http://youtu.be/nHXdwc6NnCg

The smartphone. Virtually everyone with any technical skill and several hundred dollars to spare has one. In this week's video blog, Keywest discusses the implications that smartphones have had on politics, and especially politicians.

The political world has been filled with great story tellers for as far back as has been recorded. Those men and women who are able to spin bad situations and look like the golden child that saved the day. But in modern times, it has become increasingly difficult for the arrogant and deceitful ones in the bunch to hide their infractions. And one of the major reasons for this is thanks to these wonderful little devices.

It seems that no one is safe anymore, the least bit politicians. With their track record for drama and transgressions, they are the ideal target for civilians equipped with a smartphone and a desire for more YouTube hits.  Anyone is able to take pictures or video on their phone and sell it to the media for a profit. Therefore it’s the individual responsibility of that politician to behave in a way that is becoming and respectable.

As a politician, or any form of celebrity, they’ve essentially given up their right to freedom. Legally speaking, it is perfectly fine for individuals to snap and share photos or videos of public figures for commercial gain. As, the person stepping into that political position has in a way consented to the use of their persona by putting themselves out there to represent a public body, and they themselves are benefiting financially from that position. Another legal factor stems from the fact that video of anyone can be put forth to the media if it is a matter of public interest.

For example, Mayor Rob Ford’s alleged crack video, and all the videos that have been distributed online of him in a “drunken stupor” that have been released, could be put under this category. As a representative for the city of Toronto, it can be argued that it is in the public’s best interest to know how he behaves when in public. It’s another story to try and record footage of his family, or him in a private location such as his home, but when it comes to public property, any right to freedom of not being filmed without his permission goes out the window.

How do you feel about this issue? Would you be okay with someone filming you and gaining profit from that footage? Does your view change if you are in a more vulnerable situation, say after a few drinks at a bar? Now what about if you were running for a political position, or say starring in a television show? Canadian law tells us there is a distinction between individuals based on their career choices. Let us know what you think by connecting with us on Facebook or leaving us a comment in the section below.

Stock Footage Uses: What & how do you use it?

Stock footage uses can be a great asset when incorporated in your production properly. So, what is stock footage exactly? What are its many uses? And how have we at Keywest Video been integrating it into our larger video offerings? Those are the questions that we want to answer for you through this week’s video blog.

Stock footage simply put, is footage that can be used in multiple videos. When a production company shoots a video for a client, that footage is most often used for the sole purpose of that video. But sometimes, when the time or money is not available, producers will utilize footage that was shot previously, not with their specific project in mind. This footage, is stock footage.

Stock footage is therefore mostly of general things, with no specific branding, so it can be utilized in various productions. Things like nature, landscapes, and general office settings are very common.

Stock footage uses is beneficial, because it can save on the resources required to film certain shots. For example, the costs involved in filming an aerial shot of the CN tower can be quite substantial. So you can save on these costs by purchasing from an online library, where the price would be more affordable.

At Keywest, over the past year we have been actively filming, and building up our own library of stock footage. The reason for this being, it will aid our clients in cutting down costs for their own video projects. We usually film with a theme in mind, and have now done several shoots focusing on getting nice shots of downtown Toronto, nature, wildlife, and even some shots of our film and office equipment. Then, when we see a need in one of our client’s videos, we will be able to utilize footage that we have already shot, thereby saving time and money for our client.

This is just one of the avenues Keywest is actively pursuing in order to make sure our clients are getting the most for their money!

NABS Testimonial - Jim Warrington

Jim Warrington, The Executive Director of The National Advertising Benevolent Society sat down with Key West Video Inc. recently to for a client testimonial about our services.

Key West Video Inc. and NABS have had a long working relationship over the years.  Key West Video has provided various types of video production services to NABS; ranging from interviews and testimonials, to events, and animation.  NABS awarded Key West Video Inc. for all their hard work with the 2013 Honour Roll Award.  Key West Video continues to work with NABS to bring important issues to the forefront, and to help when we can.

Testimonial videos are a great way to spread the great things client's say about you. Prospective clients look to testimonial videos to see how much others enjoyed working with you and whether or not you'll align with their values.

Thank you for the NABS Testimonial, Jim! We really appreciate it.

If you are a non-profit organization, and are looking for a professional video production company to work with on your video needs, contact Key West Video today! We'd be happy to help you with all your video production needs.

Copper Marketing Testimonial: David Falconer

Do you want to know what it's like to have Key West Video Inc. as your corporate video production service provider?  Watch the testimonial video from Copper Marketing below to find out!

David Falconer from Copper Marketing recently sat down with Key West Video to shoot a client testimonial.  David and the rest of the Copper Marketing team have hired Key West Video on multiple occasions for their corporate video production and corporate animation needs.  The Key West Video Inc. and Copper Marketing relationship has lasted for years and is continuing to grow and evolve.

Key West Video Inc. would like to thank David Falconer for taking the time to sit with us, and for continuing to trust in Key West Video as a reliable source for corporate video production.  We have worked side by side with David for several years, and he knows what he wants when he contacts us and is friendly and warm.  The Key West Video production crew looks forward to continuing the business relationship we have with Copper Marketing, and will always enjoy the time, and work hard to push the projects to new heights.

If you have hired Key West Video for your video production, and would like to shoot a testimonial for our video marketing purposes, please let us know, and we'll be more than happy to visit you, or have you in our production studio! Contact us here!

Key West Video Inc. is a corporate video production company in Toronto. Key West works with large corporations, small businesses, and non-profits.  Our clientele includes The Home Depot, Huawei, Trans Canada, and much more.

Check out more testimonials, and hear from clients what it's like to have a professional video production company working for you!