Are you supporting your video production business with a website? Did you develop it yourself, hire a third party or rope in a friend or relative to do it for you?

I strongly believe that, as we are operating in a visual medium, our websites should reflect that same graphic and visual sense that we bring to the business.

If our sites are full of random clip art, java effects and dodgy midi music then what are our clients going to assume about our productions?

Our own site is currently in a late prototype stage as I attempt to establish a design that best reflects our work. Of course, after that, I need to post the actual final content as much of the current text and images are simply acting as placeholders at the moment. Well, it gives us an idea of how it will finally look.

How are your sites working out? I would be interested to hear from those on this board about your views on the effectiveness, or otherwise, of your websites as a business tool and as method of establishing a graphic sensibility or look which will appeal to your target market(s).

For our 2003 marketing, we have one print ad, three bridal website ads, and our own website. I just booked a wedding last week where the bride emailed me from my website and asked where to send the deposit. A clean, professional website makes all the difference.

I built my own site using Netscape Communicator (free download) and Photoshop. My site has evolved quite a bit as I have learned HTML and website design principles. Each time I prepare to redesign my site, I spent a couple of weeks looking at other photography and videography sites and find the elements I like, and the elements I want to avoid. I've never copied someone else's website, but my current site was influenced by several well-done websites.

Feel free to take a look at what I've done. The URL is www.utphotographicmemories.com. Good luck with your site!

Rick Foxx
Photographic Memories

James,

I think your website already is in a very nice direction. Elegant
and simple. I would however remove the "under construction"
pages. If there is nothing there, do not let the user know at
all.

It is like giving something a cookie and then saying, whoops,
sorry, it is a plastic cookie, you can't eat it.

I personally prefer simplicity, clarity, style and space. Especially
space.

Rick: you might want to add the --> border="0" noborder <--
parameters to your image tags (IMG) to get rid of (ugly in my
opinion) the blue/purple (purple once you've been there) lines
surround your images.

Your site is nice and simple. The image sizes may be a bit large and I don't think it needs to be quite so large but then again, I am a DSL snob and I *hate* having to pander to dial up users in my work at Clipstream.com. So I myself am always pushing that envelope.

One comment. I don't like that you have to click on the box to get to the menu choice. I think there's a disconnect with the usual use of an empty box, which is as a check box on a form.

zebradv's intro page design assumes a 1024 × 768 display, and that the browser has no extra toolbars (such as the Google toolbar). It's nice that you want to fill the page with a pretty image, but the better way to do that is with a small Shockwave Flash applet. (Actually, the way the site is set up, with a virtual domain redirect and frames and all, it's a perfect candidate for the Flash treatment. Add some mellow, low-volume harp or string quartet music to accompany bubble girl and your page sets the mood, instantly and innocuously. For an example, see ochacups.com (http://www.ochacups.com).)

I agree with Keith on the checkboxes, but on the other hand, they're used consistently enough across the site that they sum to some bit of stylistic coherance. So keep them if you like.

The capitalization seems inconsistent (see "Your" on the wedding page).

Anyway, I like the whole. Simple navigation, structural completeness. My only other recommendation is--and this is true for all business web sites--the address and telephone listing of the business should be prominently visible on the very first page visited, without clicking or scrolling. (And if you can find a way to fit it, on every page.) Many potential clients visit a web site as a faster alternative to looking up a number in a phone book.

Rob Lohman: I sympathize with your complaint. I get web pages that give me inedible cookies all the time!

Keith: have you noticed your "Big Brother" popup has made its way to some other images (like the hockey one)?

I disagree on requiring Shockwave or any kind of special plugin for the site. No one is going to want to return to the site even if they decide to update their plugin. Updating a Shockwaved site is also more time-consuming when sometimes you just need to change some text information. If you absolutely require Shockwave, then at least provide a less-bandwidth intensive, non-plugin alternative by detecting the user's browser on the landing page.

I agree regarding Shockwave. It can be annoying at best.

FLASH and Java however have become ubiquitous. Something like 97% of all browsers these days already have FLASh installed. FLASH particularly versions 3-5 can run on almost everyones computer these days.

Rick

Thanks for all of your comments guys,

As for the 'Under Construction' pages - remember that this is a prototype website and the only reason it has been posted is so that I can check it out on the PC's in work. I'm developing it on the mac at home and I'm trying to ensure a relatively consistent look across all platforms before I post the final content and banish all of those pesky under construction notices.

Also, none of the images have been optimized for the web so they certainly are too large, amongst other things (contrast, brightness). Again, the text is mostly spoof 'blah-blah-blah' garbage so any random capitalisation that may have creeped in there will be absent from the final site.

In response to others, Shockwave, Flash and Java are not only beyond my ken but also something I find personally annoying - a bit like those Christmas cards with a sound chip in them. Harp or String Quartet music is definitely a big no-no and completely contrary to the design ethic of the site and business.

I do agree about having contact numbers clearly displayed and that will be something I'll be integrating into the final product.

Well, thanks guys for all of your comments but that's enough about me - what about your websites?

I've taken a look at Rick Foxx's website (Nice one, Rick!) which is very nicely done and totally different to the style I've adopted. And Keith, very nice site but what's with all of the weapon images?

What about the rest of you?

Jim.

Oh, and the 'checkboxes' are staying!

:-)

James,

I will be designing my production website ASAP. However, if you want to take a look at a website of mine, feel free to visit:

http://www.dpbegin.com

The website that has garnered business. Let me know what you think...

I used Photoshop, Adobe GoLive, and MS Frontpage.

Cheers!

Derrick

Robert,

The Ocha Cups intro was very well done. I think it might be a
very nice way to introduce a movie related website. You immediately
get a "feel" for the movie. Ofcourse this should be low on
bandwidth and it might not be for everoyne, but overall I really
liked it! Thanks for sharing that.

I'm at a loss here. I can't find "Ocha Cups." Where exactly is it?

James... I like how your site is coming along very much. The photo of the little girl is very fetching.

Derrick, your site is also appealing. Have to be honest about one thing, though. The centered popups have already gotten a bit old, in my opinion. Plus, a lot of people are using "popup blocker" software now. I think seeming the same thing in the popup centered on the main page would be just as stylish.

My site is just a hobby filmmaker's site (it's under construction...some dreaded Flash is on its way). But I'm working on a more professional, commercial-looking design for later this year when I'll try to seriously start marketing. That'll involve retiring "Lady DV" and opting for using just the star/reel symbol.

The new site will involve more simplicity and lots of use of still shots and video grabs. Both you guys have inspired me. The original Hillman Curtis site is the kind of look I'm going after (too bad he changed it).

John,

Just go to http://www.ochacups.com/ and DO NOT click
skip introduction... then it starts to play... Sit back, dim the lights
and enjoy!

(oh.. and check your e-mail.. NOW! :)

"It is essentially a worship of the imperfect"....that would make me a god! Woohoo!

Great site! I'll have to go back and click around there some more. Nicely done.

Rob: Got your message.

Personally I can't stand Flash, Shockwave and some JS ladden sites anymore. There are few people that actually push the medium and use it effectively. Most seem to still be stuck in the "Gabocorp" era. That was cool back when Flash 3 hit the scene, as something like that was totally new. But it's time to move on now.

Call me old fashion, but give me html with a clean, simple, yet creative and effective design anyday.

Matt, so what are you thinking about that site that uses flash
to tell the story of the movie?

Hi Rob,
Are you referring to the ochacups.com? It was a nice, simple site. It has a message to communicate and that's what it did. There wasn't anything that took you away from the content of the site. A couple small things I didn't like, but it's all personal preference really.

I wish Comcast didn't discontinue USENET. The flash forum there is huge.

I really don't like Flash for websites. All the sites I've seen that use Flash fall into one of two categories: they're either extremely well designed and amazing to look at but are confusing to navigate and offer little content, or they've got lots of great content, but made the mistake of using Flash in the first place, which isn't built for accomodating a lot of content past a few sentences. Flash is often 'clunky' and most 100% Flash sites don't hold a candle to traditional, well-designed HTML sites. HTML isn't dead, you can still do a great deal with it. Flash has a long way to go until it is well suited for general web design, but until then it should be used sparingly.

I mostly agree with everything that's being said here. 99% percent of sites on the net needn't use Flash for 99% of the content they deliver.

Still, Flash has its place and it's good to see well-crafted sites that afford a higher level of multimedia/interactivity than you could otherwise provide with HTML.

Much worse than using Flash is using HTML but cramming in every last tacky JavaScript applet, DHTML script, animated GIF, and MIDI trinket you can find. I think we've all been guilty of this at one time or another. There's something seductive about an animated news ticker on your site.

On the other hand, an HTML coder versed in PHP/MySQL can do some amazing server-side tricks that are invisible to the client side (and hence, the web surfer). Knowing just a little PHP goes a long way--I'm always pleasantly surprised to learn how many useful functions are part of the standard library. For example--allowing a form to send an e-mail? One function! Setting up a URL redirect? One function--you don't even have to use a META tag. For anyone who loves crafting web pages by coding with HTML and a text editor, learning PHP is the next step toward putting together cool sites with ease.

(Alex, I think your site is very nice. You've got a great-looking dog, too.)

Most interesting to see how you view and evaluate one another's sites! Personally I have some doubts about the effectiveness of websites as a marketing tool and sometimes wonder if it is'nt just a lot of hype.
The "trick" seems to be to get the customer to view one's site - that's the easier part - the major problem lies in getting the right client to guide towards one's site.
Or am I just negative?
If you would, I would appreciate your comments on my own site. My site is very simple though, because I view a site to be and extension of a good business card. . .
Ewald Hayward
www.intovideo.co.za

Ewald,

I like the overall design of your site. The colors and style complement the focus well. It loaded a bit slowly though. I'm not sure if that's due to a spike in users locally, or if it's on your end. One thing...I'd like to see some sample footage on your site. Going to a videography site and not seeing sample footage is like going to a photography site with no photos.

As for your comment <<Personally I have some doubts about the effectiveness of websites as a marketing tool and sometimes wonder if it is'nt just a lot of hype.>>... in my experience, web sites work well as either a delivery tool or a digital brochure. It's great to hand out business cards with your web site address and be able to offer interested parties detailed information about what you offer...and, more importantly, to show them samples.

If you aren't offering hands-on services or products from your site, then it's basically just a brochure...but with the potential of being greatly enhanced. But that enhancement takes some creative thinking. Just making a web site and hoping people find it will rarely bring in much business.

There are ways to weave the site in with your business offerings that will enhance the level of customer service, and in the process, bring more people to your site. For instance, it's simple to create a password-protected client area that allows them to preview and approve footage and/or order copies. If, for instance, a wedding videographer sets up something like that, then sends out IDs and passwords to everyone in the wedding party, they've accomplished not only the possibility of immediate sales, but also future sales from people who will remember you and possibly hire you in the future.

We do a lot of business from our website. We did it our selves and we update it regularly.

www.earcandyproductions.net

Hello All -

I would love a crituqe of our web site.

www.RANSOM-ROSEN.com

I designed it all in Adobe Photoshop, Adobe GoLive and it uses Apple's QuickTIme if you want to view the minimovie.

Feel free to rip it appart if you see anything that could be better. How else do I become a better designer? One man graphics department - Web, Print and Video...

Thanks for the feedback in advance, I look forward to it!

- AR

Robin,

Nice site. Easy to navigate and simple design. That's what I like to see in commercial sites. There are two bad links in your menu, though..."Editing Service" and "Photo-to-Video" produce 404 errors.

Aaron,

I like your site, too. Clean, simple, attractive design...and easy to navigate. Sorry...nothing to trash. ;)

For sites like both of yours, where a lot of information is offered, I appreciate simplicity and easy navigation. My site is more just a business card or brochure...not much there...and not much interactivity. So, I jazzed it up a bit design-wise to compensate for content shortcomings. Haven't gotten any feedback on the new design yet...if you have time, I'd like to know your thoughts.

Hi John.

Thanks for the kind words. Re: your site. I like it, very nice. The rotating torch light is an esp. cool effect. Took me a second to figure it out then... BANG... it was done in flash.

I like the way the navigation scheme rolls vert. like a film roll. Very creative!

Well done my friend.

Have a great day all...


- AR

Coming back to James's original post: I'd browsed through half a dozen pages idly wondering why the whole thing was black and white -- before remembering what colour most zebras are....

I'm on the side of those who don't believe in using Flash unless there's an excellent reason. 'Because you can' doesn't strike me as good enough reason.

No problem with navigation using the little squares; you soon get used to them. I confess to a feeling of being slightly lost on occasion, when all I wanted to do was to go back to where I'd come from. With space not being a problem on your pages I'd be tempted to include a [ a href="Javascript:parent.history.back()" ] link in there. (Javascript is all one word but the BBS software won't display it on the screen like that!)

While you say that the text content is temporary I'd avoid using justified text even though the font size is tightly specified in the stylesheet. Without automatic hyphenation, justified text tends to look messy.

Just a quickie comment for Rick Foxx.

On your home page and at least one of the other pages on the site you intended to use a white page background but this is not specified in the <body> tag. Anyone who has set up his or her system with (for example) a non-fatiguing pale grey window background will see your logo, the image and all those navigation buttons on grey: most untidy and not at all the way you wanted it to appear. :-)

Al

hi. thought i'd put my 2 cents in too. I designed the pages for www.docuwild.com myself and was looking into making a flash version. But in the end i opted against it. Flash is fine for presentations & intros (though how many times don't you click on "skip intro" :) but when it ends up in the interface it usually just gets annoying. And for whatever cause.. never put music on a webpage. Especially not one you can't turn off. Nothing annoys me personally as much as suddenly have music blasting out of the speakers because i went to a webpage. Especially if i am already listening to something else.

Instead if you want some interaction with your menu elements, just use CSS2 & javascript. Keep in mind though that it can be quite a few battles before you get the CSS to be compliant with more than 2 browsers. (CSS is "stylesheets" btw)

Anyway, keep up the good work and concentrate more on content than flashy gizmos. The people who are looking to you wants to know 3 things right away. 1) what you can do, 2) how well you do it (and if you have clients =) and 3) how they can get intouch with you. Ive seen some pages where you have to actually do some detective work to find out how to even contact the company. This imho is not a company who wants business =)

/Henrik

Henrik-

I would love to know if our site meets those 3 things. I think it does...

www.RANSOM-ROSEN.com

- AR

Aaron. Yepp. i think that site does pretty much what it sets out to do. The only thing i was missing is a list of your current and previous clients. There are a lot of places on the net who talk alot about what they claim they can do, but the ones with the long clientlists have at least some form of proof that they deliver. (not that reliable proof but its atleast a start ;)

And your video production page might need a bit more info on what services you can provide and examples.

But it's a good webpage. easy to find the info and easy to navigate.

/Henrik

Thanks.

Re: the Client List. We once had a client listing but decided to take it down. Some of our clients did not want to be listed.

Now we just use the web portfolio as an, uh, undercover client list. 9 web sites, at least 9 clients.

The other reason we do not have a client list is that a big chunk of them are tech. support people. It is very hard to show the tech stuff with out people getting board... but I guess thats what I can use my new GL2 for.

Have a great day!

- AR