Eric Vu Tran

Dallas Videographer Cinematographer Web & Mobile App Developer Graphic Designer Martial Artist Trader Budoka Entrepreneur Cofounder at RONIN

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Tech Startup Video: DUUL

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My team and I had the honor of producing the company video for DUUL, a technology startup building innovative solutions for gamers and eSports. I really respect the team and culture at DUUL. Their founder, Gabe, is a passionate tech entrepreneurs that I feel has strong values.

Many think gaming is a waste of time, but this isn’t true. There’s a lot of scientific data that shows gaming has health benefits for the brain. It improves mental performance and cognition. This is one of the many reasons I love eSports and the new tech companies involved in the industry.

The Importance of Reviewing the Script during Pre-production

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Elon Musk describes how he got taken by the hit TV show Top Gear. Elon allowed the guys of Top Gear to do a review of the Tesla Roadster. While dropping off the car Elon notices that the script had already been written. In the script it has the Tesla breaking down. Top Gear is a TV show that doesn’t have Elon’s best interest in mind.

Usually, a script along with a story board is reviewed with the partnering company (client) in the commercial video production industry. Scripting is a crucial stage of pre-production. It’s one of the creative tools used to plan and optimize production days. It helps to prevent errors and wasteful budget spending. A script writer produces a script in collaboration with the producers and director.

However, in the TV world of Top Gear things can be a bit different. TV show producers do NOT always have the best interest of the partnering company/brand in mind. This is why they did not offer a script review session with Elon during the pre-production stage. Moreover, Elon points out that a script had already been produced even before Top Gear producers recieved the Tesla Roadster. How can a writer script a product review without first experiencing the product? These are two red flags that signal a sketchy production.

If I were in Elon’s position I would have been more demanding in Top Gear’s production process. I would not deliver the car to Top Gear until I approve of the script and storyboard. I’d request the guys from Top Gear come to Tesla’s testing grounds and spend a least a couple days test driving the roadster. From this test drive experience they can write the script. Also, from the test drive the cinematographer, camera operators, and director can start to plan unique shots for their Tesla roadster episode. This would achieve two very important production processes with one stone. Planning and being efficient are important factors in video production.

The lesson here for brands and companies is to have a script and/or storyboard review session with the producers before moving forward with production. Good video production companies with your best interest in mind will already have this in their pre-production process.

The Samurai Friend is True

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You will know who your true friends are when you get sick or distressed. If one you thought was your friend keeps his distance from you during trying times then he should be considered a coward.” Yamamoto Tsunetomo, Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai

Alone with Girlfriends in the Matrix 1024x576 The Samurai Friend is True

How I see Downtown Dallas at night #streetphotography

The Importance of a Colorist in Video Production

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The Importance of a Colorist in Video Production

Besides a good Sound Editor, Colorists are what bring your video to the next level.

The key to success in any business is an understanding of psychology.  This includes color psychology.  Today, color psychology is utilized in marketing content and videos. For video, it is the Colorists that provide this crucial element.  Often they are the last thing people think about on many lower-budget amateur videos.  A Colorist is used in all professional high-end video productions and Hollywood films.

Purchase decision-making is emotionally triggered.

Colors create emotions.  Emotion connect viewers to your business, brand and product.

The Role of the Colorist

They interpret the clients’ vision and aspirations. Colourists make sure that all shots in each scene match one another. They do this by balancing colour saturation and luminance from shot to shot. This way they make sure that no one shot stands out in the sequence. They look out for and correct colour differences and ensure consistency throughout the production.

after color grading 1024x576 The Importance of a Colorist in Video Production

The Force Awakens before color grading.

 

before color grading 1024x576 The Importance of a Colorist in Video Production

Much better and different after being graded by the Colorist.

 

They also offer original and creative solutions to any picture related problems. This might be under or over exposure or day for night corrections, for example. Colourists provide advice and creative input into the overall look of each production. They work closely with clients to interpret their ideas.

They also document, file and report any related project information to relevant Producers or Project Managers. They have to accurately document and file all information relating to specific picture related problems and corrections. They make sure that all work is saved and backed up in accordance with relevant procedures.

Below are some example productions and footage I’ve been involved with where the raw footage is shown before and after color correction and color grading.

Becareful of bad Colorist

Grading and coloring digital footage is extremely technical and time consuming.  Thus, there are a lot of video agencies that claim to color grade, but they actually just throw filters on top of their clients video.  This degrades the video’s resolution and overall quality.