Monsterinthedark Media

07/02/2024

I’ve been busy working on a proper studio to film projects for Monsterinthedark. My new content studio is available to rent. Built for YouTube videos, live-streaming, photography, podcasts, and meetings. City of Poughkeepsie. Check us out and come take a free tour if you’re in the area and tired of filming in your house or garage like I was.
Photos by Rocco DeVito

03/27/2023

https://monsterinthedark.net/blog/using-psychology-to-create-engaging-marketing-videos

Marketing videos are a powerful way to reach and engage your target audience, but creating an effective video is about more than just making something that looks good. It's also about understanding the psychology of your audience and creating a video that resonates with them on a deeper level. He

03/23/2023

https://monsterinthedark.net/blog/video-marketing-trends-to-script-or-not-to-script

Video marketing is a powerful way to reach and engage your target audience, and it's an increasingly popular tactic for businesses of all sizes. One question that often comes up when planning a video marketing campaign is whether or not to script the video. Here are a few things to consider:

03/21/2023

https://monsterinthedark.net/blog/10-tips-for-successfully-promoting-your-business-with-video-marketing

Okay - you already know that you should be using video for your business. It’s an effective way to promote your business and reach a wider audience. It allows you to showcase your products or services in a visually appealing and engaging way, and it can be shared easily on social media and other o

02/15/2023

https://monsterinthedark.net/blog/directing-tips-learn-how-to-become-a-tv-commercial-director

I wrote, shot, directed, and edited over 100 spec commercials between 2011 and 2014 and those specs got me a job as a commercial cinematographer and now, for the past five years at the time of writing this, I work as a television commercial director. So check this out - if you want to direct comm

02/10/2023

https://monsterinthedark.net/blog/the-use-of-video-marketing-in-the-healthcare-industry

Video marketing is a powerful tool that has been growing in popularity in recent years. It's a great way to showcase a product or service, educate consumers, and build brand awareness. The healthcare industry is no exception, and video marketing is becoming increasingly popular among healthcare prov

02/08/2023

https://monsterinthedark.net/blog/maximizing-the-length-of-your-corporate-video-for-engagement-and-seo

When it comes to corporate videos, the ideal length can vary depending on the specific goals of your video and the needs of your audience. Here are a few things to consider when determining how long your corporate video should be:

02/07/2023

https://monsterinthedark.net/blog/everything-you-need-to-know-about-video-seo

Video SEO, or video search engine optimization, is the process of optimizing video content for the purpose of improving its visibility in search engine results pages (SERPs). Just like with traditional SEO for text-based content, the goal of video SEO is to get your videos to rank higher in search r

02/06/2023

https://monsterinthedark.net/blog/template-h69dk

Non-profit organizations often face a variety of challenges and obstacles in their efforts to achieve their goals and make a positive impact in their communities. Here are five common problems faced by most non-profit organizations:

02/03/2023

https://monsterinthedark.net/blog/video-marketing-for-businesses-the-power-of-showcasing-your-accomplishments

Video is a powerful tool for showcasing your business and highlighting your accomplishments. By using video, you can effectively communicate your message, engage with your audience, and showcase your products and services in a way that is both compelling and informative. There are many ways that yo

02/02/2023

https://monsterinthedark.net/blog/5-ways-to-use-video-for-exceptional-customer-service

Video is a powerful tool that businesses can use to enhance their customer service efforts. By using video, you can provide a more personal and engaging experience for your customers, as well as improve efficiency and effectiveness. Here are a few ways that businesses can use video for customer serv

01/31/2023

https://monsterinthedark.net/blog/why-shooting-with-your-phone-isnt-good-enough

As a small business owner, you're always looking for ways to save time and money while still getting great results. And when it comes to video marketing, it can be tempting to use your phone to shoot your videos rather than invest in more expensive equipment. But while shooting with your phone migh

01/30/2023

https://monsterinthedark.net/blog/video-production-pricing-and-budgeting

Video production can be a valuable tool for marketers and business owners looking to engage with their audience and promote their brand. However, it's important to carefully consider the costs involved in creating a video, as well as the potential return on investment. In this blog post, we'll explo

01/27/2023

https://monsterinthedark.net/blog/how-to-make-a-recruiting-video-that-attracts-top-talent

Attention all corporations! Are you tired of attracting mediocre candidates with your boring, cookie-cutter recruiting videos? It's time to step up your game and create an amazing recruiting video that will blow your competitors out of the water and attract top talent to your organization. Here

01/26/2023

In 2012, I started filming my first documentary with the help of my wife and good friends. We spent a year and a half on the backstretch at the Aqueduct, Belmont, and Saratoga race tracks.

Our subject was a third-generation horse trainer named Carlos Martin who was trying to live up to the lofty expectations people had for him. His grandfather was the enigmatic Frank “Pancho” Martin, a hall-of-fame trainer portrayed as a villain by actor Nestor Serrano in Disney’s Secretariat. His father, Jose, was also a famed trainer on the NY circuit.

What started out as a film about Carlos soon morphed into more as we began to follow the stories of Carlos’ horses and of the backstretch workers - the hotwalkers, the groomers, the farriers, and exercise riders. When a horse was injured and forced to retire, we followed its story to an upstate NY farm for retired thoroughbreds. We eventually moved from the city to just down the road from that farm.

We also got involved with a non-profit school for children of the backstretch workers and helped them raise charitable funds. We got a glimpse of the insane wealth that exists in the sport and the harsh contrast of the poverty of the backstretch. Ultimately, our ambitions were too big, our access too limited, and our story too incohesive to become the film we had hoped it to be.

Despite cutting an hour-long film from the roughly hundred hours of footage, I still felt like the project was incomplete. So I sat down and cut “Horse Trainer” - a 5-minute visual glimpse into the life of horse trainer Carlos Martin and the truly unique world of the backstretch.

Thanks for watching.

https://vimeo.com/558692494

Featuring Trainer Carlos Martin. Shot from 2012-2014.

01/26/2023

https://monsterinthedark.net/blog/understanding-the-cost-of-your-next-commercial

Understanding the cost of your next commercial is important for a number of reasons. First, it can help you determine the feasibility of your project and whether or not you have the resources to complete it. This is especially important if you are working with a limited budget or need to allocate yo

01/25/2023

https://monsterinthedark.net/blog/breaking-down-the-budget-of-your-next-video-campaign

As video becomes an increasingly important marketing tool, it's important for businesses to understand the costs associated with creating and promoting a video campaign. In this article, we'll take a deep dive into the various costs that businesses should consider when creating a budget for their ne

01/25/2023

https://monsterinthedark.net/blog/how-to-create-videos-that-generate-leads

Creating videos that generate leads can be a powerful marketing tool for businesses of all sizes. Here are some tips to help you create videos that will attract and convert potential customers: