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Ron Named One of Top 25 Videographers In Nation

I can't believe how long it's been since I've posted here. So sorry. I've been extremely busy with moving, managing the company's growth, updating five other blogs, oh yeah, and being a dad and a father! We'll have some more videos to post for you soon. In the meantime, I wanted to share some great news. This past week I was at the annual 4EVER Group Video 08 Convention and Tradeshow. Monday night I was honored as an EventDV Top 25—one of 25 event videographers voted top in the nation by our peers. It's one thing  when you get great kudos from your clients. But there is a special level of honor that comes when respected colleagues in your profession recognize you.

Now, in all honesty, there's no way I can say I'm one of the 25 best videographers in the country. There are way, way, way more talented, smart, and successful event videographers than me, who perhaps just haven't had the kind of exposure that I've had. I don't mean at all to take from the honor associated with the award, or diminish what it means that a number of my peers think that highly of me. I just know that there are a lot of great and talented videographers out there who don't win awards, aren't noticed by the public, but who in their own way, excel our industry. My hat's off to them and all the hard work they do. And my sincerest gratitude to those of you out there who did vote for me. I was absolutely blown away and surprised when I found out (which was actually about a month or so ago, but I had to keep it on the D.L. until the official announcement).

On Wednesday, I gave my presentation "The Madonna Effect: The Art of Reinvention." This marks my third year in a row that I've presented there. It was very well received. Thanks to my  fellow videographers who read this blog that attended my seminar.

So, stay tuned in again. I promise to do better about keeping it updated.

technorati tags: EventDV, 4EVER_Group

Ron and Tasra Speak in Vegas

Last week was a whirlwind of a week for the Dawson clan. We drove to Vegas for the Wedding and Event Videographer's Association annual expo. Tasra and I did a presentation on effective blog marketing. We had a terrific turnout and great feedback. (See photo below of our ballroom).

There are still a lot of people in our industry who have not hopped on the blog bandwagon yet, many for fear that it will take up too much time. However, Tasra has a great approach for managing your time. Basically, it's batch processing. Set aside a 1-3 hour block per week to do all your blogging. Most blog software will allow you to time posts so that they publish on future dates. Write three or four posts and have each one post every other day or so for that week.

There's no doubt blogging is here to stay as a valid and effective part of any company's marketing mix. Those of you out there willing to learn now how to utilize this powerful social media tool, will get the jump on your competitors who don't.

As part of our presentation we showed a hilarious video we found on YouTube. For all you fellow bloggers out there, is this what you're doing? :-)

technorati tags: WEVA, Las_Vegas, Ron_Dawson, Tasra, Blogging

Cinematic Studios Turns Five

May marks the fifth anniversary of the start of our production company. This is such an exciting milestone for us. They say that most small businesses fail within the first five years. So I feel like we've gotten past a significant time period. I can now let out an enthusiastic "Whew!" Of course, we've more than just "not failed." From international awards, to podcast production, to book publishing, our little media company has come a long way in a short time. I'm proud of what we've accomplished in the past five years, and I'm looking forward to what we have in store for the future. Thanks to all of you who have helped get us where we are today.

This month also marks the fifth anniversary of the weekend I proposed to Tasra (August will be our fifth anniversary). On Memorial Day weekend, 2002, I got down on one knee and said those four, magical words. So, it is only fitting that on this momentous occasion, I display for your viewing pleasure, the very first wedding-related video produced by Cinematic Studios. It was my very own love story, which we showed on our wedding day Aug 3, 2002. It's fitting to show now because part of the video has a re-enactment of the proposal. You'll notice that the opening titles say "Don Ron Entertainment Presents"  "A Cinematic Video Production." Don Ron Entertainment was the company's original name, based on my swing dancing nick name (long story for another post). We later changed the name to Cinematic Video Productions. The moniker "Cinematic Studios" actually wasn't created until about March of 2003.

Enjoy the video! (Click image to play).

technorati tags: Anniversary, Proposal, Wedding_Video, Cinematic_Studios, Love_Story, Tasra_Dawson, Ron_Dawson

A New Day is Dawning

If you've visited our home page lately, you might have noticed a change in the look. As Cinematic Studios continues to evolve, so are the size and types of projects we are producing. We are currently producing one video podcast series (Real Women Scrap TV), and are in talks or pre-production for a few more other online shows.  Also, we have recently merged our corporate video division (Cinematic Video) into the parent company so that we have one cohesive entity—Cinematic Studios Inc. (CSI).  One result of all these changes is that we are switching our wedding and event business to a "by referral only" basis. There are only so many projects we can do in any given year, and we want to make sure that for every project we do, we offer the best customer service possible, as well as an incredible video. That means limiting the number of weddings and personal events we will do. (continued).

What does this change mean for our current wedding cliens? Nothing. We're still working hard to get your videos to you. However, anyone who wants to have a Cinematic Studios wedding movie from now on will have to be referred from either a past client or a vendor with whom we work (some exceptions may apply).  You will still be able to see great wedding clips and get wedding planning tips here at WeddingFlix.com. And if you want to see our wedding portfolio of featured weddings, go to CinematicStudios.com/weddings.

So, tell your friends and family, and anyone else you know, if they want a remarkable wedding video by Cinematic Studios, they need to specify that they were referred by you.  If you happen upon our site, love our work, and just absolutely have to hire us, please contact our Client Services and state your case. Depending on our production schedule and the timing of your event, we may be able to make an exception. Please note that the minimum rate for any wedding or personal events is now $5,000.

We are very excited about the upcoming year and beyond. Continue to check back here frequently for our latest and greates wedding clips, and maybe even a few other surprises.

Cinematic Studios in North Bay Biz

This month you get a double whammy of Cinematic Studios in the press. First it was EventDV Magazine, and now North Bay Biz. This is a regional magazine that covers business news in the Marin, Sonoma, and Napa county areas of Northern California. In this month's issue, there's a terrific write up on little ol' me. If you're in the SF Bay area, see if you can pick up a copy. If not, you can read the article by clicking here.

In the article I wax philosophic about the imporntance of wedding video, how I got into the business, and my hopes for the future. The author did a great job at relaying exactly everything I said. Usually in pieces like this they always get something wrong. My hats off to Stephanie Derammelaere for getting it right. And what's really cool about it is that it's nice and long, but exciting all the way through.

Let us know what you think about the article.

technorati tags: North_Bay_Biz, Cinematic_Studios, Wedding_Video, Main_At_and_Garden_Center

Ron to Speak at International Expo

I am pleased to announce that for the second year in a row, I have been asked to speak at the 4EVER Group's international videographer's convention and tradeshow, Video '07. This year it will be held in Jacksonville, FL, January 8-11. Not only that, but my beloved wife and business partner, Tasra, will also be speaking. I'll be giving a presentation on the secrets to our company's success—helping other people in my industry achieve their dreams and goals in this business of wedding and event videography. Tasra will be giving a presentation on effective blogging for small businesses. She's become quite the blogging pro. Check hers out.

The 4EVER Group is dedicated to providing resources, educational materials and services to all facets of the event video industry. By offering quality products and services, by hosting educational events and by bringing the industry together as one support network, The 4EVER Group will help advance and promote the entire event video industry.

This is a great honor and I look forward to not only teaching again, but learning from other successful  videographers. I plan to come back with a bunch of great new tricks of the trade to make the videos we make for you that much better. 2007 is sure to be our best year yet! I'm glad  you'll be along for the ride.

(Photo of Ron by Maria Grace Abuzman).

technorati tags: 4EVER_Group, Tradeshow, Videography, Ron_Dawson, Tasra_Dawson