For me, as a local video production company owner, tape is a hassle. And having some stations needing tape and some requiring electronic delivery only made things more of a hassle. In an attempt to spur the rest of the local television outlets to forge ahead I penned the following paragraph and e-mailed it to station managers.

“Together we can help protect the planet. Electronic delivery of broadcast commercials saves Account Reps time and gas, saves production houses from the expense of buying and warehousing tape stock, saves end-clients sales tax on physical media and reduces the manufacturing of Broadcast Tape stock. Bottom line, everyone saves money and reduces their carbon footprint. I hope that you will join me in ridding the capital district of Beta tape.”

The initial reaction to the idea of no longer having to travel to pick up a tape from a client’s production service was very positive. Very quickly, in a matter of two weeks actually, I was able to work in good faith with all the stations and establish protocols.

Today, I am happy to report that Time Warner Cable and all local broadcasters are now receiving content from my company electronically. About half of those outlets are also able to accept and play High Definition commercials.

Governor Paterson launches ad campaign

This year’s political election is barely over but the race for 2010 has already begun. Governor David Paterson has launched the first campaign ads of the political season as he runs for election to a full term.

Many say this is a good sign that Governor Paterson is not going to give up easily. He’s trying to boost his image even though polls show that he has very little chance of getting elected to the job he currently holds.

The first ad features Paterson, calm and collected, in an office taking aim at his critics, overcoming adversity and becoming Governor of New York

“He definitely got the big guns for this ad,” said Samuel Goldstein, who runs his own production company. “There’s no doubt about that.”

Goldstein produces political ads in Schenectady and says the Governor’s new commercials don’t look cheap — they’re about as high grade as political ads get. The ads were produced by the same media company that put together the ads for President Barack Obama’s campaign.

Goldstein says regardless of how you feel about the message or the messenger, these two ads are pretty powerful because they tap into the human spirit.

“As Americans, we tend to root for the underdogs and when you can humanize the underdog, it resonates with a lot of people,” Goldstein said.

The question is, will they resonate with people? The Governor’s approval rating is at record lows. The most recent polls show he has little chance of winning a primary against Attorney General Andrew Cuomo.

Assemblyman Ron Canestrari (D-Cohoes) says dealing with the budget in this economy will make things worse.

“The fact is, the news has not been good and will not be good,” Canestari said. “That does not help his case as chief executive of the state.”

The RPI-Entered Radio Commercial for Suicide Prevention also won for Best Radio PSA. The spot was Produced and Directed by Samuel M. Goldstein, written by Larry Mossey, recorded and mixed by Ray Rettig and voiced by Kevin Readdean.

Samuel M. Goldstein Productions Awarded National Industry Honor

Local video strategist, Samuel M. Goldstein won a Pollie Award in the category of Television – State Congress. The Pollie Awards, presented by the American Association of Political Consultants (AAPC), are the official awards of the industry and are considered “The Oscars” of political media.

The Winning entry was an election campaign commercial for NYS Assemblywoman Nancy Calhoun (R) that depicted a child wearing a business suit throwing mud at a wall. The ad compared the campaign antics of Calhoun’s opponent to that of a “Childish Mudslinger.” Polling data suggests that the commercial immediately addressed and reversed any traction the opponents campaign was achieving.

“We wanted to do something that was a contrast ad, but didn’t leave the distaste of a negative ad,” said Amber Briscoe, the ad’s producer. “Understanding the public’s growing disdain for traditional attack ads, we really needed to come up with a novel and creative approach to making our point.”

“Researching the viscosity of mud and how it will look on-camera was one of the strangest challenges I’ve had,” said Director Samuel M. Goldstein, “But it was definitely fun to get our hands dirty on this project.”

Tony Fazio, president of the AAPC, said, “2008 was a huge year for campaigns at all levels. We broke our record, set last year, for most Pollie Award entries received.” Whit Ayres, incoming President, said, “What was most encouraging about this year’s Pollie Awards was the high quality of the work that our judges had to choose from. In both regards this was definitely the ceremony’s best year ever.”

The Pollies are the signature event of the AAPC’s annual conference where consultants from around the world and both sides of the aisle convene to learn about the latest trends in the industry, network, and have a little fun. Recently, the AAPC Pollie Awards have gained in notoriety outside the campaign industry. In 2008, the Pollie awards were featured in a two part episode on Comedy Central’s “The Dailey Show with John Stewart.”

Founded in 1969, the AAPC is a multi-partisan organization of political and public affairs professionals dedicated to improving democracy. The AAPC has over 1000 members hailing from all corners of the globe, including 2009 AAPC Campaign Strategist of the Year and Obama Administration Official David Axelrod. It is the largest association of political and public affairs professionals in the world. The AAPC began presenting the Pollie Awards in 1993.

At the Albany Ad Club’s 35th Annual NORI Awards the Television Commercial for “Bugs! 3D” at Proctors Theatre took top honors for Best TV Commercial - Institution or Service. The spot was written by Larry Mossey of The Mossey Group and Produced & Directed by Samuel M Goldstein Productions.

New York State’s top dignitaries were treated to the 108th Annual Legislative Correspondence Association Roast. The event is a perennial favorite for those working in state politics and journalists covering state politics. Assembly Minority Leader Jim Tedisco tapped Samuel M. Goldstein Productions to create this little diddy… A parody of a well-loved Capra-Classic.

The revitalization of the Capital Region’s downtown districts was the focus at CEG’s 2007 Annual Meeting. This video, that kicked off the event, brings local newsman and icon Jack Aernecke out of retirement to report on how things have really turned around.