April Altenritter, owner of New York-based Rockit Pictures, has opened the full-service commercial production company UpLoop Media in Chicago.
While still based in New York last year, Altenritter increasingly had been traveling to Chicago for freelance production gigs like “Trippin’ the Green” for the Discovery Channel and “Big Ideas for a Small Planet” for the Sundance Channel.
Altenritter found that with last year’s production boom, demand for crew and gear were pushing Chicago’s infrastructure to its limits, while Rockit Pictures’ business in narrative production with independent artist soundtracks was slowing.
Leaving Rockit in the hands of New York colleagues, Altenritter opened up shop in West Town last November as UpLoop Media. Tapping into the growing market for web video for small businesses, UpLoop is creating web spots, with the option of broadcast, for three ongoing clients: massage center Chicago Touch, Dragonfly Mandarin restaurant and nightclub, and Dr. Gucci’s Medical Spa.
“Businesses now have the option to promote themselves with video clips on portals like CitySearch,” Altenritter said. “You can get a feel for what the atmosphere of a place is like ? it’s a huge difference” over static web promotions and traditional advertising venues.
“Google is promoting the option for advertisers to includes web video with their ads. It’s going to get bigger and bigger. It’s more of an opportunity for businesses to speak to potential customers. There’s so much competition and this sets them apart. I don’t know if all companies realize this, but the ones that do are ahead of the game.”
