The Way We Watch

The On Location Audio Engineer You Never Want To Let Go

 
I received lots of good feedback on twitter on the Editor You Never Want To Let Go post.  Here's the next one in this series of people you never want to lose:  On set audio people. 

In all my projects (over 200) I've only worked with one female audio engineer and the rest were males.  I'm not entirely sure about why that is.  My guess is that some jobs require booming which can be physically challenging. 

If you are a female audio person, chime in and let me know how you started so we can get more of you in the industry.

So here we go. Top ten qualities of an audio engineer.

1.  He smells good. Clean breath and no BO. Yes, you read that right.  Audio people have to get very close to the talent.  They have to attach a tiny microphone on someone's lapel.  If you smell bad, then that's going to effect my talent somehow and probably negatively. 
2. He looks like his mother would be proud of him.  Have you ever asked a female talent who is wearing a blouse to string a mic up her shirt.  If you look like a bum, the whole thing gets awkward.
3. He knows that the cans on his head are not the way the audience will hear what he's hearing.  The best audio people will ask how is the tape is being used?  Will there be music?  Will it play over a loud speaker or on the web?  With the information in hand, a good audio person will edit in his mind what ambient distractions are worth doing a re-take for and what can slide by.
4. He's discreet.  The audio guy will be the first person to know if something doesn't sound right.  I appreciate engineers who can pull me aside or find the right moment to say, "Hey, something didn't sound right on that last take." The wrong way to do it is to whip off your cans and shout, "That one sucked, people!"
5. He treats his equipment like a newborn.
6. He's great with figuring stuff out.  The best audio people that I've worked with, I like to imagine, have at some point in their childhoods, took apart radios, computers and other electronics just to see how they worked.  Then, they had the brains to put it all back together.
7. He's a team player.  Yes, sound is their domain.  But the guy you want, pitches in after he's all set up.  He's putting tone down in the camera.  He's taping cords to the floor.  He's tested his feed and checked playback.  
8. He has no ego.  Great sound people love to support.  It's in their blood.  They are essentia, yet the great ones blend in as just a part of the crew.
9. He's slightly crazy.  Yes, to be in love with sound and sound alone - you have to be a little nuts.  They know more about audio than you'll ever want to know.  And that's a good thing.
10. A great audio guy reminds you to get room tone before the talent has left the room. 
    

Tell me about your audio engineer...

Photo credits: Rusty Sheriff creative commons license.

 

The Video Editor You Never Want To Let Go

Look for video editors that have these qualities:

• He has ten years of experience.  There's just no substitute. Editing is a skill like any other.  But if you haven't put in the time, you're not going to be on my "go to" list.
• She looks at all the footage.  Sounds nuts not to look at all the footage but it's easier not to.  Some editors just grab the first things they see.  I've seen people do it.  There's no short cut.
  
• He's musical. As a general rule, the finest editors I know also are pretty competent musicians. It makes a lot of sense... editing is all about timing. Having an ear for beats is invaluable.  Certainly there are exceptions, but it helps.
• She's funny.  Editing is about surprises.  You want to shake up the audience to keep them watching.  Someone who can make me laugh tells me she can catch me off balance with her edits as well.
• He dabbles in After Effects or Motion.  Certainly some projects don't require it, but the editor who can nimbly switch from AE to FCP is a keeper.  It also shows me that you're willing to stretch and learn new things.
• She is a collaborator.  Is it going to be a battle every time you elongate a shot, delete a white flash, or have to trash the last hour of work? Stick with editors that listen and then make your ideas better.
• He is persistent.  Editing requires time in the seat. A 9 to 5 mentality is not going to do it for me or the project.  And it's not only time, it's a drive to make it work, to finish and to conquer.
  

 
What makes your editor great?

Photo credit: CC Techhie

Another Priceless Video Tip: Don't Use That Chair

I've talked here about ways to get a better looking shot.  There's the The $4.95 Solution To Make Your Videos Better and remember the importance of showing a philtrum.

But here's another one.  Don't use an executive chair when you're doing an interview.

(can't see the picture, go here: http://youtu.be/FIYnDo9BxgM?t=10m)

Executive chairs are super comfortable and make you feel regal. However, on video they make you look small.  The backside of the chair goes up to your ears and kills the needed seperation between you and the background.  Plus, your talent is going to end up swiveling and that's going to make your talent look impatient as well.

Use a bar stool or use a chair with a short back.  Sit back alll the way and keep your back straight. 


(can't see the picture, go here: http://youtu.be/JecJzrIfdHg?t=3m37s)

That feels better, doesn't it? 

10 Tips On Becoming a Sought-after Freelancer

The cream rises to the top.  In terms of freelancers that is so true.  As you know by now, I am a video producer and director and I frequently hire teams of talented professionals to create our videos. 

Have you ever noticed there are some freelancers that work all the time?  How do they find themselves in that position?  Here's a list of tips that will get you on your clients' speed dial.

1. Make it easy for clients to find you.  My biggest pet peeve with freelancers is that it should not be hard to reach you.  Jobs come in all the time: morning, noon, night and on Sundays.  Put your contact number on the signature of your email.  It's so simple, yet so many people don't do it.  If I have to struggle to find you, I'm probably going to call the other guy/gal.
2. Show up early.  Another simple one.  Get to the job early.  Be the first one there.  Surprise me and bring some bagels to the set at 6:30.  Being late to a job speaks volumes.
3. Figure out what you want to do before you call me for the first time.  I'm busy.  If you don't know what you want to do then I'm not going to be much help.
4. Don't call me if I don't know you.  Email me a short, witty letter that begs me to find out more about you. Show me some personality.
5. Don't freak out about changes.  Changes in terms of scheduling, in terms of what the client wants, in terms of last minute stuff that no one saw coming is part of the job.  We all have to deal with it.  Take a breath, smile and say, "No problem - let's figure this out together."  There is a flip side to this when people feel abused because of changes and that's a list for another time.
6. When you get hired by me or an agency, please don't shout all over the web that you are working for my client.  You are working for me and my agency.  I'm working for my client.
7. Don't look at the clock.  There comes a time when you have to put in extra.  We all do.  If you're trying to impress me and ensure I hire you again, do more than what is necessary. 
8. Don't sit.  I'm thinking about working on a set now.  The last thing I want to see is you sitting with your hands in your pocket trying to blend into the furniture.  Do something that helps our day be more efficient.
9. When you check in with me, I'm not interested so much in how busy you are (how does that help me), what I would like to know is something interesting that pertains to my industry or makes my life easier.
10. Subscribe to my blog.  If your client blogs the biggest way you can show interest is by subscribing to his or her blog and starting a dialogue with the content there.
    Show some interest!
    
    

photo cc license by kl801

Making Great Video Stories Part 1 - The Process Video

 
The number one way to start telling a good story is to pick a good story to tell.  Sounds simple?  Not all stories lend themselves to video. The first test of whether a video is merited for any story is -- is this a visual story?

To tell the truth, I'm not a huge fan of much of the video I see on the web.  Just because you're talking into a camera and telling me what you think -- doesn't necessarily create compelling video story making. I mean if you are George Clooney or ScarJo, I'll watch anything.  But if you're not...

STICK WITH PROCESS

Show me a process.  Show me how things work.  Show me a cycle from begining to end.  Layer the details along side the process and your information is easily digested.

Recently, I with Wheelhouse pitched to The Daily (the iPad only newspaper) a story of a street artist in New York City who paints the most unbelievable Renaissance style chalk drawings on the sidewalk.  I've passed his drawings for years walking around town and always wondered who he was. 

VIDEO ENHANCES THE STORY WHEN YOU CAN SEE A PROGRESSION

I looked up Hani, the sidewalk artist, on the web and sure enough he had a website with clippings of articles done on him in the New Yorker, The New York Times, The Daily News and others.  Was it a bad idea to do a profile on him since others had already discovered him?  I don't think so.  To me, what was missing was a video that showed him working from beginning to end - how he creates these sidewalk masterpieces.

The editor at The Daily liked the idea and we set out to tell his story.

SHOW THE PROCESS WHILE TELLING THE STORY

I knew I wanted the visuals to drive the story so I made sure that I could capture Hani completing a portrait in 8 hours. 

We picked a subject (Madonna and Child) that he could finish in that time.

I taped him with an unmanned HDSLR camera shooting a frame every 30 seconds.  I also filmed him with a separate camera for about 6 hours doing various time-lapses on specific parts of the drawing so that we could see the drawing build over time.  We also captured B-roll of Hani interacting with pedestrians, setting up, and walking away.

The process of him making a portrait was the perfect B-roll to play over his interview.  In the interview, he told us where he was from, what motivates him, his dreams, and what his paintings mean.

A much easier production would have been to interview him and show his collection of stills of past works. Hani had a treasure trove of stills of his recent work. But that would have been BORING. Easier. But dull. Show the process.

Here's a link to the finished video:

(Can't see the video or want to see it in higher
resolution?) Try this http://bit.ly/mofwsD

If you liked this post, check out Part 2 of Making Great Video Stories - The Obsessionist VIdeo.

 

The $4.95 Solution To Make Your Videos Better

“It’s Too Bad. And I Don’t Mean It’s Too Bad Like ‘Screw ’Em.’”.

The link above takes you to a picture of Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein and article about him from the July 24, 2011 edition of New York Magazine.

You don't have to read the article, but I did like how Mr. Blankfein is allowing powder to be put on his balding head and face before the TV camera rolls. 

Scenario:  A company pays good money to record their executives speak on camera. They rent a crew, HD camera, lights, and director.  The talent comes in and declines powder to wipe the shine off his face.  The rough cut comes in and everyone wonders why the executive looks so shiny/oily/sweaty.

A little powder goes a long way so don't forget to bring it to your shoots.  I generally use Clairol CoverGirl translucent powders.  They come in a host of shades -- so to be prepared -- I bring a fair, medium, tan and dark powder with me at all times.

I use wedges to apply it and throw them out when the shoot is done. 

Lately, I've had a more than a few male executives to decline wanting to use powder on their face.  We all have a little shine and the bright lights pointed at your face just make it all that more noticeable. 


In some cases when people don't want powder, I'll use oil cleaning wipes that have no odor but do a pretty good job in getting off the shine.  Most men have no qualms about using them.  I carry all of this in a toiletries bag and it's the first thing I pack for any shoot.

Lesson: Get the shine off for better looking video.

 

Super Slo-Mo with Twixtor - Lessons Learned

Seeing the Twixtor plug in on all those cool bike videos on vimeo made me think how could I bring this 1000 frames per second look into a employee communications corporate video.

I thought it would be cool to see employees having a ball traveling up and down in mid-air but slowed down so I could really spend some time on them (2 to 3 seconds).

The idea was for a show where the client need was to highlight this team for outstanding achievement. 

I've edited together the twixtor doctored footage in this video below and have some advice if you want to incorporate twixtor in your next show:

1. Don't shoot in overcrank mode or better known as slow motion.  We shot with the AG AF 100 Panansonic camera which makes it easy to go from regular motion to a simulated 60 fps slow motion.  You just have to push a button.  I thought twixtor would slow this footage down even more.  It did slow it down - but at the 60 fps setting - you get  a lot of motion blur - making your shots useless.
   
   Twixtor hates motion blur.  So stay in 24 fps - regular motion. 
   
   Sidebar:  FCP ingests your 60 fps footage into log and transfer and makes it 24 fps - so you can't really ingest a true 60 fps from the AG AF 100.  I even tried ingesting straight into AE, but still the information on all clips shot overcranked was 24 fps.
2. Shoot outdoors.  Twixtor does not like low light.
3. For best results shoot one thing that is moving.  You can do two but make sure both are in your plane of focus when shooting!
4. Stay on a tripod.  Shakiness causes blurriness.
5. The FCP Twixtor plug in seemed to work better for us in the edit than the AE Twixtor plug in.  Just my feeling.  You could get different results.
6. When it works, Twixtor is awesome. 

Take a look at the Twixtor samples here in this film.  This was taken from a finished piece produced by me at Wheelhouse Communications.  Music is The Empire State by Caution Cat, courtesy of Love Cat Music. Can't see the video in your email: http://www.vimeo.com/21659380

For extra bonus points: How did we get the people so high up?

Twixtor Lessons Learned from Christopher M. Ryan on Vimeo.

Another Cool Thing About YouSendIt: Streaming m4v Video Files On Your iPhone

YouSendIt has become my favorite way to send big files across the internet.  Here are the obvious reasons to use their service:

• Send as many files - up to 2 Gigs - as you want for the same low monthly price ($9.95)
• Has a desktop client feature that increases upload time.
• Add on services like certified delivery with tracking and the ability to host files over a long period of time are handy.
• Control of expiration of links
• iPhone app shows me my outbox and if my files were downloaded when I'm on the go.

I've found the service to be pretty fool proof after heavy use for the last six months.

But for video makers and iPhone users, YouSendIt has one really neat feature. 

Send a video file compressed as a m4v file (a compression option in Apple QuickTime) to someone who has an iPhone.  If the receiver presses the link in their email, YouSendIt streams the video right to your iPhone.  You don't need a separate server to do this.

This has saved me a few times when I had to be two places at once.  My editor can send me a rough cut via the phone with no heavy lifting required.  The quality of an m4v file is really superb as well.

Photo Credit: Creative Commons Steve Keys