Monthly Archives: November 2011

New Media Marketing and HDLSR Bootcamp Classes

Canon Boot Camp

For over two decades The Association has provided cutting edge marketing and advertising services. The core of our service policy is to get results, which is why we have been in business for so long. Client feedback is very important. Whether it’s about our Optimized Market Research, direct response TV ads, New Media Marketing or our famous Canon Boot Camp, please take a moment to share your experience.

The Association reserves the right to use client feedback in our promotional campaigns as well as for Quality Control purposes. Submitting feedback through this form is considered an “OK to Publish.” If you would prefer feedback is not made public, but would still like to provide feedback, please email trevor@theassociation.tv directly. Thanks!

Boot Campers: Include a link to your latest DSLR Project so we can share it with the world!

Canon DSLR 5D passes Green Screen Shoots with Flying Colors!

Canon HDSLR 5D Green Screen TestYou might hear opinions that the Canon DSLR 5D’s 4.2.0 color space can’t deliver good keys for green screen. Well, here’s the word from the trenches. Something you can count on. The Canon DSLR 5D Mark II’s green screen shots keyed beautifully. (for more data on 4.2.0 color space got to bottom of this article*)

We did green screen tests prior to the shoot and they looked great. So, the client gave us the “green light”.
Green Screen shot with Canon 5D.

Tom Myrdahl, D.P. at The Association (bottom left corner), set up this green screen shot.

GREEN SCREEN LOOKING GOOD…

We shot the green screen on location. The sun was our light source. So we could shoot at ISO 100. White cards below and to the sides of the talent gave a nice edge.

As we tell our students in our Canon camera classes, always triple save your shots. So, while we were backing up the shots onto two other hard drives, we checked to make sure the key was good (see below).

EVERY WEEK A NEW SHOOT…

We are shooting with the Canon 5D or 7D every week. Green screen, under water, on jibs, process trailers, motorcycles…and we’ve been nothing but pleased with the results. Below is The Association’s 2010 Sizzle Reel with both Canon and older formats combined. Look for the underwater slow mo shot (done with the Canon DSLR 5D). It’s fantastic.


THE “LOOK” of 35mm film for half the price…

Our clients love how the Canon maximizes their budget and gives them shots as pretty as 35mm film.

IT’S DIGITAL FILM…

We totally agree with Gale Tattersall (D.P. on “House, M.D.”) and Shane Hurlbutt (D.P. on “Terminator: Salvation” and his famous “The Last Three Minutes”) – the Canon DSLR delivers images that bring the excitement back to fine filmmaking. The Canon delivers rich blacks with no noise in low light conditions.  It doesn’t do “video freak out” when a bright light source enters the frame. It has a delicious, short depth of field. Plus, editing is a snap.  This camera’s a game changer.

YOUR CHOICE: Take our Canon camera classes OR  Hire one of our trained Canon DSLR crews:

1) Learn the Canon DSLR at our Canon Boot Camp (http://www.canonbootcamp.com).

Hands On Canon Camera Classes at The Association
Canon Boot Camp students shoot a script from beginning to end in one day,
practicing what they learned in Pro Level I and II.

2) Or if you prefer, hire a fully trained crew to shoot your next production with the Canon DSLR. Our crews are shooting with it every week.

It’s the future. It’s cool. And it’s here. Tested. Proven. Fantastic.

*….about 4.2.0 color space. The issue is dealt in depth in the blog <http://www.cinema5d.com/viewtopic.php?f=64&p=76648> , but the simple answer is “the workflow that works the best for us (for RedOne and 5D mark II footage) is to transcode the footage to ProRes 4.2.2.    Of course we could do 4.4.4 but we decided that it was a bit overkill, considering the fact that at the end, it will be at best some mpeg4 from the local broadcasters (digital TV).”

“The reason why we convert the 5D files to ProRes is the ability the ProRes has to not deteriorate with generations (renders, movies, etc). Also, when everything is native to the sequence setting, rendering is kept to a minimum. Everything that has to be rendered also (subtitles, texts, pictures, etc) all look better when working in a ProRes sequence compared when we tried in a sequence with the native clips from the 5D (h264).”

Lockheed Airship Video Shot on Canon DSLR 5D

When I’m not instructing the Canon camera classes at The Association, I’m usually out in the field shooting video. This time I was the gaffer on a video about a new airship called the P-791.  Much of this material, including all the interviews, was filmed on a Canon 5D by cinematographer Eric Schulzinger, who is the head of the digital media department at Lockheed Martin.

Click to start video:

After witnessing the capabilities of the Canon DSLR 5D, a couple crew members on this shoot got excited about the Canon HDSLR camera technology and decided to attend the Canon camera classes in order to learn more about the 5D and 7D. 

We’re looking forward to hearing more from other film makers as these cameras come into use more and more. Do you use the Canon HDSLR 5D or 7D? Send use your work, we’d love to review it and possibly share it on the blog. Send your video to Trevor at trevor@theassociation.tv.

Tom Myrdahl, Director of Photography

Tom Myrdahl, D.P.Tom is a very experienced D.P. who has shot projects in Asia, Europe, Central America and every state of the Union. TV Commercials, Internet advertising, documentaries, and corporate image projects from Lockheed-Martin and Boeing to Bratz Dolls demonstrate not only Tom’s versatility but point to his unquestionable demand for excellence in image which is the Director of Photography’s responsibility.

One of the key instructors of The Association’s Canon Camera Classes, Tom is a master of the “film look” using the Pro 35 adapter with Cine Lenses or the new “Cine Style” Optimo zoom lenses from Angenieux and the “Cine Style” Zeiss Primes. These “tools” are the foundation for achieving excellence in image ..that’s what Tom does every time out!

E-mail: tom@theassociation.tv

Tom’s personal site: http://www.myrdahlHDVideo.com

Is Your Marketing Bleeding You Dry?

Is your marketing budget sucking your company dry?vampire_dracula

You spend a ton of money on promo and get one lead?

Or NONE!

It’s a bloody shame !

But you don’t have to put up with anemic marketing. You COULD have an effective marketing plan.

What if I could show you how to make your promotional dollars go four to eight times farther? So you could get 4 to 8 leads for your marketing dollar, instead of one?

Wouldn’t it be great to get EIGHT responses instead of ONE out of a hundred (1%)?

One Lead out of a Hundred

The Association has perfected a method of getting four to eight times the industry average. The Association’s Stat – 4 to 8 times the industry average.

Eight out of a Hundred Leads

The Association’s Pay Per Click campaigns perform 4 to 8 times better than the industry average?

HERE’S THE PROOF

Below is the Google Report: The Association’s PPC ads are pulling an average of 8.48% !!

High Conversion PPC Campaign Proof

The proof – 8.48% conversion rate

How do we do it?  We use proven, scientific marketing methods that WORK.

Wouldn’t you like your email stuffed with leads in the morning? Clients have literally asked us to turn off the marketing campaigns because they were so backlogged following up on the leads we generated.

How does this apply to your marketing?

Let’s say you spend $100. on your promo marketing. Let’s say you make a $100. on each close. Well, if  you only get one reach out of the hundred (a 1% return), that reach cost you $100. If you close that one lead, you make $100. So, you break even. If you don’t close that reach, you just lost $100. This is why people stop marketing. THEY’RE LOSING MONEY. DUH!

There’s NO WAY you can EVER, EVER, EVER make money with anemic marketing. Period. But we still see people throwing money away on marketing that only gets a 1% response.

POWER MARKETING – But with The Association’s scientific methods,  you can get four to eight leads.

Applying this to the example above, instead of a lead costing  you $100,  you know get 8 leads which cost you $12.50 per lead.  If you close a $12.50 lead, you make $100 (you pay back your marketing investment of $100). But here’s the good news. If you close two $12.50 leads you pay back your marketing expense and you make another $100. If you close three you made $200. profit. This is the secret to paying for your marketing and making a lot of money. This is “power marketing”!

Be smart. Let us put our scientific methods work for you.

This is the time to grab market share, when everybody else has cut back. Power Marketing will give a better return on your marketing dollar and increase your profits. Break out of anemic* marketing. Call us.

*(def. anemic – lacking force, vitality or spirit.)

(def. anemia – Anemia is a condition in which you don’t have enough healthy red blood cells to carry adequate oxygen to your tissues. If you have anemia, you probably feel tired a lot. Etymology – anemia – 1824, from French medical term (1761), Mod.L., from Gk. anaimia ”lack of blood,” from anaimos ”bloodless,” from an- ”without” + haima ”blood”)