April 2009 Newsletter
Project of the Month
Stemulite Terrier Tri Photo Shoot
DMS Photographer Sean Deren recently shot some great promotional photography of New York-based Terrier Tri, a triathlon, cycling and marathon training team. The shoot took place in Fort De Soto. The photography will be used by Stemulite, the training supplement manufacturer who recently became an official corporate sponsor of Terrier Tri, and on the home page of the Terrier Tri Website.
Click the image above to see the rest of the action shots including Buc, Terrier Tri’s official mascot.
Community Service Update
Some trashy dudes at DMS!
Tech Tip
What to expect on a photo or video shoot
As art directors, brand managers, account execs and other creative professionals, there will undoubtedly come a time when you’re expected to attend, organize or participate in a photo or video shoot. And, unless this is part of your regular duties, you may feel a bit intimidated or even lost at times once things get cranking on the set. With that in mind, we present an overview of what you can expect during a typical professional shoot.
Let me start off by stating that most professional photographers, cinematographers and production companies have their own methods and styles of production that make them unique; that’s part of why their clients choose to work with them. Additionally, every shoot has its own nuances that we professional image makers must make adaptations for; that’s part of what makes our jobs challenging and interesting. However, certain things can generally always be expected. That’s what we’ll cover here, from a DMS point-of-view.
Planning. At DMS, we like to spend as much time as needed in order to thoroughly understand the purpose of the shoot, its intended use, the message it supports and the expectations of the client. The more time we spend in pre-production, the better job we can do during the production and post-production in obtaining exactly what’s needed. So, we ask our clients to expect several meetings, phone calls and emails at the beginning of the project in order to make sure we’re in complete understanding of the project requirements.
Scouting. The DMS staff generally likes to schedule a location scout to check out the environment where the shoot will take place. This provides an opportunity to evaluate the technical aspects of the shoot like power availability, space restrictions, noise issues, etc. But it also provides a time to capture any final creative ideas that the location itself may present.
Shooting. The DMS staff and hired production crew will arrive several hours before the shoot time to set up all the camera equipment, get all the lighting in place, arrange the set(s) and coordinate the crew leaders and to have a final discussion with the client to make sure they are completely comfortable with how the day will proceed and to get any last-minute instruction. If applicable, the talent will arrive and go through the wardrobe and hair & makeup departments. The photo or video crew will perform a few test shots to make sure all equipment is working properly and those in charge of production will make sure all props and equipment are ready and organized for the day. Once the shooting starts, there will be an ebb and flow of what may appear as organized chaos and standing around waiting. This is normal. During the actual capturing of imagery, things tend to move quickly with lots of energy, activity, yelling and commotion going on. Crew members with duties that take place between setups will be on standby. Once a particular scene has been captured, the talent will likely go back to wardrobe and makeup, the creative staff will review what they’ve recorded with the client and the set crew will spring into action setting up the next scene. This process goes on and on until all shots scheduled for that day have been completed. Breaks for meals are really the only down time.
Post. Once all images have been captured, it’s time to prepare them for usage. After photo shoots, we almost always perform at least some amount of digital retouching on the images. This may include basic enhancements to the color and contrast or repairing slight imperfections with the scenery or features of the talent. It may also entail a complete work-over of the image to create a special effect or to integrate the image with a larger layout with multiple elements. After video shoots, the editing process begins where the visual story is put together, the audio tracks are mixed, the color correction, effects and transitions are put in place and graphics and titles are assembled to create a ready-to-view product.
Delivery. Upon final approval of our work, selected images and final videos are delivered to the client in the file format and delivery medium of their choice. This may include print-ready TIFF files, Web-sized JPEG files, video DVDs, Podcasts or streaming media.
Have fun on your next shoot! We hope we can be a part of it. Certainly let us know if there is any way we can help with your next project.
All imagery and content copyright © 2009 by Digital Media Services & Consulting LLC. All rights reserved.
DMS has completed its first year of participation in the Pinellas County Adopt-A-Mile roadside cleanup program. To date, we’ve picked up an impressive (and, in some ways, disappointing) 255 pounds of trash, debris and miscellaneous material that doesn’t belong on the sidewalks and roadways.
We encourage readers to find a way to contribute to their community whether it be monetarily or with personal time. Giving back is truly one of those areas where a little goes a long way.
You can get some ideas on how you can help at Volunteer Match or by contacting your local city or county government offices.
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Questions? Comments? Feedback? All are greatly appreciated! Email us by clicking here or call us at 727-512-9998. We’d love to hear from you!
April found DMS President and video specialist Brian Satchfield contributing to the new FinalCutters Website, a training and informational resource for Final Cut Pro editors, and to several video equipment review blogs covering the highlights of this year’s National Association of Broadcasters conference in Las Vegas. Brian also installed upgrades for several of his home theater clients during April.
DMS photographer Lance Robson will have portrait photography he shot last month appearing in the upcoming issue of Prattfolio, the Pratt Institute of Technology’s alumni publication, and DMS crew member Robert Kildoo assisted on a photo shoot for Lincare, a home medical devices company.
DMS photographer Sean Deren spent most of April making preparations for his upcoming trip to England and France to work on both personal and professional projects. Sean also squeezed in some portrait photography and helped Brian oversee a new digital enlargement process on an LED-based printer for one of their photography clients.
DMS producer Vince Mann directed and shot a music video for independent rock group Paradigm.
