‘Blade Tactics’ Reel
OVERVIEW
Blade Tactics was a 5-month long project I worked on as Director, Producer, and Steadicam Operator. I was involved in all phases of production from conceptualization to delivery of the final product. The objective of this project for my team was to produce branded instructional content for monetization. Blade Tactics an online self-defense video course consisting of twenty-one progressive instructional video modules. Each of the twenty-one video modules we produced are 5 – 10 minutes in length. The course focuses on self-defense and hand-to-hand edge weapons combat presented by former Army Special Forces (Green Beret) and co-host of History Channels Knife or Death, Tu Lam.
Eric Vu Tran
DP & 1st AC:
Austin Tran
Sound:
Ethan Tran
Editors:
Austin Tran & Eric Vu Tran
Colourist:
Eric Vu Tran & Austin Tran
VFX Design:
Austin Tran
CGI:
Ethan Tran
Sound Design & Track Score:
Austin Tran
AD SPOT
BEHIND THE SCENES
STILL FRAMES
COMPANY BRANDED CGI & VFX DESIGN
Cinematics ‘Drive v2.0’
A Cinematic Homage to Drive (2011 film)
Shot A
Shot B
Shot C
Shot D
Drive v2.0 Action Sequence
Establishing Shots
Drive (2011 film)
Cinematic Street Photography
The Importance of Reviewing the Script during Pre-production
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.
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