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I was out in California last weekend and ended up connecting with long-time friend Mike Foster (among many other things, he and Jud Wilhite started People of the Second Chance).  We had a little time & I had a camera, so we decided to create some 90-second web videos.

What Is People of the Second Chance? from ProlifikFilms on Vimeo.

I roughed this one together from my hotel room, and the next day Nick made it pop with grading, graphics and music.  Not bad for a handful of pick-ups that came out of sitting around talking with friends & having some margin to be impulsive.

We’re excited about working with Jud and Mike to document and re-tell People of the Second Chance stories.  Look for those soon.

Test shooting is the practice of running out with your gear, taking it through all the motions, and cutting a piece together with whatever you’ve got. I’ve shot countless tests over the years and heavily rely on it as a means to figure out exactly what I want to do on a given project. However, I’ve been in several discussions with videographers recently and it seems not everyone really buys into the process. So let me quickly give you a couple reasons why test shoots are super helpful.

KNOW YOUR GEAR

5D Spring from Nick Jones on Vimeo.

I shot this video in my backyard the afternoon I received my shiny new Canon 5D MKii. I wasn’t trying to tell a story. I wasn’t looking for a sequence. I just wanted to figure out a few things. Let me tell you what I learned… The gamma was way off, the shutter speed was all wrong, the axis of rotation created pretty wobbly video, and the lens I was shooting on was a bit limiting.

Can you imagine figuring all that out in the field with a client? Or even worse, in post?

By taking your gear out and shooting in a variety of situations you can save yourself some major headaches down the line. Plus, you’ll have a greater appreciation of the benefits and limitations of your camera.

KNOW YOUR ABILITIES

Office Montage from Nick Jones on Vimeo.

This video is an office montage. I make these every once in awhile to stay sharp. The general idea behind this practice is that the things around you everyday become very commonplace. As a videographer it is your job to make the ordinary look extraordinary, to draw people in to otherwise mundane imagery. In my opinion, there’s no better way to develop your eye for this, than to shoot your own office. Or house. Or block. Whatever it is around you that you are completely desensitized to, shoot that thing. It is amazing how much you will begin to develop through this simple practice.

When you begin to flex your creative muscle a little bit, it is amazing how much that ability will begin to grow. But if you sit back and never test out your abilities, you’ll likely never break out of whatever rut you currently find yourself in.

THE DANGER

5 sec project - Pirate Island from Nick Jones on Vimeo.

So this is a test from a program called VUE. I love VUE. I can spend an entire weekend just building random things in VUE. (just ask my wife) The problem is, if you ever go on Vimeo and do a search for VUE all you find are these little tests. The internet is filled with little 5 - 10 sec videos that are all called like “VEG TEST 03 25p NO GI”. Now, there’s no problem in testing obviously, the problem comes in the fact that many people will test and test and test, but never actually integrate into a project. This VUE project is a great example. Like I said, I love the program. But I always hesitate to bring VUE into my actual workflow, because it means I’ll have to actually deliver on something…

And there lies the problem. Many people will create tests behind closed doors but will never step out on faith and take a project where those skills will be needed. I know a million people that are fairly proficient at Cinema 4D and do awesome MoGraph experiments. But, I only know three others outside myself that day after day make a living in it. It’s easier to play around in a laboratory with no consequences, but you will never really develop as a creative unless you step out on faith, bite off a bit more than you can chew, and figure out how to get it done.

So get out there. Create, play, and experiment, but don’t forget to follow through. What would a football team be if it practiced everyday, created awesome plays, but never played in a game? Use your time wisely, develop your craft, but always remember to release those abilities and create some truly inspiring work.

A Thousand Questions from ProlifikFilms on Vimeo.

Ben Arment asked “if you were a filmmaker, why would you try to make anything other than epic films?”

It’s a fair question.  But a little word substitution helps us qualify the perspective a bit . . .

“If you were an author, why blog or work on anything other than a best seller?”

“If you were an architect, why not design anything other than the most celebrated buildings and monuments?”

Clearly, we were all created with different passions, connections and experiences leading us all on different journeys.  But beyond that, there’s a desperate need for filmmakers on many levels, not just on the epic features.

1. There’s a need for “industrial” level production in business, non-profit organizations and churches.  And by that I mean the three-to-five minute pieces that do things like set-up a topic.  Create a moment.  Celebrate a success.  Enhance worship.  If we consider these to be “one-off” videos to be created by the a/v club, only to be shown once, then that’s all they’ll ever be.  We’ve all seen plenty of examples of that.  The real question there is “is this worth the effort?” and despite the fact that the spectrum of acceptable delivery has never been wider (from HD to YouTube) are these types of videos actually doing more harm than good?  Too often the answer is “yes”.

2. Videos that MATTER need to be made with a filmmaker’s mindset.  The art, experience, tool box and storytelling ability that a filmmaker brings makes a huge difference.  In some cases the goal of a project is to help believers be the hands & feet of Christ by caring for the homeless, digging wells for people who need water and providing mosquito nets or inoculations for those who are senselessly dying.  And when that’s the goal, I’m not sure that an 18-month epic feature is an effective use of time or money—even for a brilliant filmmaker.  Organizations like Nuru International and movements like Advent Conspiracy use short-form content very effectively.  If those producers (some are good friends of mine) felt called to create nothing but epic films, we’re back to pairing up the a/v club gang with a marketing director.  And that’s not a formula for success.

3. You can be a filmmaker, called to a different mission than creating epic films.  Nick started out as a journalist and photographer—moving rapidly around other countries, documenting the impact that missionaries were having.  I got my start creating corporate content—communicating internal priorities and processes that changed every few weeks.  We LIKE the idea of creating epic films, but our passion, experience and obedience has put us in a place where we get to tell stories and create experiences by making short films in place of church videos.  On set with a battalion of production crew, trailers, catering, and diesel fuel trucks to fill up the generator trucks just doesn’t seem like a good fit for us.

I wouldn’t consider A Thousand Questions to be “epic”.  And technically it’s not even a “film”.  But it was created with a filmmaker’s mindset (and, ironically, the main character—the device used to connect to viewers—IS something of a filmmaker.)  But of the documented quarter-million people who have seen this, we have a virtual ream of responses indicating that God used these ten minutes to impact, inspire and change people around the world.

Yep, sometimes shooting on the road is hard… You have to go to horrible places like this and spend the day…

I’ve been in Steamboat Springs, CO for the last couple of days picking up stories with my good friend Chris Spradlin. We’ve captured some incredibly touching pieces of his church, Euzoa Bible Church, coming together and helping each other during incredibly tough times. It’s taken a bit of an emotional toll on us, so we hit up Strawberry Park Hot Springs to unwind for the day.

It is truly unbelievable up there. If you’re ever in Steamboat you’ve gotta make the trek up the mountain and experience it. Just don’t do it after dark… apparently clothing is optional at that point…