We’ve recently had the pleasure and opportunity to take part in Montreal’s own International Start up Festival, which took place on July 11-12th 2013. In collaboration with Sparksheet/Spafax, we were commissioned to capture video spots from keynote speakers, as well as many of the other interesting characters that attended the multi day event. Over the course of the festival, we were blown away by the amount of “cosmic potential” that was brewing on site. Brilliant minds met with creative visionaries and potential investors were keeping a keen eye out for the next great startup ideas. We had the pleasure of meeting and interviewing some great minds and hearing the stories of their beginnings as entrepreneurs, programmers and business men and women making waves in the world today.
If you’d like to see and hear from some of these interesting folks, head on over to the Start up Festival video page at: http://startupfestival.com/en/2013-videos-2/
Keep those ideas brewing and let’s see you again next year!
Last week, in an unprecedented move, the Chicago Sun times fired its complete roster of 30+ photojournalists, including pulitzer prize winner John h. White. The decision shocked not only the photogs themselves but the city of Chicago and the entire Photography community. There have since been protests in Chicago demanding that the Photojournalists be re-hired.
The apparent reason for the move on the part of The Sun Times, was to evolve into more video and multimedia work. Their reporters will now have to produce their own stories using more modern tools such as web video, to catch up with the modern demands of their readers.
Being professionals in these fields, we understood why Sun times was choosing to move in a more mainstream and modern direction but was the move of a total change really necessary? I dont think anyone can argue that with the advent of the internet, web streaming, Youtube, Skype, Facetime, etc, video has truly changed the way we communicate in the 21st Century. That being said, does Photography fail to communicate as efficiently as video does in today’s world? Perhaps. Although, we are of the thinking that all forms of media and visual storytelling have their place in our world.
While we agree that video/multimedia is the way of the future (hence our area of specialization), let us not forget the roots and the basics of true storytelling through the eye of the camera. Telling a story, no matter through what medium, is an art in itself that must be appreciated.
We were recently privileged to take part in the Cineplex SCENE/Scotia Bank card’s latest national campaign. For those of you who aren’t familiar with the SCENE card, it is one of the biggest redemption card programs in Canada and offers movie goers discounts on movie tickets and other goodies. Now aside from our various services of video and multimedia content production, we also provide directorial services and multimedia consultation. Elemental ad agency (www.elementalinc.com) in Toronto asked us to take part in the creation of the SCENE card spots by providing direction to French Voice over talents in studio. The recording sessions took place at Pirate recording studios in Toronto (www.piratetoronto.com), where we worked closely with the Elemental team, the SCENE staff as well as the very talented sound engineer and multiple voice over actors. The sessions were great and the audio we captured was then used to create dynamic & animated 15 and 30 second spots, which will be aired on TV as well as shown at movie theatres across Canada. We couldn’t be more pleased with the final results and we’re looking forward to working with these talented teams again in the near future. Until then, check out the sample ad below!
Now go pick up your SCENE card today and start saving $$$ on movies!
Aside from our more recognized videography work, we often also provide photography services to our clients. We were recently approached by CDL Laboratories with the mandate to provide fresh & intriguing photos for their new website. We were thrilled at the opportunity to work with such an interesting company, specializing in private laboratory services. We decided to focus on all facets of the company and give its website a virtual visit of the inner workings of the business from behind the scenes. For this project, we also enlisted the services of our colleague Ludo Suissa of http://blackswanfoto.com/ , to help us cover even more ground throughout the shoot day. All the photos turned out great and we’re very pleased to share them with you today! Feel free to check out a selection of the photos on our Portfolio page!
For years now, we have seen the influx of video technology revolutionize the way we communicate our thoughts, ideas and lives to the world. We have truly become a world wide community, with the internet allowing us to communicate directly to one another in real-time and this has never been more relevant and poignant as it is in the use of web video. Human beings have evolved to pick up on visual and auditory messages as well as, through the use of our other senses, to receive signals and communicate with other humans. This is why we are able to communicate ideas and concepts with people who speak different languages, through the simple use of signs, sounds and facial expressions. This is what makes Video the ONLY form of digital communication that offers us the ability to communicate our message, ideas, products and advertising to potential buyers using our innate needs and abilities to fully transmit information through human, audio-visual (& sensory) communication.
Today, Video is everywhere. We watch it on TV, on the Internet, on our Mobile phones & Tablets. Even traditional forms of media such as newspaper print and magazines are being phased out due to newer generations of people being so accustomed to acquiring their information and learning online and through web videos streamed directly to their mobile devices. This is where Video advertising capitalises on this monumental shift in online communication.
Take the company ‘Rokenbok toys’ for example. These innovators have learned to utilized video advertising in creative and captivating ways, not only to demonstrate their products but to target their exact audience and deceminate their message and advertisting through the web, increasing their ROI exponentially. Watch the video here to see how they’ve adopted the use of video to help their company, followers, customers and profits grow:
With technology in constant evolution, advertisers are always seeking new and innovative ways of reaching their target audience. Coupled with the power and connect-ability of video, Video Advertising is poised to be the next big thing in online marketing….shhhhh we already knew that 😉
Video is taking over the world. Contact us today to be pat of the revolution!
Best regards,
The Look Productions Team
p.s. Check out what Google and Youtube offering through their ‘Adwords for Video’ service. It’s pretty awesome stuff!
Happy New Year! All the best for 2013! We’re working hard, preparing some very special productions in the coming months. 2013 promises to be an exciting year, so stay tuned!
During 2012, we were approached by Opus Legal, a law office in Old Montreal, to create their branding, business cards and website. The goal was to keep the design elegant, clean and simplistic throughout. They wanted a logo and branding that reflected their unique approach to the practice of law. As expressed on their homepage, “Opus Legal is a group of independent lawyers based in the most dynamic district of Old-Montreal”. We wanted to stay away from the traditional law firm design cues of mallets, balances and such and instead go for something more commonly attributed to architectural designs or fine art, with clean lines and the use of negative space. That wasn’t such a stretch being that their office were stunning and inspiring from the get go. The marketing materials seamlessly integrated the unique look and feel of the Opus Legal offices and gave their branding a modern edge that has been greatly admired and appreciated thus far. Now completed, we are proud to introduce you all to the brand new Opus Legal website. Feel free to take a tour of their offices and learn more about the multitude of legal services that they offer.
If you’re not one of the, close to 20 million viewers, who were shocked when they saw a viral video of an eagle attempting to pick up a child on Mount-Royal in Montreal, here’s what you missed:
The video quickly garnered over 2 million views in one night and became an internet sensation instantaneously. People around the world started chiming in and giving their insights into whether or not the video was real. As it turns out, the doubters were right and the video was pronounced a fabrication by the school of 3D animation and special effects in Montreal (that I attended for a motion graphics/3D course), “Le Centre NAD”. NAD has been at the forefront of 3D/2D compositing production in Montreal for quite some time now. This latest production was a result of a school project that had for goal to create a viral video. A perfect score would have been to amass 100K views, but this team of 4 students surpassed all expectations. CNN, CBC and many other news media channels quickly picked up the story and interviewed the 4 students behind the viral hoax. Turns out it was a complex project requiring over 200+ hours of 3D programming, rigging and modeling to create the final video. Check out the explanation from the students themselves here:
We’ve been seeing a lot of coffee as of late! 🙂 LeSite ad agency asked us to create an animation that demonstrates the Keurig contest website “A sip of Winter”. You may recall that we had created a video covering their cross Canada campaign recently. This animation was to cover the website more closely and show how the contest, along side the traveling Keurig installations, work together to provide an all encompassing promotional campaign. Visitors to the site, are treated to a variety of tips and tricks for the holiday season as well as, the opportunity to win prizes. They can also spread the word about the contest to their friends through social media and even get rebates on products from Keurig, just for visiting the website. Our animation highlights some of the best features of the website with a connection to the footage we shot for the Keurig installation in Montreal. Check out the animation below and be sure to enter the contest for a chance to win the grand prize, which is pretty sweet!
A few weeks ago, we had our first taste of the coffee industry (No pon intended) when we got to work on a video for Keurig coffee company. This week, Lesite ad agency contracted us to produce an in depth animation of A.L. Van Houtte’s incredible new contest website yourNow.com. LeSite created an amazing parallax website where the user controls the speed at which the animation and information moves down the page, using the scroll wheel of the mouse. Furthermore, visitors to the site can spread the word of the contest to their friends through various social networks as well as, compete for instant prizes. We created an animation showing some of the most unique features of the website, which shows viewers the possibilities of winning when visiting the site. We also showed how the website and contest are available on various platforms such as Ipads and Iphones. Check out the animation below and be sure to tell your friends about the contest! Good luck and stay tuned for more updates on exciting projects ahead!
Recently, we were asked by Keurig coffee company to produce a video covering their unique cross Canada Ad campaign. We were delighted at the opportunity to work with such an exciting company, alongside LeSite ad agency and in collaboration with Stephanie Chriqui Photo. We managed to capture the energy of the day, passers by got to indulge and experience Keurig’s 2 downtown Montreal installations. The goal was to create a feeling of a winter cabin, along with blowing snow, heaters, wooden structures and of course, hot coffee, hot chocolate and hot tea to keep warm! As an added bonus to free coffee and treats, Keurig’s guests had the chance to participate in the “A sip of Winter” contest, by applying on the website via Ipads that were set up on site. Throughout the day, there were tons of instant prizes awarded to the winners and a lot of happy customers walked away with bags full of Keurig goodies! Check out the video below!
Until next time, stay tuned for more updates and keep warm. Winter’s around the corner! 🙂
