• Login
No Result
View All Result
The Urban Twist
NEWSLETTERS
  • News
  • Politics
  • Entertainment
  • Culture
    • Lifestyle
  • Features
  • Opinion
The Urban Twist
No Result
View All Result
Home News Business

Filmmaker Stephen Kraus On Doing it Yourself vs. Hiring A Professional When it Comes to Video Production

Pittsburgh Entrepreneur Stephen Kraus gives Me the 411 on why his services are not just needed but always in demand.
  • Christina Jeter By Christina Jeter
  • /
  • August 17, 2016
  • 8:44 am
Facebook
Twitter
Email

What inspired your company name?

The idea to name my company Anthem Video came to me almost randomly when I was making the 5-hour drive from Syracuse NY (my hometown) to Pittsburgh. I had been playing around with the idea of starting my own video production company, creating storytelling videos for businesses, and I started brainstorming words that I associated with storytelling. I ended up coming up with Anthem, and to me, it’s very fitting.

An anthem is a song that engages people and brings them together behind a cause, and that’s what I want to do with video: help businesses engage people with their story and cause. I’m also a musician so that association with music definitely solidified it as a name I could get behind.

What made you decide to set up a business in Pittsburgh versus Los Angeles or New York?

Pittsburgh is one of those unique places where a bootstrapped/low-key starving entrepreneur (such as myself) can actually feasibly start a business while managing to stay above water. Pittsburgh is home to a ton of diverse businesses and organizations, from Fortune 500’s, startups, to socially conscious non-profits. My favorite part of what I do is the fact that I get to work with businesses (and budgets) of all sizes.

Having graduated recently from Pitt, and being exposed to so many impactful individuals here during my undergrad, it made perfect sense to set up shop here.

12909707_10208257213602024_6973389260645707908_o-2-1024×683If I may ask, how can you ensure a client that you can capture their visual through your visualization?

I think the best metric for future performance is past performance, so I tend to point potential clients to my portfolio so they can see my work. That being said, my philosophy tends to be that, I should be able to incorporate the client’s vision, and their needs, independent of my own personal style.

What are the benefits of hiring a professional, such as yourself versus doing it on my own through an app or Youtube?

The truth is: hiring somebody like me shouldn’t be the only thing in between you and creating video content… almost everybody has the capability to be able to shoot and edit video on their iPhones. However, people are smart, they know the difference between a video shot on an iPhone, and one shot on a professional level video camera, with an editor who understands the nuances of crafting a storytelling video for you or your business.

The benefits of going with video professionals are that you get content with higher production quality, and when that’s combined with compelling creative and smart strategy, you get content that can help you grow your business.

What sets you apart from other videographers?

What sets me apart is two things. One, I understand businesses. I studied business in school, I keep up to date in the industry, I own and operate my own business, and it’s those things that help me better understand the needs and goals of businesses looking to create video content.

Two, I’m agile. I am a one-man team, I do the pre-production, shoot, edit, and even help clients with tying in video content into their larger strategy. Being lean allows me to get really hands on with the clients I work with, getting to know their businesses better than other media professionals, and working with (not for) businesses and organizations here in Pittsburgh.

 

What would be your ideal project and why?

I would love to work on a feature-length documentary about coffee. I don’t know why, it just sounds like it’d be a ton of fun, really aesthetically cool to produce, plus, well, free coffee probably.

IMG_0554Have you ever produced your own project? If so, where can I view it?
I’ve produced a good amount of short films and business storytelling videos that you can check out on my website.

Here are two I’m especially proud of. My Disney ABC Promo Video and Moments.

Outside of yourself, whose video production work do you admire and why?

One of my mentors, Keith Parish of Parish Digital, is a straight up wizard when it comes to understanding how to combine storytelling with business strategy, and he’s always finding new ways to innovate with making video production accessible here in Pittsburgh. You can also check out his new self-guided media studio, StudioME that’ll be opening up in East Liberty in the next few months.

Crisp Video out of Atlanta is another innovative video marketing company, great work being done there. In terms of filmmakers go, I’m a huge Paul Thomas Anderson Fan!!

Tags: appsPittsburghVideographerYouTube
Christina Jeter

Christina Jeter

From The Web

Related Stories

Related Posts

News

Twin YouTubers Appealed Guilty To Fake Bank Robbery Pranks

March 31, 2021
Entertainment

YouTube Star Nicole Thea Dies At 24 Along With Unborn Child

July 13, 2020
News

$100 Million Fund Created By YouTube For Black Creators And Artists

June 11, 2020
Entertainment

‘Talking Kitty Cat’ YouTube Star Steve Cash Commits Suicide

April 17, 2020
Cover Story

KSI sets to knock out U.S. Hip-Hop Charts!

November 25, 2019
Entertainment

Q&A with Patricia Halverson, Artistic Director of the Chatham Baroque

September 17, 2019

TRENDING

  • 1
    Lance Reddick
    In Memoriam: Lance Reddick, Acclaimed Actor, Passes Away at 60
  • 2
    The Last of Us: The Curse of Video Game Adaptations Broken?

LATEST NEWS

Lance Reddick

In Memoriam: Lance Reddick, Acclaimed Actor, Passes Away at 60

6 days ago
The Last of Us: The Curse of Video Game Adaptations Broken?

The Last of Us: The Curse of Video Game Adaptations Broken?

6 days ago
College Track Star Charged with Larceny After Scamming $500,000 from Jewelry Store

College Track Star Charged with Larceny After Scamming $500,000 from Jewelry Store

1 week ago
Lamar Jackson’s Contract Talks with Baltimore Ravens Still Unresolved

Lamar Jackson’s Contract Talks with Baltimore Ravens Still Unresolved

1 week ago
The Future of NIL: Congress to Address Issues with Name, Image, and Likeness Deals

The Future of NIL: Congress to Address Issues with Name, Image, and Likeness Deals

1 week ago
Why Marvel Studios is Fighting Spoilers on Reddit

Why Marvel Studios is Fighting Spoilers on Reddit

1 week ago
  • Write For Us
  • Home
  • Contact Us
  • Terms
  • Privacy
  • Copyright & DMCA
  • About Us
  • Fact Checking Policy
  • Corrections Policy
  • Ethics Policy
  • Ownership Policy

Copyright © 2021 Phoenix Stokes Media Group, LLC. All rights reserved.
Website designed and developed by P.S. Web Pros.

No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Politics
  • Entertainment
  • Culture
    • Lifestyle
  • Features
  • Opinion

Copyright © 2021 Phoenix Stokes Media Group, LLC. All rights reserved.
Website designed and developed by P.S. Web Pros.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.