Thanks,
Billy

We were blogging when blogging wasn’t cool. Writing the HTML and scanning the film in strange internet cafes.

There I fell in love with photography.

I used film professionally for a few years, but got my first semi professional digital camera early on. I remember my first thought after using it “This is going to change everything. I need to figure out how this works.”

I took on personal projects to expand my skill set, photographing things I found strange and interesting here in Charlottesville.

Move forward to 2008. A new professional camera called the 5D Mark II came out. It could make short videos, just like a point and shoot. After 5 minutes of playing with it, I realized “Uh Oh. The world is getting ready to shift again. Time to learn filmmaking.”

Amoeba Art & Media (AKA Amoeba Films) is an award-winning production company and film studio with three features under its belt, as well as over one hundred shorts, commercials, industrials documentaries and music videos. Amoeba frequently collaborates on projects with The Filmmaker’s Republic, a collective of film-centric artists in Central Virginia who pool their considerable talents and resources to create and complete film projects of significant commercial or artistic merit (ideally both). Their ranks include writers, directors, actors, visual artists, musicians, technicians, and Sanskrit chanters.

Very good quality at an even better price point.

This includes buying one of the new DSLR’s, extra memory and lenses, and specialized software such as Final Cut or Premiere to edit your masterpieces.

Be funny, be creative, but most importantly, be pithy! If you are wondering if it should be in your video, it probably shouldn’t.

If you are indoors, that means using indirect window light. Turn off your overhead lighting. If you are outside, shoot in the morning or the evening.

Turn off the AC. Turn off your computer. Turn off your children. Silence is golden. You can add quiet music later.

If you are using on camera audio, get closer to the camera.

Speak from the diaphram.

Remember, have fun.

Boylan Heights Restaurant is a gourmet burger bar on The Corner in Charlottesville, VA. This is our first made-for-television commercial. We are currently in production on a web series for Boylan called “The ‘Heights.” We will launch later in the summer.