StormMaker Productions, Inc.

05/22/2024

A laugh to lift your day.

**A Funny Story from the Field**

Reposted with permission from one of our camera operators.

We were filming a TV show back in the day, and the majority of it took place outdoors in the backcountry. This setting presented numerous natural hazards we had to be cautious about. Our primary concern was preventing anyone on the production team from getting bitten by a snake. To mitigate the risk of ticks, we had everyone wear long sleeves and pants to make it harder for the ticks to latch on.

However, there was one hazard we didn’t pay attention to—stationary dangers. Here's the story:

It was a typical hot Southern California day, and we were deep in the brush, getting our last shots before lunch. The camera operator, hot and sweaty, had to take a small break between shots. Back then, cameras were massive, shoulder-mounted devices that weighed a ton, and after holding them in the baking sun all morning, they would get quite heavy. The camera operator set the camera down and took a knee while the director explained the action for the next shot. When it was time to shoot again, the operator put his hand on the ground to help himself up, grabbed the camera, and finished the last shots.

We all headed back to base camp, and the camera operator went straight to the port-a-john. Then the day proceeded as planned. Later that evening, the camera operator developed an intense, uh, itch down yonder. Understandably freaked out, he noticed a rash developing there as well on the side of his face. So straight to Urgent Care he went.

It turned out he had set the camera and his hand into poison oak during his break. The oils spread to the aforementioned areas.

The old motto "Watch where you squat" still applies to this day. Needless to say, we've added poison oak to our safety checklist when working outdoors.

Of all the hazards we encounter on our projects, like hanging out of a helicopter while filming or getting run over by NFL players, the last one we expected to face was a toxic bush. Stay safe out there, and let us know if you need any help with your outdoor projects—we’ve done them all.

05/20/2024

Silent Video Gains Momentum

It’s estimated that 85% of short videos viewed on Facebook are watched without sound.

Yet as much as 41% of video would be incomprehensible to viewers without sound.

This is why video marketers are using captions, context, and other “no-audio” tactics to convey information.

Audioless animations such as GIFs have long been doing just that.

Using captions, tell-through-action, and commonly known meme formats, GIFs convey ideas without sound. And their popularity has grown as a result.

Read more here.

https://explodingtopics.com/blog/video-trends

If you need captions for your website videos and/or help navigating the latest trends, contact us so we can help you out!

Here are 7 of the most significant video trends for 2024 and beyond. And the meta-trends, products, and companies pushing them forward.

09/11/2022

9-11-2001

As we mark another year of the tragedies of September 11th, 2001, we at StormMaker Productions wanted to thank our troops who continue to this day to fight and protect us and thank the many around the world that stand-up at all costs fighting for the unalienable rights of all human beings.

The horrible events of September 11th, 2001 changed our world forever. The amount of change can truly not be quantified. Waking up that day to those horrible events put us all in a state of shock. We all were glued to the television that morning. Everything else stopped as if someone paused the world: there was no traffic, no planes, just an eery silence about the world, and even the news replaying the events over and over appeared to have no sound. Nobody wanted to move, eat, or work. Life was paused, yet we were also fully aware that when it unpaused, our lives would be forever changed.

We had started StormMaker Productions one week prior and in an instant our new little company felt like the least important thing in the world. We called our clients to reschedule their appointments, but one refused to reschedule her editing session.

We questioned her, "Are you sure you want to work today?" She responded with something very profound, she said, "You have to work or they have won."

She couldn't have been more right and putting all politics aside, President Bush echoed those same sentiments days later. Many failed to follow that simple advice and they got sucked into that awful depressing world and fell by the wayside. As well, some clients were lost because they were still "paused" and didn't want to "get back to work".

Tough times nonetheless--not only for the nation, but also a young small business. But we heeded that sage advice and have never stopped working. So when we look back on 9-11 we feel the best way to honor the fallen is to do the same thing we did that day, we pick ourselves up and get to work.

May peace, love and a never-ending will to succeed fulfill your day,

Thanks for working with us for the past 21 years.

Steffanie Siebrand & Jason Wissinger
Founders
StormMaker Productions, Inc.

03/02/2022

On set with host Mychal Wilson for The Whistleblower!
Now steaming on all major platforms! www.TheWhistleblowerShow.com

11/25/2021

Happy Thanksgiving from our family to yours!!🦃

11/16/2021

Let StormMaker Production create vdieo content for you, your products and services!

11/12/2021

11/11/2021

A special message to our Veterans🇺🇸