Sunday Spotlight: 9/25/11
Sunday September 25th, 2011
Posts
Motion
Tuesday May 24th, 2011
These days, the pressure is on for still photographers to jump into the motion game. This change to the photo world is one of the biggest since digital replaced film. Many commercial and editorial photographers are now scrambling to learn new skills, equipment, and editing techniques. Here at Wonderful Machine, we have a number of photographers who’ve made the plunge into motion and have even added our first production company—808 Inc.—to our roster. We’ve also dabbled a bit ourselves recently with a stop-motion portfolio edit video.
Since more and more photographers and art buyers are asking about motion, I decided to pick the brains of Chad Windham, Martin Sundberg, and Eric Kiel who you’ll find on the USA section of our site, as well as newcomer to motion, Escapista, who you’ll find on the International section of our site:
How did you first get into motion?
Chad Windham: I started out by shooting stills for a film shoot. The director liked what I was getting and asked me if I wanted to shoot his next short for him. I said sure. That was three years ago. Since then I’ve shot two feature films, three short film, three music videos, two television shows and multiple advertising web and broadcast pieces.
Martin Sundberg: My first foray into motion was when the 5d Mark II shipped. At the time I had never really considered a pursuit in to motion work but I wanted know how a still vision could be translated in to the moving picture. Within a week I set up an extensive test shoot filming triathletes to cover the variety of conditions I shoot in… water, road, trail… and from there just kept going.
Escapista: I began trying to tell stories through “joined-together” photographs in a cinematic way, using a character I created, called “Mr. Lonely“.
What are the films you’re shooting being used for?
Chad Windham: Typically, we shoot advertising.
Martin Sundberg: A typical use for my work will be for a corporate presentation, usually a piece to precede a CEO keynote, a conference or even the materials to supplement a TED presentation. Recently, I filmed a project for Apple entitled “A New Day.” This was used as an opening presentation for an annual gathering of store managers for apple retail around the world and taking place at the Orpheum Theater in LA.
Eric Kiel: TV commercials and web content.
What’s been your favorite motion project to date?
Chad Windham: The Carrie Rodriguez music video and “The Man That I Was,” a feature that was shot in Los Angeles and Dallas and on the road in between. It went into production two months after the Canon 5D Mark ll came out. It was quite a challenge but turned out the be a really really pretty film.
Eric Kiel: We are currently in post with my favorite piece so far. It’s our 4th TV commercial (30 second spot) for a Chicago agency. This one is a triumphant story of a competitive cyclist that had a sudden stroke and is back on his bike. It will be aired in July.
Escapista: This series, that I called “Self-portraits of Someone Else“, has become in its simplicity, my favorite motion work.
How is estimating for a motion job different than still?
Chad Windham: Basically I look at it as two separate jobs. If you try to cram both video and still into the same time you would have a still or video shoot both parts are going to suffer. I find that doing both adds about 1/3 to the production time spent. There is also more crew and more post work.
Martin Sundberg: There are more players to consider. Working closely with a producer really ensures nothing is missed. I’m still trying to understand usage, as it is very different than print licensing, but most of the time I seem to be conforming to a model that has been in place for a long time.
Eric Kiel: There are differences. The main three being creative fees (director vs. photographer), usage fees (all time inclusive with film), and the post production (coloring and editing). Obviously our film production team has a slightly bigger footprint and is more involved than a commercial stills shoot.
What’s the most important thing you’ve learned while doing film?
Chad Windham: It’s not just an add-on to a job. It’s a separate part of the job. It takes a lot more equipment and time than a still shoot. It’s going to cost more and needs to be estimated accordingly. As far as the actual shoot goes, more is never enough. B-roll, b-roll, b-roll. You have to give you editor something to cut to and from. Shoot lead ins and outs.
Martin Sundberg: Set yourself up with a great team. When I started in motion I chose to hire a team that came from the motion industry. Camera assistants that understood how to set up the rigs, pull focus, and knew the challenges before I did. Grip teams that understood camera movements and lighting and getting everyone up to speed before the first sunrise shoot. Shots can take longer to set up so the extra effort on the front end really pays off.
Eric Kiel: The most valuable thing I learned early on was to completely separate the still shoot from the motion shoot.
Escapista: I’m just beginning. There’s so much to learn!
- Maria
Atlanta Diary – Peachy Portfolio Visits
Friday March 5th, 2010
Wonderful Machinists Amanda and Jess went down to Atlanta last week to show our books to a few friends at JWT, UPS, CNN, 22squared, and Big Sky. It’s a fun study of logos and branding to view all of their entrances at once:
Amanda Hanley in front of CNN (sorry, we don't have a shot of Big Sky's)
Our first stop was One CNN Center to meet with CNN’s creative team for Multimedia and Interactive Storytelling. One of their producers explained how they’re trying to veer away from using stock images: “I can’t use the same picture of a plane taking off one more time!” A graphic designer expressed the same need for original photography: “In the Health section, we might be covering a new advancement or medical rarity, and we need creative, conceptual images to illustrate it and draw the reader in.”
She was especially impressed with Bill Cramer’s work with doctors and CEO’s, and his ability to animate them into more engaging subjects. They also enjoyed Martin Sundberg’s lifestyle and video work, as they try to incorporate multimedia work whenever possible. Here’s his portfolio:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfyDVMLyuAs
One producer recently had a situation where they needed images for a story about a Midwestern farmer who, in order to publicize his business, tweets from his tractor while he’s out in the field. Generally, technology trends like this change so frequently that there just aren’t enough stock images to choose from. The story itself was on a tight deadline and they needed an assignment photographer in a city/town that wasn’t familiar to producers, so the regional focus of our site was especially appealing to them.
We were also treated to a studio tour, so you may have spotted us in the background of the 11:00 AM broadcast of CNN News.
Next, we spent some time talking with one of 22squared’s art buyers, who says she’s been there since before it was 22squared. She was familiar with a number of our Atlanta-based photographers, especially Deborah W. Llewellyn and Harold Daniels. Always looking for “people, places, and things,” she responded most to books with a playful presentation, like Ryan Robinson’s humorous conceptual images. She was excited about their recent acquisition of the Baskin Robbins account, and she and her family have been big fans for years (and let’s face it, who doesn’t like ice cream?).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VA6yWjLsLMI
After lunch we made a stop at Blue Sky Agency, who handles all of Atlanta’s major sports franchises. One of their creative directors explained that they didn’t set out to focus on sports, and handle other accounts as well, but love working with the teams and are excited to fill that role.
That evening we went to Cypress St. Pint & Plate to meet up with a crowd of our Atlanta photographers. It was great to see them all face-to-face and enjoy a few rounds, especially since most of our correspondences are through phone and email. We learned that Ryan Gibson has a music background himself, which helps musicians let loose on his shoots; Jon Kownacki is actually from Detroit, “which explains why I swear a lot,” he jokes; and Deborah W. Llewellyn’s husband is an attorney who pulls double-duty as her official negotiator with clients.
Jon Kownacki, Ryan Gibson, Stan Kaady, Calvin Lockwood, Jim Llewellyn, Harold Daniels, Deborah W. Llewellyn, Amanda Hanley, and David Smith
The next morning we greeted JWT’s creative team with a spread of portfolios and breakfast (kept the two separated of course – no spills). Can’t recall a broader client base: they work with the US Marine Corps, the US Virgin Islands, and FEMA. One art director responded to Terry Vine’s resort work, and loved his presentation of three books in one case, each featuring a different side of his lifestyle/travel work. Aside: No Plastic Sleeves just had a nice post about Terry’s branding collaboration with his rep Patti Schumann.
Another art director was very impressed with Tyler Stableford’s work, especially his recent project photographing the U.S. Air Force: “I had the amazing opportunity to fly with these guys for 90 minutes with five F-16s over the Rocky Mountains, all at my service to get the best possible shots!” Tyler said. He made an exciting, in-air behind the scenes video from that shoot: http://www.tylerstableford.com/portfolio.php?dirid=11 (get your Top Gun fix for the week).
And his portfolio that we showed:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FIRf0eWdhH4
We ended our stay with a stop at UPS’s headquarters, where we sat down with one of their graphic designers to share a few books and talk about our website. UPS is looking for authentic-feeling lifestyle shooters for their internal and external advertising: “We want to capture a driver on the road, talking with customers, and everything in between.” They were especially happy with Wonderful Machine’s international reach: “When we open up a new market,” she explained, “We want to show our trucks and employees on a real street in Shanghai, on a real doorstep in Thailand – you can tell if it’s done in a studio so we steer clear of that.”
Luckily we made it back into Philly before the snow hit again. So all in all it was a great trip and we’re looking forward to the next opportunity to head down!
-Amanda Hanley and Neil Binkley
After lunch we made a stop at Blue Sky Agency, who handles all of Atlanta’s major sports franchises. One of their creative directors explained that they didn’t set out to focus on sports, and handle other accounts as well, but love working with the teams and are happy to fill that role. They were exciting about an upcoming project that required a gritty, almost photojournalistic take on a racing event that draws thousands of fans to camp out in a small southeastern town. They enjoy these kinds of unconventional takes on sporting events as is allows them to search outside the box for the right photographer.
That evening we went to Cypress St. Pint & Plate to meet up with a crowd of our Atlanta photographers. For such an email- and phone call-heavy industry, it was great to meet them all face-to-face and enjoy a few rounds. We learned that Ryan Gibson has a music background himself, which helps him make let musicians let loose at his shoots; Jon Kownacki is actually from Detroit, “which explains why I swear a lot,” he admitted; and Deborah W. Llewellyn’s husband is an attorney who pulls double-duty as her official negotiator with clients. We were all witness to the opening of a cask beer that night, so if you’re into $26/glass beverages of unfiltered, “live” beer, head downtown to these guys.
The next morning we held a portfolio breakfast at JWT, located outside the business of the city center. Due to office maneuvers, they were all recently shuffled around with the creatives in one building and everyone else in the adjacent building, until they all reunite sometime this year in a new spot. We greeted their team with a spread of portfolios and breakfast (kept the two separated of course – no spills!) sure to start off the day right. Can’t recall a more different base of clients: they work with the US Marine Corps, the US Virgin Islands, and FEMA. One art director responded to Terry Vine’s resort work, and loved his presentation of three book in one case, each featuring a different side of lifestyle/travel work. Another art director was very impressed with Tyler Stableford’s work, especially his recent Air Force images: “I had the amazing opportunity to fly with these guys, for 90 minutes with five F-16s over the Rocky Mountains, all at my service to get the best possible shots!” Tyler said. Here is a trailer he produced from that shoot: www.tylerstableford.com/photos/fighterpilots.mov
We ended our stay with a stop of UPS’s headquarters; their building is incredible and one creative there said that they built it so that it looked like “someone had dropped it in the middle of a forest.” We sat down with one of their graphic designers to share a few books and talk about the site. UPS is looking for authentic-feeling lifestyle shooters for their internal and external advertising: “We want to capture a driver on the road, talking with customers, and everything in between.” They were especially happy about Wonderful Machine’s international reach: “When we open up a new market,” she explained, “We want to show our trucks and employees on a real street in Shanghai, on a real doorstep in Thailand – you can tell if it’s done in a studio so we steer clear of that.”
Luckily we made it back into Philly before the snow hit again. So all in all it was a great trip and we’re looking forward to the next opportunity to head down!
