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Promotional and Fundraising Videos

Posted on by Stephen

A Video Can Be A Great Companion To Your Website

I am not just a web designer, and Schildbach Design does not only build websites. Schildbach Design is actually moving toward Branding Design and Business Identities. In addition to all the web design and graphic design services Schildbach Design provides for Businesses, my assistant Shaun and I have started offering short promotional videos as a service. A short promotional video can be a great companion to your website for those customers and clients who want to get a feel for who you are. And, a fundraiser video can be a great way to raise money for your project or non-profit.

We Have Access To A Photograhy Studio For Filming Video

Not to disregard the years of learning and work it takes to be a videographer, we are not competing with videographers with years of experience and thousands of dollars of equipment. Instead, we have quickly figured out a way to make affordable promotional videos for businesses and for individuals with projects that need a short video. As you know, your website is not the only tool for marketing that you need to promote your business. A good social media presence, and now video, are needed to round out the promotion of your business or project. Schildbach Design has access to a photography studio for filming at their Gelb office. We can do basic set design for formal interviews. We are initially taking a low tech approach to the video recording using an iPad. You would be surprised at the video quality once adjusted in the editing process. And, our sound quality is excellent—we are using high-end microphones and audio interface for sound. Finally, we do video editing in Adobe Premiere which has all the editing and effects capabilities for a film, let alone a short promotional video.

2018 Video Package

In 2018 we are offering a promotional video package for only $400. This includes:

  1. Planning, Strategy, and Storyboarding
  2. Filming (Video and Audio)
  3. Editing (Video and Audio)
  4. A Final Video of up to 5 minutes for any web platform (YouTube, Kickstarter, Website, Etc…)

This is an amazing opportunity for any business who needs to attract more clients or make more sales. As we buy more video equipment, prices will go up in 2019. You will need to be in the Seattle area for this offer. See an example of what we are providing. Go to this Kickstarter campaign. We made the video.

Family Photographer, Anita Nowacka

Posted on by Stephen

One of the most rewarding kinds of projects is when a creative person commissions me to design a custom website in WordPress for them. This September, my client Anita Nowacka launched her new website that I custom coded and developed in WordPress (design by Deborah Brown). As a family photographer in Seattle, she has an extensive, experienced career of photographing families. I highly recommend you contact Anita if your family is wanting spontaneous session photos of your family.

Family of Six, Anita Nowacka Photography

Web Designers have taken a hard hit financially from website builder services like Squarespace and Wix. But, Anita knew that there still is value in the custom website and commissioning of a web designer who both codes and designs. I was able to provide for her a home scroll page, slideshows and portfolios that don’t look like every other website you see. She approaches her photography in a similar way that I approach my work—no cookie cutter work, a unique project for every client. In these days of so much design work coming from a template, it is becoming rare to find creativity that doesn’t come from a premeditated formula. Anita, will create a photo session that is unique to your family. You will soon notice her experience, attention to detail and hard work is what produces family photographs that will capture your family in ways you never imagined.

Images copyright, Anita Nowacka

Secure Your WordPress Website with SSL

Posted on by Stephen

In 2017 hacking is on the rise, and most browsers are requiring website owners to add an SSL certificate to their site if the site has a database. This includes all CMSs, which includes WordPress sites. You may have noticed that if your site is still “http” you either see an insecure lock icon or text that reads, “Not Secure” in the upper left hand corner of your browser. This is obviously bad for a number of reasons in addition to your site not being secure. Your web visitors are going to not trust being on your site and now Google and other search engines may even dock your SEO.

Schildbach Design offers a service where we will secure your site with an SSL certificate for $50 if it is a WordPress site, and $100 for any other CMS. With some research, you could also do this procedure yourself. If you have purchased a website maintenance package with Schildbach Design, I can apply the time it takes to do this procedure to the package. So, if you are seeing those security warning messages or icons, it’s time to switch to “https”. Contact me for more information.

A Call For Photographers To Join The Photography Studio at The Gelb

Posted on by Stephen

Coming from an art and design background, I was saddened to hear the news today (the day of this blog entry) that my office space in Seattle’s University District was going to close down the photography studio and turn it in to yet another office full of computers. It’s financially responsible and rational to serve the needs of the market, right?

It was a symbol for me personally of what is happening to Seattle and many west coast cities: The artists (and many other marginalized groups) are getting financially squeezed out, while the tech companies grow and their employees move in. Nothing against tech, my web design business is connected to tech. I just believe that we are all happier when we live in a place where there is a balance between the creative and the technical.

Fortunately, the manager of the Gelb changed his mind and decided to give the photography studio another chance. One small factor was my email expressing my opinion of the inherent value of keeping the Gelb a place for creatives. I realize there were many other reasons that made him change his mind. For one, he is a creative person too. He has done an amazing job designing this floor of offices to be both stylish and comfortable, while also serving the needs of an independent small business.

The photography studio is great for shooting stills for fashion, portraits, products and more. Also, a great place to shoot video interviews or bios. There is a private green room, and some photography equipment is supplied. There are large paper back drops and a lot of windows with south facing light. The studio is in a SECURE building.

The Gelb is centrally located on The Ave in the University District with bus lines to every other corner of the city, and hundreds of restaurants and shops near by. I love working here!

I’m calling out to photographers across Seattle:

JOIN THE GELB PHOTOGRAPHY STUDIO!

The Gelb website is not current. There is mention of the offices spaces and desks being a coop, but actually all the offices are private. Schildbach Design is in one of the office spaces. But, the photography studio is a shared space which makes the monthly costs very affordable. I never see the studio booked all day, so there is plenty of time available for all the photographers to use it.

Additionally, there is occasionally an open office space if you are an independent creative in another field.

Please contact me via my contact form and I will pass the message along to the manager at The Gelb.

 

 

Packaging Illustration for Mutiny Bay Distillery

Posted on by Stephen

Whiskey made in the Northwest? Yes! The family business at Mutiny Bay Distillery now has my illustration on their whiskey bottles. Thank you to Design Heavy for contracting me for my illustration skills, and compliments on his great packaging design. Also, thank you to the owners of Mutiny Bay Distillery for the honor of being a part of their branding. The illustration is pen and ink, done in the style of a 19th century etching. See more examples of my illustration work.

I visited the Mutiny Bay Distillery tasting room and tried out their 3 samples. My favorites are the two bottles pictured here: Palouse Gold Aged Wheat Whiskey and Sweet Lulu Whiskey-Based Liqueur. The first because of that 3 year aged caramel taste, and the second because I’m a little bit of a sweet tooth and like dessert quality of the vanilla tasting liqueur. I’m not an expert on whiskey, I just know that if you like whiskey, you need to support this small family business. They just got started this year, are good people, and make great whiskey!

Whidbey Island is a vacation stop for many in the summer time, and I was able to stop by the distillery because that same weekend my wife played harp at a wedding. My whole family went on the weekend get-away to experience beautiful Rosario Beach on Fidalgo Island, just north of Whidbey Island. Then we stopped at the cute towns of Coupville, Freeland (where Mutiny Bay Distillery is located), and Langley. Then, finished our loop by waiting in line for the Ferry back to the mainland.

For tasting times and where to buy Mutiny Bay Distillery’s whiskey, go to their contact page.