DataServe CSD

Promotional Video Outline

What is our video for?

As part of an ongoing publicity campagin (sic), DataServe Computer Software Development has decided to embark on producing a promotional video. It is to show our customers opinions on our products, and demonstrate how some of these work. It will also include interviews with our founding staff members, and perhaps show our staff at work. We intend it to be around 20 minutes in length.

Expressions of interest

Anybody who has the necessary equipment and would like to take part in the video is most welcome. A commentator seperate of DataServe would be good, if possible. We will need a cameraman, and a couple of staff or members interested to direct and review the script. It will probably be produced on a combination of Video 8 and VHS medium, though the final distribution will be on VHS. We also need people to copy the tapes.

A basic outline

We will start with a commentator (see later) describing what DataServe is, and how long it has been around for. We will also say what DataServe make. We will then talk to our founding members, and talk about the merger of Howard-Wirth and DIA, to put our company in perspective and give some background. Then, we will show a selection of two to four products per computer, which will of course be our best. Depending on the ease o f transporting our equipment to venues, we will try to get most, if not all, of our computers demonstrated. We would then like to video customers using our products and ask them for their comments. Also, our office will be shown. Then we will explain our members schema, what positions our staff hold, and how committees work. A free disk will be offered at the end of our programme.

The final edit

Once we have filmed all the takes, they will be viewed, and perhaps shown to others, to decide which parts we will use as part of the finail video. Even 20 minutes stretches our audience's concentration span, and we must therefore use only the best material. Once the start and stop locations (in counter numbers) are noted, they will be edited onto a final master. The master will be copied, and only again used for duplicating. We intend to use a short, but high-quality (say chrome-dioxide or metal) tape for the master.

Pre-recorded, custom written, music will be created and superimposed of the final master if necessary. A four-channel mixer will be used to combine Video 8, VHS, and stereo tape, so it is possible to use pictures from one Video 8 scene mixed with talking from a VHS cut and background music off tape!

Titles

Our Commodore 64 will be used for the starting and ending titles, with a Video 8 Professional recorder (if available) being used for titles that need to appear on top of video.

Interviews

We would like to interview the Chief Executive Officer, the Managing Director and the remaining founding members, and perhaps include quick snapshots of the other staff.

Product demonstrations

We intend to demonstrate the following products. The people's computers we want to use are illustrated in brackets.
 
 
IBM Chaos Simulator (Luke Howard)
Graphar (Joshua Reich)
Mac Mailbox (Tony Wirth)
Createx II (Tony Wirth)

The other computers are still under consideration, though we expect to offer a short clip of us training our customers to use a product.

Customer shots

We would like to briefly illustrate how we make Print Shop Letterheads, and then we will show our ProductBASE software developed for Aero Designs. We will interview the user, and creator, and show how the finished price tickets look in the shop if transport is available.

A free disk

In order to encourage our customers to buy DataServe products, and to watch the video, the end of the video will include an offer for a free disk showing (a) demonstrations of our advanced products and (b) working model of some more inexpensive products. A coupon included with the cassette will be used to purchase this. We hope to offer this for IBM, Macintosh and possibly Apple II.

Credits

We will credit all of the people involved using the C64 titling schema described in the above section.

Who we need


 


Luke Howard Tony Wirth Joshua Reich Joshua Samuel
Aaron Zurbo Mr Howard Paul Fenwick Mrs Howard
Dr Wirth Mrs Wirth Karen Wirth Mrs Reich