Make your videos Timeless
Make your videos Timeless! One of our goals is to create videos that get used for years and years. The following tips will hopefully give you ideas to extend the shelf life of all your content. 1. Avoid “dating” references in favor of “recently” or “a while ago.” When you refer to specific dates, the content will quickly become out of date. Keeping an ear out for non-specific time frames will allow you to keep your content up as long as you want it there. 2. Similarly, remove holiday decorations from backgrounds. Someone watching your videos in the middle of August will be really...
read moreTips for Production Assistants
Breaking into the world of production can be tricky but one of the best ways is to start as a PA (production assistant). Historically, the smaller the crew the more responsibility you’ll have but that’s not always the case. You can find yourself on high budget film shoots or small corporate videos. No matter what the gig, here are some tips on what it takes to be a great PA. Listen: Probably the number one skill of any crew member is the ability to listen. Seems simple but if a producer only has to say things once, it makes their job much easier. If you have a lousy memory, have a note pad...
read moreVideo Tip: Working with bad video
Technology keeps coming up with ways consumers and businesses can record their own video. Everything from the mighty Flip-type units to Smartphones now allow people to capture events with the push of a button. When used properly, these tiny cameras can yield great results. Unfortunately this isn’t always the case. We’re often presented with shaky, blurry, noisy footage that clients want us to use in productions. There’s a big misconception that video post production houses have a magic setting that can fix everything from fuzzy pictures to crackling sound. As much as we...
read moreGreen screen location shooting
Green screening, also known as Chroma Keying, is a special effect technique for placing people or objects in otherwise impossible locations. Production studios are truly the best places to capture this effect, but it’s not always feasible. Location green screening can be done with proper planning and equipment. If we’re shooting small items or just a head-and-shoulders shot, it’s a relatively easy process. The challenges come when clients want full-body head-to-toe shots, or require a wide walking area. Creating quality green screen results requires a significant amount of...
read moreVideo production at hotels
Hotel rooms and conference room suites are great for shooting video testimonials. They’re often easy to find, have all kinds of amenities for talent and crew and they’re often much more affordable compared to renting studio space. Before bringing anything into the room, we look around to see what existing elements can be used in the shot. Positioning talent near existing lighting fixtures often means less equipment needs to be brought into the room. For this particular shoot, we used the overhead chandelier for a soft, global light but also to hold the back-up microphone. If no...
read moreFood Network Video Shoot
Thomson Communications of Middleton called with a delicious project. Jay Duchin would be filming the owner of Cakes for Occasions, Kelley Delaney, in her natural habitat… a bakery! Cakes for Occasions is a nut-free bakery creating the most delectable gourmet cakes and pastries for all milestones. Duchin has been a fan of Cakes for Occasions for many years (especially because he has a niece who is allergic to nuts) and he was thrilled to have the opportunity of working with them. It was the first time Duchin had a chance to use a new light made up of 500 small LEDs. The set was very hot...
read more
