High-Definition Video Production

Q. Describe the most common types of jobs you do for your clients.

A. Small documentary productions, short narrative films, business, non-profit or family/personal profile films.

Q. What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?

A. Look for someone who...

...won't make major sacrifices to quality in order to undercut the competition.

...is willing to listen and and really understand your product, mission or goal.

...makes you even more excited about your project than you were before you began searching for a production company.

Q. If you were a customer, what do you wish you knew about your trade? Any inside secrets to share?

A. Listen to your video producer, regardless of who it is, if they advise you of a potential problem such as a shot that won't fit in well when the video is edited. Your producer should also listen to your suggestions and concerns, but a good producer will let you know if there are potential problems with your request. And if you still want your idea to be incorporated, your producer should do it.

Q. What important information should buyers have thought through before seeking you out?

A. Where or how do you want the video to be shown, and who is your target audience? Those are the earliest critical things to be considered in order to end up with an effective video.

Q. Why does your work stand out from others who do what you do?

A. I'm a former newspaper and magazine photographer, so the work we produce is more photographic in nature than most video producers. We can shoot in a documentary style or in a more movie-like style, including smooth camera movements.

Q. What do you like most about your job?

A. Those "Ahaa!" moments on set or at the editing computer. And of course, sharing those moments with clients, who can see the magic of a well-produced video telling their story.

Q. What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?

A. Variations of "how can we do this?" Although I can't give a specific answer to this question, we brainstorm together to come up with a solution that clearly explains their message.

Q. Do you have a favorite story from your work?

A. We shot a very short film in 2001, a TV spot for a local arts organization. It incorporated a military boot camp theme and ended up being pretty darned funny. We had a great location too - perfect for the spot, no intruding traffic, and no problems with noise.

Q. What do you wish customers knew about you or your profession?

A. The video or film project really is made in the editing room. In fact, it was Alfred Hitchcock's opinion that writing the script and shooting it were only done to support the editing process. (I'm heavily paraphrasing his actual statement.)

Q. How did you decide to get in your line of work?

A. As a young kid in the 1960s, the US space program was everything to me. I cut out newspaper articles, wrote to every NASA facility I could think of for photos and and other public relations materials, and my grandmother even managed to get John Glenn's autograph for me.

Then, in 1968, Stanley Kubrick released 2001: A Space Odyssey. For a space fanatic like myself, it was indescribable. For some reason, my interests partially shifted to movies, and my goal was to be a model maker for Hollywood, cranking out spacecraft models.

Over time, I began to learn more about the industry and realized that the director was really the creative force behind what I saw in theaters. As my interest in filmmaking grew, I began to realize just how expensive and complex it was. I put the film dream on hold and pursued other goals.
Because of my childhood fascination with space exploration, I began to develop and interest in aviation, and I eventually joined the Navy and flew in aircraft carrier-based S3-A Vikings, a high point in my life.

After leaving the Navy, I worked as a magazine and newspaper photographer, honing my visual skills. I began filmmaking activities using film, an expensive technology. Eventually, digital video with film-like qualities, arrived on the scene, allowing the production of new films and videos to proceed on MUCH lower budgets. And here we are.

Q. Tell us about a recent job you did that you are particularly proud of.

A. Various video projects for the USS Midway Museum. I volunteer there as a docent, so I also contribute my video skills to their mission.

If you're ever visiting the Midway on a Saturday afternoon, I'll likely be there, so look me up.

Q. Do you do any sort of continuing education to stay up on the latest developments in your field?

A. As for continuing education, I certainly do keep up on things. I regularly participate in online forums where new technology, business methods and filmmaking techniques are discussed. I also receive daily email newsletters on a variety of media topics, and I subscribe to quite a few video, film and media magazines.

Q. What are the latest developments in your field? Are there any exciting things coming in the next few years or decade that will change your line of business?

A. There are new video technologies being introduced in the next few months that will change the nature of filmmaking on less than Hollywood-sized budgets.

Shooting on film is the ultimate goal of most filmmakers, but it's very expensive. The cost of film, processing, and transferring to video (or printing to film) for editing is out of reach of most producers. Think at least $200 a minute for a finished 16mm project, delivered to the client in a video format. And that's ONLY for the bare minimum of getting images.

However, the images from the upcoming crop of video cameras are indistinguishable from those captured on film. In fact, these new cameras are so advanced, they really shouldn't be called video cameras. Soon, you'll be able to get film quality for an unbelievably low price compared to film itself. It's an exciting time.

Q. If you have a complicated pricing system for your service, please give all the details here.

A. The pricing system for a quality video isn't complicated - it's custom. You can figure in a basic hourly cost for shooting and editing, but if you're looking for the best quality for your project, other factors need to be figured in.

We would provide an early pre-production quote if you have a large project, along with a very rough estimate of the final cost of your project. Then, as planning commences, we would provide you with a more detailed breakdown of your likely costs.

Beware the producer that ONLY quotes an hourly rate, unless it's a simple project.

Q. If you were advising someone who wanted to get into your profession, what would you suggest?

A. Watch movies and videos, read about not just the technology of filmmaking, but more importantly, the art and theory of it. Work in any capacity you can on as many projects as you can, and for free if necessary (but only if you think it's a worthwhile project and the production team treats you with respect... and they should feed you!)

As you learn more about your craft, you may get to a point where you think to yourself that you can do better than the people you're working for. As long as you keep that sentiment to yourself while on the set, that's a good thing. It means you're ready to start working on your own projects.

Shoot on digital video, and as you gain more experience, move up to more sophisticated camera systems. You could eventually be shooting on real film (expensive), or by the time your'e ready for it, the whiz-bang digital cameras will be ready for you. Just remember that technology is there to HELP you tell a story or get a message across. It's not crucial, so you shouldn't concentrate on equipment while shortchanging film technique.