Services
Production
2 Sony DVR1VU cameras product high-definition images.
1 L.E.D. lighting package. Daylight balanced and low-power.
1 Teleprompter package.
1 Shure Mixer
2 AKG boom mikes
2 Countryman lavaliere mikes, and assorted capsules
Idea Creation
Kevin Sinnott is our lead creative. All programs flow through him, from beginning to end. He is our idea fountain. He has the rare ability to work equally well whether or not the idea’s germ started with him. He cut his comic teeth at Second City, has been a performer, writer and producer. His comic streak is gentle and lends itself well to docudrama. It also helps him be adept at relaxing both professional and non-professional talent.
L.E.D. Lighting
Why do we shoot with L.E.D. lights? First, we don’t always. But, we found since their introduction in 2007, that L.E.D. lights are the best overall for documentary and reality shooting. They are very soft and easy on the eyes. They’re cool, They are rugged. They use very little power and are ecologically sound. We have been able to shoot in various countries’ with only a small transformer, one powering all the lights. The only thing we’d like is battery power, and we’re sure it’s a baby step from that time.
Meanwhile, they won’t freeze up performers, they blend really well with normal room lights and they provide daylight balanced lighting so windows that should be in the shot are there. They also seem to have a longer “throw” than fluorescents.
Sony HVR 1VU cameras
The high definition market is upon us. Even though most of our current releases are DVD or web, we made a decision to shoot entirely in high definition. HDV is a format that is endorsed by most of the major hardware companies. Our other choice was P2 and our initial experience told us P2 Wasn’t for us and HDV was. The Sony cameras we chose use tape but there are now attachable drives that allows us to record direct to them, although to date we always run a tape backup while shooting to drives. The HDV format is compatible with Blu-ray, which was a motivation to move to it, as we had advance information that Blu-ray would become the industry standard. All formats, even improved ones, have quirks that take getting used to and drawbacks that must be overcome. We are confident that we now have a good workflow using this format.
Its strengths are great color, typically “Sony” as in a Kodachrome kind of gold tone, although we can “fix it in post” if we want less of it or a cool look. It errs on everything being in focus, and while this is initially appealing, it sometimes takes extra work to create a soft look, which even in high definition can be very appealing for the right show.
Audio
We use Countrymen and Lectrasonic lavaliere wireless microphones. The Countrymen are so small we have found them to be preferable for most talent situations. They do not draw attention to themselves and sound excellent. We can customize the heads to best match your voice. We are kind of unusual for video producers in that we were founded by an audiophile. We have a variety of sound gathering tools, depending upon the production. We do a lot of sound sweetening, probably because we enjoy it. We add background sounds and attempt to always keep b-roll with natural sound as it adds a lot of emotion to the picture. We think sound is extremely important to any video.
Foreign language
We’ve done enough documentaries in non-English countries to have developed a philosophy regarding translations. Our work flow is to interview the person in their native language unless they otherwise prefer English. Our method is to capture their take and have an on-site translator using a separate microphone to instantly record their basic translation. Sometimes, that translation is so good, we use it in the final product. In the final show, we use the NPR model of beginning in the interviewee’s language and fading the sound down enough to introduce the translation. This way, those who speak the native language can follow it, but most viewers will simply hear the English translation, while hearing the emotion of the original.
Post production
We typically spend three to four hours for every hour we shoot logging and capturing. We pride ourselves in taking the extra time to find nuances and statements others miss. What this means to you and your final show is a character development far beyond most documentaries. Even our industry work has character development. Of course, this isn’t just careful logging. It is due to our warm interview style, relaxed lighting and improvisational work flow. But, the nuggets others find in our videos are only there because someone took the time to really explore the footage. We also work with top end graphic artists and online editors to refine the final product into broadcast quality, even if you are using the program internally.
It is our observation that there is no such thing as a captive audience.
