C. Dante Smith

Why is creative media production so expensive? Let me break down the costs of an "basic" production from a production company's standpoint based on my experience: Equipment: - CAMERAS: $60,000 - $200,000 - MEMORY CARDS/SSD's: $1,500 - $5,000 - LENSES x4: $15,000 - LIGHTING: $30,000 - EDITING COMPUTER: $10,000 - STUDIO SPACE: $1,000/Day (These costs are usually built into a studio's rate) Crew: - DIRECTOR: $500-$1,000/day - DP: $500-$1,500/day - Photographer: $1,000/day - HMUA: $800-$1,000/day - EDITOR: $500-$1,000/day - PA: $250-$500/day - GAFFER: $500-750/day (These costs are also usually built into a studio's rate) Misc: - ACTORS: $100-$300/hour - LOCATIONS: $100-$300/hour - PROPS: $500 - $1,000 - WARDROBE: $500 - $1,000 (These costs are also usually built into a studio's rate or like us we just charge the client as cost - no markup) There are many ways to make things cheaper of course, and while I probably miss a few other costs I think it's good for people to understand on average what's "under the hood" of a production when considering media production services. If you want quality work, you want/need quality equipment, a quality team of creatives, and quality support for your ideas and vision. Have an idea, a campaign, or any media needs reach out to us at SíPo Studios!

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Crush your TikTok sales goals with Livestreaming in 2024! 🚀 This guide provides key strategies: ✔ Prep: Focus on hero products, craft an engaging script, ensure professional setup, and offer enticing incentives. ✔ Go Live: Be energetic, interact, highlight product benefits, leverage music and visuals. ✔ Drive Sales: Encourage likes, shares, follows, and PURCHASES. ✔ Optimize: Repurpose your livestream and analyze performance data. Partner with an agency like Ecomax for expert e-commerce solutions on TikTok! #ecommerce #tiktokmarketing #livestreaming

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Choosing the Perfect Voice Talent 🎤 Dive into our expert guide to find the ideal voice talent for your media projects. Learn how to evaluate voice samples, align talent with your brand, and master the casting process. Perfect for producers, directors, and content creators looking to enhance their projects. 👉 Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/d8euxj9p #VoiceOver #MediaProduction #ContentCreation #VoiceTalent #Voicesfy

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🔍 Transparency in media buying? It’s here with #ProgrammaticCuration. ✅ Ditch the cookie reliance. ✅ Say hello to quality inventory control. ✅ Measure with precision, optimize for impact. 📊 Traditional vs. Programmatic: The graphic says it all.

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PR ppl need to rethink how they execute their media relations programs. These aren't just PR trends or clickbait ... they're critical 👇🏼 Why this matters: The media landscape is complicated. The news media is becoming smaller every day, outlets are converging, and journalists are using new platforms like Substack & podcasts to share the news. The competition for customer attention is off the charts (and will continue to be) To be successful in PR, it’s critical to understand what’s driving these changes and how they can be used to your advantage. What are the new outlets? Who are the new influencers? Where are the audiences hanging out? How is your client going to be relevant TOMORROW based on what's happening TODAY?

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How is it that we keep having this faulty-logic, data-poor, pseudo-debate about a binary choice between "old" and "new" media? The marketplace is complex and dynamic. Legacy conglomerates are challenged, yes. But Warner Bros. Discovery, NBCUniversal and The Walt Disney Company are not the same company and each have distinct strengths and weaknesses. Smart content creators and marketers will adapt their approach to each. Netflix appears to be in a class of its own (global, growing, evolving the ad platform). Smart content creators and marketers will approach Netflix accordingly. Prime Video & Amazon MGM Studios are also in a class of their own for different reasons (part of a larger eco-system, therefore using premium content and distribution to the advantage of a broader corporate strategy). Smart content creators and marketers will approach Amazon with this in mind (e.g. a plan to transact on Amazon not just with Amazon). Likewise, YouTube is different than TikTok is different than Instagram is different than X. Smart content creators and marketers will... ALL of these platforms exist simultaneously. Humans engage each platform differently; those seeking to reach those humans should also engage differently. Aden ® and Jonas Barnes have weighed in on opposite sides of this recently, whereas David Freeman and I weighed our way into agreement. Others are welcome to join the discourse. Only time will reveal who, if any of us, are right! (In the meantime, we at Superconnector Studios advise a strategic portfolio approach, with tactics and content adapted appropriately for each platform.)

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In 2025, I think we're going to see a shift in the way big brands do content. I predict we will see more brands making episodic content on platforms like IG, YouTube, and TikTok. People are so tired of being sold to and advertised to, and savvy brands are going to make content that blurs the lines. Think “Hot Ones", or wired auto-complete, etc. More content like this will pop up, and brands will build loyal, engaged audiences through content that is fun, engaging, binge-worthy, and repeatable. Influencer marketing is on life support, and now brands have to adapt to keep people’s attention. Call me crazy, but I’m very confident this is going to be what we see happen over the next 12-24 months. #marketing #content #influencermarketing

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I hate making posts like this, but I feel like it's necessary to warn others who work in this industry. Tommy Wilczak and Infludesk Media have outright scammed our talent out of THOUSANDS of dollars. After waiting over 150 days, Tommy and his team at Infludesk have given us the runaround of lies many times over and I am hoping that by sharing our story it will ensure nobody else falls prey to their disgraceful practices. Here's the story: In May of this year one of my talent was contacted and signed a deal with Infludesk promoting a company that won't be named due to their innocence in this matter. The video was uploaded and everything seemed to be moving smoothly until it came time to pay. Now I have it on good authority directly from the brand that was promoted that they did pay Infludesk for the deal, but Infludesk claimed they couldn't pay, and were waiting on funds from OTHER INFLUENCER'S DEALS to pay us. Somehow the money my talent was owed seemed to just vanish into thin air. Then started the months on months of emails, LinkedIn messages, even attempts at negotiating a solution that didn't end in the public release of the entire story in good faith that just maybe this wasn't intentional, but after being told for weeks "We intend to pay at the end of the week", we aren't waiting anymore. This is a clear mishandling of funds, and we aren't the only ones who've been hit by Infludesk and Tommy, I've found many other stories posted across the internet of these criminals taking money from brands and never paying out to the talent. I have 55 mutual connections on LinkedIn with Tommy, which means he appears to be a trustworthy individual when you see his requests come through. Please take my warning seriously, stay far away from these people. If you are connected to them or have ongoing work with them, I urge you to reevaluate your association. People who act like this should not be allowed to continue to pollute an industry that operates so strongly on trust. #influencermarketing

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Now playing: Kargo's Marketing Pros + Perspectives interview series. Catch all six episodes to get insights on everything from AI to social to multicultural media from the brightest minds in marketing. Tune in:  https://lnkd.in/gM7eJsdF #marketing #adtech

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Need a reliable guide to streamline your podcast production? Check out our latest blog post, "The Ultimate Podcast Production Checklist." This comprehensive guide covers everything from planning to publishing, ensuring you never miss a step. Perfect for keeping your workflow smooth and efficient. Get all the details here: https://lnkd.in/e2fjy9jP #Podcasting #ProductionChecklist #ContentCreation #PodcastTips #WorkflowEfficiency

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Brands should hire more music marketers. There’s nothing harder than convincing someone to listen to new music…over and over again. Nothing more challenging than marketing to consumption instead of purchasing. Music marketers must create a habitual pattern in the mind of prospects. You don’t sell once, you sell everyday, in a zero sum battle for attention against the entire history of recorded music from everywhere in the world. And unlike FMCG marketers, music marketers have to build loyalty without point of sale data and reliable CRM. There’s also no material advantage in distribution. Everyone is using the same rails. Everyone is on the same shelf at the same Costco…at the same time…for the same price. If someone can break a track, be damn sure they can market your clothes, widget or whatever.

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Viewers Of A Viral Chevy Dealership's TikTok Mockumentary Series Are BEGGING For A Series This is a lesson on how to create compelling content on social that will get the attention of viewers, networks, and streamers, which translates into dollars! Mohawk Chevrolet took a chance to create a parody series of "The Office" called "The Dealership." (Imagine cars instead of paper.) The nine mockumentary-style videos feature 3- to 6-minute videos and have over 7 million views leaving fans tagging Netflix, Hulu, CBS and others to green-light a series. If you haven't seen the campaign yet, check it out Mohawk Chevrolet Grace Kerber. The account used to show promo videos, employee interviews and photos...until now. Episode five titled "Lemme drive the rado" features a 38-point turn and boasts close to 3,800 comments including one from the Chevy corporate account, "Watch out, Hollywood!" So, what works about the videos that are written, shot, and edited in a day? They don't show the cars that often so it doesn't feel like they're shoving their product down your throat. It's a masterclass in authentic, entertaining content that connects with audiences. One comment exemplifies this: "Not me living in Ireland seeing how I can get o the dealership to buy that car that I won't be able to bring back with me." And others are commenting they're willing to drive hundreds and thousands of miles to buy from this team!

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5 principles to guide the evolution of agency-client dynamics.

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We’re excited to share an insightful article from our founder, Sarah Mehler on the evolving role of the Agency of Record (AOR) in today’s marketing landscape. Sarah emphasizes a key takeaway: the modern AOR should thrive on trust and collaboration, shifting from a traditional model to a dynamic partnership. It’s no longer just about creative ideas; it’s about implementing those ideas in the real world and executing them together to achieve shared success. Dive into the full Ad Age article to discover the five guiding principles that can redefine agency-client relationships for the 21st century. https://lnkd.in/e5ucBFfc #aor #innovation #technology #creativity #design #futurism

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