Beltway

This is trailer I put together for upcoming video series on masculinity. The idea was to put together a collage of that echoed the subliminal messaging we receive growing up that tells us what it means to be a man.

We sit down with Marcus J. Moore, music critic for the BBC in London, The Washington City Paper in D.C., OkayPlayer & Potholes In My Blog, among other publications. Grammy Academy member.

For Tips from the Stylist: http://angelabelt.com

 More behind the scenes info to follow.

We shot with a Canon T3i, 50mm 1.8, 10-22mm EF-S, Zoom H1 and the Rode Stereo VideoMic Pro.

Here is what I enjoyed about making this video:

• Coming up with creative b-roll shots on location
• Using b-roll to bridge sections of our video. Eventually, we will find a way to work with very few titles.
• Varying our framing for different questions i.e. WS MS
• Styling props to help tell story and connect writing with Marcus in a visual way
• We changed the music on this peice

What I learned

• Don't hide the external mic behind props to get more direct sound
• Just bought a Zoom H4n with two lavalier mics FTW
• I bought an excellent tripod on the recommendation of Cheesycam.com Fancier FT-718 fluid tripod!
• I shot at the magic hour just before sunset and with my back to the sun. I loved the lighting on this video
• Sound was a challenge again, but I gotta work with what I have

This is a recent commercial I finished with a friend of mine for Eat Fresh Maryland. Eat Fresh Maryland is a program that provides low income families with healthy and affordable food options at local Farmer's markets. It was a great project to work on.

My role was to create animated sequences to educate viewers on the program. I used a hand drawn approach for the animation. I drew on paper then scanned the work in using my iPhone( works like a charm and better than a scanner for this work) then I brought the work into Photoshop. All the animation was done using Apple's Motion.

I made the opening animation in Motion using vector artwork I created in Illustrator.
This was a fun piece because it allowed me to add a different texture to video and really provide the energy needed to get the commercial started.

Besides the animation, I consulted on the editing side as well. It was a great opportunity to show some range animation wise. Enjoy the work.

Today we'll be Interviewing our friend writer Marcus Moore. It should be fun.
Here is what I'm shooting with:
T3i
10-22mm
50mm
Rode Stereo Video Mic
W718 Fluid Head tripod
ZoomH1

I'll let you know how it goes.
The goal today is to get movement in the storyline. Rather than our usual sit down and talk style I want to reframe after questions and use b roll early to break up the format a little.
Wish me luck!

 (Had to repost because of some Squarespace nonsense. Originally posted  5 September 2011)

We sit down with Jeanine Hays Creative Director and Founder of AphroChic a modern and very soulful designer accessories shop that started as a humble blog. Today, AphroChic's pillows, wallpaper, and style have lead to an upcoming book, an exhibit at the Maison Home & Object show in Paris, and much more on the horizon.

For More Details: http://www.aphrochicshop.com/pages/new-arrivals

For Book Details: http://aphrochic.blogspot.com/

For Tips from the Stylist: http://angelabelt.com

We shot with a Canon T3i, 50mm 1.8, Zoom H1 and the Rode VideoMic Pro.

This is the same gear as the first shoot. I borrowed another T3i from a friend in order to shoot A CAM and B CAM footage.

This microphone was the REAL step up in production value. I attached the feet from my flash in order to position the microphone closer to the interviewee. It works in pinch without a boom or even better a lapel microphone. 

For the graphics shots, I used Apple's Motion to add energy and context to the the interviewee's words. This was a lot of fun. All the titles were done in Motion as well. I like After Effects, but for this kind of quick turnaround Motion was the right tool.

What I learned from this shoot:

I am going to have the interviewee look into the camera and have the interviewer sit directly to the left of the camera. The will provide a better connection with the audience. Having a second camera allows me more flexibility in post and even better allows me to emphasize what the interviewee is saying. 

Audio, audio, audio. Great audio can help shots blend. The worse the audio the worse your cuts feel even if they flow visually. 

On the photography side, it can be a real challenge to keep your model poised in the hot sun. It helped to take breaks and setup shots while she was waiting in the shade. Technically, I used my 18% gray card for calibration and a Reflector for fill light.

Honestly, I'm gonna need a bigger reflector.

The one I have is great for medium shots and interviews but junk for full body portraits. Also, I need a reflector stand to get a soft hair light or just to keep me from McGyvering a setup to keep light on the model. Don't put the reflector on the ground and aim it under the chin of your subject. It leads to shadows across the body if they move their hands and doesn't flatter their jaw line.

All in all, I  had fun on this shoot and that was the whole point. Next time I will rent a lapel microphone and add some lower thirds animations to remind people of who is talking during the video. Their is a rental shop in town that rents camera sliders. I'd rather rent right now then buy as the gear is really secondary to storyline. 

That said, I just picked up the cheapo CowboyStudio shoulder rig on Amazon and a LCDEVF so keeping my headroom on handhelf shots should a little bit less work. Hope you enjoyed the piece!