The Allen Film & Video News

What's happening? ....What's relevant? ....What's the scuttlebutt?

07.12.10

Highlights:

Client Garden-Aire is surpassing their own expectations as they launch their HugIt Planters on QVC using our b-roll.

Client America World Adoption Agency travels us to Colorado, Louisville, Washington DC and Wyoming for some of the best locations at which we've ever filmed!

OhioWine.tv resumes production, 16 wineries signed on this season.

A new level of production has been reached. Look for it in our portfolio for clients Stately Raven and Spring Meadows, and watch for the GFI Viewbook, soon to be published.

OU Graduate Wes Morgan joins AFV this month. He was an intern last year and showed remarkable editing skills. Upon graduation we were pleased to welcome him back.

06.05.10

We're really pleased with what's been happening here so far this year. We're expanding into some new areas, working with new clientele and putting out new production models for Greater Findlay, Inc, Garden-Aire and the Ohio Grape Industries Committee among others. We've added three new services to our repetoire too; web site authoriing, Blu-Ray DVD authoring and our newest invention, DisposableVideos.

04.17.10

We have a new tool in the toolbox - the new Sony EX-1R. It's the upgrade from the EX-1 we bought two years ago. It now features an infrared filter on the sensor set for a clearer image as well as the ability to film in DVCAM mode. This doubles our small but mighty EX series of HD cameras that will make dual HD shooting a whole lot easier, especially when traveling. We also still have the larger XDCAM 350L CinAlta shoulder mount camera - still our favorite tool, which means when doing local shoots or those traveling shoots accessible by car, we can now do a three-camera HD shoot.

11.10.09

If you're headed to the movies this holiday season, be sure to come early enough to see the commercials! We have several commercials we produced for Screenvision that play prior to the previews and the show start. These are currently exclusive to the Carmike 12 in Findlay, OH.

10.13.09

Allen Film & Video will soon be making to trek to Colorado Springs, CO to begin production on a national video. This production may also take us to Tennessee and southern California. Our promise of confidentiality precludes me from volunteering too much information, but suffice it to say that we are very excited to be providing excellent hi-def production to a company who needs to look good on a very large scale, in a very important series of forums. We appreciate the honor of working on it.

09.12.09

Happy Anniversary, AFV!

8 years ago on this date, I bet my future on video production. I had been in radio in one shape or form since 1985, had worked as an assistant director and audio tech at a TV station and was a mobile DJ for weddings, corporate events and the occasional club. I had been a drummer in several bands too. My life was audio.

I was approached in a parking lot by an old acquaintance who wanted to know if I was interested in getting into a video company with him. I said sure. About a month later another friend told me that he was approached about doing a video but couldn't do it himself, but thought I might know someone.

I did.

Our first contract was signed on September 12th, 2001, the day after the terrorist attacks on our country. It was a surreal moment to be sure, but with that signed contract I used my credit card to buy a Canon XL-1 off of EBay, a few tapes, and we started production. The first client was supposed to be a $2,500 video but with the amount of footage the client wanted us to collect and the length of the video, the price tag eventually rose to $25,000. With that account balance we bought a Mac G5, Final Cut version 3, some more tapes and we started doing local commercials.

Since then I purchased my partner's half of the business (2007), changed the name to Allen Film & Video, moved the location and built new alliances. The 8-year anniversary of the company as a whole, and the two-year anniversary of Allen Film & Video shows us a tremendous amount of growth with even more potential for relationships and important productions for 2010.

Wednesday, September 12, 2001 is a day that will always be special to me. We came together as patriots for a critically injured country and I started walking the best path I've ever chosen.

07.10.09

We're in a new location!

After a year in the basement of my home and a year on the 3rd floor of a downtown office building, Allen Film & Video has new digs at 123 East Main Cross, Suite 2, right behind GFI (Greater Findlay, Inc., also known as the Findlay / Hancock County Chamber of Commerce).

We're very pleased with the new office space. It's right in the center of downtown Findlay, there's lots of space, it's pretty darn quiet for having a downtown location, and our proximity to GFI hold a great deal of promise for both of us.

To coincide with our new location, we also now have a new website. We still have some bugs to work out and we want to add some nifty little toys to it, but overall we really like the new look and the clean design. Surf through the site and let me know what you think.

Come visit our new location when you get the chance.