CANDY JAR HELPS PANCAKE COMPANY CREATE FLIPPING GOOD VIDEOS FOR CHRISTMAS

Pancake World – one of the world’s leading crepe and equipment wholesalers – has come up with a unique way to celebrate this Christmas season by spreading a bit of holiday cheer, and Candy Jar Films was there to help make it happen.

Embracing social media across various platforms including Vine, Twitter and Facebook, this South Wales firm has created a hilarious take on the Twelve Days of Christmas featuring pancakes and waffles.

Here's the first day:

Watch more here: 12 Days of (pancake) Christmas playlist

Company owner, Loic Moinion, who operates from Llantwit Major in South Wales, has swapped spatulas and chocolate spread for tinsel and garish jumpers to get into the festive spirit. Originally from Breton in Northern France, the home of crepes, Loic settled in South Wales several years ago after falling in love with the scenery, friendly locals, and Welsh appreciation of good food.

He said: "I know pancakes aren't necessarily the thing one associates with Christmas, but I think there's room for some festive versions of crepes and waffles for that matter. It's definitely the time when we can indulge ourselves a little, and enjoy the kinds of foods we wouldn't eat so much of the rest of the year."

Pancake World has grown steadily over the last few years thanks to the proliferation of cafes and ice cream parlours that have responded to the demand for good coffee and indulgent treats. Crepes and Waffles are more popular than ever in Wales and Loic has been working flat out to serve the needs of his customers. 

In the New Year Pancake World is setting up the first Creperie Training Kitchen in the UK, with the hope of assisting new or existing owners to either or perfect their crepe making or barista skills. Loic continued: “We’ve been inundated with requests from people to improve their skills. We had no idea that this was not being offered and decided to step up to the mike, and invite them to our new training studio in Llantwit Major. If this works we hope to roll it out across the country.”

While Loic isn't expecting to reach the coveted No 1 Christmas slot with this video, he hopes people will enjoy his interpretation of a festive musical staple. "It's just a bit of fun, and if my customers or anyone else enjoys it, I'll be a happy Frenchman!"

Follow Pancake World here:

Vine: https://vine.co/u/1287207229757992960

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/PancakeWorldTv

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pancakeworld/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/PancakeWorld

Web: www.pancake-world.com

Candy Jar Films is a video production company based in Cardiff. Check out our website here: www.candyjarfilms.co.uk

TOP 5 REASONS TO USE A VIDEO FOR YOUR BUSINESS

In this day and age, it is virtually impossible to run a business without a website. It's a vital communication tool which enables your customers and clients to engage with your products or services – a shop window that's available 24/7, world-wide.

So what do you put on your website? Some text, a few photos maybe ... but is that enough?

It used to be, but not anymore. Video has now become an essential component of any self-respecting website. Here's the top five reasons why you need to make use of video – now!




1. Video makes your website 'sticky'
People are more likely to stick around if they see a video on your site. They'll watch the video and be more inclined to browse a bit longer.

2. Video encourages customers to buy your product or service
Because visitors are more likely to stick around, they're more likely to buy from you. If you have an online shop, video will help drive them to it and spend some money!

3. Video helps your Google rating
If you upload your video to YouTube, you'll benefit from the fact that YouTube is owned by Google. Google wields great power when it comes to search engine rankings and having video content from YouTube will do wonders for your site's Search Engine Optimisation.

4. Video improves your reputation
A well-produced video will show that you're serious about what you do. Making use of real people (ie you!), will demonstrate to customers that you actually are a real person – and people much prefer to buy from human beings.

5. Video transcends international borders
The beauty of video is that the visuals can be enough to communicate a message. You don't need to pay for expensive translations, just let the video do the talking.

Candy Jar Films is part of the Candy Jar Group:

Films http://www.candy-jar.co.uk/films
Books http://www.candy-jar.co.uk/books
Self-publishing http://www.candy-jar.co.uk/books/jellybeanbooks.html

HOW DO I USE VIDEO TO PROMOTE MY BUSINESS?

Image by 'Saine' AKA Michelle Dennis via freeimage.com

Clearly, video is an important marketing tool for any business and there are lots of options. If you are new to video it can often be a confusing and bewildering subject. What is the best approach? How do you get the most out of it?

Well, Candy Jar Films is here to help with an insider guide to making video work for you.

First of all, you need to consider what kind of video you want to make. There are many kinds of videos you might want to consider making to help promote your business. Here are five to start you off:

1. Animation

People love short animations that give a punchy message backed by some funky music. This can be done with simple use of dynamic text or you can become more sophisticated by employing such techniques as stop-motion or timelapse. Depending on what you want will affect the cost significantly as animation is quite time consuming and potentially expensive. The upshot is that animation is a popular type of video and can make a big impact on the audience, especially if the idea is quirky, original and fun.

Pros: Eye-catching animations are great marketing tools
Cons: Can be costly, but not if you keep things short and simple

2. Corporate Promo
Don't be put off by the title. Many businesses get great attention from these kinds of videos. Typically centred around a story or theme, various employees and/or customers are interviewed, accompanied by shots relevant to the business. A fast-paced approach to the edit, including upbeat music and perhaps some graphics, helps to keep the potential customer interested. You can do a lot in terms of communicating what kind of business you are in two or three minutes. One key lesson from marketing is that 'people buy from people' and if you come across as friendly, approachable and trustworthy then you've already gone a long way toward convincing someone to spend their hard-earned cash with you.

Pros: Communicates your business well with a broad brushstroke

Cons: Might seem a bit familiar, so you need to be creative!

3. Drama 
This might sound a bit off-the-wall, but a short drama can create a real emotional connection that other types of video may struggle to do. It requires a lot of thought and planning, but the payoff is great. Bear in mind that a lot of TV adverts use actors to tell a story about the product all the time. Take the famous Sainsbury's 2014 Christmas Advert featuring soldiers from the First World War. It was a two-minute movie with cinematic shots, detailed sets and period costume. You don't, however, need a Hollywood budget these days to create something just as powerful.

Pros: Eye-catching and memorable, making you stand out from the crowd
Cons: Can be expensive, but as with most things a bit of planning and creativity can keep budgets low

4. 'How to' Presentation
You may have seen these on YouTube: people demonstrating how to do something in a simple step-by-step guide. For example, if you're a gardener, you could shoot a video that explains how to prepare plants for the winter. If you're a mechanic, you could show how to change the fan belt in a car. Such videos help to show your customers that you have good subject knowledge and help to give a little glimpse into your personality as well.

Pros: Cheap, quick and easy to make
Cons: You might enjoy doing them so much you end up doing loads of them!

5. Talking Heads / Green screen
Similar to the Corporate Promo video, this is a simpler version with key people talking on camera about the business – either the business owner or customers or both. If you shoot in front of a 'green screen' you have the ability (with the right software) to choose whatever background you want and, most importantly, change your mind at the last minute! Also, in the edit, you might cut away to photos of your business or product.

Pros: Cheap, quick and easy to make
Cons: Can be a bit unexciting, but there are ways to liven things up

Duration
People these days are known for having short attention spans. A 2013 study declared the average person's attention span to be about eight seconds long! With this in mind, it's worth considering keeping your video short and snappy. There's not a huge amount you can fit into eight seconds, so chances are your video will be anything from one to three minutes - but as the saying goes 'less is more'.

Getting it made
Put simply, you have two options: make it yourself or get the professionals in.

If you choose to make it yourself, make sure you know what you're doing. 'Amateur' videos can do more harm than good to your business reputation. Shaky camera angles, poor sound quality and unnecessary edits will give the wrong impression and could easily cost you sales. You don't have to spend a fortune on kit (most smartphones these days can shoot pretty decent video footage), but you will need access to editing software and a way of getting your video out to your customers via sites like YouTube and Facebook. There are plenty of tutorials online that show you the basics – learn as much as you can first and when you're ready, get out there and start filming!

The only downside with making a video yourself is that it can be time consuming and, if you're new to filmmaking, bewildering too! Hiring in the expertise of a video production company can save you a lot of headaches in that area, and ensure the final piece is of a professional quality. It's worth bearing in mind, however, that as with most things, you get what you pay for.

Make sure you're hiring an individual company who has a track record of making the kind of videos you want to make. It may even be worth getting recommendations or testimonials from previous clients before committing to the work.

Like any project, you want to make sure you have thought it through and planned everything meticulously. All sorts of unforeseen happenings can delay things and add to the cost. Obviously you can't anticipate every eventuality, but planning effectively will minimise the impact of these unfortunate happenings!

With a good production company on your side, you'll be guided through the process from scripting/planning to the shoot right through to the edit, and at the end have a funky new video to share with the world!

Channels – where to show your video
So now you've got your shiny new video, where do you show it? At the very least you must have it on your website. You can host the video yourself or embed from other sites (see below), but whatever you do make sure it's visible on your site (preferably your homepage) and that people can easily watch it.

Most businesses can't afford TV adverts, even though the cost of production has reduced significantly over the years. If you have the budget though, you might want to consider buying some airtime. Major channels such as ITV or Channel 4 can be very pricey for most businesses, but some smaller satellite channels will be more affordable – just remember that the viewing figures will be considerably lower.

If TV ads are beyond your reach, the most obvious avenue is to upload the video to YouTube. In fact, you HAVE to upload your video to YouTube. Seeing as it's the number one video-sharing website on the entire planet, you can't afford not to! As YouTube is not the only site of its kind on the web, you might also want to consider using some of the other video-sharing sites such as Vimeo, Dailymotion or Vine. If you don't already have a Facebook Page, Twitter account or Blog you need to set these up ASAP. You can then link to your video on all of these social media sites, helping to make your video visible to as wide an audience as possible.
Online video may be all that marketeers talk about these days, but don't forget the value of the 'physical' world. There's also potential for using your video in other settings:

- Trade shows: If you've hired a stand, make sure you bring a big screen to play your video on a loop. People will be more likely to stop and look than if all you've got is a poster or stack of leaflets.
- Presentations: Had an invite to speak at a business breakfast or seminar? Show a video as part of your talk and people will be more likely to remember what you said.
- Business Premises: If you have a physical business location for trading e.g. a shop, install a TV screen in your window and play the video. It's free advertising that can potentially work for you 24/7.

What next?

With your video taking prominence on your website, YouTube channel and Facebook page, potential customers will now be able to quickly see what your business is about. If you want to see the video getting lots of 'hits' you will need to put in a bit of work to get it out there amongst all the noise of the internet. You may get lucky and find the video goes viral – in which case, you can sit back and watch the hit counter sky-rocket – but that is dependant on large numbers of people sharing a link to it. Once won't be enough though, and you'll need to keep sharing over a period of time (but don't go overboard – people hate spammers!) over as many different channels as possible.

Now that everything is done, it may be that you are happy with the video – it's on your website and it does the job. It's out there for people to see it if they want, and that's good enough. There is a case to argue, however, that one video isn't enough and that to really make good use of the medium you need to engage with it on a regular basis.

YouTube channels only thrive if they continue to be updated, whether it's monthly, weekly or daily. It might be impossible to upload videos this often but keeping your video channel fresh (just like your website) is an important part of any online SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) strategy.

Ideally, you want to build up a following of YouTube subscribers keen to watch the next video instalment. That can be a boon for any business that relies on having a decent online presence.

In Summary

Whatever way you decide to approach video, it's important to recognise its value and how getting it right is key. As with most things, budgets can dictate what we plan to do, but with the right amount of thought and planning you will be surprised at what can be achieved.

Key things to consider:
- Decide what kind of video you want
- Do it right, either by yourself or getting professionals to help
- Plan things thoroughly!
- Get the video out on the web in as many places as possible
- Think about following up with more videos

About Candy Jar
Candy Jar Films is a video production company based in Cardiff, South Wales. We are able to produce videos for a range of clients and budgets – big or small – anywhere in the UK. Need some help or advice? Contact us to get talking!

ELECTRONIC SHUTTERS

A frame in the PAL television signal is made of two interlaced fields with a repeated rate of 50 fields per second. The charged couple device (CCD) will scan an image 50 times every second which is the average shutter speed of a PAL video camera. You can adjust it to reduce the time it takes to collect the light from a field; you can also reduce the length of the read-out pulse which is equivalent to the increase of the shutter speed. The shutter will increase the time by switched steps, improving the reproduction of motion but also reducing sensitivity.

SHUTTER SPEEDS

There are different steps that a shutter speed can be altered, such as;

• 1/60 of a second
• 1/125 of a second
• 1/500 of a second
• 1/1000 of a second
• 1/2000 of a second

Some cameras will be continuously varied in 0.5 Hz steps. With older CRT computer displays, black or white horizontal bands will often appear across the screen because the scan frequency of most computer display will differ from the television system of PAL (50Hz). However, altering the shutter speed will allow the camera exposure interval to match the computer refresh scanning frequency which will reduce or eliminate the horizontal streaking. Flatscreen LCD monitors do not have this problem and as CRTs have become more or less obsolete this issue does not generally affect today's filmmaker.

MOVEMENT BLUR

The PAL shutter speed is usually set to 1/50 of a second. This speed will make a fast moving subject that is in front of the camera appear blurred. The image definition of a moving object can be improved by reducing the time interval of the exposure if there is an increase in the electronic shutter speed; this is useful when slow motion replay is required. However, reducing the time interval will reduce the amount of light that will be captured by CCD scans and therefore increased shutter speed will require the aperture to be opened.

PULSED LIGHT SOURCES AND SHUTTER SPEED

Short pulses of light at a frequency that is depended on the mains supply can include: fluorescent tubes, HMI discharge lamps and neon signs. If the correct settings are not used, the screen will produce severe flicker.

A high shutter speed can be used with a HMI/MSR light source but it may not coincide with the shutter open and colour drift; usually a cycle of blue and yellow but can be eliminated by switching the shutter off but not with FT sensors as they have a mechanical shutter and cannot be switched off.

TIME-LAPSE CONTROLS

This is when the camera will be programmed to make brief exposures at specific intervals. The time interval, movement of the shot and time of the recording is dependent on the captured shot. Time lapse is an animation technique where objects are repositioned between each brief recording. It is needed to estimate how long the sequence will run in normal speed, the real time event completion and the duration of each shot. Some shots will require more complicated time lapse sequences than others.

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WHITE BALANCE

It would be ideal to change the white balance of the camera when there is a change in the colour temperature of the light illuminating a potential shot. There are some cameras that will compensate for colour temperature variation but carrying out a white balance set-up before filming is always a good idea. Sometimes it will be needed to carry out the specified white balance procedure even though the camera switch may be marked “auto white balance” to ensure it is automatically compensated. To successfully white balance a simple routine will need to be followed:

1. Selecting the correct filter for the colour temperature of the light being used. (e.g. tungsten 3200K)
2. Selecting white balance position A or B; it will memorize the setting that will be achieved by the white balance. On either filter position, the two memories can be either A or B but if preset is selected, no setting will be memorized. This is the standard default setting.
3. Filling out the frame with a white matte card that is lit by the same lighting as the intended shot.

The card should not move during the white balance and it should not have any reflections or shading. The card needs to be correctly exposed, you will need to avoid any colour cast from any surrounding light sources and have the white balance the main source of shot illumination. During the white balance process, you may see a progress report appearing in the viewfinder, which will include a number that will indicate the colour temperature that has been assessed. You may need to check the position of the white card and other requirements of white balance if you may find the number higher or lower than the anticipated estimate of the colour temperature. It may indicate the camera is either not lined up correctly or it may be malfunctioning. Whilst the white balance is under way, the auto-iris circuit will adjust exposure to make the output of the green signal correct, then the red and blue channels will be adjusted to equal the green output. The white balance procedure will therefore be dependent on by the fidelity of colour reproduction since the white will influence all other colour combinations.

BLACK BALANCE There are a lot of cameras that may not require a manual black balance meaning that the adjustment will have to be carried out automatically whenever required. The black has no colourcast since the black balance will set the black levels of the red, green and blue channels. This will only normally be only required if: · The camera has not been used in a while · The camera has been moved between different air temperatures · The air temperature has altered · When the gain selector values have been changed If a manual black balance must be done, you must do 2 things: 1. White balance to equalize the gains and then black balance 2. White balance again.

LIGHT OUTPUT
The tungsten light source: The heat effect from the electric current that flows through the tungsten filament which is how light is produced. The visible spectrum from these sources is continuous and produces a smooth transition of light that is outputted between the adjacent wavelengths. The intensity of the outputted light will be varied if the current is changed (dimming) which affects the colour temperature also although this is usually kept within acceptable limits. Light from a discharged light source is produced as a by-product of an electrical discharge through a gas. The particular mixture of gas present in the glass envelope effect the colour of the light, the colour of the light also depends on the phosphor coating of the fluorescent tube. HMI’s; which are discharged light sources designed for film and television lighting, are not as stable as tungsten but do have a greater efficacy, they are compact and they produce light that approximates the daylight.

PULSED LIGHT SOURCES
Fluorescent tubes; for home, office, factory and neon signs, does not produce a constant light output but it does give short pulses of light depending on the mains supply. The light output of a usual daylight-type fluorescent tube for the normal eyesight give of a bluish green cast to a tungsten balanced camera but does not register high intensity blue and green spikes.

The improvement of Phosphors has made the fluorescent tube/cold light acceptable for television and film came after recent years of development. They are able to provide tungsten matching and daylight matching colour temperature. More or less steady light output are a result of high frequency operation; i.e. >40 kHz.

COLOUR RENDITION INDEX (Ra)
The colour rendition index or Ra can be used to indicate the suitability for use in television production (Ra of 70 is regarded as the lower limit of acceptability for colour television). The use of a scale of 0 – 100 is used as a method of comparing colour fidelity and consistency of a light source.

www.candyjarfilms.co.uk

THE ZOOM LENS

The zoom lens is a complex and sophisticated component of any video camera. lts performance may be described in brochures in impenetrable techno-speak that many, at first glance, may feel has little or nothing to do with the ‘real’ business of filming. To take this view is a mistake, as above all else, the lens characteristics are the most important visual influence on the appearance and impact of an image.

Altering the settings on focal length, lens angle, zoom ratio, aperture or depth of field will have a significant influence on the perspective and the depiction of space and composition when setting up a shot. It is a fallacy to believe that the camera will truthfully record whatever is in shot whenever you put your eye to the viewfinder and press to record. If you are unaware of how the choice of focal length, etc., will affect the chosen image then this important creative decision will be left to chance and accident.

Prime lens or zoom?

Before the introduction of colour television, video cameras usually had four, individually turret-mounted prime lenses (a lens with a fixed focal length) on the front of the camera. By rotating the turret, the correct lens for a specific focal length would be chosen for a shot. Selecting a prime lens to match the needs of a shot is still common film practice. For technical reasons, such as faster working methods and the option to zoom on shot to capture close-ups without adjusting the camera, meant the wide majority of colour video cameras were fitted with a zoom lens. With the ability to change the lens angle quickly and easily, it can be easy to forget what focal length is being used which could compromise the space or perspective of the shot so be wary.

Image size

With CCD (charged couple devices) coming in different sizes (2/3 inch, 1/2 inch, etc.), the variation in flange-back distance the mechanical connection between lens and camera, and the variation in cable connections with the camera, it is often impossible to interchange lenses between different makes or models of cameras. The image formed by the lens on the face of the CCDs is called the image size of the lens. This must match the size of the camera sensor. Lenses designed for different sized formats (pick-up sensor dimension) may not be interchangeable. The image size produced by the lens may be much smaller than the pick-up sensor and probably the back focus (flange _‘back) will not have sufficient adjustment. A common lens on a broadcast video camera is a 14 x 8.5 f1.7 zoom with a minimum object distance of 0.8 m or below.

www.candyjarfilms.co.uk

WHAT IS FOCUS PULL?

You may have watched a movie and seen in the credits that someone has the job of 'Focus Puller'. What does that job entail? Put simply, the role of a Focus Puller (or 1st Assistant Camera) is to operate the focus ring on a camera. This part of the camera dictates the sharpness of the image as it is seen through the camera lens, so the FP is a very important role within a film production team (without a sharp image, the shot cannot be used and is wasted).

Often, the FP is required to adjust the focus during filming to achieve a particular cinematic effect. For example, a shot may start with the principal actor in the foreground being in focus. Then, another actor comes into shot and the shots focuses on them, leaving the principal actor out of focus. This is a deliberate decision by the Director to transfer the audience's attention from one part of the frame to another.

Because of the demands of using focus pull when filming a scene, there is much preparation work done before filming begins to ensure the shot runs smoothly. This may involve rehearsing with stand in actors, where tape marks on the floor are used to inform them where to stand at certain points during a scene. FPs also have a responsibility for the maintenance and upkeep of camera equipment and accessories.

Many smaller productions cannot afford an FP and so this duty lies with the camera operator, which can sometimes be a tricky task given the complexities of modern camcorders or DSLRs!

You can find out more about the Focus Puller here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Focus_puller 
 
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VIDEO PRODUCTION TECHNIQUES: COLOUR TEMPERATURE

When considering the basics of the mixing of colour and light, we are traditionally taught through the three-filter system (add red and green together to make yellow etc). A common assumption made about filming, however, is that cameras work in the same way – just as the human eye does. Whilst similar in its basic operation, there is a bit more to a camera’s method of perceiving light than perhaps what we are used to.


Consider the idea that the camera is without a brain – when converting light signals into electricity, it does so on an entirely mechanical level, without any subconscious or set pattern in mind. The human brain, on the other hand, filters sensory information such as light perception with automatic additions and adjustments on such a natural level that we don’t even know it is happening.

The difference between the human eye and the camera lens is evident when changing from one type of light to another. When shifting between synthetic indoor lights and the natural hue of daylight, the human eye recognises the difference and quickly adjusts to the change in conditions (this adjustment is barely noticeable to us humans). A camera in this situation, however, will not handle things quite as well. It may be initially calibrated to interpret conditions for indoor lighting accurately, but when shifting to natural outdoor light an incorrect perception of colour will result with the camera presenting an image that is overly blue.

When thinking of this in film terms, the colour balance may need to be corrected while shooting or printing to achieve a neutral colour print. This is where the ‘white board’ step comes into play – by placing a plain white sheet in front of a camera before filming, it can then recognise that ‘version’ to be the ‘natural’ white. It then adjusts its perception of other colours based on that starting point, allowing the camera to avoid any colour disorientation.

In terms of film and video, the term ‘colour temperature’ refers to the range of light sources available to be filmed, measured traditionally using the ‘Kelvin Scale’. For instance, one of the ‘hotter’ light sources - blue skylight, is measured between 9500-20,000k. When compared to something smaller such as a match flame, which measures around 1700k, one can easily see the vast differences available concerning colour temperature and the fidelity in which a camera reproduces light.

Comparison between varying degrees of colour temperature

With this in mind, a basic understanding of how a camera interprets light is important in learning how to control it. What may not seem an integral element to the typically amateur film enthusiast, is in fact a vital facet that can mean the difference between a novice and a professional. For further help in understanding colour temperature, follow the links below: