Take Notes and Have a Second Monitor

Had an opportunity this past week to DP for a director I'd met earlier this year. We'd stayed in touch and a few weeks ago he and his producer reached out about a corporate project. It'd be a straight forward internal project for one of their corporate clients with employee interviews and b-roll. We'd planned on shooting with one camera but ended up adding a second to help with the interview edits. Camera-wise, we'd be on two RED Weapon Heliums with Cooke S4 lenses shooting 4k ProRes for the interviews and .r3d files for our b-roll.

The shoot was broken up over two days. We had a dedicated room for our interviews, but due to scheduling we'd need to clear the space at the end of each day. Surely this isn't rocket science and I'm not sure where I'd picked it up, but one of my go-tos is taking panorama photos of the setups from multiple angles in the room with my iPhone or iPad. I'll take those photos into the GoodNotes app on my iPad and write down whatever notes I'll end up needing. Typically I'll include the measurements as to where cameras, lights, and interview chairs will be as well as any kind of camera (T-stops, filters, ISO, color temps, etc) and lighting information (color temp, intensity, etc.). Obviously this was key in keeping consistent the second day with interview setup.

Also, it was the first time I'd worked with the AC and my camera package, so it was helpful (to me at least) to be able to send him my gear and a photo of how it's all packed. Helpful too being able to check each item off as it was re-packed and back in its place following the shoot.

Also, in having a two camera setup I was able to have two SmallHD 702s mounted to my camera setup (tight shot with a 100mm) so I could monitor both cameras while also operating one. The wide shot was on a 50mm at a T4 and the interviewee was seated at 10'-13'-ish from the camera so I wasn't worried about losing focus if they moved around a bit. This ended up saving our tails at one point because we had a power failure on the wide shot, I caught the problem immediately, and we were able to pause the interview. Having the two monitors side by side was also helpful in being able to judge both camera exposures from one place vs. running back and forth between cameras while the gaffer and swing made adjustments. We did have a larger client monitor with both camera feeds, but that lived in another room. Crazy thanks to the crew for making sure everything went smooth.

DP: Tanner Herriott
AC: Ryan Nocella
GAFFER: Rob Bevis
SWING: Andrew Landreville

Seamless Paper Backdrops

A client I've been working with recently hired me to shoot a campaign they were working on for a small clothing brand. They wanted to feature on-camera talent wearing the brand's clothing in front of multiple solid color backgrounds. We didn't have the budget or the time to build out multiple sets in different colors, so our best option was to use one lighting setup and multiple colors of seamless paper backdrops.

Over the years I've shot a ton of talking head projects and normally our only requirements are making sure the room looks somewhat decent and is big enough for our equipment, crew, and talent. Recently I started using Savage Seamless Background Paper to try and improve our production value and it's been a great experience. It does take a bit more time and effort to get everything set up given the additional space and stands necessary. It can also be a hot mess to transport those wider paper rolls if you don't have a larger vehicle or box truck. Once you figure that nonsense out, the improved look can certainly be worth the effort if it's in line with the creative direction.

Talking heads are pretty simple. More often than not they're locked-off shot(s) and the on-camera talent is sitting and not moving around. For this project though, the client wanted the talent to be moving around and for us to capture a mix of close-ups, mediums, and full-body shots.

We had the budget to rent out a larger studio space here in the Oklahoma City area. The additional space gave us plenty of room to unroll enough paper for our head-to-toe shots. The space also had enough power for the larger fixtures we needed to evenly light our bigger setups.

The goal was to keep the shadows super soft, so for our key light we made a book light with one of the studio's 5k fixtures bounced into a 6x6' ultra bounce and back through a 6x6' silk. For the backlight, we pushed a single 4' Fourbank Kinoflo through a 48" diffusion frame. The larger light sources gave the talent plenty of room to move around while still maintaining a consistent look. We also used a large black solid opposite the key and a double net at times to help sculpt the lighting. We shot another look during the first half of the day using the studio's large white cyc wall, but we can talk about that some other time. Sidenote: my life is forever changed after using wheeled combo stands for the first time. Those things are magic.

Knowing how well they'd worked for me in the past, we used those Savage Seamless Paper Backdrops and the client picked out four colors: blue, yellow, pink, and red. The final delivery would be a 16x9 format, so we used the 107" wide backdrop. Savage does have a 140" option, but we weren't able to get that for our shoot.

The paper backdrops we were using were wide enough to fill out the background of our close-up and medium shots, but the full-body-length shots would need a bit of work in post. Depending on the edit, the paper backdrop edges would need to be digitally extended to fill out the 16x9 frame. As long as the on-camera talent didn't go past the edge of the paper, they'd be fine.

In the end, we were happy with our footage. The client didn't want to deal with a ton of post-work so we shot the full sensor 4k ProRes on my RED Weapon and baked in the the RedGamma 4 / Dragon Color 2 look. You're a bit limited with the framerates in using the 4k ProRes option on the RED Weapon, but we were able to get what we needed and the client didn't have to deal with the much larger raw 8k .R3D files.

CLIENT: Red Moxie Media
DIRECTOR: Tanya Martineau
AC: John Dewberry

Carnivale 2018 Photo Shoot

If your website is something like bestpartyintown.org you’d better not disappoint.

Carnivale is a black tie event in Tulsa raising money for the Mental Health Association of Oklahoma (MHAOK). The organization works to combat homelessness and the stigmas associated with mental illness.

Tulsa-based TPC Studios is the creative force behind the Carnivale event and responsible for making sure the fundraiser lives up to its URL. This year’s Stars and Stripes-themed event is inspired by the World War II era. TPC put together a team to recreate the set of a celebrity USO Tour Press Conference featuring the MHAOK Chairs and Committee Members.

TL;DR – Basically it’s a big photoshoot for the main promotion imagery for a HUGE fundraiser/kick-arse party.

I’ve been on a couple of the Carnivale sets over the years filming BTS footage and interviews (2015 & 2016). This year I was able to join the team shooting “moving portrait” style footage that they’ll project on screens during the event. Cue the RED Weapon Helium shooting 99fps at a 6k widescreen resolution.

What I absolutely love about the Carnivale shoot is the creative team behind it. I’d highly encourage checking out and following this stew of creatives. Crazy thanks to Todd Pyland and Tony Li for letting me crash the party.

CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Todd Pyland
ART DIRECTOR/PRODUCER: Tony Li
PHOTOGRAPHER: Jeremy Charles
CINEMATOGRAPHER: me
CINEMATOGRAPHER (BTS & Interviews): Grant Sweetwood
SET DECORATOR & STYLIST: Stacy Suvino
WARDROBE STYLIST: Shannon Schroeder
HAIR & MAKEUP: Jordan Best
PHOTO ASSISTANTS: Sarah Eliza Roberts & Clay Flores

Have Gear, Will Travel

The travel side of what I get to do is honestly worth the uncertainties and stress that are also part of this work.

A couple months ago a client hit me up about a shoot in south Florida scheduled for mid-January. When possible, I’ll head out a day earlier on my own dime to take in being in a new place or city. I’ve already been to Florida, but I’m not about to say “No” to a beach and a chance to find another decent coffee shop. Thank goodness West Palm Beach didn’t let me down.

It’s still slow season at the moment and every dollar counts, so I booked a cheap room for the night, got a rental car for less than it would have cost to pay for a ride share or taxi, and ate dinner at the United Club during a layover.

It's worth the effort to commit to one airline and take advantage of the perks. Years ago a DP buddy of mine got me hooked on United Airlines and I’ve not looked back. At this point, I'm not flying enough to get club membership via elite status, so I pay roughly $450/year in membership fees for a United MileagePlus Club Visa card. It gets me Premiere status with easier check-ins, earlier boarding, and two free checked bags on each flight, as well as United Club access. The two free checked bags perk alone helps me save a crazy amount of money considering all the gear I travel with and more than covers that yearly membership fee. There are other perks too, but those are the main ones keeping me a loyal United customer.

I found a solid coffee shop in downtown West Palm Beach and after breakfast, I walked up and down the beach until my parking meter ran out. Before meeting the rest of the crew, I picked up some gear I’d rented from Lensrentals and had shipped to a local FedEx branch.

We scouted the first location that afternoon before heading back to the hotel for the night. I’ll typically have my Canon 5Dmk3 with me on scouts along with my iPhone. For sure I’d rather scout the location during the same time of day before the scheduled shoot, but that wasn’t an option. The Sun Seeker app let me know where the sun would be during our shoot and Artemis helped me make some shot choices by being able to plug in my camera, resolution, and lens choices.

The shoot itself went well the next day. The creative agency, Signal Factory, hired me out with my RED Weapon Helium package and CP.2 lens set. We used their Oconnor 1030Ds fluid head and sticks plus their Dana Dolly. For the Dana Dolly, Signal flew out with their setup and we bought two 10’ pipes from Home Depot near the location. They’d also rented some additional grip & electric but we didn’t end up using it – pretty bummed we didn’t even turn on the ARRI Sky Panels.

Signal Factory had also hired a couple local photogs to shoot stills and drone footage so we had to coordinate on set as needed. The client nixed the second location and we were able to get all we needed at the first.

We dumped footage back at the hotel, cleaned up, and went out for dinner. Our flights were stupid early the next morning, so it wasn’t going to be much of a late night.

One thing I plan to look into this year to try and make my life easier in airports is TSA PreCheck. In addition to my checked bags, I travel with two carry-ons: a larger backpack (personal items, 13" MacBook Pro, and iPad) and a roller bag for my "must-have" camera gear (camera bodies and lenses). I always carry on my main camera gear just in case a checked bag gets lost. Clients are spending good money on me and my travel expenses, so it does them no good for me to show up to a travel job without my gear – it's happened before.

TSA typically freaks out at having to check all my gear during security screenings. There have been more security measure updates recently and when I was leaving Oklahoma City, the TSA agents took out all my camera gear, batteries, and iPad to X-ray again without giving me a heads up. I understand their purpose is our safety, but experience has taught me they seem to have more to think about than how to properly handle camera gear. TSA PreCheck is something like $85, lasts five years, and because they've already done a background check, it helps get you through security much quicker. Their website mentions that “In December 2017, 93% of TSA PreCheck passengers waited less than 5 min.”

Slow Season Busy Work

It's slow season ya'll with way more time than work. It's that time of year when I'd honestly prefer shriveling up into a wad of insecurity and self-doubt and drink coffee till things get better.

St. Anne the Wife has been around long enough to know when I need to get out and go film something. Thankfully I got out to The Farm before the January temps in Oklahoma dropped to angry Minnesota winter levels. Oh, and by "The Farm" I mean "my-parents-land-forty-five-minutes-from-Oklahoma-City."

Obviously, I'm always hoping for good light but that's harder to come by now with two young kids. Normally I'm running one kid to school around sunrise and then cooking, eating, and/or cleaning up after dinner during the evening light. My window to shoot these days feels like a relentless insult of the midday sun.

It was still that "Hey dummy, no one likes you" type of overhead light while I was out the other day. The thought was to try and shoot anything around The Farm and how it was moving with the wind. I also had a can of Atmosphere Aerosol with me, but it was too windy for it to make a difference. The footage was all shot on a 35mm CP2 between 5-8k widescreen on my RED Weapon Helium at framerates between 60-150fps.

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All the footage got edited down to its good bits in what I call a "cuttingboard" timeline/sequence. That sequence then gets copy-pasted to a new "v1" sequence and I go from there. I always end up pulling frame grabs from the footage to feed the Insta-beast and color that nonsense as I go. VSCO is my go-to photo editor on my phone, but I'm also learning to use Adobe Lightroom. There's also the idea of making custom LUTs in Lightroom and bringing them into Premiere Pro. I tried making a couple for this edit, but in the end, I went with a pre-made LUT in Premiere. The color correction and grading process is always the most intimidating part of any edit for me. I'll reference my edited stills, but those looks rarely end up being appropriate as part of a whole in the final edit.

Music is the next part of the project. Obviously, I always get the music rights for client projects, but that's not always the case for these random projects I'll put together that'll be seen by like six people. Recently I've been digging through SoundCloud for music; some let you download, others don't. It's great to find a song you like and then it'll refer you to other work you might also like. For this edit, I used "Fireworks" by Pham. I'll break the full track down into bits, normally looking to keep the total edit to around 60 seconds. Again, gotta feed that Insta-beast.

Once I get the music close to where I want it, that's when I start laying down the edit. Again, for this edit I wanted to do something with how the wind was moving the grass and trees. The footage alone wasn't enough, so I also added digital zooms and subtle rotation at times. Editing something like this is mostly gut-level for me. I'm not looking to tell a story, but I'm VERY intentional about how each clip feels and interacts with others in the timeline and how they play off the music. It's a constant process of building and releasing tension and concluding with some kind of resolution.

UPDATED: 3/18/2024

Beyond just going out to make something, these exercises produce original content and digital licensing opportunities in the form of stock footage. This project is part of my Filmsupply portfolio and is available in its own section: Field Scenery. Certainly, I'm stoked to see additional revenue from my independent projects, but it's always wild seeing how other creatives use and re-purpose your work. The video below from The Trevor Project uses one of my clips at 1:56.