Category Archives: Uncategorized

The Bensleygram

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My dad wrote to all of us years ago with updates about whatever was going on with him while us kids were all in college. He was in transition from working at CBS news to fulltime farming and I guess he needed that outlet. What he didn’t realize was he was creating social media, and if it had been in email form ( email came much later) he was in fact creating a constant contact by writing monthly and keeping us all up to date.

I changed my blog name from Brilliant Video Productions blogging to the Bensleygram for two reasons. The first in honor of my dad and his wanting to be social. I also did it because much of my blog was about other things besides video production so to say it was Brilliant video productions blogging wan’t really accurate. Sure it’s my job but I am not producing video 24/7 although sometimes I wish I was.

I also wrote a Bensleygram to my friends and they thought it was pretty funny. I wrote about observations, sports, comedy, I sent pictures I ran thru a copier, I even had a guest illustrator make a cartoon once. I will continue to blog about whatever, but I just wanted to blog today about the name change. Hope all is well with you where you are currently.

The Fast and the Furious

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I attended a very good SBANE breakfast event this morning where the speaker was Suzanne Bates from Bates Communications. Her talk was entitled Motivate like a CEO and was very good. I loved the reference to the mandarin symbol Wei Chi and the concept of in crisis there may be danger but also opportunity. Her talk was well received by the standing room only crowd which was also good to see at an SBANE event.

Tomorrow I will be shoot the SBANE innovation awards presentations for the Gala that happens in may. I will also be streaming it via Mogulus and anyone interested in taking a peak should see http://www.mogulus.com/brilliantvideoproductions tomorrow 4/16/2009 after 3pm.

Last, Mogulus has just launched a new product called procaster. I am really excited about it and it may also be whats next in video streaming. They have a windows version already in release at http://www.procaster.com/ and a mac version due soon.
Go Mogulus Go.

In defense of learning.

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Chris Brogan wrote a great blog about GM and all the flack he was taking about being at GM. His comments about taking the time to step back and learn what works and what does not work is far more important then what happens to GM or Ford or Chrysler.

We as a people have a chance to evolve here. We have a bleak picture about what has not worked. But rather then get caught up in all the emotional stuff is this not the time as Chris suggests that we must learn and implement real change?

Change is scary, and it triggers its own set of emotional responses. Is it not worth it at this point? Should we have not stepped back and implemented change in the 70’s during the Oil Embargo and the fall of the Shah of Iran? We failed to learn then.

Are we destined to not learn again? I certainly hope not.

April Showers bring May Flowers

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It’s a crummy raw wet day out, so why not blog? This past week flew by for I was flying back and forth from the DC area. I shot footage for Network World and Keith Shaw. We shot an interview he is doing as part of the IT insider series. We visited EDS in Herndon VA to conduct the interview. Everything went well and the interview should be online in a few weeks.

Monday, I Made what I think was a strong pitch to do some testimonial videos for a westboro company’s website later in the spring. The are traveling to a trade show and will have access to their customers all in one setting. The idea is to shot about 6-8 of these testimonials on tradeshow site at an adjacent hotel. This would be a cost effective way rather then flying around the country trying to get these interviews.

Testimonial video from your customers is big right now. Having your customers sell your company for you with stories of wins and great customer service makes a great statement about your company, and can go far to helping a potential customer chose your company over others they might be considering.

Have a Happy Easter Everyone

Basketball, Jack Bauer, President Obama and Chevrolet

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I had Louisville in the men’s NCAA basketball tournament that concluded last night with North Carolina running away with the game early after taking a 22-7 lead and never being challenged. It was so lopsided I worried more about if Jack Bauer was going to survive last nights episode of 24 rather then if North Carolina was going to relinquish the National Championship. President Obama had North Carolina in his bracket. Nice pick Mr President.

Congratulations also to Michigan State for adding a storyline to the finals where there really wasn’t one. The City of Detroit and the State of Michigan appreciated all the points you scratched and clawed for never giving in or giving out in the process. I think perhaps your kids showed Ford, GM and Chrysler something about fighting back in the face of adversity. I know you showed me something.

Teetering in a tough economy…

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I spent much of February not answering the phones, because they did not ring. I read everything I could to learn about social media and inbound marketing. I installed google analytics, edited my website and now I hope business will return. I blog, twitter and I am also looking for a PT job now also. I am trying to put money in the bank and food on the table. I try to remain positive hoping and implementing the things I feel I need to do to implement change. Corporate video production is what I desire to do most, but I may not have much of a say in that should things get much worse. You can only hang on so long chasing your dream and living life as best you can. At some point the realization that you need to do something else looms.

God what a day I had today at the store

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I went to the food store to but some groceries with my daughter. While we were shopping an older lady about 70 or so started talking to me and my daughter. She was having trouble noticeably so I assisted with getting a few things down off higher shelves. I left her in the deli area after I had completed shopping and headed to get some milk and cheese and then out of stop and shop.

When I got to the check out Sabrina and I unloaded my cart and we paid. I had about 15 items but the total came to 130.56. I looked at the checkout person and told her there must be a big mistake. The woman said that my mother had mentioned that I would be paying for her groceries also.

Now if my mother was still alive I might not have a problem with this. I explained calmly that my mother had passed away quite a few years ago and that anyone pretending to be my mother was a hoax. She called the manager and an argument ensued. My daughter got upset and I tried to comfort her. As I went to do so the manager tried to prevent me from moving towards the exit. I resisted and he reached for me but fell to the ground and as I walked over him and towards my daughter the assistant manager reached up and was hanging on to my shoes, hanging on tight pulling on my leg like I am pulling on yours.

Happy April fools day.

Buying movie tickets online at movie tickets.com check your monthly statement afterwards.

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I noticed a charge on my bank account recently that did not register . It was for a discount program I did not know I joined. It is that company that takes your credit card information after you purchase tickets at movie tickets.com. They say they will award you ten dollars towards the next purchase and I guess I signed up for something more then that about a year ago when I took my kids to see a movie.

They charge a monthly fee apparently and offer you discounts, to what I don’t know for in about a years time I was not offered any discounts nor did my ten dollars on my next purchase at Movies.com ever materialize.

I spoke with customer service at movies.com and the nice woman there said they get calls about this problem all the time. She even had this other company’s number at the ready to fend me off. I assured her I was rational and we chatted and she explained that she thought it was a bad program also and not worth her companies time in handling irate callers less civil then myself.

I took the number from the woman and called this other company and they gave me a full refund of all charges that hit my card monthly for about a year. They were very pleasant and why not I had loaned they money monthly for about a year, interest free.

I then tried to call movies.com corporate headquarters and was told I could speak to customer service or nobody else. I asked to speak with the CIO, I figured why not ask him why this service is even part of the online purchasing experience?

We do not give out that information I was told, and I said that’s interesting and thank you for your time. I guess they get too many calls asking for the CIO about this very thing. Hmmmmm.

Business contacts on Facebook?

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I have to blog about this because it’s been on my mind. I have been asked by total strangers to be added to my Facebook. I want to initially but then realize wait, I don’t know this person that well, do I want them seeing goofy pictures about myself , my kids my family etc. I mean there is this notion about being transparent and genuine on the Internet in regards to your blogs, tweets, linkedIn, Facebook posts etc. Where do you draw that line in the sand? My feeling is that if it’s only a business relationship then Linked In might be a better place for those connections. I have no problems being a completely genuine buffoon online I just am not sure I need my customers and potential customers knowing about this buffoonery.

Kicking the Mogulus tires, this is what’s next.

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I recently worked in Boston at the Hynes Convention Center on the IDC Directions show. I was part of a crew working for my Boston client attached to Ovation, a very good AV and Staging company out of Nashville. The show went very well.

I also had access to a good free wifi internet signal and I hooked up a few laptops and was able to remote control a two camera shoot using the Mogulus video platform. It is fast easy and user friendly. It may be the best tool to enter the online video world ever.

If you don’t know mogulus you will this is what’s next. http://www.mogulus.com/

To see an example click here.