AudioVisual

Magic Moments

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I was inspired after reading  this post. In it Mike discusses the role happenstance plays in video production. Let’s face it sometimes we plan shots down to the frame and they turn out ok, making us wonder if we ever had any talent in the first place. Then we when we turn around we just happen to grab a shot where the light is amazing, just the right amount of wind and all the planets align to create the perfect shot. The shot usually ends with comments about our own brilliance, deserved or not, and we remember why we love what we do.

It can happen on the set or in post production. After hours of blood, sweat and tears (in my accident prone case blood is usually involved), after wondering why I  didn’t go into some “normal” profession, like teaching or animal wrangling…all of a sudden the “magic” happens and I get a glimpse at perfection. These are the moments of greatness we look for. These are the moments I love.

The natural high from grabbing the perfect shot or doing the perfect edit is amazing. All the pain and frustration are forgotten. I remember why I chose to work in video, why I keep coming back to it after getting out for a few years at a time. All of a sudden I’m a little kid back again, on one of my family’s rare trips to the movies, watching The Empire Strikes Back. I remember that magic.

I’m probably never going to make that kind of magic, but just getting a taste of it every now and then keeps me coming back for more.

Making Do with What You’ve Got

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We’ve all been there. You’re on a shoot, or doing something in post, and you don’t have a piece of equipment you need. Well it happened to me a few days ago. I was cutting some voice-over when I realized that I didn’t have a mic stand. So I did what everyone in video production does in this situation – I improvised. I looked around the office and turned a lonely looking 3 hole punch into a stand with a little help from Gaffer’s Tape.

Mic Stand and 3 Hole Punch

Mic St and/3 Hole Punch

We’ve all done it. Gorilla video production. Production by the seat of your pants. Whatever you want to call it, it’s making do with what you’ve got. Maybe you’re missing a light stand…maybe you’re missing lights. A quick trip to a big box hardware store and you can get what you need for a stand or a light…or both!

Most seasoned video production folks have at least one story about how they made something work in a pinch. So let’s share some old “war” stories. What have YOU made do with? What did you have to make out of spare parts to get the shot and save the day? I’d love to see a picture too! This is your chance to show us just how ingenious you are!

The OTHER Side of Me

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I realized that I’ve neglected a very important part of what I do and who I am. It’s time to rectify that.

I’ve gone by a lot of different titles….video specialist, videographer, multimedia specialist, media specialist, editor, director…the list goes on. In a nutshell, I’m good at video production. It’s my sweet spot. I’ve done marketing and communications work but I always find myself back in some aspect of video production.

I consider myself a generalist. There are those who focus on editing, or lighting, or sound. I’ve never been that lucky. Most of my work has been on small teams or small projects where you have to wear many hats. I’ve worked in small market television and corporate video. I’ve even shot weddings as side gigs on the weekends. And I can honestly tell you that a bad day editing is in many ways better than a good day doing almost anything else.

So why do I bring this up? Because I intend for this blog to cover my video life as well. I’m hoping you’ll find that there is a bridge between what most people think of as video and the world of marketing, messaging and outreach.

And now and then I may throw in an amusing story about some of the crazy things I’ve seen, done, and experienced during my video adventures. You’ll have to stay tuned for that.