If your Florida video production involves still or moving images of food, you’ve got a tough project on your hands. Photographing or filming food is a specialty unto itself and takes a true talent to create images that make your viewers’ or customers’ mouths water.

Have you ever gone to a small, family-owned restaurant and looked over a menu of dishes obviously photographed by the cook’s nephew? The difference between an amateur and a professional photo or video shoot can mean the difference in a restaurant’s success. That’s why you’ll never see an unappetizing image of a food item in a highly successful eatery’s media and advertising materials.

If you are tasked with a project that involves still or moving images of food, Digital Video Arts can help create a look that’ll leave you thrilled with your work and hungry for dinner. Our in-house food stylists and other film/video professionals are specially trained in the art and science (believe us – it takes both) of food styling and related set design, lighting, photography and videography. We create beautiful culinary images for print, television and online media for restaurants, grocery stores, chefs, cook book publishers food packaging companies and others.

Florida video productions involving food are right at home in our 15,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility in Jacksonville. Our studio includes a full prep kitchen and our primary food stylist Gloria Norton is not only a longtime Florida video production professional, she’s an award-winning cook as well.

For a look at our food styling experience visit DVA’s online portfolio. If it leaves you hungry for more information on our food styling and Florida video production services, contact us online or toll free at 888-340-1010.

You’ve heard the old saying a million times: the three keys to success are “location, location, location!” Your Florida video production is no exception to that rule. Location and scenery can make or break your project, whether you’re producing a big-budget, feature-length film or a 30-second commercial. Whether you’re a longtime local or an out-of-towner bringing your project to the Sunshine State, Digital Video Arts can help you pinpoint and secure the perfect location for your Florida video production.

From sprawling coastal homes to quaint country shacks to sleek downtown flats, DVA can help secure the perfect location for your Florida video production.

DVA’s producers have years of experience in the art of location scouting for films, videos, television commercials and Internet video productions throughout Florida. Many don’t know that 100 years ago, Florida’s Jacksonville area (where DVA is located) was known as the “Winter Film Capital of the World” and is widely considered the first site for on-location filming. A century later, film and video producers still come to Florida for the same reasons that attracted filmmaking’s earliest pioneers, including the state’s year-round mild climate and exterior location options that include “everything except mountains – and we can green screen those,” as the saying goes.

Sandy beaches; modern downtown skylines; quaint, rural towns; ornate, century-old mansions and gardens; Anywhere,  USA suburbia homes; and wooded swamplands that double for faraway jungles are just a few of the Florida video production location options available for both exterior and interior shooting. DVA’s production team has a knack for finding just the right locations that help communicate your project’s feel and message. And, we can help you sure permission to use chosen locations, including negotiating city permits and location fees.

To find and secure the ideal location for your Florida video production, contact DVA today.

Several Florida film production legends were honored tonight by Film Florida, a nonprofit organization that provides a leadership role in Florida’s film and entertainment industries by representing a coalition of interests, including private industry, local film commissions, industry associations and labor organizations. The organization’s annual Film Florida Legends Awards honors those who have been key in building the Florida film production industry. This year’s honorees, all from the Jacksonville area, are late silent filmmaker Richard E. Norman, film and TV producer Jerry Smith and film distributor Belton Clark.

Poster advertising "The Flying Ace" by filmmaker Richard E. Norman, one of three honored at the recent Film Florida Legend Awards Gala. Film and TV producer Jerry Smith and distributor Belton Clark also were honored.

Richard Norman was among the earliest Florida Film production professionals. He produced what at the time were called “race films” during the 1910s and 1920s. Race films were the first to feature African American actors playing positive, non-stereotypical roles. Norman produced a string of successful race films starring some of the top black entertainers of the day including Bill Pickett, known as America’s first black rodeo star. His only known surviving film, The Flying Ace, is said to have inspired many of the earliest black aviators including a number of the famed Tuskegee Airmen. Norman’s five-building studio complex still stands in Jacksonville’s Old Arlington district and efforts are under way by the City of Jacksonville and the Norman Studios Silent Film Museum to restore and reopen the property as a museum and film learning center.

Jerry Smith, founder and CEO of PineRidge Film & Television, is an internationally recognized writer, producer, and director of lifestyle television programs, TV commercials, corporate communications and online content. Over his 35-year career, he created and directed promotional campaigns for nearly every major television ownership group in America, including Post-Newsweek, Hearst-Argyle Television, Scripps Networks, PBS, Discovery Networks, CBN, Home and Garden Network (HGTV), Fine Living, Food Network plus ABC, NBC and CBS-Owned Television Stations. PineRidge is best known over the past decade for its travel series projects including Great Hotels, Passport to Europe, Passport to Latin America, Girl Meets Hawaii, and Great Vacation Homes. Pine Ridge has landed six national Emmy awards and 11 nominations.

Belton Clark’s career as a prolific film distributor spans 40 years. He founded Clark Film Co. after he and his brother Harry acquired the rights to Allied Artists Films during the late 1960s and the company remains strong today. Clark has handled releases including Pulp Fiction, Shakespeare in Love, Kill Bill, Good Will Hunting, The English Patient, Sling Blade, Bridget Jones Diary, My Left Foot, Stanley and more. Up next: the release of this summer’s Piranha 3D.

Digital Video Arts congratulates all the winners of the Film Florida Legends Awards.

Good news for Florida film production companies and professionals – new financial incentives for shooting in the Sunshine State begin today. Florida’s new Film and Entertainment Incentive Program offers tax relief incentives for both major film/TV productions and low-budget indies choosing a Florida production locale. It’s all part of the $175 million “Jobs for Florida” bill recently signed into law by Governor Charlie Crist.

The new law allows major Florida film productions and Florida TV productions that employ at least 50% of their production cast and below-the-line crew from Florida tax breaks of up to $8 million. Films and video games with family-friendly content may qualify for an added 5% tax break. Small independent, digital media productions and emerging media productions can apply for up to $125,000 in tax incentives.

Senator Don Gaetz (R-Destin) sponsored a new bill that allows tax breaks of up to $8 million for filmmakers shooting in Florida.

“With an unemployment rate worse than 12 percent, Florida families and Florida businesses are hurting,” said Republican Senator Don Gaetz of Destin. ‘This package of incentives actually loosens government’s grip on the private sector and gives companies solid reasons to stay in Florida, expand in Florida and come to Florida.”

Gaetz sponsored the bipartisan bill, CS/SB 1752. Democratic Sen. Jeremy Ring of Margate co-sponsored. In the House, primary sponsors were Rep. Will Weatherford of Chapel and Rep. Ellyn Bogdanoff of Fort Lauderdale. The bill passed unanimously in both houses.

To qualify, your production must have a start date July 1 or later. Apply online to the Office of Film and Entertainment beginning today, June 9 at noon EST. And if you need help with any portion of your Florida film production, from concepting to post-production and packaging, contact Digital Video Arts at 888-340-1010. Good luck!

Being in the business of Florida video production, we at Digital Video Arts are watching with great interest (and amusement/ire) the $1 billion court fight between media giant Viacom and Google-owned YouTube. The profanity-soaked battle playing out in a federal courtroom in New York could be one of epic proportions when it comes to changes in the way that digital video sharing happens on the Internet. And that doesn’t apply only to high-dollar productions coming out of Hollywood. Your Florida video production will be affected too.

In March 2007, Viacom filed suit against Google and YouTube for copyright infringement, seeking more than $1 billion in damages. Viacom claimed YouTube was committing “massive intentional copyright infringement” for allowing some 160,000 unauthorized clips of Viacom-owned programming. Google and YouTube argued, in short, that the onus was on individual YouTube posters – not YouTube itself – to know whether a video upload violated someone else’s copyright, and that because a copyright infringement that happened on their service was never intentional, YouTube was protected under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. The judge in the case ruled that under the DMCA, which does limit the liability of online service providers for copyright infringement by users, Viacom could not seek punitive damages against YouTube. But massive statutory damages remain on the table, and the outcome of this case could greatly affect how your Florida video production’s copyright is protected.

At the heart of the case is the question of whose job it is to police the Internet for copyright violations – the website operators or individual content owners. A Google/YouTube win means that for Viacom and other content creators such as filmmakers, digital video producers, songwriters and authors, copyright as it exists today would be rendered unenforceable. Constantly patrolling the Web for pirated material and sending take-down notices would require time and financial resources that most content producers can ill afford. A Viacom win would mean that website operators would have to review every user’s every post before allowing it to be published. Again, this would place a paralyzing financial and human resources strain on website operators, including those operating sites like eBay Craigslist.

In response to the original case, Google and YouTube in 2008 installed Video ID, a copyright identification system that tracks unauthorized videos and enables copyright owners to choose whether to block the clip, allow it to remain online without compensation, or enable YouTube to sell advertisements that play prior to each clip. Upwards of 90% of copyright owners are choosing the latter option.

To protect your Florida video production’s copyright, it’s advisable that you register your project with the U.S. Copyright Office within three months of its first publication. This will qualify you for collection of attorney’s fees should you ever file and win a copyright infringement claim against an authorized user of your material under the federal Copyright Act. Note that you must have already registered your copyright before filing a claim against a suspected infringer – you cannot register a copyright and sue an infringer simultaneously. If you do find that someone is posting your Florida video production, either in full or via clips, you or your attorney must send the website operator a take-down notice under the DMCA. If the operator refuses, you may be entitled to actual (punitive) or statutory damages under the federal Copyright Act. If the infringement threatens immediate harm for which money damages awarded would not adequately compensate, you may also be able to land a temporary restraining order against the infringer.

All the benefits of the Florida video production industry have helped lure a major television boon to the Sunshine State. Starting in July, the iconic television game show “Family Feud” will be taped at Universal Studios Florida in Orlando. Industry journal Variety reports that “Family Feud” producer FreemantleMedia, Universal Orlando, the City of Orlando and the Orlando/Orange County Convention & Visitors Bureau inked a deal that calls for 165 episodes of the syndicated game show to be taped right here in Florida.

Comedian Steve Harvey with wife Marjorie attend a fundraising gala for the Steve Harvey Foundation in New York May 2010.

Video production and film production projects including feature films, TV shows and music videos are eligible for cash rebates of between 15% and 22% of budgets or in-state shooting. Such benefits have lured multiple game show productions to Florida in the past. TV gamers shot here include “Fear Factor,” “Wheel of Fortune,” “Beat the Clock” and “My Family’s Got Guts.”

Besides new digs, the Florida video production of “Family Feud” also will feature a new host. Famed comedian, actor, author and syndicated radio show host Steve Harvey will become the new face of the show this season. Harvey began his entertainment career as a standup comedian in the mid-1980s before a hosting gig with “It’s Showtime at the Apollo” and numerous TV sitcoms including ABC’s “Me and the Boys” and The WB’s “The Steve Harvey Show” and “Steve Harvey Big Time Challenge.” He is perhaps best known for his comedy DVDs including “Don’t Trip … He Ain’t Through With me Yet” and “Still Trippin,” as well as for the 1997 “Kings of Comedy” Tour with fellow comedians Cedric the Entertainer, D.L. Hughley and the late Bernie Mac. His current stint as host of the 64-market syndicated radio show “Steve Harvey Morning Show” led to his surprisingly successful stint as one of America’s favorite relationship advisors and author of the #1 New York Times Best Seller Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man.

Harvey is no stranger to Florida video production, having taped an episode of “The Steve Harvey Show” here. His new gig as host of “Family Feud,” which pits two families against each other in a contest to correctly guess the most popular responses to survey questions, will make him a regular in Florida video production industry circles.

Want to know how bringing your film or video production to Florida can reap benefits? Call Digital Video Arts in Jacksonville toll-free at 888-340-1010.

It’s an often misunderstood concept, but art direction can make or break your Florida video production or Florida film production. What exactly is art direction, you ask? Easy. Well, easily said, anyway. A film or video production’s art direction involves developing and meticulously maintaining the project’s look. Need to turn your girlfriend’s spotless apartment into a grungy frat house for a day-long indie film shoot? Have access to a bare office space that you transform into a bustling storefront for a TV commercial? Or are you looking to recreate a historic scene for a documentary project?

Talented art direction professionals can transform any space into a scene that perfectly communicates your vision for your Florida video production or Florida film production. Art direction for a film or video project involves designing, building and dressing sets including choosing furniture, wall and floor coverings, artwork, plants, dishes and a million other items that might appear in a believable scene. Wardrobe choices also are a determination of the art department or art direction professionals.

A Wikipedia entry describes the work of an art director or production designer as “in charge of the overall visual appearance and how it communicates visually, stimulates moods, contrasts features, and psychologically appeals to a target audience. The art director makes decisions about visual elements used, what artistic style to use, and when to use motion.”

Originally called “art directors,” these professionals have increasingly been called “production designers” since 1939, when famed film producer David O. Selznick decided that the term “art director” failed to lend due credit to William Cameron Menzies for his work on “Gone with the Wind” and created the “production designer” title.

In advertising, art direction takes a similar purpose in that it involves creating the most effective visual approach for your advertising, marketing and promotional materials including television commercials and print collateral. This involves creating and choosing just the right color, typeface, logo design, graphics and photographs that successfully relay your message to your target audience.

At DVA, our team of art direction professionals boasts decades of experience in all related aspects including set design, construction and dressing, props, costume design, etc. Our advertising art directors are experts in visual communication. No matter the message, DVA has the expertise and experience to create the perfect look for your Florida video production, Florida film production or advertising collateral. Contact us toll free at 888-340-1010.

Financial incentives for Florida video production and Florida film production can help slash your production budget if you know where to look for assistance. Cash rebates, tax advantages and exemptions, travel and lodging discounts and more are available to both Florida-based video production and film production companies as well as projects and companies coming to the Sunshine State from elsewhere.

Existing Florida video production and Florida film production incentives include:

• 15-22% cash rebate for films, TV commercials and music videos with qualified expenditures of $625,000 or more;
• 15-20% cash rebate for multiple commercials and music videos with $500,000 or more in combined qualified expenditures and with a minimum of $100,000 in qualified expenditures per production;
• 15-17% cash rebate for indie Florida feature films or documentaries 70 minutes or longer with qualified expenditures of $100,000 up to $625,000;
• 10% cash rebate for interactive entertainment projects with qualified expenditures of $300,000 or more;
• Various sales and use tax exemptions on Florida film production and television production equipment and real property;
• Discounts on hotel and resort stays, truck rentals, location fees and other items offered through the Florida Discounts & Deals program.

At Digital Video Arts, we keep up to date on all of the Florida video production and Florida film production incentives offered to both in-state projects and to producers of projects coming to Florida from out-of-state. Currently, state legislation sets aside $10.8 million in annual incentives for Florida video production and Florida film production projects, but industry lobbyists are continually working to land higher amounts.

To see if your Florida video production or Florida film production project qualifies for any of these incentives, visit the Film in Florida website, operated by the Governor’s Office of Film & Entertainment. Then, call DVA. We are a full-service Florida video production and film production company that takes the “concept to completion” tagline to a whole new level, offering all the core pre-production, production and post-production video and film services, plus related extras including logo and brand image design, print advertisements and collateral, and Internet and interactive experiences.

There are lots of great reasons to plan your next video or film project in Florida. Jacksonville-based and familiar with all things Florida when it comes to video and film production, DVA can help you take advantage of all of them. Browse our website for a look at our capabilities, then call toll free: 888-340-1010.

At Digital Video Arts, we do much more than video production, Jacksonville. Besides our core business of offering top quality, concept-to-completion digital video production services in Jacksonville and beyond, DVA also offers design services for your brand image, logo, print advertisements and collateral as well as Internet and interactive experiences. Each of these provides an additional layer of your full brand development, helping to build and solidify your company’s name and image recognition with your targeted audience of current and prospective customers.

A great logo can be described as a “silent sales force” for your company. It literally provides a mental image with which clients and prospective clients associate your services, products and their experiences with you. An effective logo is simple and clearly communicates your company’s image and visual message. Think of McDonald’s “golden arches,” the Nike swish or the Mac apple. Even without words, these images are immediately recognizable. That kind of recognition breeds public trust in a company’s ability to produce superior products and services. And that trust translates to dollars.

A well designed and executed print campaign can help boost the potential success of a promotional video production. Jacksonville’s DVA provides design of print advertisements and collateral as a stand-alone project or in conjunction with the production of your commercial, PSA or promotional video. And you can take your campaign a step further with a digital interface. DVA can create an accompanying CD, DVD or Internet presence, including interactive features like games, demos, simulations and eLearning courses that help round out your full promotional campaign and brand development. We use industry standard tools such as Adobe Flash, Dreamweaver, Director and Photoshop to create campaign elements that capture your targeted audience’s attention and move them to act. We also offer digital still photography.

Make sure your company gets the maximum benefit from your next promotional video production. Jacksonville-based DVA has a top-notch team of creative production, advertising, PR and marketing veterans with the knowledge and know-how to help you get the most traction from your brand and campaign. To discuss your next branding and promotional initiative, call 904-281-1001.

To assure the highest possible quality video production in Jacksonville, you’ll want to make sure your footage is shot in high resolution, preferably in HD (High Definition) digital format. Not only will your images turn out far crisper and cleaner, but you’ll have a much easier time managing your footage.

The move from analog to digital format videotape began in the 1980s with the introduction of Sony’s D-1 format, the first major professional digital video format. Its standard definition (SD) images were of higher quality than anything on the broadcast market at the time. It stored uncompressed digitized component video, audio tracks and timecode on a ¾-inch cassette tape and used a tremendous amount of bandwidth for its time. But the machinery was monstrous, taking up full rooms and forcing television stations and companies offering video production in Jacksonville to make heavy investments in not just the camera and editing equipment but in the facilities infrastructure to house the systems.

Fast forward to present day and we’ve seen multiple advancements in digital video production cameras and equipment for the professional market, consumer market and prosumer market. Today’s digital video can be stored on digital tape or directly to memory sticks and cards, allowing for completely tapeless editing. Tapeless storage and editing means you won’t lose a generation (quality level) when transferring or dubbing your footage. And it means your footage will be easily accessible for later projects.

For top-quality film and video production, Jacksonville’s DVA does all of its digital film acquisition on high resolution formats, including SONY HDCAM, Panasonic VariCam, RED HD and other digital film format cameras. We were among the first companies offering video production in Jacksonville to use the RED HD camera, which offers a resolution several times that of traditional HD film or video, yet is more cost effective than expensive 35 mm digital film acquisition. And we’ve redesigned our postproduction workflow procedures and facilities to accommodate tapeless editing.

For your next video production, Jacksonville’s DVA has all you need in the way of broadcast quality shooting and editing capabilities. Take a look at our online portfolio for a sampling of our work, then call us toll free at 888-340-1010.