Contra Costa County needed a series of engaging emotional training videos that didn’t feel like homework to watch. Our award-winning video production Bay Area turned traditionally dry study material into an engaging cinematic experience that employees not only watched but actually enjoyed — and came back to.

We featured real employees and real stories about the challenges of helping people in need — from the challenges of connecting stressed parents with free childcare to helping the homeless find housing. We used handheld cameras, drones and an LA-based team to create a documentary feel that felt real — and stuck with viewers.

Watch the video here.

And check out the Behind the Scenes video below:

The three days shoot involved a crew of fifteen members, Red Epic Dragon cameras and real social workers who played both people in need and social workers.

A committee of eight experienced social workers acted as a consulting team, making sure the scripts are reflecting real scenarios they face every day.

The video is now a model for other local governments across California.

As a leading San Francisco Bay Area ad agency, we managed all aspects of production, including motion graphics, editing, music, voiceover, sound design and color correction.

Take a look and let us know what you think over at our Facebook page!

Coupa Software is a leading cloud platform for business spend; Unicorn that successfully IPO-d in 2016.  They wanted to stand out from the enterprise software pack with a national TV ad that would appeal to CFOs—and make them smile.

For Feel Good Video, leading San Francisco video production company, making business videos entertaining and engaging is very exciting. We teamed with Coupa and Liquid Agency to craft a story involving 3 CFOs facing total chaos at home — battling kids, coffee makers, constant overspending — and contrasted it with the relaxing peace and order they have at “work sweet work.” The ad aired nationwide on CNBC—and you can watch the director’s cut here.

As a leading San Francisco Bay Area ad agency, we managed all aspects of production, including motion graphics, editing, music, voiceover, sound design and color correction.

Take a look and let us know what you think over at our Facebook page!

Feel Good Video Production Company

Feel Good Video

Cappasity, the leading developer of 3D imaging for e-commerce, winner of LVMH Group program, reached out to Feel Good Video, leading Silicon Valley Video Production Company with a dream request: create a visionary video imaging how #VR and #AR technologies will transform shopping in the future. We teamed up with 30 visual effects experts across eight countries (including a #VFX group that just won an Oscar for Blade Runner 2049) to create a sumptuous and visually dynamic view of e-commerce in 2089. Check it out here.

As a leading San Francisco Bay Area ad agency, we managed all aspects of production, including 3D graphics, motion graphics, editing, music, voiceover, sound design and color correction.

Take a look and let us know what you think over at our Facebook page!

ecommerce

video

3d

shopping

BladeRunner

VFX

#VR

All five were the stars of a recent Feel Good Video production!

Client Ernest Packaging is facing a massive organizational challenge. With soaring demand for packaging with the global surge in ecommerce, the company is experiencing unprecedented growth. They’re hiring hundreds of new employees a year—and need to find a way to attract top-tier talent in a frothy hiring market.

To solve this problem, Feel Good Video teamed up with Liquid Agency to create a series of videos to drive recruitment interest from savvy candidates—and stand out from the typical company. Working with Vince Vincent, Ernest’s VP of Talent, we filmed a series of mock interviews in which Vince was forced to turn down each applicant because they didn’t exactly fit the company culture.

For starters, the sheep didn’t stand up for himself.

The bulldozer was too pushy, natch.

The clown couldn’t get serious.

The porcupine was too prickly.

And the robot gave new meaning to the expression “all circuits are busy.”

This shoot was a thrilling day in which we learned sheep and porcupines must be stationed at opposite sides of a parking lot, and bulldozers can help with garage door repair in a pinch. The videos have earned thousands of views so far in limited release and we’ll update you when we hear more from Ernest on the hiring impact.

As a leading San Francisco Bay Area ad agency, we managed all aspects of production, including 3D graphics, motion graphics, editing, music, voiceover, sound design and color correction.

Contact FGV today for a creative video for your product or company!

Last week, we covered the top five questions we get when people inquire about creating a killer video. Today, we’re taking it a step farther with video tips on the top six questions organizations should ask when creating a video. It’s a best practice at Feel Good Video to ask these questions with every client—and they’re also terrific fodder to help organizations think through their narrative.

What’s the purpose of this video?
As much as we’d like to make videos just for fun all day, a video needs a point. Do you want people to learn about your organization/product and get involved? Buy something? Support a crowdfunding campaign? Use your product correctly? Laugh so hard they share on Facebook? A clear understanding of your video’s purpose saves time and ultimately makes a much sharper narrative.

Example: Clean Solar wanted a video that would drive phone calls and sales. We designed a video to get the phone ringing and helped them win several customers in the first week after we launched.

Who are you trying to reach?
Investors? Consumers? Kickstarter backers? Moms? Doctors? Engineers? Different audiences have different levels of interest in many video attributes, notably comedy, length of the video, heartfelt storylines and technical details. Even colors we pick for color correction matter depending on the audience we target. We develop the perfect story based on science, tests, research and data.

What videos do I love?
Show us your favorite videos—ideally the ones that weren’t just entertaining as all get out, but also got you so excited you actually did something they wanted you to do! A few good links help us create a storyline, tone, look and feel that’s right for your brand.

What are the key product benefits to emphasize?
There’s a lot to say about your organization or product. What are the top three reasons viewers should care? We focus on showcasing benefits rather than features. That’s because video is far more interesting when we see human beings overcoming obstacles and achieving a big payoff rather than sitting through a laundry list of technical details that may or may not make sense. The more precise list of feature you give us, the more compelling story a story we can bake for viewers to fall in love with your product.

Our video for Dynosense’s Adore scales does just this–underscoring ease of use of and the power of the product to instantly understand holistic wellness, all told through the lens of daily life.

What’s the perfect thing I want to happen once this video is published?
Give us one goal: a retweet by Elon Musk, quadrupling a Kickstarter campaign goal, reduced customer service time. We’ll aim all of our resources in creating and marketing the video to get you what you need.

Time to launch your new product? Kick off a crowdfunding campaign? Up-level your corporate video? That means you’ll need a video–and a video production team.

Which should be really fun! But can also be a little terrifying. There’s so much to think about, from vendor selection and budget to scheduling and storyline. And that doesn’t even begin to get into all the little parts of creating a video that you probably haven’t even started to think about—wrangling equipment, managing casting, scouting locations, keeping everybody fed, editing—that can make a seemingly simple video request a massive production.

That means you’ll probably have a lot of questions. Don’t worry, we have a lot of answers (though not ALL the answers!). From decades of combined experience working on video projects of all stripes, here the top five video questions we get from organizations ready to get started–also known as the Feel Good Video FAQ.

What’s your price range?
Budgets vary–a lot.

Yes, it’s an admittedly annoying answer that means you have to send us an email, but it’s the only fair response simply because there are too many variables we just don’t know—and which can make a big impact on pricing.

There are a few rules of thumb. The bigger the cast, the more it costs. The more locations, the more it costs. Complexity costs more, but you also get more of a discount with bigger projects as economies of scale kick in.

We don’t even give ballparks because they might be totally unrealistic for what you have in mind. That said, I can say that we strive to deliver awesome value to all of our clients—and they tell us we do too.

How much of the process do you handle?
We do as much or as little as you need—from storyboarding and scripting to casting and location scouting, style mood boards to editing and color correction. Most clients let us take as much as we can off their plate for true turnkey service. And we always include our clients in all major decisions, particularly scripting, casting and final cuts.

Where are you based?
We’re proud to work with companies around the world! We’re physically based in the heart of Silicon Valley in Palo Alto and we do most of our filming in Los Angeles. We also film in New York, Chicago and about 25 countries abroad. LA talent is typically less expensive—and really good. And California is famous of having stunning weather and the best locations opportunities for filming any time of the year. That said, we have an extensive network to get the job done just about anywhere. (Still looking for a client to challenge us on Antarctica!)

Do you have equipment?
We take care of all equipment for you to meet professional specifications and deliver cinematic quality. If you have specific questions about cameras and gear, drop us a line and we’ll sort that out.

I need a video yesterday. What’s your timeline?
We’re really fast. Like, once did a video soup-to-nuts in 12 hours fast. Sometimes we may get jammed up with shoots, but it’s rarely us holding up production. Try us!

Any more questions we missed? Just let me know. Thanks—and let’s go make a video!

I spent four years as executive producer of The Bachelor across Europe. From jetting around the globe on a moment’s notice to editing episodes for three days straight, it was a thrilling experience that profoundly shaped how I approach storytelling.

I was incredibly lucky to learn from the best and brightest in television about how to create amazing stories that kept people coming back for more. Today, Feel Good Video uses the same lessons to help companies create emotional connections—and help our clients achieve amazing things.

Casting is everything

Without compelling characters, it’s hard for viewers to care. On The Bachelor, thousands of real women—not actresses—applied for the show. As you might imagine, many of them were gorgeous, talented and brilliant.

But to have an interesting show, we had to go beyond the obvious and be more thoughtful about the type of people we brought on.

Was this person truly marriage material? Were they natural troublemakers—and sure to make things interesting? Did they play well with others? Were they competitive or docile? Did they represent the audience? Most importantly, was our Bachelor relentlessly interesting and handsome, precisely the type of well-rounded hunk viewers at home could envision giving everything up for?

At Feel Good Video, we take the same level of care into casting for our videos. We review hundreds of possible actors and see dozens in auditions before picking the perfect actors for your audiences to cheer for, care about, laugh with and occasionally root against. Some companies gloss over casting or opt for featuring low-cost actors or even employees. While some of us may have a latent Meryl Streep living inside, most of us have other strengths. Casting matters and is worth the hassle.

Honor traditions

We recruited a bachelor who hailed from the Romanov dynasty. That’s the equivalent of a British royal in the UK—and that connection to hundreds of years of history instantly appealed to large audience. Keep in mind the show itself is based on the classic Cinderella story—another instant connection with audiences.

The most successful stories are based on archetypes that we carry in our minds since childhood. We always keep this heritage in mind when creating new stories. Every symbol, every character we incorporate can reference a tradition—and make the video’s impact even more powerful.

Likewise, corporate videos that pay homage to the past instantly strike a chord with many more people. We recently produced a corporate video that honors today’s tradition of carpool karaoke with the “ancient” tradition of singing Bohemian Rhapsody in a crowded car (paging all Wayne’s World fans!). It was a double dip on tradition—and helped rake in 2M+ views in just a few weeks.

Take us on a rollercoaster

On The Bachelor, people went through the ultimate relationship rollercoaster. They met new people, visited new places, overcame fears, faced backstabbing, endured rejection and—if they were lucky—fell in love.

In a single episode, a participant could experience shame, stress, relief and joy while doing everything from enjoying a candlelit dinner to jumping out of an airplane.

Also: nonstop action with lots of twists and turns is inherently fun to watch.

When I think of the ultimate rollercoaster rides, I think of health technology videos—FGV’s fastest-growing market segment. Nearly every health technology product was invented to address seriously bad news. That means our videos kick off by putting viewer on a rollercoaster of sadness, fear and pain. The product’s healing and comforting qualities help help straighten out that roller coaster to reach a safe place of comfort and joy—but it’s important to keep at least one more loop-de-loop in there to keep the viewer engaged.

Wear your heart on your sleeve

When we see an emotion expressed by someone we care about, we usually internalize the feeling. This carries to stories on the screen too; sad movies bring us down, comedies pick us up. When we showed what The Bachelor participants were feeling—disappointment at not getting picked, joy after a romantic date—the audience responded in kind.

Power your audience with emotion. The more real and pure the on-screen emotion, the more powerful feedback you will get. Show the flood of tears, the barreling laughter, the confused eyebrow-knitted face-scrunch, the ugly face of agony, the broad, confident steps of someone in love.

Here I think of the multigenerational dance party we captured created for the VAVA Voom video—a smorgasbord of joyous, semi-competitive rug-cutting. The video was charged with fun and energy—and the viewers felt it.

When you leave all your feelings on the dance floor, the audience comes to dance.

Have a feel good moment!

Spending several weeks competing for one man, away from friends, family and your own bed—well, that’s really tough. And the viewers felt it too.

That’s why at the end of each episode of The Bachelor, we presented a “feel good moment” that kept viewers coming back.

A kiss after a series of dates and agonizing anticipation. A new exotic adventure after a mentally exhausting rose ceremony. The positive energy is inescapable. The crew can’t help but smile, and the viewer breathes out—and smiles as well.

Needless to say, this was my favorite part of the show—and it’s why we named Feel Good Video what we did. We seek to include a pick-me-up in every video we do here, be it a guy in a bear suit or a fun virtual reality sparring match.

Life’s hard enough—and leaving things on an up note goes a long way.

Follow the rules for a ratings bonanza

At The Bachelor, I’m delighted that our hard work following the directions above paid off. The season finale for our first season in Ukraine achieved a national rating of 48%. That means that 48% off all the televisions in the entire country were tuned in to see the Proposal. Incredible!

And at Feel Good Video, we’ve applied the same rules to create dozens of videos that have earned millions of views and helped advance their business. Now THAT makes us feel good!

Shooting a Kickstarter video series in Los Angeles for our friends at VAVA. Stay tuned for some awesome videos – they are coming in a few weeks!

 

Check out the complete behind-the-scenes session on our Facebook page.

Vava Dash Cam is your on-the-road companion:
– 360-Degree View
– Auto-record + remote capture functionality
– Captures footage even when car is off

Place the VAVA Dash anywhere on your dashboard to capture the views you’re most interested in. The VAVA Dash Cam works at any angle to make sure you’re always capturing what matters most to you.

 

We had a great time and wish good luck the WearX team with their upcoming crowdfunding campaign! They have just launched a brand new website – go check it out: www.wearxnow.com

Kickstarter Video production

As a leading San Francisco Bay Area ad agency, we managed all aspects of production, including 3D graphics, motion graphics, editing, music, voiceover, sound design and color correction.