Fun Projects We Are Working On

Snowed-In at Squiers Manor

Wed, 24 Jan 2024 17:06:43 GMT

Photography Shoot at Squiers Manor

This beautiful 6-bedroom, 6-bathroom 19th century property in Maquoketa, IA is just 45 minutes from I80/Davenport, and a little over an hour from Cedar Rapids. We enjoyed the opportunity to capture it's Victorian elegance as we moved from one luxurious room to another photographing it's beauty.

We met the owner at a local event for entrepreneurs. He purchased the manor and began a complete renovation last year. Every detail, furnishing, and finish is top-notch. He has literally thought of everything... from the state-of-the-art kitchen to the thoughtful decor details in each bedroom.

He reached out to us to see if we would be available to come capture the beauty of the manor in feature photographs to be used in the marketing for this vacation rental. He also invited us to stay there, use the facilities, and to give him honest feedback. So, that is exactly what we did! We ended up staying there two nights because of a severe winter storm. As you can see from the photos, a substantial amount of snow fell! But, it allowed us time to perfect each shot.

This was truly a team effort. We went through, room-by-room, to make sure everything was spotlessly clean and staged correctly. Once we were happy, we took "reference shots" with an iPhone, so we could assess the fine details, best angles, and lighting set-up. That saved a lot of time when we actually came to photograph each room! We simply looked at the reference photo and matched the angles and setup to get the best possible result with the Canon. The house has a ton of natural light, which is beautiful, but it can also make it difficult to get the lighting right for the camera. We had to play with opening and closing the beautiful window shutters, and supplementing with our pro-lighting to get the perfect set of exposures for each room. We took three shots at each angle with different exposures so that we could stack the shots in post, combining the best of each exposure. We stayed really organized, cataloging all of our shots as we went, making notes for each set of shots. That was a HUGE time saver and stress reliever later on in the edit!

We are extremely happy with the results. The place is gorgeous, and the photos we got really capture the beauty and spirit of Squiers Manor.

Available now as a whole-house vacation residence: https://www.squiers1882.com/

Rooted

paul@sinarmedia.net (Paul Sinar) — Sat, 20 Jan 2024 17:28:54 GMT

Sermon Series Graphic Design and Animation

We have been creating sermon series graphics, bumper, and promotional videos for 20 years. It is always a pleasure to combine our love of the bible and faith with our skill-set to aid in communicating the message.

Like most After Effects projects, this took time and became complex in a hurry. The general concept was taken from Colossians 2:6-7, "Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving" (ESV).

The client wanted a graphic of a tree, and its roots. The graphic they landed on reminded them of the Tree of Gondor in the Lord of the Rings, so we embraced the "vibe"!

Check out our BTS video showing how we developed the content.

Award-Winning Marketing

paul@sinarmedia.net (Paul Sinar) — Sat, 06 Jan 2024 16:38:18 GMT

2024 Texas Association of Fairs & Events Convention

Love working with the team at Visit Granbury creating content for their award-winning marketing campaigns. At the annual Texas Association of Fairs & Events convention RCS Marketing Excellence Awards, Visit Granbury took home fifteen 1st & 2nd place awards as well as the Best Overall award! Pictured: Director Tammy Dooley , Asst Director Kristen Gibson, TDM , Event Coordinator Rhiannon Moline .

Animation Project

Thu, 28 Sep 2023 18:35:22 GMT

Animation Project for Renewal Church

David is one of the most important and influential characters in all of Scripture. His story is one of political intrigue, war, courage, friendship, and the fulfillment of the promises of God. From both the successes and failures of David's life we learn what it means to be a people "After God's Own Heart". This was a project we worked on for Renewal Church in Temple, TX. In addition to this teaser/bumper video, we also created slide backgrounds. a series logo. and a promo to complete the project.

Does your church or organization need a creative, eye-catching, new look for an upcoming sermon series or event? We are here to help! Contact us today for a FREE quote! info@sinarmedia.net

2023 CTCS Sports Program

Thu, 28 Sep 2023 18:11:09 GMT

Sports Program Design for Central Texas Christian School

This was our second year to design the sports program for Central Texas Christian School. This program highlights the football, volleyball, cheer, and cross country teams, Captains, seniors, rosters, schedules, and coaching staff. We collaborate with the booster club, coaches, sponsors, and photographer to put this beautiful keepsake book together. As you can imagine, it is a lot of information to keep straight and organize. Not only do we compile information that the booster club, coaches, and photographer submit, but we also handle the sponsors and all of the ads. Some sponsors submit completed ads that we just simply drop into place. Others, submit multiple photos, a note to their student, and specifications for the design of their ad. We then have to match that information with the size of the ad they have purchased and design each ad to fit the instructions given. This is no small job, but our attention to detail, organization, and close collaboration with all parties make this a success! Everyone is so excited with the result! Go Lions! Hope you all have a great season!

Is your school or booster club looking for a way to raise money through sponsorships and present families with a beautiful keepsake of their student's high school sports career? Reach out! We would love to partner with you to make this happen. Even if it's too late for this year, let's start a conversation about next year! info@sinarmedia.net

Sermon Series Promo Video

Thu, 03 Aug 2023 21:23:08 GMT

Ekklesia Promo for Renewal Church

Churches often like to promote an upcoming sermon series. These promo videos are great for social media or to play in the services leading up to the start of a new series. They serve as a trailer, giving just enough information to tease what will be preached in coming weeks. They can also be used as "bumper videos", allowing transition time between the worship team leaving the stage and focusing the congregation's attention on what the pastor is about to preach.

Does your church have an upcoming series that you would like to promote with a short video on social media or in your services? We would love to help you put that together!

This is a promo video we just finished for Renewal Church for their upcoming Ekklesia: a Beautiful Assembly series. Reach out today, and let's chat! info@sinar.media

Completed SWCD Promo Video

Wed, 19 Jul 2023 16:34:58 GMT

Promotional Video Production for SWCD

This project has been so much fun! It's pretty cool to watch your work come to life. Southwest College for the Deaf (SWCD) is one of our long-term clients and they are an absolute pleasure to work with. We spent two incredible days on the SWCD campus in Big Spring, TX, filming interviews with students and staff, filming b-roll footage around the campus, and taking photographs for their social media accounts. They showed us exactly what SWCD was all about: academic programs, dorm life, student activities, friendships, and fun! SWCD is a community college specifically for deaf and hard-of-hearing students. They also offer an interpreter training program for hearing students. The classes are all taught in ASL (American Sign Language), removing any language barriers. The students and faculty are proud of their school and want the world to know about it! They gave off an energy while we were there that was simply contagious. We came away wanting to tell the world about them as well!

The Process

The editing process is a little more complicated than your typical project simply because everything is in ASL. We are not ASL experts, though we have picked up a few things along the way! When we initially filmed the interviews, we had a live interpreter to interpret both the questions being asked and the answers given. We filmed a total of 10 interviews with an average of about 15 minutes of footage for each one. That is approximately 2.5 hours of usable video that we then had to narrow down to a 3-4 minute promotional video. That is not an easy task because they all had so many good things to say! We sent each interview back to the staff for them to record audio of the interpretation in time with the signing. Then, they passed the interviews back to us. We listened through each one, making notes and categorizing the content. During that process, we placed a star by anything that especially stood out. Once we had all 10 interviews broken down, we went back through and started clipping out the starred pieces and figuring out how the clips best fit together to share the message we wanted to get across - that SWCD is an AWESOME college environment for deaf students to learn, grow, and succeed in fulfilling their dreams! Once everything was in place, and the clips were placed together in a way that made sense, we sent the edited video back to the staff to make sure we hadn't missed any of signs or clipped anything too short. Once they gave the thumbs up, we ordered the voice-overs. We needed a young adult male and female voice, but also a first for us, we needed an African male voice because one of the students we interviewed was an international student from Africa!

The Result

The result of our efforts is below! We are so excited for SWCD and believe this is going to attract new students to their campus. One very encouraging thing that came out of several of the interviews is that the students found out about SWCD online from a previous promotional video we had created for them. These promo videos really make a difference! They put real faces to the message you are trying to convey.

Do you have a message you would like to promote to the world? We can help tell your story through promotional videos. We also offer abbreviated versions of the promotional video for social media! Contact us today. We can't wait to start on your project! info@sinar.media

Podcasting

Thu, 29 Jun 2023 19:22:33 GMT

Beautiful View Podcast

Podcasting is huge right now! We have serviced multiple clients over the years in the area of podcasting . When 2020 "happened", and many physical locations temporarily closed down, people turned to options for online communications. Statistics suggest that in 2023, podcasting has reached the highest numbers ever, with 90 million Americans being weekly podcast listeners. That number is expected to continue to increase to over 100 million by the end of 2024.

As we were talking about this several weeks ago, we decided to throw our hat in the podcast ring. We have all of the recording equipment, editing software, knowledge of how podcasting works, a large network of family and friends, and a fun idea, so why not??!! Not only would it be a fun project to work on, it would also showcase what we can do for others who might have a fun idea for a podcast, but lack the "tools and technical expertise" needed to get started.

Candy started out by coming up with an inspiration board for the podcast graphic. This is often how the creative process starts between us. The graphic needed to be eye-catching, not too wordy, simple, and easily recognizable. The inspiration board included fonts, a byline, color palette, and graphic ideas. Paul worked his magic using the inspiration, and together, we came up with the end result.

The actual recording process was interesting. Paul has some experience with radio and Candy has done a couple of voiceovers in the past, but aside from that, we don't have much experience with being on THAT side of the microphone. We usually record and edit other people. It was a healthy exercise for us to experience things from the other side.

Candy came up with a rough outline and talk points to keep our conversation on track, and then Paul edited it, and posted it out to all of the platforms.

Do you dream of having your own podcast, but aren't sure where to start? First of all, go check out our Beautiful View Podcast , and then reach out to us to start the conversation about your own podcast. info@sinar.media

Small Business Start-up Package Deal

Mon, 05 Jun 2023 18:44:53 GMT

Summer 2023 Special Offer

Sinar Media is offering a limited-time deal only available to small businesses ! Now is the time to get a professional “online front door” to your business. We are limiting this offer to 3 start-up packages , so don’t miss out!

The package includes:

a unique logo design
a 4-page professional, informational website
domain name support
1 year of web-hosting
1 year of email-hosting
Plus 250 business cards for FREE !

Offer Details:

Logo Design

- Free consultation/one unique design/two revisions

A Professional 4-page Informational Website - Everything today is online. Your business will stand out if you have a professional website that looks great on desktop and mobile. The site will be designed for your business, communicating to potential customers that you are ready to serve them. Our websites have full SEO (“search engine optimization.” In simple terms, SEO means the process of improving your website to increase its visibility online) and CMS (“content management system,” allowing you to make basic changes or updates using a simple online browser app).

Page 1 - Home Page
Page 2 - About Us
Page 3 - Services/Products
Page 4 - Contact Us
Full SEO & CMS
We can include photos or video provided by you.
Does not include: video production, photography, or eCommerce.
Additional services priced separately.

Domain Name Registration Assistance - A fun thing about setting up your own professional website is choosing a domain name! We will point you in the right direction to do this. You will purchase the name directly, so that you own it. Pass that information along to us and we’ll do all of the confusing, behind-the-scenes set-up work to link to your site and set up your email!

Your website set-up will include:

1 Year of Web Hosting on AWS - The first year is included. $150/year thereafter.

1 Year of Email Hosting - One professional email address with 1 alias (e.g. name@yourdomain.com and info@yourdomain.com). All emails sent to either address are received in the main email account. The first year is included. $150/year thereafter.

PLUS 250 business cards for FREE !

These will be Single-sided, standard business cards with your new logo and information (including your new website)! You will have a choice of vertical or horizontal layout. One design only.

A professional online presence is key to attracting customers. Let us partner with your small business on this journey! We always say, “Your success is our success too!”

Get all of this for a limited-time price of $1,200 (does not include applicable taxes). Offer expires August 31, 2023.

This offer represents big savings when compared to individual pricing!

Who is going to be first?

Additional services are available . Ask for pricing.

Email info@sinar.media to ask further questions or to sign up for this deal today…We can’t wait to help you get started!

Southwest College for the Deaf Project

Wed, 31 May 2023 18:08:20 GMT

Promo Video/Photography

We recently had the opportunity to spend a couple of days with our long-time client, Southwest College for the Deaf, in Big Spring, TX. Candy has managed their social media accounts for years and we have produced multiple videos for them in the past. We absolutely love being on their campus and engaging with the staff and students. We were able to see the programs they offer first-hand, interviewing students and staff, and experiencing fun events with them. We were immersed in the culture of their college community! Spending time with our clients like this is so beneficial for us and for them. It increases trust and further opens the doors for better communication. One of the core foundations of Sinar Media depends on developing strong relationships with our clients, helping us fully understand their needs and goals.

Since all of the video interviews are done in American Sign Language, it is a bit of a process to bring this project together. It takes a lot of coordination between us and the interpreters on staff at SWCD. We are currently in the process of getting all of the video footage interpreted so that we can edit it down into a promotional video to publicize this awesome college. It was really encouraging to hear several of the students we interviewed say that they learned about SWCD through a video they saw online (previous videos we produced for SWCD). Video marketing works, friends!

In addition to the interviews, we also got a ton of b-roll footage that we will use in this promotional video. Candy also took new photographs that she has been using on their social media feeds, which has increased engagement significantly. That has been exciting to witness! The students were such great sports and they are loving seeing their faces show up on social media. Every one of them was excited to participate because they wanted to encourage other deaf and hard-of-hearing students to come experience college life at SWCD.

SWCD is the country’s only self-contained community college educational environment serving deaf and hard of hearing students. The atmosphere of this place is so unique and interesting. It’s small enough that the students get a lot of one-on-one time. There are dorms and other housing options on campus. The activities are fun and engaging. The students are able to communicate with everyone…professors, staff, and other students in their first language, ASL. Students come from all over the world, from different cultures, diverse backgrounds, interests and communication styles, yet they form an exciting learning community.

It was especially powerful to witness the interview with an international student, who stated that in his home country, there are just no resources or help for deaf students. Coming to SWCD has given him so many opportunities. It’s exciting to witness, and we can’t wait to put this video together! If you are curious about this college for deaf students, or know someone who might be interested in knowing more, you can visit their website: www.howardcollege.edu/swcd .

If your business or organization would be interested in a promotional video showcasing what you have to offer, please reach out!

CTCS Sports Program

Thu, 25 May 2023 22:26:25 GMT

Sports Program Design

Through a contact we have in Belton, TX, Sinar Media was recommended as someone who could put a Sports Program together for Central Texas Christian School. We hadn’t actually ever specifically "tackled" a sports program before, but we were definitely up for the task. This is exactly why when people ask us what we do, it's hard to answer sometimes! If you can dream it up and communicate your needs and ideas with us, we can usually make it happen. The sky is literally the limit!

Candy, having experience with high school sports, headed up this project for us, but designing a school sports program requires a team effort! Good planning and coordination with the school, booster club, coaching staff, photographer, sponsors, families, and of course, Paul's finishing touches, are critical to getting a good result that can be delivered on time.

Working with the CTCS Lions in Belton, Texas was a pleasure, and we look forward to working on their program this year. Congratulations to CTCS graduating seniors - GO LIONS!

If your school needs a fresh look for your sports program - look no further...we would love to help! Reach out for a FREE quote today! Fall sports will be here before you know it! info@sinar.media

Blue Bridge Apiaries

Wed, 24 May 2023 22:11:54 GMT

Logo Design

Good branding grabs attention and represents your products well. We were honored to be asked to design branding for Blue Bridge Apiaries, a local bee farm located in southwest Wisconsin, owned and operated by Cody and Emilie Blum. Cody mentioned to Paul that they had just taken on this bee farm and were in the very beginning stages of turning it into a business. He even gifted us with a delicious pot of their honey! It's so good!

They were looking for a fun design to use on labels and to promote their products. Cody gave us several inspiration photos of the farm’s namesake, the “blue bridge” on their property. They wanted to incorporate the bridge in a creative way, and also wanted the design to feature honey. Emilie also shared a font she loved with us.

Candy went to work on an inspiration board with a color palette and an overall look that she envisioned for the design, while Paul played around with a few things he had in mind. As sometimes happens, his and her ideas were not exactly the same, but they found perfect harmony with a combination of the two ideas.

Cody and Emilie really loved what we came up with and we are so excited to see their new graphics on everything! We wish them the very best. You can follow them on Facebook @bluebridgeapiaries.

Pecan Baptist Church Project

Mon, 22 May 2023 21:36:58 GMT

New Website, Social Media Management, and Installation

One of our most recent projects is with a growing church in Granbury, TX, Pecan Baptist Church. They reached out to us to see how we might be able to help them with their online presence. Paul took a look at all of the avenues they were currently using and put together a detailed report highlighting things they were doing well, and also things that could be improved upon.

Branding was our first focus. They had a great logo and color set that had been designed previously, but had not been fully implemented.

Does your business/organization need a logo or help with branding? Learn more here .

They took us up on some of the recommendations and engaged us to build them a new website that better reflected who they are and what their vision is.

You can view the full website we designed for them at: https://www.pecan.church/

Do you need a website for your business or organization, or does your current website need a facelift? We can help! Learn more here .

They also engaged us to manage their social media platforms, posting relevant information on a regular basis, and actively engaging new people to grow their audience. Since we have taken on their social media, the church’s reach has increased significantly! It is always fun to watch our clients’ stats go up when we take on their accounts.

Are you struggling to keep up with your business social media accounts? We know how it is…there are always good intentions, but actually posting regularly can become such a chore when you have a business to run. Let us help you! We have several plans to choose from depending on your budget. We can help you target your desired audience and ultimately get the word out about what you are up to! Learn more here .

While we were recently in Texas, we also stopped by and helped them out with the installation of a new live streaming system, as well as taking photos and video that will be used in their social media content and on their web site.

How can we help you? Contact us for a FREE consultation and quote today! info@sinar.media

Goosebump Jump 2023

Mon, 06 Feb 2023 19:28:36 GMT

Granbury, TX

We recently had the opportunity to do event photography and videography for the Goosebump Jump in Granbury, TX! What a fun day! You know the saying, “Love what you do and never work a day in your life?” Well, that’s what kind of day this was. We have been working with Visit Granbury for several years now doing graphics, videos, and products promoting tourism in the area. It’s always fun when you get to see your hard work “in real life”.

Visit Granbury challenged their community, civic organizations, charitable organizations, and brave individuals to help kick-off the Winter-Guest Tourism Season (January - February) by jumping into the frigid waters of Lake Granbury on Saturday, January 14th at the third annual Lake Granbury Goosebump Jump event.

This year’s event featured multiple activities: participants could get their blood pumping at the Mammoth Ice Age Race - 5K, 10K, & Half-Marathon to start the day, event goers could warm up their tastebuds at a Chili Cook-off, creative costumes were encouraged, and kids could get moving with a snowball fight on the beach! Then, of course, the featured event…participants took the The Goosebump Jump Challenge and slid down the snow-covered slide into the chilly waters of Lake Granbury! The charitable organization with the most registered “jumpers” was rewarded with prize money for their charity.

We were there to capture the whole thing! Paul got tons of fun video and will be putting a fun, lively, upbeat 30-second promo video together with the footage. Candy got 400+ amazing photos of smiling faces and action-packed fun from the day. Teamwork makes the dream work!

Do you need photography/videography coverage for your next event? We don’t mind "getting our feet wet" and capturing all of the moments! (Literally, I couldn’t feel my feet for about an hour after the event, but it’s fine…everything is fine!) Reach out! We would love to chat!

Food Share Awareness

Wed, 13 Oct 2021 19:45:48 GMT

A Project From the Heart

It's always fun when we can do a project for an organization we are closely involved in! Our family volunteers on a regular basis with the Bellevue Community Cupboard Project of First Presbyterian Church in Bellevue, IA.

Knowing that there is an abundance of nutritious food available, and that there are people without access to healthy food consistently, the Bellevue Community Cupboard Project strives to provide nutritious food, without the attached stigma of poverty or food insecurity. Food and monitory donations and grants help to fund this project and keep it from having to be "income-based". We couldn't wait to help tell the story of this incredible ministry that has touched our hearts. Our hope is that those who see this awareness video will be moved to give their time volunteering or their resources to help keep it going.

Thank you, Bellevue Community Cupboard Project, for allowing us to be a part of this project!

The Technical Stuff

For the exterior shots of the church we used a 3-axis gimbal to simulate a jib-arm crane shot. The gimbal has been a great addition to our tool-kit providing steady motion shots in a small package.
Close-up shots of the bible pages were captured using a Tamron 90mm macro lens, resulting in very shallow depth-of-field.
It was important to us to maintain the privacy of those who benefit from the food given, so all external delivery shots were of BCCP volunteers in their vehicles.

The Core Sermon Series

Fri, 11 Jun 2021 22:47:02 GMT

Series Branding Project

"Thinking of concepts for The Core. Hot look - lava from the core of the earth. Cold look - the nucleus of an atom. Somewhere in-between - plasma ball?"

The reply... "Nucleus of an Atom!"

And so the project began. We always receive a detailed sermon series outline from Renewal Church, which makes our job so much easier.

As with most creative tasks, I could picture what the content should look like, at least a rough idea. Let's begin by building an atom!

I had to brush up on some high-school physics!

There are different approaches to building content. A favorite approach is what I call "digital scrap-booking" where I pull stock elements together to create a new look around an original graphic. Or, there's always starting from scratch.

This project sent me back down the road of using Element 3D from Video Co-Pilot. That was one big rabbit hole to jump down!

After building the basic components of the atom it was time to move on to the typeface for the logo, and then to animate the logo in 3D. Element allows the surfaces to be coated with colors, textures, images, or even video. After generating some "noise" I decided it gave the logo the look I was going for. Outlining the text with an animated effect (Video CoPilot's "Saber") served to separate the logo from the background.

It is always satisfying to circle back around after the project is complete and see how all of the elements combine with the topic preached on that first Sunday to communicate exactly what was intended.

River Ridge Brewing Design

Tue, 08 Jun 2021 19:21:32 GMT

Lock 12 Lager Label Design

This was a fun project! Our friends at River Ridge Brewing in Bellevue, IA are located right on the Mississippi River, just down from Lock and Dam 12. Their new brew, Lock 12 Lager, was being released as a special edition to celebrate the Bellevue Fire Department's 150th Anniversary. So, of course they were looking for something fun for their new brew labels! It just so happens that we had a great idea...or two! We waited for the perfect, beautiful evening to get some original photos of Lock and Dam 12 on the Mississippi River. Let's just admire that view for a minute.....ahhhhh!

Paul got some great shots! As it happened, the American Beauty was going through Lock 12 as we got set up. The sun was beginning to set, providing just the right lighting for the shadowing we were looking for. Perfection!

Our client had a very definite look they wanted to go for, and even sent us inspiration images. That is so helpful! Paul took their ideas and used his creativity to make their very own completely unique graphic. How cool is that?!!

He used an editing technique to make his original photograph look like an old-style print. This would end up being the basic look for the label. He used a black and white version of this new image, along with their existing contour lines, to create the label background. Then, he placed the color version as the focal point of the label. The icing on the cake is the addition of the Bellevue Fire Department 150th Anniversary Logo to bring this label project together. ↓↓↓

You've gotta love it when a plan comes together! It was exciting to see these new cans at the

Bellevue Fire Department's Summer Kickoff Party!

Rumor has it that apparel with this logo is also coming very soon! We can't wait to see that! This was a fun project and we are always thrilled to work with a fellow small business!

Need something with a creative flair for your business? Reach out to us at info@sinar.media and let's chat!

The Great Race...All Roads Lead to Granbury and Cresson!

Thu, 20 May 2021 22:00:43 GMT

Content for Print, Digital, and Social Media

It's always exciting to help a client promote an event - especially in 2021, as things begin to get back to normal! Father's Day weekend couldn't be a more perfect time to bring car enthusiasts together for an epic experience! We were thrilled to show some #granburylove and put together a multi-media package for this event.

We took the basic video and still photographs provided by The Great Race and compiled them into both print and digital media for our client to push out to all advertising venues.

This was a fun project, and a great way to help get the word out about the event! Do you need help with media for an upcoming event? Reach out to us at info@sinar.media and let's chat!

Dive In!

Wed, 21 Aug 2019 13:57:41 GMT

Color Newspaper Ad in a Hurry

Visit Granbury are adding events to the calendar to attract tourists to the beautiful lake in the center of town. The "Dive-In Movie" event is one of these unique additions! Anchor your boat in front of the big screen, or float on a tube, and enjoy a water-themed movie with your friends.

We were late to the party... picking up the promotional design at the last minute before the local newspaper hit the press. The logo was already done, as well as the sponsor banner. The brief was to create an image that communicated this event to readers at first glance.

When we are tasked with a last-minute project like this, there is no time to create the components from scratch, so we immediately searched for stock vector graphics that could be incorporated into the design. I like to call this "digital scrap-booking".

To start with we found a stock graphic of a drive-in movie - now all we had to do was remove the cars and flood the parking lot!

These two images became the background for the ad. The foreground images were a little more challenging to find and adapt...

All of the foreground images needed to be edited. The boat was blacked out. The movie couple needed to be removed from their theater seats, so they could sit on the deck. After that they were also blacked out. The two characters who were tubing needed to be slowed down a little so they could watch the movie! These adjustments were made and then the individual graphics were added to the background image and sized:

The background elements needed to be color corrected and cleaned up. After adding the foreground elements we added highlights to catch the light emitted by the movie screen, tying the elements together.

A fun project, and a great way to help get the word out about the event!

Twirling T-Shirts

Tue, 20 Aug 2019 17:19:19 GMT

Fund Raiser Helps Participant Get to World Twirling Championship

Chandra contacted us about designing a t-shirt to use as a fund-raiser so that her daughter could participate in the World Twirling Championships held at the University of Notre Dame. She had an idea of what she wanted on the t-shirt, but needed us to make it happen!

Space on the back of the t-shirt was offered as a sponsorship opportunity for businesses who wanted to support the trip. In addition, the t-shirts were sold to family and friends.

We began producing custom apparel last year. It is a natural fit for our clients (pardon the pun). Our prices are competitive, there's a huge choice of high-quality apparel, and we ship anywhere in the continental US.

Reach out to us at info@sinar.media and let's chat!

A New Site for the Young Professionals

Mon, 19 Aug 2019 15:37:42 GMT

New Web Site Gains New Members!

The Young Professionals of Odessa is an organization designed for business professionals, aged 21-40 in the city of Odessa, Texas. They create business opportunities, support community involvement, provide leadership education, and promote an overall investment in Odessa's future.

The leaders of the organization decided they needed a fresh, new look online, and came to us with their ideas.

Web design and development has been in a constant state of transition, with new technologies being introduced that have increasingly emphasized design and the end-user experience. Our clients are also needing a user-friendly interface to make changes to text and images on their sites after we deliver the final product.

We have adapted to these changes, offering a completely new platform for our client's sites. This platform is based upon Amazon's Web Service ("AWS"), which is "the undisputed leader" in cloud services (Tech Crunch).

Amazon dove into the cloud 6 to 7 years ahead of their current main rivals, Microsoft, IBM, and Oracle. This has enabled them to be way ahead of the curve today. The service is extremely fast, and reliable. The difference on our new sites is very noticeable.

Another market shift has been the increasing use of mobile technology. Most people are not using a desktop/laptop to view your site.

In 2018, 58% of site visits were from mobile devices.
Mobile devices made up 42% of total time spent online.

There are now so many different mobile devices that can browse the internet. Most of these devices have different-sized screens. Web content has to be able to adapt to any device. Look up your current site on your phone - does it look okay? If not, you may need to consider a change !

Each of our new sites includes a Content Management System providing you with an easy way to make changes to images and text on your site after the site has been designed. No need to pay for a web maintenance contract (although we still offer this service if you need it). We have also published a series of videos to help you understand how to use the system.

The Young Professionals are very happy with their new site ( https://www.ypodessa.org ). The site has already produced results: new members from the local business community have been signing up online!

Need website assistance? Reach out to us at info@sinar.media and let's chat!

Faithful God, Faithful Future

Fri, 16 Aug 2019 14:06:19 GMT

Building Campaign Branding

In December of 2018, the members of First Baptist Belton voted to proceed with raising money to build a new church facility designed to fully support the practical needs of the church and it's ministry programs. The Steering Committee asked us to create a brand for their chosen campaign name, "Faithful God, Faithful Future".

After designing the logo, we produced a booklet, which has become a key tool to put into the hands of potential donors.

In addition, Sinar Media shot arial footage of the land where the new building will be located, incorporating 3D model fly-through animations produced by RBDR Architects in Waco, Texas. With the addition of music and narration, this video was presented to the congregation to reveal the look of the new facility.

Finally, we produced a campaign web site ( www.FaithfulFuture.net ) to present the project to the community. This site presents the vision for the new facility as well as an avenue to reach out to new donors. At the time of posting, First Baptist Belton have raised almost $11m in pledges and receipts.

Using the same techniques, Sinar Media have also produced a similar presentation video for a building project at a college. The college will be using this video to present to corporate sponsors.

3D animations produced by architects are a wonderful tool to allow people to understand the look and feel of a new building. With Sinar Media's extra "polish"; arial footage, scripting, voiceover, music, and additional graphics, these clips can be assembled into a powerful tool for fund-raising!

We Need a Goose!

Thu, 15 Aug 2019 00:00:00 GMT

Branding a new event for Visit Granbury for the opening of their "Winter Guest" season.

Each year Visit Granbury promotes "Winter Guest" packages offered by local hotels. The city of Granbury, Texas is a beautiful place to visit all year round! A small town rich in unique culture, deep Texas history, and southern hospitality. The downtown Historic Granbury Square provides a variety of restaurants, and shops, as well as entertainment. The lake and beach are very popular with visitors and locals.

In Texas, we never know how cold it will be in the winter - sometimes our winter days are warmer than summer days in the north! But, you can guarantee that taking a plunge in the lake water will induce some goosebumps! This fun logo will be used in the promotion, as well as featured on apparel we are producing for the event.

Take the plunge! Visit Granbury !

Trajectory for Renewal Church

Tue, 02 Jul 2019 00:00:00 GMT

Renewal Church is reaching people with the truths of the Gospel, in a culturally relevant way.

The vision of Renewal Church includes reaching people with the truths of the Gospel in a cultural relevant way. In line with this, Sinar Media were engaged, at a very early stage, to assist with the "branding" of each sermon series. This includes sermon graphics and a bumper video, which is played as a transition between the worship service and the sermon. It provides a few seconds for the band to leave the stage, and the pastor to get ready to preach.

We use the branding in post-production also, adding graphics and video to the Renewal Church podcasts and online streaming video service.

Check out our Ministry Communications solutions HERE .