All projects have some sort of a production phase, from more traditional video shooting all the way to building remote offices. Below are some samples of our production experiences and services.
Open Sea Plankton Wall | Monterey Bay Aquarium
We were tasked with blending 6 video projects seamlessly on a curved wall that had port holes cut into it. In addition, we needed to provide the 3D animator with the final resolution of the video and the location of the port holes as the animation was going to interact with them.
The first challenge was selecting the technology to handle the projector warping and blending. Because of the size of the room and our commitment to image quality, we wanted a server that could also handle the native resolution of the combined 6 projectors (6144 x 768). After days of researching and contacting various vendors, we finally selected the Pixel Warp server, provided by Pixel Wix. While their server at the time maxed out at 3 projectors, Pixel Wix was willing to work with us to add functionality to their product that enable it to frame accurately sync with additional servers. And with the price of the server, we were able to recommend a 3rd server as a backup and still come in under budget.
The next step was warping and blending the projectors in order to map out where the port holes where. Because the Pixel Warp server supported live video, we were able to run an HDMI output from After Effects into the servers, which allowed us to in real time draw masks and place markers on each individual projector, which was then combined into one image for the animator.
When the animation was rendered out, we split the video into 2 files and finalized the edge blending.
If I was king, I would come to California | Make-A-Wish Foundation
Shane Terry is remarkably a typical child despite having an extremely rare disease (FOP). When the Make-A-Wish Foundation asked him for what he’d wish for, his answer appears baffling to anyone without the rest of the story.
When Make-A-Wish reached out to us and told the story, we knew we had to do everything we could to make the story of Shane and his backup boys available for anyone to discover. It’s a very special and seemingly random story that just needed to be told, and we're very honored to be able to tell it.
We began on production on October 14th, 2011. Within 7 days we finished production and editing this video and premiered it in time for the 2011 Monterey Bay Gala fundraiser for the Greater Bay Area Make-A-Wish Foundation.
Indiana University Benefits Hybrid Video
Click Here to play the video
Indiana University strives for the best products and solutions to meet their needs, and they aren't opposed to working with leading edge technologies. Our Hybrid Video solution teamed with our video production standards was a perfect fit. Our ability to tweak our product and provide customized additions to the line was just icing on the preverbal cake of client and vendor.
Part of the process of producing a project like this is shooting the actors on a green screen stage. One of the aspects of our process that our clients really appreciate is webcasting the camera feed so our clients can view the shoot from start to finish. By webcasting the feed with a chat room, it allowed our client to have real time input on key decisions (wardrobe, tone, performance) without having to take the time to travel to the stage. While it adds more gear and time to a production day, by working this way, we haven't had any client feel surprised or disappointed with the final result.
Risk Management Overview | University of California, Office of the President
In an effort to save millions on their overall insurance bill, University of California came to us to produce a documentary showcasing the various methods and policies UC uses to minimize risk. However, with only 2 months to go from script to screen, we had to work very quickly to plan and travel a camera crew to all of the campuses, laboratories and medical facilities located throughout California.
To accomplish this, we mapped out the most efficient route so that each day our crew could be at a different location. Then we coordinated with contacts at each location so that when the crew arrived, a full day of shooting would be ready.
While the production crew was off shooting, we continued to work with UC on the script and graphics, and logging over 33 hours of video tape as they came in, so that we could start editing the day production ended. The end result was completed on budget and more importantly on time for UC's annual insurance review meetings.