Technology and Storytelling

At Stonefilms, we are always excited about new gear and new technology. We have been shooting a lot with the newer DSLR cameras, still cameras from Canon and Nikon that can use still lenses, but are recording at full HD streams. They look great, and can get beautiful depth of field in the smallest of locations.

If has been fun to see everyone in the office become "techno- geeks" and discuss which black levels look the best and the pros and cons of XD cards versus P2 cards. Our editors are diving more into color correction, and are dealing with audio sync issues - in some ways it is like editing many, many years ago - but the results are pretty amazing.

But mainly, I love the fact that our company has always been about storytelling first. We have been fortunate to be surrounded by the latest and greatest cameras and lighting, but our real strength continues to be the ability to meet with a client, and then make their story come alive on the screen.

If you want to talk "techno-geek", or about how Stonefilms can best tell your story, call us anytime - we love this stuff!

-Billy

Online Videos Score a Hit With Bosses

Who has time to watch an online video? Apparently your boss does, and in many cases he'd rather view information in a video rather than in a text format.

Forbes Insights surveyed business executives in October 2010 to discover if they took a look at online video, and if so, how they reacted to that content. Three-quarters of the surveyed executives said that they watch business-related online videos at least once a week. Only 5% stated that they "never" viewed work-related online videos.

And what did they do after viewing that content? Over 50% made a vendor/product search for more information; and over 60% visited the vendor/product website. Executives in the survey aged 40 or younger were more likely to reach out to the vendor/product, with 51% of that group responding that they would make a business-related purchase following exposure to the video, and 43% saying they would contact a vendor whose business-to-business ad showed up in online video.

Our own experience here at Stonefilms supports these findings: more clients are coming to us for online video content, from You Tube channels to virtual provider fairs to online image and marketing campaigns. Let us work with you on your next online video project. We're sure your boss will watch it---and love it!

An Educational Jewel

Its a prestigious private school that sends its graduates on to great universities such as Stanford, Columbia, Rice, and Northwestern. The average class size is 15, with a student teacher ratio of 10:1, with the majority of faculty living on campus. And 85% of the school's families have incomes below the poverty level.

This remarkable school is The Chinquapin School, located 25 miles east of downtown Houston in Highlands, Texas. Billy Stone is currently working with students, faculty, and alumni to tell an amazing educational success story. Some 37 years ago Bob Moore, a beloved English teacher at Houston's St. John's School, made good on a dream to start a challenging college prep school for able and motivated youth from low-income families in the Greater Houston area.

Over the course of their education at the school, the students (grades 6-12) receive lessons both in and out of class. Outside of the demanding course load students volunteer in various ways, from building houses for Habitat for Humanity to cleaning beaches in Galveston. They must give back to the school itself by doing daily chores. There are enrichment programs with the Houston Grand Opera and the Alley Theatre, and summer programs such as Outward Bound.

And for all of this marvelous education that their children receive, parents pay just a token tuition, in cash or services, that covers about 3% of annual costs. That means The Chinquapin School must rely on donors---foundations, corporations, and individuals----who support an annual budget of $1.8 million and maintain an endowment of $9 million. It is vital, then, that the story of The Chinquapin School reach as many people as possible.

For Billy, this has become much more mission than assignment; he positively believes in spreading the word about the school. When the video is completed, I think you'll agree that The Chinquapin School is an educational jewel. ----Ronnie

YMCA: A Place to Be Loved

The YMCA of Greater Houston has 36 branches across our metropolitan area, places where people of all ages go to keep their bodies---and minds---active. It is the kind of organization (in this case, 125 years old) that has been around for so long and is so well-known that we tend to take it for granted, as if it is a machine that runs of itself.

Each year the Y's Partners Campaign reminds us that we can never grow complacent. The campaign raised over $5.5 million last year in a effort to make the YMCA available to all. Stonefilms is proud to join the YMCA of Greater Houston in the 2011 Partners Campaign. Liz Chapman wrote and produced a video that will be used to illustrate to potential donors the impact that the Y----and this campaign---make on our community. Interviews for this production were shot in the historic YMCA building in downtown Houston, one month before the structure's scheduled demolition.

A teenager interviewed in the video comments that the people he interacts with at his local Y in Huntsville are not just friends: they are family. It is our hope at Stonefilms that the 2011 Partners Campaign will allow the YMCA of Greater Houston to extend its reach to those who need it most. To find out how you can support one of the truly great organizations in our community, go to www.ymcahouston.org

Budweisers and Clydesdales

Somehow my brother and I did NOT scare off the animal in the above photograph. Actually, the Clydesdales are used to working with all kinds of strange creatures, and we were all having fun at Del Papa Distributing's 100th anniversary celebration. That photograph was taken at the 2nd of 3 parties that the company held to mark the happy event, at the Beaumont distribution center.

The final and biggest party was held last Saturday night at the Lone Star Flight Museum in Galveston. An estimated 1200 people enjoyed great country music, an amazing spread of food, and, of course, some cold Budweiser beer! The Stonefilms crew had a welcome guest, Billy's beautiful wife Vicki. Our thanks to Jan Glenn for his excellent still photography; I can tell you with certainty that neither of these 2 photographs will make the cut for the final Del Papa book, but there are plenty of other photos to choose from. We continue to work with Bright Sky Press as we dig through a treasure trove of photos new and old to create the 100th anniversary volume.

Del Papa Party Season Begins!

Del Papa Distributing packed a century of celebration into one terrific evening this past Saturday in Victoria. Our Stonefilms crew of still photographer Kim Christensen and videographer Larry Clifton documented the first of three parties marking the 100th anniversary of one of the leading beer distributors in the country. We'll also be on hand for parties in Beaumont and Galveston as Stonefilms continues an ambitious multimedia project: videos, newsletters, radio spots, and a book, all designed to capture Del Papa's past, present, and future.

An estimated 700 people came to Del Papa's Victoria headquarters for the bash, which featured delicious brisket, shrimp, Mexican food, country music, Clydesdales, and, of course, plenty of Budweiser beer! We've put a lot of hard work into this project, but we've rarely had so much fun with a client. And the folks at Del Papa always make us feel like part of their family.

The next event is November 6 in Beaumont.

2010 Texas Business Hall of Fame

The 2010 class of the Texas Business Hall of Fame is notable for its variety, its members hailing from fields ranging from oil & gas, computers, commercial real estate, and beer distribution. That makes for a wonderful creative challenge as our Stonefilms production team puts together the video profiles of the inductees for this fall's TBHOF gala dinner.

We've been working with the TBHOF for nearly 20 years, traveling across the state and the country as we conduct the interviews with some of the biggest names in Texas business: President George H.W. Bush, Ross Perot, Boone Pickens, Lamar Hunt, Bob McNair, Michael Dell, to name a few. This year's class includes:

Carlos Alvarez, the man behind beer brands like Corona at the Gambrinus Company;

Robert D. Duncan, of Transwestern, one of the largest privately held commercial real estate and development firms in the country;

W.A. "Tex" Moncrief & W.A. "Monty" Moncrief (posthumously), father & son, two of the greatest oil wildcatters;

Harvey E. Najim, chairman of Sirius Computer Solutions, and one of San Antonio's greatest philanthropists.

Each video profile is about 5 minutes long, and we will interview the inductee as well as 3 other individuals (that he selects) who can provide us some additional perspective about career accomplishments, business philosophy, and character insight. We've been working with the inductees' respective staff members since the beginning of summer to collect research material and schedule interviews.

The TBHOF gala is planned and presented by International Meeting Managers, and IMM's president, Lynne Tiras, is as always a delight to work with. This year's Texas Business Hall of Fame gala will take place Monday, November 8, 2010, at the Grand Hyatt San Antonio.