In tough economic times, a high quality Florida video production may seem out of reach for many struggling nonprofit organizations. But it might be just the thing your organization needs to help boost donations and participation. Many small charitable groups are leveraging the power of social media and web video to spread the word about their causes. In fact, the YouTube Nonprofit Program offers video posting and branding services to help your organization reach millions of YouTube viewers and potential contributors.

According to the Giving USA Foundation, which tracks charitable giving throughout the U.S. each year, total charitable contributions fell 3.6 percent to $303.75 billion in 2009. This means that despite the tight economy, American individuals, corporations and foundations still are giving. However, many are more heavily scrutinizing their giving decisions to make sure that their limited contributions are making the biggest possible impact.

Done correctly, web video can help communicate your nonprofit organization’s mission, goals and needs and inspire viewers to answer your well-defined calls to action (called CTAs in video production and marketing lingo). Whether you’re seeking financial contributions, donations of in-kind services and supplies or volunteer time and energy, Digital Video Arts‘ staff of talented production and marketing professionals can create a Florida video production designed to elicit the results you need.

DVA offers message concepting and Florida video production services specifically for nonprofit organizations. Our expert scriptwriters, video producers, art directors, music directors and film editors become an extension of your organization’s team and work closely with you to develop a video message that effectively complements your organization’s branding and goals, whether you’re looking for a 30-second PSA, a five-minute promotional video or a long-format documentary-styled production. And, we can deliver your project in formats for television or Internet usage.

Make sure your organization gets the exposure it needs to meet its contribution and participation goals and to carry out its mission. Contact DVA to talk with an expert Florida video production specialist today.

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.

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.