Jul 21st, 2015adminComments Off on PBS News Hour story done at MultiMedia
Journalist Marcia Biggs with MultiMedia Video Senior Editor Amina Megalli.
Marcia returned from Eastern Iraq with the material for a piece on volunteer American Freedom Fighters fighting with the Kurdish Army against Iraq.
Emmy award winner Marcia Biggs produced the 8 minute piece with Amina Megalli. Amina’s extensive documentary experience (HBO, 60 minutes 2, ABC, Granada Televsion, features) enabled the project to come together quickly and efficiently. The narration was recorded in our voice booth, and Jeff Wertz did the sound mix.
The piece aired on the PBS News Hour, which is the networks flagship daily news program, on July 21, 2015.
Jun 24th, 2014adminComments Off on MultiMedia Streams Live Video
Many people don’t realize that we have perfected our live streaming video capabilities. If there is an Internet connection of at least 5mb per second, we can stream realtime high definition video around the world to an unlimited number of simultaneous viewers.
One of our clients had a problem. Their event was so popular that there were not enough seats to accommodate all who wished to attend. A bigger venue was not an option.
The client asked us if we could live stream the event. Of course we could.
The facility had a very solid internet connection, enabling us to provide three simultaneous streams, to an unlimited number of viewers around the world:
a high definition stream,
a mid-definition stream for tablet devices and slower PC’s,
and a mobile device stream for both Android and iOS products.
We set up the stream so it was embedded in the client’s site. Any links to us, or the streaming network, were removed to make this a fully branded product. We also provided the file to make the event available online at any time. This has proven to be a very popular capability which has been viewed by many more people than the original stream.
We are available to provide this service, as well as the back-end support, anywhere there is a solid Internet connection.
We just came back from a successful corporate video shoot in Ontario Canada.
Our clients do not always realize that we usually drive our company van to most of our shoots that are 500 miles or less from our studios in New Jersey. It may take an hour or two longer than flying (when you include the airport transit time and car rental pickup), but we can bring a larger selection of the gear we usually work with, and we are not subjected to the cost and inconvenience of flying with equipment.
Another upside is that we save our clients’ money.
Of course we do fly for shoots too. We have worked in Europe, Asia, the Middle East and all over the United States. Our gear is configured to fly.
We also have the know-how to get the proper documentation to legally travel with video equipment. Many countries have severe restrictions for the import of professional equipment, and the proper paperwork (and cash bonds) are required to confirm that everything that gets taken to a country returns from the country. As an aside, when shooting in the Middle East it is very common for people to come up to us while we are working and offer to buy our equipment on the spot. With 100% tariffs on this type of equipment, you can understand why this happens so much.
SO we will go anywhere to get the footage you need, but when we can, we still prefer to drive.
We shot most of the footage in this video for Elser & Aucone Advertising over three days last Fall. Their team did the graphics and post work.
Our agency work always stretches our creativity and vision. We relish being part of a capable team, and we are always very pleased with the results from our agency partnerships.
We distribute music videos (which is different from making them, but sometimes we do that too).
Even though we do about 200 videos a year, many of our customers are not even aware that we do this.
We prepare music videos for broadcast and make a quantity of Betacam SP, DV, and DVD dubs for the various outlets that still carry videos. Sometimes we edit the content or fix things that are not quite ready for broadcast.
We have done some well known artists like Johnny Cash and The Gaslight Anthem. But right now, the song in the number one position on the Billboard Rock chart is one we did: “Hey Ho” by The Lumineers.
The move to High Definition, and the rise of HDSLRs has necessitated our ongoing equipment expansion.
To compliment our Sony FS 100 Cine-style large sensor camera, our Nikon D7000 DSLR and our kit of Nikkor prime lenses, we needed another full featured HD camera for what is known in the business as “run and gun” shooting.
Run and gun shooting requires a quick setup, lots of location changes, a variety of subjects and / or lighting situations. A good example of run and gun shooting is the shoot we just did in New York at Bellevue Hospital. We shot exteriors, interior lobby shots, the ICU, the standard floors and the emergency room. Our new camera is perfect for this shoot. What camera did we get?
A Sony PMW-EX3. It has a great long zoom lens, a form factor that’s perfect for hand holding or on a tripod, and most importantly, large 1/2 inch sensors. These sensors will give us the image quality and depth of field we need to be able to intercut the footage we shoot with our larger sensor HDSLRs and Cine-style cameras. Of course we can shoot in all flavors of High Definition as well as the lush Cine Gammas that look so film-like.
These cameras are often used for TV news, documentaries and feature films.
Earlier this year we did some editing on a documentary that was shot on an EX3, and we were so impressed with the image quality, that we decided this was the camera we needed. Here’s a clip from this very interesting project that we helped edit:
This is from an event we covered for Performance of A Lifetime at the Rubin Museum of Art in Manhattan. This is part of a larger presentation on creativity. It was enlightening as well as being entertaining.
The three New Yorker cartoonists who were a part of this event all said how much they enjoyed showing their work to an audience and hearing their response. They all talked in detail about how cartooning is a solitary and lonely profession that is fraught with rejection. You would not have had that sense if you were at this event.
In this unedited segment, Paul shows off some of his favorite New Yorker cartoons.
What we can tell you is this: we just finished a series of videos for a new company that was the result of a merger. One of the merged companies was a long term client. The new entity has over $6 Billion in sales.
The videos were shot around the United States and the world. The turnaround time was tight, and the logistics were challenging.
We can tell you this: we made the deadline without a hitch (even with a last minute VO change).
Most importantly, this is what the client said after the screening:
“The videos worked out great. I have had nothing but positive comments about the event and the videos all day today. The CEO and SVP of HR were very pleased. All is well. Thanks for your attention to this project. I agree. We’ve done a lot of videos together and these are the best.
We just wrapped a quick video tour of the All Stars Project National Headquarters located on 42nd Street in Manhattan’s Theater District.
The object here is to convey a sense of the whirlwind of activity that takes place at the center simultaneously. All but two of the setups were shot during one 12 hour shoot day.
The camera we used was our Sony FS 100, all footage was shot in 1080P Cine Gamma. The lens used for most of the shoot was our 20mm Nikkor f 2.8 prime.
The video will be shown at a large fund raising event at Lincoln Center next week.
We just wrapped 19 how-to videos for Blinds To Go. The videos will be seen on the company’s new web site which is set to launch next week.
Blinds To Go wanted a competitive edge over the big box home improvement stores. The videos showcase the stores’ knowledgeable and friendly staff while providing how-to information for prospective customers. We often work with non-professional talent. Multimedia is becoming well known for getting professional performances from people who are not actors. Take a look and judge for yourself.
MultiMedia shot all of the videos in 24P high definition using our new Sony FS 100 cinema camera. We also used our cine-slider sideways dolly to give the videos a slight movement. Take a close look; its subtle, but it does add a tangible enhancement.
Editing and graphics were all done in house.
Here’s a sample video from the Blinds To Go web site:
