As we reflect on the last 12 months, 2011 brought many exciting changes to our Boston-based video production company. When McElroy Films outgrew it’s office, increased staff, won 3 more Davey Awards, and expanded services all within a calendar year, it’s safe to call 2011 a success, but that success is something we’ve come to expect in our office.

Yet again, we were awarded three more Davey Awards for non-profit videos produced for Fenway Health, the South Shore Habitat for Humanity, and the New England Pediatric Center. The latest awards came in addition to the Telly Award given in early 2011 for yet another Fenway Health video.

The winning ways extended into our wedding division as McElroy Weddings won the highly coveted Bride’s Choice Award from the Wedding Wire and the Best of 2012 from The Knot. Both awards are based solely on positive client reviews and are only awarded to the top 5% of the many hundreds of thousands of members on each website.

2011 saw dozens of exciting new videos produced for new and established clients.

Acclaimed singer, Brian Evans, originally of Haverhill, MA, enlisted us to promote his hit single At Fenway in a 30-second spot featuring Hall-of-Famer Jim Rice. The spot not only fueled the song’s induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame, but also aired during the Super Bowl in several regions across the United States.

We also produced a hip-hop music video for local artist, G-Star, which accrued hundreds of thousands of views on YouTube in mere weeks.

At about the same time, McElroy Films delved into the New Hampshire Republican primary, becoming former Speaker Newt Gingrich’s personal videographers at a time when the race was still hotly contested. Videographers Ben and Brittney found themselves traveling to every corner of the Granite State, following Newt as he campaigned from senior centers to college campuses. After the New Hampshire primary, McElroy Films produced web spots and commercials for the South Carolina primary.

New videos for non-profit Fenway Health were featured at two of the largest gala events for the LGBT community in the country in both 2011 and early 2012: The Men’s Event and the Women’s Diner Party. Another non-profit giant, the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America (CCFA), had a video produced for their premiere fundraising event as well as videos detailing the CCFA’s major fundraising programs such as the Take Steps and Team Challenge campaigns. All the videos went a long way in detailing the missions of Fenway Health and the CCFA for potential donors.

The past year also included training videos for Triple-S and the Boston Fire Department as well as educational videos for Fenn School, Holy Name High School, and the Pakachoag Music School.

With all the success and a host of new projects on the horizon, McElroy Films seems ripe for even greater success in 2012 and beyond. We would like to thank our clients for trusting us with their video, web hosting, and distribution needs, as, without them, our success wouldn’t be possible.

Enjoy.

Ben McElroy of Massachusetts based McElroy Films explains the top elements to look for in cinematic style videos when hiring a video production company.

Leominster, MA (PRWEB) February 9, 2010 — The recent movie making excitement in Massachusetts has started New Englanders thinking about translating their lives in slick Hollywood fashion. Wedding, corporate, nonprofit and music videos can all be approached in cinematic style. Video production companies, such as Massachusetts based McElroy Films, are now producing videos using techniques from the movie industry.

“The demand for better looking video is on the rise and Hollywood films are synonymous with a high quality look. Movie industry techniques can be found in most high-end video productions. Cinematic style wedding videos are so popular I now refer to them as ‘wedding films’ to distinguish them from other wedding videos.” explains Ben McElroy of McElroy Films.

“Recently we were approached by NIKE who specifically requested the use of the Canon 7D. The Canon 7D is a new High Definition Digital SLR camera. They wanted the cinematic look of this camera. Clients are starting to think differently about video. They want the look and quality of a Hollywood film but not all of them are clear about what elements they are looking for. I work with them to get them the look they want.”

McElroy explains the top elements to look for in a cinematic style video:

- Storytelling
Cinematic films require pre-production, including research and scripting. Most use interviews, voice-over narration, or both. The video production company you hire should have a skilled producer to write a compelling script, create interview questions that bring out emotion and drama, and who is able to put interviewees at ease so they come across in the best way possible.

- Imagery
The videographer must be familiar with film industry standards for subject placement and composition. The filming should not only be visually beautiful, but capture true emotions. It is the feeling the audience gets from watching a film that will compel them to take action or connect them to your story.

- High Definition Equipment
Not all “high-definition” equipment is the same. To create a cinematic style video, HD cameras with 1920×1080 resolution need to be used. Most modern HD cameras shoot in “progressive mode”, which is essential for encoded video on the Internet.

- Lighting
Lighting is an important element for cinematic videos. The right lighting creates the mood and depth seen in Hollywood films.

- Movie Industry Speed
Hollywood uses a 24 frames per second (24p) frame rate. This eliminates the amateur “home-movie” look and will automatically give a professional cinematic feel.

- Glidecams and Dollies
The use of Glidecams gives a smooth cinematic look. It allows the camera to stay steady even while the videographer is walking or running. A dolly allows a camera to move smoothly to and from a subject.

- Professional Audio
Sound quality is essential to creating a cinematic video. Wireless microphones, booms and a good audio technician should be used on productions to create crisp, movie quality audio.

- Multiple Cameras
Having multiple cameras allows the production company to have a variety of camera angles and perspectives to work with when editing a cinematic video. The final product will have a more interesting and realistic look.

- Music
Good quality music from a music library is another important element in cinematic videos. Music helps to move the video along and sets the mood for different scenes.

- Cinematic Editing Techniques and Special Effects
All movies have a movie “trailer” which shows exciting highlights of the full-length feature film. Video production companies can borrow this technique from Hollywood when editing your video. Popular techniques for cinematic videos are color correction, black and white and soft focus.

About McElroy Films
McElroy Films LLC is a professional high definition video production company serving Massachusetts and New England. Specializing in corporate, educational, non-profit, wedding, independent filmmaking and music video production, McElroy Films provides a high quality product at a fraction of the cost. McElroy Films prides itself on its client-driven results and boutique-like service by affording each project the attention it deserves.