by David Festini, Post Production Producer, Concepts TV Productions

In the world of DRTV, the right testimonial can make or break a production. At Concepts TV we have been using testimonials in our infomercial productions for more than 30 years. From household products to weight loss programs, the right testimonial can make all the difference. Choosing who to use and what clips to include is a daily challenge for the producers and editors at Concepts TV.

Credibility- is your subject credible? Consumers can spot a phony…if your subject doesn’t appear honest, it can have the reverse effect and kill the sale.

Clarity- Is your subject clear and concise? Does she get her message across quickly? A testimonial can be edited to time, but a clear, untouched, organic quote is always best. In the case of a long form infomercial, such as a weight loss program, this can be achieved by choosing the right subjects before shooting begins. Pre-shoot screening is an integral part of the process.

Likability- A trick that I use to choose the right subject is to envision myself in a conversation with the person. If I had a five minute conversation about the program with this person, would I leave intrigued or would I want to escape? All too often, the speaker is boring! The audience has to relate to the person. It’s important to make the viewer feel like that person is “just like me”.

Results- Currently, Concepts TV is putting the finishing touches on a very extensive weight loss infomercial involving a large test group of individuals monitored over the course of two months. When sorting the footage for the best clips, a very simple qualifier presented itself…Did the subjects lose the weight? It was a very effective program and the large majority of our test group had significant results. On paper, those results looked great, but the real value is the visual-does the subject look visibly thinner? You may have to sacrifice personality in favor of an effective visual. It’s a delicate balance and it’s one we worked at tirelessly to get the best production value possible.

Sumo wrestlers (those enormous men who wrestle in diaper-like uniforms) have become the biggest and brightest stars at Concepts TV!  Furniture Fix, from Marketer Hampton Direct and DRTV consultant SRM Direct is a support system designed to add support to older, sagging sofas. Our challenge was to visually convey the strength and durability of Furniture Fix?

We cast men and women of varying ages and placed them on an assortment of old couches and chairs for “before” and “after” shots. The difference was instantly evident. With Furniture Fix, everyone instantly appeared taller and were no longer “slouching”.  They were also able to stand up easily rather than struggling out of their seat cushion. But DRTV is all about creating memorable, dramatic demonstrations. So, we brought in the Sumo wrestlers. We cast one 400 lb Sumo wrestler and another 600 lb wrestler. We asked both wrestlers to sit together on a couch supported by Furniture Fix panels. Even with 1,000 lbs of weight resting upon the cushions, the couch still did not sag or sink! Everyone who sees the commercial remembers that amazing demonstration!

From Sumo Wrestlers to Fashionable Pajamas, Concepts TV Has Done it All

BOONTON, New Jersey (November, 2011) – Concepts TV Productions Inc. has yet again proven themselves to be experts in the Direct Response Television industry. With a reputation for Infomercial and Direct Response Short form his, the award winning agency continues their winning traditions by adding multiple awards this year. Recent honors include:

• Bronze Telly Awards for Pajama Jeans, Furniture Fix and Total Pillow by marketer Hampton Direct, Pay Anywhere by marketer North American Bancard and the Clean Step Mat by Ontel Products.
• Gold Aurora Awards for Furniture Fix by Hampton Direct and Jim Cramer’s Action Alerts Plus by TheStreet.com.
• ‘Best Short Form, People’s Choice’ for Pajama Jeans by Hampton Direct as well as ‘Best Short Form for Under $50,000’ (Pajama Jeans) at The 2011 Moxie Awards.

While winning never gets old for Collette Liantonio, Founder of Concepts TV, the thrill is in watching a project grow from conception to completion. “It’s the variety of projects that makes me love this business!” exclaims Liantonio. “One moment, we are filming models as they strut their stuff in fashionable Pajamas Jeans, the next moment we are asking 600 lb. sumo wrestlers to test out housewares products like “Furniture Fix”. “It’s all fun and it keeps things fresh.”

Concepts TV is a New Jersey based Direct Response Television production agency that focuses on Long Form and Short Form Infomercials, brand building commercials, website development, social and corporate media. By applying their expertise in the DRTV industry, the production company has generated billions of dollars in sales for their clients. Founded by Collette Liantonio in 1983, Concepts TV has produced commercials and infomercials for wide range of products including Pajama Jeans, The George Foreman Grill, The Amish Heat Surge Fireplace, The Total Pillow, and many more. To learn more about Concepts TV Productions, visit www.ConceptsTV.com, or follow them on Facebook, and Twitter, #ConceptTV.

By Dana Conklin, Senior Producer/Assistant Director, Concepts TV Productions

2011 ERA Moxie Award Winners, Concepts TV Productions, takes a look at what production strategies helped lead to the success of the hit TV Commercial, Emery Cat.

The most important part of Direct Response TV pet commercials is knowing the animals you’re working with!  Just like human actors, make sure your animals are comfortable around people. Some animals like to become familiar with products before hand; while with others you sometimes get the best takes by capturing their initial curiosity. Cats are a bit more difficult than most animals…they don’t like leaving their home environment.  During the Emery Cat production, Concepts’ DRTV producers decided to shoot using 2 creative approaches.  With multiple days of shooting planned, the first approach was to set a solid shoot date with actors and cats already familiar with the product.  We captured all of our important demos, product shots, b-roll, and captured cats that were familiar with the product.  Our second creative approach was to load up and go to local animal shelters in New Jersey where a variety of cats gave us the playful, spontaneous energy and curiosity we needed for the commercial.  By combining both creative directions, Concepts TV Productions produced a hit commercial that has been seen by all.

If you have a large budget and money to burn, hiring professional pet handlers is another great idea for pet commercials.  However, they can also come with their own set of problems.  While shooting the TV Commercial the Dr’s Book of Home Remedies for pets, we hired a professional pet handler to bring cats to set. They got the job done, but they left an alarming surprise behind – FLEAS! One day of shooting led to an infestation of an entire household. That’s one more reason we suggest using family pets when shooting any DRTV Commercial or Infomercial.

When casting for animals – commercial producers need to make sure all actors are comfortable with animals and that the animals are comfortable with the actors. We recommend using actors that own their own animals to ensure a safer shoot. Nice animals are still animals, and can become dangerous when frightened or subjected to strangers.

Click the images below for the full article:

Concepts TV of Boonton, NJ has deemed this year, ‘The Year of the Foot’. DRTV Marketer Ontel Products of Fairfield, NJ has tapped Concepts creative talents to introduce 4 new foot products.

Strutz Sole Angels, give your feet the support they need to get through the day pain free. Designed to relieve the pain of plantar fasciitis, you can wear Strutz Sole Angels with any type of shoe! The creative approach combined state of the art animation, musical stings and heartfelt testimonials.

For pain and swelling in your feet, calves, and ankles, try Miracle Socks! Miracle Socks are perfect for the senior demographic as well as serious athletes! The compression technology behind Miracle Socks regulates the flow of excess fluid, quickly relieving pain and swelling. We cast seniors, athletes and “travelers” to convey the benefits.

Miracle Slippers feature gel soles that act like shock absorbers, contouring to your feet. To demonstrate the power of the cushion, we used an amazing demonstration, ‘the egg-drop test.’ We had a cast member stand atop a stepladder and drop an egg down onto your everyday slipper. The egg cracked and splattered upon impact. Next, we dropped an egg onto a Miracle Slipper. What was the result? The egg bounced! Not just a small bounce, but 2 feet into the air! Talk about walking on air!

The dirt and mud on filthy shoes can be just as annoying as painful feet. The Clean Step Mat is the perfect solution for muddy feet and paws. Without having to worry about tracking dirt on and off the set, shoots run much more smoothly. So smoothly in fact, that Concepts TV was bestowed a Bronze Telly Award for producing this commercial.

Happy Birthday to our Infomercial Production Company President, Collette Liantonio. Collette, you’re the best!! Click on the picture below to see Collette’s Birthday message from her staff at Concepts.