We produce both SIMPLE and COMPLEX on-site commercial video projects. This page describes the SIMPLE on-site commercial video, which is a project that does not require any paid talent, multiple cameras, motion graphics, or additional gear to be rented. If you have been sent this page by Anthony or another producer on our team, it’s because we believe your project is a SIMPLE commercial video.
The SIMPLE commercial project is meant to be a brief, yet clear introduction to your product or service. Please take a look at this video we shot which is a SIMPLE commercial project consisting of only four shots and please notice the written message at the end of the video.
Your video will be made similarly to this one. We will come to your business or on-site where you perform your service and get six to eight solid shots.
A few items for your consideration:
- Your offer: Come up with an offer that is not going to change over time so that we can make a voice over of your offer that people will hear as they watch the video. Example: “The Crab Cracker, in Kirkland. Open from 3 pm daily, with happy hour from 3 to 6 pm, featuring half-priced appetizers and a 23-ounce beer at the price of a 16.”
- Writing at end of the video: Decide what you want to be written at the end of your video, if anything. Please notice in the above example, it says, “for reservations, call (425) 827-8700 or visit crabcracker.com 452 Central Way, Kirkland”
- Logo and lower-thirds: Unless you are sure that you don’t want your logo in your video, please send us the highest resolution version of your logo that you have. If you have the Illustrator file or Photoshop file or .png version of your logo, please send that. Most businesses that have a logo want it used somewhere in their commercial video. Please take a look at the videos below and decide if you want YOUR logo to appear similar to option 1, or to option 2, with your contact information on a banner. No matter which option you choose, there is no additional charge!
4. Decide if you want motion graphics created or not. Motion graphics are some sort of animation, usually consisting of your company logo moving in some way. Motion graphics are NOT NECESSARY, and usually not used, but CAN be added to provide extra flair. Sometimes they take a long time to be created, so I say just get one if you really want one.
MOTION GRAPHIC EXAMPLE #1. The motion graphic in this video is active for the first 14 seconds of the video and the logo actually flips around from time to time during the video. It’s the circular movement of the logo and then the banner that displays the websites, before shrinking down to the smaller logo display in the corner. If you have a circular shaped logo and you like this exact motion graphic design, it can be added to your SIMPLE commercial video for only $99! You can choose motion graphics with or without the informational banner that displays the websites at the 5 seconds to 13 seconds points, with no change in the price! We just want you to love it! Please notice how at the 45-seconds point an informative slide appears with additional information. This informative slide is only recommended for videos longer than one minute and can also be included at no additional charge if you end up getting a longer video, such as simple commercial video plus interview combination video.
MOTION GRAPHIC EXAMPLE #2. The motion graphic in this video is from 42 seconds to the 56 second time points.
If you do want motion graphics used, be sure to give us the highest resolution version of your logo, and an Illustrator version of the logo file if possible. Again, most SIMPLE commercial videos do not have motion graphics.
Motion graphics start at $99 if you have a round logo that is usable and want your logo put into my preexisting template as seen in MOTION GRAPHIC EXAMPLE #1. This custom design cost me $500 to be created from scratch, but now that I own the design, you can get your logo made this way for only $99!
Question: How long should my video be?
Answer: For TV: If for broadcast TV, the typical length is 15 seconds or 30 seconds. For online: For Facebook, in-stream video ads (ads placed before or during other video content), Facebook themselves recommend a length of 5-15 seconds (though they allow you to go up to 31 seconds). For standalone ads in News Feed, Facebook also recommends creating ads that are 15 seconds or shorter. That said, some people go much longer. At this point, I suggest we just come to
Question: Anthony, do you charge more for 30 seconds than 15 seconds?
Answer: Nope. You can have any lenfth up to 30 seconds for the SIMPLE commercial video. And if it goes over a little like a few seconds I’m not going to make a big deal out of it or charge more.
Question: So what’s my total cost gong to be:
Answer: For the SIMPLE Commerical video, without the motion graphic, with 4 to 8 shots (we shoot 8 and usually use 4 to 6) of up to 40 seconds, including voice-over, logo banner (if desired) and a written offer at the end (if desired) your total cost is only $800 for a 4k file that is broadcast quality. Military/ veterans pay $560, and Marine Corps active/veterans pay half, so only $400! Why? Because Semper Fi, that’s why!
Question: Why is it so expensive?
Answer: Just to rent the Sony FS7, cinema-style lens, Senhiezer microphone for the voice over, lights, tripods, and other equipment used on these projects (not counting our crane) would cost about $350! Marines are getting an absolute steal, and even paying the standard rate of $800, it’s like paying $450 for our whole day of shooting and then a night of editing. So we are proud to offer you this beyond fair price.
Question: Can you do it for less money?
Answer: No. I and my team can not. However, we may be able to refer the project to one of our recently graduated or soon-to-be graduating students, who may shoot it for you for as low as $200! We do ask that you provide them (and any veterans that assist on your project) with a thank you letter on your company letterhead and also provide a letter to the Star-Spangled Producers program. Keep in mind that our Sony FS7 will most likely not be used on this heavily discounted project and neither would our Sennheiser-416 shotgun mic, so it may not look or sound as amazing as if our gear was used, but will still be great. More than likely the student or recent grad will use his own gear, and that will be just fine for web use! That said, the work of our students is guaranteed, meaning that if you are EVER delivered something from one of our students that were referred by us, and you are not 100% satisfied, the work is backed by OUR guarantee that we will fix it until you are pleased and overjoyed.
Question: I’m a veteran business owner in Dallas and wondering what i can do for totally free to promote my business?
Answer: You can come into our Star-Spangled Producers (SSP) production studio in Colleyville and be interviewed about your business and what it offers to veterans for up to 5 minutes. You will be provided with a link to the video that you can paste all over to advertise your business! All we ask in return is a thank you letter on your company letterhead that the program can use as a reference, such as these references here (link).
Question: What if I want a SIMPLE commercial video that is actually longer because I also want to be interviewed and have that added to the video, kinda like your logo option #2 above?
Answer: First, keep in mind that if you are a veteran, you can get your interview done for free in our studio, and that is a separate interview of up to 5 mintues, that we provide you with a link for. These are a special for the veterans and we do not add them to other videos and such, but can be put directly on your site and look great!
If you are not a veteran and want an interview done at the same time as your SIMPLE COMMERCIAL video, the interview (up to 5 minutes) setup and shoot would be an additional $400. This includes expensive, Hollywood-style post-production voice filters video editing programs applied to make your or your representative sound and look better than they do in real life! I also can apply light, but effective set-makeup to reduce shine and wrinkles on your face, and apply a specific type of soft lighting and lens combination to make you or your speaker appear younger! We even have a simple to read teleprompter we can put your script into at no additional charge. So you could get a video that has both the simple commercial video and an interview included, similar to logo option #2 above, for a total of $1200 full price without the motion graphic, and if you wanted the same motion graphics as on logo option #2 and you already have your logo, your total price before any discounts would be $1299. And a veteran would save $389.70, so the total would be only $909.30, and a MARINE CORPS VETERAN PAYS HALF, so the LEALTHERNECK’S cost would be only $649.50!
Question: What do you recommend doing Anthony?
Answer: I say, unless you need the product explained for some reason, just get the SIMPLE commercial video and keep the length right there between 15 and 30 seconds where it can be most effective on facebook or on your site. And you really do not need to add motion graphics unless you really want that extra flair. Also keep in mind that if you are not 100% thrilled with the product, you never pay for anything, so there really is no risk. We embrace the Corps values here, and would never want your money if you did not LOVE what we deliver to you!
Thank you for reading about my videos! In the end of the day, NOTHING is more important to me than making you thrilled about your video! I love doing this and want you to love it too!
Anthony August Larson