You probably don’t know Z-line designs, but you know their furniture. They design award winning furniture that can be bought at Target, Walmart and about 30 other retailers (not including online outlets).

They also sponsor a few racecars for Joe Gibbs racing. You can see them in the NASCAR, Nationwide, or IRL circuit.

Kyle Busch is one of their drivers, and a pretty good one at that. So a lot of people know about their cars, but not a lot of people know what Z-line designs, actually designs. In fact they just became the OFFICIAL home office and Entertainment furniture sponsor of the INDY league. So we had the good fortune of pitching a couple of ideas for a commercial. Here was our directive:

-Create a commercial that shows that Z-line designs furniture, specifically desks and TV stands.
-Connect the Z-line racing team with the furniture but don’t focus the commercial on the racing.
-Involve a beautiful woman.

Actually the call we got was kind of like this: “We need a commercial, and we believe that sex sells and we would really like a beautiful woman in the ad”

Well despite the fact that sex doesn’t always sell. And the fact that our research showed that the main purchasers of home office and entertainment furniture are women, they still continued with their request.

We pitched 5 ideas, and Z-line chose our favorite.
If you’s like to see the original storyboards, I’ll send them to you.

The idea was kind of “on the nose”. that’s what I like about it. I mean, It had a woman, a race car driver and puppies, how could we go wrong?

That week we found out that Kyle Busch was engaged to Sam Sarcinella, so why don’t we put HER in the spot. Initially I was kind of nervous, I mean normally models can be difficult to work with, but if it the fiancee of a notorious “Bad Boy” racer, could it get any worse? Well, it turns out she was a delight to work with, and her playfulness really worked well in the final spot. In fact, she may have been the biggest surprise of all. I would use her again in a heartbeat, not only was she willing to do whatever, including poking fun at herself, she also brought a lot of personality to the table. I have to add this: Say what you will about Kyle Busch, but he was great to work with too.

We shot at Salt Lake Studios and Kyle and Sam (and a few dozen puppies) flew in JUST to do the commercial. The spot was shot on the RED ONE

This spot was a blast to film. And a few times literally. How many days do you get to hang out with a championship driver, 30 puppies, a few ponies, a beautiful model, and a bunch of pyrotechnics?

Here is the first version of the spot:

ORIGINAL VERSION (excuse the lower quality video)

this comes with a nice microsite so you can share the video.
BUY Z DESK
Over the course of the next few weeks, we made almost 20 different versions of the spot. Sometimes for us, sometimes for the client. In the end the client wanted to make sure that we didn’t get their brand confused with European furniture makers, so we Americanized it a bit for the final. In my opinion it lost something key in making it unique, clever and standout. And in the effort to stay “on message” it became less interesting.

AMERICAN VERSION

this comes with a nice microsite so you can share the video.

BUY Z DESK

We also did a second spot highlighting the TV Stand. Which I might like even more than the first (Sam is TOTALLY the star of this one)

Yeah TV stand.

These commercials are kind of different. But that was our goal. If you want to be remembered, if you want to stand out, you have to be different than the noise you always hear. These spots were also designed so that if you TiVO (or DVR) them you still get the messaging (buy buy buy, Z line, ponies) go ahead and try it, it’s kind of fun.

But in the end they wanted something a little more traditional. They wanted to use the song “Wild Thing” by the Troggs or maybe even the Sam Kinison version. We settled on this instead (from Non-Stop music, whom I love to use btw).

Here are the more traditional spots.

(please watch at the highest resolution possible)

I think the spots are cooler, slicker, and they look great, but I think in some ways they may be a bit less memorable. They look like commercials you have seen before. But what do I know. I’d love to hear the thoughts of any of our readers out there (both of you).

With all of that being said, I think Z-line designs is growing fast as a company. They are selling a lot of desks and tv stands (as well as a few races to go in there) and winning a lot of design awards wherever they go. Next time you walk into a store with easy-to-assemble furniture I bet you will find some Z-line designs.

These guys were busted by the cops for rapping their order at a McDonalds drive thru.

They got the idea from this video on You Tube.

Check out the footage I shot of their story.  I can’t believe criminals like this roam our streets.

All this because of rap music… the world we live in.

People spend a lifetime perfecting video techniques, but there are a few simple things that you can do to make you web video look and sound better.

LIGHT

Nobody wants to watch a video that looks like it was filmed in a cave. You want soft, filtered light, preferably natural light

People always want to know what camera to use. Our company was in business for a year before we bought our first cameras. A WHOLE YEAR! but we did have lights, and while we’ve bought and sold a few cameras and are about to buy a few more. We still have, and use the same lights, but we keep adding more. You don’t have to, and probably shouldn’t buy a complex light set up unless you want to get into production full time. But you want to ask this: Is there enough light? and is it flattering?

If I am watching a dark video it makes me feel claustrophobic. Most importantly it makes it hard to see the eyes. When you are meeting with someone in person you want to see their eyes, and if you are using web video you want to connect with people. If the light source is too strong, you will create harsh shadows , usually behind your head, or under your nose.

For beginners, I recommend using natural  indirect light. Sit next to a window so the light comes in from the side. Natural light is usually the most flattering (fluorescent light is usually the least). If that is not an option, you can use the lights you already have, but consider buying something like a cheap Chinese lantern and use it off of camera, to the side. It should give you a softer diffused light.

Without professional lighting and cameras your video will probably trend towards “too dark” but using some of these tips will help people see you better and feel more comfortable. What you are trying to do here is not look too slick, but making them feel more like they are listening to you talk, and not a grainy video.

Michelle Phan does a great job of letting you see her eyes.

LENS

The lens is the eye of your audience. If you are using a web cam, look your audience in the eye, not in the monitor (it will look like you are staring at their chest). If you can possibly afford it, use a higher end camera with interchangeable lenses. The more light you can get in the lens, the closer it will approximate the human eye, and you want to make your video feel like your audience is meeting you, not watching your amateur video.

Your lens is going to dictate how much of that light actually makes it into the camera, but it will also allow you to control what is (and what isn’t) in focus. You should be the focus of the video.

Right now Canon has a suite of digital SLR cameras that shoot high quality HD video. you can spend anywhere from $700 - $5000 on one of these and they will improve your production immensely. With the right lens on one of these,you can focus the video on you, and not whatever is behind you. It will also help with the lighting issues.

LOCATION

Think about where you are. It should be a space that feels like you. and it should be well lit, but have less light than you have on your face.

Where are you shooting this video? My number one rule of any interview: ABAWW! (anything but a white wall), don’t decorate, don’t hang a sheet, but put yourself, or your subject in context. Bookshelf and windows are fine (if the window doesn’t produce more light than whatever is bouncing off your face). If you want the video to be casual, look at a room in your house, if it needs to be professional, your office is fine, but I recommend, in either case having a few personal touches behind you. Things that are uniquely you.

The second part of location is where you exist on the camera. Better known as Composition. My partner and I just spoke to a University class on this subject and I can spend a few hours here, but four our purposes, I would suggest this. Divide the screen into three equal portions horizontally. I recommend trying to get your eyeliner between the top two divisions. Most web video have WAY too much headroom. It makes watching the video a little uncomfortable. If you don’t have a lot going on, center yourself, but if you want to bring up graphics or anything else, set yourself of to one side a little. In future blog posts Kineto is going to cover more about composition.

How important is it that the video below takes place in a lab?

LENGTH

I know you want to cover a lot of stuff. but on the web, keep it short. it’s better to have a bunch of short video that one long one.

I recommend that clients keep their videos between 30 seconds and 2 minutes at the maximum. Any more and people lose interest. Working in Children’s television we learned that people tune out quickly and there is no place this is more true than the internet. The plus side of keeping it short is that it makes you edit, and focus on key points. Then if you need to create more videos, you have more content on the web that all points back to each other.

This video may be a little long, but it feels short, and it gets to the point quickly

LOLS

You don’t have to be hilarious, but be yourself. Most of all, be willing to laugh at yourself. it gives everyone else permission to laugh along. You probably won’t “go viral” but you will make your audience feel like they are getting to know YOU and make them a little more comfortable.

Everyone wants a video that will “go viral”, unless you are willing to do something ridiculous, painful, embarrassing, or a combination, this probably won’t happen. If you are really interested in this, we can talk, but it’s not as easy as those Chronicles of Narnia guys make it look.

If you are not a professional comedian you will probably not make people laugh. Even if you are a professional comedian you will probably not make people laugh, at least not enough to make people want to pass along your video.  However, that doesn’t mean don’t joke around. Since your video is not professional, don’t try to act to stuffy. Be yourself. Be willing to laugh at yourself this will make you approachable. Even a failed joke reveals humanity and accessibility.

Sure, Gini could use some more light here and even lose the hat, but her personality shines through. She is having a conversation with her audience. I even like that it is in her office and you can see her red wall.

LASTLY

Think about where you want to your video to live. I recommend the most popular video sites, youtube and vimeo. Both allow embedding into your website. If you only host the video on your website, then you have just created an expensive billboard that can only go up next to your office. Youtube and Vimeo are social media sites as well as places to host video. both have privacy settings, but remember this:

“what goes on the internet, STAYS on the internet.” And that can be your biggest blessing as well as your biggest curse.

P.S.
Here is our demoreel if you want to see some of the stuff we have been doing.

“Imagine lending tree, but for high end technical services like server colocation, carrier services, hosting and any number of needs.” That’s kind of how Tech-brokers pitched there services to us. They don’t provide the service, but they find service providers, all around the world, who do. for a minimal brokerage fee they can help you find the right IT solution for you. The nice thing about going with a broker is that they can figure out your needs and find a good solution, since they have so many options, rather than a server facility trying to sell you what they have, simple because it’s what they have on hand.

First we had to figure out what colocation was, but then we were off to the races. At first they wanted us to create a simple video that explained their services so that everyday business and IT people could see how they could find IT sourcing solutions for their needs, regardless of how large or small their business is. After several conversations it became clear that they wanted this video to integrate into their website so they could quickly explain what they do, and how.

Here are a couple of ideas we pitched:

simple icons

Retro chic video game icons

jib-jab style animation

8 bit warriors

service icons

So with a  simple story set in an 8-bit world to show what tech-brokers does, we told the story of 3 business operators with different needs. With additional character design help from the ever talented Brandon Dayton we completed the video. We then integrated Bryan Moore’s design elements into both the video and the web so the two would work together.

In the end, they have a simple, clean website supported by a video that demonstrates what they do in a fairly simple manner. Set in a web 2.0 environment this site should be supported by their social efforts on twitter, blogger and facebook.

An early design for the website

We’re anxious to see what Tech-brokers does. For now, if you need some off-site server space or a simple domain, you should check them out.

Jenny Oaks Baker is a talented violinist with a love for movies. Her recent Silver Screen Serenade highlighted some of her favorite movie scores. When the top brass at BYUTV got a hold of it it seemed like the perfect recipe for show. Add a 40-piece Orchestra, 6 high definition cameras, and 200 pounds of lasagna to go, throw in some film interviews from around the country for a super-sized concert event airing on BYU television on May 4!

When the top-dogs at BYU Television put in the call the Kineto team went into action, covering everything with careful planning and visions of Oscar-worthy production value dancing through our heads.

Finding the right place for the orchestrated portion of the event was up to Damian, who scouted local venues until he discovered that the historic Murray Theater was perfect for what we needed — both logistically and because it’s rumored to be the first place to screen the Wizard of Oz in the 1950s, one of the songs included in the performance. We really packed it in the modest-sized area, making room for not only the large orchestra but also a grand piano, a 40-foot crane, a 20-foot screen, two 15-foot screens, 3 projectors, and partridge in a pear tree. Mike was in charge of gathering clips and obtaining rights for each movie, as well as timing the music via the 3 projectors and screens. Genevieve went on her own expedition for props and set decorations to reflect each movie (special thanks to Hale Center Theater who let us delve into their props warehouse). When the musical evening finally arrived Travis directed the 6 high-definition cameras and sound crew from a control truck at the back of the venue while Damian and Genevieve ran the set and house along with the set PAs. All our preparation paid off as the night went off without a hitch (it’s a good thing our trailer didn’t).
Then it was on to the documentary part of the production with Travis, Damian, and George traveling the country to get interviews with the key professionals involved in each film. We were all too happy to rub shoulders with people like Gerald R. Molen, Producer of Schindler’s List; Lindsay Fellows, music supervisor for Amazing Grace; Nicholas James, sound engineer for The Mission; Richard Matheson, screenwriter for Somewhere in Time ; Aldric La’Auli Porter, 1st AD for Far and Away; and conductor Michael Krajewski, film score producer Chris Brooks, and film critic Chris Hicks.
After many long hours editing and fine-tuning everything from music to graphics, the two-part production is ready to air and hopefully bring joy to all the viewers at home who we think will love the finished product that celebrates music and film (a combination almost as great as chocolate and peanut butter).
As to future creative projects, perhaps our next production event should be a magic show since one of our set chandeliers mysteriously disappeared and then suddenly reappeared later. Could the Murray Arts Theater have its own love-sick, deformed phantom living underground? Ask Genevieve!

It really is a sad story.  Sandra Bullock is generally considered one of the nicest women in Hollywood, and that probably factored in to both her nomination and win. The Academy loves a nice, feel-good story, which was just like her movie. The Blindside isn’t a cinematic masterpiece by any measure (the film is already blurring into Remember the Titans and host of other sports melodramas in our collective consciousness), but audiences loved it.  And they loved Sandra too. Even though her performance probably wasn’t the “best” performance of 2009, it was arguably “better” than performances by anyone not named Meryl, Helen, Carrie or Gabourey.

Now it doesn’t feel so good though.

The win has been tainted by the curse.  And to think that it all could have been avoided.  If the Academy has only voted for the Best Actress???

Here at Kineto, we can’t turn back the hands of time. But we can base our votes on the actual performances – not on feel good stories and popularity.  In so doing, maybe we can karmically undo some of the effects of the curse?

Cause we like you too Sandra.

So on to the Kineto Awards for Outstanding Cinema . . .

2009 Kineto Awards for Outstanding Cinema

BEST PICTURE – UP

Runner Ups: District 9, The Hurt Locker

Commentary: It was a close race between these three films, but Up edged the other two.  One voter commented, “it will be the most remembered and influential to future filmmakers.” Another wrote that “it was classic storytelling . . . the screenplay will be studied for years to come”

BEST COMEDY/MUSICAL/OTHER – ZOMBIELAND

Runner Ups: The Hangover, I Love You, Man

Commentary:  Our voters were divided on their opinions of The Hangover and I Love You, Man.  However, they all loved Zombieland, which took the genre that Romero created to a whole new level.  If you haven’t seen it, be sure to check this horror comedy out!

BEST PICTURE (THAT YOU DIDN’T SEE) – FANSTASTIC MR. FOX

Runner Ups: Pirate Radio, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs

Commentary:  It was truly fantastic (and had to be in order to redeem Wes Anderson from Darjeeling Limited and Life Aquatic).  Some voters even felt that it was worthy of a Best Picture nomination.  If only it had found an audience.

BEST DOCUMENTARY – THE COVE

Runner Ups:  Food, Inc., Good Hair

Commentary:  One voter noted that “although The Cove was a documentary, it felt like a well-crafted action/adventure film.”  This is no small feat in a non-dramatic format.

BEST ACTOR – JEREMY RENNER/HURT LOCKER

Runner Ups: Sam Rockwell/Moon, Niam Leeson/Taken

Commentary:  Renner, a veteran Hollywood actor, finally found the right role to showcase his immense talents to a mass audience. One Kineto voter noted, “Liam Neeson deserves a special nod for bringing the only credibility to such an awful but entertaining (and hugely successful) movie.”

BEST ACTRESS – MERYL STREEP/JULIE & JULIA

Runner Ups: Carey Mulligan/An Education, Helen Mirren/The Last Station

Commentary:  Meryl Streep was utterly delightful in Julie & Julia, which would have been an almost unbearable movie without her. It’s a little bit strange that the Academy has only given one nod (out of sixteen nominations) to Ms. Streep, who is arguably the greatest actress of her generation.  Kineto got it right the first time.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR – CHRISTOPH WALTZ/INGLORIOUS BASTERDS

Runner Ups:  Woody Harrelson/Zombieland, Christopher Plummer/The Last Station

Commentary:  Too bad Kathy Bates wasn’t nominated for Blindside.  That guy is awesome!!!  But we digress; Waltz was amazing in Tarantino’s best film since Pulp Fiction.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS – RACHEL WEISZ/BROTHERS BLOOM

Runner Ups:  Maggie Grace/Taken, Mo’Nique/Precious

Commentary:  Megan Fox and Kristen Stewart take heart. You can be beautiful and a good actress.  Rachel Weisz was great in this quirky and under-recognized film.

WORST PICTURE – 2012

Runner Ups: Gentlemen Broncos, Paul Blart: Mall Cop

Commentary:  Again it was a close race, but 2012 was EPIC bad. John Cusack survived the movie, but his career may not. Let’s hope that he never publicly laments doing Better Off Dead again.  He might be hoping for a sequel.

WORST ACTOR – EVERYONE/GI JOE

Runner Ups: Nicholas Cage/Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call-New Orleans, Robert Pattinson/New Moon

Commentary: Ughhh.

WORST ACTRESS – MEGAN FOX/JENNIFER’S BODY or TRANSFORMER’S (take your pick)

Runner Ups: Amanda Peet/2012, Kristen Stewart/New Moon

Commentary: Some might find it strange that anyone even notices Megan Fox’s performances. Might be a little bit gay.

So those are the Kineto Award for Outstanding Cinema in 2009. You know we are right, but you can disagree if you want. Regardless, we’d love to know your thoughts.

That’s why we were so excited when Ron Hill Imagery called us up to help Laika, a cutting-edge animation company and producers of the 2009 Oscar-nominated film Coraline, interview American Idol favorite David Archuleta’s holiday release album. The project required some special finesse - incorporating animated yellow M&M into the scene alongside Archuleta, a-la Roger Rabbit style. Overseeing the shoot as field producer was Damian. Travis was on set as the camera operator. In order for it to work they had to measure the height of each of the two cameras. They then shot the interview with an M&M puppet as a stand-in for Archuleta to look at, and finally they removed the puppet and shot a “clean” plate for the animators to composite against. The animators then replaced the puppet with the cartoon, making this uniquely entertaining spot a wrap.

Needless to say the project left us eating M&Ms for a month straight afterward. Now we can confidently reaffirm that milk chocolate does melt in your mouth and not in your hands(thank goodness — our hands are always clean.)

Here is the music video we did for Late Night Alumni

I had the chance to work with the Late Night Alumni (side project of D.J. Kascade, Finn Bjarnson, John Hancock and Becky Jean). They needed a music video and I had an idea that I thought was right up there alley.  They had a great song that’s about looking for love, finding love, eyeing it with cynicism, and maybe, just maybe settling down with it. I pitched them an idea and they let me run with it, with encouragement to include Becky as much as possible in the video.

The idea, in a nutshell: Old people dancing in slow motion, and Becky Jean singing.

I have been a fan of the Murray Arts center since I was in high school. I love the couples and older folks who go there to dance and I thought there is no better concentration of wisdom and grace then on there dance floor on a regular week night (They have dancing all weeks, but the regulars are out in force during the week). They were kind enough to let us film there, with one caveat: I couldn’t interfere with the regulars who come week after week. This meant we couldn’t do the normal things directors like to do, like boss people around, do the same thing over and over again, and perhaps most difficult of all, they only let us bring in one light. After dancing there again and again, I made a few friends with the regulars and they were all kind of curious about what I wanted to do. But they were as generous with their time as they were with their dance moves (I learned a little tango and cha-cha).

Over the course of several weeks we got to know them and their facility, but we only had one night to shoot, and so that we did. We shot at 3 different speeds. 24 fps, 60 fps and 120 fps. I wish I could have brought in the Phantom for some 1000 fps shots, but oh well. I also wish I could have had a few more lights, but overall we saw some beautiful things that night. Much of which ended on the edit room floor to include plenty of Becky.  We simply watched people do what they do every night and they were kind enough to let us film them. Irvin and Nina were a particular treat. Full of grace and kindness they let us follow them around. I could easily spend a week filming here, I just wish I could get a little more light into that place.

Incorporating Becky was a little trickier. as you can tell, she is a beautiful woman, but the kind that is kind of unaware of it. She prefers “Cute” to “Sultry”, but also believes in artistic expression. Without being able to light her properly on location (and a host of other sync issues that come with shooting on location) I decided to shoot her separately. I was inspired by some French new wave lighting techniques (on an unfinished film by Clouzot . We had neither the time nor the budget to recreate these techniques, but both LNA and I were willing to experiment, and most importantly, so was Becky.

We had the help of the beautiful and talented Michelle Phan. She does amazing makeup work and she didn’t disappoint here. Unfortunately, I made her do something that we normally don’t do in the film world, normally you do makeup as flat as possible. To recreate the French technique, I kept on asking her to make Becky glisten.  I think Becky shines in her close up, perhaps too literally. I think Michelle did some really great things with her eyes.

We sang the song over and over again with a few experimental set ups. from Christmas lights on a ring, to swinging naked bulbs. To make the experience a little more dreamlike, we shot the song at four different speeds.

The video plays at 24 frames per second. But we filmed her singing the song at 12 frames per second, 24 fps, 48 fps, and 60 fps. with the song appropriately re-timed. We then remapped the time in Final Cut to approximate sync. I was surprised by how much I like this footage.

I cut the whole thing together and had some great feedback from the folks here at Kineto. I hope you like the piece. Please feel free to pass it along, maybe even to someone that you love.

The 2-day shoot at the West Valley Accord Ice Center covered women’s figure skater Rachel Flatt, US speed skater JR Celski, curling team skipper John Schuster, women’s ice hockey team member Julie Chu and figure skating pair Caydee Denny and Jeremy Barrett. The profiles aired leading up to the Games and as transitions through the various broadcast events and opening ceremonies.
To capture the meticulous shots the crew’s greatest find was the Phantom. Not a super-hero itself, but pretty special. Same camera used for parts of the movie Ironman. It’s a special high-speed camera that captures up to 5,000 frames per second (that’s super slow-motion for all you math majors). All of this, so that some of the high-speed action from the winter Olympics fastest sports could be brought to television viewers around the globe.

For a special low angle shot right down on the ice itself, they also used a snorkel lens (no, it’s not for water unless we’re talking about frozen water). At one point they were working with such a high shudder speed that they had to employ four 6,000-watt HMI lights concentrated onto a 4 foot area of ice. Almost caught the gear on fire and made the ice melt. Let’s just say it made Travis see the light (and it almost burned his retinas too). Despite that, it was definitely a unique opportunity and a chance to cover the best of both worlds. Slow motion, ice and a snorkel lens, we’ve got everything covered!

For the 3rd year in a row we worked for the Sundance Channel, this time getting a piece of the pie working hand in hand with Pickerel Pie Entertainment, a clever and creative production company based in New York City. But we did more than just gaze at the stars (the real ones, not the posers wearing their sunglasses at night). We actually talked to them, inviting them into the intimate Sundance Channel studio in the heart of Main Street. Radio and television personality Faith Salie hosted the show and interviewed dozens of actors from Joan Rivers, David Hyde Pierce, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Ryan, Daks Shepard, Alan Tudyk, Michelle Williams, Ryan Gosling, Elijah Wood (who, by the way, actually is a hobbit), and Jonah Hill to veteran filmmakers like the Duplass Brothers and a number of first-time directors.
Arguably the top Indie Film Festival in the world, we all choreographed our parts, smooth as butter, with Travis in Post Production, Mike on Camera, and Genevieve and George on set, who got a month’s worth of exercise running up and down the stairs of the three-story studio location. We captured the interviews with Panasonic cameras and edited daily on Final Cut Pro.
With plenty of bagels and Brita water on hand, we were able to work like tireless Olympians on the 11-day shoot and engage in the daily battle for parking places (with what they’re charging we swear Park City gets most of their annual revenue from just that).
All in all, it was a great experience and a successful production - one of the best yet even against the tight deadlines. As the 77-year-old Joan Rivers said in her interview, who has less wrinkles than all of us combined, “there’s no excuse for not doing anything you want to do. Stop complaining and get to work”. Which is exactly what we like to do at Kineto.