Teaming Up For Charity
It’s always fun to see who’s going to walk through Studio 11 Pittsburgh’s doors next. Sometimes, it’s a television actor or opera star. This week, it was former Pirates baseball manager Jim Leyland along with Super Bowl champion and former Pittsburgh Steeler Rocky Bleier.
Leyland, Bleier, and Edgar Snyder were at Studio 11 Pittsburgh to appear in a public service announcement for the Miracle League of Moon Township. Studio 11 Pittsburgh’s corner green screen is where the three famous Pittsburghers converged for the production shoot.
Studio 11 Pittsburgh enjoyed partnering with Edgar Snyder & Associates and Awesome Films to help the Miracle League of Moon Township bring awareness to a baseball field and adaptive playground slated for ground breaking this summer.
“Rocky Bleier’s firm is doing the construction for us. Jim Leyland is the spokesperson for our field now. Edgar Snyder does a lot with charities, and Cindy (Danel), Edgar and the firm helped us be at Studio 11 today,” said Mike Magulick, President of the Miracle League of Moon Township.
Magulick and his wife Christina’s, inspiration for the field came from their son, Luke.
“Our son has a rare genetic condition. After he was diagnosed, we wanted to try to find a way to help other families. The goal is that no matter anyone’s condition, they’ll be able to enjoy the park,” said Magulick.
The Magulicks have another son who does not have special needs. The Magulicks look forward to their sons having an inclusive, safe place to play together and providing that experience to similar families.
“Hopefully, we’ll break ground in July. If we do that, the playground will be open in the fall. Everything is connected and fenced in, making it a family friendly park. We’re hoping to have a baseball league in May of 2019 and add soccer, flag football, golf and yoga in 2019 as well,” said Magulick.
For more information about the Miracle League of Moon Township, visit http://miraclesinmoon.org/.
The Making Of Jackie Evancho’s ‘Pedestal’
Jackie Evancho recently released pop music video “Pedestal” that Studio 11 Pittsburgh produced.
The Pittsburgh native is known by many as the young opera star who got her start on “America’s Got Talent.” Now 17 with a ton of impressive work under her belt, Evancho is excited to release a music video about breaking free of her childhood image.
“The minute our creative team heard the song, we thought ‘music box.’ We imagined Jackie standing on one with moody lighting and beautiful dancers surrounding her,” said producer Carly Boucher.
Production took place over two days in March 2017 in our 3,500-sqaure-foot studio. Everything in the studio was turned black, even our 900-square-foot white cyc. Black marley covered the floor. It was a blank slate for several scenes.
Small sets were created for the makeup, paparazzi, backstage and talk show scenes, each with their own detailed lighting plan. Directed by Karen Lah, several cameras, including one on a dolly and one on a jib, provided unique angles and movement.
The main “Pedestal” scene features Evancho singing on a music box wearing an ethereal blue dress with contemporary dancers moving around her. Dancers Megan Sullivan, Alaina Johnston, Isabella Febbraro, Julia Paslawski and Anna Schatzel were choreographed by Studio 19 Dance Complex owner Tammy Croftcheck.
“Pedestal” was one of the first songs Evancho wrote and is on her new album “Two Hearts.”
The Making Of Jackie Evancho’s ‘Attesa’
Singing star and Pittsburgh native Jackie Evancho recently released music video “Attesa” that Studio 11 Pittsburgh produced.
“Attesa” is a single off Evancho’s new album “Two Hearts.”
Set in front a big projection screen with falling rain to set a somber mood, production took place in our 3,500-square-foot studio on March 2, 2017.
“Attesa” is about a woman’s anguish over being parted from a man she loves.
The studio was transformed, and everything in it was made black. That included painting our 900-square-foot white cyc black.
Evancho, 17, dazzled on set, wearing a red sequin gown as multiple cameras captured beautiful angles.
“Working with an artist like Jackie, who is incredibly talented and a lot of fun on the set, made our team’s job easier and really made the final product shine,” said director Karen Lah.
Evancho became a worldwide sensation when she appeared on NBC’s “America’s Got Talent” at 10 years old.
Since “AGT,” Evancho has released platinum and gold albums and most recently sang the national anthem at the presidential inauguration in January.
White Cyc Walls: Your Questions Answered!
Now we’ve all seen the beautiful Apple commercials. Every video that Apple releases feels fresh, new and clean.
The simple white background creates a very polished look that demands people watch the person on camera and listen to what they are saying while giving you a strong feeling of professionalism and a young energetic emotion.
For that same reason, children tend to look amazing on this simple background, and it’s also great for corporate videos aiming to achieve a polished professional look.
This set makes a perfect background for photo shoots as well. Need shots of large products or groups?
The white cyc keeps it easy and elegant.
But what is a white cyc exactly?
Well, it’s really just a white wall that has a ton of light thrown onto it.
This is done so if you need to get a full body shot of a person or even a car, you are not going to be distracted by seeing the shadows and hard corners that might ruin the effect of that beautiful clean white infinity look that you are trying to achieve.
Studio 11 Pittsburgh’s professional studio has a 900 square foot set that sits under a 17’ high lighting grid and is backed by a 180 degree infinity cyc that is pre-lit by four 6k-equivalent LED Space Lights. There is no cyc wall like this in Pittsburgh!
Renting a big white room can be a bit pricey but at Studio 11 Pittsburgh, crafting your own white cyclorama or infinity wall look can be done on any budget with a little video and lighting know how from our Pittsburgh production team.
To learn more on how to make your videos stand out, contact Studio 11 Pittsburgh today at 412-237-1211412-237-1211 or Studio11@wpxi.com!
Studio 11 Field Trips!
Remember those field trips when you were in grade school? A day out of the building to hang with your friends and meet some new people and be exposed up close to something you really need to see or touch to truly understand. Sure you’d have to write a paper to validate the trip but it was usually a small price to pay for the adventure.
Our Process
Some of us still get to take field trips and whether we have our pals with us or not, what can be learned is invaluable. For Studio 11 Pittsburgh, location scouts are our field trips. Prior to our shoots we’ve spoken with our clients, talked about what everyone is looking for, formulated concepts and scripts, auditioned talent and voice artists and gotten most of our ducks in a row. However, until we visit the site, we don’t really know exactly what will be needed to start the shoot.
A recent location scout to Beaver County Auto in Chippewa seemed to be a very straightforward affair. We were to shoot in two dealerships next door to each other and we would be shooting interiors and exteriors of both. We had a very tight shoot schedule because of a narrow window of time we had with a celebrity spokesperson.
Staying On Time
As a video production company, we had a plan in place detailing our schedule of shots, locations and times. And our scout pretty much threw it out the window. We realized we needed to move the shoot times earlier so we could capture the morning Golden Hour sun hitting the front of one of the dealerships. And the same morning sun that would make that shot beautiful was so harsh on the other building, we realized an afternoon shoot would be preferable next door.
But we still only had our spokesperson for a short window. Studio 11 Pittsburgh came up with a new plan, the logistics of which were a little daunting. I think we’ll talk about that in a later blog about the shoot. We were also able to talk with the managers about where to place vehicles in the showroom and on the lots to best showcase their inventory. Walking into the situation on the day of the production would not have lent itself to the success we had that day. Scout day was as integral as shoot day.
Another “field trip” took Producer, Melissa Nopwaskey and Videographer, Jared McLaughlin to Ann’s Chop House in Bethel Park. This family restaurant has a warm and cozy ambiance that lends itself to a wonderful dining experience but a complex lighting issue. The light that cameras need to “see” can, by their mere presence, ruin the feel you’re trying to capture.
The Finishing Details
After the scout, the Studio 11 Pittsburgh team met to talk about possible approaches and options. On the day of the shoot, we brought additional lighting but also an additional camera. And it paid off. Our Panasonic V35 has an awesome feature. It has dual native ISO settings of 800 and 5000 with none of the grainy artifacts that normally come with high ISO shooting. We decided to shoot the spot at 5000 ISO which allowed us to shoot in the natural, warm, low light atmosphere and use additional lighting only to tweak the really dark spots. We couldn’t be happier with what we were able to capture. And it was the location scout that guided us.
Contact Us
Field trips can be more work as an adult than as a kid in school, but it’s all worth it when you can learn something new. Contact us today and we’ll be able to help with all of your video production needs.
It’s Back To School Time!
September 20, 2016 — It’s back to school time here in Pittsburgh, and this yearly rite of passage for the many kids in the Pittsburgh Public Schools has our team at Studio 11 Pittsburgh feeling nostalgic. Why’s that, you ask?
This September marks the one year anniversary of Studio 11 Pittsburgh’s partnership with the Pittsburgh Public Schools. Over the past year, Studio 11 Pittsburgh’s team has produced, shot, and edited a total of 11, 30-minute shows for Pittsburgh Public Schools’ #WeArePPS campaign. The goal of this campaign is to create videos that showcase the people, places, and things that make the Public Schools such a special place for our city’s youth.
#WeArePPS Video Content
From summer camps, to swimming lessons, to peace marches — Studio 11 Pittsburgh covered it all. With so many shoots in so many different locations, it really allowed us to use the complete arsenal of video production gear.
For instance, in one of the most memorable shoots, Studio 11 Pittsburgh covered a very special program offered in the district. … swimming lessons. Each day, groups of elementary school students from around the district come to Pittsburgh Arsenal to take swimming lessons. Studio 11 Pittsburgh utilized three cameras on this shoot to cover every angle. The Panasonic V3700 HD camera was set up on a tripod to get smooth, up close shots of the kids and teachers in the pool, in addition to interviews with the teachers and students. Studio 11 Pittsburgh also brought along our Canon 5D Mark iii as a more portable option to keep up with the energetic youngsters. The third (and favorite) camera option from that shoot, was the brand new GoPro Hero 4+ Black waterproof camera, which was used to capture some of the underwater action. The students really had a blast swimming under water and waving to the camera. This really added a nice touch to that particular episode.
From short form to long form video production, outside to in, under water to above, no job is too difficult for the innovative team at Studio 11 Pittsburgh. We love a challenge, and a chance to get creative. Contact us today to get started on your unique project.
Working with The Pittsburgh Zoo
September 6, 2016 – Halloween is right around the corner, so Studio 11 Pittsburgh decided to get a head start on a commercial spot for Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium’s annual Zoo Boo Event.
Our video production crew filmed the zoo’s curator Henry Kacprzyk in front of the siamangs. The camera we used for this shoot was the Panasonic 3700 and its variable lens, which would prove essential when it was time to photograph the animals. Instead of utilizing the sun to light Henry, which was unreliably dancing between clouds, we opted to block it out entirely with two foamcore boards clamped to c-stands. Doing this greatly reduced Henry’s exposure, so we bumped it back up with two diffused Astra Litepanels and a third foamcore board to bounce any remaining light towards him.
The next step was to grab B-roll shots of the spotted leopard, giraffes, zebras, and siamangs. The giraffes and zebras were easy to capture, but the spotted leopard posed some difficulty, as it was not an open enclosure and the glass was extremely reflective. To combat this, we built a “tent” around the camera with duvetyne cloth and c-stands. After crossing that bridge, the leopard became camera shy and hid behind a small waterfall. It required us to move very slowly and with tons of patience to have the leopard emerge again.
The final leg of our commercial shoot brought us to the siamangs. Although we already had footage of Henry standing in front of the pen, we needed to return to capture them in action. Siamangs have a large throat bubble called a gular sac that allows them to vocalize a resonating call. These particular siamangs preferred to begin their calls at around noon, so it was important for us to come back and capture their songs. It was very important to monitor the audio for this portion, as these songs are so loud, they can be heard over a mile away! Studio 11 Pittsburgh looks forward to another fun shoot at the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium.
“This Town” Promo Shoot
August 25, 2016 — When you’re producing a promo to debut during the Opening Ceremonies of the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio, one of the most-watched nights of television of the year, you have to go for the gold.
That’s exactly what our team at Studio 11 Pittsburgh did for the “Our Town” promo video.
Studio 11 Pittsburgh Takes to the Sky!
June 30, 2016 – In Washington, Pa. last week, the weather was on our side when we took to the sky for a drone shoot – it was a gorgeous, late-spring day. The drone footage was shot for a new John Sisson Nissan commercial. Look for the spot and drone shots on TV!
We’re cyc’d!
May 19, 2016 – We’re cyc’d – Who knew building a white cyc wall would be such a challenge? Finally after 9 months in the making the cyc wall is finished. We had an open house to show it off and met a lot of great people in the Pittsburgh production scene. The Studio 11 cookies put a smile on everyone’s face as did the mac and cheese food truck. If you didn’t get to see the new studio yet, feel free to contact us and we’ll be happy to show you around. The studio is available for rent and we’ve already had several satisfied clients. For more about the cyc wall and studio rental click on our rentals section.