. And of course, write the case study in such a way to reflect favorably upon you and your client.

Director Doug
[email protected]

BREAKING IT DOWN!

9/2/2018

Would you like to have a professional video presentation working for you 24/7 to do marketing, recruiting, training or fund raising, but are afraid that committing to do a project will be more hassle than it's worth?

Then choose a production house that streamlines the process while letting you have final call on how your video sounds and looks.

Everything that goes into creating a great video project falls into one of the four categories shown in the graphic above.

By far, the most important phase is the first one - Pre-production planning. So plan on front loading your time to give the production house input regarding exactly what you want and what you need to achieve. They can then address a workable concept, storyboard, budgeting, talent selection, and scripting. Once you sign off on the script, the project really begins to flow.

Why is the planning phase key? Because professionals can organize your project to save money during the expensive phases of shooting and editing video. Shooting as much as possible each day in the studio or each remote location saves budget. There are also techniques to allow you to review project elements online from your office in minutes, without have to travel to a studio or edit suite every day.

When you do enter the video edit suite for final project approval, there should be no big surprises, just minor tweaking and a great feeling of a job well done. You won't hesitate to do another media project, if you've done one with professionals who care about your time, money, and how you're perceived by the public.

Director Doug
[email protected]

HOW DO RICH PEOPLE HUNT?

8/1/2018

How does the aristocracy go hunting? They don’t, really. They have hunting come to them!

The wealthy are transported in luxury SUVs to very comfortable seating within a hunting “blind,” a camouflaged, temporary structure designed to hide hunters from their prey. The blind always features a stealthy opening through which to spot and shoot game.

Loyal friends and servants of the hunters serve as “drivers,” stomping through the brush and pushing the game ahead to within shooting range of hunters ensconced in the blind. As the driver’s approach, the hunters put down their gourmet snacks and wine glasses and exclaim, “Good heavens, there’s a fat one!” before taking aim and bagging a young buck, boar or pheasant, then congratulating each other.

Sound sporting? Even if it makes you feel sorry for the prey, there are some principles in these techniques that translate to a smart way of marketing your business.

Think of your “drivers” as being akin to a well-planned social media campaign. Attract good prospects by posting eye-catching videos or great-looking graphics, that drive the game to your web site with a purchase now button, or something interactive - like filling out an online survey or claiming a special offer.

Finally, there should be a very compelling identity video accessible from your homepage that positions you as a leader in solving your prospect’s need or desires.

Tired of the same old drudgery of marketing your business? Try hunting like the royals. Cheers!

Director Doug
[email protected]

DOES WHAT YOU WEAR IN A VIDEO OR ON TV REALLY MATTER?

7/3/2018

Martin Schulz on Bloomberg TV

You bet! And you share responsibility for how you look!

There are colors and patterns you should avoid at all costs. They will glow, look harsh, flutter or even bleed on camera and detract from your message.

The motion or sound of some Jewelry can be a real problem in distracting your audience. The condition of your apparel is critical.

If makeup is offered, USE IT! A sweating nose or forehead make you look uncomfortable and worried.

The following tips are specific and comprehensive. They are more critical under the brightest lights of a professional TV studio, but they hold generally true for any on-camera work.

Your message is paramount. ANYTHING that distracts from what you want the audience to know or learn is a poor choice. Let them remember your words, not your wardrobe.

WHAT TO WEAR AND NOT TO WEAR ON CAMERA:

1. Don't wear white, black or bright red unless partially covered by a jacket or sweater.
White glows and becomes the most noticeable thing on the TV screen. Black is too harsh and can suck up all the light. Bright Reds bleed on camera and are distracting.
2. Earth tones work well on TV and the safest color on TV is blue.
3. Remove or adjust jewelry that moves, makes noise, or could hit your microphone.
4. Be wrinkle-free and, if not wearing a jacket, try to wear a blouse or shirt made of
supple fabrics – a material that will support the weight of a small lapel microphone.
5. Don't wear stripes, herringbone, small intricate designs, or checks. They can "flutter" on TV. TV viewers should focus on your face and what you say, not your clothes.
6. Men should wear over-the-calf socks so your skin doesn't show if you cross your legs.
7. If wearing a tie, men should make sure that the knot is all the way up to the collar button.
8. If you wear a dark shirt, dark suit, and dark tie, you may look like a "floating" head.
9. No visible logos or companies or brands, except for your own.
10. People shouldn't judge you by your appearance, but they will.

REMEMBER, IT'S YOUR MESSAGE THAT IS IMPORTANT!

Director Doug
[email protected]