On that day I got to meet a bunch of great people, one of those being Shaun. Shaun works and plays in the Trail area, but he also has a side company he’s started up called Kootenay Fresh Gear – check him out on Twitter & Facebook
It’s a great new company that will help my hockey gear out A LOT! I wish I had known about these guys a long time ago. If you’re a sports player (soccer, football, hockey) or even a firefighter or someone who uses the same work gear a lot, you need to check these guys out. They can kill the bacteria in your gear and get the smell out – there are only a few locations in BC and obviously a great one in Trail!

What Shaun wanted to do for his ad in the theatre was something fun and straight to the point. We played a lot of email and Twitter tag, but we came up with something I think we are both really happy with. Shaun was the first to get an ad on at the Royal and I think it’s going to be a great form of exposure for him. Check his ads out below:

Why I was in Keremeos or driving through it… that’s all to come soon enough.

Sure there are days when you want to smack your head, but 99% of the time I am in love with the people I walk through life with. They are amazing.

We took our boys out to see Toy Story 3 and got to make the premiere day (even though just in Mission) for Despicable Me. Both movies we had been waiting to go see since their trailer releases. That said, before the movies Cineplex had a contest displayed on their big screen about the Ford Flex (of which I’d love to own one, one day), Cineplex and families.

The contest details… simple. Tell us why you’re family is cool.
Aside from what we mentioned in the video below, my family is amazing because they love me no matter what. I’m safe to fail, to try new things. I’m safe to be me, even if it’s completely off center and down right strange. I love going home, even if I’ve been gone an hour, because it means hugs and kisses from them all. It’s simple amazing to have a family like this. I know just how fortunate I really am. I love having the family I do.

So here it is, in 60 seconds, why my family is cool:

If you haven’t checked it out before, you should really check out SilverScreen Tots. It’s all about families and you!

All that said, I think there are some good lessons we can learn from Scooby Doo:
1) It’s always a good time to eat (thank you Shaggy & Scooby Doo).
2) We’re all willing to do something, even if it’s scary, if the reward is big enough (perhaps 2 Scooby Snacks?).
3) Working together, even when working apart physically, can actually be quite effective. (thank you Freddie for getting us to split up and look for clues).
4) What we think is big and scary, most often is a much simpler problem. Step back and take some time to tackle and trap it. (Usually the second person you meet will be the culprit in the end).

On a side note, I’m always impressed with how the Mystery Gang always have time to travel the world and goof off, but none of them seem to work. How do they do that?

Have a great day and SCOOBY DOOBY DOO!!!

Matthew A. Hawkins

About two months ago I signed up Boston Pizza to advertise in the theatre in Salmon Arm and we had to push back our film dates a couple of times. It was great to come in on a hot summer day, film some fun footage and then go for a swim in the Shuswap Lake. We really live in an amazing province. I am more amazed by where we live everytime I get to go out there and explore. So get out there.

Here’s the ad we shot for BP. We shot on the 7D with shots on a tripod, glidetrack and freehand. It was a lot of fun and I think it turned out great.

Check it out:

“Find something on them that you can question” was his first tip for me. Find something that’s unique, for instance a logo, sports crest, wording, an iPhone and then start asking questions.

“Ask questions that they can’t respond yes or no to” was his second tip. Ask questions that lead into other questions, get them talking and feeling comfortable.

“If that fails, that ask them questions about themselves” was his third and last tip. Pop in law had a great point. Everybody loves to talk about themselves. People will share where they work, what they do, how long they’ve lived there, etc.

I had an open house party I was attending last week for the Royal Theatre in Trail. I wanted to bring someone with me for the drive, so my father in law came along. He doesn’t know much about the theatre advertising business, but that didn’t stop him from coming to the open house and getting to know everyone. He should have been the sales guy that day.He knew everyone by the time we left and actually had previous connections with one fellow who attended that day… small world.

How do you interact with people?
I know for me, if it’s business related I can jump in no problem, but if it’s a social gathering I tend to hold back or stick with a close few… odd I know.
Have you ever considered that interacting with people is actually an art and that it takes time to develop?

Cheers,
Matthew A. Hawkins

So here’s what you need to do, watch the video below and then go to this link and vote on the right. Remember vote for Cheryl & Nala!

I know how tough these contests can be to win so make sure you share it with all you love and tell them to vote too!!!

Before you check it out yourself, let me tell you why… life is good and I love making these videos. I want to make more of them and I want everyone able to do one with their family. Being a father and husband I see how important these videos: Mothers Day, Christmas Trees, Cupcakes, Fall Days, and Birthdays really are for myself and the people I’ve made them for. I hear all the time how many times the families watch these videos and I love it. So, I want to make more and it’s not really just about the money – I want to help capture the memories.

Check out the prices below OR head over to SilverScreen Tots site

pricing is simple.

$250 Video Session

What you get:

- a 1 hour video shoot in Chilliwack/Abbotsford.
- a 2-3 min with music of your choice
- one DVD with your 2-3 min video
- one uploaded video on Vimeo for you to share with family and friends
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Additional Options

- extra DVDs $15 each
- photos available on CD $75
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July 13th, 2010 at 4:50pm my wife and I welcomed our third child into our lives. Our baby girl Anea. She is adorable and tiny. My wife already says she knows she’s going to be fighting for my affection. Anea has stolen a piece of my heart already. Pictures say more than words:

This is what ensued (to check out the photos GO HERE):

Silver Lamb Studios and SilverScreen Tots are available for photo and video shoots and we’ll have more info posted soon!