Getaway

image_pdfimage_print

AWARDS SEASON

~ michaelhvs ~ 2 Comments

July 19,2020

As some of you might be aware, July marks the time of the annual Home Video Studio “Getaway” conference. This would have been the 20th time all HVS owners around the globe travelled to meet, greet, and yes, compete for valuable prizes and bragging rights. Well, the odd events of 2020 kind of put the kibosh on our festivities. We will not be meeting or greeting in the face of the pandemic. But we will always be a competitive bunch.

While our “getaway” has been cancelled, our awards ceremony will continue on… virtually.  The many talented studios who comprise the Home Video Studio family have submitted their projects, of which they are rightfully proud, for consideration in close to 20 different categories. Plus there are a few honorific awards that are passed out every year as well.

We will safely attending from home via a streaming event where nominations will be announced (Friday, July 24) followed by the announcement of the winners in each category (Saturday, July 25). We may even put on formal wear for the occasion… at least from the waist up.

Looking back over the years, we have certainly been blessed in the awards department:

2015: Rookie of the Year; Best Rookie Video

2016: Hanley Marketing Award

2017: Best Company Promo; Dr. Strangelove Award; Best Memorial Video; Best Backlot Video; Social Media Award

2018: Best Studio Promo; Best Editing; Best Memorial Video; Social Media Award; Studio Owner of the Year

2019: Best Photo Keepsake; Best Documentary; Dr. Strangelove Award

We’ll be hearing of the award announcements for 2020 on Saturday and will post the results. Until then, here’s a quick look back at some of our successes.

Michael Ondrasik and Home Video Studio Mount Dora specialize in the preservation of family memories through the digitalization of film, videotapes, audio recordings, photos, negatives, and slides. For more information, call 3520735-8550 or visit our website.

Imagine

~ michaelhvs ~ Leave a comment

FilmVideoPhoto.png

You might be thinking that all I did in the recent Getaway in Tucson was win awards.  I have to admit, that was a sweet icing on the cake but the real reason we attend this annual event is to learn, grow, and stretch our abilities in our field. My personal focus this year was to further develop or polish some of the production skills that I don’t always get an opportunity to use during the normal course of our business. I spent much of my time during that week composing and editing a 60 second commercial that I hope to be using for our company in the coming year.

Here’s a first look at the newest commercial spot for Home Video Studio of Mount Dora. It’s called “Imagine.”

 

Michael Ondrasik and Home Video Studio specialize in the preservation of family memories through the digitalization of film, videotape, audio recordings, photos, negatives and slides. For more information, call 352-735-8550 or visit our website.

The Tale Of The Lucy Evelyn

~ michaelhvs ~ 3 Comments

CAUTION-HOT-IN-ARIZONA.jpg

First day in AZ… It’s hot. Really hot. How hot is it? It is so hot nobody here has body hair… it has all been singed off. We wisely stayed inside the hotel most of the day. After all, we’re not here on vacation.  We’re taking part in the annual Home Video Studio Getaway. It’s a time to recharge our batteries and re-educate ourselves on industry trends and new developments. The morning’s session… Documentary-style filmmaking: from proposal to final product.

IMG_0117.jpg

This comes at a great time. One of the jobs waiting for me once I return home is a commissioned project for a family who wants to tell the story of the Lucy Evelyn.

Briefly, the Lucy Evelyn was a three masted schooner which from 1948 to 1972 sat aground as a permanent fixture of the boardwalk in Long Beach Island, NJ where it served as a landmark, tourist attraction and home to a series of unique gift shops. It’s going to be an interesting story to capture on film and I look forward to getting started.

f-Lucy Evelyn.jpg

Normally, I would blog about this project after it was completed however, I have an unusual request. If any of my readers, who are local to the Mount Dora area, can remember visiting the Lucy Evelyn during the time it was beached on Long Beach Island, we’d love to capture you on film sharing those memories for possible inclusion into the film.

If you are willing, contact me at michael.O@homevideostudio.com. We’ll set up an appointment and get the cameras rolling. It’ll be fun. 

In other news, nominations for this year’s Hanley Awards are being announced Wednesday night. We’ll keep you informed of any developments.

Michael Ondrasik and Home Video Studio specialize in the preservation of family memories through the digitalization of film, videotapes, audio recordings, photos, negatives and slides. For more information, call 352-735-8550 or visit our website.

(Note: Home Video Studio of Mount Dora will be closed until Monday, July 30th while Michael & Kate attend the 18th annual Getaway Conference in Tucson, Arizona. See you when we get back.)

It’s Too Darn Hot

~ michaelhvs ~ Leave a comment

DM_03242016_1255.jpg

Summers in Florida have always been unbearable to the uninitiated. Whenever some visitor comes into the studio and makes the statement that he/she is thinking of moving here, I always tell them not to make a final decision until they come back and spend a little time here in August.  That’s the unofficial state residence test… If you can make it through August, Florida is a fine place to live.

But the weather can admittedly be hard to handle which is why I am glad that I have an excuse to leave the state during the summer every year, even if just for a week. The Home Video Studio corporation holds its annual getaway for all the studios operating under their brand in July and August… which are the two hottest and most uncomfortable months of the year here in Florida. So it is often a relief to get away from the Sunshine State for a brief respite during this time.  This year our destination is… Tucson Arizona.

I checked the forecast today. 117 degrees. D’oh!

Good thing it’s a dry heat. If there were any humidity we’d get a third degree burn just walking through the steam in the atmosphere.

In any case, it is sure to be a grand time (spent primarily indoors in the manufactured cool air of the hotel). This post is intended simply to inform that our studio will be closed for a week while we attend our getaway. We’ll try to post any items of interest that may come to our attention during our week away.  Until then, delight yourself with this blast from the past:  Ann Miller singing and dancing to It’s Too Darn Hot from Kiss Me Kate.

Michael Ondrasik and Home Video Studio of Mount Dora specialize in the preservation of family memories through the digitalization of films, videotapes, audio recordings, photos, negatives, and slides. For more information, call 352-735-8550 or visit our website. Please note, we will be closed from July 23 through July 29. We will reopen on Monday July 30.