Happy Independence Day

Happy Birthday, USA! from Chris McKenna on Vimeo.

Blessings to all our family and friends. Have a safe and sane 4th.

Chris. 

The Wal-Martization of Video Production

I found an interesting article on a 'video learning' site regarding what they call the "Wal-Martization of Video Production"-something that I have had to compete with here in the Puget Sound Region.

Here is what the article says:

"There are a number of companies that purport to “produce” very low-cost business videos by using inexperienced producers who audition their talents on the Internet and only deal with the business client after a contract has been made. Some of those companies include:

(names retracted so as to not give them free publicity on my site)

Not surprisingly, the videos are pretty lightweight. GeoBeats videos seem to be made entirely of still photos edited into videos with stock music and weak narration. Some are better than others, but it’s obvious that these types of videos are produced very quickly and by-the-numbers.

For a couple hundred dollars, it’s an easy sell to businesses. They may be thinking they are ahead of the game, but I like to look at the number of views a video has had. If only 50 people have seen it in six months, it’s pretty much worthless. And that kind of number is not uncommon in these cheapie videos.

At least they are not (yet) trying to outsource the production to China. These videos are shot at the business owner’s location so they require a local videographer. Young and inexperienced videographers get experience from this work and very small paychecks, but this makes it harder for real production companies to compete. That’s how business works many will say.

Wal-Mart does have positives: Great efficiency in buying and low prices, more choices for the consumer, employment for poor people who want to work. But don’t forget the negatives. Many 'Mom and Pop' stores are forced out of business. Wal-Mart wages and benefits are very low. No one knows your name when you walk into the store. The charm and sense of community of small-town businesses is lost. Economists says that overall Wal-Mart helps the national economy, but I’m not sure it’s worth the cost.(And don't forget the fact that these cheapie videos erode the value of the entire industry).

What’s your opinion of this type of video production company?"

I'm happy to say that McKenna Video is not one those companies. But having said that, we offer very affordable production rates for every type of business. We have served the large corporate client and produced very elaborate training videos, and we have produced entry-level promotional videos for the small and micro-sized business. We have produced everything from television commercials to wedding films. What's your fancy?

Call us for more information. 

Blessings,

Chris

(In the interest of full-disclosure, a few years back we had been a sub-contractor for one of the Wal-Mart video production houses (not any more), and in my opinion, you should call us before you ever call them. You'll be happy you did).