Today we’d like to introduce you to Irwin Myers.
Irwin, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I originally wanted to produce comedy videos similar to Monty Python. To do this, I needed to learn video production. I was working for the City of Chicago’s Credit Counseling Center at the time and convinced my boss to purchase video production equipment so that we could produce consumer education videos for the Municipal Cable station that broadcast to thousands of Chicago residents. I was able to produce three, 30-minute videos, two of which won awards.
At around the same time I met my wife’s boss who asked me what I did for a living. I told him that I worked for the city and one of the things I did was produce videos. He immediately asked me if I wanted to produce three videos for his company. Of course the answer was yes!
That’s when I left government employment and ventured into the business world for the first time in my life. I lost money on the first video I produced, broke even on the second one and made a profit on the third one. Since that time, I definitely learned to look at the numbers when bidding on projects!
Regarding the name of my company, I casually mentioned to my doctor that I was having difficulty picking the best name for my new company. He said that I should definitely use the number “one” in the title. That sounded right, so I chose Video One Productions as the name for my company.
Meeting my wife’s boss and mentioning my naming quandary to my doctor were serendipitous events for which I’m extremely grateful.
I started out working from home and then moved to a small office. Over the past 30 years, I expanded the size and scope of my business. When clients asked if I did duplication as well as production, the answer was yes! Then I had to scramble and purchase VHS duplication vcr’s at the time. I eventually had a wall of 50 duplication machines. It broke my heart to trash $60,000 worth of machines, but I eventually dumped the VHS duplicators when it was obvious that the VHS format was gone forever. However, I still do duplication. I have 7 DVD and Blu-ray towers with which I duplicate thousands of discs a year. Though everything is going on line, discs are still a thriving source of business for us.
Most of our time is used to produce marketing, training, event and business communication videos. We are a full service video production company that provides editing and production services for businesses, non-profits, government and individuals. We also provide drone videography mostly for real estate related purposes. However we use our drones for marketing and documentation videos as well.
We produce a lot of trade show, interview, presentation and “sizzle” videos that are synopses of events we film. For instance, a client will ask us to film presentations, networking, testimonials and other events at a trade show and then have us produce a 2-3 minute synopsis that they can use to promote next year’s conference or trade show.
There’s a lot of competition in my field, but having been around for 30+ years has given us a definite edge and has allowed us to stay in this creative business for so long. We have a great legacy website, high ranking search engine optimization, strong presence in many directories, repeat clients, clients who call years later, remembering what a great job we did for them last time, lots of referrals from other clients, plus other sources for clients and business. Of course, I have to make sure that the quality of our work is top notch, our pricing is competitive, and that we remain the friendly, client centered company that we were from day one. I take nothing for granted and am appreciative for the opportunity that my clients and staff have given me to continue in this line of work for so long.
Speaking of my staff, I have talented producers, videographers and editors who share the same client centered philosophy as me. Two of us are full time, but I can and do expand the number of talented staff on an as needed basis. Last year we had to provide 8 videographers for 7 days of filming at the Podcast Movement convention in Chicago. Fortunately, I have a deep bench and was able to successfully meet the challenging assignment of filming and editing 90 presentations over the span of a week.
My industry is always changing, with new technology coming out all the time. Of course we have to keep up with the latest developments. However, good video comes down to good story telling. Our ability to tell our client’s story in an entertaining, succinct, and motivating fashion will always be the key to success in this industry.
Has it been a smooth road?
Going from analog to digital was interesting and required some adjustments on our part. We used to edit on clunky 3/4″ VCR’s. Then we went to Betacam production and editing. These were expensive ways to film and edit, forcing people to use professional companies such as Video One if they wanted a video.
In the 1990’s, the DV format revolutionized the industry. Prosumer and consumer camcorders came into being and affordable production and editing eventually caught on, leaving many established companies in the lurch. Fortunately, we didn’t invest heavily in the old technology and I was able to ride the wave of digital editing and production into the future.
I still have VCR’s that use the old formats for conversion purposes, but the vast amount of our work these days is filmed on memory cards and edited on our computers.
While individuals and businesses can do video production themselves, it still comes down to knowing what you’re doing to make it look good. Proper lighting, good audio, framing the shot, the duration of the shot, and a host of creative decisions enter into the picture. Though video is much more affordable than it used to be, unless someone wants to invest the time and money into learning how to do professional video production and obtain professional equipment, they still need a professional to do a great job for them. Our discerning clients realize that their video is a reflection of their entire company. So it’s worth it for them to have it done professionally.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Video One Productions story. Tell us more about the business.
We are a full service video production company that can take a client’s concept to completion. We provide scripting, talent, production, editing, and duplication. We are happy to provide any or all of those services, as sometimes our clients just want us to just film or edit the video.
We’re best known for producing business communication videos. These include filming trade shows, conventions, presentations, multiple camera shoots, executive messaging, and marketing, training and event videos.
I’m most proud of our reputation as being honest, competitively priced and a producer of expert quality productions. I’m also proud of our clientele. The vast majority of our clients recognize the effort and creativity we put into our work, and I appreciate their appreciation and patronage!
What sets us apart is our 30 years of experience in the industry, our great reputation, the consistent and reliable service we provide, our long list of pleased clients, our A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau, fast turn time, our Government Service Administration (GSA) status, and of course the creative work we do.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
I think technology will continue to get less expensive and easier to use. It will also continue to be miniaturized.
Virtual reality and 360 video are emerging. Live broadcasting of events will also become mainstream and available to everyone.
Pricing:
- $650 for a half day of production services. Includes drone and tripod mounted production, audio and lighting.
- $1050 for a full day of production services. Includes drone and tripod mounted production, audio and lighting.
- $125/hr for editing. Includes motion graphics production as well.
Contact Info:
- Address: 1820 W Webster Ave #201
Chicago, IL - Website: https://video1pro.com/chicago/
- Phone: (773) 486-8762
- Email: irwin@video1pro.com
- Instagram: Video One Productions
- Facebook: Video One Productions
- Twitter: Video One Productions
- Yelp: Video One Productions
- Other: Video One Productions
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