New Work by SC Pictures

    A few weeks after the COVID lockdown started, we received these boards from an agency in Kentucky that we have previously worked with on multiple occasions. I called the ECD and asked if he was kidding; he responded that the boards had been on the client's desk since last December and they were ready to move forward. He asked if we thought we could make it happen? Of course I said yes! He threw a number at me which I agreed to, then I hung up the phone and wondered "How are we were going to make it happen with the world in lockdown?"

    We had two spots to shoot that each required twelve unique women delivering lines right to the camera. We figured if we had every woman do the whole script, the editor would have ample choices and possibilities. You never know when one line will be key coming from a certain woman even if it wasn't planned so we shot it to cover ourselves. No agency or client were coming to the shoot, nor were they asking for a remote feed, so we were on our own.

    We had everyone self-cast, and we selected with the agency from those takes. Then we asked if they'd be comfortable if we filmed them in front of their actual homes. Most were ok with that as nobody wanted to move around the city in April. It was our first production during COVID, and we were all nervous, but off we went all masked up. Our team was small with minimal gear, so things took a little longer than usual, but we pulled it off taking two days longer than what we would normally require.

    The final spots were well received by the agency and client. They felt that we delivered their messages in an authentic fashion, especially considering the circumstances in which we had to work. Personally, it was a great experience to get so skinny on crew and production and just go get it.

This video production happened to be a continuation of spots that we filmed back in October 2019. Same concept as the previous commercials - illustrating powerline safety as well as natural gas safety - while keeping it comical with tidbits of safety wisdom. We used the same stage to build sets, but instead of movie theaters, living rooms, and office spaces, we were tasked with creating a garage and kitchen with a functioning stovetop.
We used the same OCPs as last time, but because we were filming this during COVID there were a few extra hoops we had to jump through. First off, we had to hire a medic to check everyone's temperatures before walking on set as well as make sure they signed waivers and stayed socially distant throughout the shoot. Second, since the client and agency are based in San Diego, no one could physically be at the shoot, so we had to have multiple cameras set up to show the talent interaction as well as the full set.

This time we created three :15's and three :30's in both English and Spanish over a two-day period.

The result was a happy client, which makes us all feel like we accomplished something great as a team.

Usually, Encore is a concert promoter. They conceptualized Drive-In Nights during these tenuous times to survive and showcase some of the world's most iconic music stars performing exclusively for drive-in theaters audiences across North America. The thought was that from the safety of your vehicle, you could get a night out to enjoy a cinematic concert experience under the summer night sky.
A creative director called me and asked me if we'd just go shoot and see what we got from it, no shot list, no direction, they were trying to figure out how to market the initiative. So with cameras, we went to the Garth Brook's performance. Turning over all the footage by early the next morning, their editorial team then cut something together to promote the following week's Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani concert. We then filmed the Blake and Gwen show capturing some interviews as well so they could promote their next performance. People showed up in droves ready to be out of their homes and to have a socially distant good time.
The result was a fun guerilla-style video which was used across Encore's multiple platforms.
Drive-In. Rock Out.

A creative director and friend asked me to capture people working out to help launch a new product called SportIce, an ice pop that hydrates 3x faster than the average sports drink. We were assigned to find fit people who exercised regularly, and a few muscles wouldn't hurt. Since COVID has put a temporary stop on holding large castings, we had people submit photos and videos of themselves working out and ended up finding some incredible talent. From a freerunner to ex-college track stars and even a former Greenbay Packers wide receiver, we had a good group of strong men and women. Since the client had ties to a local private high school, we had full access to their football field as well as the weight room.

 SCPictures and Director Stewart Cohen created this short documentary during a recent production for SDG&E highlighting the realities and precautions necessary to film safely during this COVID Pandemic. The film was created at MPS Films in June 2020.

 

While filming our San Diego Gas & Electric spots, we decided to kill two birds with one stone. Since we were following the Texas Film Commission guidelines anyway, we decided to produce a shoot within a shoot to show the precautions we took to keep client, cast, and crew safe, as well as get the message out to our other clients and friends to show how we are working carefully.
The biggest challenge working during these unprecedented times has really been getting adjusted to working under these different conditions. I will say that I hope it is not the new normal and this passes soon. Although, it is a lot of fun to be back on set. You know, after a day shooting, you remember why we do what we do and how much fun it is.
Also, I believe that future work is going to get much better since everyone has stepped off the treadmill for a second and are forced to reassess their true directions.