Si gn
Goin' Mobile: It's all about flexibility
Spotlight: Southern companies entertaining America November/December 2013 • V.28|No.6
Film • Video • Animation • Audio • Locations • People
up w w fo w rF .m ar ke a RE em t E eN ag az ew in s e. co m
2.0
Hot Spots Cut+Run turbo-charges Qualcom’s Snap the dragon
t Record to readilyavailable SD cards t Many lensing options t One-Shot AF and Push Auto Iris t Modular, lightweight design
Dual phantom-powered XLR inputs
Canon’s compact, lightweight EOS C100 camera captures feature-quality images in run-and-gun, single-shooter situations. Using a Super 35mm, 8.3 megapixel image sensor, the EOS C100 originates exceptional shallow depth of field, 1920 x 1080 HD video. The EOS C100 gives you greater freedom as an image-maker. It offers a superb sensitivity range of ISO 320 to ISO 20,000 that facilitates shooting over a wide range of scene illumination. Three glass ND filters dramatically extend that range, while One-Shot AF and Push Auto Iris give you control over the shot. Internally, record to two readily available, off-the-shelf media, and with a highly efficient AVCHD codec, fit up to three hours on a single 32GB SD card. For long takes, the EOS C100 supports relay recording between dual SD cards. An uncompressed 4:2:2 HD output via HDMI supports external recording. The EOS C100 can be paired with your Canon EF L-series, EF-S, and Cinema lenses, giving you the tools you need to deliver your story.
Find out more at cinemaeos.usa.canon.com/C100
Emmy© Award for Technology & Engineering for 2012 Improvement to Large Format CMOS Imagers for Use in High Defi nition Broadcast Video Cameras
© 2013 Canon U.S.A., Inc. All rights reserved. Canon and EOS are registered trademarks of Canon Inc. in the United States and may also be registered trademarks or trademarks in other countries. AVCHD and the AVCHD logo are trademarks of Panasonic Corporation and Sony Corporation. Use of the trademarks and service marks of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (“NATAS”), including the mark EMMY®, requires the prior express written permission of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.
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Film • Video • Animation • Audio • Locations • People
November / December 2013 Volume 28, Number 6
contents w w w. m a r k e e m a g a z i n e . c o m
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features 8
Mobile Production
Goin’ Mobile It's all about flexibility. By Tom Inglesby
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16
Hot Spots
Cutting Commercials Five companies showcase their latest work. By Christine Bunish
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Spotlight:
The South Southern companies entertaining America By Cory Sekine-Pettite
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November/December 2013
Film • Video • Animation • Audio • Locations • People
Markee2.0
Film • Video • Animation • Audio • Locations • People
7 Markee 2.0 is a results-driven magazine that has been published since December 1985. A nationwide survey of film and video industry professionals revealed that Markee 2.0 is at the top of their must-read list. Editorially, Markee 2.0 offers a wide range of content tailored for its diverse readership. Features span film and video production and postproduction topics to include must-read interviews with leaders in the creative community, the latest equipment and technology news, perspectives on innovative independent filmmaking, and in-the-trenches reports on shooters, editors, animators and audio pros – plus regularly-scheduled specialty supplements. Markee 2.0’s seasoned writers know the industry inside-out. That’s what makes Markee 2.0 compelling, informative and timely reading.
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www.markeemagazine.com
columns & departments 4 From the editor 6 Making TV – Shooting TV Scenes That Stand Up To The Movies Can you believe the way that television drama has taken on – and in many cases whipped – feature films? By Michael Fickes
7 Making Commercials – The Story of Maria’s Awesomeness A commercial for a museum tells the story of a young girl who studies dinosaurs, but never grows up. By Michael Fickes
34 Digital Discussions – Josh Greenbaum Shooting Kids Shooting Golf By Tom Inglesby
[On The Cover] The turbo-charged Snap takes Santa on a wild ride in the spot Cut+Run's Jon Grover edited for Qualcom.
36 Inside View – Kristen Forrest
Photo: Framestore
Executive Producer, Porchlight By Christine Bunish www.markeemagazine.com
November/December 2013
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Markee2.0
from the editor
Film • Video • Animation • Audio • Locations • People
| By Cory Sekine-Pettite
Photo courtesy of hirosatophotography.com
www.markeemagazine.com
Behind The Scenes of My Favorite Movies Recently, while watching the bonus material on my Blu-ray copy of Star Trek Into Darkness, it struck me how lucky we are to have the opportunity to see how our favorite movies are made. It wasn’t so long ago that the general public had little to no knowledge of how movies were created; of how certain scenes or visual effects were accomplished; of how much planning, manpower and ingenuity went into producing just a few minutes of entertainment. But the storage capacity allowed by the DVD format – and now Blu-ray discs and digital downloads – changed all of this. Movie fans are given the chance to see how their favorite films were created and many of the hard-working men and women behind the camera are given the opportunity to shine. The cinematographers, visual effects artists, stunt people, makeup artists, Foley artists, sound mixers and others can showcase their craft. Thus, the general public is made aware of just how large and collaborative an undertaking it is to make a movie. Sure, these DVD extras are used as a marketing opportunity to entice us to buy the movies, but for me they are much more. Watching these behind-the-scenes vignettes makes me appreciate my favorite films even more. I want to know how the films were made, how certain effects were created, and I want to “meet” the people who did the work. This is why I buy DVDs; I want a greater understanding of the how the world’s best entertainment is made. I was amazed to learn that the red planet used in the opening scene of Star Trek Into Darkness was built from scratch and the plants and trees were hand-painted! And seeing how the final climactic scene came together for Skyfall, the latest film in the James Bond saga with Daniel Craig, was impressive to say the least. With such knowledge, I enjoy my favorite movies even more, and I actively seek out the films of cinematographers, VFX artists and other professionals whose work I have appreciated. It’s nice to see these people – you people, our readers – get some well-deserved attention and respect. No longer are you just names scrolling through the end credits. You are the stars of making-of documentaries and behind-the-scenes footage of America’s vast DVD collection. Keep up the great work. We’ll see you at home.
Highlights Coming In • • • •
January/February 2014
Cinematography Music and Sound Effects Libraries Feature Film VFX Camera Equipment
IN EVERY ISSUE: Making TV • Making Commercials • Inside View
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November/December 2013
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Film & Video Gallery Credits:
Client: MMI Agency/Dental Brands, Inc. Producer: Mike Hulsey Creative Director: Adrienne Adair Writer: Melissa Campbell Director/DP: Everett Gorel Editor: Kevin Vinther
FAMILY ORTHODONTICS Advertising dental braces for kids, this campaign features split screens of children with braces alongside themselves as grown up adults with beautiful smiles. Outside some greenscreen magic allowing the kid to brush “both” sets of her teeth, the greatest challenge of this project was casting kids and adults who looked alike.
Credits:
Client: Landry’s Inc. Director/DP: Everett Gorel Editor: Marco DuBose Animator/VFX: Mike Ribble
SUMMER FUN Our charge was to promote a “single pass” to three different amusement parks. So we created the vintage ticket graphic embedding imagery from all three venues, along with the voice copy “your pass to summer fun”. Using three different types of cameras, we relied heavily on GoPros to capture exciting POV’s on the more kinetic attractions.
Credits:
Client: Hemi Hideout Museum Producer/Narrartor: Don Armstrong Director/DP: Everett Gorel Writer: Bill Brauer
HEMI HIDEOUT
Editor: Marco DuBose Animator/VFX: Mike Ribble
A museum inspired by one man’s love for the muscle cars of his youth, 24 Dodge and Plymouth beauties look like they just rolled off the showroom floor. Displayed in Texas’ largest timber frame structure, amidst 100’s of vintage neon and porcelain signs, and an authentic 50’s diner, this nostalgic gem begs to be seen. Make an appointment or view the video at www.hemihideout.com.
South Coast Film & Video 5234 Elm Street • Houston, TX 77081 Phone: 713.661.3550 • F: 713.661.4357 www.scfilmvideo.com www.markeemagazine.com
November/December 2013
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making TV
The year in drama | By Michael Fickes
Shooting TV Scenes That Stand Up To The Movies Can you believe the way that television drama has taken on – and in many cases whipped – feature films? Television cinematographers look to feature films for inspiration – not today’s feature films so much as yesterday’s. “Our basic style is modified 1940’s movies,” said Fred Murphy, ASC, cinematographer on the CBS hit The Good Wife. “The camera is not a character. The characters are the characters. My job is all about making the people look dramatic and beautiful and glamorous.” Oliver Bokelberg, ASC, and the cinematographer on ABC’s Scandal, likes to dress Olivia Pope, the lead character, in completely white outfits. “Television usually doesn’t use the kind of harsh contrast that white creates,” he said. “But in one of my favorite movies, A Woman Is a Woman, a lot happens with white. It was directed by JeanLuc Godard and was his first color movie. The design is beautiful. Ever since seeing it, I’ve stopped arguing against white.” Peter Levy, ASC, ACS, on Showtime’s House of Lies, harks back to Bernardo Bertolucci’s 1970 film The Conformist for inspiration. “That movie left in the reflections and glares that came with the camera shots,” he said. “I think it looks more real that way. If a scene looks too clean, it seems fake to me.” Cinematographers that shoot today’s television dramas freely acknowledge a debt to classic film cinematography – and then they use what they’ve learned to shoot riveting television dramas with stories that go on year after year. With this column this year, Markee covered five of these long-lasting shows: The Good Wife, Scandal, House of Lies, and NBC’s Chicago Fire and Grimm. The cinematographers on each of these shows have taken what they’ve learned from classic films and tailored 6
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shooting philosophies that bring their shows to life. “A rule that we have is that the camera is always with the firefighters, so the audience always discovers the issues with the firefighters,” said Lisa Wiegand, the director of photography on Chicago Fire. Wiegand likes to keep it real, too. All the fires on that series are real. Wiegand and the special effects coordinator carefully plan the fires. Then the crew designs and installs a pipe network that juts out of the floor and ceiling. The crew pumps fuel into the pipes and lights them up. Grimm is about a descendant of the Grimm family, which has for centuries hunted beings that look like people but shape-shift into fairy tale monsters. Marshall Adams, ASC, the cinematographer on Grimm, wanted to develop a look for the show that could bring out its dark and horrific moments. “Many network shows compress the depth of field and only show the foreground in focus,” he said. “This show is different. We use very wide angles with a wider depth of field and everything in focus. And we don’t do a lot of close-ups. The show plays wider all around.” Once considered a wasteland, television today is offering better stories and production equal to or better than feature films. Don’t take my word for it. Media journalists and film and television reviewers are saying the same thing – have been for years now. Here are two examples: Back in 2010, long-time New York Times film critic A.O. Scott wrote: “The traditional relationship between film and television has reversed, as American movies have become conservative and
November/December 2013
[Above] Top: A mouse creature from NBC’s Grimm. Copyright NBC – Grimm 2012.
Bottom: Kristen Bell and Don Cheadle in House of Lies. Photo: Randy Tepper/Showtime
cautious, while scripted series, on both broadcast networks and cable, are often more daring, topical and willing to risk giving offense.” In October of this year, Stuart Heritage, who writes about film and television for The Guardian, blogged: “If I had to pick sides, I’d go with television every single time. Television, especially the television that’s being produced now, is wiping the floor with film. It’s kicking film’s arse.” You can Google dozens more examples if you want. The point is, television seems to have entered a new Golden Age. In it’s first Golden Age in the 50’s and 60’s, television discovered itself. In today’s Golden Age, we’re discovering television.
Film • Video • Animation • Audio • Locations • People
making Commercials
Wander | By Michael Fickes
The Story of Maria’s Awesomeness A commercial for a museum tells the story of a young girl who studies dinosaurs, but never grows up. You don’t see many television commercials for museums aiming to connect you to the institution’s mission to discover, interpret and disseminate knowledge about human cultures, the natural world and the universe. Is that even possible? Sure. Take a look at “Maria & The Dinosaur,” a commercial promoting the American Museum of Natural History in New York City (It’s on YouTube). “This is a spot that tells you why to visit the museum, not what is in the museum,” says Clint White, president of New York City-based WiT Media, an agency that specializes in non-profit work. The spot has only a couple of visual effects. What makes it interesting is the creative way it tells its story. WiT produced “Maria & the Dinosaur” with Wander, a Los Angeles-based creative collective and commercial production company. “Clint was interested in work we have done using narration to tell a story being shown visually in quick cuts,” said Wander’s President, Aaron Weber. That’s the technique used in “Maria & The Dinosaur.” Why did the family visit the museum? To make Maria awesome. The awesome-making story begins when a dinosaur exhibition at the museum inspires her to win her school’s science fair. She then graduates summa cum laude in biology from an Ivy League university, earns a master’s in paleontology and a Ph.D. in comparative paleobiology, which enables her to land a job studying dinosaurs. At the end of the commercial, Maria receives the “American Awesome Association’s Awesome Prize for Awesomeness.” In a fun visual twist, Maria remains the same seven-year-old kid that burst into the museum in the first scene. www.markeemagazine.com
Shot and edited as a :60 commercial and also edited down to a :30 piece, Maria’s story of winning a science fair with a prize for Awesomeness is long. There are lots of set-ups and scenes and only a couple of stock shots, and a couple of effects. The commercial was shot in the main building of the museum’s 27-building complex, but only one scene shows the public area with the dinosaur exhibit. Another scene – the last – shows the family leaving the museum and walking down the front steps. The rest of the scenes use various administrative and conference rooms in the main museum [Above] building. In the opening scene, Direc- Top: Maria earns first place in her school’s science fair after tor KRANKY (the working name visiting New York City’s American Museum of Natural History. of Laurence Paul Shanet), asks Bottom: After visiting New York City’s American Museum of History, Maria wins her school’s science fair, graduCinematographer Eric Giovon to Natural ates from Princeton, earns a master’s and doctorate, and pan down from the main build- lands her dream job studying dinosaurs. ing’s tall ceiling to the main entrance, revealing Maria and her parwe could get more into the spot with ents as they approach the dinosaur the four-screen idea. And it worked.” exhibit in the rotunda. “We needed 15 Additional four-screen portrait scenes to 20 takes to get the speed of the pan chronicle her progress through college right,” said Weber. and grad school. At each graduation cereThe bright-eyed and well-cast Maria, mony, she clambers up onto a stool to who owns the commercial, races up to receive her diploma, which grows physithe Allosaurus display in the center of cally larger while she does not. the floor. The next scene shows four Actually, all of the scenes are portrait screens arranged two-over-two showshots, which the narrator describes. It is ing Maria’s preparations for the science a different way to tell the story of a fair. The top two show a book about commercial. The characters speak only dinosaurs with its pages turning and a a few muted words. The narrator tells wooden box filling up with sand. The the story as the single and four-screen bottom two show the box filling up with portraits appear. dinosaurs, boulders, plants and trees. The fun lies in Maria’s ridiculously Each shot is a portrait; together the four exuberant story, which is the exact same shots show progress. story we all want for our kids. After see“The spot is 100-percent story driving the spot, most of us will probably en,” Weber said, “and there is a lot of make a mental note to take our kids to story-content to fit in. KRANKY thought a good museum. November/December 2013
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[Above Left] Camera Copters’ turnkey approach works on all types of projects.
[Above Right] Sometimes, a project calls for specialty equipment. Island Century Media (ICM) has you covered.
[Left] Shooting from the high ground can mean from the top of a mobile rig like this one at Token Creek.
Mobile film and video production can range from small trucks to big rigs, helicopters to small airplanes to big blimps. It’s called flexibility.
GOIN’ MOBILE Few places in the United States can compare with Hawaii for scenic beauty. As a filming location, it can provide almost every environment a director will call for. Well, BY TOM INGLESBY
maybe not an “old New York” street, but that’s why there are sound stages in Hollywood. And one of the best ways to convey that scenic beauty is by incorporating aerial shots in your film.
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November/December 2013
Film • Video • Animation • Audio • Locations • People
Hawaii Five-O (on CBS) isn’t the only show that’s under camera in the Islands, but it is the current champion in bringing the Paradise of the Pacific to the screen. A previous champion was Magnum, P.I., the project that brought Tom Selleck and the Ferrari 308GTS into millions of homes each week. Following the original Hawaii Five-O, which shot in Honolulu from 1968 until 1980, the year that Magnum started, the series also starred another form of transportation, TC’s Hughes 500 helicopter affectionately known as “The Chopper.” The Chopper is back! If your script calls for it, Paradise Helicopters (www.paradisecopters.com) might just let you use it in one or more of your scenes. Paradise doesn’t use the Hughes 500 replica as a camera platform, but it makes a colorful image on film. Rob Payesko, director of business development at Paradise Helicopters, noted that they are called on by producers for a number of reasons besides The
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[Above] Before takeoff, a Paradise Helicopter crew adjusts the camera and tests its movement.
[Below] Paradise Helicopters is flying a replica of The Chopper from Magnum PI shown here with Roger E Mosley (actor from original series) at the controls
November/December 2013
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Mobile Production
[Below Top] The 18th green at Muirfield Scotland, near Edinburgh. Island Century’s Rob Gunther shot the Scottish Open there.
[Below] Remote work can be very remote as this shot of a turtle shoot by Ehman Productions shows.
Chopper. “Knowledge of the areas is first and foremost. The Big Island has ten different climate zones. You can get snow on Mauna Kea – hence its name: White Mountain – or be out in the Kau Desert with the cactus. The producers rely on our intimate knowledge of every part of the island.” Paradise typically doesn’t supply the cinema gear but, as Payesko said, “We do a lot of work with CineFlex and partner with them at the client’s request. We have also had plenty of productions that bring their own 2K and 4K equipment.” While there are a lot of scenic reasons to shoot on the big island of Hawaii, getting to the location can be a challenge. “Much of the island is not accessible other than by aircraft. The helicopter is unique in its filming capacity because of its ability to maneuver. We are particular to the Bell 407 Helicopter because of its particular smoothness of flight and long range. We are the only aerial filming company in the state of Hawaii to use the Bell.” As Payesko acknowledged, most productions bring their own camera gear, but Paradise provides the rest. “We will arrange for mounts as needed since the production companies typically don’t own that equipment. We do a lot of work with Tyler Mounts.” Surrounded by water, Hawaii provides an environment that attracts extreme sports as well as extreme beauty. “We handle the Iron Man [triathlon] filming for NBC on the Big Island and have done so for the past five years. They come in a few days early and mount up the camera and remote rig. The day before they shoot all their B-roll and on Iron Man day they are out covering the race all day. Seems to go really smooth every year and the coverage has a prime spot in the NBC Sports broadcast schedule with nationwide coverage.”
Fixed or rotating Sometimes, a project calls for specialized equipment that can’t be found locally, wherever “locally” is. Cut off from the mainland by a lot of ocean, Hawaii has developed a strong self-sufficiency in film and video production mobility, but it doesn’t have everything. Aircraft in use for aerial photography and cinematography range from helicopters to small general aviation airplanes, and larger twin engine aircraft to the blimp familiar to football fans across the USA. Not many mobile production companies can provide all three – often they are restricted by their pilot’s FAA licensing to one or two categories. One company that has flown all three categories is Island Century Media (ICM) (www.icm4hd.com). Rob Gunther, president of ICM, discusses helicopters, “We utilize AS350, MD500, and Bell 206 Jet Ranger helicopters, all well proven turbine engine aircraft, and the AS355 twin turbine engine helicopter for highly demanding projects. It can work lower and much further into remote areas than a single engine aircraft.” “Our proven fixed wing camera platform is the single engine Wilga, an aircraft that is ideal as an economical 10
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November/December 2013
Film • Video • Animation • Audio • Locations • People
camera ship,” continued Gunther. “Producers want a stable platform that can go where they want to shoot and can hang around as long as necessary. They want long lens capability and all the latest equipment. We can provide that in either fixed wing or rotary.” A gyro-stabilized gimbal mount gives the best all-around performance for aerial filming. ICM offers the Flir Ultramedia HD for both standard and high-definition shoots. The UMHD with 84X lens can be supplied on either helicopters or fixed-wing aircraft for “go-anywhere” filming. Gunther does a lot of aerial work at golf tournaments, such as the British Open and the Scottish Open. In January 2014, he is covering three golf tournaments in Hawaii that provided an additional challenge. “We had to disassemble the Wilga and pack it into a 747 freighter to get it to Hawaii. We’re using it to cover three weeks of golf for NBC.” The Wilga – Polish for Oriole – is a short takeoff and landing (STOL) aircraft that was made in Poland for decades. Designed for slow flight – it cruises at 121 mph – the Wilga mounts the Flir camera pod on the centerline, which gives the operator a horizontal 360-degree range of movement unlike wingmounted cameras. Perhaps to extend their time in Hawaii, after three weeks of golf, Gunther and his crew will shoot the NFL Network’s Pro Bowl team selection show. Then breaking their little Oriole down for the flight home in the belly of a 747 will take up their time until they head for home in Florida.
[Above] ICM’s Rob Gunther does a lot of aerial work at golf tournaments, such as the British Open and the Scottish Open. In January 2014, he is covering three golf tournaments in Hawaii.
On the ground On Maui, Paul Ehman, head of Ehman Productions, (www.ehmanproductions.com) can offer a producer the complete range of grip and gaffer equipment and the vehicles to transport it. For him, the major clients are in the islands for sports, lots of sports. “In mobile-truck capabilities, it is all sports coverage. We can provide all the gear they need and save them the cost of shipping it in from the mainland,” he said. “When you think about moving around from location-to-location, we can handle everything needed besides the equipment, such as remote production offices and communications.” According to Ehman, they aren’t getting calls for 4K for sports and television, but “some DPs are playing with it for commercials for some reason. The slo-mo and ultra-slo-mo stuff is being used more.” A major rental house on Maui, Ehman Productions has worked with producers for 25 years. They have produced award-winning sports programming, reality shows, print campaigns and commercials including Big Break for three seasons on the Golf Channel, The Amazing Race for 10 Seasons on CBS and four episodes of America’s Next Top Model. Meanwhile, still on the ground but on the Mainland, trucks are the big thing in mobile. And sometimes they are very big things. www.markeemagazine.com
November/December 2013
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Mobile Production
[Above Top] The control room aboard Token Creek's rig.
[Above] Token Creek has added a new big rig to its mobile production fleet
[Below] Inside TNDV’s mobile production rig with 24 camera feeds during the CMA show.
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Wisconsin, for example, produces more than cheese and football champions; it also has one of the most mobile of mobile production companies, Token Creek Mobile Television (www.tokencreek.com). President John Salzwedel said, “We recently wrapped up coverage of the 32nd annual Minnesota State Prep Bowl at the Mall of America’s Metrodome in Minneapolis.” In 1992, Salzwedel decided he wanted to start his own business but something unique. “I always liked live event television production and so I built my first mobile production truck. We built it in the driveway at my home; that was a good learning experience. We ran that truck until 2000 when I built a larger truck, and we are currently up to five trucks in our fleet.” The newest truck is called the Sioux HD. It joins the Hiawatha HD production truck that brings high-end HD in a smaller footprint, which is ideal for regional or local HD sports and event broadcasting. Hiawatha is 1080i, 720 switchable, fully loaded with EVS XFile Digital Archive station and a robust Replay feature set, Grass Valley Kalypso HD production switcher, Thomson LDK 8000 World Cams, Calrec Omega with Bluefin and Abekas DVEous MX. “We work all over the country,” Salzwedel said. “As a matter of fact, Wisconsin is our home, but we are seldom working in our own backyard. We travel coast to coast and occasionally into Canada for the work that we do. For example, we do is the Heisman Trophy Presentation in Times Square, New York every year, and have for seven years. And we’ve done inaugurations at the nation’s capital, a lot of things that are basically non-sports or not game-related type of shows.” Looking toward the future, Salzwedel said, “I think we’re all taking a look at 4K as not necessarily a complete throughput in the truck, but as maybe islands of 4K production within mobile production trucks. But as far as a complete 4K truck from bumper to bumper, I don’t really see that happening in the very near future.”
Flexibility is the key Moving further East we come to Nashville, a name that is closely associated with country music. If he has his way, Nic Dugger hopes to make it just as recognized in the TV and film industry as the home of TNDV: Television. TNDV: Television (www.tndv.com) has been in business for 10 years and owns a fleet of five television production vehicles, four of which are primarily video and audio, like traditional broadcast trucks. One of the five is a full-sized 53-foot, 256-input audio recording facility. TNDV isn’t limited to working the Nashville market, as Dugger, the company’s president, pointed out. “We go all over the country, although probably half of our work is in Nashville. Just about every month we’re in California, Florida, or maybe Washington, D.C., averaging about 250 to 300 projects per year. And we also have four different fly pack systems that go all over the world. We just got back from a job in Brussels.” According to Dugger, flexibility is what sets TNDV apart from his competitors. “I think most TV truck
November/December 2013
Film • Video • Animation • Audio • Locations • People
companies have a format they stick to. In other words, they can give you a spec sheet because whenever you get a truck, it’s going to have the same equipment in it. What we are based on is a fluid inventory. We find out what our client needs for that show and we’ll pack the truck for that show.” If you need a five-camera truck or if you need a 20-camera truck they will pack it appropriately and adjust the bid. The value is that the client is not paying for things they don’t need. “When I was producing shows before I built my first truck, it would really disturb me when I paid a big rate for a truck and they would show up with seven long lenses and I didn’t need them,” recalled Dugger. “I didn’t want to be paying for gear I’m not using. So we à la carte the truck from top to bottom so the client is using and paying for only the gear needed. That’s a very different approach in our industry, but I think our clients appreciate it and it allows them to build their budgets per show.” It’s very simple to move camera base stations from one truck to the next, so it doesn’t make sense to outfit every truck with 10 cameras when the client might need seven or three. “I was able to do a 23-camera show out of the same truck we use to do fiveand six-camera shows,” Dugger said. “For us, it’s about infrastructure. We wire for our
www.markeemagazine.com
[Above] TNDV’s rig parked outside the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville for the Country Music Awards show.
November/December 2013
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Mobile Production
[Above] Camera Copters owner Paul Barth is qualified in fixed wing, amphibian/seaplane, and helicopters for aerial filming.
[Below] Camera Copters' big rig is large enough to swallow a MD-500 helicopter with space to spare.
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worst-case scenario. We’ll install cabling and patching and routing for more cameras than we think we need so when the client needs more it’s easy for us to pop that hardware in there, test it and make sure it’s perfect, then move it to another project the following week.” “I think flexibility is key,” Dugger concluded. “We’re not a sports production company and we’re not an entertainment production company. We’re a company that wants to make sure that the tools are right for your show, and that’s why we can so easily move from doing a 7-camera HD football game live for FOX Sports, to the CMA Awards red carpet show in the same week – which actually happened in 2013 with the same truck. That flexibility and our attention to detail set us apart from the competition that has a spec sheet that never changes.”
Back in the air Heading south to the warmer climes of Florida, we wrap up our look at mobile production with a quick visit to Camera Copters (www.cameracopters.com). One of the biggest houses devoted to mobile production, Camera Copters belies its name by offering fixed wing as well as helicopter aerial platforms and can, through a network of contacts in the aviation field, supply specialized aircraft such as military and antique planes outfitted to be camera ready for any storyboard. They have been doing aerial filming for a long time and can provide the producer with qualified crew members, all permits and permissions, and even act as a second unit crew. One of Camera Copters’ unique capabilities stems from its big rig, a transporter large enough to swallow a MD-500 helicopter with space to spare for equipment, monitoring room, uplink, and even, in a pinch, living quarters. Rather than fly the helicopter to a remote location, incurring added costs, wear and hours on the aircraft, they load it up in the truck and drive it to the best launch location for the shoot. The company’s all-inclusive package brings the chopper, camera mount, film and HD stabilized camera systems, recording and monitoring gear, the crew and any specialized equipment called for. Owner Paul Barth is personally qualified to fly fixed wing, amphibian/seaplane, and helicopters for aerial filming. He is a member of SAG and can act as aerial coordinator, as well as pilot. Mobile production used to mean a truck with a camera in the back. Now that camera flies, drives, sails, and speeds through all three media: air, land and water. Companies can supply everything you need or the basic transportation to haul your equipment and crews. As Dugger says, it’s all about flexibility.
November/December 2013
Film • Video • Animation • Audio • Locations • People
877.638.3456
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Hot Spots:
CUTTING COMMERCIALS Santa Claus hitches Qualcom’s Snap the dragon to his sleigh for a turbo-charged ride, the Aflac duck finally gets motivated in his physical therapy, homeowners act on the “Let’s Do This” home improvement
BY CHRISTINE BUNISH
message from The Home Depot, a young woman learns the secret to escaping the zombie horde (Hint: It pays to steal a truck with a Sears DieHard battery.) and stylists from The Voice show how to get the look by shopping at Kohl’s in this gallery of commercial editors’ Hot Spots.
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November/December 2013
Film • Video • Animation • Audio • Locations • People
Edit house: Cut+Run, New York Editor/owner – Jon Grover • www.cutandrun.com Advertiser: Qualcom, Snapdragon
Spot Title: “Fast Santa”
Ad agency: Ogilvy & Mather/LA
Production company: Framestore/NYC
Directors: Murray Butler, David Mellor
DP: Jordan Valenti
Colorists: Steffan Perry, Raul Ortego, Murray Butler, Framestore/NYC The storyline: Santa Claus gets turbocharged when he abandons his reindeer and harnesses up small but powerful (and very cute) Snap the dragon and zooms off his North Pole landing strip. A boy and his father spot a glow in the night sky – the child says it’s Santa, but dad says it’s a meteor until Snapdragon-powered St. Nick swoops over the roof. Why the spot’s on my reel: “It’s funny and current and a little unexpected – a fresh take on Santa.” The biggest creative challenge: “Imagining the [animated] Snap character and the interaction between Snap, Santa and the reindeer, because I was cutting together something that didn’t exist. I was on set with my Avid taking the live feed from the camera and cutting with a lot of pre-vis elements. The spot evolved as we went along with reactions and shot order. Santa and his sleigh were shot on greenscreen; the kid and his dad in front of a real house on location, and the real reindeer in situ.” The biggest technical challenge: “Finding a table and chair on set. I spent two weeks on set trying to find something other than a park bench to sit on – at 6’4” that wasn’t very comfortable. We were working with Framestore, and they’re so good at what they do: They solved any problems that came up and made everything easy – it was a pleasure and delight working with them. A couple of days after the shoot, I had a lot to cut.” Input from other creatives: “I had worked with the creatives at Ogilvy and the directors before, so we were all on the same page with what we thought should happen, what Snap’s role would be. It was a lot of fun and very useful being on set and hearing ideas exchanged so I could act on them straightaway. Collaboration goes a long way when everyone’s there [on set] on the day. Framestore gave us a lot of wireframe Snaps and real models that we photographed and used on set in a sort of stop-motion approach. That gave us a rough idea of where he’d be and his eyeline.” Why the spot works: “It has an endearing, fun dragon in a unexpected and fresh storyline.” www.markeemagazine.com
VFX: Shayne Ryan (animation lead), Martin Aufinger (FX lead), Framestore/NYC
Sound mixer: Mike Franklin, Beacon Street Studios/Venice, CA
Sound designers: Mike Franklin, Beacon Street Studios; Bill Chesley, Henryboy/NYC
Music: Jon Whitehouse, Kinsey Whitehouse/London
Acquisition formats/cameras: RED EPIC
Editing system: Avid Media Composer
Beyond broadcast: Web spots and 4K cinema display [Clockwise, from Top Left] Santa hitches Snap to his sleigh for some turbo power in this Qualcom spot cut by Jon Grover. Snap may be small, but he’s packed with power as shown in the spot cut by Jon Grover for Qualcom. Rejected reindeer look on as Santa hitches Snap to his sleigh in the Qualcom holiday spot edited by Jon Grover. Santa hangs on as Snap takes him for a wild ride in the Qualcom spot cut by Jon Grover.
[Left] Cut+Run editor Jon Grover cutting Qualcom’s “Fast Santa” on location in British Columbia.
November/December 2013
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HOT Spots
Edit house: Cutting Room, New York City Partner/editor – Chuck Willis • www.cuttingroom.tv Advertiser: Aflac
Spot title: “Physical Therapy”
Ad agency: Publicis Kaplan Thaler/NY
Production company: Harvest Films, LA
Director: Baker Smith
DP: Curtis Wehr
Colorist: Tim Masick, Company 3/NY
Flame and Smoke artists: Keith Sullivan, Paul Downes, Jamin Clutcher, The Mill/NY
VFX: Legacy Effects/San Fernando, CA
Sound mixer: Tommy Jacarone, Sound Lounge/NY
Music: Survivor’s “Eye of the Tiger”
Acquisition formats/cameras: ARRI ALEXA
Editing system: Avid Media Composer
Beyond broadcast: Web spots
[Clockwise, from Top Left] A motivating physical therapist helps get the Alfac duck back in shape in this spot cut by Chuck Willis. A real duck paddles in a tank in Aflac’s ”Physical Therapy” spot edited by Chuck Willis. The Aflac duck isn’t making much progress with his “Physical Therapy” in this spot edited by Chuck Willis. A Rocky-inspired score and a great physical therapist motivate the Aflac duck in this spot cut by Chuck Willis.
[Right] Cutting Room editor Chuck Willis gave the famed Aflac duck “Physical Therapy.”
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The storyline: The celebrated Aflac duck isn’t making much progress with his postop physical therapy until an inspirational therapist and an iconic music track motivate his triumphant, Rocky-like comeback. Why the spot’s on my reel: “Birds are difficult to make human – they’re not even like dogs where you get the humanity of their faces,” says Chuck Willis, who has cut Aflac spots featuring the charming animatronic duck over the last two years. “This particular duck was in very unexpected, very human and comical situations. I had to make him come to life and be interesting and funny.” The biggest creative challenge: “It’s always a challenge to find the human moments, not the gimmicks or cartoon moments, but the unexpected moments: a sigh, the duck’s head going down, a blink. I tried to find moments when the duck was connecting with the therapist. Sometimes that was even harder with the real duck paddling in the tank, since he wasn’t being controlled.” The biggest technical challenge: “When you work with an object that’s being manipulated you have to think past the manipulation shot on greenscreen. You have to go beyond what’s already been done and flip him, speed him up like we did with the jump rope or slow him down.” Input from other creatives: “I try to fully realize the cut before the agency creatives walk in the door – I do rig removal, add sound effects and music. It becomes collaborative from that point moving forward, and the agency creatives are always great. The Aflac duck is their baby, and they’re always there during the shoot. I cut the spot to Rocky’s ‘Gonna Fly Now,’ which was perfect, especially with the fly lyric for the duck. But it was prohibitively expensive to license, so I went with the next best choice, ‘Eye of the Tiger,’ which carries the same type of Rocky theme with it.” Why the spot works: “You have the given of the duck in every Aflac spot, so the story becomes more about the other players – the physical therapist, the speech therapist in another spot – and how they react to what the duck gives them. They’re not simply conveyors of the Aflac message, but are dealing with the duck, its problems and issues. So the spots become more human, comical and very entertaining – and if you can entertain the audience you win.”
November/December 2013
Film • Video • Animation • Audio • Locations • People
Edit house: Treehouse, Dallas Partner/editor – Peter Tarter • www.treehouseedit.com Advertiser: The Home Depot
Ad agency: The Richards Group/Dallas
Campaign: “Let’s Do This”
Production company: Paydirt Pictures/Santa Monica, CA
Director/DP: Iain Mackenzie
Colorist: Matt McClain, Filmworkers/Dallas
Online/VFX: Bryan Bayley, Treehouse/Dallas The storyline: Homeowners tackle home improvement projects, from boosting curb appeal and installing insulation to adding new carpet and flooring, while visual metaphors illustrate ‘do this, don’t do that’ concepts: Vintage welcomehome footage, racehorses roaring out of the gate, cartoon money and soft snow and bunny fur lend positive reinforcement, while a dog chasing his tail is an image – and feeling – to be avoided. Why the spots are on my reel: “They’re such a departure from The Home Depot’s previous campaign in terms of the ‘do this, don’t do that’ metaphors integrated with the new footage captured by the director. Those emotional metaphors appeal to the person who doesn’t usually go to Home Depot. They give a real human dimension to the fix-your-faucet dilemma.” The biggest creative challenge: “The biggest issue was getting people to sign off on the metaphors. Metaphors tend to be culturally and racially bound; your perception may not be the perception of others. So that was a hurdle. Also, getting metaphors that viewers could acknowledge and comprehend in a quarter of a second was a challenge – sometimes we used three in a row to portray one thought. We must have made 40 different tries at a single metaphor before we picked the one you see. But once we found it, we nailed it.” The biggest technical challenge: “Usually stock footage is vintage and not the same size as newly shot material. We’d blow up a stock shot and it would get all pixilated, so we had to go find another one. It was all hands on deck to find the right shot that would also hold its resolution.” Input from other creatives: “The Richards Group head creatives, Bill Milkreit and Todd Tucker, were in here every second for the month it took to cut the six spots. All the stock libraries we used were tremendous; my assistants and executive producer Jeremy Besser were also pulling stock footage.” Why the spots work: “They work because they’re quick paced and have a human element. There’s not a lot of camera movement because they’re cut so fast. But the stories are nice and short, and precise with one home project per spot so the viewer can see it come to fruition. We also went with more saturated color for a sexier feel.” www.markeemagazine.com
Sound mixer: Greg Carlson, 3008/Dallas
Music: Rory Doggett, Stimmung/LA
Acquisition formats/cameras: ARRI ALEXA
Editing system: Avid Media Composer
Beyond broadcast: Web spots
[Clockwise from Top Left] Curbside appeal in The Home Depot’s “Let’s Do This” campaign edited by Peter Tarter. Peter Tarter cut The Home Depot’s “Let’s Do This” campaign. Peter Tarter helped this young family get the carpeting they need in a new Home Depot campaign. A metaphor for softness. This shot of a woman falling into a pile of feathers, was integrated by Peter Tarter into The Home Depot campaign.
[Left] Treehouse editor Peter Tarter cut The Home Depot’s “Let’s Do This” campaign.
November/December 2013
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HOT Spots
Edit house: Whitehouse Post, Chicago Partner/editor – Matthew Wood • www.whitehousepost.com Advertiser: Sears’ DieHard Battery
Ad agency: Y&R Midwest/Chicago
Spot title: “The Getaway”
Production company: Tool of North America/Santa Monica, CA
Director: Tom Routson
DP: Michael Bonvillain
Assistant editor: Lars Makie, Whitehouse Post/Chicago
Colorist: Stephen P. Arkle (“Sparkle”), Technicolor/LA
Online editor/VFX: Randy McEntee, The Mill/Chicago
Sound mixer: Dave Gerbosi, Another Country/Chicago
Music: Beta Petrol/New York City
Acquisition format/cameras: ARRI ALEXA
Editing system: Avid Media Composer
Beyond broadcast: Web spots
[Clockwise, from Top Left] A zombie horde pursues a young couple in “The Getaway” cut by Matthew Wood for Sears DieHard. A young woman is in danger of falling prey to a zombie horde in “The Getaway” edited by Matthew Wood for Sears DieHard. Will her “Getaway” truck start and save her from the zombie horde? Editor Matthew Wood who cut this Sears DieHard battery spot knows.
[Right] The editor you want – along with Sears DieHard batteries – in the zombie apocalypse: Matthew Wood of Whitehouse Post. Photo by Jen Shelley
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The storyline: A young man and woman run through an industrial area pursued by a horde of fast-moving zombies. They come to a bolted chain-link fence; the man scales it, but zombies grab the woman’s foot and the cowardly man abandons her to her fate. But wait! The horde topples the fence and the woman gets away. The man beats her to a car, which fails to start and he becomes zombie dinner. The woman hops in a truck equipped with a Sears DieHard battery and makes her getaway. “Life Demands DieHard,” reads the tag line. Why the spot’s on my reel: “I do a lot of comedy, and there aren’t too many action commercials on my reel. So it’s exciting to tell a story with a lot of energy. There was a lot of story and drama to create in 60 seconds, and the camera’s coverage and great movement helped me show off.” The biggest creative challenge: “The whole tone of it: setting up the drama of the chase and trying to create a ton of frightening situations. The way the spot was conceived and shot helped – it could have come off with a kind of cheesy vibe, but they kept the drama going and added a bit of a tongue-in-cheek ending. I’ve always preferred late reveals to early ones: They make the audience work harder – it’s more satisfying the longer you can delay the reveal. My goal for most spots is to put the viewer in the position of catching up with what’s going on.” The biggest technical challenge: “Keeping up the suspense of the story and making the production look bigger than it was in reality. But I had a lot of good sequences to work with and some VFX enhancements by The Mill.” Input from other creatives: “It was great working with director Tom Routson, who had a strong vision of the spot. In fact, everyone was creatively on the same page; everyone was focused on the same goal, which is nice. I did a lot of sound design myself, and once Tom and the agency saw my cut, they were very happy with what I’d done.” Why the spot works: “It works because we managed to get the tone right. Making the zombies move fast created a more exciting and dramatic piece, and the way the guy gets his comeuppance is tonally right. The way the product is placed is not gratuitous: It feels exactly right. Why did the woman get away? Because of the DieHard battery. It’s really smart advertising!”
November/December 2013
Film • Video • Animation • Audio • Locations • People
Edit house: Union Editorial, Los Angeles Partner/editor – Jay Friedkin • www.unioneditorial.com Advertiser: Kohl’s, direct
Campaign title: “Styling Sessions by Kohl’s”
Production company: Chelsea Pictures/LA
Director: Lauren Greenfield
DP: Shana Hagan
Editors: Jay Friedkin, Einar, Daniel Luna, Sam Bauer, Union Editorial/LA
Editorial producer: Jay Friedkin, Union Editorial/LA The storyline: In an NBC/Kohl’s tie in, during The Voice telecast each week, the show’s two stylists discuss how to style clothing from the retailer, which represents different musical genres, for show alumni and models. Why the spots are on my reel: “I think they are fun pieces. Also they are editor pieces, which are discovered in the cutting room,” says Friedkin who cut the R&B, punk and pop spots and produced the rest of the spots edited by colleagues Einar, Daniel Luna and Sam Bauer. The biggest creative challenge: “Cutting eight different unscripted, documentarystyle long-form pieces with eight complementary :30s from a single two-day shoot on only two sets. They had to tell interesting stories but still be effective marketing pieces.” The biggest technical challenge: “Working with the multiple formats shot on set. Some was shot as fashion photography; some was shot with an intervalometer for a steppy, pseudo-timelapse feel. But dealing with all kinds of formats is de rigueur these days.” Input from other creatives: “Lauren Greenfield is so smart and a multiple threat: She is a brilliant documentary director and a great stills photographer. On set she has a way of setting up the situation for the talent and then drawing them out with just the right questions. Shooting so much material so quickly, she had to sense when she had just enough and then move on to shoot the next genre. Plus, she had to direct and shoot the fashion stills for each genre. In constructing the spots, she had great ideas and yet was really interested in what the editor had to say. Each of us editors had to find graphically and editorially the distinct elements that would bring out the flavor of each musical genre represented. For graphics, Mannix and Carolyn [here at Union] were really enthusiastic finding different visual styles to treat our stills. And musically Mophonics gave us a rich, wide ranging, diverse pool of music from their library to help us represent each style.” Why the spots work: “Although they were all shot at the same time, on the same set, each piece has a different flavor. The long-form pieces are good stories that each have their own charm, move along nicely yet hit all of the distinct points that need to be made. The :30s create enough interest to drive the audience to the NBC website to view the long-form story pieces which, in turn, drive them to the Kohl’s website to shop for the styles and pieces featured in the videos. It was interesting to see the progression of an integrated campaign across platforms and how each piece was created specifically for its platform.” www.markeemagazine.com
Colorist/online: Carolyn Woods, Union Editorial/LA
Graphics: Mannix Rickenbacher, Union Editorial/LA
Sound mixer: Milos Zivkovic, Union Editorial/LA
Music: Mophonics/Venice, CA
Acquisition formats/cameras: Three Canon C300 PL cameras
Editing system: Avid Media Composer
Beyond broadcast: Complementary two-minute pieces designed for the web
[Clockwise from Top Left] Dressing like a pop star is no stretch for Kohl’s customers in this campaign cut by Jay Friedkin. Jay Friedkin cut the punk-look spot for the Kohl’s campaign tied to The Voice. Add a little R&B bling to your look in this Kohl’s spot edited by Jay Friedkin.
[Left] Jay Friedkin of Union Editorial cut the stylish Kohl’s campaign with The Voice tie-in.
November/December 2013
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Spotlight
South
The South Southern companies entertaining America
[Clockwise from Above] Independent Guerilla specializes in horror films. Allen Rosen filming a farming documentary. In the studio with 360 Filmworks. 718 Studios' computer-driven dolly. A Panavision rental facility.
Once again, we shine our Spotlight on the South,
a region that continues to grow in terms of film and television production, animation, commercial production, and ancillary services for our industry. The eight companies presented here continue a long and proud history of creative businesses that play a big part in entertaining America.
B Y C O RY S E K I N E - P E T T I T E 22
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November/December 2013
Film • Video • Animation • Audio • Locations • People
360° Filmworks (360filmworks.com) Little Rock, Ark.-based 360° Filmworks provides clients with video production, post-production, animation, visual effects, writing, and photography services. Working primarily in commercials, the company began life as an in-house service provider for an ad agency. 360° Filmworks is led by Arkansas native, Tommy Walker. Walker began his career on the technical side of motion picture productions and music videos. Walker’s feature film credits include The Firm, The Client, My Dog Skip, Airborne, A Time to Kill and The People vs. Larry Flynt. The company recently completed post-production on a new TV campaign for Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield, and are now working on producing a new TV branding campaign for Baptist Health. Additionally, in 2009, 360° Filmworks had the opportunity to work on a project with Bridge2Rwanda and Tom’s Shoes that allowed the company to travel to Rwanda, Africa, to film the nonprofit organizations – with the help of American Idol winner Kris Allen – handing out shoes to Rwandan children. “It is important to note that even in today’s culture where most people have the capability to produce videos and upload it to their favorite social media platform, the need for high quality production companies is still in demand,” said Walker. “There are times when a story can really be brought to life by using more advanced production techniques. … We are capable of producing high-quality
www.markeemagazine.com
[Above] Dustin Jones, chief editor and DP for 360° Filmworks, hard at work on set.
[Below] There's never a dull moment when filming at 360° Filmworks.
November/December 2013
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Spotlight
South imagery on any size budget. Sometimes a production might call for two camera units and a large grip truck, but there are other times a backpack and few lights can work wonders. Our company can make any project the best it can be, regardless of the size.”
718 Studios ( w w w. f a c e b o o k . c o m / P 3 M e d i a )
[Above] 360° Filmworks working on a health campaign.
[Below] 718 is a studio that’s designed to be a studio – not just a vacant warehouse/industrial space, says studio partner Dan Powers. Careful thinking went into creating this space.
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If you’re working on a production in Austin, Texas during the summer months, eventually you’re going to want to work indoors. The heat and humidity always win. Fortunately, 718 Studios is there to assist – with air conditioning. “A big hurdle for production in Texas is dealing with brutal summers. We planned for that while building 718,” said studio partner Dan Powers (P3HD). “Over the late part of summer while still working on build out, we were able to feel the benefits of the HVAC system. It was 108 degrees outside, and inside the studio it was maintaining 72 degrees with no fluctuations! The super-quiet system and air handlers are located in another section of the building with only ducts feeding to the studio, allowing for ultra quiet and comfortable shooting year round.” According to 718, the studio is perfect for any small to mid-size productions that do not require a massive sound stage. Supporting the studio are production offices, green room, makeup, screening room, editing studio, conference room, working kitchen for food shoots, and more, all with adjacent parking and easy load in/out. Camera, lighting
November/December 2013
Film • Video • Animation • Audio • Locations • People
[Above] The 12-foot motorized, computer-driven camera rig at 718 Studios.
[Left] The makeup room at 718 Studios in Austin, Texas.
[Bottom Left] The view from above at 718 Studios.
and grip equipment are available to either support or provide all production needs and the two wall 22 X 22 hard cyc is pre lit by six banks of KinoFlo lights mounted to the motorized lighting grid. “We talked to studio managers, lighting designers, grips and acoustic engineers, among others in designing and building the space,” said partner Gary Wilson. “Their input allowed us to maximize what we had for sound, space, lighting and comfort. Once you use the studio, you’ll see the benefits of this input.” 718 Studios also can provide a deep bench of above and below the line personnel to fully crew or fill out any size production. Powers says the studio’s icing on the cake is something no other Texas studio offers: an available 12-foot motorized, computer-driven camera track/dolly that can be
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info@718studios.com 512-290-4718 www.markeemagazine.com
November/December 2013
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Spotlight
South programmed to exactly reproduce camera moves including: dolly, pan, tilt, focus and zoom with frame accurate repeatability. He designed the system for use on his own videos and is making it available for other customers. “718 Studios is looking forward to exceeding the 2014 forecasts by matching a superior facility with superior customer service. And the 718 team promises to work hard to make sure that the quality passes through to the client’s projects,” said Powers.
Allen Rosen ( w w w. a l l e n r o s e n p r o d u c t i o n s . c o m ) [Above] According to 718, the studio is perfect for any small to mid-size productions that do not require a massive sound stage.
[Below] Allen Rosen on location in Starkeville, Miss., shooting a image piece for a hospital commercial with a Sony F3 mounted on a Dana Dolly.
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Allen Rosen markets himself as “an award-winning DP/lighting cameraman with gear.” While accurate, he might just be selling himself a little short. The Tuscaloosa, Ala., resident has more than 30 years of experience, including more than 20 years of TV production staff positions in major markets such as Seattle, Pittsburgh and Atlanta. “As a freelance DP, I bring a journalistic approach to all my shoots – along with creative lighting, and state-of-the-art equipment,” Rosen says. “My main cameras are Sony F3, Sony XDCAM 800, Panasonic HDX-900 – along with the Convergent Design NanoFlash – and more. I believe in good natural lighting, good optics and good composition, skills I have honed in years of documentary filmmaking.” Some of Rosen’s recent work includes some broadcast network series shooting backstories on contestants, many corporate identity pieces, some hospital commercials in Mississippi, and some network news and magazine show segments. Rosen also spent a week working in Atlanta on a documentary on Whitney Houston for a European company, and he is shooting for a new documentary on the Rosenwald Schools in North Carolina for the award-winning producer of Yoo-Hoo, Mrs. Goldberg.
November/December 2013
Film • Video • Animation • Audio • Locations • People
For the future of his craft, Rosen hopes younger DPs get the message to become well-rounded technicians. “While a lot of documentaries and reality shows have gone the DSLR route, I still feel that mastering the single camera shoot is very important,” he said. “While I like to stay current, and have done my share of multicam reality, I pride myself with having the instincts and creativity to shoot a project undirected with a full-size video camera. Having to do it all on some of the smaller shoots – light, shoot, direct, audio – efficiently and unobtrusively is still an art, and I do get concerned that many of the younger DPs are only going to know one style and not be well rounded as they progress in the field.”
AMS Pictures ( w w w. a m s p i c t u r e s . c o m ) Texas-based AMS Pictures is busy as usual with a host of concurrent productions. The company has a 40,000-square-foot studio complex in Dallas and further facilities in Austin, which have been used to shoot major commercial campaigns for clients such as Frito Lay, Microsoft and Volkswagen. But a significant part of what AMS is doing is shot by crews on location all around the world.
[Above] AMS Pictures crew shooting in London with a Polecam.
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www.markeemagazine.com
November/December 2013
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Spotlight
South A prime example of this location work, now in its third series, is You Live in What?, a program for the HGTV network that unearths extraordinary and amazing home conversions around the world. People have used their ingenuity to make modern, luxurious homes in the most unlikely places, from old railroad cars to caves, clock towers or even a World War II bunker. For this show and other projects, AMS relies on a talent pool it describes as “deep with cinematographers, producers, directors, interactive geniuses, and smart, effective project managers, who are adept at juggling multiple details while keeping an eye on [the client’s] bottom line. To maintain high production values and high-speed workflow, Joshua Moore, head of production for AMS, and his teams have been using a UK-engineered and built product called Polecam (www.polecam.com) to quickly generate high-class jib shots and moves from many different viewpoints inside and outside the various locations. Moore explained: “Andy Streitfeld, our owner, was doing a show called Race Car Driver six or seven years ago. He was using a Jimmy Jib, a 24 footer that takes an hour to build or break down and move, and he saw a Polecam there, and thought ‘Boy, I can see the advantage of something smaller and lighter like that.’ About the same time, we started increasing all these Original Programming shoots, we discovered a local Polecam owner operator, Colton Woolford. “Using Polecam I immediately saw it doubled our capture rate because we could pick it up and move,” Moore continued. “These days the budgets are slimmer, so we don’t have as many crew members out there. This is the only way that we are able to do these shoots, and still offer that nice movement that crane shots bring.”
[Above Top] Even when shooting overseas, AMS has a deep talent pool from which to draw.
Independent Guerilla Productions (www.JettWest.com / www.IndependentGuerilla.com)
[Above] AMS setting up an interior shot for a project in London.
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With backgrounds in TV broadcasting and commercial production, the crew at Independent Guerilla Productions (IGP) in Little Rock, Ark., concentrates on
November/December 2013
Film • Video • Animation • Audio • Locations • People
independent film productions – both original work and the films of others. A true upstart company – most employees have “day jobs” in the film industry – IGP began in 2008 when a couple of friends decided to make a movie. The rest, as they say, is history. Currently, IGP is working on the upcoming horror feature Haddie. “So far, we only have the two projects started and finished by us [The Devil Lives in Hot Springs and Tuckerman]. Haddie will be the largest project to date,” said IGP Writer/Director and company co-founder Jett Westmoreland. According to the film’s website, Haddie will be a character-driven “creature feature” with an emphasis on dysfunctional relationships and unfulfilled dreams mixed with people dealing with an unknown terror. Westmoreland and IGP must really like this genre because they’re already working on scripts for two Haddie sequels. Westmoreland isn’t one to necessarily follow industry trends, but he certainly keeps an eye on what’s happening. “The biggest trend right now is for everyone to try to
[Above] The horror feature Haddie will be Independent Guerilla Productions’ largest film project to date.
[Below Left] Various covers from Independent Guerilla Productions.
www.markeemagazine.com
November/December 2013
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Spotlight
South shoot larger and larger files – 2k, 4k, et cetera. I also see more and more editors moving to the Adobe Cloud services, especially since Final Cut started chasing consumers instead of professionals. I’m an Avid guy myself and will probably continue to be so.”
Robert E. Nims Center for Entertainment Arts ( n i m s c e n t e r. c o m )
[Below] Panavision Primo V lenses.
[Below Bottom] Panavision joins Georgia's growing film landscape.
Established in 2000, the Robert E. Nims Center is a division of the University of New Orleans Foundation and is a professional film industry infrastructure resource. With more than 100,000 square feet of space, the facility offers five sound stages, along with 9,000 square feet of production offices and support space, as well as international and domestic ADR services, executive screening room, and editorial space. Currently providing space for the CW Network’s Star-Crossed series, Nims Center also has provided production space for The Runaway Jury, Ray, All the King’s Men, Deja vu, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, 12 Years a Slave, and Dallas Buyers Club.
Panavision ( w w w. p a n a v i s i o n . c o m ) With offices throughout the world, including multiple locations in the U.S. South (Atlanta, Ga.; Dallas, Texas, and New Orleans, La.), Panavision has been an innovator in cinema lens production since 1954. For example, its Atlanta rental facility, which opened in February 2011, is a 10,000square-foot space with a full-service camera rental office. The location has provided equipment for AMC’s The Walking Dead, Lifetime’s Drop Dead Diva, and the feature films Wanderlust and X-Men: First Class. “With the growth of a regional market such as Atlanta, it only makes sense for Panavision to be there with a fullservice facility,” John Schrimpf, VP of U.S. regional operations told Markee when the Atlanta location opened. “Atlanta has become a very attractive place to shoot because of the variety of locations, its strong infrastructure and its excellent distribution system with Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. The state and the City of Atlanta are totally behind building a lasting, film-friendly culture, and Panavision is pleased to be part of the team providing local customer support.” From the earliest development of the Panavision Super Panatar® to today’s Primo V lenses for shooting in HD, Panavision has been at the forefront of technological progress for cinematography. Because Panavision offers such a wide range of equipment options – including customized 3rd party integrations – its knowledgeable staff can help filmmakers make the right choices about combinations of cameras, lenses, and ancillary gear based on specific project requirements. The company’s list of innovation and engineering awards is too lengthy to include here, but dates back to 1958 and consists of 19 Academy awards, and four Emmy awards. 30
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November/December 2013
Film • Video • Animation • Audio • Locations • People
Ron Sherman Advertising & Teleproductions
[Above]
( w w w. r o n s h e r m a n p r o d u c t i o n s . c o m ) During the past 30 years, Ron Sherman Advertising & Productions in Little Rock, Ark., has become the largest, full-service home improvement ad agency in the nation. Sherman’s team of talented staff record 5,000 direct response commercials each year using a variety of pitch people; veteran media buyers book airtime in more than 100 markets; and web specialists build sites and handle search engine marketing in more than 40 markets. “We’ve worked hard to make the old cliché of ‘one stop shopping’ truly apply. We’re proud we can do virtually anything an advertising campaign requires from within our own facilities,” said Producer Kimberly Burdick. The company’s client roster includes Owens Corning, L’Oreal, Dillard’s, and LeafGuard to name a few. From its facilities, Ron Sherman can write, produce and edit video (with six Avid Symphony editing systems tied together with a 32TB EditShare video server, a fully Live HD switchable production suite that also includes a Doremi HD DDR, a Panasonic DVDProHD VTR, and the option to record straight to the EditShare); creating 3-D animation; and provide a full-service media department. “Because we do everything in-house it allows us to offer the most competitive, and affordable advertising solutions for our clients,” Burdick said. www.markeemagazine.com
Ron Sherman Advertising & Teleproductions produces commercials that air in more than 200 TV and radio markets nationwide.
[Below] Ron Sherman Advertising & Teleproductions headquarters.
November/December 2013
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Spotlight
South
[Above] On the set with Stray Dog from Franklin, Tenn.
[Below] Behind the scenes of a Goodwill spot with Stray Dog's crew.
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Stray Dog ( w w w. f i l m s t r a y d o g . c o m ) Tamera Brooks founded Franklin, Tenn.-based Stray Dog in 1999 to develop commercials, network promos, and documentaries. “What makes Stray Dog unique is its depth of film and video knowledge, high level of experience and connections throughout the country,” said Brooks. “We do not consider ourselves to be just a Southern production company; we are global.” Stray Dog has completed projects for ABC’s Nashville; HGTV; CMT; ESPN and The Tombras Group, a Knoxville, Tenn.-based ad agency. Currently, Stray Dog – whose work can be broken down as follows: 30 percent TV, 50 percent commercial, and 20 percent film – is working on new spots for Goodwill Industries via agency DVL. The company has been producing spots for Goodwill since 2002. Additionally, Brooks said she is developing a series for Italian television. For all of her assignments, depth of knowledge is key, she says, not technology. “Technology cannot replace good storytelling. It still requires creative vision and execution that only comes from experience, which seems to be overlooked as budgets decrease,” Brooks said.
November/December 2013
Film • Video • Animation • Audio • Locations • People
Digital Discussions
Josh Greenbaum | By Tom Inglesby
Shooting Kids Shooting Golf W. C. Fields reportedly said, “Never work with animals or children. They’ll upstage you every time.” That wasn’t the situation with a recent documentary by Josh Greenbaum titled, The Short Game. Greenbaum’s team followed eight youngsters as they practiced for and competed in the World Championship of Junior Golf. He remembers how it came about, “Our producer, Rafi Marmor, and executive producer, David Frankel, who has kids in the tour, came to me and said, ‘Hey, what do you think about spending a year exploring the junior golf world?’ When I found out they were as young as six years old, I got excited. It just seemed fresh and interesting, less so about the golf, but about six- and seven-year-olds obviously doing something at a very high level that we adults all struggle to deal with.” So, did W. C. Fields’ words come into play? “I found working with the kids great. The kids start from six and go all the way up to 16, so I made the choice, ‘Let’s follow the very youngest.’ There is obviously the challenge of them not really being able to engage in a conversation, or tell you how they really feel or answer your questions. Will they get too tired and not want to be filmed anymore? But in the documentary space, I found that was actually a big bonus.” As they got comfortable with Greenbaum and his cameras and crew, the project blossomed. “It is that last age before you start self-censoring,” he said. “They just speak what’s on their minds and, as you see in the film, what’s on their mind is often some really funny stuff. It had its challenges, but we chose a very specific camera, the Canon C300, which for a million and one reasons was a great choice. We could strip it down to a pretty compact form, which would be less intimidating to the little kids.” 34
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They didn’t use a boom at all, just wireless mics and the on camera microphone because a boom mic hanging over your head, moving back and forth, can be distracting for a little kid and can remind them that they’re being filmed. The logistics of covering eight young golfers for a year encompassed a lot of talent in many different countries. There are ultimately five nations represented: China, South Africa, France, the Philippines, and several U.S. cities. Greenbaum recalled, “I kept the crew pretty small to not intimidate the kids. Depending on where we were going, it was usually a [Above] crew of three. It was a DP, Top: Amari Avery in The Short Game. myself – I directed and usu- Credit: Phase 4 Films and Samuel Goldwyn Films. ally ran the audio and/or a Bottom: Augustin Valery in The Short Game. second camera – and our Credit: Phase 4 Films and Samuel Goldwyn Films. producer.” Greenbaum used two C300s for What was it like following kids the introduction work when he was around, day after day? J. B. Rutagarama going from country to country. Then was DP for French player Augustin at the final tournament, the eight kids Valery. He recalled, “We basically started were there all at the same time. “We when they got up for breakfast. I would needed an entire team,” Greenbaum shoot the breakfast routine, and then folsaid. “So we had 18 cameras, with low them for their practice rounds. All nine DPs working them and nine the way through the tournament, back sound guys and about nine PAs. And to the hotel and then the night routine they worked as a little field unit who would follow around the kids for the when the kid is going to bed and brushwhole week.” ing his teeth. So actually we became very, When Samuel Golden Films released very close. I personally found myself The Short Game, Greenbaum had one emotionally being attached to the kid. It reaction: “Just having my first feature film didn’t affect the film, the teamwork, but ever wind up in theaters like this is just a I wanted to root for him and, when he dream come true. I was giddy, sitting in was in distress, I felt like going out and the theater as the light dimmed. My pargiving the kid a hug or encourage him. ents asked, ‘You mean like in a real movie But obviously you have to be objective, theater?’ ‘Yeah, a real movie theater.’ you have to be a fly on the wall and just What more can you ask for?” shoot the game.”
November/December 2013
Film • Video • Animation • Audio • Locations • People
advertisers’ index page# company phone & website 1
360 Filmworks
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Camera Copters, Inc. 888-463-7953 www.cameracopters.com
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Canon U.S.A., Inc. 855-CINE-EOS CINEMAEOS.USA.CANON.COM/C300
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FirstCom 800-858-8880 www.firstcom.com
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Cinelease 855-441-5500 Cinelease.com
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Island Century Media 888-373-4539 www.icm4hd.com
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Locke Bryan Productions Inc 713-977-5989 www.lockebryan.com
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Nevada Film Office 877-638-3456 nevadafilm.com
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Ragland, Strother & Lafitte Insurance 888-248-3477 www.movieinsurance.com
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Sarasota County Film & Entertainment Office 888-765-5777 www.filmsarasota.com
5
South Coast Film & Video 713-661-3550 www.scfilmvideo.com
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November/December 2013
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35
Inside View
Porchlight | By Christine Bunish
Kristen Forrest Executive Producer – Porchlight, Nashville, Tenn. www.porchlight.tv Markee: Tell us about Porchlight’s recent launch as the in-house commercial division of Taillight TV. Kristen Forrest: “Our parent company, Taillight, is an award-winning production company that’s been producing high-end broadcast programming, TV specials, award shows, and music videos for over 15 years. Last month, they took home a Music Video of the Year award from the CMA for Highway Don’t Care with Tim McGraw, Keith Urban and Taylor Swift. “A couple of years ago, Taillight began attracting a considerable amount of spot work, so we started an in-house commercial division, which had great success. As the demand for spots continued to grow, it became clear that if we were going to do this right, we needed to create a company exclusively focused on the short-form genre. Porchlight meets Southeast and Texas-based agencies and brands’ growing demand for high-end commercial production services.” Markee: Nashville is known as a great music town, but is it a commercials town, too? Kristen Forrest: “There are quite a few large agencies in Nashville, and the town has been getting a lot of press about being a hot, happening city, which is great for everybody’s business. There’s a buzz about Nashville; people want to shoot here – it’s a fun destination. Although we shoot commercials all over the country, it’s very cost-effective to do projects in town. “Porchlight brings a diverse aesthetic to its work from sophisticated spots with national appeal to comedy and action-driven. We’ve found that some brands are interested in having country 36
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artists as their spokesperson – like the Sunny D spots we did with Martina McBride. So our relationships with world-class performers bring another dimension to our offerings.” Markee: Do you come from a commercials background? Kristen Forrest: “I began my career in New York City and have 25years of commercial production experience on national and regional spots. I worked with Jenks and Partners, RSA USA and The Artists Company, where I spent three years on the Wendy’s campaign as a freelance production manager.” Markee: Who’s on the Porchlight directors’ roster? Kristen Forrest: “We launched with directors Peter Zavadil, who is based in Austin, and LA-based TK McKarmy and Timothy Kendall. Taillight started repping Peter for music videos years ago, and we convinced him to join Porchlight’s roster. He has boundless energy and a wealth of innovative ideas. Music videos involve a director in every phase of the creative process and bring a fresh perspective to Peter’s commercial projects. He loves collaborating with agencies and editing his own music videos and spots whenever possible. “While we were still under the Taillight banner, Peter directed a campaign for The MED Hospital, which he shot in the hospital’s ER in Memphis. Currently, we’re working directly with another Tennesseebased hospital on a new, out-of-thebox campaign for the hospital industry. Working directly with brands allows us to develop the creative and follow through, efficiently bringing the
November/December 2013
full scope of our talent and services to a spot. “TK is Kentucky born and raised, but lives in LA now and shoots all over the country. He’s a real-people person, and one of his strongest suits is working with kids. He recently wrapped a national, web-based campaign for a packaged goods client, which is slated to launch in 2014. “Timothy is based in LA, too; we rep him in the Southeast and Texas. He’s great with action and performance-driven comedy and works a lot with sports celebrities and athletes. He did the new Wolverine movie promo and the ongoing Choose Control project for Toyota on the AOL Autos website.” Markee: What do you forecast for 2014, Porchlight’s first full year as its own brand? Kristen Forrest: “During the new year, our focus will be on continuing to introduce the Southeast’s newest commercial production company to the industry and building awareness of the fact that, in Nashville, the cost of producing a top-caliber spot directed by award-winning talent is dramatically less than in other regions – and an exciting option worth exploring. “We forecast that more and more agencies and brands will discover the advantages of working with Porchlight and, as we continue to deliver spots that consistently surpass our clients’ highest expectations, our talent roster and scope of work will grow. Nashville is known as a music town, and while 2014 may be a few years premature, we predict that the city also will build a reputation as a center for commercial production. Porchlight is committed to working toward that goal.”
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