Hunter Hayes Music Video

Mark — Thu, 02 May 2013 15:44:45 +0000

On March 26th, we received an email from a LA producer saying that he had gotten our name from a director friend of ours (Warren Sonoda) and that we had come highly recommended as a great production company to work with. He went on to say that he had a bit of a crazy request…He was working with More Media (a Los Angeles music video company) and that they were planning on shooting a music video for country pop star Hunter Hayes in Saint John on April 1st. Now remember, this is March 26th, a music video usually takes a couple weeks of prep before it goes to camera. Furthermore, the shoot date seemed a bit suspicious: April 1st? April Fools? Nevertheless, we spoke on the phone and we did our background check on the producer, the company, and, of course, Hunter. Turns out they were all legitimate and Hunter was in fact scheduled to play at Harbour Station on April 2nd with Carrie Underwood. We accepted the job. The next 6 days would prove to be some of the hardest (and longest) days of my career to date. Some of our responsibilities for road housing this project was: location scouting, casting, finding over 20 crew members, production management, location management, all equipment (lights, grip, camera, plus insurance), accommodations and travel arrangements for out of towners, filming permits, payroll for Canadian crew, per diem for American crew, finding an airplane and hanger, getting on rooftops and throwing bottles off of it, finding a school we could “break into”, and so on.

The days leading up to the shoot were tough, tougher than I thought actually. Not only was it a last minute project, but it was Easter (long) weekend too. That meant finding gear, locations, actors, and crew was very difficult. We ended renting gear from over a half a dozen places in four provinces and bringing in some very talented people from Ontario, New Brunswick, Los Angeles, New York, Nashville, and Nova Scotia. One of the things I love about Saint John is how willing people are to help out. I love that it never changes and that it always makes me feel proud to call this my home. The locations we ended up with were amazing. The people, who owned, managed, or worked there, were all accommodating and willing to go above and beyond. Big ups go out to all our beautiful shoot locations with Marijke and Danny at SJ High School, Carl and Jim at Mahogany Manor, Stacey, Nick, Shawn and Seamus at the Atlantic Flight Centre, Keith and his lovely family at Historica Development, Derek, Terri, and their two little boy wonders at Revolution Strategy, and the best driver this side of Montreal Jim at SJ Executive Limousines!! Thank you all so very much! I could really go on about the great experience, but why don’t we just watch Hunter's behind the scenes video instead

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QAcYOQBo7eQ

Oh! And here is my interview on CBC Information Morning Saint John about the filming of the project!

http://www.cbc.ca/informationmorningsaintjohn/2013/05/02/saint-john-stars-in-country-singer-hunter-hayes-latest-video/

Big love! xo, Steve

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The Leadership Ride

Mark — Thu, 02 May 2013 00:21:53 +0000

We are excited to have been part of executive coach Dave Veale and Vision Coaching’s latest film. Dave has been a mentor and friend to Hemmings House as a company and to us as individuals. We have worked with Executive Coaches from around the world because of the friendship and business we have had the pleasure of developing with Dave and the Vision team. If you are in growth mode for your business, do not take the leadership ride alone, executive coaching works, and Hemmings House is living proof! Thanks Dave and Vision Coaching team, lots of fun to work with you!

MAKE SURE you check out more about Vision coaching at their website, we love those guys and gals!

www.visioncoachinginc.com

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Greg’s Legends – Levon Helm

Mark — Thu, 02 May 2013 00:16:26 +0000

I recently downloaded Songza to my iPad. Once again my listening habits have changed with technology. The concept of crowd sourcing playlists is brilliant, and its all free! If I like a song there is a convenient link to iTunes so I can buy it, perfect! Tonight I have a fire crackling as I pack my bags for a quick trip to Grand Cayman. My Songza playlist tonight is the Harvest Moon playlist.

Tonight I wanted to write another blog giving tribute to legends that have inspired me to live a life of creativity and build a business centred on love and passion. My musical influences are very wide, and they have always been the foundation for my visual creations. As I browsed through YouTube I got sucked into a beautiful black hole of The Band videos. I of course looked up the epic version of I Shall Be Released (The Last Waltz version) and as it started playing on my laptop, it also started playing on Songza at the exact same time. SWEET! So the legend(s) I must pay tribute to tonight are the Band and the memory of the late Levon Helm. And if you haven’t watched The Last Waltz yet, go rent or buy it…that film is the best concert film I have ever seen. Yes Scorcese, you as well are a legend that will be blogged about in the near future!

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Greg’s Legends – Shannon Hoon

Mark — Wed, 01 May 2013 23:59:10 +0000

When I founded my business it was all about the music. It still is in many ways, but in the early days of Hemmings House, the sole purpose was to bring live music to the world through the magic of video. As time went on this company has evolved into the world of commercial, corporate, documentary and television series production, but the love of music is still at its core.

I was on a road trip the other day and put Blind Melon on as I was driving the airline (route 9) between Bangor Maine and the Canadian border. I thought to myself of how much this band and Shannon Hoon influenced me when I was beginning my career as a filmmaker. I started thinking of all the other icons who shaped who I am, and who my company is today as well.

October 21st, 1995 Shannon Hoon died on his tour bus with a cocaine overdose at the age of 28. I always wonder what sort of brilliant art he would be creating today if he were still with us.

Here is a gem I found on Youtube.

Thanks for reading!
-Greg

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“Happy Happy Happy Holidays” From the Hemmings Christmas Hat People

Greg — Sun, 02 Dec 2012 14:25:51 +0000

Hey! It’s the season to send digital Christmas cards to your families, friends and clients! But wait a minute…how do you get everyone in the same photo when you have offices all over the place? (Really…it makes no sense at all to invest all of your precious Aeroplan points to bring your staff to the head office for the “family Shot”, use those for your next trip to Cabo).

We have a solution! We can help you draw stick person facsimiles of your missing staff so none feels left out! Oh, and although a still photograph does say a thousand words, a still image that has been broken into layers to give a 3D live action effect makes people say “wow! Thats pretty neat!”

Take a look for yourself!

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM HEMMINGS HOUSE PICTURES from Hemmings House on Vimeo.

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PHOTOGRAPHING SEASONAL CHANGES

Mark — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 23:00:00 +0000

While these two photographs are not perfectly “registered” with each other, it is always interesting to take images of the same subject in various seasons. The above two photographs were taken from my old house on Douglas Avenue, Saint John, New Brunswick Canada. Our city has a diverse collection of architectural styles, which makes it a haven for all types of visual artists.

I did not plan out the above photographs to work in tandem with each other, however if I did, this is what I would do:

1. Buy a used tripod that is solid and not wobbly, with a quick-release camera attachment plate.
2. Attach it to your house in a solid fashion.
3. Make sure the tripod head is locked tightly so that it will not move during the year.
4. At the first of every month place the same camera on the tripod, and take your monthly photo.
5. Make sure that all of your 12 images have the same “F-stop” number, preferably f/8.
6. When the year is finished, place the 12 photos into a slide show with a dissolve, and you will have a nice short film to send to your friends!

For more detailed information on any of these steps, or if you have any questions about this process or any other photography question, call me anytime at www.clarity.fm/markhemmings

These two photos are ready for your wall as large fine art prints! Check them out here: www.markhemmings/prints www.markhemmings.com/prints
Mark is available for hire as a photographer or filmmaker at www.hemmingshouse.com

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CANON 50mm f/1.2 L USM LENS REVIEW

Mark — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 23:41:00 +0000

Dear reader, if this entry or my other blog entries don’t answer your specific photography questions, you can call me on the phone anytime for advice by clicking here.

Do you want to get some intense shallow depth of field? Well, there are many ways of doing this, but if you have the cash one fine way is via a full frame camera like the Canon 5D MkII matched with the 50mm f/1.2 lens. I took this photo at our annual San Miguel de Allende Photo and DSLR Filmmaking Workshops last year. This is a straight photo with no photoshop retouching. As you can see, the photo has a very thin slice of focus:

I have used this lens quite a bit since its release, and have found that the images taken at f/1.2 have a soft-ish glow to them, which can either be good or bad depending on your subject matter. From the perspective of a commercial photographer, it is unlikely that they would be utilizing such an f-stop very often. Fashion photographers may enjoy the radical depth-of-field options, but they would not rely on f/1.2 for every shot. DSLR filmmakers tend to play around at f/2.8 to f/5.6 due to moving subjects. So, who could make regular use of this lens when used wide-open (lowest f number)? I think nature, wedding, film & theatre, and street photographers.

Nature Photography: While you have limited ability to get really close to the subject matter, using a full frame DSLR photographing flowers will result in some pretty cool shots. Here are some more photos that I took in the same cactus garden:

These nature photos are for sale as fine art prints for your wall by clicking here

Street photographers and wedding photographers share a similar skill set; catch the moment in a split second because if you miss it, it will never happen again. I am not saying that this lens is greater than average regards focusing speed, rather the ability to shoot in darker environments at f/1.2 allows for a greater chance of “getting the shot”. Further, if a wedding photographer wants to mix flash with ambient light, shooting at f/1.2 will allow for a sharper image due to a faster shutter speed.

The Canon 1DX sports an incredible maximum ISO of just over 200,000! To put that into perspective, when I used to buy film I would rarely go above ISO 800 except for artistic applications. The Canon 50mm f/1.2 mixed with the 1DX camera body would be able to see in the dark.

On-set stills photographers need fast lenses as shutter speeds are required to be in the range of 1/45 of a second, at ISO 800 or so. When I worked in the movie industry I was always frustrated that I had to jack up my ISO just to get a shot that wasn’t blurry (due to the actors moving around). A fast lens on a newer DSLR with usable high ISO abilities would suit stills photographers well.

Finally, you pay a high premium for f/1.2! If you can get by with f/1.8 you can save a ton of money, and still get amazingly sharp images.

Feel free to leave a comment about your experiences with this lens, or any other thing that comes to mind! To hire Mark as a photographer or filmmaker, visit his production company website at www.hemmingshouse.com

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EYES ARE THE WINDOWS TO THE SOUL

Mark — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 01:44:00 +0000

Dear reader, if this entry or my other blog entries don’t answer your specific photography questions, you can call me on the phone anytime for advice by clicking here.

The past six years or so I have been blessed to spend time with Eastern European Romani people (or Gypsies, as they are popularly known as). I am not sure why I am drawn to them, I seem to find a certain measure of self worth in giving of my time to the Romani families that I meet on my journeys. This blog entry is two-fold; the first is obvious, that the eyes are the windows to the soul, and the second is that the larger the camera sensor, the greater amount of depth-of-field options you have.

If you are primarily a photographer who loves people, you may be best served with a full sensor camera. While these are usually the most expensive types, prices are dropping each year. The Canon 5D MkII has been a popular choice for many diverse photographers due to its great image quality, full frame sensor, incredible video, and light weight. At the time of writing this blog the price for the 5D MkII is about $2,300.

This is one of my favorite shots of my new Romani buddy who I met in Transylvania last summer. I was struck by the indescribable quality of his eyes . . . somewhat haunting! As you will see, the depth of field is so narrow that only his eyes are in focus. This is one of the advantages of a full frame sensor camera. Feel free to leave a comment below, I am always appreciative of extra input for my readers!

Mark’s photographic prints for your wall can be purchased at www.markhemmings.com
Mark can be hired as a photographer or filmmaker via www.hemmingshouse.com

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IPHONE 4S CAMERA REVIEW

Mark — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 18:28:00 +0000

Dear reader, if this entry or my other blog entries don’t answer your specific photography questions, you can call me on the phone anytime for advice by clicking here.

I am writing this blog post on the iPhone 4s, and I have had plenty of time to play with the built in camera. My dad asked me what kind of point and shoot camera my mom should get, and my quick reply was to just buy a new iPhone (I believe her contract was coming to an end). While I don’t appreciate over consumption with the new latest and greatest, the combination of a great camera and a great mobile phone has changed the way I communicate with the world. In the past I would photograph my kids with my point and shoot, attach it to my computer, download, edit the photo, upload it to our family website, email family members notifying them of an update. Now it is seamless and quick with one device that is always in my pocket.

While you may miss having an optical zoom on the iPhone 4s, remember that zoom lenses aren’t absolutely necessary. If you look at the history of great photography, almost all of the iconic images were captured on prime (non zoom) lenses. Sometimes it is good practice to physically move your body closer or further away from the subject matter.

The images are very acceptable on the camera, and I am very impressed with the 1080 HD video capture as well. As a professional commercial filmmaker, having a decent portable HD cam in my pocket is so helpful when doing location scouting. Often we are working with clients who are in different cities, and they need to see what we are seeing. The iPhone’s ability to send photos or videos quickly via cell towers or wifi makes it a great tool for the photographers and filmmakers who deal with agencies or PR firms.

I am happy! A tool that consistently works well for me deserves public mention. The attached photo was treated with a 70′s look via an iPhone photo app.

Mark’s photographic prints for your wall can be purchased at www.markhemmings.com
Mark can be hired as a photographer or filmmaker via www.hemmingshouse.com

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INSTAGRAM PHOTOS

Mark — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 01:49:00 +0000

Dear reader, if this entry or my other blog entries don’t answer your specific photography questions, you can call me on the phone anytime for advice by clicking here.

This will be old news to a lot of you, but for those who are experimenting with photography on your mobile phone (such as an iPhone), the Instagram App may be a good fit for you!

What I have discovered is that in monochrome settings such as a ski hill, you will often get uninspired results from your cell phone camera. The image will come out slightly dark due to the bright snow, and the image may have a melancholic blue color cast. Enter Instagram, and a host of other great photo apps. With one click of a button your cell phone pics become alive via some really cool filters. And for only a few dollars, you can’t go wrong! I took this photo yesterday on a fun day at the slopes. This filter gave the photo an aged look from a few decades ago, which my dad appreciated!

Mark’s photographic prints for your wall can be purchased at www.markhemmings.com
Mark can be hired as a photographer or filmmaker via www.hemmingshouse.com

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