Parc Entertainment - A Video Production Company - Birmingham, AL

Parc Entertainment is now Red Fox Media. We have changed names to reflect a growing area of our business. In addition to our video production and post-production services, we offer website design and development. The name change has been a year in the making. You can now visit us at our new website to see samples of our work. Please consider us a resource for any future marketing and communication efforts.

In my experiences as a video producer and director, I have learned that clients can fall under two extremes: On one end of the spectrum are clients who are heavily involved in every stage of the process.  On the other end of the spectrum are the clients who take a “hands off” approach. They approve the creative strategy and then let the production company produce the video. Then, they will come back in during the editing process to give notes. And, of course, there are clients who will fall somewhere in the middle.

Ultimately, it’s your responsibility as a producer/director to give the client what they want. You need to recognize their particular work habits and learn to adapt accordingly. But if you are faced with a client who prefers a “hands off” approach it can be difficult to determine if you are on the right track. You could be faced with a big problem if you have already shot all of your footage and invested a lot of time in the edit only to discover that your client didn’t like the way you shot a particular scene. Or they might not like the wording of the script in a particular section. Or they might not like the look of a certain location. However, there are things that both the client and the video director can do to avoid costly re-shoots or extra time in the editing suite.

Directors, don’t ignore the client while on set. If you see that they are standing off by themselves, encourage them to come over and take a look at each shot before you start filming. Ask them if the lighting, framing, blocking, etc. is what they had in mind. Before moving on to another scene, ask the client if there is any other shot that they need before wrapping the gear. Clients, make sure that someone from your team is on location to supervise the shoot. Don’t be afraid to look over the director’s shoulder. Ask questions. Be honest about what you would like to see. Make sure that the footage you are getting is the footage you want. Better to have the footage and not need it, than need it and not have it.

Ultimately, a video production is a collaborative process, so both parties should respect each other and listen to any creative input. The client and the production company both want to produce the best video possible. And that’s some common ground from which to start.

Here are a few production stills from one of our recent commercial shoots. The client is PoshBirmingham.com, a soon-to-be-launched website highlighting some of the best retailers and restaurants in the Birmingham area. We produced :30, :15, and :05 spots that will start airing mid June.

A few months ago I posted a couple of articles outlining ways in which you can help make the post-production process a little more efficient.  The foundation for a smooth post-production is laid during the actual shoot. If you are disciplined and organized in production, then the edit will get off to a good start. There are two major things you need to do throughout the shoot - slate each shot and maintain a shooting log.

Slating each shot means placing a clapboard, card, a piece of paper, etc. in front of the camera before each scene. Written on the slate is valuable information pertaining to the individual shot, like scene number, take number, production title, and date. Having this information appear before every take will help your editor keep track of all the shots throughout post. Even if you are working both as director and editor, a slate is an invaluable tool.

In addition to slating each shot, it’s important to keep a running log of everything you shoot. A log contains a description of each take and a record of what happened during that particular take. It will help you remember, for example, if the pickup truck blocked your main actor on the fourth take or the sixth take. It will help you to remember if the conveyor belt moved at just the right speed on the third or the fifth take. And it will help you to remember when your interview subject used that great sound byte.

This all sounds great, in theory. The reality is, sometimes in the hectic pace of a documentary corporate shoot, or low-budget indie project, it can be easy to get off track. However, the iPhone has apps available to help make the process easier and more convenient. iSlate, from iBuiltThis, is a digital clapper that allows users to conveniently slate and log their shots. It’s perfect for a run-and-gun project with a bare bones crew, because you will always have your phone with you. And since it’s only $3, iSlate is a great option when compared to actual chalk and dry-earse slates on the market.

I love my iPhone. It’s incredible to have that many resources and tools in one device. I’m always interested in learning about new apps that can increase productivity and make my life a little more organized and efficient. Last month I posted a video about Cinemek’s storyboarding application, Hitchcock. Today I wanted to post a little information about Helios. Released last April, Helios is a tool for cinematographers that will allow you to calculate the position of the sun for any given day, at any given time, at any given location around the world. This can be an incredibly useful tool for DP’s working with natural light. Let’s say you have an exterior shoot in Grand Rapids, MI next month, but it’s overcast and rainy on your location scout . With the Helios app, you can instantly calculate where the sun will be at the exact moment of your shoot. It’s a great way to keep track of the ever-changing lighting conditions when shooting outdoors.

This question came to me recently…

We have a cannon XHA1 and are having issues shooting dark objects inside. The pixels within the dark areas become noisy or fuzzy. It seems like lower shutter speeds help this issue but don’t resolve it all together.

If you are shooting video in low light and your camera is set to auto iris, the camera will maximize all available light to boost the exposure. This results in grainy, or noisy video. You can also introduce grain onto your video if you increase the camera’s gain to compensate for low light. Many video cameras with manual controls allow you to control the amount of gain, usually in increments ranging from 0db to 18db.

To ensure that your image is clear, sharp and clean, you need to ensure that there is enough light on set for a proper exposure. If your script requires that you shoot nighttime scenes, or scenes in dark interiors, remember that the illusion of darkness is created NOT by taking away the amount of light on set, but by increasing the amount of contrast. You can shoot nighttime scenes without grain by knowing how to properly light the set.

For video production, it’s always helpful to have a collection of sound effects at your disposal, but sometimes you need to create something from scratch. Perhaps you can’t find the right sound effect in your library, or the effect itself sounds too electronic or campy. There are a number of resources across the web that can provide you with great DIY tutorials on creating authentic sound effects. Years ago, I came across a tip on how to create an authentic punching sound effect for fight scenes. All you need is a stalk of celery, a pillow, and a stick or baseball bat. Place the celery on the pillow and then hit the celery with the stick. The pillow provides you with a nice, muffled “thud,” mimicking the sound of a fist making contact with someone’s stomach. And the celery provides a nice bone-crunching sound effect. There are some variations to this effect, like using raw meat instead of a pillow, and cabbage instead of celery, but with a few household items and some experimentation you can create some nice authentic sounds.

There are many corporate videos that feel staged, rehearsed… unnatural. Every action seems forced and the blocking predictable. Budgets often prohibit the hiring of professional actors, so sales and marketing videos usually rely on actual employees to communicate a company’s message. Using real-life employees, however, does have its advantages. It gives the company some transparency, allowing viewers to see the people behind the brand. And it can be a necessity. After all, if you’re producing an employee orientation video, wouldn’t you want to feature other employees within the company?

The challenge for the director then is to instruct non-professional talent so that the video seems personable, open, and natural. Here are some things to keep in mind:

1. Be clear with the talent regarding the content of the video, what you expect of them, and what you are trying to achieve.
2. If they are to be interviewed, go over the questions with them beforehand. Again, tell them what you’re looking for, but be careful not to lead them. The answers need to come from them, in their own words.
3. Before you start shooting, take some time to get to know your talent. Get them talking about things they are interested in. Being in front of a camera can be intimidating for some people. So you need to help them relax before you start rolling.
4. In some situations, you may find yourself working with children. If so, take some time to joke around with them. Get them laughing. go outside and play with them for a little bit. If they consider you a friend, then they will perform better on camera.
5. Children are very curious, so let them look at your gear. Show them the camera. Let them look through the viewfinder. Get them excited about being in the video.

Each of these suggestions is designed to help your talent feel comfortable. If they feel at ease with you, your crew, and the situation, then their on-camera presence will be incredibly strong.

In 2003 director Lexi Alexander teamed up with Hunter Films to produce Johnny Flynton, a short-film that went on to receive an Oscar nomination. Now, Alexander returns to Alabama to shoot Lifted, a feature that centers on a young boy striving to make life better for himself and his family through his passion for R&B music. This production will be taking advantage of the filmmaker tax-incentive legislation that was recently passed by representatives in Montgomery. Hopefully, Lifted will mark a new surge in film production across the state.

The film starts shooting today and will run for the next three weeks. I will be on set for at least four days shooting behind-the-scenes footage that will ultimately be used in the film’s marketing efforts. Our goal is to capture the southern flavor of the locale and highlight the capable and talented Alabama crew that will be working tirelessly to see this film through to completion. Not only do we hope to promote the film as a whole, but we want to promote Alabama as a great place for filmmakers.

Last Thursday I posted part one of a two-part series on how to budget for a video production. In today’s article I want to conclude by looking at those items in your budget that are necessities, but can often be overlooked.

Estimate Your Per Diems

Once all of the items from last week’s article are taken care of, it’s time to make sure that you and your crew have something to eat throughout the shoot. Make sure you cover the cost of meals and craft services (i.e. the snacks and drinks you and your crew grab throughout the day). Per diems can range anywhere from $25 per person per day, to $50 per person per day. I have found that $40 per person per day works for me.

Estimate Your Travel

If you do need to book a flight for the job, call the airline and inquire about their excess baggage fees. You need to account for that cost in addition to the cost of your tickets (You can save money by either shipping some gear ahead of time, or by electing a crew member to drive the gear to your destination).

But even if the shoot doesn’t require a flight or hotel stay, you need to estimate how many miles you and your crew will be driving throughout the production. As of this writing, the standard IRS rate for mileage reimbursement is $0.55 per mile. Don’t forget to estimate your mileage for pre-production and post-production. And remember that with driving comes parking fees and possible road tolls.

Estimate for the Unexpected

What happens when a shooting day gets rained out and you have to add on an additional day? Did you account for that in your budget? You need to. I always add a little to the budget to cover contingency days and any other emergencies that might pop up while in production.

Estimate Your Production Fee

The final thing you need to add into your budget is a production fee. This is especially important if you are set up as a business (LLC, Corp., etc.). You’ve paid yourself and your crew. You’ve accounted for your expenses, and so you need to make sure your company has some left over at the end of the day. After all, if you want your business to grow, you will need to turn a profit.

These are my suggestions for how to prioritize your budget. Hopefully it will help you be more organized and, ultimately, more profitable as you grow your video production company.