Brand identity is the cornerstone of a successful business, and your logo is the first step. Our newly unveiled Gulf Coast Studios logo, designed by the amazingly talented Michael Berger, sets a great example of effective branding through clever design. Our logo ingeniously combines the initials "G," "C," and "S" into a single, seamless emblem, all bathed in a vibrant golden gradient. The “S” also is positioned to look as though it were a classic film reel. This integration not only symbolizes the unity of our Gulf Coast Studios, but also embodies our commitment to creativity, collaboration, and excellence. The choice of color further reinforces our brand's dynamic persona and optimistic outlook through our theme of sun and surf being reflected in the logo’s golden oranges and sunset yellows. Such a distinctive and memorable logo serves as a beacon, instantly imprinting our identity in the minds of our audience. For other companies seeking inspiration in logo design for brand identity, our Gulf Coast Studios emblem exemplifies the power of creativity and cohesion in crafting a visual identity that captivates and resonates with consumers.
your brand, your message
Finding the right messaging for your brand is essential in standing out in a crowded market and enticing potential customers to hire you. Your messaging should be simple, straightforward, and engaging while also being stylish and tailor-fit to your needs. It's essential to have a commercial spot that draws in the viewer while leaving them wanting more. At Gulf Coast Studios, we ensure our clients the comfort of knowing they have a partner who will collaborate with them to make a video that follows today's trends while also driving home their brand's message. We do this by pairing striking and stunning visuals with appropriately themed music and sometimes a script that follows the tone. It is vital to have consistent branding so that people recognize your company at first sight, which a narrative spot can help you achieve. Give us your thoughts. Do you have any ideas on how else to further drive your brand's messaging?
curating content and collaboration
In today's rapidly changing digital landscape, creating engaging and relevant content is more important than ever for companies. Moreover, businesses must create content that resonates with their target audience, driving customer engagement and loyalty. Creating compelling content has become a necessary marketing strategy for companies that want to stay competitive in today's market. By producing high-quality content, companies can establish themselves as industry experts, build brand recognition, and ultimately drive customers to their website or store. At Gulf Coast Studios, we work hard to offer our clients content that suits their needs and is visually appealing to the current trends of today's marketplace. Most companies need more time or resources to make their own content for this now ever-present digital world. This is why we offer our clients the opportunity to collaborate together to make the content that best suits their company's needs.
If you would like to schedule a consultation, email us through the work with us tab at the top of the page.
Utilizing Youtube Shorts
In the past few years, short-form content has been on the rise with the boom of Tik Tok and the introduction of Instagram/Facebook reels and YouTube Shorts. While many are quick to dismiss these tools as unapproachable or unimportant, there are many ways you can use these platforms to your advantage to help grow your company and showcase your work. Here at Gulf Coast Studios, we aim to grow our YouTube channel. One method we use to accomplish this is re-editing and uploading older videos to the Shorts format. This enables us to have a steady stream of content while also showing off previous work to new people.
What are some ways you’re trying to grow your platform?
IN'S AND OUT'S FOR 2024
For those who are unaware of what an "in's and out's" list is, it was one of the first trends of 2024 to sweep Gen Z and Millennials by storm online. The format is intuitive and easy to follow as you're simply listing the things you wish to bring IN to the new year, as well as listing what you will be leaving OUT. We've compiled a few of our own to share and to possibly inspire you to make your own.
In's:
- Colored Mood Lighting
- Vertical Re-Editing of Videos into Shorts
- Consistent Marketing and Blogs
- Narrative Spots
Out's:
- Workflow from Premiere Pro to DaVinci Resolve
- Flat Lighting and Cream Colored Walls
- Ignoring Marketing Trends
Now that you know OUR In's and Out's, we'd love ot hear YOUR list! Click the contact tab, email us at info@gulfcoaststudios.io or drop a comment on our LinkedIn!
Tips on Creating Narrative Spots for your Brand and Marketing Needs
When it comes to telling a story without words, the framing of the subject matter is crucial. For example, in the video linked below we see the subject engaging in a pre-game ritual. As the audience, we can infer the subject is preparing for a game by the shots of her putting on her shoes and ponytail. These slow and deliberate shots create an atmosphere of calm but focused preparedness, prepping for a battle on the court. We are also given the chance to gleam a deeper narrative from the basketball spot with the shot of the subject and her necklaces. These necklaces were given to her by grandmother and are an important part of the subject's confidence to play the game. The shot allows the audience to momentarily connect with the subject before we see her on the court, and provides us something to ponder as we walk with her towards the game. This feeling of walking with her is accomplished through the use of tracking and leading shots, which is then contrasted during the game with the use of fast-paced hand held shots. These shots were filmed moving on the court to create action and intensity, almost as if we are on the court with them. These were some quick breakdowns of our camera shots and expositions of the hidden narrative of the necklaces.
What types of camera shots and angles do you use in your videos to tell a story and set a pace? Let us know in the comments of the video!
The Importance of Lighting in Horror FILMS
THE IMPORTANCE OF LIGHTING IN HORROR FILMS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wN3ZUwp_68s
Lighting plays a significant role in story telling and can determine the overall mood of a film, especially when it comes to the horror genre. Therefore, when deciding how you want to orchestrate lighting your scene, it is crucial that you carefully consider the story you want to tell and how you want your audience to feel while watching it.
One of the most common techniques used in horror films is the incorporation of harsh shadows to envoke fear and anticipation from the audience in hopes that nothing is lurking within the dark. Stategic lighting adds a feeling of uneasiness and lack of safety, which only makes those jump scares so much more impactful to the audience. Less lighting actually adds a lot to the story. For example, when a character in a horror film is unable to find any working lights, they resort to tactics such as candlelight, which creates a sort of low light effect that changes the atmosphere and draws tension. As stated in the video above, "lighting is as important a storytelling tool as the script itself." So when you want to make a good film, especially a horror film, think of how much better your story can be conveyed if you gave more thought to how you would light the scene.
Marketing Trends in 2022
MARKETING TRENDS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ydz3DjkFS0&feature=youtu.be
Want to be more involved with marketing trends? Click the video above to see what you can take advantage of in 2022. Be informed on how digital storytelling and short form videos can help your business or brand. The information in this video is very useful to all types of businesses to help grow their reach and gain more clients. We want to help you succeed. Let us know what you want to know more about next!
Motivation for Creativity Blocks
If you’re an artist or creative mind of any medium, this blog is aimed for you. I know how tough it can be when you want to create but are lacking the tools or motivation to be able to start. Well, I am here to give you some tips I have learned through the years to get you out of your creativity block.
Journaling
If you’re in a creativity block, start by just journaling. This should be a stream of consciousness journal. Don’t try to filter yourself, as you are the only person that will see what you wrote. By writing a stream of consciousness, never taking your pen off the paper, you allow yourself to be free and get all of your thoughts out. Sometimes, just doing something helps to motivate you to do something else. Again, the biggest thing here is not to filter yourself. Do not go back and change any misspellings or rephrase things. Just keep writing till you feel like you’re done. This clears up your mind and you may find ideas start to pop up while you’re writing.
Your Inner Artist
There is a book called, The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron. She talks about morning journaling as well as the idea of your “inner artist”, which is the part of you that wants to create. Through this book she guides you to find your own creativity and stops you from doubting this artist or pushing back it’s ideas for another day. Before the first chapter even starts, she gives us a great list of affirmations to follow.
• Stop telling yourself, “It’s too late.”
• Stop waiting until you make enough money to do something you’d really love.
•Stop telling yourself, “It’s just my ego” whenever you yearn for a more creative life.
• Stop telling yourself that dreams don’t matter, that they are only dreams and that you should be more sensible.
• Stop fearing that your family and friends would think you’re crazy. • Stop telling yourself that creativity is a luxury and that you should be grateful for what you’ve got.
She teaches that if start saying yes to your creativity instead of talking yourself out of it, your ideas will start to bloom.
A Tip From Brian Cox
Last summer, I was able to take a workshop with Brian Cox, from HBO’s Succession, where he talked about this as well. He gave my class a tip about feeding into that creativity you once had as a child. Brian told us to always keep a picture of our childhood self on our phone or wallet. This is because when we were little, we didn’t stop ourselves from dreaming big. Try to make your inner-child happy by feeding into those dreams you once had. You will be surprised at what happens.
Just Do It
So, get started and stop filtering your ideas or pushing it back to another day. In the wise words of Shia LeBeouf, “Just Do It”.
Interview with Nathan Marlow
I was able to catch up with Nathan Marlow, Filmmaker and CO-Founder of Gulf Coast Studios for a quick interview about his experience in the film industry. He summed up some of his experiences and gave some important advice for actors and filmmakers just starting out. To start, I asked him about his background in filmmaking and acting.
TOP 5 TIPS WHEN SHOOTING NIGHT SCENES
Anyone who has tried to film at night knows that shooting night scenes can be challenging. There are many different elements that you should be aware of when preparing to shoot at night. Gulf Coast Studios’ Director of Photography, Jakob Johnson, has offered up his Top 5 Tips on what you should know.
