VELFILM

Automaton: Creating the Look

Vadim — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 23:36:15 +0000

Director David Quakenbush posted this short behind-the-scenes look at compositing and some of the special effects work in Automaton, which is currently in post-production. It’s fascinating to see how much work is going into a single shot that is only a few seconds long!

If you haven’t read my previous posts about Automaton, I was one of the extras in the film. If you squint, you can even spot me as Android #4 in this video below :) Enjoy!

Local Business Web Video: RE/MAX Alliance – Porsha Ridl

Vadim — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 23:14:05 +0000

Below is a video for Re/Max Alliance, which I filmed and edited last month. This is one of the few videos I’ve done for DataSphere that was shot on my 7D. I still find the DSLR workflow in a fast-paced environment somewhat of a pain, but I really do love the film-like look.

Do you need an affordable custom video created for your small business, non-profit or community organization? Contact me!

Local Business Video: Williamson and Company, P.C. (Thornton, CO)

Vadim — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 20:33:58 +0000

Normally, I try to have the business owner or representative do the interview on camera in a casual, conversational way. But, sometimes things come up and they are unable to do the interview for whatever reason (in this case, the owner of Williamson and Company, P.C. had a cold and lost his voice). So, we improvised and had someone else record a voice-over from a written script on the spot. It’s always tricky to have a non-professional recording a voice-over, but luckily the person who ended up doing it actually had some prior experience. We had to move quickly and looking back, I wish I would have shot several more takes, but overall I think it turned out okay.

Do you need an affordable custom video created for your small business, non-profit or community organization? Contact me!

And Then There Was Seeds of Hope

Vadim — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 18:23:33 +0000

I was a camera operator / lighting assistant for the studio interview footage in this video made by HagarFILMS a couple of months ago:

Nightlife Photography: The Hundred at Beauty Bar (12.17.11) with DJ MyKill, Dylan LeDisko and Matt Ferry

Vadim — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 22:16:19 +0000

In case you missed it, the second installment of The Hundred dance party took place on December 17th at the Beauty Bar. Below is a slideshow of photos I took at the event (you can see the full set here):

Don’t miss the next The Hundred dance party on 1.28.11, which will feature Kris Barman of InnerPartySystem and other guests!

Local Business Video: Done Plumbing (Denver, CO)

Vadim — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 21:48:28 +0000

Now that the holidays are over and there was plenty of time to recuperate from the lazy, yet socially-active and food coma-laden season, it is time to hit the ground running! There are many exciting things in store for VELFILM Productions this year, and I can’t wait to work on all of the amazing projects that are coming up.

Here is the last business web video I shot and edited in 2011 – Done Plumbing for KDVR/Fox31 via DataSphere:

Do you need an affordable custom video created for your small business, non-profit or community organization? Contact me!

2012 VELFILM Productions Showcase Reel

Vadim — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 18:30:41 +0000

For this first post of 2012, I think it’s appropriate to introduce the new VELFILM Productions showcase reel, compiled from some of the videos that I shot and edited over the course of last year. The reel runs a little long at almost 5 minutes, and is still by no means a complete representation of all the amazing projects I had the opportunity to work on. In fact, I just did a rough count and was amazed to discover that I worked on a total of about 90 video projects in 2011, several of which haven’t even been released yet!

Some of them were ultra low-budget one or two-hour shoots (such as many of the local business videos and some nightlife events); others were larger projects that took days or even weeks to complete (weddings, Bar Mitzvahs, film festival and performing arts events coverage). I even worked on several shoots for free, or on a volunteer basis. A lot of stuff didn’t make it into this video simply due to running time constraints, as it was already getting too long (such as the videos I shot for Montessori schools, fitness centers, NRW Wrestling events, weddings and a lot of other local business/corporate stuff).

It was difficult to go through hours of video footage and pick out individual clips or shots that would provide a decent representation of the kind of work I can do. I’m still not sure I succeeded entirely, so this reel will probably get updated, trimmed and tweaked a bit in the near future. Meanwhile, here is a brief video summary of 2011 at VELFILM Productions!

All in all, it’s been a pretty incredible year. Not only was it my first year of working entirely for myself and doing what I love, but it has also been a tremendous learning experience. I feel like I’m still taking baby steps towards having a profitable video production business, and I’m still learning as I go along – but I’m getting better at it. It’s not easy being a one-man band! My hopes for 2012 are that I will be able to grow and expand my skills in addition to expanding my network circle and collaborating on more projects with other creative folks in Denver. Here’s to a healthy, productive, exciting and educational new year!

Local Business Video: McGehee Davis and Associates

Vadim — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 21:02:12 +0000

Below is a promotional video I shot and edited last month for McGehee Davis and Associates, an accounting firm in Wheat Ridge, CO:

Do you need an affordable custom video created for your small business, non-profit or community organization? Contact me!

Local Business Video: All My Sons Moving and Storage of Denver

Vadim — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 22:10:10 +0000

Here’s a promo I recently shot and edited for a local family-owned moving and storage company, All My Sons Moving and Storage. I thought it was adorable that they have toy trucks with their company name and logos on them!

Do you need an affordable custom video created for your small business, non-profit or community organization? Contact me!

Chris ‘Birdman’ Andersen “Ink, Not Mink” Official PETA Photo Shoot (Behind-the-Scenes Video)

Vadim — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 21:09:36 +0000

In June, I was contacted by PETA to shoot a short video for their “Ink, Not Mink” PSA campaign, featuring a photo shoot with Chris ‘Birdman’ Andersen of the Denver Nuggets. Excited for an opportunity to work on that project, I jumped on it without hesitation.

The photo shoot took place in a spacious aircraft hangar at the Centennial Airport in Denver, with most of the crew flown in from Los Angeles. It was a pretty spectacular location, even though you only get a small glimpse of it in the finished video.

My job was to get b-roll and behind-the-scenes footage of the photo shoot and then film a sit-down interview with the Birdman himself. It was a great experience to observe an amazing photographer at work (Robert Sebree) and also to meet Chris Andersen, even though I’m not a huge basketball fan myself (shh, don’t tell anyone – I don’t even like sports). However, it was especially rewarding to play a part in supporting such a good cause and I’m thankful for the opportunity. The ads and the video were finally released last week I think they turned out pretty great!

WARNING: Some of the footage in the video below (the parts not shot by me) features unforgivable animal cruelty and is quite disturbing, so viewer discretion is advised.