Green Screen Filming Basics
Green Screens are a popular way to create exciting, resourceful, and dynamic videos. Corporate and commercial work is a great example. A green screen enables you to add text, graphics, and logos. Also, green screens can really help when a location is not very attractive to film in.
Lighting a green screen correctly is not difficult, but it is very important for the post process. It is critical to have a very even spread of light across the entire screen. Similarly, it is very important to make sure the screen is not brighter than your subject. A great place to start on your waveform is an even line around 45 for the screen, and then your subject's face should be around 60. There are obviously exceptions with skin tones and wardrobe, but it's a good place to start.
For the budget conscience, I would recommend a set of Kino Divas for the screen, and an Arri Tungsten kit for the subject. 750 with a softbox for the key, 300 for the fill, and 150 for the backlight. About $250.00 will get you that gear with us. However, if you have a larger budget, you could go: S2 LiteMat 4s for the screen, a couple Astra Gemini 1x1s for the key and fill, and then a Dracast 1K for the backlight. That setup would set you back about $700.00, but it would be totally Cash Money of you.
Either way you go, we have the video production rental gear you need!
How to pair Titan Tubes to the ART7 AsteraBox.
The Astera Titan Tubes are a wonderful light for so many applications. They can be controlled easily and precisely through the ART7 AsteraBox. Choosing colors, filters, modes, groups, dimming, run-time, etc. is simple! The best place to start is pairing the lights to the box; here's how:
- Turn on the AsteraBox, and launch the AsteraApp on your phone or tablet.
- Through the AsteraApp's main menu (upper right corner), select the AsteraBox you want to pair with.
- Turn on all the tubes you want to pair.
- Press the "Menu" button, scroll to "Input", press "Enter".
- Scroll to "App Control", and press "Enter".
- Press and hold the power button for 3 seconds, the tube will start to flash blue. (Blue mode)
- In the AsteraApp's main menu, select "Pair with Lights".
- As the lights pair, they'll default to white. You're ready to go!
You can also reach out to us if you need further help. Of course, you can also rent Astera Titan Tubes if you need them! Happy filming.
Why Insurance is a Must-Have on Set.
Nothing is worse than broken gear... okay, stolen gear is worse than broken gear. Cameras are expensive. Lenses are expensive. Microphones are expensive. Everything we use in this industry costs a lot, especially to those who own it. Breaking or losing your gear is horrible, breaking or losing someone else's gear is worse. It sucks something fierce to pay $1,500.00 to buy a new drone, and you have no drone to show for it. Like most rental companies, we require insurance; this protects us and our clients. A $300.00 policy and $500.00 deductible is way better than a $25,000.00 bill for a stolen C300/Sigma Prime/Sachtler setup. So, while we know it's not fun to buy insurance, it's definitely the best way to go. For your next Las Vegas video production rental, reach out and we'll walk you through the whole process.
Most Popular Cameras from Summer 2019
The Sony FS7 Mark II enjoyed quite a bit of work during the flurry of spring conventions. The FS7 after all, is very popular for run-and-gun, ENG style shoots that usually accompany trade shows. As late spring turned into summer, and the trade shows took their normal breaks, so too did the FS7s. This summer saw the resurgence of popularity amongst the always impressive Canon C300 Mark II. Both commercials and high-end corporate projects dominated the summer months, and the C300 Mark II is perfect for such scenarios. The excellent range of picture profiles, 4K capability, and advanced image processing make this a go-to camera; especially with our cinema lenses. The FS7 did enjoy a hand full of "reality TV" days, as it's again, great for run-and-gun style shooting. Finally, the end of summer saw our Arri Alexa Mini go out for both a short film in Utah, and a few of Las Vegas' exciting music festivals. The truly cinematic capabilities of the Alexa Mini made it a no-brainer for the short film, as well as the very high-end demands of IHeartMusic and Life Is Beautiful. We are definitely looking forward to seeing what autumn brings!
Quick Fix For Sound Devices 633 #sounddevices #productionaudio #sounddevices633 #lasvegasproductionaudio
Factory Reset will fix the “unfixable”!
On set, there is always the potential for mistakes, errors, problems, calamities, squirrel attacks, and mysteries. Perhaps, though, the worst kind of problem is an audio problem; not because audio is the worst (it’s the best! after craft services…), but because audio is invisible. I’m digging a pretty big hole here. Audio techs, mixers, boom ops, etc. aren’t invisible, that’s just their mossy oak shoes, shorts, shirt, command belt, tactical vest, safari hat, Oakley sunglasses, field-mixer bag, and backpack full of pudding snacks and Slim Jim’s! It’s hard, nay, impossible to see anything that’s covered in mossy oak.
Let’s get back on track. Audio problems are really difficult to fix, because it’s usually a technical issue that could be anywhere from the mixer, to the frequency, to the XLR run- it’s one of those things you have to just start checking off the boxes, go down the list, and check everything. It’s like in Christmas Vacation when Clark Griswold couldn’t figure out why the 100,000 imported Italian twinkle lights wouldn’t work, so he starts checking every single one of them… lo’ and behold, the light switch wasn’t on in the garage. That is what audio is like!
Recently, we heard of an issue where none of the lavs or XLRs going into a Sound Devices 633 were showing up, the channels wouldn’t arm, you couldn’t even turn them on! Scary! After going through the normal steps without a solution, the tech ended up doing a factory reset. FIXED! Now, you will lose your folder structure, and any presets saved, but, it’s better than failing at life. To accomplish this, do this:
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Power down the mixer.
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Press and hold down the menu knob for 15.1 seconds.
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Power the mixer back up, wipe the sweat off, and get back to audio glory!
The best deals on production gear this autumn.
As summer rolls along, we inevitably move closer and closer to Las Vegas' "second busy season". While the autumn months don't quite match the depth and breadth of the "marathon" of conventions, trade shows, and general production from CES in January till the end of May, autumn will no doubt see production volume increase. From the end of August when the kiddos go back to school, up until mid-November, a number of conventions, trade shows, etc, such as the always fun SEMA, will descend upon Sin City.
Make sure that you step on set with all the best production gear. Whether you need the beautiful 4K imagery of the Canon C300 Mark II, the unmatched audio clarity provided by the Schoeps CMIT 5U shotgun microphone, or the silky smooth moves that only DJI's Ronin-S and Ronin 2 can provide- we've got you. And, before you start looking in your sticky cupholder or under your couch cushions for all the cash you can scratch up, remember that we have great prices! Not only is our gear of the highest quality, but it's also priced competitively- we're not here to break the bank, or your spirits.
Make sure to send us an email, or give us a call, and schedule today!
Filthy Rotten Scoundrels! #crooks #lookoutforcameras
Keep a sharp eye out for some filthy crooks! Last night (May 7th), some cowards decided to break into our humble abode, and they took some of our gear. What did they steal? Besides our calm sense of love and happiness, the took:
RED Epic Dragon 6K camera package (with EVF, LCD, matte box, and much more)
3x Canon C300 Mark II packages (with LCD, media, batteries, etc)
Canon C300 Mark I package (with LCD media, batteries, etc)
Sony a7S package (with media, batteries, etc)
Canon 5D Mark II package (with batteries and media)
Various Canon L-Series zoom lenses
4x Mac Pro Laptops
So, if some moron shows up at one of the many pawn shops here in town, your production office, or in a creepy van with a bicycle, ice cream, and a clown painted on the side trying to sell you some "totally legit cameras"- they're probably ours. Luckily, the fine men and women of Metro, our stellar security crew, and ALL OF THE CAMERAS will be working hard to find the buttheads who robbed us. We'll see you soon, crooks!
Wishing you Happy Holidays from sunny Las Vegas!
We here at F11 Rentals want to take a moment, put down our beers... I mean... beers, and wish you an exceptional holiday season. We don't discriminate, and so, it's a hap-hap-happy holiday, no matter how and what you celebrate! We'll see you real soon!
Compact Interview Setups Made Easy #videoproduction #videoproductionrentalgear #lasvegasvideoproduction
In the world of video production, especially corporate video production, adaptability, flexibility, and last-minute changes are the de facto modus operandi. If you aren't able to keep pace with the light-speed corporate world, you'll be left high and dry, and with a subpar product. One tricky scenario is when you get relocated from a spacious and beautifully appointed hotel suite to one of the standard rooms. While the standard room at resorts such as Encore, Palazzo, and Aria are beautiful and nicely decorated, they can leave your crew a little short on space. Dread not, in such situations, because, with a little tact and creativity, you can produce a great product. We recommend our Dracast LEDs, the output is great, and they're dial-in on temperature and intensity; and, they're compact, light weight, and run on v-mount batteries. We also recommend our Roadrags diffusion kit, that comes with collapsable solid, silk, double, and single diffusion frames. If the preferred two camera setup won't fit in the room, or your budget, we recommend the Canon C300 MKII, recording at 4K, allowing you to punch in for a second framing in post.
All in all, there are a myriad of ways you can create a great looking corporate interview even in tight spaces. If you're in such a precarious position, give us a shout, and we'll get your Las Vegas video production rental gear right to you and ready to go.
The Best Way to Set Your Convention Apart #longbeachvideoproduction #lasvegasvideoproduction
We all know that there is so much that goes into putting on a great meeting, convention, etc. Regardless of size, there are a few things you can do to really make your event stand out. Besides the obvious of having a good venue, great content, and making sure your attendees take away as much as they can... what about remembering and capturing those priceless and usually impromptu moments/gems? Capturing a killer keynote, celebrity appearance, dynamic break-out sessions, and attendee reactions all go in to making a great video that can accomplish just that. You never know what amazing ideas will sprout from a small, hour long panel discussion or afternoon team-building exercise. Having the right gear and right team to capture those moments can be priceless; and we here at F11 Rentals are happy to provide Las Vegas, Nevada and Long Beach, California with the best gear and crews to make your convention really stand out.
F11 Rentals is a Las Vegas video production rental gear company. F11 Rentals now serves as a Long Beach video production rental gear company.