C300 Mark III now available!
We've officially taken the plunge and got our hands on a new Canon C300 Mark III Cinema Camera! The latest in the extremely popular, rugged, and versatile EOS C300 line features a Super 35mm Dual Gain Output sensor with up to 16 stops of high dynamic range capability, providing superior HDR recording with low noise.
Canon improved on it's ability to film at high frame rates above 1920x1080; you can know record at up to 120 fps in true 4K, and up to 180 fps in 2K cropped. The Mark III offers Canon Log 2 and 3 gamma modes and the imaging quality that has come to be expected from Canon Cinema.
Beyond the tech features/improvements, some physical aspects of the camera have been greatly improved. The XLR inputs have been moved onto the camera body itself, leaving the LCD monitor to be streamlined and more robust. What was once a weak point in the LCD/XLR input hot shoe mount has been replaced with a sturdier design.
The camera also seems to have grown ever so slightly in size, enabling a few more buttons to be added to the side, saving time going through the menu.
After a few trial runs, it's clear that while the Mark II is still a fan favorite, the Mark III is going to quickly rule the roost. Make sure to reach out and give this camera a go on your next Las Vegas video production.
What's a Producer's Deck?
You're asking a great question! F11 Rentals has been on a mission to create the nicest film/photography studio in all of Nevada. That said, we invented a little something-something we like to call "The Producer's Deck". The Producer's Deck is a 16'x20' (320 square feet) deck that sits above our Hair, Makeup and Wardrobe room. The deck gives it's occupants a bird's eye view of our awesome cyclorama stage and the rest of our studio. It's one of a kind! (As far as we know.)
The deck comes equipped with a couch, a large work table, mini-fridge, and television that can live-stream what is being captured on the stage! There is also a very nice rug that really ties the room (deck) together.
The reason behind having the deck is simple, Producers are special and they deserve their own space. It's not that they get in the way of the crew and you can't really tell them to scram... no, not that. It's a cool, unique and hopefully awesome space for Producer's, above-the-line folks, and anyone else who wants to chill.
In conclusion, please book our space so that you may experience the majesty and glory that we have created for you.
Green Screen Stage in Las Vegas!
If you're already familiar with our awesome new three-walled cyclorama stage, then perhaps you know that it can be painted. That's right! Our 35'x36' stage can be painted... pretty much any color you want. While Chroma Green has been the most popular choice away from matte white, we have had a few other requests, and bookings with various colors. We've had requests for black, blue, and even light pink; we've booked a photo shoot with baby spinach, which ended up looking nice!
Once we have our awesome, motorized light grid up, as well as the lights, then, you can potentially paint the dang thing any color you want with light. Until then though, this is a great way to add some razzmatazz to your shoot. Also, depending on your project, you may not be able to bath the stage in light, you may need to paint it... but, you'll figure that out.
So, for your next Las Vegas video shoot or photo shoot, look no further than your good friends at F11 Rentals. We'll bring the paint rollers!
The Benefits of a Haze Machine in Videos
A Haze Machine can be a very valuable tool for productions. Music Videos, Films, and Commercials are all examples of good times to add haze. Let's look at these examples more thoroughly.
Music Videos
First, Music Videos. Not every video or scene calls for the addition of haze, but a lot could. Adding haze to a party scene to add "atmosphere" is a very popular move. Additionally, if the song is heavier or darker, adding haze may intensify the heavy, dark, sinister mood of the song. There is a difference between haze and smoke, so take note of that; the haze is a lot lighter. So, if you're trying to soften up the image, maybe soften up a practical light source, haze is the way to go. If your artist/talent is supposed to walk through a smokey building, haze is not the way to go. In all, haze can give your music video just the right type of cinematic atmosphere and softness to make it stand out from the multitude of other videos.
Films
Here's an example: FiveSix Productions of Las Vegas/Long Beach shot a short film in Utah. The film took place in a cabin in the woods, and was a physiological drama. Now, you may thinking, "Oh, the haze made the cabin creepy!" No. All the haze was used for was to create a bit of "atmosphere" in the rooms. It didn't look hazy at all, but, it did create a little bit of softness, and glow. To the untrained eye, you would never know it was hazy, but without, it wouldn't have looked so cinematic. Think of it like this: haze is to a cinematic look, as shallots are to a restaurant quality dish. Adding a tiny bit of haze will give the picture a little extra quality, and shallots will give a dish a little extra flavor.
Commercials
Finally, commercials. Again, similar to films, there are so many different uses. Dense haze can add a rich atmosphere to beauty and fashion products. If you're creating a creepy environment such as a a haunted house, cemetery, etc., haze is great. Concerts or clubs of any kind generally have haze machines. Or, again, a dramatic, cinematic style commercial could really benefit from a tiny bit of haze to create 'atmosphere'.
So there you have it. If you have any questions, make sure to drop a line. If you would like to rent a Hurricane Haze Machine for your next project, make sure to reach out and we'll get you squared away!
Best Film Gear During Coronavirus!
As the production industry attempts to increase business and productions, it's important to be safe. There are always risks on set, but there are solutions for safety.
Similar to taping down cables, using shot bags on stands, and keeping clear pathways, COVID safety is key! Wearing a mask it a no brainer. It will help keep you and the crew safe... and it masks bad breath! Nevada law requires masks in most businesses and situations; sets and studios are no exceptions. Your on-screen talent is generally exempt from wearing a mask when on camera.
Audio:
Lavaliere microphones should be used a little as possible. If a lavaliere is required, the talent should put it on themselves. A much better option is a shotgun microphone and boom pole. Both the Sennheiser MKH 416 and Schoeps CMIT 5 (my favorite) are great options! Another fun trick, if you're doing ENG interviews, is to use a handheld microphone on a boom pole. You can take the excellent Sennheiser MD 46 cardioid mic, put it on a boom pole, and keep your distance!
Makeup, Wardrobe, Hair:
Talent should come to set with their hair, makeup, and wardrobe done. If however you need touchups or small fixes, crew should wear masks, visors, and gloves. All of these items are readily available for purchase, and don't cost much. The typical problem of a little shine on talent is easily remedied with "shine killer". NYX makes a great "shine killer" that talent can easily apply to their own skin.
Lenses and 4K:
Lastly, while the CDC and other medical experts have said that masks are the key to stopping the spread, socially distancing is needed too. You can only stay so distant on set, so here are a couple items to help you along. Use a longer lens like a Canon 70-200mm L-Series; or heck, a 100-400mm lens, and shoot from really far away! Also, consider investing in UHD/4K. Having the ability to crop in will make it possible to stay further apart, and have less people on set. (The idea is you don't need as many cameras...)
So, there are some ideas and suggestions to keep us safe, healthy, and working. Best of luck!
Las Vegas Cyclorama Stage Open for Productions!
Our beloved cyclorama stage is now up and running. We are still finalizing power distribution and our lighting grid, but we're operational. So, what does that mean, and how can it be used? Without the lighting grid, the full breadth of the stage can't be lit, but sections can. We have two 20 amp drops, which is more than enough power for most setups. Finally, with temperatures dropping, the studio space is habitable all day.
Our besties over at FiveSix Productions are filming on the set as we speak! They set up a 12x20' Green screen in the back of the stage to film some awesome marketing video for the next three days. There is also a potential shoot using one of the back corners of the stage, which is easy to light.
Beyond these smaller setups, still photography is also possible. Again, using a backdrop, or one of the walls/corners, we have the space and resources to shoot!
We relentlessly practice caution and safety with regards to COVID-19 and general set wellness. We have a long list of gear and tools available for your production. And to conclude, we are offering great discounts and deals through the end of the year on our rates.
We hope to host your next production/photo shoot soon!
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12x20' Green Screen setup -
12x20' Green Screen setup
Safely Film During COVID-19
COVID-19 is the worst! We're heartbroken for the sick and departed and their friends and families. We're also heartbroken and empathetic to those financially burdened and broken. The masks are hot and annoying, the gallons of hand sanitizer and bleach spray is not free or convenient, and we miss hugs and handshakes. However! We're doing our absolute best to follow the CDC and Nevada State Guidelines so we can beat this and get closer to how things used to be.
All that said, we need to keep the economy going, and do so safely. Here are some best practices and gear to help you stay safe and healthy:
Personal health and hygiene:
Wear a mask and wash/sanitize your hands. Doctors and scientists say it works, so we believe in it. If you don't, and you're entitled to your own beliefs of course, wearing masks and socially distancing as much as possible keeps things open. If wearing a mask keeps us on set/in the studio, we'll happily suffer through it!
Gear cleaning:
Clean and sanitize gear and work spaces. This has been a big priority for us. In hindsight, we should have been doing a better job of this all along. It's not just Coronavirus out there, so, this will be a "forever practice" for us. As a note, make sure to be careful cleaning, not every solvent works for every piece of gear!
Food safety:
Re-imagine meals/craft services. The whole idea of a bag of mixed nuts, tray of fruit, or single large bag of chips without paper plates/bowls is bad enough. During COVID-19 however, those practices must go away completely. Now, I say this also being very aware and careful about single use plastics, food waste, etc. For the foreseeable future, and probably well beyond, meals and craft services should feature individually wrapped meals/items. Another alternative is to hire a serving staff if that's in the budget. Your craft services PA may be able to act as food server if they have appropriate PPE- check local laws on that first though. One last note on this, a growing trend in the industry is to simply add the food per diem to the crew's check, and have them bring their own food.
Recommended gear and such:
As far as gear goes, there are a few items/best practices recommended to keep socially distant. Shotgun mics on boom poles are way safer than lavalier microphones. The Schoeps CMIT-5 microphone will give you amazing audio! It would also be a good idea to invest in any sort of wipes/papers the talent can use on themselves to eliminate oil/moisture on their face. NYX makes a great "Shine Killer" the talent can use on themselves. The Eye Direct Mark II is a great tool to minimize producers on set; the producer can FaceTime in, and you just put the tablet or laptop where the physical producer would have been.
In conclusion:
So, there you have it; just some tips and suggestions to help keep us on set and safe. Again, masks and social distancing are annoying, but THEY'RE NOT GOING TO GO AWAY UNTIL WE ADHEAR TO THE RULES. The longer you don't wear a mask and be distant, the longer we're going to need to wear masks and be distant. So, let's be smart, be safe, and make that money!
How to use the LiveU Solo
With COVID19 still ravaging the United States, live-streaming video has become the "go-to" way to communicate. Remote productions are an essential part of keeping business going. That said, there are a lot of ways to stream content to your viewers; let's talk about the LiveU Solo.
To get started, you'll need to log into the LiveU Solo portal (f11 Rentals has an account setup so you won't need to create your own account). The portal is where you can select which LiveU device you want to use. You can also select which service you want to stream to in the portal (YouTube, Vimeo, etc.).
So, you have your streaming destination chosen, what next? You now need to connect your camera to the HDMI or SDI input, and power up the Solo. The Solo holds its power charge for at minimum, 2 hours, but it's best to plug in when possible. Then, connect to either LAN, Wi-Fi, one or two cellular modems, or, multiple of these; the more you connect, the more reliable your feed will be.
Okay, we chose our streaming destination in the portal, powered on and connected our camera, and we're connected to the internet... next is to confirm that our setting/frame rates, etc. all match in the LiveU itself. Once all that is good, it's time to go live!
There you have it, it's that simple. Even for people who aren't "tech savvy" (my hand is up), it's very straight forward and user friendly. So, now, there's no reason you can't bring Las Vegas to the rest of the world, but keep everyone safe with social distancing. For your next Las Vegas video production that needs to be seen near and far, reach out and we'll get you everything you need!
P.S. LiveU's FAQ page is pretty helpful.
Matching cameras on Multi-camera shoots.
How important is it to match cameras (make and model) on multi-camera shoots? Like everything in production, that depends on your end goal. Generally speaking, you always want to match not only brand (make), but also the model of camera. There are differences for instance, between the image produced by a Sony FS7 MkII and a Sony a7S II, but it's not a huge difference. You could dive into the specs of the processors, image sensors, color space, etc., but when push comes to shove, they're very similar. Let us hypothesize a few scenarios:
Two-subject, three-camera interview. Budget is always the driving factor in production. Using a DSLR as your lock-off wide shot for a two or three person interview is great. You can easily match shooting specs, and shoot without a color profile. Additionally, run audio to your nicer cameras capturing the singles, and you're great.
Event coverage with interviews. If you have the budget to have a Sony FS7, Canon C300 MkII, or similar, you want to take advantage. However, getting smooth gimbal or slider shots is much easier with a DSLR and Ronin-S or Cinevate Duzi (think small and light). The b-roll that you're using to compliment your interviews will look great as long as you're matching camera makes (Canon with Canon, etc.)
Different cameras, same assignments. If you have two crews capturing similar content, but using different brands of cameras. The common viewer may not notice, but an experienced client probably will.
All in all, while the world won't end if you mix camera brands or models... life will be easier if you don't.
Best Gear for Music Videos
Do you have some funky beats and dope lyrics that need to be seen as much as heard? Well then, my friend, you need a music video! Whether you spit hot fire, shred metal, or rely on Auto-Tune and lots of makeup, a music video is for you. Music videos have transformed the music industry. A TV channel completely dedicated to music (until "The Real World" happened) resulted from music videos. Music videos not only allow you a glimpse of your favorite artists, they allow expanded creativity and vision of their songs. The sky is the limit on creativity, but you need the right gear!
The overwhelming majority of creativity comes from the director. That being said, you need one heck of a talented director to just grab a handy-cam and strike gold. So, start with the following: Astera Titan Tubes (like Hansel, so hot right now!). Litepanels Gemini 1x1, the most versatile LED panel on the market. Easyrig Vario 5, handheld made easier, dutch-angles made dutch-ier. Rokinon Primes; because no one does snap zooms anymore, and you're artist is probably ballin' on a budget. Hurricane Haze Machine... welcome to the jungle.
Las Vegas is a great place to film music videos; from the Strip to the dry lake beds, hotel suites to Fremont Street! When you're in need of Las Vegas video production rentals, look no further than F11!