Great news for fans of NBC's hit reality show "The Biggest Loser."
Viewers will be able to cheer on contestants from the Boston area when Season 10 begins in the fall. Award Productions recently had the pleasure shadowing the local hopefuls as they began their adventure in shedding the pounds.
We're looking forward to rooting for "our" contestants in September. Stay tuned here for details as soon as they are released...
Whenever our camera crews and producers are working out of the office, one of the most stressful parts of the day is trying to agree on just one take-out restaurant to provide lunch.
During this documentary video shoot about herbal medicine in the South Pacific jungles of Vanuatu, there were no such arguments. The choices were coconuts, tarot root and whatever animals happen to be killed that day. Killed in front of you.
We have tremendous respect for vegetarians, but we deliberately didn't send any on this assignment.
Cameraman Peter Koziell almost looks like he's ready for some Rocky Balboa-style training with raw meat. However, we typically train with DVD and on-line tutorials when it comes to learning the nuances of new video production technology.
Whether you need to travel around the world, or just next door, to tell your story, our HD camera crews are used to delivering the goods on tight deadlines.
Drop us a line to share your upcoming projects and your advice on lunches everyone can agree upon.
As in many professions, having eight arms would certainly make life easier in the world of television and video production -- especially when we are at the airport. However, based on this amazing footage taken by a kleptomaniac octopus off the coast of New Zealand, we're sticking with human cameramen.
At the risk of sounding judgmental, the footage from this octopus is a bit too shaky and randomly scattered for our tastes. If he or she (how do you tell the gender of an octopus) truly wanted to capture the scene, we would have seen some wideshots and closeups of the diver chasing after his precious camera.
We do have tremendous admiration for the diver, Victor Huang, who was not intimidated by the ocean beast and fearlessly chased after his equipment despite the octopus' obvious superiority in swimming and upper body strength.
It's the kind of never-ever-quit attitude that would make him a great fit on the Award Productions creative team.
Let's just say that our old production facility was feeling a little cramped.
Our clients who prefer to be in the edit room for short and long-term projects never complained once to us. But things were beginning to feel like we were doing our work in airline seats or the no-leg-room grandstands at Fenway Park.
We also have a brand new sign in our lobby, as our lovely graphic designer Ursula meticulously fine tunes above.
Our new production studio has been up and running since January 18.
The biggest change? An enormous expanded editing suite with enough workspace for clients to camp out overnight if they wish. The glass-enclosed studio also doubles as a video screening room for clients and focus groups -- with adequate space for a wine-and-cheese reception.
Our enthusiasm for the new carpets aside, our new office has a more logical layout and expanded work stations to make the collaborative process smoother and much more comfortable for all.
Stay tuned to this space soon for photos and an invitation to our Studio Open House!
For out-of-state and international clients who communicate with us only by phone and email, there obviously will be no noticeable difference. But we look forward to seeing the expressions on the faces of our clients who do consider us a second home.
Our Search Engine Optimization friends at HubSpot have a fantastic post offering up "Five Video Projects You Can Do in 25 Minutes or Less."
Their title sounds a little too Cosmo magaziney to me, but there are some great suggestions as to how to infuse your blog and Web site with some quick-and-dirty video.
HubSpot's mantra is that on-line video need not be a multi-million dollar Hollywood production, that you can just point and shoot your cheap HD flipcam at your subject and immediately post it to enhance your content. Think sprint, not marathon, they say.
We agree that grabbing your video camera should be as instinctive as bringing your laptop wherever you go. However, there are many projects that should be treated like a marathon rather than a sprint. When video is an integral part of your long-term marketing campaign, it doesn't make sense to just slap something together and put it on YouTube.
Although top marathoners don't hit the finish line in 25 minutes, they do only take two hours and change. A well-planned video project need not take forever, but the extra dedication to detail can make all the difference.
Here are some factors to consider when weighing the options of hiring a professional HD camera crew, video producer and video editor versus doing everything yourself.
1. SHOOTING -- We've seen our share of "Blair Witch Project" footage, but even if your do-it-yourself cameraperson has a steady hand, there's still compelling reasons to upgrade to the pro. It's about the ability to mix up shot angles and instinctively sequence them in your head. A professional shooter is already anticipating the way he or she will piece the video together in the edit room.
The results? It's the difference between watching a funny cat gymnastics video on YouTube and watching "60 Minutes." And if you are shooting all-purpose B-Roll or stock footage for the media, you'll want a broadcast cameraperson to deliver the goods.
2. EDITING -- You know that theory that people really only use 10 percent of their brain capacity? We don't know how true that is, but we can attest that many editors only tap into 10 percent of the power of Final Cut Pro. Experienced editors usually seize every opportunity to keep learning from more experienced editors. What might take a novice hours to edit, may take a professional editor only minutes. But more importantly, creativity is only one part of the equation. You need the skills to apply that creativity -- especially when there are complex graphics.
If you've never done it, sitting in the edit room while your project is being cut together is an AMAZING experience. It's quite remarkable how the editor and Final Cut Pro almost merge into one creative engine. We invite all our clients into our edit studio, and would be delighted to host you.
3. PRODUCING -- Network news shows and entertainment programs routinely use field
producers whenever there is not a “live” interview with the host. But it also makes tremendous sense to use them behind-the-scenes for corporate videos,
video news releases and other marketing projects.
A talented producer brings the talents of a journalist and a talk show host to each interview, maximizing the chances of capturing your subject's true passion and personality. Click here to learn when you should -- and should not -- consider adding a field producer to your video crew.
4. LIGHTING -- There's certainly such a thing as overkill. You don't need to prepare the set of your on-line video like you might prepare for the Oscars. But especially when the viewing screen is tiny, poor lighting can be a distraction, it can downgrade your subject's appearance and also undermine the whole mood of your video.
We've seen WAY too many CEOs look like they are being forced to read prepared statements by kidnappers. A few basic lighting tricks from a professional cameraperson can flatter both the interview subject and the setting.
5. PICTURE QUALITY -- HD flipcams are fantastic for reality TV confessional interviews and quite frankly, anything you'd want to post on YouTube. But if you want to maintain a rich, vibrant picture on those huge flatscreens, your best bet is to stick with high-end broadcast quality cameras. But back to point #1 above, the camera itself is often secondary to the person behind the camera.
6. CONTENT DEVELOPMENT -- Any creative team worth hiring must be able to take your ideas and effectively present them better than you can. Otherwise, why bother? Choose a production company that thrives on collaboration. The ideal situation is to have a cameraperson who thinks about the editing, an editor who can improve the writing, a sound technician who makes suggestions about the content, etc.
Collaboration also means teaming up with your best talent. A full-service media company -- one that takes a project from script development to post-production -- should be able to suggest plenty of ways to keep costs down.
Sometimes doing some of the production work yourself does make sense. Other times, it can be disastrous.
Going back to HubSpot's running metaphor, Award Productions is also well-suited to serve you when you do need a Olympic sprinter. Our camera crews all have broadcast newscast experience, which means that if you have an event or an interview you need to capture on a tight deadline, we are battle tested.
(Although to be frank, we do appreciate as much notice as humanly possible...)
Drop us a line and let us know what you're working on!