COVID-19. Update:
Being Productive While Staying Safe …

Despite whatever policies may or may not be in place (or be enforced) in a particular state, municipality or geographic area, everyone on a Fresh Coast Production Resources set, will be expected to:

• Adhere to all CDC guidelines regarding social distancing, use of face masks, gloves, and hand sanitizers.
• When social distancing is not feasible, everyone working or stationed within 6ft of one another must wear appropriate protective masks.
• Sanitize all cases and equipment in a pre-determined off-set staging area prior to bringing it on set. When possible, camera rigs, lighting fixtures, etc. should be “built” in this off-set area. Sanitizing equipment after removal from the set is recommended.
• Agree to having their temperatures monitored when required.
• Be Socially Responsible. It always been important for everyone on a film set to work as a team and trust each other. Now it is vital. We’re very fortunate to work with a select group of crew people - most of whom know and work with each other regularly. We have full confidence they will take the necessary precautions to keep each other, and everyone else on set safe.
• If you’re not feeling well, call in sick. If you become ill on set, tell someone and go home!

All this may sound a little over-cautious especially in light of Wisconsin’s recent decision to “open up”. But, along with wanting our clients to leave happy with great-looking footage, we’re equally committed to keeping them and our crews safe during these uncertain times.

Tags: Audio - Video - Film Production Safety Policies and Procedures

As of right now, no one is sure what the 2020 Democratic Convention will look like – or if there will even be one. But Wisconsin remains a major battleground state. At some point, political ad agencies for both parties, as well as international media outlets will need to film in Wisconsin. When that times comes, FRESH COAST will be ready with local crews, equipment, studio facilities, and production support.

These days we’ve almost gotten used to watching fuzzy webcam interviews on TV. But when you need to acquire good looking and good sounding footage of that candidate at home with his family, or executive in her office (and do so without getting anyone sick or making everyone nervous), a Video Drop Kit can be the answer.
(If you’re not familiar with the term, don’t bother to Google it. All you’ll find are YouTube videos showing you how to lower your pickup truck.)  
The procedure will vary depending upon locations and shoot requirements, but this is basically how filming interviews with Video Drop Kits works. 
• The first step is a “virtual location scout”.  The interview subject (or someone within their organization) takes photos of the location - home, office, etc. allowing your director and our DP to determine the best interview setup.
• Prior to the scheduled interview, our DP working alone and wearing appropriate PPE, loads in and sanitizes all the equipment.  After setting the camera and lighting the shot, he leaves.
• During the interview, your director is connected via a web meeting app.  If you’re looking for direct eye-contact between the director and subject, we’ll feed it to a camera-mounted teleprompter.  Actual footage is recorded in-camera with reference video sent back to your director via the web meeting app. Camera functions (start, stop, zoom, etc.) is controlled remotely by the DP via WiFi.  While theoretically almost any camera package can be used, its usually best to keep it simple (Sony FS7 for example).  But when the location allows the DP to remain within 30-40 ft. of the set (an adjoining room, front porch, etc.), wireless control of a full cinema rig may be possible.  
• At the conclusion of the interview, and after everyone has left the room, our DP returns to strike and load out all the gear. Footage is then either uploaded or shipped on a hard drive. 
The Video Drop Kit approach may not be ideal, but not much is these days.  We can all hope that things will improve in the weeks or months ahead, but for now, we all have to learn to think outside the box.

For years we’ve been telling our clients: “We’ll make it happen”. Today, as we all struggle to find ways to safely deal with the challenges and risks imposed by COVID -19, FRESH COAST is still “making it happen”. We’re just doing it a little differently.

Pre-production has taken on new meaning.
Location Scouting now means more than just assessing lighting requirements, power availability and load-in logistics. Today it means determining if the space itself is sufficiently large and with adequate air circulation to ensure a safe shoot. Off-set areas will be needed for staging and sanitizing equipment and props.
Alternative locations may need to be found, crew positions adjusted, and lighting plans modified – sometimes all at the last minute.
Filming schedules and call times will need to factor in that everything is going to take longer.
Work Smart. Stay Safe.
Minimizing the number of people on-set has always been a good idea. Now it’s an imperative. Each filming environment will have its own unique challenges, and we’re all going to have to learn to adjust.

• DPs could end up having to set lights and pull their own focus.
• Directors may find themselves watching monitors in another room, or even another city via a webcast.
• Talent may have to provide their own wardrobe and do their own makeup.
• Prompter ops and script supervisors could find themselves on headsets in a garage.
• Everyone will need to plan for the unexpected. No more running out at the last minute to find another prop or buy a different shirt for the talent. Even grabbing that extra C-Stand off the truck will be involved and time consuming.

And a lot of other stuff we’re just going to have to learn to deal with as it comes. But we’re all pretty good at that.

To all Fresh Coast Production Resources Clients:

The Coronavirus is having an enormous impact on lives and businesses throughout the world. The film and video production industry is certainly no exception.  For now, Wisconsin has been lucky with only a handful of cases reported, and swift actions are being taken to mitigate the spread of the disease within the state.  

Unless the situation worsens, Fresh Coast Production Resources intends to continue providing crew and equipment for location filming throughout Wisconsin, and in select areas of Illinois.  We are monitoring the health of our crew members to insure no one displaying any symptoms are assigned to any Fresh Coast projects.  And obviously none of these folks can afford to get sick so they are all following the recommended precautions. 

In the coming weeks, domestic air travel will become increasingly difficult and potentially risky.  And as of yesterday, travel from Europe, impossible. If you have a time-sensitive project that must be filmed in Wisconsin, we at Fresh Coast are standing by to assist you in any way we can. (Projects that require filming in Illinois will be considered depending on the locations.) 

To this end, we want you to be aware that in addition to providing crew and equipment support, we are also producers and directors. It's possible we could handle everything here eliminating the need for any of your people to travel. If it's an interview, your producer or director can always participate via Skype or Face Time. While this may not be an ideal solution, it is one solution we can offer. 

Hopefully Coronavirus will be contained soon and we can all get back to business as usual.  But until then, we're here if you need us.

Best Regards, and please follows the rules to stay healthy. 

Ralph

Ralph Pabst
Producer - Director 
Fresh Coast Production Resources
P: 414-351-5850
Mobile: 414-405-5850

With Wisconsin a key battleground state, and Milwaukee hosting the Democratic National Convention, 2020 is going to be a busy year for Wisconsin video crews, camera rental and Grip & Electric companies.

Latest estimates are that as many as 20,000 members of the media will converge on Milwaukee just for the convention alone. Networks will be sending armies of reporters, crews, and broadcast trucks. Already, parking lots and any other open area within microwave range of the Fiserv Forum are being snapped up as sites for satellite trucks.

But many international media outlets will be looking for Wisconsin-based crews, equipment and production support. And political ad agencies will be filming in the state all year to produce campaign spots for the Democratic Primary and Wisconsin’s eight US Senate, 16 State Senate, and, 99 State Assembly races.

Things to consider when planning your 2020 Wisconsin shoot:

Probably the most important thing to remember is that you’re not in New York or LA (or London). Obvious, but worth stating. Wisconsin is a relatively small market which can be good and sometimes not so good.

Wisconsin Crews

The good news:
Neary every Wisconsin crew person – DP, AC, Cam Op, Sound Mixer, Gaffer, Grip, AD, HMU, or PA is a top-notch professional. Only the best can survive here. The market is too small to support any slackers.

The not so good news:
Supplies are limited. While there are plenty of great crew folks in the state to handle our normal workload, 2020 is not going to be at all “normal”. Unlike in LA or New York, you won’t be able to fill all your crew positions by make a few phone calls a couple days before your shoot date. So, as they say, “Book Early”.

Also, be prepared for a little sticker shock. You’re not going to find any $100./day PA’s or $250./day grips. And this has nothing to do with the increased demand in 2020. Everything you’ve heard about “Midwestern Values” and “Work Ethic” is pretty much true. You won’t see much “price gouging” around here. Crew rates in Wisconsin are what they are simply because of the size of the market. Crew folks in Wisconsin don’t get booked 5 days a week like they can in larger markets, but they still have to pay the rent.

Wisconsin Equipment Rental Resources
Just about anything you need can be found in Wisconsin (or our Southern suburb of Chicago :-). Camera/lens package from Sony, Canon, Red, Blackmagic, Arri, Zeiss and Cooke. Lighting options ranging all the way from LED kits to 5-Ton Grip Trucks. Need a crane, a camera car, dolly or jib? A broadcast or satellite truck? Maybe a green screen studio? All of this is available, but you need to know where to look. And like with crew people, supply is limited.

This is where Fresh Coast Production Resources can help. As you begin to plan and budget for your Wisconsin shoot, send us a quick email. We’d be happy to fill you in on what we’ve learned over the past 30 + years of producing film and video in Wisconsin.

It seems only appropriate to close out the year (make that decade) with our heartfelt THANK YOU to some of the clients who entrusted us with their Wisconsin filming over the years:

• Conor Lawrence Represents – Minneapolis
• Jamestown Associates – Washington, D.C.
• Bowstring Studios - Conshohocken, PA
• Fletcher Creates – Chicago
• The Whippet Film Company - London
• Panta Rhei Media- Turtle Creek, PA
• Berman and Company - Washington DC.
• Houzz TV - LA
• Oglivy & Mather - Chicago
• RainSoft – Chicago
• MLB Advanced Media - NYC
• World Television - London
• Boston Productions – Boston MA
• Vital Worldwide- NYC
• Time Inc. Studios - NYC
• RAW TV. Ltd - London
• MBM Productions - Chicago

And a very special thanks to our great crew people and equipment suppliers (without whom Fresh Coast Production Resources would be just another crewing company):

• Patrick Haley – Assistant Camera
• Randy Lorenz – Assistant Camera
• Thomas Beach – Sound
• Rich Reilly – Sound
• Jed Henry - Steadicam
• Jon Kline – DP
• Tim Moder – DP/CAM OP
• Jake Demoske – CAM OP
• Nate Haban – CAM OP
• Dave McCoy – DIT
• Jhousy Leon – Hair/Makeup & Props
• Chris Marks – Gaffer
• Pierce Ellner – Grip
• Shaun Buehler - Grip
• Todd Mallasch – Grip
• Fred Graber - Teleprompter
• Laura Henderson – PA
• Jefferson Taylor – PA
• Jason Buss – PA
• Noah Demoske – PA
• Electric Sun Corporation – Lighting & Grip
• North American Camera
• MKE Production Rental
• Bodi Company – Camera Support & Grip
• Studio Gear

In November, we again had the opportunity to assist Pennsylvania-based Bowstring Studios in their Milwaukee filming for an MPM Hero Award profile video. Each year MPN Heroes are nominated by patients and caregivers for their contributions in the field of MPN (myeloproliferative neoplasms).

Bowstring sent their own DP and director. Fresh Coast provided an AC, Sound Mixer and Hair/Makeup artist for the 1-day filming at Froedtert Hospital.

Tags: Hair and Makeup

London-based Whippet Film Company was in Wisconsin this month for 2 days of filming in the Madison area for their client ASAHI KASEI - a global Japanese chemical company headquartered in Tokyo. Whippet sent their DP and director from London, and Fresh Coast provided everything else. An Arri Alexa camera package, Assistant Camera, Steadicam and operator, Lighting & Grip, a Gaffer and Sound mixer.

In their follow-up up email, Whippet’s director asked: “Can I confirm who you have worked with before from the crew?  Sound, cam assist, light were all amazing. Thank you for them.”  Our answer was of course YES. We only work with a very select group of super-qualified crew people.

Tags: Steadicam, Arri Alexa Camera Package, Lighting and Grip, Fixer

This was our first opportunity to work with Minneapolis-based Conor Lawrence Represents. Connor Lawrence had two days of filming planned in Fond du Lac-area cheese factories. They chose Fresh Coast to provide a gaffer, grip, sound, and a 3-Ton grip truck. CLP’s director and DP were a pleasure to work with. Real professionals! And I guess we did OK too.

“Thanks for all the help.  The guys you provided were great. Till next time… Conor”

Tags: Lighting and Grip

n April, Washington DC - based Jamestown Associates (one of our favorite political advertising agency clients because they are so great to work with) reached out to us to provide support for their coverage of Donald Trump’s rally at the Resch Center in Green Bay. This was a big deal for us, and we thank Jamestown for the opportunity.

In all, we provided 4 camera ops, 2 DITs, a sound mixer, 3 PA’s, 4 camera packages, a whole bunch of lenses, one really big jib (more of a crane actually), and I can’t remember how many GoPro’s.

With all the load-in logistics and secret service security checks, it turned into two very long days for everyone. But together with the folks from Jamestown, our crew made it happen.

This from our client: “I can’t thank you enough for all your help.  We had a top-notch crew and couldn’t have pulled it off without you!” Thanks Rebecca. Looking forward to working with you in 2020.

We wrapped up 2018 with a rather challenging project from Fletcher Creates in Chicago.
Their client was ALLERGAN - a global pharmaceutical company headquartered in Dublin, Ireland.

The project required creating a believable physical therapy setting in a rented model home. In addition to the standard stuff – gaffer, grip, AC, sound mixer, Hair/Makeup, PA, and a Sprinter G&E package, we had to come up with all the props necessary to turn the living room of this model home into an up-scale physical therapy clinic. This also involved wardrobe for both patients and medical staff.

Some of it was simple. We rented and/or purchased therapy tables, matts, exercise weights, and those big colorful balls (not sure what they’re called). Then there was a last-minute request for parallel bars. We quickly discovered that “real” parallel bars used in physical therapy facilities are
1.) Not available to rent. 2.) Crazy expensive to buy (and take weeks to deliver). And 3.) Must be bolted to the floor (not really an option in that rented model home). With only a couple days to find a solution, we got lucky on Craig’s List and found a set of parallel bars in Madison for a couple hundred bucks. With careful camera angles, it worked out fine and we donated it after the shoot.

Our thanks to Jhousy Leon and her resourceful team at Blush for helping us pull this one off.

Tags: Lighting and Grip, Wardrobe, Set Dressing, Fixer

Also, in October, we were asked by Pennsylvania production company Bowstring Studios to supply a crew for filming in Milwaukee at Froedtert Hospital. The project was a video profile of one of the recipients of this year’s MPN Hero Awards. MPN Heroes are nominated by patients and caregivers for their contributions in the field of MPN (myeloproliferative neoplasms).

Jamestown Associates came back to us again in October for one day of pick-up filming in Madison to complete their Vukmir TV campaign. Like in previous shoots, we provided a gaffer, grip, AC, sound and a grip truck.

Tags: Lighting and Grip

Leah Vukmir won the August Republican primary and moved on to the general election, facing-off against Democrat U.S. Senate incumbent Tammy Baldwin. Jamestown Associates came back to us for two more days of filming at multiple locations in the metro Milwaukee area including one very chilly morning filming Vukmir skating around the Pettit National Ice Center.

Again, Jamestown sent their own producer, director and DP. Fresh Coast supplied everything else - crew, camera support and a grip truck. Everything went smoothly with the possible exception of the gimbal stabilizer Jamestown had shipped in. Neither their DP or our AC had ever seen one like it, and the two of them spent hours the night before the shoot figuring out how the thing worked.

As Jamestown’s Production Manager Rebecca Jacobs put it: “Thank you so much for dealing with all our craziness, never a dull moment here at Jamestown.”

In July, Nashville-based Counterpoint Messaging came to us for crew and gear to film campaign TV spots for Milwaukee attorney Matt Flynn. Flynn had entered the Democratic Gubernatorial Primary race in hopes of getting the party’s nomination to run against Scott Walker.


This one very full day of filming included multiple locations in Glendale and downtown Milwaukee, culminating at the end of the day with a green screen studio shoot at Big Chair Studios in Waukesha. A big shout-out to all our great crew folks and equipment suppliers who made all this possible.

Gaffer - Chris Marks. Grip - Mike Schmit. Grip - Shaun Buehler. AC - Mike Krieger. Location Sound - Tom Beach. Hair & Makeup - Jhousy Leon. Prompter - Fred Graber. PA -Taran Molnar. Lighting & Grip - Electric Sun Corp.

Tags: Hair and Makeup, Lighting and Grip

The Midterm Election season is underway with numerous candidates vying for local, State, and national offices. Fresh Coast’s involvement began in late May with a call from Washington DC political ad agency Jamestown Associates. Jamestown’s candidate was Wisconsin State Senator Leah Vukmir who was running in the Republican U.S. Senate primary.



An intensive 1-day shoot was planned to get footage for several TV spots. Jamestown sent their director, producer, and DP. We ended up providing an AD, gaffer, two grips, AC, sound, prompter, hair/makeup and wardrobe. We also put together a custom 3-Ton grip and lighting package that included a Fisher Dolly and small jib.

Jamestown was able to get all the footage they needed and left town happy.

"Ralph. Thank you so much for all your help with this!  We’re so happy with how everything turned out and we couldn’t have done it without you and your team."
-- Rebecca Jacobs, Production Manager.

Tags: Lighting and Grip, Hair and Makeup, Wardrobe

Job Creators Network https://www.jobcreatorsnetwork.com/ is a nonpartisan organization that promotes the belief that “the best defense against bad government policy is a well-informed public.” Their Defend Main Street campaign https://www.defendmainstreet.com/ features the Bring Small Business Back bus tour currently traveling the country.




In Milwaukee, the bus visited Bentley World Packaging where Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker was a featured speaker. https://www.jobcreatorsnetwork.com/events/bring-small-businesses-back-gov-scott-walker/

Fresh Coast was contracted by JCN’s ad agency, Berman and Company of Washington DC., to provide 2-camera video coverage of the event, interviews with key presenters, and still photos for JCN’s various websites and YouTube channel. https://www.youtube.com/user/JobCreatorsNetwork/featured

Houzz.com www.houzz.com is global online community/social media network providing information on architecture, interior design, landscape design and home improvement. Its websites and mobile platforms in 15 countries draw more than 40 million unique visitors each month. And at last count, videos on HouzzTV https://www.youtube.com/user/HouzzTV have attracted more than 33 million viewers. In other words, they’re a pretty big deal.



All Houzz videos have extremely high production values and we were honored they chose Fresh Coast Studios to film this series of 2-camera interviews with Wisconsin architects, interior designers and homebuilders. A total of nine interviews were filmed in our Milwaukee studio over a period of two days.

The technical specifications were very exacting. Houzz requested the A camera shoot 4K to allow their in-house editors to re-frame in post. We chose a Canon C300 MK II. Since only 1080p was required for the B camera, we used a Canon C100 recording Apple ProRes. The background was to be 100% white to match the look Houzz has chosen for all their interviews with “Houzz Pros” around the world.

Tags: Canon EOS C300 Mark II Digital Cinema Camera, Canon EOS C100 Cinema Camera

When Lewis Black’s “The Emperor’s New Clothes – Naked Truth Tour” played the historic Pabst Theatre in Milwaukee, WI on May 13 & 14, http://pabsttheater.org/show/lewisblack2016
FRESH COAST was there.


Film and music producer Jack Guilick http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1065367/ known for his television documentaries ranging from Bruce Springsteen, and Metallica, to LA street gangs saw the Milwaukee performances as an opportunity to gather material for upcoming audio CD’s and a possible television special. Guilick reached out to FRESH COAST to provide multi-track audio recording and video footage of the performances. The last 30 minutes of each show would also streamed live on http://www.lewisblack.com/live

The audio requirements were very specific. In addition to two mics on Lewis Black, Guilick requested six matching shotgun mics strategically placed around the theatre to capture audience reactions. All eight mics were to be recorded on separate channels in 24 bit/96kHz with dual 8-track recorders providing system redundancy and hardware backup. We chose Sennheiser 416’s for the audience mics and a pair of Sound Devices 8 channel recorders. Thomas Beach engineered the recording.

To insure the video footage would be suitable for any possible future uses (broadcast or theatrical release), we choose a Canon Digital Cinema camera equipped with a 150-600mm lens to give us a waist-up framing from the back of the theatre.

Lewis Black has been hugely popular in Wisconsin since the early ninety’s and both performances were sold out. The producers were happy. The audiences had a great time and so did our crew. As Lewis put it: “It’s an extraordinary state. They’ve embraced me and they’ve embraced Scott Walker”. He had a lot more to say about Wisconsin’s Republican Governor, but we’re not going to go there.

Tags: Audio-Video-Film Production Safety Policies and Procedures

You’ve probably seen those Sargento Cheese www.sargento.com TV commercials that feature the company’s owners - Lou and Louis (Louie) Gentine - delivering this line while standing in front of a picturesque old barn. To anyone in the video business, it’s obvious the two men are actually filmed in a studio against green screen. But to most TV viewers, the shot looks realistic because of how well the camera perspective and studio lighting is matched to the background image.

For the most recent spot promoting Sargento’s new Snack Bites, producer Jon Messner and Sargento’s ad agency, Oglivy & Mather www.ogilvy.com reached out to Fresh Coast Production Resources for a turnkey solution.

At Fresh Coast, we pride ourselves on our ability to assemble just the right combination of crew, equipment, and production management to meet our client’s needs and expectations. This job was a perfect example.

We chose RDI Stages www.rdimage.com in Milwaukee for the shoot because it would be convenient for the Gentines who would be coming from Sargento’s corporate offices in Plymouth WI. RDI was also spacious enough to accommodate the large broad light sources necessary to match the overcast lighting of the barn.

We were able to source all the equipment, and most of the crew in Milwaukee. Lighting and grip came from Blue Moon Lights www.bluemoonlights.com and DP Mike Gillis www.mikegillisdp.com provided the client-specified Arri 4K camera and lens package. www.arri.com/camera/amira . Gaffer on the shoot was Ryan Brooks. Tim Moder served as swing grip and AC. Tom Beach handled the audio mix, and the makeup artist was Jhousy Leon www.blushmilwaukee.com.

Two non-Milwaukee exceptions were Director Ray Dillman who the agency brought in from New York http://rabbitcontent.com/directors/ray-dillman , and Chicago Stylist Martha Heppler because she had provided wardrobe for previous Sargento spots featuring the Gentines.

As we expected, everyone did a great job. The shoot was quick and painless, and by mid afternoon the footage was on its way to Optimus www.optimus.com in Chicago for post-production.

See the finished TV commercial here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ginlh0ADG2E

Tags: Lighting and Grip, Arri Amira 4K Camera

One of the challenges in this business is finding a way to provide high production value video solutions that will accomplish the client’s objectives even when the budgets are small. A perfect example is the new product introduction video we recently produced for InControl Medical www.incontrolmedical.com.

All InControl wanted was to have their VP of Clinical Services explain the product’s features and benefits in front of a camera - the preverbal “talking head”.

To add a little more production value, while still keeping costs low, we employed a green screen technique that would allow us to film the presentation in our studio, and then make it appear that the VP was speaking in an actual corporate office setting. Pretty simple stuff actually, but that extra bit of green screen compositing added a lot of perceived production value for very little additional cost.

We filmed using our Canon Cinema EOS C100 recording to an external Blackmagic Video Assist recorder. The resulting ProRes 422 video keyed perfectly. This is one of our favorite camera solutions for great looking video on a limited budget.

Tags: Canon EOS C100 Cinema Camera

We’ve been fortunate to have Chicago-based water conditioning equipment manufacturer RainSoft www.rainsoft.com as a client for nearly 20 years. During that time we’ve produced video and graphics content for their marketing efforts and annual dealer sales conferences. Our most recent project was an iPad-based product knowledge video to train Home Depot www.homedepot.com sales associates on RainSoft products.

On-camera talent portions were filmed on green-screen with store backgrounds added in post. When combined with in-store footage and graphics, the resulting video provided RainSoft with a highly effective, yet economical training solution.

Tags: Canon EOS C100 Cinema Camera

At Fresh Coast, we understand that every project we undertake is important to our clients even when it may not seem all that exciting or challenging to us. So when Ottawa Canada-based Innovateurs asked us to film a 3-day seminar in Chicago conducted by Canadian real estate guru Steve Martel, http://www.stevemartel.com we said “Sure. We can do that.”

The attendees had all come from Canada to learn about investment opportunities in the Chicago real estate market.


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On the first day, they toured Chicago neighborhoods on the verge of gentrification. We got some great footage of them cautiously poking their way through dilapidated buildings destined to soon be rehabbed into $300,000 condominium units.

Days two and three were devoted to speaker presentations at the J.W. Marriott. http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/chijw-jw-marriott-chicago/
Normally for us this would have been a “no brainer”. Put a camera in the back of the room and try to stay awake for two days. But this one turned out to be a little more of a challenge.


Because the attendance was much larger than expected, the sessions were moved from a well-lit, video-friendly meeting room to a huge 6,000 square foot ballroom illuminated only by dim chandeliers hung from the 20 ft. high ceiling. There was no time or budget to bring in a lighting grid. We had to find a way to make it work.

Canon claims their C100 cinema cameras will make a perfectly acceptable picture at ISO 8000. http://www.usa.canon.com/cusa/professional/products/professional_cameras/cinema_eos_cameras/eos_c100#Features
Actually they claim even more, but ISO 8000 would be enough to allow us to pull this off, and worked!!

The footage, shot from the back of the ballroom with a Canon 100-400 L zoom looked amazing. We were able to keep our promise of “providing solutions”, not just crew and gear.

Tags: Canon EOS C100 Cinema Camera, MultiMedia Recording Equipment

Those of you out there who are both sports fans and technology buffs have probably heard of something called “Free Dimensional Video”. Personally I hadn’t until we got a phone call from MLB Advanced Media. http://www.mlbam.com (MLB as in Major League Baseball)



Turns out that Free Dimensional Video, or “freeD”, is technology developed by Replay Technologies Inc. http://replay-technologies.com that uses multiple cameras to capture ultra high definition footage of sporting events… And then, through a type of computer magic they call “3D Pixel Recreation”, turn it into this: https://vimeo.com/124957068 Just watch the video. I’m not going to attempt to explain it here.

So what does all this have to do with Fresh Coast? Apparently even though Replay Technologies’ systems are used at major sporting events throughout the world, Major League Baseball was not totally convinced the resulting computer generated imagery was accurate enough for the official replays viewed by umpires and coaches. They wanted to test it for themselves and reached out to Fresh Coast for help.

Three high speed Phantom Flex 4K camera packages http://www.visionresearch.com/Products/High-Speed-Cameras/Phantom-Flex4K were rented from AbelCine in L.A. and Fresh Coast’s Chicago office provided three Phantom-certified camera assistants, three PA’s, and a key grip.


The testing took place over four days at Chicago’s U.S. Cellular Field. Actual and simulated game action was recorded in 4K slow motion with the Phantom Flex cameras. MLB Advanced media would then compare the Phantom footage with Replay Technologies’ “3D Pixel Recreations” to confirm its accuracy.

No idea what MLB learned from the experiment, but thanks to the efforts of our crew, Tim Moder, Mike Pavisan, Shaun Fleeger, Andy Cook, Nick Turner, Ricky Rudolph, Thomas Andrejek, and Eyliece Richardson, MLB Advanced Media left Chicago with a whole lot of terabytes of high speed, 4K footage to study and analyze.

Tags: Multi-Camera Production Crews, Major League Baseball, Phantom Flex4K Camera, Camera Packages

This line taken from the Fresh Coast Production Resource Contact Us page pretty much sums up what we do. But it’s not always easy.

In this case, “What” our client (Emergent Order - a marketing and production company in Austin, TX) needed was not an unusual request. Providing them with a cinematographer, a Sony PXW FS7 4K camera package, a sound recordist, and an ENG audio package would not be a problem. The challenge was the “When”.

The phone call came in at 4:30 on a Friday afternoon. Emergent Order had been filming in Wisconsin for documentary on farm animals. That morning the producer uncovered a new story line she wanted to follow, but her film crew had already left for their next location in another state.

Their question was: Could we provide a crew with the specified camera package for two days of filming at the Wisconsin State Fair beginning that Sunday at 7:00 AM?. Our answer was: “We’ll try”.

38 hours wasn’t a lot of time to pull this off – especially on a Friday evening. Our only option would be to locate an experienced Wisconsin DP who not only owned a FS7, but who was available on such short notice. We reached Milwaukee DP Jon Kline late Friday evening and he was available. Even later that evening we got lucky a second time. One of our go-to Wisconsin sound recordists – Thomas Beach – was also available and willing to get up very early on Sunday morning.

We got lucky (as did Emergent Order). Thanks to the great relationships we’ve developed with crew people in the Midwest, we were able to “take care of the rest” - even with only 38 hrs. notice.

Tags: Sony PXW-FS7 4K camera, Camera Packages, Audio Recording Packages

Does it make any sense to fly a video crew 4,000 miles round trip to the Dominican Republic to film “talking heads” on green screen?   For Chicago water treatment systems manufacturer RainSoft, the answer was yes!

Every year RainSoft holds awards banquets to honor outstanding employees from their nation-wide network of dealers.  Each award winner is introduced with pre-recorded video comments from dealer management and RainSoft regional directors. Fresh Coast has produced these videos for a number of years, and in the past it has meant traveling to dozens of dealerships scattered around the U.S. and Canada to film the interviews.
 

Also each year, RainSoft hosts Gold Circle dealer meetings (typically in exotic locales) that bring all their dealers and regional directors together in the same place at the same time.  This year it was at the Casa de Campo Resort in the Dominican Republic.  So with one trip, and a little green screen magic, Fresh Coast was able to film all the interviews in a single day, and make it look like we traveled to all those dealerships.

In April, Fresh Coast Production Resources had the opportunity to provide U.S. production management, local crew, equipment, and location support for the Chicago filming of “Smolensk” - a Polish feature film being produced by PICARESQUE Maciej Pawlicki in Warsaw.

Directed by legendary Polish director, Antoni Krauze, the film deals with the conspiracy theories surrounding the April 2010 crash of a Polish government plane in the town of Smolensk in western Russia. All aboard died in the crash including President Lech Kaczynski and 95 other members of Poland’s political and military elite.


Smolensk DOP Michał Pakulski watches as Camera OP Marcin Gąsiorowski films a scene at the Polish Highlanders Alliance. Much of the film was shot hand-held.

The film has sparked considerable controversy inside Poland and around the world for its suggestion that the Russian government was somehow responsible for the crash. We’ve placed a number of interesting links about the film at the bottom of this posting.

Smolensk filming along the Chicago River.

While most of the film is set in Poland, the main character is a journalist who’s investigative reporting leads her to Chicago. And this is where Fresh Coast Production Resources comes in.

Pawel Mantorski, PICARESQUE’S Field Producer in Poland first contacted Fresh Coast in March seeking local production support for the Chicago filming. It was our first experience working with an Eastern European production company, and PICARESQUE’S first time filming in Chicago. It was a “learning experience” for everyone, but ultimately a rewarding one.

1st AD Bartosz Paduch (right) and camera crew wait out the rain on Columbus Dr.

Fresh Coast Production Manager Ralph Pabst went to work lining up the Chicago crew, obtaining the requested camera package and G&E support, and figuring out how to transport the 19 person Polish crew around the city.

Meanwhile, Fresh Coast’s Chicago Location Manager, Brittany Pawlowski went to work obtaining the necessary City of Chicago filming and special parking permits, arranged for catering, and worked out all the other logistical details of shooting a feature film in Chicago. Together Brittany and Ralph scouted for suitable filming locations, and periodically sent photos to the director and DOP in Poland.


Waiting out the rain again on the Norwest side.

G&E crew “making sunshine”

Filming a scene at “Nina’s father’s house”

An even a bigger challenge was obtaining production insurance. It was questionable whether PICARESQUE’s own insurance (through an underwriter in Belgium) would cover the Chicago filming. And finding a U.S. insurance company willing to write a policy to a Polish film company was not easy. With only days remaining before the scheduled filming, Ralph found Patrick Kuhnmuench at Robertson Ryan & Assoc. who came through with a policy from Philadelphia Insurance.

North American Camera in Milwaukee provided a RED Epic-Dragon 5K Ultra HD camera package with a full compliment of Cooke prime lenses and camera support. Tim Moder took responsibility for the gear, and acted as 2nd AC to the Polish camera crew.

Andrew E. Cook, Inc. of Harvard, IL supplied their 3 Ton Grip Truck (or as they like to say “almost a 5 Ton”) packed with an array of ARRI and Mole-Richardson HMI, Tungsten, and LED fixtures plus Kino-Flo’s.

All the audio gear - Sound Devices mixers & multi-track recorders, numerous Lectrosonics Radio Mics and a Denecke Smart Slate - came from Cream City Sound of Burlington, WI.

Problems in obtaining U.S. visas delayed the arrival of the Polish crew, and meant all filming had to be completed in three days! This, combined with Chicago’s unpredictable weather, made for a stressful shoot. But everyone pulled together, and we got it done. Much of the credit goes to the film’s First Assistant Director, Bartosz Paduch, who somehow managed to keep his cool throughout.

But none of it would have been possible without our great Chicago and Milwaukee crew. Many thanks to Tom Beach (audio), Tim Moder (2nd. AC), Andy Cook (Key Grip), Jeremy Christen (BB Electric), Andrew Yuncza (BB Grip), Bill Lindgren (Grip/Genny OP), Joel Labahn (Asst. Location Manager), and PA’s Jose Rivas and Dan DeSalva. And a special thanks to Location Manage Brittany Pawlowski who did an amazing job. (Now if she only spoke Polish).

Check out the following links to articles about the film. We think you’ll find them very interesting.

http://translate.googleusercontent.com/translate_c?depth=1&hl=en&rurl=translate.google.com&sl=pl&tl=en&u=http://fundacjasmolensk2010.pl/film-2/&usg=ALkJrhiGzYuBKA833cxGSSnuWTJfyF4hGg

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/29/movies/polands-divide-over-smolensk-film-on-2010-air-crash.html?_r=0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v88_K8DzI6Y

http://wpolityce.pl/smolensk/241599-smolensk-w-chicago-za-oceanem-trwaja-zdjecia-do-filmu-antoniego-krauze

Director Antoni Krauze (center) with Actors Marek Probosz, Beata Fido, and Maciej Góraj (L-R)

Smolensk actors, crew, and the Fresh Coast team at wrap.

Tags: Camera Packages, Audio Recording Packages, Lighting and Grip

From Ireland to London to Aurora IL

Headquartered in Ireland, Glanbia Nutritionals manufactures nutritional ingredients for the food, beverage, supplement, and animal nutrition industries worldwide. http://www.glanbianutritionals.com/

When Glanbia needed video coverage of their U.S. Investors Meeting to be held in Aurora, IL, they reached out to London-based production company World Television. http://www.world-television.com/uk/
World Television called Fresh Coast.

Our task was to film the meeting multi-cam and then rough-cut the footage on-site for review by Glanbia’s head office representative at the meeting. The original Sony XDCAM ISO camera footage along with an Apple ProRes switched master would be overnighted to London. The low-res rough cuts would be uploaded to World Television as reference for their final edit. After our site survey, we learned that we would also need to provide all the stage lighting and audio support for both the video and audience PA.

Steve Pantaleo of SP Video provided the audio & lighting gear, and along with Fresh Coast Producer Ralph Pabst and Technical Director Jake Demoske, made the trip from Milwaukee to Aurora. They were joined by Camera Ops Todd Tue and Jeff Hadick from Fresh Coast’s Chicago office. http://www.film-video-production-crews-chicago-illinois.com

It was a long day (and a very cold load-in) but the Fresh Coast crew pulled it off without a hitch.

Tags: Multi-Camera Production Crews, Lighting and Grip, Camera Packages, Audio Recording Packages

“Annabelle”, a prequel to last year’s horror film “The Conjuring”, was released worldwide this month by Warner Brothers. (www.imdb.com/title/tt3322940)

Fresh Coast’s involvement in promoting the film took place back in late September, but we decided to hold the posting and make it our Halloween Blog.

Our client, the ARENAS Entertainment Group with offices in LA, Miami, Mexico, and Spain (www.arenasgroup.com) specializes in marketing entertainment products to U.S. Latino audiences. The press event, held at the fittingly spooky looking nightclub Castle Chicago, featured one of the film’s stars Tony Amendola, LA-based Psychic Reader Salvador Gata, and one very creepy-looking doll housed in a glass case.

Our job was to film interviews for Chicago Spanish language media outlets, and hand-off the footage to the various reporters attending. To liven things up a bit, Salvador Gata offered “Psychic Cleanses” to anyone feeling the need for a little on-the-spot Exorcism due to the close proximity of the evil looking Annabelle doll. After witnessing the ritual, which involved spitting and raw eggs, our crew decided to pass.

Tags: Camera Packages, Audio Recording Packages

In October, Fresh Coast was given the opportunity to participate in a very ambitious documentary film project dealing with the complex issues of MS (multiple sclerosis). Produced by MBM Productions in Chicago (www.mbmproductions.com) with funding from a major pharmaceutical company, the film explores all elements of MS from the latest clinical research to stories of people living with the disease. Fresh Coast’s role was to provide crew and equipment for a profile on Lori Schneider – the only person with MS to have climbed Mt. Everest. (www.empowermentthroughadventure.com). Filming took place in Ms. Schneider’s hometown of Janesville, WI.

Immediately prior to the Janesville shoot, MBM’s producer/director team Steven and Lisa Sulkin, along with DP Chip Nusbaum had been filming in Italy and the UK. Since they would arrive in Janesville only one day before filming began, Fresh Coast’s field producer handled all the on-location pre-pro coordination and location scouting.

With the shoot only a few days out, we learned that DP Nusbaum had some very specific gear requests. Bob Donnelley at North American Camera came through for us and was able to assemble an extensive camera package that included two Canon C-300’s, both Canon and Angenieux cinema zoom lenses, and a long list of camera support gear.

Jed Henry at Recon Productions in Madison was able to locate a steadicam rig with the requested wireless audio and video feeds and had it shipped in from Kentucky. Jed also worked the shoot as 2nd camera and steadicam operator.

Blue Moon Lights provided a very robust lighting & grip package that included a full complement of HMI, KinoFlo, and LED fixtures.

But even the best gear means little without the right people behind it, so a big shout out to our 10-person crew whose talents and resourcefulness made this shoot a success.

Audio Recordist Tom Beach, Gaffer Chris Marks, Grip Kenny Somerville, Grip/AC Tim Moder, 2nd Camera Jed Henry, PA/Utility Grip Jake Demoske, Makeup Artist Susin Greenberg, PA Ben Ramsdele, Data Manager Jeff Taylor, and Field Producer Ralph Pabst.

Our thanks to all the Fresh Coast crew and equipment suppliers whose talents and resourcefulness made this shoot a success.

Tags: Multi-Camera Production Crews, Lighting and Grip, Camera Packages, Audio Recording Packages

When the law firm Katten Muchin Rosenman (www.kattenlaw.com) asked us to record a live multi-media presentation by UCLA Law Professor Jerry Kang (www.law.ucla.edu/faculty/faculty-profiles/jerry-kang) at their Chicago offices, it seemed almost too simple. Film the professor speaking, get a copy of his PowerPoint, and then edit in the slides later. The finished video was to be distributed to Katten’s 13 offices in the U.S., London and Shanghai.



But then we learned that Professor Kang’s support visuals were not PowerPoint, Keynote, or anything else we had ever heard of. He was using a touch screen, interactive program called “Mind Manager” which allowed Kang to move through the visuals and link to a variety of different media more or less at will. There was no way we could re-create this presentation in post.

We needed to find a way to capture the Mind Manager visuals live in high definition during the presentation. After assessing Katten’s in-house AV system, we realized we would need to tap into their 5 BNC / VGA system. This would require scaling the image to 1920X1080 using our TV One Universal Scaler (http://www.tvone.com/video-scalers), convert the signal to HDSDI with a Black Magic Design Terranex 2D Broadcast Converter (https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/teranex), and then send it to an AJA KiPro hard disk video recorder (https://www.aja.com/en/products/ki-pro).

We ended up hauling in a little more gear than the IT people at Katten had probably expected, but everything worked and the finished video looked great.

Tags: Multi-Camera Production Crews, Audio Recording Packages, MultiMedia Recording Equipment

Fresh Coast has shot a lot of assignments for Discovery Channel programs over the years, but for whatever reason, recently the assignments have been coming from producers in the UK. In March we shot an interview in Milwaukee for RAW TV. Ltd of London (http://www.raw.co.uk), and in April we provided production support for another Discover Channel program being produced by BriteSpark Films (http://www.britesparkfilms.com), also based in London.

We can’t discuss the details of either of these jobs because both program are still in development. But I can tell you a little about the BriteSpark job. BriteSpark would be sending their own camera crew from London and needed our help in facilitating what was to be a 7-day shoot at multiple locations in Wisconsin. What they required, to use their term, was a “Fixer”- typically a “local” in a third world country that facilitates the movements of a foreign film crew. I suppose to a London producer, Wisconsin may very well qualify as a third world country.

The first person that came to mind to fill this role of “fixer” was Edward Johns. Technically Ed works for us as a PA, but he’s a lot more than that. He did an amazing job making sure the London crew got the footage they needed, and even delivered them to O’Hare for their flight home. Thanks Ed for the great job.

Another successful project from “across the pond”.

In June, Fresh Coast had the opportunity to help PraeMedica Digital (http://praemedica.com/index.html), a medical marketing company based in Northern Ireland, negotiate the baffling rules of unionized Chicago hotels. Our task was to film physician interviews in a small meeting room at the Chicago Hyatt. Each was to be an on-camera interviewer and two interview subjects – all shot with 3-cameras against green screen.

Early in the conversation, PraeMedica inquired why the hotel was charging them $138.00 per circuit for electrical power. “Is there something special about the electricity in the US? About all we could say was “Welcome to Chicago”. We didn’t even want to bring up the potential of having to pay Teamsters to load-in and load-out our gear. The shoot was on a Saturday so at overtime rates, we could have been looking at as much as $1500.

The only answer was to “keep it simple”. We bought 30ft of Chroma -Green fabric to hang from seamless background stands. We used small cameras (Sony EX-1’s) and low-power KinoFlo Divas and LED fixtures. Still it was a lot of stuff (they also requested a teleprompter.)

We managed to fit all the gear and our 4-person crew into two SUV’s, pulled up to the hotel’s main entrance and generously rewarded two bellmen to haul all the stuff to the room. At the end of the day we generously rewarded two more bellman to get us out of there. Estimated savings to our client - $1400.

Tags: Multi-Camera Production Crews, Lighting and Grip, Audio Recording Packages, "Fixer" Support Services

Fresh Coast Production Resources pulls off last minute filming of Sing-Off Live Milwaukee concert.

Every now we get the question: “Just what does Fresh Coast Production Resources do?” Well, we do a lot of different things, but foremost is we find ways to “make it happen” for our clients. Here’s an interesting example from last week.

Monday 3/17/14

11:00 pm: First email arrives.
“Subject: Sing-Off Live!
Message:
Hello, I am in charge of Video for the Sing-Off Live tour. We have 2 shows at the Pabst Theater on 3/20 (yes in 3 days) and I am looking for a crew to shoot the live show multicam (4-6 cameras) with the possibility of 1 jib and 2 steady cams. Please let me know ASAP if you have these capabilities.”

A quick Google search revealed that the Pabst Theater performance was part of a 32-city tour featuring groups from the popular NBC a cappella singing competition TV show “Sing-Off”, produced by Sony Pictures Television.
http://www.nbc.com/the-sing-off .

The touring groups included the 2013 season winner “Home Free” http://www.homefreevocalband.com/ along with “VoicePlay”, http://thevoiceplay.com/ and The Filharmonic. http://www.thefilharmonic.com/

11:41 pm. Fresh Coast’s reply email:

“We just might be able to pull this off but I will need to speak with you no later than tomorrow morning to discuss the details. Call my cell. 414-405-5850”.

Tues. 3/18/14

9:00 am - Phone call from the client:
The client initially wanted to shoot all Canon dslrs. Providing 6 dslr camera packages wouldn’t be a problem for us, but we suggested it would be a good idea to have a couple traditional HD video cameras in the mix. After clarifying the client’s expectations, we explained that getting a “real jib” into the Pabst Theater was probably not an option at this late date. We said we would try to convince the theater to let us bring in a smaller 10ft. Intel-A-Jib that would at least give them some dynamic camera moves. We also explained that finding two steadicam rigs and operators on this short notice was iffy.

10:00 am. We put the word out:
Phone calls, texts and emails went out to Fresh Coast’s Milwaukee crew resources with the hope we could somehow line up the needed people and gear on such short notice. The shoot was now only 48 hrs. out!

4:00 pm – We got lucky
OK. So we could only confirm one steadicam & operator (Carl Whitney). But all the crew positions were locked in by late afternoon. Jeff Thomas and Rich Clifford would be shooting Sony XDCAM from the house – hopefully one of them with the jib. Tom Caldardt, along with Carl and his steadicam would be on the stage with their 5D’s. Tim Moder was managing data backstage and shooting pick-up shots with his 5D. Fresh Coast producer Ralph Pabst also did double duty – roaming the house shooting performance and audience B-roll.

Wed. 3/19/14

9:00 am – Phone call from the client:
Question: Could we get them 4 Crown PCC mics?
Answer: Probably.
Studio Gear came through.

1:00 pm – Site Survey
We met with the theater’s technical director and house manager to finalize camera positions. Turns out both performances were sold out. No place for camera platforms and any hope for even a small jib went out the window. We broke the news to the client.

Thurs. 3/20/14 – Shoot Day

10:00 AM
We arrived at the theater; delivered the Crown mics; and finalized camera positions and scheduling with the client. Crew call was noon.

1:30 pm – 10:00 pm
Rehearsals, lighting & sound checks began at 1:30 with the first show at 4:00 pm. Over the next 8 1/2 hours, we filmed two performances, shot some special footage for a music video, and did fan interviews before and after each performance.

11:00 pm – We were done – sort of.
As the Sing-Off Live folks began their strike and load-out, Tim Moder was still off-loading cards and organizing the 350 plus gigs data. Everything was backed up over-night and FedEx’d to the client the next day.

The whole project was a little crazy and last minute. But thanks to our great crew, we made it happen – and “making it happen” is what Fresh Coast is all about.

But as we packed up and patted ourselves on the back for a job well done, the Sing-Off Live performers and crew were getting on their tour busses and hitting the road to Minneapolis, Kansas City, Denver, Seattle, Salem, OR , San Francisco, Riverside and Los Angeles. 8 performances. 8 cities. 8 consecutive days. Ahh ....the world of show biz!!

Tags: Multi-Camera Production Crews, Camera Packages, Audio Recording Packages

On January 11, the Civil War Museum in Kenosha WI debuted its new million-dollar 360 degree Civil War film “Seeing the Elephant” which was filmed in Wisconsin with crew and production support provided by Fresh Coast Production Resources. http://freshcoastproductionresources.com

The Kenosha Museum, nationally known for its Civil War exhibits, is one of the few museums in the country to offer this high-tech 360-degree digital film experience. http://www.kenosha.org/wp-civilwar. The film’s trailer can be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=JhWMNqe7hz8

Produced by Boston Productions, the 10-minute film focuses on the personal experiences and historical accounts of Civil War soldiers. “Seeing the Elephant” was the term used by these citizen soldiers to describe their first battle experience. More than a hundred Civil War reenactors from throughout the Midwest participated in the filming.

Filming took place last June at Old World Wisconsin – a 600-acre open-air museum in Eagle WI operated by the Wisconsin Historical Society. http://oldworldwisconsin.wisconsinhistory.org Special 360 degree camera rigs and pyrotechnics were brought in from California. Fresh Coast provided Key Grips, AC, SFX Makeup, Wardrobe, Script Supervision, Craft Services, and a small army of PA’s. In all, seventeen Fresh Coast crew people were on the shoot, and all of them from SE Wisconsin. Milwaukee’s Bodi Company and Electric Sun Corp. provided camera support and lighting.

Filming was accomplished in five very long (and often hot) days, sometimes under difficult conditions, but our Fresh Coast crew rose to the challenge. All agreed that working on “Seeing the Elephant” was a unique experience they will not soon forget. Great job everyone!

Tags: Civil War Film, 360 Degree Digital Film

Fresh Coast teams with Time Inc. Studios for Chase Ink Chicago shoot

On August 2nd. Fresh Coast™ Production Resources’ Chicago office supplied production support to Time Inc.’s new video unit, Time Inc. Studios. http://www.adweek.com/news/technology/time-inc-ready-launch-its-ambitious-new-video-strategy-152446 .

The project was a Chase Business Ink “Inspirationists” small business profile featuring entrepreneur Shawn Smith, founder of “Shawnimals” http://www.shawnimals.com/ .

Time Studios sent their director and DP, and we provided the two Canon C-300 packages, 2nd camera OP, lighting, audio, and makeup. The video profile originally aired on CNN Money http://money.cnn.com/, but you can watch it now at http://vimeo.com/82052120

Tags: Camera Packages, Lighting and Grip, Audio Recording Packages

Fresh Coast Production Resources http://freshcoastproductionresources.com wrapped up filming of “Seeing the Elephant” this month. When completed, the 360 degree Civil War film will become a permanent installation at the Kenosha WI Civil War museum. http://www.kenosha.org/wp-civilwar

Produced by Boston Productions and featuring nearly 200 Civil War reenactors, along with a cast of professional actors, the 10 minute film will focus on the personal experiences and historical accounts of Civil War soldiers and their families.

Filming took place over 5 days at Old World Wisconsin – the open air museum in Eagle WI operated by the Wisconsin Historical Society. http://oldworldwisconsin.wisconsinhistory.org

The special 360 degree camera rigs and pyrotechnics were brought in from out of state, but Fresh Coast was privileged to provided Key Grips, AC, SFX Makeup, Wardrobe, Script Supervision, Craft Services, and a small army of PA’s. In all, seventeen Fresh Coast crew people were on the shoot, and all of them from SE Wisconsin. Milwaukee’s Bodi Company and Electric Sun Corp. provided camera support and lighting.

Tags: Civil War Film, 360 Degree Digital Film

We finished off June in Madison WI with the filming of Soledad O’Brien’s interview with Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson for the American Family Insurance Dream Bank. http://www.amfam.com/dreambank

Our client was the NYC office of Vital Worldwide http://www.vitalww.com

In addition to three Canon C-300 camera packages and lighting, we provided a DP, two camera ops, audio tech, gaffer, makeup, and data management. You can watch one of the interviews at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJ1JgxCH4Vs

Tags: Camera Packages, Lighting and Grip

With filming scheduled for mid June, most of our May was devoted to pre-pro for this very ambitious project. Produced by Boston Productions for the Kenosha Civil War Museum http://www.kenosha.org/wp-civilwar// ,the film will focus on the personal experiences and historical accounts of Civil War soldiers.

Nearly 200 Civil War reenactors from throughout the Midwest will converge on Old World Wisconsin http://oldworldwisconsin.wisconsinhistory.org// to recreate battle scenes that will be filmed with special 360 degree camera rigs being brought in from California. But most of the crew and other production gear will be sourced here in Wisconsin.

The film’s producer contracted with Fresh Coast Production Resources to provide all the local crew and production support. We’re happy to report that we’ve been able to fill every crew position they’ve requested, from Key Grips to SFX makeup, all from right here in SE Wisconsin. And with the help of Bodi Co. and Electric Sun Corp, we’ve been able to provide all the required camera support, grip and electric.

Filming is scheduled to begin on June 14. We’ll have an update in our next post.

Tags: Civil War Film, 360 Degree Digital Film