Creating Memorable Experiences

Can you believe it's November already?  Fall has seemed to blaze by so quickly this year!  With October behind us, we have entered our Christmas season at Home Video Studio and it's in full force.  You might ask, "What service offerings are popular at Christmas time?"  Thanks for asking!

First, let's talk about who our services are for.  Well, they're for everyone of course, but during Christmas they happen to be great for those who either have everything or for those you just don't know what to buy for like your mom or dad, your brother(s) and/or sister(s), grandparents, kids, boss, employees, etc.  Give them the gift of their memories!  As the graphic says, "It's time to go digital!  Transfer your photos, slides, videos, and film to DVD!"  

At Home Video Studio, we are creators and changers of content.  We shoot, edit, transfer, and duplicate video each and every day.  Daily, people bring in a myriad of obsolete formats as well as new and up-to-date media.  Customers bring in boxes and bags of old photos and home movies from 50 years ago.  Others bring in memory cards, tapes, and discs containing digital pictures and video they just shot yesterday.  We take this "content" in whatever format it may be, edit it, duplicate it, or simply update it to today's latest-greatest technology.  A perfect example is the migration of your family's old VHS videotapes to DVD or the conversion of your audio cassettes or LPs to compact disc (or to your iPod Touch or other MP3 player, for that matter).  We have equipment to handle any format.  Betamax?  Yep.  Super-8mm or 16mm with sound?  Absolutely!  Broadcast audio and video formats?  Those too.  We like to say, "If you can see it or hear it, we can produce (or reproduce) it!"    

Do you have old tapes of your kids (or when you were a kid) that no one watches because you no longer have a player that works?  Perhaps you and your siblings can go in together on a gift for your parents that includes a DVD of old photos or slides and their favorite music from the good ol' days.

One of the greatest parts of our job is seeing and hearing the impact our work has on the lives of others.  We like hearing about the kids that watch the DVDs of their parents and grandparents from long ago ("Wow grandma, you really did look like mom back then!").  How joyful (and tearful) one of our customers was who stumbled upon an old 78 record of her father speaking to her mother while he was stationed overseas during WWII.  Her father died in the war when our customer was very young.  While she'd seen pictures of him, she had never really heard his voice.  

Stories like this happen quite often in our studio.  Where are your treasured memories?   I'd venture to say they're in boxes in the attic, basement, or closet somewhere.  As you're thinking about what to give and who to give to this year, why not make it memorable?  Give me a call.  I'm ready to create another memorable experience.

Some Recent PR

I just wanted to share some PR we received in recognition for winning six recent Hanley Awards.  Check out our article in the Lee's Summit Journal October 17, 2008.

The 2008 Hanley Awards Ceremony for Excellence in Video Production was held in Orlando, FL on August 2, 2008 at Disney's Coronado Springs Resort.  Hundreds of entries competed for the 34 award categories including Best Video Production, Best Documentary, and the Cut & Paste Award for Best Editing.

This year we were nominated for 12 of 34 categories (meaning we were among the top three in each award category).  Out of the 12 nominations, we received awards for Best Video Production, Best Company Promo, Best High Concept Video, Best Use of Titles, Best Lifetime Video, and Best Memorial Video.

We've been competing in the Hanleys since 2005 and have received a total of 25 of their awards.  What does this mean for you?  It means that we're qualified for any project you send our way, large or small.  Whether it be a corporate video production; a promotion for a church, school, or non-profit organization; a small audio or video editing project; a transfer of your family's videotapes, films, or slides; or a photo keepsake on DVD; we're ready for your business.  More importantly, we're ready to "WOW" you with our quality and exceptional service.

Give us a call today to see how we can help you.  (816) 246-8888 or Toll-Free at (888) 636-8885.

Hit the Ground Running

Hello and greetings to all.

Welcome to my blog and my first post.  Thank you for reading and for your support.

In November 2004, I decided to make a significant life and career change.  Having been an audio/video producer and director for other companies, it was a long-time dream of mine to go into business on my own.  It was a scary move and an inopportune time to take the plunge into self-employment.  I walked away from a decent job with decent benefits.  Our only child at the time was 20 months old.  A few months prior in August 2004, my wife Suzie and I had decided there was more value in her staying home for half of the week with little Madeline than in working full-time.  So, that school year Suzie entered a "job share" where she shares teaching a 2nd-grade classroom with another teacher.  This meant cutting her salary in half and relinquishing all her benefits.  

What a risk!  Our only financial guarantee was half a teacher's salary each month.  What's more, we went into debt to buy our business, a franchise of Home Video Studio (more on that later), and to get our business up and running.  Why did we do it?  It all falls back on that long-time dream to own and operate my own business.  That dream defied all logic and all reason in our lives.  However, my desire to be creative and to serve others was at a very primordial level.  I was determined to make this career work for me and for my family.  I was bound to be unstoppable.

Now, almost four years of self-employment later, I still stand.  I am forever grateful for the love and support of Suzie; our two wonderful children, Madeline (5) and Ethan (2); the friends, family, and many clients I have served; and the many blessings that have been bestowed on us.  I still have many of the same desires as when I began in business, to be rooted in creativity and technology and to serve clients in unique ways.  

In the time that lies ahead, I will share with you ways in which we creatively serve others.  I'll discuss projects that create joy and restore peace of mind through the preservation of family memories, whether it be with your photos, slides, family videos, or old home movies from yesteryear.  We'll talk business and our unique methods of creating market share for companies large and small through powerful audio and video experiences and communication with impact.

I'll look forward to spending more time with you.  Again, thank you for your support.  All comments are welcomed (and encouraged).  Please stay subscribed.