Landscaping Gone Hollywood?

The use of video sales techniques can offer a company many alternatives to printed media. A company video can be used as a marketing tool or a presentation tool that displays your best work. When filming your project, be sure to use good quality equipment. The better the quality, the better the impression you will create. Once everything you want has been filmed, production of the video can begin.

Move over Oliver Stone. Step aside Spike Lee. Make way George Lucas. That's right, there is a new breed of directors ready to take over the movie industry. They are the Landscape Contractors of this world. That's right, Landscape Contractors.

Okay, maybe Oliver Stone, Spike Lee and George Lucas don't have to be worried about losing their jobs or an Oscar to a Landscape Contractor, but there is a market for this new breed of directors.

No longer will you have to put flyers on the windshields of cars parked at the local mall. Half of the time, the owner of the car turns on the windshield wipers while going 70 MPH down the freeway, never seeing what the flyer says.

With a little help from a local video production company, any business can create a corporate video, even contractors. A video can be used to sell your company or display your portfolio. Each technique can be very beneficial when trying to pick up new clients.

Alan Shulman, co-founder of Production City in Marin County, Calif., described the process a contractor would go through to produce a promotional video.

"First, the video has to be short. Two to two and a half minutes," said Shulman. Keeping it short will make you stay focused on what you are selling. Furthermore, keeping it short will allow you to retain the viewers interest. Long drawn out videos can find the viewer searching for the stop button.

In creating the video, Shulman advised against using a soundtrack. This would allow you to add narration to the images and a customized sales pitch to your targeted audience. Using text from brochures is an effective source for your pitch material. "You have already done the work to figure out what words you want to say and how you want to position yourself," Shulman said. "Don't reinvent the wheel when you make your video."

One thing Shulman stressed is not to worry about the production value of your video. "They are not buying you as a video producer," he said. Keep in mind that you are selling yourself as a landscaper. In doing so, you can avoid the burden of costly special effects.

Be selective when choosing your videographer. Many will not film a project for less than $1,000 a day. Since this may drive up the price of the production, there are some alternatives to hiring a professional videographer. Shulman however, does not think hiring a nephew to do the job is a smart idea.

One possible solution to avoid hiring a videographer is to create a slide show of still images. Fading in pictures from previous projects allows you to create a virtual portfolio highlighting your best work. Taking this approach does not lessen the importance of quality. Remember, the quality you submit is the quality you will receive. In reality your best approach might be to mix both video and still images, according to Shulman.

The most important step in producing your video is incorporating your logo. "Always have your logo on the screen," Shulman said. Much like many television stations do, embedding the logo into a corner of the screen is one solution. This keeps the logo present and serves as a constant reminder to the viewer.

If you stick with a short video, you have several options to choose from. The video could be placed on a compact disc (CD) rather than a bulky VHS tape. CDs offer a variety of advantages over tapes, one of them being the ease of distribution. They can easily be mailed or handed out without having to fumble with large boxes. A second option is distributing the video by e-mail or placing it on a web site.

The bottom line is to show examples of your work and present your selling points. "You have got to remember you're not making the sell from the video, you're just baiting the hook," said Shulman.

Trade shows are a great place to display your company video. Whether it is a product video or a presentation, crowds will gather around your monitor to see what you have to offer.

With all of the different options to choose from prices vary greatly. Years ago, according to Shulman, the rule of thumb for cost was $1,000 to $1,500 per finished minute of video. "I haven't seen a budget like that in three years," he said. "The bottom has dropped out of the video market." Furthermore, prices may vary depending on your geographic location, the amount of effects used in the production of your video and the length of the video.

We've all seen the crowds of people at trade shows clamoring around a monitor to see what each company has to offer. Imagine having people viewing your work on a monitor, either at home or in your office. The "wow" factor in itself would be enough to create an interest in your company.

Who knows, maybe Ron Howard might call you up and ask your advice on how to landscape a scene for his next movie.

If you would like to learn more about Production City and what they have to offer, visit their website: www.productioncity.com.