Hi! I'm a cinematographer and media entrepreneur. As a filmmaker, I use cinematic storytelling to make powerful, impactful connections. And as an entrepreneur, I firmly believe that one of the most powerful ways to change the world is through businesses run with empathy and soul. I get to be a creative artist while exploring the art of business, and for that I'm grateful. Sign up for my newsletter to read interesting bits about modern media and film.
Life's a whirlwind
Life's a whirlwind
Hey there!
How is it March already? This year has been a bit of a blur so far, more than usual. I'm trying to hang onto the small, intentional moments to slow down.
Like this one — it's early (my body clock is way off with this time change), and I'm on my couch with a candle flickering on my coffeetable. There's a dog curled up on either side of me and one more on the floor.
Doesn't it feel delicious to soak up moments like these?
Here’s what’s in this week’s email:
- Project updates: what's been cookin'
- I read Wistia's 2023 State of Video Report so you don't have to
- Client Spotlight: Tim & Fin
What's been cookin'
Speaking of whirlwind, it's been quite a start to the year project-wise.
SPEC ADS
One of the things I've missed lately is working on cinematic story-based ad content. There's an art to strong storytelling in 30-60 second short form video, and I've been itching to get back into developing those skills.
To scratch that itch, I'm producing an outdoor adventure ad, unbranded, but something that you might see from REI or Patagonia. I'm partnering with my good friend, John Smith, as cinematographer for this project. We create stock footage together, and are hoping this will be a great opportunity to build our collection while also honing visual storytelling skills.
I'm also in the process of building a stock footage project with a local distillery here south of Nashville. It'll be a fun one!
SMART MONEY HAPPY HOUR + GEORGE KAMEL
Over at my full-time job with Ramsey Solutions, we've just launched a new YouTube show and have one more about to go live. I had the privilege of lighting both: Smart Money Happy Hour, and the upcoming channel for George Kamel (launching April 3).
A couple sneak peaks:
State of Video 2023
Video hosting platform Wistia released their 2023 edition State of Video Report this past week. It's 73 pages long. I read it so you don't have to!
It covers four main topics, with data and insights gathered from surveying 1500 companies:
- Video strategy
- Video creation
- Video distribution
- Audience engagement & conversion
Here are some key takeaways:
- The pandemic saw a boom in how video plays a part in both marketing and everyday content consumption. While that's slowed a bit since 2020, the data shows it's still far higher than pre-pandemic — and that it's a trend that's here to stay.
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It can be difficult to attribute a direct ROI to video content. But some of the best indicators that video is engaging your audience in the right ways are:
- Increase in website traffic, social engagement.
- Increase in time spend on a webpage.
- Improved SEO ranking.
- 69% of businesses surveyed said they'd be likely to make more videos in 2023 compared to last year. Over 1/3 also said at least 10% of their marketing budget would be going to video. While that's a lot of competition in an ever-more noisy online world, it presents even more of an opportunity to meaningfully connect with your audience when you create content that really stands out.
- Long-form content (30+ minutes) continues to grow in popularity. Obviously short-form isn't goingn anywhere, but I think this is an indicator that when you've built trust with an audience, they want to spend time diving deeper with you.
- Okay, shocker time. What do you think was the social media platform companies said performed best for them in 2022? Instagram? TikTok? How about... LinkedIn. Yes, LinkedIn.
My take: video will continue to trend upward as one of the most important forms of both marketing and communication. It's not slowing down. But with all the digital noise in the world, it's more important to stand out — and by that, I'm not talking about being flashy. More than ever, people want connection. Connection with a story, with an emotion, with something that leaves their life a little better than before.
Client Spotlight: Tim & Fin
Last year we had the pleasure of working with a super fun couple doing post-producing for their YouTube channel, TIM and FIN. Go check them out! Seriously — you're in for a treat. They're creating some of the most real, down-to-earth travel vlogs I've seen, and it shows when you look at how their audience is engaging with their content. They're perfect examples of how longform content can be super effective.
This year we're excited to work with them again to edit several new adventures they'll be taking!
(P.S. - they have a whole line of travel gear too — check it out here.)
Well, that's about it for now! Thanks for reading. You're always welcome to hit reply — I'd love to hear about what you're up to!
Until next time,
-- Chad
Chad Stembridge
Hi! I'm a cinematographer and media entrepreneur. As a filmmaker, I use cinematic storytelling to make powerful, impactful connections. And as an entrepreneur, I firmly believe that one of the most powerful ways to change the world is through businesses run with empathy and soul. I get to be a creative artist while exploring the art of business, and for that I'm grateful. Sign up for my newsletter to read interesting bits about modern media and film.
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