How many divorces take only one hour to complete, feature music, laughter, dancing and acrobatics, and are cheered by millions of people all around the world?

Six weeks ago Indigo Productions uploaded a 2-minute video called “JK Divorce Entrance Dance” to the Internet. It was a spot-on parody of a hugely popular video called “JK Wedding Entrance Dance” – featuring a real couple dancing down the aisle in a church - which had gone viral just a few days earlier.

To date, the Divorce spoof has been seen by more than 10 million people worldwide, with well over 2 million clicks on YouTube alone. By any definition, this is a viral video smash hit.

The spoof also received an outpouring of media attention: CNN, NBC, MSNBC, and Access Hollywood all ran stories on it. Articles were published in the Chicago Tribune, The Huffington Post, The Sydney Morning Herald, and dozens of other serious journals. Twitter was abuzz, with celebrities like Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher tweeting its praises. Thousands of blogs featured it. Forbes even wrote an article on the business angle.

Most importantly, from a viral perspective, it was re-posted endlessly. It made the first page of CollegeHumor, Break, Mashable, Digg, CNN, AOL, Yahoo Video, and thousands of websites in every language in virtually every country around the world.

How did a video made in 2 days on a fairly modest budget achieve these spectacular results? Read on!

But first…

If you haven’t seen it, take a look at the original:

JK Wedding Entrance Dance

Next, here’s our spoof:

JK Divorce Entrance Dance

And as an added bonus, here’s a brand-new look behind the scenes!

JK Divorce Dance | Making of the Viral Video Hit

And now, an explanation of

THE 9 KEY REASONS WHY “JK DIVORCE” WENT GLOBAL:

1. It’s short

At just 2 minutes, it was specifically designed for Internet sharing.

2. It’s funny

Laughter is the gold standard in the viral world. Period.

3. People said “Wow!”

Audiences responded to the level of care in every detail. The quality of the dancing, the acrobatics and the costumes - plus the fact that we shot it in a magnificent real courtroom – made people realize they were seeing something special.

4. The timing was perfect

We created this elaborate spoof incredibly quickly, just as the original was peaking in the media, guaranteeing maximum exposure.

5. Our distribution strategy

We used a powerful online media mix including social media channels, link strategies, bookmarking sites, blogs, mailing lists and microblogs. While some of our technology and optimization strategies are confidential and proprietary, distribution must be seriously considered by anyone seeking to make a viral video.

Of course none of this would have been worth ten cents if people didn’t like the video. But lucky for us they did.

6. The media frenzy

The television coverage, articles, and blogs were massively helpful in influencing the speed with which it spread.

7. Universal appeal

As a humorous music-driven and dance-driven video with no English-language dialogue, it was poised for international success. It quickly broke records in Europe, and in two days it became the #1 viewed video in Asia.

8. “Oh my god – Is this real?”

We were amazed, frankly, at how many people thought the real couple were actually getting divorced - and dancing down the aisle in their wedding outfits! The YouTube Comments about this are hysterical, and this “controversy” helped spread the video even further.

9. The music

Yes, it’s copyrighted. And no, we didn’t have permission. Sony Music could have easily shut us down for using Chris Brown’s “Forever” in our soundtrack. But based on the success of the original wedding video that featured the same song, we went for it. Sure enough, one day later YouTube and iTunes inserted a pop-up ad selling downloads for $1.29. And having major music industry players profiting from our video certainly didn’t hurt us.

WHY WE MADE THE VIDEO

First, a bit of background:

Indigo Productions is a New York City video production company. One of the reasons for our success over the past 17 years is that we stay at the forefront of trends and technology. Our intense interest in viral videos began about a year ago when several clients, almost simultaneously, asked us to help them make videos “go viral” on YouTube. This sparked a company-wide motivation to crack the code on the viral video production phenomenon.

After a comprehensive study of the subject, we wrote a well-received article called How To Make A Video Go Viral.

As our interest and expertise grew, we decided to teach a seminar at New York University on Viral Video Production.  We were excited about sharing our knowledge with creative college students, a key Internet demographic.

During the last week of the seminar, I was telling one of our longtime corporate clients about the course. He became intrigued. “How,” he asked, “can you make a video go viral?”

I explained that with an advanced understanding of Internet user behavior, search engine optimization tactics and web linking techniques, it’s not that difficult to create a viral success if you have two items at your disposal:

1. A great video, with inherent viral potential

2. A great distribution strategy

Now even more intrigued, he made us a friendly bet: If we were able to create a true viral video, using the techniques we were teaching our students at NYU, he’d go out of his way to introduce us to some key contacts who would have a LOT of new business for us.

(The truth is, he would have made the introductions anyway. But we loved the spirit of the challenge, and we were highly motivated to win the bet!)

And beyond that, we were in the mood to have some fun.

HOW WE MADE THE VIDEO

First, the entire Indigo team spent 2 evenings eating Thai food, drinking beer, and brainstorming concepts for viral videos. We came up with at least 20 terrific ideas, but some were too expensive to produce so we put them to the side.

Next, we “pitched” our 3 favorite ideas to our students at NYU to see which got the best response. The students loved them all, and promised to help out with whichever we chose. But the JK Divorce Dance was so fresh and topical (the JK Wedding Dance had gone viral only 2 days earlier) that they nearly fell off their chairs laughing when we told them the concept.

We knew then and there that we’d have a hit. But ONLY if we made it fast, made it great, and used every tool on the Internet to distribute it.

It took us just 48 hours between the time we decided to make the viral video and the time that we shot it. We spent those hours frantically casting, scouting locations, filling out paperwork and insurance certificates, preparing costumes, buying props, rehearsing the choreography, and doing 100 other things needed to make the parody successful.

A key victory was getting permission to shoot in the Supreme Court at 60 Centre Street in New York City – a feat not easily accomplished!

Our friends at Conan O’Brien were a great resource too. We hired Barry McNabb, their amazing choreographer, to create the dance routines and help us fill our cast with top Broadway dancers, acrobats and tumblers.

We shot the whole video in under an hour – in just 3 takes. We then edited it quickly the same night and uploaded it first thing the next morning.

THE WORLDWIDE EXPLOSION

We were 100% confident that we’d have a hit, but we were amazed at how quickly the video absolutely EXPLODED on the Internet, literally within hours.

By lunchtime, journalists were calling to find out how and why we made the video. By the next morning we were getting similar calls from Australia, Germany, England, Switzerland, and Japan.

From a marketing and branding perspective, the JK Divorce quickly resulted in over 30,000 unique website views and generated over 500 new inbound links.

And the number of views just keeps rising.

Many people have asked if Indigo made any money from the JK Divorce Dance. Well, we didn’t do it for the money. Seriously. We did it in the spirit of a challenge, to test our latest Internet research, to provide free entertainment, and to have a lot of fun. But the answer is yes, some money managed to find us.

All the exposure resulted in a slew of new contacts and prospects, many turning directly or indirectly into new business in our project pipeline. And of course our corporate client made good on the bet.

As a nice little bonus, a very smart British firm figured out to monetize the video in a way we would never have thought of. It’s not a lot of money, and the details are confidential… But we’ll leave you with one request: Kindly ask all your friends to watch the video a few more times on YouTube! J http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbr2ao86ww0

JK DIVORCE DANCE CAST AND CREDITS:

Producer: Max Rosen

Director: Lucas Howe

Concept: Warren Zenna

Choreographer:  Barry McNabb

Key Internet advisors: Jim Elliott and Konrad Kociszewski of Cherryone www.cherryoneweb.com

Bride:  Katrina Yaukey

Groom: Joey Abramowicz

Judge:  Patrick Boyd

Bailiffs: Andrew Totolos and Rocco Cafferelli

Lawyers:  Tom Zemon and Ashley Robinson

Stenographers:  Kimberly Dawn Neumann and Nalina Mann

Announcer: Maria Sandoval

Giant Head in the front row: Victor Rocine

Cameraman: Adam Buncher

Assistant Producer: Maria Sandoval

Assistant Director: Ozzie Pisarri

Assistant Choreographer: David Janett

Location Manager: Nils Widboom

Audio Playback: Mizuho Endo

Accounting: Kyoung Kim

Production Assistants: Dave Presley, Courtney Escoffey, Steven DiCasa, and Derek Heidemann

Production Baby: Ares Alexander Zakow Totolos

ABOUT INDIGO PRODUCTIONS

Indigo Productions is a full service New York City multimedia and video production company that specializes in corporate video production. Indigo’s marketing videos, training videos, commercials, documentaries, music videos, web commercials, viral videos, websites and short films have been seen by millions worldwide over the past 17 years. Clients include L’Oreal, Everlast, IBM, Scholastic, and the Smithsonian Institution. A winner of top industry awards, Indigo is the one-stop creative resource for a wide variety of Fortune 500 companies, ad agencies, nonprofits and other organizations. To learn more about Indigo and video production services in NYC, please visit www.indigoprod.com

]]> http://indigoprod.com/nyc-video-production-blog/2009/09/jk-divorce-dance-the-making-of-a-viral-video-hit/feed/ http://indigoprod.com/nyc-video-production-blog/2009/06/how-to-make-a-video-go-viral/ http://indigoprod.com/nyc-video-production-blog/2009/06/how-to-make-a-video-go-viral/#comments Wed, 17 Jun 2009 21:28:58 +0000 admin http://indigoprod.com/nyc-video-production-blog/?p=36 What is a Viral Video, and how can you make one work for your business?

By Warren Zenna and Max Rosen

Viral Video: A video that spreads like a virus, passed on from user to user via the Internet, social networks, mobile platforms and more.  A video is typically considered “viral” when it surpasses 1 million plays.  But what does it all mean, and how can you use the power of viral marketing to grow your business?

In 2004, closet pop-star Gary Brolsma became the stuff of on-line legend when his nutty lip-synced performance of Numa Numa, an obscure Moldovan pop tune, suddenly went global. In an equally unlikely event, 2009’s video of middle-aged housewife Susan Boyle singing on “Britain’s Got Talent” is fast on its way to becoming the most viewed video in history.

As a result, these two individuals became instant worldwide celebrities, spawning endless media attention, talk show appearances, TV commercials, music videos and CDs, citations in the Guinness Book of World Records, and much, much more.

Today more than ever, individuals and businesses alike are scrambling to capitalize on a powerful new marketing opportunity by creating and distributing their own videos on the Internet.  The hope, of course, is that they or their brand will end up on millions of computers and cell phones – resulting in notoriety, buzz and potentially huge dollars.

Video production companies are getting more and more requests for “viral videos” from large and small organizations hoping to cash in on this new, mobile and web-based phenomenon.

But few filmmakers (or their clients) understand how this type of content can be created – or, more importantly, how it can be turned into a successful viral marketing story.

Underneath the hood of this new seemingly chaotic marketing phenomenon is actually a complex combination of marketing savvy, technical know-how and behavioral science executed by serious marketers who have a unique understanding of how video content can be produced and distributed in this new world of viral interactive channels.

But let’s be clear:  The online video universe is vast and highly competitive.  Just go to YouTube and enter the word “funny” in the search bar.  You’ll instantly get a glimpse of how massive the amount of user-generated video is right now.  An estimated 70,000 new videos are posted to YouTube every day.  Obviously, the majority of these homemade wonders are lost in the cybersauce.

Yet some manage to achieve many millions of clicks and are avidly consumed by viewers around the planet.  In some cases, like Gary Brolsma’s, this is the result of pure luck and unusual circumstances which are impossible to replicate.  In many others, it’s due to the know-how and diligence of smart marketing experts who have mastered the underpinnings of the way videos are distributed, indexed, viewed and shared.  This skill-set requires an integrated understanding of multiple disciplines: Technology, behavior, psychology, marketing, search engine algorithms and social network dynamics.

So, what exactly makes a video in this vast marketplace go viral?

MARKETING IN THE VIRAL WORLD

Here’s the good news:  The majority of successful viral videos are NOT accidents.  With sophisticated new developments in content optimization and sharing technologies, many of the videos that catch people’s attention on YouTube were DESIGNED to be shared and spread across the Internet by savvy content developers who know exactly how videos behave - and how viewers respond.

Over the last 5 years, there have been enough viral video success stories to analyze the conditions that made them a hit.  This data has provided information that allows us to recreate many of the elements that made these videos go viral.

Here are seven key tips on how you can get in on this burgeoning marketing opportunity - or at least better understand how a professional can help you do so.

SEVEN KEY TIPS ON MAKING VIRAL MARKETING VIDEOS

1. Make people go “Ha-Ha!” or “Wow!”

Making a video that is utterly fascinating is a core objective of anyone seeking to conquer the viral world. The most successful viral videos are always funny or original or outrageous or provocative or sexy or shocking - or all of the above.

As obvious as it may seem, keep the following in mind at all times:  Your number one goal is to make people laugh, or gasp in astonishment.

2. Make them short and sweet

Most successful viral videos are short.  Four minutes is considered roughly equivalent to “Gone with the Wind.”  Many viral videos are under 30 seconds – showing nothing more than a clip from a crazy car accident or a wacky incident with a pet.  People consume content on the web very differently from how they consume content on TV.  They are looking for snacks, not entrees.  Feed them small bites instead of whole meals.

3. Make lots of them

One video, short and brilliant as it may be, has only one shot at reaching the multitudes. Creating and distributing a SERIES of short and brilliant videos is a far better approach. The most successful viral marketers are folks that upload lots and lots of videos consistently and with a strong point of view. Quantity generates followers that keep coming back, and grabs the attention of the programmers at viral websites whose job it is to seek out the best of the net and feature it on the front pages of their websites. There’s no resting on your viral laurels anymore – 5 minutes after you’re a hit, the web has already moved on. So build that library of material and release it consistently!

4. The role of Technology

Understanding basic Search Engine Optimization (SEO) techniques is vital in ensuring that your video is found and shared via the major search engines.

Posting your video on YouTube is a no-brainer, and is the first essential step. But learning a few basics of how YouTube works from an SEO perspective can make all the difference in the world.

Optimizing your titles, video descriptions, metatags and thumbnail views is a critical component of YouTube postings.  The way you write the title of your video on a YouTube listing has a huge effect on the possibility that people will view it.  As an obvious example, “Sexy Delivery Chick” will get far more clicks than “She Delivers.”

Some SEO experts recommend frequently changing the titles on videos to keep things fresh.  The same rules apply for metatags, which are key words you choose to help search engines categorize your video.  The metatag “funny” won’t help your video out much – it’s too generic.  A metatag like “Britney kissing Madonna” would receive a lot more attention because – well, a lot of people still seem to be interested in the subject.  In any case, optimizing titles and metatags allows you to experiment with different variations and keeps the content fresh.

Thumbnails: What you decide to show as the thumbnail still-frame also has a huge effect on the number of views.  YouTube will auto-select a number of shots from a midway point of the video as the thumbnail, so you should design the video with a lot of great shots in the center of the clip.  Other viral sites give you far more freedom, letting you upload any thumbnail image you’d like.  Whatever the venue, make sure to select a thumbnail that is compelling and tantalizing. Clearly a shot of a girl in a bikini will be a lot more visually enticing than a shot of a guy drooling over her.  And change the thumbnail periodically to ensure that the video is “refreshed.”  These techniques work to keep the content new and viewed more often.

5. How to spread the word

One of your key goals is to get your video the top spot on the Youtube home page, where the Daily videos and Most Viewed videos are showcased.  The higher up your video is listed on this page, the more views you will get.

Seeding your video to popular bloggers is a great strategy for getting the word out.  Capitalize on people who already have a built-in following and ask them to post your videos.  Find YouTubers who have an established following and get them to share your video with their members.   Post the video on a Facebook page and share it with your networks and friends.  Link the video to your Youtube page to ensure traffic to the site as well.  Embed the YouTube page on your MySpace page, then ask your popular friends and colleagues to do the same.

Also, upload your video to every popular viral site out there!  Hundreds of video sharing sites exist, with new ones forming every day.  The name of the game is exposure – you want to create a chain reaction.  If your video gets featured on smaller viral sites, it can easily reach an online tipping point and cause a viral chain reaction that quickly pushes you up onto YouTube’s homepage.  There are countless sites, but here are a few big ones to concentrate on:  Yahoo, MSN, Metacafe, CollegeHumor, DailyMotion, Crackle, Blip.tv, TubeMogul and more.  Social bookmarking sites like Digg, Stumbleupon and Delicious are great places to post your video links as well.

You should also post your video on every prominent Social Network (Facebook, MySpace and the like) to increase the way your video is seeded by search engines.

Last but not least, don’t forget Twitter - this micro-blogging platform is fast becoming the most popular sharing network on the web.   Open an account and make sure to push your video link out to your followers.

6. Power users

Power users are the elite, core group of tastemakers on the web.  They can reach vast communities instantly, and have extraordinary influence over what content is looked at and shared.  Identifying and “friending” power users is a critical way to ensure that your videos get the level of Diggs, votes, shares and clicks needed to rise to the top of the pile.

How do you reach a power user?  Start by looking at a user group and determining who has the most followers.  Send them your video and see if they spread the word.  Engage in user forums and post comments about your video.   Create new user names and build “conversations” about your video that generate buzz about it.  If there’s enough buzz, a power user will notice it.

Buying or renting good email lists, and sending out links to your video, is another good way to create buzz.  A well-written email with a good hook will get opened by a lot of people.  And if your video is good, the people who watch it will share it with their friends or post it to their own social networking profiles.  And don’t forget professional networking sites like Spoke, Plaxo and LinkedIn.  More and more viral video postings are showing up on these sites, and content sharing is becoming much more acceptable.  Get that video out there to enough people, and eventually a power user will pick up on it.

7. Invest

Because the web is infested with mostly cheap-looking homemade video content, videos with high production values really stand out.  To achieve this, your best option is to hire a great video production company that really understands the medium and can ensure that viewers are interested and entertained.

Keep in mind that many “amateurish”-looking videos were actually produced with big budgets by teams of highly skilled professionals in order to create the appearance of do-it-yourself authenticity.  This doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be able to replicate their results armed with a cheap camcorder.

Remember:  Short, funny, and utterly compelling is the best mix.  A great-looking, well-produced video is a also great investment:  It can be spread virally, tagged to your website to generate traffic, AND repurposed for other countless other marketing efforts down the road.  It will pay off in dividends when done properly - so hire a video company with a track record for making short pieces that really grab people.

8. Be creative and have fun!

This is probably the single most important key to success.  Boring videos die a quick and lonely death on YouTube.

Even if you are a conservative accounting firm, a creative mind will find it easy to come up with content that is fun, interesting, and unusual.  It may be counterintuitive, but your video doesn’t even have to be about your business.  It is often enough to make people laugh or surprise them a bit, and then indirectly mention your product or brand.  But be sure to link the video back to your site so viewers associate the content with your business.   This makes for a more interesting effort for you and increases the chances that people will want to know you or understand more about what you offer.

Are you interested in learning how to make a viral video?

Or, are you interested in breaking into professional video production?

Then sign up for the Indigo Productions VIRAL VIDEO WORKSHOP at NYU

When: 3 Sundays: July 12th, July 19th, and July 26th (10 am – 6 pm)

Where: New York University, the Bronfman Center, 7 East 10th Street

Tuition: Only $200! (Students $150)

For more info: http://www.indigoprod.com/ViralVideoWorkshop

To Sign Up: www.indigoprod.com/ViralVideoRegistration

Start with trust – knowing that your producer is capable of creating a corporate video that exceeds your expectations, and has done so for client after client. You want a producer who can answer all your questions… and who knows the right questions to ask you. You want a producer who can guide you through the entire video production, from developing the initial concept, all the way to your final presentation.

Here are some key tips to help you in your search!

Don’t assume your kid, or the intern, or a wedding videographer knows how to create a powerful corporate video or web commercial.

If you don’t get it right while shooting, it will be a costly waste of time and money to try to fix it in post. Most likely, you’ll have to start from scratch. Or, at best, settle for less than what you really need for your sales video or training film. And if you’re not satisfied with that video, do you really think that it can motivate your workforce, create brand awareness, or bring in clients?

Don’t assume the lowest price means a good value.

These days, anyone with $1000 can buy a video camera and call himself a video producer. This doesn’t mean they know how to tell a good story and captivate your audience. Chances are they lack creative, technical, logistical and marketing know-how, and have little or no experience collaborating with successful companies like yours.

Get real about the reel.

A video production company’s body of work represents experience - experience that assures that you will get the video you want. And watching the producer’s work may inspire ideas for what you want to accomplish in your video. A video production company’s website should offer plenty of samples of their work. An experienced producer can also show you other videos and provide client references.

Get real about the deal.

It’s a good idea to have a ballpark budget in mind when you talk to a video production company. A seasoned producer can give you a realistic sense of what you can accomplish within your budget. But, if you are still unsure, a good producer can ask good questions and help you determine how to spend your money most effectively to get the best possible corporate video. See our article How much does making a video cost?

Remember, successful promotional videos depend on good communication between the client and the producer. The only surprises you want are happy ones!

Indigo Productions, a Manhattan video and multimedia production company, can be reached at 212-765-5224.  Please be sure to visit our website at www.indigoprod.com

1. Get the most bang for your buck!

You’re going to shoot a training video? Multipurpose it. Design it so it can be shown to customers as well. Use it as an intro video to kick off your next big meeting. Turn it into a web commercial to spice up your website, and be sure to tag it for organic search purposes. This will provide a huge return on your initial investment. Finally, be sure to post it on YouTube and send it to everyone you know. If it’s original or funny, it may go viral.

2. Nail down a strong concept

Don’t make the mistake of settling for a boring concept, or developing your ideas on the fly. If you’re stuck for ideas, do some research: Go on the web, watch as many promotional videos as you can, and identify ones that you like. Don’t copy them – that never works – but ask your producer to use them as inspiration for creating something fresh and unique for you.

3. Be realistic with your concept

So, you just saw an episode of Lost and want to set your corporate video on an exotic beach locale? It may be a brilliant idea, but it may not be realistic. Be open to a collaborative solution that may work much better given your goals and budget. (BTW: Be sure to read our article “How much does it cost to make a video?”)

4. How long should your video be?

You don’t need “Gone with the Wind” to get your point across. The best corporate videos are short and sweet and really grab your attention. A 15-minute video can feel like an eternity. A 2-minute to 5-minute video with higher production values will be far more effective.

5. Brochure text is not a video script

Don’t assume that informative brochure or PowerPoint text will be an effective video script. What looks good on the printed page often sounds stilted or incredibly dull in a video. Read the script out loud to others and get feedback. Chances are it will need serious tweaking by a professional scriptwriter. Or, chuck it altogether in favor of a fresh approach.

6. Casting the right company spokesperson

Should you use your staff or hire professional actors? There are pros and cons to each choice. No one knows your business like those who provide your services or sell your products. But don’t star your CEO or any other staff member if they aren’t good on camera. If you’re not sure how they will come across, shoot a quick “screen test” using a small camera and available lighting, and then look at the tape objectively with your producer.

7. As the client, be responsive to requests

The producer may ask you to provide assets like logos, photos, products, brochures, or PowerPoints. You’ll certainly need to give feedback on scripts or rough edits. And you might need to secure company locations or make your staff available to participate in the video. Try to be responsive or production may get slowed… way… down…

8. Should you shoot in Hi Definition Video?

If you are considering showing the video in HD, then YES - shoot in HD. If not, then there are pros and cons to this question and no simple answer. HD is wonderful, but it may increase your costs, requiring additional crew and equipment and post-production resources. Furthermore, the crystal clarity of HD can be stunning, but it can also be unforgiving, revealing every flaw in skin, every paint chip on the wall. Ask your producer whether or not HD makes sense for the job at hand.

9. Know your audience

What is the purpose of the video? Sales? Awareness? Information? Entertainment? Who will be seeing it? Where will it be shown - on the web? At a meeting? On a DVD? This information is critical when designing a concept and delivering a message that your audience will enjoy and relate to. Younger sales staff or customers often respond to humor that senior management just doesn’t get – but if it works for the audience, don’t argue with it.

10. Don’t forget the script

Finalize the script before production begins. Is the information accurate and up-to-date? Will it fly by your legal department? Will it serve your purposes? It’s much easier to make changes on a word processor than on location with a costly cast and crew hovering nearby, or in an expensive post-production suite.

11. Enjoy the process

View the project as an educational experience, and one that can be a lot of fun. Ask questions. Watch examples of videos you like, and discuss with your producer what makes them effective. On the day of the shoot, eat good food on the set. Play your favorite music during breaks. Don’t get bogged down in unnecessary details that your producer knows how to handle. Creating a good atmosphere during production enhances creativity and leads to enjoyment that ends up on the screen.

Producing a promotional video is challenging, fun, and extremely rewarding. Do your homework, but keep an open mind when you start production. Most importantly, make sure you hire a professional that has a track record of producing the kind of video you want. Then, let them take the lead and work together to create your vision.

Indigo Productions, a New York video and multimedia production company, can be reached at 212-765-5224.  Please be sure to visit our website at www.indigoprod.com

“New York Talk,” which was broadcast by PBS on April 4th 2009, is a brilliant and kinetic slice of the city featuring an uncommon look at the New York lifestyle. The film perfectly captures the energy of Manhattan with a fast-paced mosaic of images and people — narrated by a street-smart, bitingly satirical, and distinctly New York guide.

“New York Talk” has been touring film festivals worldwide. It has been officially selected by the Berlin International Short Film Festival, the Los Angeles International Short Film Festival, the Tribeca Underground Film Festival, the Miami Short Film Festival, Exground FilmFest, the Festival International du Court Metrage, the Long Island International Short Film Expo, the Cabbagetown Short Film Festival, the Zeitgeist Short Film Festival, the Hardacre Film Festival, the Billyburg Short Film Festival, the Fort Myers Beach Film Festival, and the Coney Island Film Festival.

Michael was born and raised in Slovakia and spent his high school years in Germany. In 1996, he moved to the US to start his college education and four years later graduated summa cum laude from the NJCU’s Media Arts program. By then he already had his first festival win in his pocket.

In 2006 Michael joined Indigo, a full-service video and multimedia production company based in New York City. Michael’s European background and multiple language skills turned out to be a big advantage for us since many of our corporate video projects deal with international clients and are used worldwide.

Over the past 17 years, Indigo has earned an international reputation by winning top industry awards and providing clients with a one-stop shopping solution for all their video production and video editing needs. In addition to its videography and corporate video services, Indigo also offers a full range of legal video production services.

Many other examples of Indigo’s work and Michael’s video editing can be seen at www.indigoprod.com.

Indigo Productions, a New York video and multimedia production company, can be reached at 212-765-5224.

Prospective clients often ask, “How much does it cost to make a video?” It’s a good question – and every producer wishes there were a simple answer.  But the truth is, this question is a lot like asking an architect, “How much does it cost to build a house?”

An architect’s answer would probably be:  It depends.  Do you want a 50-room mansion on a remote island?  Or a prefab cookie-cutter at the lowest possible price?  More likely something in between – but what, exactly?  Before giving you a quick quote, an experienced architect will ask a lot of questions - including what budget range you are considering.

It would be great if there were a simple formula stating X minutes of video = Y dollars.  But video production, just like home construction, involves far too many variables for that.  And we need a lot more information before we can give you a meaningful estimate.

We need to consider factors like who your audience is, the level of production value they are expecting to see, the potential value of a truly great video to you or your company, and most importantly, a ballpark figure reflecting what you can actually spend.

After all, the requirements and expectations for a quickie “talking head” for one-time use are completely different from those of a global product launch video for a Fortune 500 company.  There’s no point in receiving an estimate for one if you’re really in the market for the other.

The best thing to do is talk to us. With 17 years worth of award-winning video and multimedia experience, we can help you define your goals, advise you on how to achieve your vision within your budget, and help you maximize every dollar you spend so it shows up on the screen in a quality production.

When we do talk we can explore a range of video production choices and explain how they influence the budget.  Here are some factors we need to consider:

• Do you already have a concept, or are we developing one for you?
• If your concept is more expensive to produce than you thought, are you open to a different concept that achieves your goals within your budget?
• What exactly needs to be shot?  This is an all-important question, because it determines which equipment we need…
• … how large a crew we need…
• … and how many days of shooting will be required.
• Where are we shooting the video?  Are there location expenses?
• Do we need to hire actors or models or voice-over talent?  Or are we using your own people?  (There are pros and cons to each.)
• How complex is the editing?
• Will there be sophisticated graphics or special effects?
• Will we need an original music score, or stock music, or no music at all?
• How long will the finished video be?  (Helpful hint: Shorter is better)
• Do we need to shoot in HD or standard definition? (HD looks great, but is more expensive. Standard-def  is often more practical, especially for web commercials)

The fact is, there are literally hundreds of factors that affect the cost of video production.  And you can’t simply choose a company based on price, because a lower price - while attractive in this economy - will rarely yield the best result.

The bottom line?  Let us know YOUR bottom line – or at least give us a range.  Whether your ballpark is $2,500 or $50,000 or $250,000 (and we’ve produced plenty of videos at each of those levels) it’s best to communicate that up front so we can help you create a concept and a production plan that suits your needs and achieves your goals in the most cost-effective way possible.

And here’s the Indigo Productions promise:  Whatever the size or scope of your project, we’ll deliver a video that you’ll love and that we’ll all be proud of. 

Did we mention that you should talk to us?

Indigo Productions, a New York video and multimedia production company, can be reached at 212-765-5224.  Please be sure to visit our website at www.indigoprod.com