Written By: Patrick on February 22nd, 2011
I just watched a short film from a guy I know, and it really struck me that his movie would have been a lot better if it was half the length. Not just in terms of tightening up the story a bit, but also by giving him an effectively larger per-minute budget, which would let him compete with the big guys.
See, there’s a reason national TV commercials cost millions of dollars to make, and feature films cost tens or hundreds of millions of dollars to create. If you want to compete with the big guys, you need to find ways to increase your production value on your limited budget. In my experience, one of the best ways to do that is by simply making a shorter film.
In filmmaking, if given the choice, I’d go for quality over quantity every time.
Written By: Patrick on February 22nd, 2011
Corporate Video Production Tip of the Week: When you settle on a video production company to work with, you should really include their input from the beginning, at the conceptual stage of your video. It’s always amazing to me that some clients don’t ask for help when it’s time to flesh out their ideas. A good director or production company can really help you put your best foot forward, and make the most of the budget you have. We know all the tricks about how to make you look great, and we want your project to succeed. A few paid hours upfront can save you untold pain and suffering later on.
Written By: admin on February 15th, 2011
Welcome to Website Design Wednesday. It’s a new thing, I’m hoping it catches on. Today’s topic: what is a good website redesign? I know a lot of people wonder about this subject. Well, I do at least. Here’s some things that a great website redesign should get right:
Don’t screw up your audience’s expectations.
Oh, sure. I bet you were thinking I’d talk about CSS or web standards. We’ll get to those, someday. But first, you need to keep your audience in mind. If they’ve gotten used to using your site one way, you better have a very good reason for making huge changes to that experience. I’m not saying you shouldn’t make wholesale changes to your site architecture. But if you do make huge changes, you should really make them with your audience in mind. Anticipate their needs. How can you do this? By spending a bit of time with your Google Analytics or whatever website stats app you use. Learn how your audience is using your site today, before making changes that could mess them up.
Simple is good.
Many times in a web redesign project, we’re asked to have a billion huge buttons screaming and competing for attention. That’s just nutso. Don’t fill up the pages with billions of competing messages. Settle on a few key actions you want people to do when they visit your site. If you do that, I’ll stop exaggerating. Truth is, we’re not asked for billions of huge, competing buttons. It’s usually in the low millions at most.
Consistency is better.
Websites that don’t work the way you think they should ruin the experience and make customers hate you. A consistent user interface throughout the site is best. But it’s not just the UI I’m talking about, here. A certain consistency in the tone of the written and visual content of your website goes a long way towards a successful website redesign.
Make sure the new design fits your brand’s image.
Every once in a while, a potential client will tell us they want a website that’s nothing like any of their marketing or advertising materials. Something that doesn’t truthfully reflect the company. This is almost always a mistake. Your brand is something that needs to be nurtured and carefully protected. It’s OK to extend your brand or identity by stepping out a little with your website. But the best websites are readily identifiable as representing the brands and organizations they were created for. There’s a reason for this.
That’s all for today- happy Website Design Wednesday!
Written By: Patrick on February 15th, 2011
Michael Tuck wrote a great article today on Six Revisions called The Wabi-Sabi Aesthetic. Wabi-Sabi applies to all sorts of design, not just website design or page layout. Most good filmmakers use a bit of the Wabi-Sabi aesthetic, like when we’re working on tv commercials or whatever for clients. We commonly add a little bit of imperfection, or organic elements, to shots in order to better sell them. Sometimes it’s adding a bit of grain, a lens flare, or even a bit of camera shake. The idea is, sterile perfection is not what you should aspire to. A little bit of imperfection is much more interesting to us humans.
If you create things, it’s pretty cool to keep the Wabi Sabi aesthetic in mind.
Written By: admin on February 13th, 2011
What can Valentines Day teach us about marketing our businesses? Plenty.
1) Planning matters. If you leave your marketing plans to chance, odds are you’ll end up with the equivalent of dining at Dennys. Not cool.
2) You know that guy, the one who over compensates every Valentines Day because he doesn’t lift a finger to show his appreciation the rest of the time? Don’t be that guy. Your digital marketing needs to be purposeful… and ongoing. It’s not enough to tell your customers you love them once a year.
3) If you build it, they will come. Valentines Day is a made up holiday created by the greeting card industry. They made it up out of thin air. And yet, it worked. Same with your marketing, assuming you have a good product or service. So get your story out there!
Happy Valentines Day!
Written By: Heather on February 3rd, 2011
Los Angeles Digital and Interactive Agency PatrickOrtman, Inc. Completes the Website Redesign for the Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC)
LOS ANGELES, Calif., Jan. 19, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — The Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC) proudly announces that digital agency PatrickOrtman, Inc. has completed an extensive redesign of the nonprofit’s website.
“We’re very proud of the new website design, and it couldn’t have happened without PatrickOrtman, Inc. It’s a much friendlier and accurate reflection of our organization as we have grown,” says Hasnain Syed, Communications Designer at MPAC.
The new website was designed to give policy makers, members of the Muslim American community, and the citizenry at large the resources and information needed to help make better decisions that impact the Muslim American community and our nation.
“Working with MPAC was a great experience, and not just because it’s always nice to work with people who want to make the world a better place,” says agency founder Patrick Ortman. “They also listened to our expertise, as we listened to their needs, and that really helped the project succeed. The website redesign was a true partnership.”
Created in 1988, MPAC is an American institution which informs and shapes public opinion and policy by serving as a trusted resource to decision makers in government, media and policy institutions. MPAC is also committed to developing leaders with the purpose of enhancing the political and civic participation of American Muslims. Their website is at www.mpac.org.
PatrickOrtman, Inc. is a digital agency based in Los Angeles, California. They’ve designed websites and created video and interactive projects for 8 Fortune 500 clients and hundreds of smaller organizations. Their website is at www.patrickortman.com.
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Written By: Patrick on February 3rd, 2011
New Years’ resolutions hardly ever work, because we don’t tend to integrate our new habits with our lives- we look at the resolutions as short term fixes. Thus, we fail. It’s the same thing with marketing. If you want to succeed, marketing needs to become something that your company does on an ongoing basis. It needs to become a part of your DNA. It requires an ongoing commitment.
This is especially true with digital marketing. We’ve designed stunning websites and video or social media marketing campaigns for companies in the past who didn’t embrace the program, but instead hired us for a short term fix. After some initial success, the work invariably loses effectiveness.
It’s kind of like building a beautiful house. If you hire a great architect, get a great set of blueprints, hire a great construction company to build it, and so forth, you’ll have a great house. But time and the elements will conspire to take that great house and turn it into a rusty shack if you don’t maintain it properly. You need to cut the lawn and paint, you need to update the systems regularly, and sometimes you need to do a complete remodel. The thing is, unlike a house, your digital marketing is aging on “internet time”.
On the one hand, it’s a real drag to have to consistently invest in your digital marketing. On the other hand, it’s probably the best investment your business can make. By understanding that your commitment to digital marketing needs to be ongoing, you up your chances of success.
