Eric Wylie Productions

Portfolio

On this page:

- Voiceover & Audio Production	- Print
- Field Audio (for video)	- Presentations
- Video Production	- Writing
- Web Sites	- Crisis Communications
- Flash Animation
- Web Philosophy

Voiceover & Audio Production

When you need a voice to represent your product or business on radio, TV, phone systems or any other media application, Eric Wylie's friendly, authoritative voice is an excellent choice. When you need Eric's voice (or any voice) mixed with music and effects to create compelling commercial or promotional audio, Eric does that, too! Click on the icons below for to see and hear demonstrations.

MP3
Demo

Voiceover & Production Overview

Telephone System
Information On-Hold Messages

Telephone System Routing Prompts

Web Site Audio (online product manual)

Hear Eric's Nationally Released
In-Store Display Voiceover for
LEGO Castle Playsets!

View TV Commercials & Multimedia
Presentations produced with Eric's voice

courtesy of Jim Adams, Cox Media, Omaha, NE
&
Vic Cherubini, epic software group, inc., The Woodlands, TX (Houston)

TV - "YMCA Youth Sports Sign-up"
(4.3 MB - WMV)

TV - "Do It Yourself Floors"
(4.3 MB - WMV)

View these Multimedia Presentations
voiced by Eric Wylie at the Web site of
epic software group, inc.

- Leader Global Technologies
- America's Christmas Village
- PennWell Petroleum Group

Request a Demo CD

Field Audio (for video)

As a former creative services producer for a TV network affiliate and a corporate audio and video producer, Eric Wylie is an experienced field producer in all aspects. Choose Eric to concentrate on the audio elements of your shoot while you take care of the other details. Eric can also assist with lighting, locations, talent coaching/directing, producing and videography, if needed.

Recent field audio work includes:
- Walk a Day in My Shoes (Sen. Joe Biden) - Cyclops Productions - Montpelier, VT
- Iowa State Fair - Brackett Media & Event Services - Trilix Marketing Group - Urbandale, Iowa
- Grant Wood Studio & Museum - Visual Images Productions - Cedar Rapids, Iowa
- Lextron Animal Health - Creative Media Communications - Upper Darby, PA
- United Fire Group - Visual Images Productions - Cedar Rapids, Iowa
- Quaker Oats (Pepsico) - Visual Images Productions - Cedar Rapids, Iowa ('07)
- Bill Dix for Congress - Upgrade Films - Dawson McCarthy Nelson - Washington, D.C.
- Trinity Hospitals, Davenport, Iowa - Square Joint, Inc. - Milwaukee, WI
- Girl Scouts of America - Visual Images Productions - Cedar Rapids, Iowa
- Quaker Oats (Pepsico) - Visual Images Productions - Cedar Rapids, Iowa ('06)

On Location in Waverly, Iowa for "Bill Dix for Congress" - spring 2006 photos by Doyle Voss Photography

click a photo to enlarge

#1 Capturing crowd reaction during a large group scene on the steps of the Bremer County Courthouse. The end of that pole I'm holding DOES have a microphone on it, as seen in photo 2. #2 OK - this is really a photo of the Director of Photography's backside, but that's me sitting on the apple box just behind him.

High winds out on the farm and tight lighting meant aiming the microphone up from below. (And for you audio purists who are "in the know" this was during set-up, so the mic isn't in the exact position it was in for recording.)

I used a wireless connection to the camera for most of the day to keep me and the DP un-tethered for the b-roll shots, but for the testimonial interviews (shown here) and the stand-ups with the candidate, I hard-wired the mixer to the camera. #3 Checking the levels -- same scene as photo 1.
I also had a wireless mic on the candidate. Although I was positive that the audio would never be used (and it wasn't) it's my job to capture it -- just in case!
More about this day on the News page.

Need to gather a crew in Iowa? Visit the Iowa Film Office Production Guide

Need to gather a crew in the US or Canada? ProductionHUB.com - guide, directory and jobs for film and video

Video Production (view a sample below)

Eric is an experienced writer, producer, director and editor of video/television programs and can help you plan and create a complete production.
Stills to Video
The video clip below is from a Photos on DVD video that was created for a church financial stewardship campaign. This was a full production that included on-site participant interviews conducted by Eric and digital photography by Eric and other members of the church.
The result of the five-week campaign and other materials produced and coordinated by Eric Wylie Productions was a year over year increase in giving of 14%. A different topic/church ministry focus was chosen for each week and a video produced on that topic. Additional components of the campaign included letters from the pastors to the congregation and the creation and coordination of weekly postcards that previewed that Sunday's video/topic and provided a Bible verse appropriate to the topic for reflection.

Opening minute from the
"Trust" Financial Stewardship Campaign wrap-up video

PLAY Windows Media file (1.5 MB)

Stock Footage and Custom Graphics
A customer contacted Eric to produce a video showcasing their services. Armed with only the customer's hi-res PDF of their brochure, some stock footage and Eric's skills in custom graphics, writing and voiceover, a promotional video was born.

First Light Net Promotional Video
distributed via Media Kit and Web Site

View Video at Client's Web Site

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Web Sites

Heartland Heat sells and installs outdoor wood and grain-burning furnaces. These outdoor furnaces use local, renewable resources (primarily corn) to heat rural homes and outbuildings (and they work in the city, too!). The furnaces efficiently heat water which is then pumped to the various buildings on site, providing comfortable, radiant heat.

Ron Horak and Mike Snyder are the owners who are getting into business for the right reason -- to make a difference! I worked with Ron and Mike to fully understand their business and then created a new look and level of detail for their Web site.
This is a custom design, using provided photographs and logos.

Speed-E-Pan is a new product conceived in Eastern Iowa. I met up with business partners John and Shawn when I wrote, voiced, provided the audio mix and assisted on-set with the creation of their new product's introduction video (thanks to Warren at Visual Images Productions).
After proving my skills as a writer, and having a firm-grasp on their product's concept and the possible applications, John and Shawn asked me to build a Web site for them. You can view the product video on the Web site, along with other important information about the product.
The top-banner in each page of the site is a flash animation -- I took the existing product logo (which included a static checkered flag) and replaced the static flag with a flag animation.
This site is a custom creation. I also created a highly-stylized concept for a future version of this site.

Morning Star Studio is comprised of three professionals with expertise in Architecture, Interior Design and Structural Engineering. The Web site was developed through the creation of several prototype designs, with the clients selecting their favorite elements from each design. The final result: a fully-customized solution. The prototypes and the final site design were inspired by existing letterhead, envelope and title block designs.

OnHoldWebStore.com is a site I created as a result of conversations with my On-Hold Messaging audio production clients. They were asking how to connect a player to their phone system, or if they didn't have a phone system, how they could use the hold button on their phones purchased at local office stores. I did the research and soon began selling Digital Audio Players and On Hold Adapters, originally here on www.ewproductions.com, but soon saw the opportunity to expand the reach of those sales a little wider.
Using an off-the-shelf Web template (although I'm capable of full-custom design, I've become a fan of the time-saving opportunities and great looks of the high-quality templates to which I have access), I customized the template graphics and designed new graphics to complete the site. Purchasing online is made possible with the integration of a PayPal Merchant Account. With this solution, customers can purchase online with their credit card (or funds in their PayPal account) but do not need to be PayPal members to use the site. All transactions are secure, since all of the order processing takes place on PayPal's secure servers. When a customer places an order, I receive an email describing the order and letting me know that money has been deposited into my PayPal account. It's a good system and prevents the time and cost of having to develop and maintain a shopping cart system for a relatively small number of products.

Cedar Rapids Public Relations Associates is "an informal organization of professionals dedicated to sharing information on effective practices and future trends affecting the public relations field."
As a member of this organization, I became aware that the Steering Committee desired a refresh of their Web site, and the current Webmaster was interested in relinquishing his duties. I offered to take over maintenance of the site, with plans to find a suitable web template and customize it for the organization. The result is an attractive, useful site for members and persons interested in learning more about this fun and interesting organization. The group membership is made up of people from local advertising agencies, communication coordinators for non-profit organizations, audio and video producers, Web designers and many others. It's a fun group, and the monthly luncheons are something I personally look forward to for the networking, fun conversation and the opportunity to hear from some very interesting guest speakers.

I worked with financial coach Dennis Spencer to launch his first Web site.
Dennis uses a system called LEAP to coach individuals about where their money is now, and how and where it can be invested to provide security at the various stages of life.
You can learn more about the services Dennis offers by visiting his Web site: www.dennis-spencer.info

Workman Dental is the dental practice of Dr. Norman Workman. The site is centered on patient education -- helping patients and potential patients determine what they can do for themselves and when they should visit the dentist (preferably Dr. Workman).
The online Dental Store grew out of the products patients have been asking Dr. Workman to help them find and Dr. Workman's own discoveries about the effectiveness of various therapies not widely available. There are more plans for expansion for this site and business model to be revealed in the future. I created the online store by modifying existing PHP code from the osCommerce open source project. osCommerce code uses a database to keep track of product details, customers and orders, and provides back-end tools for managing the store.

E & R Creations is an online gallery featuring the work of artists and ceramic gift boutique owners, Eleanor and Ray Burke. This site was created by customizing an off-the-shelf Web template. I photographed all of the products on-site at the E & R Creations studio, created and customized the graphics, wrote and edited the copy, and all of the other details involved in building a Web site.

Eric Wylie Helps Create Solutions
Ray and Eleanor Burke, owners of E & R Creations, stated their biggest obstacle in business was attracting potential customers to visit to their shop and studio in Swisher, Iowa, just south of Cedar Rapids and north of Iowa City. So, I suggested a Web site gallery as a way to "bring the shop to the people." With over 6,000 ceramic molds in their collection, Eleanor had quite a job of choosing just a few pieces to initially include in the online gallery. The result is an attractive site filled with photos of their work that will bring phone calls and visits from potential customers not already familiar with their shop.
Eleanor and Ray know that simply having a Web site isn't enough -- it needs to be promoted. They've added the Web site address to all of their business cards and brochures and will be talking about their site to the folks they meet at ceramic shows throughout the Midwest.

Flash Animation
I create Flash animations using tools from Tivity software.
To the right is a quick example of some very simple commands that can
be applied to graphics or text.
However, I should note that I don't endorse the idea of adding Flash just
to make something "Flashy." I prefer to use animation for a client only
when it helps convey a message, redirect the viewer or set a mood for presenting products and services.

Web Philosophy

More than just a "presence" on the Web, your business needs to have a 24/7 method of letting potential customers know exactly what business you are in and how you solve problems for your customers. Your site should also give viewers a "feel" for the attitude of your company -- is your business young and aggressive, or are you older and more experienced?
More than ever, potential customers are investigating businesses on the Web before calling or visiting a store or office. People like to save time and know what to expect before they arrive. Use your Web site to make people comfortable and confident in your ability to serve them before they ever walk through the door or make your phone ring.
While HTML code and graphics are important elements and are the "work" of creating a Web site, I enjoy the business strategy and content planning just as much as the creative design. Helping clients decide what should be included in their site (and what shouldn't) and how the site should be organized for the best user experience is a rewarding and usually revealing conversation for clients. I also help clients explore other marketing strategies to promote their Web site and their business. A Web site should be just one part of several marketing tools employed by a business.
I created and managed several Intranet (internal) Web sites while employed at MCI Telecommunications and contributed to the content for others. I managed and wrote the content for MCI's external Network Services Web site in the mid-90's. Prior to departing MCI in 2004, I was a member of the New Product Development Team, creating prototype customer Web portals for new products under development.

Print

The promised paperless society still hasn't arrived. In fact, electronic communication has helped some print production thrive -- particularly direct mail marketing and handouts used to solidify face-to-face messages.
Client Chris Turner of Partner Provided asked me to create business cards and a 'leave-behind sheet' his sales team can use when making in-person visits to potential clients.
In creating the copy and designing this sheet, I worked with Chris to fully understand his business and the value proposition he offers.
The result was a single sheet that summarized Partner Provided's services, the process and the value. Bold headlines lay out the solution in simple steps. Boxes call-out special points of interest, while the body copy draws the reader through to the call to action.

Presentations (PowerPoint)

Have you ever had to sit through a presentation where the speaker did nothing but read directly from the many, many bulleted phrases on the projected slides? Did you wake up when it was over?
Eric Wylie's PowerPoint creations are intended to get away from the overwhelming use of words and bullets so many presenters are bent on boring us with.
The idea behind making a presentation is to get your audience to do something -- learn a new process, understand your business, buy your product or simply get your point. To do this, Eric encourages the use of images and a few brief facts to convey an idea. In the NOTES section of the presentation, or in the script, is where the presenter should have all their words laid out to read to the audience -- not on the screen. In short: Provide a visual for focus and use spoken words to attach memorable meaning to the visuals.
A few nice looking slides certainly isn't all there is to building a great presentation. You have to have a game plan to succeed. I've worked with several executives to create and polish presentations for board meetings and customer events. Let me help YOU succeed, too!
Don't just get through your presentation -- get results!

For this Trees Forever presentation, I was asked to
clean-up the provided slides and create an audio file
to accompany the presentation to include music and
narration. I timed the slide transitions to the audio
so that the full presentation could be played directly
from the computer.

This was a short turn-around project that had already
been started, but needed to be polished and ready
within a few days. This type of production (stills with audio)
is best suited as a video produced to DVD.

Presentation given by Trees Forever at the
Iowa Living Roadways 10th Anniversary conference
in Ames, Iowa, November 2006.

Without even reading the statistics, you can see what is being discussed. And in hindsight, even this example uses too many words!

Presentation given by Capital One's former
Chief Information Officer at a CIO Magazine conference in the fall of 2004.

Writing

Eric writes radio and television commercial scripts, long-format audio and video scripts, telephone audio scripting, business news articles, news releases, brochure copy, Web copy, executive emails directed to employees and presentations/speeches. Basically, if it needs to be communicated in words, Eric has probably done it!

Business & Crisis Communications

Special note from Eric:
As a communications manager at the now-famous-for-greed-and-trickery - "WorldCom" - I worked daily for several months keeping executives and employees informed of the details surrounding the record-breaking financial scandal, the bankruptcy which followed and it's potential impact on departments and employees.
Rule #1 - Communicate with your employees first, before releasing information to the media.
Much of what employees were learning early on was from the news media (the company's first mistake -- they couldn't keep on top of their own news). Employees would see an article online or hear a rumor and send it to our Executive VP for a response. As her Communications Manager, it was up to me to check with officials within the company to determine the facts.
Rule #2 - Keep employees informed and advise them not to speak to the media.
We held regular "rumor-busting" conference calls with all employees to report back on what we had learned in our fact-finding. After the success of first call, we implemented a formal process for asking questions via email, and then answers were researched and reported back in each conference call. Just after the news broke about the company's bankruptcy, we held calls twice a week.
Rule #3 - Leave the sugar in the kitchen.
In my view, the most important aspect of crisis communications is to not sugar-coat the issues for employees. Your employees are grown-ups who deserve the truth and as much information as can legally be shared. Silence from executives about important issues, particularly bad news, breeds fear -- and fear breeds contempt. Contempt leads to ship-jumping, and soon whatever was left of an organization will quickly disappear.
If your company is experiencing a crisis, and you need to communicate with your employees and the media, please contact me. 319-832-2916

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