Visual Concepts Inc.

The one thing I love the most about being a Director of Photography is the challenge. Every project is unique, and every location challenges you in a different way. Sometimes it’s lighting, sometimes it’s time, but sometimes it’s a challenge just getting the “subject” in the right location at the right time! This was the case on this last shoot for Peter Pan Bus Lines.

Ric Serrenho and I spent the last two days in New York City for the second production day of the Peter Pan “On-board Video” that Ric blogged about back in July. This shoot day was all about capturing the b-roll (the pretty pictures you see in a video while someone is talking). Our goal was to capture images of the Peter Pan Bus in a variety of premier New York City destinations. Then do it all over again the next day for Bolt Bus, their premier coach shuttle service.

Logistically speaking it kind of makes you laugh. All we had to do was coordinate getting at 40’ bus through the streets of Manhattan and strategically positioned in the center of Times Square for example! Not only that, Ric and I had to get my chase car (the car with the camera in it) there first so I can get out and set the shot before the bus even gets there!

Needless to say, we had to get the most footage possible out of just one take. We shot with two cameras, our DVW700 Digital Betacam and the HVR-Z1U HDVcam camera. Ric’s camera was located on the bus at all times shooting the bus driver as he navigated the busy streets of Manhattan and shooting POV footage through the windshield. My camera was located in the chase car that paced along the outside the bus shooting exteriors of the bus driving through Manhattan. Then, the chase car had to break away from the bus and get to our next location first to setup.

Communication was critical. Using push-to-talk cell phones we kept meticulous track of where each vehicle was and to deliver the cues to the bus driver when it was time to make his “entrance”. We had professional drivers who knew the city driving both the chase car and the bus, coordinating travel routes with each other on-the-fly…meanwhile Ric coordinated shooting locations and logistics in order to capture everything on video tape.

Hat’s off to the Peter Pan and the Bolt Bus drivers! They managed to get those 40’ busses in position and around the city beautifully. Each shot took 30 minutes or more to coordinate and position, but the results were outstanding.

Seeing the Peter Pan bus in the center of the New York City really is impressive!

Rob Blanchard

After reading the recent selection of Springfield to Forbes Fastest Dying Cities I have a suggestion for the Springfield area. Why don’t you become “Basketball City, USA.” Springfield has a long rich history of innovation. One of the most important is the Dr. Naismith’s invention of the game of basketball at Springfield College. Because of this Springfield is the home of the Basketball Hall of Fame! But why stop there? Why not make all of the downtown themed after the great game that is played around the world!

Here are just a few of my ideas. Theme all the downtown streets after members of the Hall of Fame, Larry Bird Drive, and Magic Johnson Lane! Paint basketballs on the streets and murals on appropriate walls. Build outside basketball courts along Main St. with lighting for night games. It would be great to have projection systems with basketball footage projected around the courts and the city. There would need to be a number of restaurant/bar establishments as well. The big point is to make the City of Springfield part of the experience of the Basketball Hall of Fame.

With the loss of manufacturing Springfield has to really consider re-branding its image. Everyday many travel through Springfield on Route 91. There has to be a compelling reason for them to stop and experience what Springfield has to offer. Basketball City, USA can be the ticket!

Ric Serrenho

As a Director of Photography/Producer who has been creating corporate communications for the past 22 years I’m noticing a trend in the market place that is somewhat disturbing.  It appears that medium and large agencies are trying to position themselves as experts regarding the uses and methods of incorporating video elements into websites.  Let me say that Visual Concepts started as a video production company when the delivery system in the corporate world was more often than not a VHS machine.  It was tough in the 80’s to produce marketing and training video that was “broadcast quality” and it had to be dubbed to the mushy world of 200 lines of resolution.  I know that DP’s all over where happy when the DVD finally eliminated the VHS!  So, we have gone form VHS, to DVD to the web.

The web today is what I call a “fluid” medium.  What that means is that it is ever changing and moving images be they Flash or video will continue to become a bigger part of the internet experience.  So, as agencies, who in the past have been so focused on print and TV advertising are now attempting to convince the market place that they are ready to be experts on integration of moving images into the web.  When you go with the agency route you’re bascially creating a “middle-man”  agencies usually have to go out of house to production companies to produce the video for web.  Often agencies are also used to working from “television ad” budgets.  You will be paying more.

I’m proud to say that Visual Concepts was born as a video business, because that was the electronic medium that was available to us in 1986.  We have looked at each and every technology break through (web, blu ray) as a opportunity to create on a different canvas, if you will.  We have been ahead of the curve with Flash, and video elements and the whole integration and design is to have visitors experience the most the electronic communications world can deliver.  Just saying that video on the web is powerful is not enough.  One aspect will never change: it’s always been the design and delivering of the message that has to be done with great care and understanding of the audience and the medium.

Ric Serrenho