Behind The Scenes Photoshoot - Alla

Jim Mazza, 30 year vet Photographer, and I have the opportunity to work together ever so often. He's a Nikon guy. Here is the behind the scenes footage of the photoshoot with talented model Alla. She is from Czech and was awesome to work with. She pretends to be a little quiet, but is a true natural, and even with the language barrier speaks volumes with her subtle, natural movements between poses. Big thanks to Jim and Alla for inviting me out!!

DJ Romi Photoshoot!

Last week I met an awesome new friend and client, her name is Romi. She is a DJ from Czech. She currently spins at Cleo's every Tuesday night. The theme of the shoot was simple, DJ! As I work with talented individuals like her, it only makes my job seem less like work. Romi was basically the Art Director for this shoot! I gave some very basic instruction early on, and the rest of the shoot we talked about music and her hometown.

I chose to use two small flash units to light the talent. This enabled us to move quickly and I could place the lights almost anywhere I wanted. I used an umbrella to soften the fill light and left the key as a bare flash. After taking some test shots, I turned the power up a little more to drown out the ambient light, which was a mixture of sun and incandescent lights. Stay tuned for more!

Live Broadcast of "Let's Chat"

At My Christian Films, we are excited to receive another blessing, and using this blessing to bless others! One of our newest shows "Let's Chat" has been chosen for television broadcast. This show just began it's first season this year and is already picking up very quickly. On August 31, 2011, we will be shooting a live show, which will air on DoersTV.com at 7:00p EST. It will be syndicated to Jesus Daily.

For more info, check out MyChristianFilms.org/.

Chrish Johnson Interview

Interview with Tennessee Titan Running Back Chris Johnson.

Website Progress

Rather than have a splash page up for months, I decided to release my new site in phases. These will be rough phases. Really you will see the site as it is being built. As of now I do not have a date of completion, as I have other things to take care of. I actually agreed to hire a developer to create a site for me, but the day of, he didn't return my call, or email. So here is the site so far as developed by yours truly. This is the background, which was inspired by another design but I can't find it), and the video player (unstyled). At least now when you go to the site you can check out some dope videos. Thanks for your time and patience guys! PlaceProductions.com.

Sometimes a Task List Doesn't Cut It

For quite some time, I was the guy that never wrote anything down. I know what I had to do, and I did it. Who knows, maybe back then I wasn't doing much of anything. I thought I was. A few years ago, I started writing things down. Before, I would look at people odd, thinking to myself, "do you really need to write everything down?" Well, one major benefit of writing things down is that that is one less thing you have to keep on your mind. You can now use that "space" for something else.

Creating a task list is something that has helped me visualize what I need to do, but still I rarely refer back to it. I write everything down, and then usually just complete it as normal, without ever referring back to it. My task lists usually looks similar to:

- Mail xxxx DVD
- Finish xxxx edit
- CC xxxx video
- Clean desktop

and so on.

Now, a task list just doesn't do much for me. Today, I started creating a schedule. It only make since, every major corporation does it. If you work a 9-5, you are on a schedule. They made it that way for a reason, it works. If you are trying to manage a large amount of data, or people, you need a system (also known as management). So, now my tasks all must be completed by a certain date. This is also beneficial to the client and will aid in your overall business process.

- Mail xxxx DVD --------- 7/17 by 5pm
- Finish xxxx edit ------ 7/17
- CC xxxx video --------- Submit by 7/19 to xxxx.xxxx@gmail.com
- Clean desktop --------- 7/20

It's great to get things done as you get to them, but if you want to grow, then your business model needs to grow as well.

Chelsey Fatula - EPK Revisited

Some of you may remember my last shoot with Model, Hostess and Reality TV star Chelsey Fatula. This time, we got together to discuss re-visiting her EPK [electronic press kit]. We had a great shoot and I am excited about the new release.

New Splash Page

I'm working on the new design for my production company, Place Productions. The old design was very cool, but is old tech and difficult to use. For now, I have my super dope new splash page up! It actually looks a lot cooler than my old site and my contact info is much easier to find. The new design is coming together nicely, but is not as cool as my splash page. Hmmm...maybe I'll just add a link for my portfolio.

Limelyte - Welcome to the World

This Summer, I linked up with 4th Quarter Entertainment Recording Artist Limelyte again to shoot a video off his latest mixtape. The name of the track is "Welcome to the World." Since this is a freestyle, we wanted to take all of the energy of the track and represent it with equal visuals. The video is currently being screened, if you are following me on Twitter you may have received the password!

Be sure to keep up with Limelyte and check out Mr. Any Lane, now available on iTunes.

The Scariest Photo I've Ever Taken

Today I was out feeding my turtles, when I happened to look up in the corner of the screen support and saw a spider! For those that don't know, I have arachnophobia. I can spot a poisonous spider. So I went in and grabbed the wasp spray, there's no way I'm getting any closer than I need (yeah I grabbed the photo with a 50mm, but Photography is my passion, not Pest Control! I'm staying back!). I gave it a good spray. It takes a few minutes for the 'kill on contact, guaranteed results" spray to finish the job.

Feeling creeped out, something told me to look around. I just move my eyes and boom, another spider! I hit the spray again. This one took it a little harder, but when it fell down, I had a clear view of the hourglass! Confirmed Brown Widow! Didn't even know they existed! My eyes zoomed in like the old Batman show when they see the bad guy, I heard the sound effects and everything.

I go on to kill 5 more Brown Widows of all sizes, all in the same area of the porch - all tucked into a bottom corner. I'm getting on the phone with the exterminator it's such a small thing that it shouldn't be ignored anymore. Hope you enjoy the creepy pic!

1/320 second
f3.2
50mm
no color correction

Yung Bahama - Murda Scene

Directed by: Ron Howland
Key Grip: Curtis Harper
Ron Howland Productions

Quick and Clean White Balance Fix

Here is a very quick way I found to correct white balance. At a recent shoot, I was indoors and surrounded by very small incandescent light sources. When I was close to these, the lighting was decent, however when I was further away, I depended more on flash. If I were to use too much flash near these lights, I would get a blue image.

In the case of the above, I got a red image. The reason this happened is because I had my white balance set to fluorescent, when I was shooting under incandescent lighting. The camera overcompensated in the red tones, giving me a very "warm" image.

Here are the steps you can take to quickly correct your white balance [Photoshop required]:

1) Open Adobe Bridge
2) Navigate to your image file
3) Right click and select "Open in Adobe Camera Raw"
4) Select the White Balance Tool (looks like an eyedropper)
5) Select an area on the image that represents white

You may need to make some minor adjustments, but this should get you pretty close!

Yung Bahama - Murda Scene [BTS]

Man it's been a great year! It's only summer and I've already been blessed to work with so many talented people. This past week I had the opportunity to work with Yung Bahama on his debut music video C.R.A.N.I.U.M. aka Murda Scene. The video was Directed by Ron Howland and shot in locations throughout Orlando. Murda Scene is about a guy from the Bahamas, telling his own story about making it out of his current situation. The video is currently out for approval.

Gallery

Youtube Channel with the Best Views Ratio

So I'm a nerd, and sometimes I check out the top YouTube Channels to see who has the most views or subscribers, as opposed to how many videos they have posted. Today, I found something amazing! A top viewed channel (on the second page) with only 1 video! And, the video has only been posted for two weeks! The video is a short film style, home video of two little kids having their first kiss. The video was published by likes such as Justin Bieber and Ryan Seacrest.

NBA Jam for iPhone

Don't mind me, I'm just playing NBA Jam, ON MY IPHONE! So yeah, the
iPhone craze has settled down, and even nodded to the competition. But
the apps just keep coming. EA Sports released NBA Jam for the
iPhone, Touch and iPad earlier this year. And in a recent update, they added dual attack mode, enabling you to play two player games via bluetooth or wifi. It is very, very close to the original SNES interface.

I've owned the iPhone since the original release. I have
over 100 apps, and have only paid for three: Angry Birds, iStunt 2 and
NBA Jam! Check it out in the App Store.

Beezy Bux - Paid In Full Video Shoot

In March I was contacted by Recording Artist Beezy Bux. He was looking to shoot a music video for his mixtape smash "Paid In Full." To me, the hook was an instant classic, referencing the 2002 film starring Mekhi Phifer. The concept for the video was a look into the urban lifestyle, politicking with others with the same mindset - getting money.

The track, off the Beezy Taught Me mixtape, can be downloaded at datPiff. The video will be released next week!

Behind the Scenes by @AOK_PRODUCED.

UPDATE April 23, 2011:

Official Video for Beezy Bux featuring Carlos Ferragamo "Paid In Full."

Full Moon Again

Some of you remember my last full moon video:



Well the moon will be bigger and brighter again tonight. Our full moon, or #supermoon, will be 30% brighter at the perigee point. Some sites not that it will be within 6 miles of it's 2008 position. So grab your gear and do some experimenting! Try starting out with the indoor white balance, slow shutter speed and an f/9 for exposure. And don't forget to use a tripod!

I Need A Doctor - Dr. Dre (Feat. Eminem & Skylar Grey)

The "I Need A Doctor" music video is one of the most cinematic I've seen in a while. Joseph Kahn does it again.

Haiti

My last post indicated I would be in Haiti for 5 days. I was, but not just Port au Prince. Once we flew in, we got our vehicles and began a journey that allowed us to travel nearly half the island. I had the opportunity to meet so many amazing people. We fed families, and also delivered water units from Pure Water, which were donated by various organizations. The trip mainly consisted of feedings and water unit demonstrations. Food was provided by Kids Against Hunger, and water units were provided by Hays Pure Water.

As soon as we touched down, we were shuttled off to immigration. Yes, I was an immigrant. Processing was surprisingly easy. We only had one hick up in which one of our team was on file for still being in the country since the earthquake. He explained his case and was released. Now we await arrival of the Mayor, which will be escorting us to the rental car dealership.



The mayor arrived along with a couple local pastors. After introductions, we proceeded to load 15 passengers into two luggage packed vehicles [traffic laws are much different than in the states]. Luckily the dealership was only a few miles away.



Directly across the dealership was our first real glimpse of Haiti. It was one of many sections known as a "tent city." These are families that may have had homes before the earthquake, or those that can not afford homes. They live in these hand built tents sometimes numbering in the thousands.



Once we got our vehicles, we loaded up and began to work. Our first stop was a school. Only a few of the kids knew how to speak English, but they all knew how to look good for the camera. We were greeted by smiles and laughter as they gathered around. They were very interested in our beards and tattoos. All students in Haiti are required to wear uniforms.



Our next stop was an orphanage. It was heartbreaking at first glimpse, but once you see the hearts of these kids you are filled with hope. Here, they are lining up singing "we are getting ready to wash our hands, so we can be clean and eat." Their diet, as is most Hatian families, is mainly rice and beans. Our main purpose here was to deliver baby formula. Just next to the orphanage lie the ruins of an old Voodoo Temple, seen below. Notice the snakes wrapped around the column.





After a couple more stops, we arrived at Children's Lifeline. This is where we would sleep. Children's Lifeline is a mission that feeds close to 7,000 kids, every day. It's main group consists of a family of three, and their niece. On campus, they also provide schooling, medical attention and a playground for the kids. Upstairs there are 5 guestrooms. Throughout the day, we survived by our own bottled water and misc health snacks. We had sandwiches for dinner. This was a great time to charge batteries.



I was up at 5am EST each morning. After delivering more baby formula, it was time to travel through the mountains. We would end up about 1,000 feet above see level, in a small town outside of Mirebalais. Here, Jeff, Mike and Bishop led a water unit demonstration.



We did not have much time to spend here. We were to travel to a remote village over three hours into the mountains that night, and it would be nearly impossible to do this after sundown. We did a small question and answer session, and after traveling about an our out of the town, we determined it was no longer safe to go to the village. However this leaves us without a place to sleep. Bishop directed us to a couple hotels, in which they were full, but we finally got a lead on an area mission house located in Jacsonville [Haiti]. The house was still under construction, having only a front door, and no windows, but it had six empty bedrooms with mattresses. Here is a photo of the building the next morning.



And it seems no matter where we were, the sunrise was amazing.



Since we were now half a day behind, it became more important to stick to schedule. Our first goal today was to visit the village. We gathered our stuff and headed deeper into the mountains. After about a 2.5 hour drive, we made it to a dead end. Here, we are greeted by a few Hatian workers, and the mules that some of us will be traveling on for the next hour and fifteen minutes. I had no idea what was on the other side of that hill.



The hike was tedious. We were not prepared, most of us wearing old tennis shoes. Many parts of the mountain was loose sand, rocks and tree roots. We are now 7,000 feet above see level. The sun was bearing down on us and at times it seemed like a journey impossible to complete. I couldn't imagine someone making this hike on a regular basis.



However just when I could barely look up, we arrive at the village. There are people everywhere, smiling and talking. Some kids here have never seen "Americans." Above is my new friend Joanna [right]. The journey was well worth it. While at the village, we ate with the community and worshiped in a wonderful church service. The place was packed, having some people propped through the windows. Their praise was one of the most heavenly sounds I have ever heard. And the children were so beautiful. Here you can see people pouring in the entrance.



After service, we did a water unit demonstration and a feeding. Everyone was so grateful and I met many friends here. Most of the kids I spoke with were between 17 and 19 years old. We still had an hour and 15 minute hike ahead of us, so sadly, it was nearing time to depart. At least 3 or 4 of the kids asked when we were coming back.



After driving back down the mountain, once again nightfall was near. We decided to spend the night in Mirebalais, at Le Mirage Hotel. This was a beautiful place very close to the Riviere de la Artibonite or the Artibonite River.



The next day was a little different, we all knew it was our last full day's work and we had much more that we wanted to accomplish. Our main goal on this day was to attend the Pastors Conference, in which Rick would be presiding, and to deliver the remaining water units. Travel times got the best of us in Haiti, and we arrived at the conference about 10 minutes before start time. There were only 4 or 5 there at first, but as 3:00 rolled around others started gathering in.



Rick spoke mainly about the importance of taking care of your people, and working with each other. Helping and educating each other. He emphasized the point that by yourself, you are vulnerable, but with the help of another, you are much stronger. This directly relates to the water unit training. In Haiti, not only do you have to be careful with the water you drink, but also keeping your hands clean and being mindful of the environment around you. And being that the units are delivered in zoned areas, it is the responsibility of the person with the unit to help educate others. This demonstration in particular was very special as a local Doctor joined us, and informed us that the water we purified was found to be cleaner than most bottled water.



We did not have time to go to Cap Haitien, there were a few communities there that we were going to deliver water units to, and perhaps spend any spare time we had. Being that we had a scheduled dinner that night, and would be flying out the next morning, we had to make sure everything was in place. We enjoy Haiti, but not missing flights. We gave the remaining units to one of the Pastors as they would be traveling to Cap Haitien the following week.



Our final night in Haiti was interesting. We ended up staying at a Lodge that looked reminiscent of a military base. There were UN vehicles everywhere and guards at the gate with shotguns. We actually tried to back out but the vehicle ahead of us went in! So of course we followed. Once we got in, two of our team went into a bunker, we had no idea what was going on. Seven or eight minutes later, they walked back down and said get your stuff for the night, we are going to see the rooms. The inside looked just like the outside, like a military camp:



The accommodations were actually quite nice. The rooms are just small enough to sleep in, which is all we needed, and we got hot showers and fresh prepared breakfast in the morning. The trip was a success. The only thing I could asked for was more time to spend there. The people are very, very polite and thankful for your help. I look forward to going back.

This document is a summary of a full length article, to be released.

Traveling to Haiti

This time next week, I will be in Port au Prince. I will be there for 5 days with Kids Against Hunger, documenting as they give out food and clean water. This organization has delivered nutritious meals to over 60 countries since it was founded [1999], with over 10 million meals delivered to Haiti since the devastating earthquake. While there we will also visit some of their churches and orphanages. This will be quite an experience, as I have not been out of the country in almost 15 years. Also, Haiti is what's considered an LDC, or Least Developed Country, which ranks it below the standards of the 3rd-world classification. The average native lives on about $50USD per month.

If you would like to donate to a trusted company (tax-deductible), check out the Kids Against Hunger website.

Chelsey Fatula Photoshoot

I recently wrapped a Photoshoot with model/dancer Chelsey Fatula. Some may recognize her as "Lil Hood" from VH1's For the Love of Ray J. Super cool to work with and awesome friend!

Photoshoot - Sam Flax/Nelquan's Barbershop

Just to get caught up, one of my favorite shoots last year (last month) was at Nelquan's Barbershop. Not only is it authentic, but the owner is a great guy and used to cut the hair of one of the models parents. The shots were used to establish an Art Director's portfolio for a local client. Above is one of my favorite shots, though I am not sure which images were actually chosen. Nelquan's Barbershop is located at the intersection of Colonial Drive and Hwy 436 in Orlando, FL.

Updates Coming Soon.

The New Year has been good. I've been busy and when I'm not, I'm sick. Currently editing the @VH1lilhood photoshoot, also have a new music video coming up with Orlando recording artist "Cleric." Here is my latest:



As always, keep up with me on twitter.com/CNoteVP and youtube.com/placeproductions