My first 9:16 vertical video advert. Produced for South Texas Independent School District. Envisioned as a highlight film of collected reality events (no planning, no direction, documentary-style) scheduled throughout the summer of 2019 and shot in both 16:9 and 9:16 formats, then married with 16:9 footage created the standard way (planned, lit, block, directed, etc) for previous spots. Throw some cool music and graphics and you have this spot!
Director, Cinematographer, Editor: Jason R. Johnston Producer: Amanda Odom Writers: Jaclyn Garza, Jason R. Johnston, Amanda Odom House: Fifty Oars Motion Pictures
These STISD adverts are always a good challenge. I am generally hired on as a one-man-crew and handle everything from pre-production to post. I always collaborate with my clients to give them the most bang for their buck.
I use my Sony FS7 Mark 2 camera package extensively nowadays. Recorded in April, this shoot took advantage of my Rayzr7 300w LED fresnel lighting kit, and cinema-grade PL lens package, though I only used my 25mm T2.2 prime lens.
Me recording STISD RSA students working with one of their robots. BTS photo by Jacky at STISD.
I’m trying to keep up with the RSA football players while framing the shot, keeping it in focus, and not dying. BTS photo by Jacky at STISD.
I’m on the floor getting a shoe’s POV of the ladies in a huddle. BTS photo by Jacky at STISD.
My Sony PXW-FS7 Mark II taking a break in the RSA gym.
On this particular shoot, I had only two 8-hour days to shoot everything I needed with myself as director, DP, camera operator (and the rest of the camera department), gaffer, best boy and key grip (and the rest of G&E), and sometimes PA. I always have great help from Amanda and Jacky, the STISD Public Relations crew. We’ve been working together since 2012, and they trust me enough to let me go crazy on just an idea of what the adverts could be.
The “Up For the Challenge” advert campaign was another great time on set, and was fun to figure out in editing. I always look forward to these STISD projects.
Director, Cinematographer, Editor: Jason R. Johnston Producer: Amanda Odom Writers: Jaclyn Garza, Jason R. Johnston, Amanda Odom House: Fifty Oars Motion Pictures
My secret weapon is the Blackmagic Design Web Presenter with Teranex Mini Smart Panel. The Web Presenter features both SDI (via BNC) and HDMI inputs. The optional Mini Smart Panel gives the Web Presenter the ability to live switch between the two inputs using smooth transitions, as well as monitor the program feed, and access settings more easily using visual menus. This effectively converts the Web Presenter into a two-input live switcher with professionally customizable options.
My Sony PXW-FS7 Mark 2 would be fitted with a telephoto lens and provide medium podium shots of all the presenters. My Panasonic AG-DVX200, with it’s affixed servo zoom lens at its widest setting, would remain mostly static throughout the events, providing me with something to cut to when the presenters changed. FS7-II and DVX200 would be connected to Web Presenter via SDI and HDMI, respectively.
The Web Presenter’s outputs are another worthy topic. Yes, the whole point of the Web Presenter is its primary function of converting a high-bandwidth broadcast quality signal and converting it to a 720p H.264 signal that is more easily digested by a computer’s web broadcaster (in this case, my 27″ iMac 5K Retina running OBS to my client’s YouTube Live) via USB. It has SDI and HDMI loop-outs, yes. But, the biggest feature here is Program Out via SDI. This output sits before the conversion happens but after the live switching, meaning the broadcast-quality live switching can be output uncompressed via SDI to a recorder before the coversion to low-quality web deliverable intended for live stream. That means a Full HD copy of the live-switched event can be recorded during the live stream.
I own an Atomos Ninja Blade Full HD recorder which would be perfect for this job. However, it is HDMI only so I needed a way to convert the SDI Program Out coming from the Web Presenter. Another requirement was the house video switcher needed to be fed an SDI or HDMI signal from my nest so whatever I was livestreaming was also playing live on video projectors in the house. The Blackmagic Micro Converter SDI to HDMI, with SDI Loop-out, was my solution.
From Web Presenter’s Program Out via SDI to Micro Converter SDI to HDMI’s SDI-In, I then fed the house switcher with SDI Loop-out, and my Ninja Blade with HDMI-out. The Ninja Blade could then be monitored on my SmallHD 7″ AC7-SDI via HDMI. I used two Atomos Micro to Full HDMI coiled cables for this.
During one of the ceremonies, the client requested a special video be played on the same projection screens as the livestream. To do this, the house video switcher was used to switch between my livestream feed and a Macbook containing the special video. The Macbook used a Thunderbolt (actually, Mini Display Port) to HDMI adapter to feed the switcher the video, plus a 1/8″ TRS to XLR adapter to feed the house audio patch.
A total of 28 video advertisements, 14 radio ads, 7 audio interviews, portrait photography, coordination of an entire magnet school district spread across 3 counties along the Rio Grande Valley of south Texas, with English and Spanish deliverables, running on broadcast television, and select Cinemark movie theaters. All tying in to a single website: insideSTISD.com. Another epic project I produced, wrote, and directed in collaboration with South Texas ISD.
