Arri SkyPanel S60-C.
Today we had an opportunity to take one of the new Arri SkyPanels out of the studio and test it out in the Taste! Café in Georgia-Pacific Center. It was a pretty simple marketing video for a new product and we thought this would be the perfect opportunity to test one out in the field. First off, how to turn it on....
What exactly does a video producer do? Understanding the role of the modern video producer will help you recognize if you have the skills and the mindset to take on the job.
Drone approaching a GP employee in Brunswick, GA
Last week I traveled to Brunswick, GA to oversee aerial filming for a new Georgia-Pacific image campaign focused on sustainability. There are many steps and actions GP does every day to ensure the land and water in their communities is protected and will be here for future generations. Trying to explain those ways can be complicated and long-winded. So I developed a campaign that involves just one, maybe two shots in a series of 10 - 15 seconds spots. Each spot is a single message, simplifying the storytelling to help encourage audience retention and social sharing.
My new storytelling initiative for Georgia-Pacific was rolled out externally this week, "We Are: Brewton, Alabama." It's a few months later than originally planned, but forces beyond my control delayed the external release. But Episode 1 of the series featuring the incredible Glen Freeman is now live.
Filming in the woods of North Georgia
In order to sell a product well, you need to understand the manufacturing process. The entire manufacturing process. GP Studios was tasked with creating an immersive experience to showcase how Dixie products are made to the internal sales teams. Originally it was planned to start with the papermaking process, however I proposed starting at the very beginning, in the forest. That segment introduced a vital message to the sales team, the sustainability of forests is first and foremost in everything Georgia-Pacific does. Sustainability is a buzzword that can be tossed around, but to visually be reminded that this is more than just a word, turned out to be a key takeaway from the presentation.
I storyboard everything from the most basic project all the way through multiple episode series. I can't draw worth a lick, but even stick figures show the basic idea of what you're trying to accomplish for a given scene. I've always used 4x6 index cards, but when I purchased my Microsoft Surface Pro with the ability to draw right on the screen, I wanted to start storyboarding right on the computer. I started out playing with Sketch.
I take you on set of "Water Science with Wade" to show you what a Producer does.
What exactly does a video producer do? Understanding the role of the modern video producer will help you recognize if you have the skills and the mindset to take on the job. A good producer not only knows video inside and out, but also can manage time and money effectively, resolve conflict, maintain morale, and plan logistics. Above all else, a video producer has to be flexible and able to make decisions quickly, on the fly.
In this course, I take you on set and show you how production decisions unfold in real time, whether you're scripting, scheduling, directing crew members, or providing feedback to post. Follow along and explore the responsibilities of a producer in all stages, including pre-production (planning), production (running a set), and post-production (editing and delivery). By the end, you'll have a better understanding of skills and techniques it takes to run a smooth and successful video production. Topics include:
This course is available through Lynda.com and LinkedIn Learning.
Nope not me, the DP checking the shot.
This past weekend I got to film a new Lynda.com course on Video Producing. This time Rose and the crew came to Atlanta to do the filming. This time the course is all about Video Producing, or what exactly DOES a Producer do in the modern production world?
A friend pointed me to Trint transcription services. They claim to have redefined transcriptions by creating a superior software algorithm to quickly and pretty accurately turn around transcriptions from audio and video files. I was very skeptical having tried software like this in the past. Well, after trying them out, I am quite impressed.
Glen Freeman at the wheel of his Candy Apple Red Ford hot rod.
When I was brought on as the first Creative Director for Georgia-Pacific, the main thing I was tasked with was bringing a new storytelling focus to GP's external communications and branding. In particular, transforming GP from a big corporate brand to people. With over 33,000 people working in over 200 locations across the United States, there are many stories just waiting to be told.
There's a classic production adage that says never work with children or animals because they can both be difficult to work with. Well, this week we broke that rule by bringing in a dog, pony and monkey into GP Studios.
I'm proud to announce my first training product from Lynda.com (and LinkedIn Learning) Video Budgeting.
Whether you own a production company or you’re a freelancer, we’re all independent contractors and it’s important to understand and document the full scope of work and fees to be charged for a project. In other words, creating an accurate budget.
Well after singing the praises of Filmic Pro and my entire mobile video setup in my previous post, I took the iOgrapher on a 14 day vacation that included a NASA rocket launch, 7 day cruise and some time at Universal Studios, Orlando. Well, I’m sad to say the Filmic Pro experience was a major letdown.
Well, ok, it’s now tape replay, but I spent a wonderful almost 2 hours chatting with Sean and Stefani Mullen of Rampant Design Tools talking video production, entrepreneurship, 4k, 3D, the new Contemporary Living Network, Cruising, Cocktails and much more. It was a lot of fun and I thank Sean and Stef for the invite!
The view looking forward from our cabin balcony.
While on vacation recently, I was able to combine two of his passions. Video production and cruising. Just before sailing on the Celebrity Cruises “Silhouette,” to the Caribbean, I picked up an iOgrapher which makes a very useful camera platform for the iPhone and iPad. Featuring interchangeable lenses, cold shoe mounts and tripod mounting points the iOgrapher essentially turns the iPhone into a professional camera giving the videographer great camera stability.
The cruise was the perfect testing platform as I'm looking for new ways to work with video, especially in social media. We’re also testing some new ideas for the upcoming Contemporary Living Network and we can see the benefits of creating original content with this setup.
The one thing I didn’t have on this trip was a shotgun microphone. Since the phone is mounted sideways on the iOgrapher, the microphone on the phone is not great for picking up natural sound and spoken word. Before the next vacation, I’ll be adding a shotgun mic.
I also didn’t know about some additional apps for the iPhone that allow for manual Iris and Color Balance controls on the phone. You’ll see the auto-iris kick in quick in quite a bit with all the bright / dark areas. And the color balance does change from time to time. I'll add those apps before the next vacation as well.
All in all, very impressive to see the picture quality and especially the stability of the images. This entire project was filmed with the iPhone 6. Absolutely NO camera stabilization was added to any of these images in the video below.
Also VERY impressed with Celebrity Cruises and their Silhouette. This was our first time on Celebrity and we were so impressed with the ship, the crew and of course, the food that we booked another cruise on the Celebrity Reflection. Celebrity is just top notch, white glove treatment but without the stuffy attitude. Beautiful ship, wonderful people and a great time.
To read more on the iOgrapher: http://www.iographer.com
To read more on Celebrity Cruises: http://www.celebritycruises.com/
To find those light leaks and many other effects: http://rampantdesigntools.com
If you like the music, that's from The License Lab: https://licenselab.com/
The call came in on Friday. “Our client saw the 4k culinary work you did and would like you to create 5 original videos with a mix of 4k and HD formats. And we need it by next Friday. Can you do it?” It became what we called “The Impossible Project” and we were just insane enough to agree to do it
There’s a trend I’ve seen developing, at least I see it here in Atlanta, whereby video editors will agree to take on a project, but ask the client to pay for the tools. I don’t mean going to work for someone else in their shop, I mean as an independent freelance editor, they will ask the client to pay for the tools because they don’t have a system big enough to do the work. And the clients do it! As in the client purchases the system, the editor edits on it, and when the project is done, the client has a video editing system they’ll never use again. When in the heck did this become acceptable?
Our 5 days of principal production has been completed on the Gwinnett County Water Science project featuring 3 scripts inspired by Bill Nye Science Guy! After 3 days in our main ‘studio’ location in a high school laboratory, we spent a full day at Lanier Islands Resort utilizing their PineIsle location.
Science can be wet.
For the past 6 months we’ve been working closely with a client on a Water Science project for a local school system with the overall feel and scripting inspired by “Bill Nye, Science Guy.” The scripts were written by BCM Principal, Walter Biscardi, Jr and he’s also serving as the Director for the project. We’re finally in Production after having spent last week loading in and rehearsing.