We are knee deep in a two month run of shoots. Mark and Eric left July 23rd and will be on the road with only 10 days home till September 18th. We finished up with MasterCraft Boats and now we are coming back for two days after shooting Hydra-Sports Boats in Connecticut.  Friday we are out again to go shoot Park’s Double Up Contests and then one more shoot the next week for MasterCraft…. big secret.

Pictures and more info coming after we get back. Stay Tuned.

Mark just got back from Dallas, TX for the 2nd stop of the Pro Wakeboard tour. We are working on a “Day in the Life” piece with Harley Clifford, one of MasterCraft’s newest team riders. This segment will come out on the MasterCraft website and on the 2011 Rewind DVD.

Bump Films has teamed up with Frontier Films to edit 6 product videos for Ski-Doo Snowmobiles. The project was shot by another company on a RED and the CANON D7. Being given the two different formats of footage was not ideal but we made it work and the segments came out great. We ended up making 12 different versions because each video had an English and French version.

You can see more of the segments on Ski-Doo’s website and the BRP YouTube page.  (We did the post production for the Summit, MXZ, Renegade, Sport Utility, Touring, all the technology segments and the Summit Drop…. we did not do the 2010 line up video or the Freeride - see if you can tell the difference  wink wink)  Or you can see some of the edits right here on our site.

The first day of the shoot was sunny and the footage from both the RED and the Canon were great. But on the following days of production it was very cloudy and dark with some heavy snow sprinkled through the days. We have always prided ourselves with producing stelar images and color (Even when it’s someone else’s footage) Soooo color correction became a big part of the job. We worked very hard on pulling detail from the blacks and adding in more color without making it look too over the top. You can see some of the before and afters we did for the footage.

As part of a larger tour, MasterCraft took their brand new 300 over to the Bahamas for some “blue water” looks. For the most part the trip was a success but we had high winds and dark ominous clouds to work around. With the few spots of light we had Tom King (still photographer) and Mark made the most of it. Fortunately, the look for this spot is a dark, desaturated color, almost burnt look, which worked well with the footage we got.

Segment coming soon!!!

Project: MasterCraft Rewind

Client: MasterCraft Boats

Involvement:

Mark - Camera/Director

Eric - Camera Assistant

Chris Durfee: Gaffer

Both Eric and Mark went to the MasterCraft Factory in Tennessee to shoot the opening sequence for this year’s REWIND DVD. The concept was pretty simple but easier said than done, mostly because boats are designed to be in the water not hung from cables in a confined space.  While were all set up we shot some interviews with the big chiefs of MasterCraft.

We used our HPX 500 with a PS Technik 35mm adapter along with a set of Super Speed Ziess primes.  Our Gaffer, Chris, did a great job controlling and bouncing the light given the very tight time schedule. We also rented a Skater Dolly which worked great for the close stuff but we were not as happy with it for anything longer that a 35mm lens.

Update:

We finished the segment and you can check it out here.

Project: MasterCraft Rewind 2010

Client: MasterCraft Boats

Involvement: Mark - Director

Eric - Camera

Mark and Eric went to the University of Tennessee football game on one of the new boats from MasterCraft. The segment will be in this years new MasterCraft Rewind DVD due out the first of the year.

Eric shooting in the midst of the the UT Tailgate Party before the game with Scott Crutchfield.

More segments for MasterCraft coming soon.

Project: MasterCraft 300

Client: MasterCraft Boats

Involvement: Mark - Camera Operator

Rod - Assistant Camera

For the new 300, MasterCraft’s largest boat ever, it was agreed that we need to shoot the running footage with a Helicopter. The photoboat available to us in Tennessee was just not big enough.

So MasterCraft hired Preston to come up from Florida and we were able to work around some minor weather. Mark wasn’t quiet happy with the footage from the morning so we moved some stuff around and were able to go back out in the afternoon. The next day we shot interiors and lifestyle.

Big thanks to Jason Boertje, MasterCraft Marketing Director and Rod Parmenter who filled in for Eric on this trip.

Preston flying low so we didn’t need to get a photoboat. (thanks Jack Parker for the pictures)

Mark shooting out the heli door with the HPX500. We are pretty much all Panasonic these days.

Preston, our helicopter pilot, does allot of the work for us. He has been flying for so long and specializes in boat that the great footage we get is primarily his talent coming through the lens.

Lucas Oil has taken hold of the AMA outdoor motocross circuit and blown it up.  There were 16 cameras all connected with fiber back to a truck in the pits. Most of the races were “live to tape” but the the final race of the 450 class went live to the SPEED channel.  Mark, camera 6, and Eric, camera 12, were both hired to shoot the race at the Washougal MX Park just outside of Vancouver, Washington.

Project: eXfuze for VivaKids

Client: VivaKids

Involvement: Entire Production and Post-Production.

This was our second trip to the Dominican Republic for VivaKids. The first trip, just Mark went but because of the large number of ambassadors and volunteers going on this trip, Rick decided to have both Mark and Eric come down and shoot. With over 50 people on two busses we toured 2 new locations that VivaKids is trying to help as well as 3 of the schools that we had been to previously.

VivaKids is a non profit group that focuses on bettering the lives of underprivileged kids around the world. Their latest program is a food initiative, a food program to help malnutrition kids. For more information goto Vivakids.org

Mark shooting the Bump Films’ HVX200 with a wireless mic. Because of the “run and gun” way this trip needed smaller/lightweight cameras. 

Eric shooting with another HVX200 inside one of the houses that VivaKids helped build for a family just outside of San Pedro. Interviews with many of the volunteers was the backbone of the this shoot. Rick Cotton (right), one of the founders of Vivakids listens closely.

Here is an early version of the first chapter to the DVD.

Project: Malibu Boats Promotional DVD

Client: Mtek Studios

Involvement: 2nd and 3rd camera operators/water camera operator.

This is our fourth season shooting for MTEK Studios on Malibu Boats promotional DVD. Recent years were shot with Hi-Speed Arri SR cameras but this year our extensive work with Panasonic’s P2 format convinced MTEK to shoot on our Panasonic HPX-500 camera and HVX-200 for “B” camera and water housing shots.

Robert and Mark on top of the Malibu photoboat getting ready to shoot.

Mark getting up close with Kevin Hinshaw from the innertube.

Mark shooting very close the boats coming by at 30mph.

Jack the “Jib-Man”… hooking up the Bump Films’ Panasonic 500 to his jib.

Check the 07 Malibu production.

The AMA tour stop at Washougal, WA did not disappoint this year. Chet Burks Productions covered the event for the Speed Channel. We had a total of 15 camera positions covering the race. Both Eric and Mark were trackside getting the goods.

Eric’s camera position 6.

Track inpection and warming up before the race.

Project: 2009 Boats

Client: MasterCraft Boats

Involvement: Entire production and postproduction.

This year we shot in four different locations for the the full MasterCraft boat line. We started off in Florida for ProStar and X-Series. Then off to Texas for MariStar and then we bounced back down to the Keys for Saltwater. After a slight break we went to Tennessee to finish up the last few boats. During this 2 month stretch we shot 31 different boats, 14 different athletes, underwater diving, from a helicopter twice, and only caused $1000 damage to the photoboat.  Good job team! 

Check the Trailer for the 09 DVD.

Update: The Rewind09 DVD is done… check out some of the segments.

Mark and Donny getting ready to shoot in Texas.

Mark shooting out of the heli over the blue waters of the Florida Keys. 

Mark shooting with our Panasonic HVX-200 in the waterhousing. Freddy at the wheel for the critical driving.

Mark in the waterski course getting some shots from outside the buoy line with Thomas Moore.

Rusty M. with what looks like a big switch 5. Mark and the heli following close behind. Download Rusty Malinoski’s segment from Rewind09 for you IPod, IPhone or ITunes.

Will (left) and Zane (middle) getting to ready to dive out at the Lighthouse reef off the coast of the Florida Keys. Eric capturing the pre-dive checks.

Project: 07 Malibu DVD

Client: Mtek

Involvement: Camera Operator & Camera Assistant

This project was produced and edited by Charles White of Mtek Studios in California.

Mark and Robert Beland, a great shooter from California, were hired to shoot all the boats and athletes in 3 different locations. The production was shot on 16mm film using the Mtek Arri SR2 Highspeed and Bump Films’ K100 and ArriS cameras and water-housings.

Mark transporting the SR2 back to the houseboat after a morning of shooting.

This segment is the opening segment to the 2007 DVD. All of the athlete footage and waterhousing shots were captured by Mark. The majority of the boat footage was shot by Robert. The postproduction was done by Mtek. The complete DVD contains the full line of 2008 boats from Malibu as well as all their athletes.

Project: BXRL Marlin Fishing

Client: ESPN2

Involvement: Camera Operator

Traveling on a 6 stop tour, there were up to 8 teams that competed in The Billfish Extreme Release League. Each boat had one cameraman to shoot their team for the entire day fishing.  Mark and Eric both shot on this show for about 3 years until it went off the air.

The Release Marine/ Spencer Yachts team trying to get up a blue marlin.

Eric, Mark, Robert and Phil riding around in a golf cart on some random island in the Caribbean.

This was another event for the Fusion Crew. The 2006 US open of Snowboarding in Stratton,Vermont with Shawn White stealing the show. Slopestyle, Halfpipe and a big air Quarterpipe at night all shot on HD for NBC among other networks.

Mark (in black) shooting from the lip of the halfpipe on Bump Films’ Sony 700A.

Icer Air of 2005, was one of the most dangerous events I have ever shot, said Mark when he got home. This over funded, under thought out contraption was built in the middle of Giants Stadium in San Francisco. Although the event went off with out any serious injuries, there was carnage aplenty. One athlete ended up landing hood of the blue Toyota parked next to the landing slope.

The event was shot live to a webcast and to HDCam tape for editing later. Mark was one of 8 shooters. He shot our Sony 700A for scenics during the day and roving camera to follow the athletes during the night time event.

The gap from the take off to the landing.

Mark getting a self-portrait while the grounds crew attempts to spread some additional snow on the landing.

Project: Burton Team Shoot

Client: Fusion Entertainment

Involvement: Camera Operator

This shoot/trip covered about three different productions and ended up being 11 days of sweet snowboarding and chasing Burton Team riders.

The Burton Team at a press conference before the Open.

Mark getting some beauty shots early one morning. This lake was just outside Wanaka where we stayed most of the trip.

Part of the crew on the way up to Treble Cone Ski Area. Sarah, Shawno, Brian and Mark.

Night time quarter-pipe event up at Snow Park…… super cold.

Brian and Mark working out some road shots on the way up to Snow Park. The drive up to Snow Park is half the fun… especially when you can’t remember which side of the road you are supposed to be on.

Mark hanging out on top of the half pipe with the Sony HDW 700.

Another shoot for Fusion Entreatment. The Tige Open is the last contest of the year for the wakeboard tour and off we went to Kauai, Hawaii. Both Mark and Eric were part of the 6 man crew that went to cover this unique event that was actually held on a slow moving river. Fusion Entertainment has gone with Sony 1080 HD cameras and we just purchased a Sony 700A a few months ago.

Todd Nash (camera operator) and winner Andrew Adkison sharing the spotlight.

Eric covering the awards/winner interviews with Fusion host Jeff Barton.

The 2004 World Finals for Jet Skiing in Lake Havasu Arizona was hot.  Even October in Havasu is hot, are you kidding.

With eight camera operators two sound guys and three production assistants this was a rather large crew for Fusion Entertainment. Mark and Eric were both camera operators for the races which turned out to be allot like shooting car racing - only more neon.

Eric and Marshal discuss the political conflict in Persia and Todd tries to get some work done.

Eric and Mark have worked for Fusion Entertainment for years on different wake, snow, surf, skate events. Fusion specializes in Action Sports with 3 to 4 shows per year on different networks around the world. For this trip, Mark, Eric and Todd Nash were sent to Lake Shasta to produce rider profiles with Josh Sanders, Brett “Ike” Eisenhower, Daniel Watkins, and Collin Harrington.

The action was shot on 16 using Bump Films’ 2 Arri S camera packages and the interviews were shot on a Sony 700A HD package.

Three Cameras, two houseboats, two MasterCraft XStars and endless butter.

Mark getting some scenics before the athletes arrive.

The US Open of Surfing in Huntington Beach California is an awesome spectacal. This 3 day event was produced for TV by Fusion Entertainment who brought in a full HD truck to go live to tape. With 8 HD cameras connected to the truck and 4 more going straight to tape this was a logistical undertaking.

Both Mark and Eric shot built-up HD rigs from scaffolding connected to the truck. 

Eric running cable. All the lines connecting the cameras on the beach to the truck (about a half mile away) had to be buried in the sand.

You can see Eric way down the beach talking on his phone between heats. The camera under the green tarp (left of the white umbrella) was Mark’s position for day 3. 

Coming home with all the HD tapes…. hand carried back to Portland by the Fusion production crew and PAs, along with Eric and Mark.

Project: ProStar Running Footage

Client: MasterCraft Boats

Involvement: Entire production and postproduction

We shot the entire line of new 2005 MasterCraft boats in Tennessee.  The MariStar and X Series brands were shot on Lake Tellico right out the back door of the MasterCraft factory. For the ProStar brand we drove south down to a little private ski lake back in the deep woods. 

Mark and TJ building a rig off of the ProStar 190. This is our waterhoused lipstick rig that we’ve mounted on helmets, boats, wakeboards and few other places that didn’t work. 

TJ doing some last checks before the boat goes out. 

Wade slowly coming back in after a run. For this shot we had Jodi Fisher skiing the slalom coarse. With the boat in the foreground and the skier ripping the background we got some good footage.