Shooting in a Green Room - No, Not that type of Green Room!
Corporate video production can have it's challenges. One of these challenges is locations as we don't often get to choose where we shoot. If we're lucky, we get a scout day or pictures of the location we're supposed to shoot in or we've been there before and already know what we're walking into. In these cases, we are prepared with the correct lighting and grip set up to make everything look great. But sometimes we go into a location blind as to what we'll be working with. At these times it's best to bring a versatile lighting set up because sometimes a green room is exactly that.
Recently in Las Vegas, we walked into a room where the windows had such a strange tint on them that all the light coming into the room was an eerie green in color. These were large floor to ceiling windows and there was no time or enough crew to gel them accordingly. Luckily we had brought four Litepanel Gemini 1 x 1 LED panels. With these lights we were able to dial in the amount of green to match the light coming in from the windows and then after that, it was simply white balancing the Canon C300 Mark II cameras accordingly. The room, despite looking eerily haunted, looked perfect on camera and the subjects, instead of looking sickly, appeared vibrant. It's a simple technique but would have been much more difficult to pull off without the right tools. It's one of the things FiveSix is known for, everything turned out great in a less than ideal situation. Effective video production is about being prepared, even if you're tossed into a glowing green room.
Phoenix Arizona Video Production
Video Production in the Valley of the Sun - Phoenix, Arizona.
If you're familiar with us, you know we travel, a lot! While we love our two bases of operation in Las Vegas and Long Beach, we are a bit wanderlust. One of our most recent voyages took us to the Valley of the Sun. Like Vegas, Phoenix, Arizona is a melting pot in so many ways, there are visitors and part and full time residents of all ages, races, and points of origin. Similar in climate, and not much older than Las Vegas, Phoenix is quite different in culture. Phoenix and the ever-growing "Sun Belt Corridor" which includes the Phoenix Metro area and Tucson are rich in history and culture. From Hollywood Westerns to the hundreds of golf courses, classic desert landscape to the glitz of Scottsdale, you know Phoenix when you see it.
We teamed up with one of our favorite clients on a project at University Park downtown, to unveil some recent additions. The city utilized a generous donation to add classic games like Four Square, Corn Hole, Tether Ball, and Bocce Ball. Along with a city pool, awesome baseball field, and plenty of open space, this park will continue to serve the community for years to come.
We were so happy to be a part of the ribbon cutting ceremony, and can't wait to get back to Phoenix for the next project.
An NBA MVP in Las Vegas...
James Harden, the bearded-master of the between the legs crossover - fadeaway.
Las Vegas in July means three things: massive 4th of July fireworks shows, inhumane daily temperatures, and the NBA Summer League. While the Summer League has wrapped up, we're still excited about having filmed with the reigning MVP of the league. James Harden, in all his bearded glory (second best beard, behind Charlie Blackmon of the Rockies), came through town, and as such, had a bouquet of events to attend. One event, which we were a part of, was a photo and video shoot. One interesting challenge we faced, was keeping the lavalier microphones on the basketball players, even while they were running and jumping around. Mixing levels was also a fun challenge, as there was a big difference between their speaking voices, and their in-game yelling and hollering.
We can't go into the details of the shoot, as those NDAs are no joke, but it was a great experience. Harden showed off his amazing on-court skills, and his fun, easy-going personality. We certainly hope that we have future opportunities to work with him and all the other NBA stars next year. If your Long Beach or Las Vegas video production calls for the best, look no further than FiveSix Productions.
NBA Summer League at Intrigue Nightclub in Las Vegas.
NBA Summer League in Las Vegas.
Every July, "The Association" (the National Basketball Association), descends on Las Vegas, Nevada for the NBA Summer League. This eleven-day tournament gives teams the opportunity to evaluate their young players before the regular season begins in the fall. The action doesn't stop at the Thomas & Mack Center at UNLV, the event spreads all over town. FiveSix Productions had the opportunity, once again, to film two episodes of the television show Open Court at Intrigue Nightclub at the Wynn Resort. Open Court always provides an exciting shooting scenario, with unique challenges and experiences. We always love packing our grip van as full as possible, and seeing how creative we can get. Our staff and amazing freelancers did a great job, and we can't wait to do it again next year. If you need the best Las Vegas video production company, look no further than FiveSix Productions.
Video production on the famous High Roller at the Linq.
While only a few years old, the High Roller at The Linq has quickly become a very popular attraction for tourists and cameras alike. Whether you're hitting Sin City for some fun, or, filming a commercial, television show, or the like, the Linq provides excellent views of the world-famous Las Vegas Strip.
It's not just a matter of stepping into a pod with your crew and talent and hitting record though. First, of course you'll want to contact the fine folks over at the Linq (they're nice folks) and make sure it's cool to film; here's where you'll not only get permission, but you can also see if they can make any concessions for you. Once you get into your pod, you'll note that there is no power available- so, bring batteries. Second, there's not a ton of room- while you're not in the coat closet, you won't be able to put that jib up. Next, depending on what time of day you're in there, you may have quite a battle on your hands with the sun. During the day, your view is less than stellar... while Vegas tries valiantly to make everything look nice when the sun is out, we all know this city looks best bathed in neon. So, you may be thinking to yourself, "Okay Jim, no problem there, we'll shoot at night.", well, after availability, you'll want to remember that those pods do reflect something fierce, so you'll need to get creative lighting your talent. Once the sun goes down, and the strip lights up, it's absolutely stunning (for about 15 minutes at the top).
I can go on, but, you're probably bored to death if you've made it this far. So, instead, go give it a shot, or, let FiveSix Productions do it for you- no fuss, no muss. Put your beloved video shoot in the hands of the best Las Vegas video production company!?
Downtown Las Vegas Shines
Earlier this year, FiveSix Productions teamed up with some of our good friends here in Vegas, to highlight some of the great spots in this wonderful town. One of the best (and most delicious) locations was Carson Kitchen in downtown Las Vegas. Carson Kitchen, if you STILL haven't found your way there, is a creation by Las Vegas' hometown favorite Chef Kerry Simon and restaurateur Cory Harwell. They created an eclectic and fun urban eatery in the old Carson Hotel space just a few blocks from Fremont Street. The food is amazing, the menu is ever changing... and, I think I'll go there this weekend.
Getting back on track, we had the pleasure of doing a quick shoot there, breaking out some of our favorite gear, such as the Arri Skypanel and Schneider Cineprimes. Backed up by some of our best and brightest staff and freelancers, we did our thing, and came out with a really great product. (Oh, and I may have stuffed my face with some of their rainbow cauliflower (a must try!!))
So, for your next Las Vegas video production, give FiveSix Productions a shout; delicious food appreciated but not required.
Nucleus-M Follow Focus
We definitely felt like kids on Christmas Eve, as we waited for our Tilta Nucleus-M follow focus system to arrive. When it did, oh boy, were we excited! This thing is amazing. The kit includes three motors to drive focus, zoom, and iris; all of which can be daisy chained off the same power source. There is a handheld unit that can control all three motors simultaneously, or, two handles that can be mounted to a shoulder rig or our amazing DJI Ronin 2.
The Nucleus-M features multiple functions including programming start and stop points, calibrating lenses without hard-stops, 1000' transmission range, and more. This product is definitely an essential component of your next Las Vegas or Long Beach video production shoot; and will give the DP/camera op so much range and flexibility. Contact us today to book your next Las Vegas video production, and make sure to ask about including the Tilta Nucleus-M with our amazing Schneider cine-primes.
New shoulder rigs coming soon!
Every once and a while, you get that spark of imagination, the creative juices begin to flow... and suddenly, you have created something totally righteous. That's just what we're doing here at FiveSix Productions. We realize that to expand and improve upon what we can offer to our clients, and to continue to push the limits of what FiveSix Productions is capable of, well, we need to never stop expanding on our gear and skill sets. That's why we're building a pair of sleek, dynamic, and versatile shoulder-rigs that will allow us to push beyond what we've been able to do with our older shoulder rigs.
Now, don't get too excited, we didn't opt for the edition with the sparklers and mini-fridges, but we are pretty sure these will work just as well. Coupled with our new Tilta Nucleus-M follow focus system, and our upgraded power-distribution solution, anything from our Canon C300 Mark II's to our RED Epic Dragon will be set free. We are excited to announce that our new DJI Ronin 2 will also benefit from our Nucleus-M follow focus system, and between that and our shoulder rigs, series of sliders, jibs, and tripods, we've completely set our photography free.
Make sure to ask about our new shoulder rigs and DJI Ronin 2 when booking your next Las Vegas or Long Beach video production project with us.
Gigantic, fire-breathing Praying Mantis!
Las Vegas, if you've ever heard of it, is a pretty neat place; there's nice weather, plenty of great out-door activities, lots of entertainment, and a really good cinnamon roll place on the west side of town called "Cinnaholic". There's also this wonderful and ... eclectic... little place called Fremont Street East, it's a magic place filled with a tapestry of things that hipsters like. I'm no hipster, but I say, to each their own; it's good those folks have something special. Anyhoo, FiveSix Productions recently got to do an early morning shoot on Fremont Street where "old Las Vegas" mixes with the new. There's iconic hotels such as the 75+ year old El Cortez, and a gigantic, fire-breathing Praying Mantis near the relatively young, Container Park. The old architecture, glowing neon, and local art that adorns the buildings, all mix together to create a great environment to capture some really beautiful images. For your next Las Vegas video production, consider getting away from the hustle and bustle of Las Vegas Blvd., and head on down to downtown and Fremont Street; and, hey, if you need a helping hand, give FiveSix Productions a call, we'll be happy to join you.
Governor Sandoval and Autonomous Vehicles
Governor Sandoval took a moment away from a gathering of the National Governors Association (which he Chairs) at Lake Las Vegas, to experience a couple of the incredible autonomous vehicles from the companies Navya and Keolis. These two companies have been in fabulous Las Vegas, Nevada this week for CES, and were excited to meet Governor Sandoval, and show him the great progress they've made since unveiling their autonomous vehicle at CES 2017. FiveSix Productions was along for the ride this week (pun intended), and got to spend three days with the magical and mysterious cars at the Las Vegas Convention Center, downtown on Fremont Street, and of course, in gorgeous Lake Las Vegas. Our spectacular Canon C300 MkII and stupendous DJI Ronin 2 made easy work of the b-roll we were capturing, and allowed us to stay bold, crisp, and smooth as silk. CES week is always a busy but exciting week here in Vegas, as we kick off our spring season, and we hope that includes you and your shoot here in Vegas; and also, all our friends down in Long Beach-CA, as we ramp up and fill in our calendar on the coast. For your next project, make sure to hire the best video production company in Long Beach and Las Vegas, FiveSix Productions.
