All Posts by Stacy Formby

Post production really makes a project sing. A common phrase video and film producers are fond of saying is, "we'll fix it in post." That actually happens, even on small projects. In post production, we mask backgrounds, sweeten audio, remove noise, and key out green screens. You name it!

Post-production is the final step in the video production workflow, the equivalent of polishing a car, or say, a script. We enhance and improve audio quality, video quality, and tiny details.

During post production, we draft versions of preliminary edits for the client to review before the final approval. We determine content and running order in a collaborative effort with our clients.

​Next, we add music, motion graphics, titles, and transitional effects to lift a production into the realm of magic. It is really amazing how a music bed and graphics can help even the most mundane subjects take flight.

After we complete the post production stage, the program is released out into the world. Whether via the internet, social media, broadcast TV, or other delivery mechanism, the "medium is the message."

As producers, we have to please ourselves. Because video production is an unending quest for excellence. As a result, seeing everything come together is gratifying and it makes producing videos fun.

Finally, post-production techniques continue to evolve since the days in Hollywood when editors would add "opticals" as special effects.

But the intent is the same. During post production, work to make every project as good as you can.

Editing all of the content and creating graphics and effects is like applying wax to a car or a table-top. Post-production makes everything shine!

As an Austin video company, the term "where we live" takes on two different meanings. Using technology creatively to tell a story is very much where we "live".  We also physically live in Austin, Texas: more on that later.

Even though we love the adventure and unexpected aspects of each production, we also try to limit or control the unexpected. Call it experience.

The value of scouting, or doing preliminary reconnaissance, is huge, even for small shoots. Knowing the technical details is “where we live.”

A recent Media Training video production benefitted greatly from our recon mission the day before the shoot. First, where would we shoot? Next, what was the client trying to accomplish? What is the space like? What gear do we need to facilitate the session successfully?

All of those questions were answered in a half hour at the location. Much of the anxiety and potential complexity was eliminated. Bottom line: we were ready, had the right equipment in place, utilized their existing set-up well, and accomplished the intent of the endeavor. As a result, it went very well, and it was fun.

Then,  a Greek chorus of media trainers, who had flown in specifically for this training, weighed-in effectively after each playback of the founder’s responses to typical media questions. During this phase, we even recorded their feedback. We hadn't expected to do that, but we were in position and ready for it when the opportunity appeared. 

We're proud to be an Austin video company...

The other aspect of “where we live” also raised its head during the media-training session. The founder/CEO had started the company in his apartment in California, but he LOVED AUSTIN. It sounded familiar, and we knew what he was talking about. We are proud of this Austin success story.

Our city of educated, creative talent has provided exactly the culture needed to grow the company beyond the wildest dreams of its founder. Austin attracts people from all over the country for it's positive energy. As an Austin video company, we like being part of that.

Most of all, providing that easy-going-but-effective support was our job for the day. We love our city, and we love using our video production skills  to apply our creative arts to the business world.

Overview video to market rare wood

We collaborated with the knowledgeable owner on the scripts, for both an overview video and the video for the amazing ancient buried cypress.

But how to REALLY SHOW IT? Drone videography seemed to be the right tool at the right time for the right view of the huge wood stacks. As the device swooped up and over the ancient woods, we couldn't help but be reminded of the famous scene in the movie, "2001," the cut from a bone in the air to a spaceship...the advance of technology.

There was no need for any sort of teleprompter device for the owner's on-camera parts. He knew what to say. We shaped the ever-evolving script around his on-point soundbites.

Every type of video production tool was used: animation of how the buried cypress came to be lodged in a Louisiana swamp, vintage still photos, iPhone video from the actual excavation, graphics, the drone videography, and our normal B-Roll coverage.

Once we had locked the script, we searched and found just the right voice for the narration. And after some feedback, the final tweaks produced two videos that represent this beautiful natural product from Mother Nature.

We knew next to nothing about rare woods when we embarked on our latest video adventure. But now we appreciate it after our immersion into that world.

Our video production expertise, in collaboration with our client's expertise and enthusiasm about rare woods, yielded a final product that represents us both.

In today's go-go no time world, it seems that our attention spans are getting shorter and shorter. Our clients now often ask us to boil down hours of video into short, succinct video blasts. Training videos that used to be 30 minutes? Now we need them to be 10. 5 minute videos are now 2 minute videos. We ALL have do more with less time!

It's no secret that lawyers like to talk. They're paid very well to do it. Our recent challenge in working with a national association of  justice-seekers was to streamline their interview sound-bites into a coherent five-minute message.

The two-camera approach worked well for bridging comments. It enabled us to cut for content AND for dramatic emphasis. But even experienced legal counsellors can get nervous and try too hard when talking to their peers. Part of our job was putting them at ease. We could usually connect by asking about their city or state. They're always proud of something there, no matter where it is. That's part of the low-key approach to interview tone-setting.

Editing content down, and down and down...

After gathering hours of issue-related wisdom, the editing room became a brutal exercise in separating wheat from chaff.

Only the best 1 per cent could make it into the final piece. Three themes emerged: money-giving, political clout, and networking.

We grouped the sound-bites together according to theme, saving the best and most dramatic one for the close: "For 50 years it's been the heart of my practice, but also the backbone." Cha-Ching. We know a good sound-bite when we hear it. The fact that it was delivered with a knowing, New Orleans Cajun twang just added to the effect.

We dressed up the best 1-per cent with a bookend open and close, featuring music and the organization's logo. The disparate comments became a program.

Our editing instincts got sharpened into a fine, surgical instrument. We found the message in the mountain of interview answers.

Michelangelo found his statue of David in a rejected piece of marble. Sometimes that approach works in the world of video production, too. You release the artwork from the marble that surrounds it. Whittling down the marble to find the masterpiece!

That’s the slogan for Washington County’s Convention and Visitors Bureau. Our task was to showcase “The Best of Texas.”

In the center of bluebonnet country, Brenham and Washington County is a special place that embodies Texas history, culture, and natural beauty. This video production highlights all of the stops that delight visitors: festivals, wineries, live music, history and small-town charm.

We worked closely with the Washington County Chamber of Commerce and Convention & Visitors Bureau to capture footage of their little corner of heaven. This video production will be used to promote Brenham and Washington County as a tourist destination. Then we visited historical sites and locations throughout the region to gather our footage.

Producing the CVB's web movies for families and corporate groups involved a lot of location videography. We got to know the area and the people very well on our many sojourns there.

The first step into that adventure was the annual Bluebonnet Festival in Chappell Hill. It was crowds, music, food and a general celebration of the Texas State Flower. Put the camera into almost any position and let the activity tell the story. A low-angle shot of a bluebonnet display on Main Street put the focus into proper perspective.

Transitioning to the Antique Rose Emporium required a slightly more tranquil approach to the videography. That continued with a visit to a local winery. Some subtle movement filled the frame with roses and grapes.

Next, the famous Blue Bell Creameries featured more people and a glimpse into their production process. Think Willy Wonka with ice cream. Once again, it was hold the shot and let the activity do the work.

The final big event of the summer is Hot Nights Cool Tunes in downtown Brenham. Kids dancing in front of the stage said it all, rounded out with teens wandering through the crowds while mom and dad enjoy adult conversations and beverages with their friends.

We also worked with a young family of volunteer actors on a geocaching quest to find out about "the birthplace of Texas." We stayed out of their way and followed their lead in discovering the historical sites. Think "fly on the wall" videography.

For such a short script, we gathered a mountain of B-Roll illustrative footage. Because most of these shots had some sort of movement, either on foot or on the road. From famous Wild West trails, to a cotton gin, to the shops and restaurants on Main Street, we covered all of it.

Many people gave us a friendly wave as we worked (and some made the final cut). Collaboration on the final script required some serious streamlining. With a few final tweaks to the shot selection, the final draft was approved and was added to the Brenham / Washington County CVB web site.

"The Best of Washington County" video won both a Telly award and a Videographer Award. 

Finally, the most gratifying result for us is the accurate portrayal of the lively towns between Houston and Austin.

Brenham Tourism Video: The Best of Washington County