Ideas & Insight

Imagine, for a moment, delicate, bite-sized treats filled with fried onions, bacon and spices, wrapped in a thin layer of dough and served with butter. They can be both savory and sweet…especially when served with Sweden’s iconic Lingonberry jam.   Are you hungry yet?   These are the telltale signs of Swedish dumplings, also known as “Kroppkakor.”   We recently produced a “Kroppkakor” recipe demonstration video for the Nordic Cuisine YouTube channel. The video was produced in collaboration with the Museum of Danish America, located in Elk Horn, Iowa, for their New Nordic...

With over 120 grocery store locations in Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska and South Dakota, Fareway Stores is one of the fastest growing grocery companies in the Midwest.   Such growth demands increased visibility, and Applied Art has helped provide that for Fareway (one commercial we produced earlier this year was even featured in a compilation video seen by over 1.5 million people).   Most recently, Next Step Advertising came to us on behalf of Fareway to see if we could produce a pair of broadcast ads promoting...

Summer’s here and the livin’ is easy… camping, bonfires, and grill outs are all in full swing. It’s also the perfect time to get outside and shoot. Why? We’ve got 4 reasons.   Shoot now, use later. Your business may not need any outdoor shots right this moment, but what about later on? Picture this: It’s November, you’re in the edit suite and you need a few exterior shots…but the weather is dismal. Luckily you thought ahead! And you ...

  By "resolution," we mean VIDEO resolution. In our world of ever-changing technology, it is easy to get lost in all the numbers and abbreviations when it comes to video. We find one common area that can lead to confusion and cause delays is resolution. So how does one avoid resolution confusion? Knowing the end use of a video at the beginning of a project is the best way to avoid issues later. And that question usually has more than one answer. For example, a corporate customer may need one video to display on a large...

The Telly Awards has named Applied Art & Technology in cooperation with FLM+ as a Bronze winner in the 36th Annual Telly Awards for “The Clayton Yeutter Tribute Video”. With nearly 12,000 entries from all 50 states and numerous countries, this is truly an honor. The video describes Clayton Yeutter’s efforts, both in government and the private sector, that have had a lasting impact on the worldwide economy. He served as Secretary of Agriculture, U.S. Trade Representative and Counselor to the President, and also spent several years as CEO of the Chicago Mercantile ...

Customizing a video into 11 different languages takes careful planning. So does shooting overseas. We crafted a corporate image video for Two Rivers Marketing and their client, Sauer-Danfoss, for a global audience. Three versions were produced with full graphics and narration in German, Chinese and English. The creative development of the video was a successful collaborative effort between all three companies. When we received the request to produce a global, corporate video for Sauer-Danfoss, we knew that the video production company we partnered with would be critical to the success of the...

Two Rivers Marketing and Sauer-Danfoss have recently collaborated with Applied Art & Technology on two new promotional videos. The Electronic Controls division of Sauer-Danfoss wished to create the videos to communicate their specific skills and high-tech products. Producer/Editor Neil Zaugg and Graphic Artist Stephen Dixon teamed up to give the videos an exciting look and feel with a very impressive graphic approach that emulates the look and feel of the new Sauer-Danfoss brand Two Rivers is currently developing. The videos were shot, edited and mastered in HD which easily allowed...

"The Ukrainian government has some rules that make it difficult to get footage out of the country, but I found a way around that." Producer Heather Creswell is talking about a series of international marketing videos she just wrapped up for one of Applied Art's best clients. Heather coordinated crews to shoot footage in China, Ethiopia, France, India, New Zealand and Ukraine to gather information on how the client's customers can be better served. Some of the more stressful moments of this production were in getting a crew from Kenya to...

Applied Art & Technology partnered with Iowa State Athletics to produce a TV spot for Iowa State Football. This year's theme is "Proud to be One", so the spot shows the pride of the fans, the coach and the team. The spot was shot on the RED camera by Paul Hickey and directed by George Christ. The fans for the tailgating scene were solicited on Facebook to participate in the production.

Random House Books and Great Ape Trust chose Applied Art & Technology to produce a short promotional video for Sara Gruen's new novel Ape House. Inspired by the bonobo language research at Great Ape Trust, Ape House will bring a significant amount of attention to the type of scientific studies conducted at The Trust. Ape House will also introduce to many readers the uniqueness of the bonobo species of great ape. "By producing a quality video with interviews from best-selling author Sara Gruen and...