When it comes to media production, there are three basic choices.

CHOICE 1 DO IT YOURSELF

YOU PROVIDE ALL THE TOOLS

YOU PROVIDE ALL THE SKILLS

YOU DEAL WITH ALL THE RISKS

First, you can do it yourself, if you have the right gear, the skills and the time to do all the work. Really, how much trouble can it be making professional quality video productions? If you’ve tried it before, you have some idea. It can be technically challenging. Of course, there are unpleasant details, even legal issues, to consider before you can distribute your video or post it to your company website, or even YouTube. There’s copyright, trademarks, releases. You could be putting your company at risk.

Even before you post or distribute your production, there are potential legal problems involved in just shooting the footage. Again, location releases, talent releases, permits, and most important, liability… Are you shooting on private property, or public property? What if someone trips over a cable, or the tripod? What if some kid burns himself on a light? Did you know most municipalities require at least one million dollars in liability coverage before you can shoot on city property, even parks? Why should taxpayers pay for your accidents? There are lot’s of issues to deal with in media production that you don’t have just shooting home movies.

CHOICE 2 FULL PRODUCTION COMPANY

PRODUCTION COMPANY HAS THE TOOLS

PRODUCTION COMPANY HAS THE SKILLS

THEY HELP MANAGE THE RISKS

Second, you could hire a full production company, provided you can afford them. They have really good gear, plus the skill and experience to use it all. The production company typically sends out a crew of three to five experienced professionals, with $50,000 to $100,000 worth of gear.

The production company can handle those legalities of video production for you too. Plus, they have liability insurance if someone gets injured.

Those well established production companies have a proven track record of delivering professional quality results. That’s why large corporations and wealthy individuals with substantial financial resources to draw upon use them.

Plus, a high end, full sized production company is the only reasonable choice for putting your video on network television. It’s probably the best choice for cable television as well, although some independent videographers handle some limited scope cable work. However, with the economy being what it is, what if you are working with limited budgets?

What if you just need internet video, or DVDs produced to hand out to your clients and prospects? What if you just need internal training materials for your employees, or just simple, reliable documentation?

In that case, a big production company might be overkill, although many production companies do a lot of these projects. But they charge premium prices for their work. They have to, because their overhead is so high, gear, office facilities, vehicles, employee salaries and benefits etc. Because of so many client’s budgets shrinking, some production companies have seen revenues drop so much that they have actually gone under. It’s a very competitive environment.

CHOICE 3 PROFESSIONAL FREELANCER

PROFESSIONAL FREELANCER HAS THE TOOLS

PROFESSIONAL FREELANCER HAS THE SKILLS

HE HELPS MANAGE THE RISKS

Then, there’s the third choice. If you aren’t after a Hollywood production, you could choose a well-equipped, professional freelance videographer and photographer, who can deliver high quality work at a surprisingly affordable price, and let him deal with those details. Someone like Roger of True View will show up alone with five to ten thousand dollars worth of gear, cameras, microphones, lights, stands etc. Let him deal with all the gear so you won’t need to.

A professional should also be able to explain how to navigate the legal issues involved in media production so that you don’t get yourself in trouble. Let him get the licensed music and stock footage. Let him deal with releases and permits. And of course, a professional will certainly carry liability insurance, won’t he? Roger of True View has experience with all of this. Plus, he has rather extensive experience dealing with OHSA and HIPAA regulations, along with a two million dollar liability policy.

TRUE VIEW specializes in video recording and digital photography for precise, objective documentation and reliable, professional post production for organizations or individuals in an efficient, cost-effective manner so that your message or story is faithfully conveyed to your target audience..

ON LOCATION:

True View comes to you! Lakeland is conveniently located for travel anywhere in Central Florida, especially along the I-4 corridor between Tampa Bay and Orlando. However, travel to other places is an option too. Don’t be afraid to ask.

There’s no big studio facility for True View. Rather, Roger works out of an office in his home. This lower overhead allows professional services at a very competitive price. This includes editing with a full AVID Media Composer software suite.

When the facilities of a full studio are required, there are several in the area that can be rented at reasonable rates.

ON BUDGET:

A professional videographer is a one man film crew. At True View, Roger mans the cameras, monitors the audio,  sets up the lights, and later does the post production (editing). This is an extremely cost effective approach. While professional services are never cheap, one man costs less than a full crew.

Check out the sample videos on this site and in the sidebar. Roger doesn’t claim to be the best, but the online samples show what he can do. In them, you’ll see slow motion, freeze frame, timelapse and still photography incorporated into the production process. There’s even some live footage from under the microscope!

When the job really is too big for just one man, Roger knows other reliable video professionals that work freelance and can assemble a team. Of course the additional workers have to be paid.

At True View, your special requests won’t get lost in a tangled bureaucracy. Instead, you’ll deal with the owner of the company!

ON TIME:

Being easy to work with and efficient is  key to the True View business model. Like any other business, True View won’t succeed without repeat customers and the referrals that come from happy clients.

True View offers quick turnaround too. Most people aren’t pleased with having to wait months for their project to be completed by other production companies.

When your project has been sized up, True View will give you an expected completion date. If you desire, we can email you progress reports.

Question: Does True View do weddings?

Many video production companies no longer do wedding films.  However, True View gives weddings special attention. Years from now when the flowers, the cake, the food, and possibly even the dress are long gone, your wedding video and the photographs will remain.

Your wedding is important. Therefore, True View takes a methodical approach to producing your video in a concise, documentary style. There’s no playing around. It’s the story of your day.

True View works for you taking a minimum of artistic license. There’s nothing phony about a True View film, but care is taken to capture the beauty of the bride through skilled camera work and proper lighting.

Bear in mind, photographs alone can’t capture the vows being spoken, or the tear actually rolling down the father’s cheek as he gives his baby girl away. Of course, relatives aren’t the only people known to cry at weddings. Sometimes, if you look closely, you might even notice a cameraman with a moist eye!

Question: What kind of Music can be used in my Video?

Any kind of music, classical, rock, pop, rap, country, you name it, is okay for your online video,  as long as it isn’t obscene and provided we can obtain licensing from the copyright holder to use it. True View respects the Intellectual Property Rights of other artists and musicians. We have a rather large collection of licensed music in various genres, some even have vocals.

Whether for corporate clients or a couple getting married, we can supply appropriate music LEGALLY! This is especially important should you want portions of your film posted on line. The record labels are becoming more and more active in prosecuting violations of copyright. We don’t want to be sued, and don’t want anyone suing you either.

Question: Do people really get sued over music used in a video?

See the link in the sidebar titled: LAWSUITS OVER MUSIC!

As a matter of fact, political candidates, and even churches have recently been sued over copyright. One church was sued for THREE MILLION DOLLARS! This is not just an issue for weddings. If you are in business, make sure your company site isn’t violating copyright. Cover your assets.

Question: Is True View Insured?

True View LLC carries Commercial General Liability Insurance with a general aggregate limit of two million dollars.