With Fiilex, It Was All About the Light

Part of what makes videos compelling is lighting. It sounds simple, but crafting the right light is a big part of what gives emotion to a scene. In interviews and documentaries, the lighting, when done right, looks natural and non-distracting. That was our goal for the Fiilex NAB 2018 video series. Though the several videos we were tasked to create were all about lights, for us it was all about the lighting. 

In the many scenes that we scripted to show different aspects of the Fillex product, be that their incredible facility in Richmond, CA or macro shots of the individual LED lights, we sculpted the light for each scene very specifically. Because we were creating a product for a company that makes cinema lighting, it was important for us to be the best possible example of what that light can do. 

We worked together with the engineering and photo/video teams at Fiilex to select and implement the best lighting for each scene, and the result is something we were all proud of. We were able to take a day's shoot and produce four different videos each with their own unique purpose so the Fiilex could get the most value out of their time. 

It was our goal to make products for Fiilex that not only are informative, but also look excellent and flow well too. When all was said and done, Fiilex let us know that we succeeded in that goal, and we're happy to have been of service. 

Introducing the Schneider Productions 2018 Reel

Are you looking for a corporate videographer? A concert filmmaker? Maybe you're looking more for a celebrity videographer or interview/headshot specialist. Whether you are seeking a timelapse, aerial, documentary or any of the video disciplines just mentioned, odds are Schneider Productions has done it. Thanks to a team of highly-skilled motion picture artisans, we are qualified to help you create your next visual masterpiece. 

Schneider Productions teamed up with famed advertising photographer Blair Bunting to recreate the famous Top Gun moment: the cockpit to cockpit photo. 

We've successfully assisted multiple clients with everything from interview footage, to product features, to event videos for the past five years, and we are confident in our abilities to deliver a product you will love. 

Xtabi at the Cliffs is a small, family-owned hotel on the northwest coastline of Negril, Jamaica, and it was our job to gather footage of the area to paint a picture of what visitors could expect.

Part of what makes us successful is our ability to adapt to a wide variety of shooting situations, be that location or the different types of people and teams we would be required to mesh with. We adapt well to our situations, focus on client needs, and always turn a project we can all be proud of.

Our Reel will hopefully paint a bright, vivid picture of what we at Schneider Productions can do for you. If you're looking to enhance your business with video, contact us and we can show you how we can help you and your business. 

Celebrity Videography: Shooting Guy Fieri's Reel Cinemas Dubai Promo

Celebrity portrait and video sessions are an absolute blast, and it's something we love doing here. As is the case with most celebrity sessions due to NDA restrictions, it's been nearly a year since the Schneider Productions team had the opportunity to work with one of television's most well-known personalities: Guy Fieri. 

Guy was about to open a new movie theater/restaurant combo in Dubai and needed to put together a sizzle reel to advertise the coming attractions. Because it was a new concept, and also came together very quickly, we were tasked to produce a high-end deliverable with limited time and resources. 

This is the kind of task where the Schneider Productions team excels. We went to Guy's home town of Santa Rosa, CA and set up shop in a local hotel meeting room with everything we would need for our very limited time with the busy celebrity chef. 

Our extremely skilled cinematographer Karaminder pulled together the below setup in under an hour, and the result was bright and clean light that would provide a crisp image and avoid a green hue you might get when shooting in a cramped space by giving the shot enough separation despite the close quarters. 

The client requested high quality video, but they didn't want the burden of a large cinema camera like a RED or an Alexa, the norm for something like this. Instead, they asked for a solid option that would be faster and more nimble to operate. For that, we opted to trust our Canon 1DX Mark II with the job which was able to provide high quality video without much setup or teardown time.

We wired Guy with both a lavalier microphone and a boom microphone as backup to assure we accurately captured his booming voice. In the image above, the monitor to the right of our camera was specifically set up to allow the client to approve each shot.

If you look closely, you might notice in the images above that we were oriented vertically rather than the traditional horizontal frame. Guy's team informed us that they wanted the option to use the footage for a wide array of purposes, and since Guy would be cut out of the green screen anyway and horizontal space wouldn't be necessary, we suggested this orientation so that the footage could be used from 6K to even 8K resolutions. 

But, we also made sure to capture it in traditional framing as well, as you can see below. 

Guy was an absolute pleasure to work with, and his charisma you see on television is 100% genuine. On set, Guy joked and interacted with everyone and seemed to genuinely enjoy working with other professionals.

Guy, we wish you the best with your new restaurant!