Creative Video Storytelling
BLARE Media was formed in 2005 in California by filmmaker and technology buff Justin McAleece and entrepreneur and marketer Blake Barnett. Their mission was to create the best quality video productions possible for local businesses that did not have the large budgets that bigger brands might. To that end, they designed a completely tapeless, high-definition workflow which would allow stunning image quality while being much faster and more economical to edit than film.
WE TELL STORIES FOR A LIVING
There’s a message you want to get out there, there’s an audience that needs to hear it, and there’s a perfect way to deliver it – Your story to your customer – Simply, succinctly, and sooner than you think. This is where we come in. We tell stories for a living. We help you feel comfortable because we’ve done this before. We can take your script and tune it up a bit, we can mold your ideas into a pitch that really shines, or we can start from scratch and deliver a complete end to end solution.
WE’LL TAKE YOU BY THE HAND
We know where to look for the best light, the cleanest background, and the most favorable sound. We know not to plug into THAT outlet, so that everything keeps running smoothly. It’s our job to solve problems before they happen.
We’ll walk you through the process. We’ll take you by the hand from start to finish and identify just what needs to be done to accomplish your goals.
WHEN IT COMES TO GEAR,…
…we have it. Our lighting packages range from one man run-n-gun style to feature film worthy trailers. We shoot in 4K or 6K for many reasons, even if you only need 1080P. We have redundant microphones, extra cameras, dynamic movement, and a whole lot more. It’s the way we like to design our shoots – less is not more when it comes to options in the post-production process.
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Portfolio
Moss Adams, Cengage Learning, Clear Channel
Moss Adams - 100 Years
Sometimes when we do interviews for clients it's a difficult thing to get the people to give us genuine, clear and heartwarming sentiment. It's not that they don't want to, it's just that being on camera is not most people's favorite thing. Cut to Moss Adams - We did 20, hour long interviews for this fantastic company and without exception every single person had something phenomenal to say about their company. The only problem in this sort of situation is going through that much great footage. But we did it and we are quite happy with the results. We shot in Seattle, Portland, Los Angeles and San Francisco and shot the project with our RED Epic for the interviews and the Canon 5Dmk3 and Epic for the b-roll. The time-lapse at the beginning of the piece was accomplished by taking 3 picture bracketed bursts with the Canon camera and combining them in post with HDR software.
Cengage Learning
Cengage Learning in San Francisco is not only a great company to work for, but a great company to shoot for. This was an interesting video because we were able to take the typical model for a corporate video and turn it on its head a bit. Instead of having a bunch of interviewees cycle through a setup room, we went to them in their own spaces and had them describe what was so great about where they worked. Ian McAleece and Enrique Meza shot it handheld on two C100 cameras.
http://www.blaremedia.net/portfolio/cengage-san-francisco/
Clear Channel
When Clear Channel contacted us to do a video about signs in an airport, it seemed like something that could be tough to make visually compelling. However with the Panasonic GH4, the DJI Ronin, some creative angles, TimeLapses and slick editing, we were able to turn it into a pretty dynamic piece. Justin McAleece and Vince Cosentino brought it to life on set and it was posted by Jason Wada.
To view more of our work please view our portfolio at: blaremedia.net
Captain Cow Pow Energy Drink
Top O’ The Morn Farms is a dairy headquartered in Tulare CA that makes some great consumer products. They do fresh milk the old fashioned way sold in reusable glass bottles, they have a drive through in Tulare that serves delicious milkshakes, and have recently tapped into the chocolate milk craze with a caffeinated protein-packed drink aptly named “Capitan Cow Pow”.
To launch this fun new offering, Top O’ The Morn contacted Blare Media to make a 30 second spot to share with a large trade organization. Working with Producer-Writer-Director Joel Janecek, they sketched out creative and logistics. Production was led by the expert craftsmanship of Director of Photography Justin McAleece with post handled by Editor extraordinaire Mauricio Tapia. Additional key contributions giving the piece extra POW were George Ozburn as our Cow Pow recommending trainer and actress/models Dayana Avila and Edith Limon. Voiceover was done by the talented Mar Andersons.
Microsoft Rewards TNC Kenya Sweepstakes Video
For Microsoft we were fortunate to travel all the way to multiple wildlife reserves in Kenya for a once-in-a-lifetime customer experience. We escorted 6 lucky winners who got drawn for an all expenses paid trip where they learned all about endangered animals and disadvantaged people. It was quite eye-opening and we can’t wait to go back.
Reviews
the project
Video Production for Civic & Social Organization
"They made a really strong effort to work within our guidelines and tried to understand what we were trying to do."
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m the Senior Director of News and PR for Markula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University. We are an ethics center and my organization is focused on creating resources that help people both here on campus and the general public to help people make ethical decisions. Basically, we create resources that help people think through ethical dilemmas.
What challenge were you trying to address with BLARE Media?
We were working with BLARE Media to create a video to promote a book that was authored by one of my colleagues. The book was called ‘Voting for Ethics’ and it was a guide to help people consider the ethics of a candidate as they vote and as they prepare to vote in our presidential election in November. We had a short time frame so we needed to create some awareness around this book leading up to the election.
What was the scope of their involvement?
We wanted them to produce a video that we could use on social media, and because we were going to use it for that channel, we felt it needed to be short. We were also going to build traffic to our landing page. The video ended up being around 50 seconds.
The process started by bringing together the stakeholders on my side and my contact at BLARE Media, and one of his colleagues. Then, we brainstormed how the video was going to look like such as identifying if it needed to be animated, if it was going to be based on imagery, and if it should feature interviews. Basically, we brainstormed the focus of the video and its format.
Then, after that process, I provided a draft of a script and submitted it to them. They provided comments and took the script to create storyboards, which went back and forth until we were comfortable with the look and feel of the video. From there, they created the animated video. There was a lot of artwork and design work that went into that, but we ended up with the drafts of the video and continued to go back and forth in making the final tweaks until we were happy with the film.
We ended up experiencing a challenge when we intended to sponsor and buy ad placement for this video. At that time, a lot of major social media platforms put restrictions on political ads around the election. As a result, we were not able to buy the placement that we would have likely generated most of the visits. As a result, we were forced to be dependent on organic traffic, so just the traffic based on our own place and our own posts of the video.
What is the team composition?
We worked with two people. My main contact worked as our project manager or project lead, and he worked with an animator. The animator did the actual hands-on work of creating the artwork and the animation.
How did you come to work with BLARE Media?
I believe they were referred to me through my network. I reached out to them as well as several other video production companies. In those series of phone calls, I shared my circumstances and my project goal. In that review process, companies provided their portfolio. Based on BLARE Media’s portfolio and our conversations with their point person, I ended up selecting them.
How much have you invested with them?
We spent $5,000. There was never any real negotiation because we’re a nonprofit and that money was donated to us for promoting the book and for our business needs. We didn’t have any flexibility and we informed them during our early conversations.
What is the status of this engagement?
We worked with them from October–November 2020.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
Our measurements were based on the downloads of our book and visits on the landing page of the book — that was really the video’s intent and purpose. The secondary goal was building some brand awareness for my organization. Due to the restrictions on the political ads, our numbers weren’t as impressive as we intended them to be. However, it was not BLARE Media’s fault. It was just the circumstances of the restrictions because our video was categorized under voting.
Despite that, we received a lot of anecdotal feedback, which I think was important since we’re in a university. We have a big community here composed of faculty, students, and other networks. When we shared the video with those groups, we had lots of feedback from counterparts across the organization and they gave positive comments on our video. They also asked us who we worked with to have the video produced, and that feedback was encouraging for us. As result, I referred many people to BLARE Media.
How did BLARE Media perform from a project management standpoint?
Overall, it was a very positive experience. We had a short timeline and a limited budget. We really needed to have the video finished by a certain time, and they worked hard to get us to that deadline, including over the weekend. They emailed us at all times of day, so they really worked hard to help us.
The team understood our circumstances. They felt that what we were trying to do a good thing. Moreover, they helped us manage Wipster and that tool allowed us to view the video, provide feedback, and enabled the back and forth process between our teams. It also simplified the process and made our experience positive.
What did you find most impressive about them?
They made a really strong effort to work within our guidelines and tried to understand what we were trying to do. As a result, our book’s essence was well-integrated in their animation and design work. They were able to show that the book offers a positive impact and really serves our country and society.
Are there any areas they could improve?
Sometimes, the two people we worked with didn’t have perfectly synced communication. It could’ve been a little tighter.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
It’s important to ensure that the organization, the partner, or the vendor you’re going to work with truly understand not only the tactical end result of your project is, but to understand the motivation of your project.
the project
Video Production for Nutritional Company
"Throughout the entire process, BLARE was an open book."
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m in charge of marketing at NutriScience. We’re a manufacturing distributor company in the natural products industry.
What challenge were you trying to address with BLARE Media?
We have several branded ingredients, but we didn’t have a way to explain what those ingredients were or how they work. We needed to create a video that would, in a short amount of time, explain what the ingredients do.
What was the scope of their involvement?
I have very little experience in making videos, so when I first went to BLARE, they were able to explain the process to me. We’d already had a script written because in the dietary supplement industry, we’re very regulated in what we can say.
BLARE was able to take what we wrote and give us a storyboard that would help tell the story. They walked us through the process, and after iterating and changing directions a few times, we were able to get to the final product.
The team was responsible for everything with the video, including filming and editing.
What is the team composition?
We worked with two different people, Corbin (Author) and Mauricio (Author).
How did you come to work with BLARE Media?
We found BLARE on Clutch. We decided to partner with them because they had a great portfolio and great reviews. When I called them, they were very genuine, nice, and down to earth, which is important to me.
How much have you invested with them?
We spent between $3,000–$6,000 with BLARE.
What is the status of this engagement?
The project took place from May–September 2020.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
We just put the videos up, so I can only give internal feedback. However, within the company, there’s a lot of excitement about the videos.
Over the next few months, we’ll start introducing the videos to our customers, who will be able to customize them for themselves and use that in their marketing. Given the feedback from our own sales staff, I think it’s going to be a really big hit.
How did BLARE Media perform from a project management standpoint?
Corbin and Mauricio were both extremely nice and helpful. At one point, we were on the phone with them doing some edits, and Mauricio was able to share his screen and make our edits in real-time. It was amazing to watch.
In terms of managing the project in a broad sense, BLARE met all of our timelines. We didn’t move very quickly, because we had a lot of input on the videos and there were a lot of different opinions. However, the team was very patient with us and made sure all of our notes and edits made it into the videos.
They were also great at getting back to us whenever we needed. We kept in touch with email for the basic stuff, but they used another tool, Wipster, that allowed us to make notes within the editing software.
What did you find most impressive about them?
Their communication sets them apart. Before we started working with BLARE, we’d built another video, and even though it turned out well, there was such a lack of communication, I didn’t want to work with that vendor again.
Throughout the entire process, BLARE was an open book. They were always available for any of our questions, and we always got an immediate response.
Are there any areas they could improve?
This might be different for other clients, but I needed more push from them. It would’ve moved the project along if they’d called and made sure we were kept on track.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
It’s important to know what you want. Even if it’s just a list of products or images you like, it’ll be really helpful for BLARE.
the project
Production for Nonprofit
"They quickly turned around clean footage from a terrible location, delivering a quality product."
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I am the executive director of a nonprofit that provides medical education and quality improvements to physicians.
What challenge were you trying to address with BLARE Media?
We were working on a grant to increase the treatment of substance use disorder in California. Our group was working with a number of residency programs in the state, and we brought together a large group for a face-to-face meeting.
We wanted them to understand the community resources that were available. Our challenge was how do we present our work in the community to this meeting, so we brought in BLARE Media to help us with video.
What was the scope of their involvement?
We assembled a group of 13 individuals, all of whom are treating patients with opioid or substance use disorders. They were from the fields of government, health care, law enforcement, and more. We held a lively two-hour discussion event that was recorded by BLARE Media, who recorded both audio and video.
BLARE Media quickly turned it around and helped us edit it into digestible segments. We used those snippet-videos BLARE Media produced as discussion triggers in our meeting.
What is the team composition?
I worked with five different people. This included an account project manager, two video people, an audio person, and an editor who helped me get the content into its final form.
How did you come to work with BLARE Media?
I was looking on the internet for a Fresno-based videographer. They had good reviews and were really responsive when I reached out, so they got the job.
How much have you invested with them?
It was less than $20,000 but more than $10,000.
What is the status of this engagement?
We began in late September 2019 and were finished by the middle of October 2019.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
We had a tight timing challenge. We recorded the session at night in a restaurant, which is a terrible place to record. They needed to have the edited footage ready eight days later.
While I don’t have performance metrics, they quickly turned around clean footage from a terrible location, delivering a quality product.
How did BLARE Media perform from a project management standpoint?
They were fantastic at communication. We mainly talked over email, and they had an online review tool that let me leave comments while they were editing. They were also incredibly fair at pricing.
What did you find most impressive about them?
I’m a rookie at the video process, it’s not a normal part of my job. They walked me through the process, explaining everything in a professional manner. They were so good that I immediately recommended them to others.
Are there any areas they could improve?
The lighting in the restaurant room was really difficult. We could’ve evened the lighting out on that day to improve the quality of the video, but none of us were aware of it and it showed in the final product.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
Be truthful about what you need. They’re a top-notch shop and will deliver.
the project
Video Production for Weight & Health Management Company
"BLARE Media handles everything—they take care of our needs better than we could have imagined."
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m the CEO of a company providing both physical and digital services to help people live better.
What challenge were you trying to address with BLARE Media?
We hired BLARE Media to help get our message out to as many people as possible in a compelling way through a film.
What was the scope of their involvement?
They worked with us to create a full-scale, feature film about avoiding and reversing the co-existence of obesity and diabetes. We collaborated together on the scripting, storyboarding, and overall concept creation. BLARE handled the actors for the film, and I was in charge of locating doctors and people with success stories. Together, we’re currently in talks with distributors for the film now.
What is the team composition?
I’ve worked with around 20 people from their team.
How did you come to work with BLARE Media?
I found them through an online search about six years ago and they’ve supported us on a myriad of projects.
What is the status of this engagement?
We started working together in 2013 and they’re still supporting us.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
We don’t have any success metrics at this point, but we know we’ll never work with a different production company. Without question, they dedicate themselves to make sure the work is good so it always exceeds our expectations. Our internal team finds them to be a great partner to work with.
How did BLARE Media perform from a project management standpoint?
We don’t rely on them very heavily for project management since our internal team takes the lead on that. We give them tasks and our needs, and they go from there. They’ve been reliable and accountable throughout the process.
What did you find most impressive about them?
BLARE Media handles everything—they take care of our needs better than we could have imagined. They don’t need us to tell them exactly what to do. Even if we did give them specific needs, they’d come back with better work if they’re left to their own devices.
Are there any areas they could improve?
Any CEO wants things to go faster since faster is always better. This doesn’t mean their work comes in slowly, so I don’t have any complaints about their speed. Of course, we could ask them to drop everything and focus on delivering one part faster, but that comes down to cost and efficiency, and their speed really hasn’t been a problem.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
Invest their team in your mission if you’re passionate about what you do. Do everything you can to share those passions with BLARE Media. If they believe in something, they will do everything it takes to rock your world.
For example, if you’re an accounting firm, don’t focus on the details of accounting. Instead, tell them about the people you help and why your firm exists, because that will unlock some magic when working with BLARE Media.
the project
Video Production Services for Marketing Agency
“Taking their time and paying attention to all of the little details are key to how they produce outstanding work.”
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I work for a marketing and communication firm. A lot of our clients are federal and corporate clients looking for video production and graphic design work.
What challenge were you trying to address with BLARE Media?
They’ve provided ongoing video production support for our clients.
What was the scope of their involvement?
We’ve used BLARE Media for an array of projects, so they’ve produced various types of work for us. The videos range from informational, educational videos to music videos. Their team mostly provides filming services, but occasionally do pre- and post-production tasks, too. They also provide equipment for the shoots and have done shoots all across the country.
What is the team composition?
Typically, Ian (Co-Founder & CEO, BLARE Media) and Justin (Head of Production, BLARE Media) support these projects and involve other members of their crew, too.
How did you come to work with BLARE Media?
We followed the recommendation from a graphic artist who was working with us. From there, we set up a few initial phone calls. The energy felt good, so we decided to move forward with them.
How much have you invested with them?
We’ve spent in the $50,000–$200,000 range.
What is the status of this engagement?
We began working together in 2015 and our engagement is ongoing.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
The quality of the production is fantastic. Our clients are very happy with the HD footage and the level of attention to detail. The amazing angles, superb lighting, and other details make all the difference in the production.
How did BLARE Media perform from a project management standpoint?
They’re great at managing the work with us. We work very closely together. Their team is flexible with their time and we’ve worked together well.
What did you find most impressive about them?
Taking their time and paying attention to all of the little details are key to how they produce outstanding work. Their creativity and outstanding lighting abilities are great. They stay up to date on industry standards, use Hollywood-level equipment, and are economical. Everything they produce has a strong HD feeling to it.
We’re pleased with the services and overall relationship. When they come to our set, they bring an optimistic mindset, are ready to work, and willing to accommodate to meet our needs. Working with them has been really refreshing.
Are there any areas they could improve?
I’d pass on this because I don’t have anything they could improve.
the project
High-Quality Footage of Urban Automated Driving
"They were very focused from the beginning and are highly professional."
the reviewer
the review
The client submitted this review online.
Please describe your company and your position there.
Our agenca V4 produces corporate videos and 3D animations. I´m the CEO and Creative Director.
For what projects/services did your company hire BLARE Media?
We were looking for a video producer in California to film an automated driven Mercedes in San José.
What were your goals for this project?
We needed high quality driving scenes of the Mercedes and also a good Cast of talents.
How did you select this vendor?
We liked the high quality references of Blare Media and their highly professional attitude from the beginning.
Describe the video(s) and the process in detail.
The whole project was very well organized by Blare Media. In a short time.
What was your vendors' project management or feedback process?
We could give feedback for every step of the project.
Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?
It was a very successful project. The video material we got was excellent.
How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?
The workflow was very effective. We enjoyed the corporation between our teams.
What did you find most impressive about this company?
They were very focused from the beginning and are highly professional.
Are there any areas for improvement?
No.
Thanks to BLARE Media's work, the client received exemplary feedback from stakeholders. Understanding and hardworking, the team was able to capture the message of the organization's book. Above all, they were able to deliver excellently despite limited timeframe and budget.