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Recently, our friends over at Biovante asked us to create a national brand spot for them to air during Corn Warriors on RFD TV, and how could we pass up two of our favorite things: corn, and being warriors?! Biovante is a biologicals company based in southeast Missouri that helps farmers large and small yield their best results possible. The main goal of the commercial was to convey Biovante’s commitment to their customers and their understanding of the hard work farmers pour into their crops.

The casting call for our farmer probably sparked the most submissions we’ve ever had for any project (the perks of shooting in SW Missouri!). We ended up picking George Cron for the part. We’d worked with George before and knew he was not only incredibly comfortable on screen and looked the part, but that he was also game for most anything we could throw at him, including having him drive his pickup across a corn field. Speaking of…

Even though our actual farmer, Kip, was knee-deep in the middle of harvesting, he was kind enough to give our Producer Ben and Director Merry a ride in his incredibly grand combines. It’s safe to say that neither of them have or ever will ride in a land vehicle that expensive or high tech ever again.

The finishing touch on this spot was the custom music track that our Producer Ben commissioned from his childhood friend Dalton “Doc” O’Conner. Doc was able to give us an easy-going, sentimental track that felt richer than the typical canned music that accompanies most commercials. Double Jump team members actually wake up with it stuck in their heads from time to time. Maybe it’s the farm life calling to us to trade in our cameras for those harvesters. You can (and should) check out Doc’s studio here!

We’re more accustomed to late nights in window-less edit bays than we are to sunrises in wide open fields, so the 3 AM call time was a mild shock to our systems. Nevertheless, it was worth it to capture that beautiful ascending light over the Missouri countryside. We’re happy to help a great company like Biovante, and in so doing support the hard-working farmers across the country that sustain us.

The number one requirement for a good internal ad is that Kenny G. be in the house. The second is that you cover your camera lens with pantyhose. The third is that you watch your actor friends spill wine all over themselves. Following these guidelines has never led us astray, especially with our first DJM ad, “A World Without Cups.”

We wanted to create an ad for busy crowdfunding campaigners who might be putting off their video while their launch date creeps ever closer.  The spot needed to convey that, “Your product may change life as we know it, so you better get the word out!” Our creative team thought first of something to do with pencils, but that was too small. Perhaps wheels? Too big. Cups… just right. 

Be sure to also check out the other sexy versions of this video here:

30 Second

15 Second

When Joe Kuipers, inventor of EZSTAX, came to us last year with his Kickstarter video needs, we knew we had an ingenious product on our hands. EZSTAX are a simple, affordable, and brilliant way of organizing documents without the need for any bulky filing systems. 

With every project we take on, there is a crossroads moment: what style of video will best serve this product? There were plenty of ideas from our creative team to make the EZSTAX spot something with a lot of humor and complexity. But in the end, we all landed on a simple, informative video — something to highlight the simplicity and ease of the product itself. 

We’re thrilled to have been of service to Joe’s masterfully run kickstarter campaign, which funded 11.7x his original goal. We’re also happy to have had the use of his EZSTAX during production — our documents will never be the same!

Druff’s is a downtown Springfield favorite, and a “third place” for the entire Double Jump Team. Their chuggable coffee and delectable grilled cheeses give us the power ups we need on a regular basis, so we were honored to be tapped to make a brand spot for them. 

Druff’s social media style is very much up DJM’s comedic alley, and Vance Hall, owner of Druff’s, isn’t afraid to use a bit of eccentricity in his posts. We knew that with this spot we could let a little bit of our zany hair down. 

Our strategy: a humorous bait and switch, or what we like to call “The ol’ razzle and dazzle.” We played it as straight as we could. The actor was to treat this role as if he was making the sincerest Father’s Day PSA the world has ever seen. The cinematography was to stay moody and serious. The music was to never savor of comedy, even after the reveal. 

The result has become a darling among our team. We’re thankful to Druff’s for trusting us with their brand and for allowing us to let our crazy flag fly a little higher than normal. 

Video marketing has become a must have for businesses who want to stay competitive, especially online. But taking that first plunge that is investing in a high quality video can be overwhelming. Many facing this daunting task will seek out ways to save money on their video project, hiring an amateur to make it for them. This may seem to be a fiscally responsible thing to do when facing new marketing territory, but consider this: what are the risks of releasing an ad that looks unprofessional? You don’t want a video that paints your company as one that skimps on or doesn’t recognize quality — you want your brand to shine like a gem! If you’re still doubting that hiring a production company is the way to go, here are some reasons that will help put your hesitations to rest.

1. Amateur videographers can make your business look amateur

Yes, quality cameras are easier to own than ever before, and this can make it tempting to enlist a friend or an existing employee to put your promo together instead. If you are thinking of doing this, though, be wary of the chance that it could actually make your company or goods look amateur. Just having a video isn’t the whole game in video marketing — having a professional video that evokes trust in your company is the ultimate goal. A professional production company is going to be able to know what makes a video look and sound professional. Quality in footage, lighting, composition, audio, music, editing, on-screen talent, and scripting are more difficult to do well than you might think. So, having someone without experience try to tackle these components can translate into a difficult, time-sucking project that may not even be worth the smaller price tag (especially if the end result isn’t up to snuff). 

2. Production companies have access to a team of employees,
expert contractors, and quality assets.

Those many components to a good video are not easy to tackle as one person, particularly if that one person has little know how. A professional production company will either have specialized team members for each task, or know a trusted, quality contractor to fill in any gaps. Additionally, high quality, royalty-free assets like music, graphics, or stock footage are something that a production company will have more access to than the average person (and they’ll know how to purchase the correct licenses for them!). 

3. Amateurs won’t have the variety of equipment (or backup equipment)
that a production company will. 

You may have access to a decent camera, but do you have 2? Or 3? What about batteries and chargers? Tripods? Lenses? SD Cards? Lights? Light Stands? Audio Gear? You get the picture. An amateur is not likely to have even a fraction of this gear, let alone redundant options should something go awry. You may be thinking, “I don’t need anything fancy,” but the truth is that one camera can barely get you to a usable video, let alone anything close to “fancy.” Here’s an example: If you were to film an interview on one camera it would mean you wouldn’t be able to cut to a different angle, which ultimately means you couldn’t cut out mistakes, awkward pauses, or long-winded answers. An awkward, droning interview certainly isn’t “fancy,” but it isn’t something people are going to want to watch either.

4. Production companies are used to deadlines 

Video endeavors are already a long process; from conceptualizing and scripting, logistics and production, to editing and revisions, a production with no delays can still take months. A professional production company will save you time by already knowing how to do the (entire) job, in addition to being contractually obligated to give you the finished product by an agreed upon deadline. If time is money, then a quality video delivered on-time is the best use of it. 

5. Production companies are familiar with advertising

Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, production companies are well-versed in advertising — both in its fundamentals and its trends. A professional scriptwriter will best know how to appeal to your target clientele with an engaging script that cuts out the chaff. A professional videographer will know how to do product shots in the most advantageous way possible. Professional on-screen talent (directed by a professional director to boot) will know how to strike the right tone for your audience. These professionals can be trusted to not only recognize what makes a good advertisement, but also how to create one.  And any shrewd business owner will appreciate that a quality product that achieves its objectives is a much better investment than a DIY product that only gets a fraction of the way there. 

by Ben Clayton

People tend to keep busy. We scurry from bed, to the shower, to the office, to happy hour, then dinner, and then that party. When was the last time you were bored?

The last time I was unintentionally bored was when I took a trip to a remote part of Colorado this summer.  I was staying on a nice horse ranch with my good friend Daniel.

Daniel was riding horses that morning and I stayed back in the lodge to read. I got bored of reading, so I took a nap. It was really nice, but weird. Almost otherworldly. The last time I remember being bored like that was when I was a child, and that was a long time ago.

Since then, I attempt (not always successfully) to schedule downtime to be bored. It kind of sounds dumb now that I write it out, but with the ability to consume all kinds of great media at any given moment it is nearly impossible to be bored unless it is intentional in some way.

Boredom allows you the space to let your mind wander. Sometimes it wanders in good directions and other times some scary stuff can happen. Problems can be both created and solved in the same train of thought. I find that beautiful.

Try being bored – it can be terrifyingly fun.

by Merry Fidler

They have earned the right to be bitchy

Creative Director personality types often earn the reputation for being bitchy, but did you know that they also earn the right to be bitchy? In fact, totally real studies show that Creative Directors are actually better than most people, which psychologists say can lead to them being perceived as impatient and entitled. What others fail to see, however, is that the C.D. is just misunderstood since no one else has the cognitive capacity to understand them on their exceptional level.

They’re often lonely

Creative Directors can often be found roaming the dark streets at night, alone, accompanied only by their completely original and earth-shattering ideas. They live a lonely existence as others of their caliber and good breeding are few and far between. Ben Clayton, Founder and CEO of Double Jump Media (DJM), is all too familiar with this phenomenon from observing his company’s Creative Director. “I have to regularly remind her that it’s lonely at the top. Sometimes she doesn’t hear me, though, because she literally floats several feet above the ground.”

They have no faults

The Creative Director’s greatest weakness is that she has no weaknesses, leaving her ill suited for any task involving empathy. “One time I came into the office crying because I saw a pile of dead geese in the street, and all our C.D. could say was, ‘that just gave me the most amazing idea,” recalled DJM Head of Business Development, Nick Warnock. “But she was right. That sequel to Fly Away Home has become the highest grossing goose movie of all time.”

They’re sleepy.

Sleepiness and the propensity to nap at all hours of the day is a common trait of the Creative Director, as everyone else’s absence of imagination and acumen can drain the C.D.’s physical powers. Caleb Hutton, Production Manager of DJM, had this advice for dealing with this scenario, “When our Creative Director has a sleeping spell during a strict deadline, I found that ideas are still pouring out of her. So we just drop her face on the keyboard and let her subconscious osmose into the ether.”

They hate compliments

Most of us love compliments, even if they make us uncomfortable in the moment; but that’s because we need our self-esteem bolstered. A Creative Director doesn’t need such bolstering, yet receives copious praise ad nauseum. “It’s my cross to bear,” said Merry Fidler, Creative Director of DJM. “I’m getting through it, though. I just have to remember to take it one agonizing compliment at a time.”

Addendum: The inspiration for this article was tri-fold. First of all, I am just one schmuck in a sea of Myers-Briggs related clickbait casualties. I’m cognizant that any article or blog post with a title like Why INFPs Are Mankind’s Last Remaining Hope, or Studies Show Disorganized People Are Frickin’ Geniuses, are written by people with these traits to make themselves feel better. Nevertheless, I digest them on the regular. Satirizing such articles is my attempt to break their spell over me.

Secondly, I’ve known many creatives who are lacking in down-to-earth-ness and are preoccupied with curating their image. BE WARY of their flare and siren songs! Creativity and innovation exist in untold guises, unbound by the trending forms we’re inundated with every day.  

Thirdly, I’ve had people confess to me their intimidation toward creatives. Though creatives are a breed of their own and do add a special spice to life, they shouldn’t intimidate you. I’m a 29-year-old Creative Director and still use a muppet voice when I’m feeling awkward, am a breath away from a Spongebob reference at any given moment, and have to consciously fight the FOMO demons as much as anyone else.