It’s always an incredible thing to be recognized for what you build and contribute to the world! We were recently notified that we were voted Best of 2011 by Daddy Van Productions. Daddy Van Productions produce amazing concert videos each year, and do many other video productions as well. These guys love what they do, respect other companies who contribute to the industry, and as such want to publicly recognize those contributions and efforts.
Spidvid was firmly on their list this year, and here’s what they had to say about us:
Spidvid.com is a necessary resource for filmmakers. Young filmmakers. Filmmakers that want to make it in the industry. Their online community and blog feature some of the better insights into how to build a career as a filmmaker. Video production is an industry that can take you a number of places: directing TV spots, acting, dramatic film, and even concert videos. Spidvid offers those producers who are just starting out an otherwise unattainable resource.
We are honored that Daddy Van Productions thought of us, and really love what they do in video production as well. They have collaborated with some of the world’s biggest bands including: Nine Inch Nails, Aerosmith, Maroon 5, Motley Crue, Rascal Flatts, Dave Matthews Band, and countless others, so it certainly is humbling that they gave us the big nod. Thanks guys, rock on!
Techstars, YCombinator, and a few other startup company incubators have launched since 2007. As a result, many amazing startups have been conceived, built, grown, and in some cases sold, including: SocialThing, DailyBurn, SendGrid, OnSwipe, BrightKite, EventVue, Filtrbox, IntenseDebate, Oneforty, Graphic.ly, Next Big Sound, Like.fm, Posterous, and many, many others.
Just recently, I got great news that I was accepted into the very first INcubes incubator based in Toronto. I was instantly thrilled because I knew it would be very beneficial to Spidvid, and it’s parent company (Socially Collaborative Media, Inc.) which I founded. INcubes is a 3 month program for startup entrepreneurs, with the purpose of helping to grow and get young companies that strive to change the world funded.
My goals for the program:
- Raise angel funding shortly after completing the program.
- Connect, collaborate, and hopefully partner with the entrepreneurs and startups in the program.
- Grow Toronto’s startup ecosystem as a whole.
I have graduated from a previous entrepreneurship program, so with that valuable experience I know I can get so much more out of this higher stakes program, be a leader of my class, become a mentor for future classes, and help strengthen/evangelize the program going forward.
With Spidvid 2 being built right now, INcubes starting on December 5th, and continually growing traction in our active Spidvid community, I feel like 2012 is setting up to be a huge year!
To our US subscribers, followers, fans, and especially our community members: Have a fun and entertaining Thanksgiving, and thanks for being part of our new media movement!
Big things are happening at Spidvid! Stay in the loop by getting all new Spidvid blog posts delivered to your inbox.
I love sharing content that I feel has value to filmmakers, video creators, and members of our Spidvid community. Russ Pond recently reached out to me to give me the inside scoop that he was releasing a new ebook to help video creators in the marketing video area, an area where so many individuals struggle to produce successful results.
This ebook is packed full of research, stats, stories, and of course juicy tips and advice for creating marketing videos that cut through the clutter and get your brand in front of targeted viewers. To get it, all you need to do is visit the ebook’s page, and send out a tweet to download “6 Steps To Producing a Successful Marketing Online Video” for free!
Since the mid 90′s, I’ve been producing and directing corporate video projects for a variety of clients, including a handful of Fortune 500 companies. Other producers often contact me with questions about budgeting, client relationships, workflow, cameras, equipment, crew structure, contracts, business structure, accounting and other questions. So, I decided to share my resources for those interested in the business of corporate video production. My hope for this site is to provide a stream of resources to help those in the freelance production business or those interested in getting into this business.
I’ve worked on both sides of the fence. I spent 16 years working for two Fortune 500 companies in their marketing department. I was the one hiring video production companies for a variety of projects. I’ve worked with high-end ad agencies, marketing consultants and the smaller production companies. In 1996, I bought my first editing system — a Media 100 — and started learning the art of media production. Shortly after that, someone actually paid me to produce a short presentation for them. My first paying project! That excitement sent me down a path of learning where today I now run my own production company, Top Pup Media.
Since launching into the corporate video production business, I have produced projects for Nokia, AT&T, MasterCard, Haggar, Uniden, IndyCar, and a handful of other large clients. I’ve also produced, directed and edited a full-length, feature film called “Fissure“. I also recently finished work on a new television show called “Marry Me Again” that we are starting to shop around to networks.
A couple years ago, I took an assessment called “Strengths Finder” and with the help of a certified Strengths Finder coach, I learned quite a bit about the way I’m wired. My top five strengths are Learner, Relator, Responsibility, Individualization and Belief. Why do I share that? My top strength is Learner. I love to learn. I get a buzz when I learn. I look for opportunities to learn. And, I hope that this site will be an outlet for me to share all that I’ve learned about corporate video production.
What is this film festival all about? The Buttered Corn on the Cob Film Festivalis a young film festival that will highlight independent films from around the corn fields of the Midwest. The film festival is to honor the independent drive Film Makers of the Midwest have to create films without the support of the Hollywood machine. All the films shown will have no funding from Hollywood and will have a completely independent voice. The Buttered Corn on the Cob Film Festival will also be a chance for film makers of the Midwest to come together and network together, thus improving their ability to make impressionable films.
The 2012 event is on April 15th in Urbana, IL, submissions are free and will be accepted until February 20th, 2012. If you have a web series, a short film, or a feature length film, you can submit your content here. There are some great prizes to be won including a feature across our entire network for all winners! Here are the winners from last year, and below is our personal favorite entitled “Bedtime For Timmy” which is a very cute short animated film by Thomas Nicol.
Two Men, Two Cows, Two Guns Pardis Parker Flying Dish Productions
Run Granny Run Nikolaus von Uthmann Envy You Productions
3:00pm Feature Film Showcase
Connor’s Woods Joe Taylor Sleep Creek Films
Dark Matter (Best Feature Film) Tye Wilson Broken Shadow Entertainment
6:00 Short Film Showcase I
Cannibal Caverns Ian Havermale
The Jersey Devil Jon Klemke & Nick Nylen OOO, Candy Productions
The Magician’s Box Ash Ahrens Ash Fire Films
Two Rows In Bob Zimmerman R.A.Z. Films
7:00 Short Film Showcase II
With Me Now Sasan Shabrou Gladius Arts
His First Day Brian Rose
Mogul Tye Wilson Broken Shadow Entertainment
Heart Candy Tye Wilson Broken Shadow Entertainment
Cemetery Blues Matt Packman Legacy Pictures
8:00pm Short Film Showcase III
Back Home Tye Wilson Broken Shadow Entertainment
The Last Ride Sasan Shabrou Gladius Arts
8:30pm Best of the Festival Showcase
Bedtime for Timmy (Juror Pick) Thomas Nicol Unfocused Films
Broken Dolls (Best Short Film Non International) Kevin Sedall B.S.E.
Afghan (Juror Pick)
Two Men, Two Cows, Two Guns (Juror Pick)
Run Granny Run (Juror Pick and Best Film in the Festival)
We are proud to be a sponsor of this fun, new, and exciting film festival, not just because of the event itself but because of the wonderful people behind it too. Cheers to the filmmakers, viewers, organizers, and everyone else involved with Buttered Corn on the Cob Film Festival, 2012.
Over the past few months we have been internally debating what Spidvid 2’s product should do and look like. And now we open the debate to you, what would you like to see in the 2nd version of Spidvid?
We are rewriting Spidvid 1 from the ground up, improving and simplifying video project work flow, making it easier to connect to like-minded talent, adding social and collaboration features, coming up with a slick creative design, and have some other intriguing ideas baking in the oven too.
We already have a unique collaborative product and fast growing community, but need your help to continue to revolutionize and fuel our open video production movement. If you want a feature added, want a feature removed, have a user interface design opinion, or anything else that’s inside your head for the future of Spidvid, then let your voice be heard.
If we add anything to Spidvid 2 which you suggest, we will send you a Spidvid gift bag full of goodies!
Add a comment below, tweet us, add an update to our Facebook fan page, or email us. We are doing something truly special within the new media space, and hope you’ll join us to continually innovate collaborative video production on a global scale.
Spidvid 2 is set to launch in style early this Fall!
