This is a pure drum performance video we produced. We captured the live performance and mixed it with the backing track. Once the audio was cleaned up, we started the video editing and color process.
Tanner Lively - Interview | Audition | Promotional Video
We had an opportunity to work with the very talented Tanner Lively on a promotional drum video. We recorded the live drums, mixed and edited everything to make this really cool video for Tanner. I’m looking forward to producing more videos like this for any other musicians looking for this type of video. If you’re interested, let me know!
Live Event Filming @ Clicks Live | Tyler, TX
Dark Letter Entertainment had the honor to film Titanium White @ Clicks Live in Tyler, TX for Bibeau's CD release party. We used a (five) GoPro camera setup to collect our footage. There were three stationary GoPro units, one on a gimble system and one hand-held. I absolutely love filming live events like this. There's so much that could go wrong and you have ONE shot to get it right. Even thought the band sounded amazing that night, we didn't have access to good mixer audio, so I edited to the studio audio. Editing a live performance with studio audio was by far the most challenging part of this project. Even the greatest bands in the world rarely play the same consistent tempo as they did in the studio. Regardless, with a little editing magic, I was able to get it really close. If you'd like a live event footage of your next event, contact us through YouTube or our website darkletter.com
Band: Bebeau | (https://www.facebook.com/bibeautheband/)
Song: Titanium White
Produced by: Dark Letter Entertainment
East Texas Weekend #1: Guns\Friends\Metal
Two shotguns, two 9mms , a .32 automatic and a .38 Derringer ! Add good friends and sweet 80's metal and you have a proper East Texas weekend. Fruit and 2 liter bottles of Dr. Thunder blowing up in slow motion. Destruction and loud music!! Camera: Panasonic GH4 Music: "Fist of Fire" by Justin Mosley and Allen Reed
Creating an underwater “Hyper Sleep” terminal PART 2
So now that I know what everything looks like when the actor is underwater, I decided to deck the terminal out with LED's and a little scifi flare. At this point the build consists of a water trough, 16ft LED strip and gutter guards from Lowes. There's also a $20 light I found on Amazon mounted above the terminal for extra coolness. So far the build is going well! The next thing to do is add hoses and side panels.
Starting pre production on a new project!
Just started pre production on a new project! The project requires underwater shots of the protagonist in "hyper sleep". So, today I bought a 100 gallon livestock water trough from my Tractor Supply. I knew the GoPro Hero 3 Plus cameras had a really wide field of view but I was a little nervous about wether or not it would be wide enough to get decent shots. To my surprise, it was perfect! The narrative section of this project is set in space, so there will be plenty more videos showing our progress.
Cam: GoPro Hero 3 Plus
Actor: Shawn Makinson
Song: "Blood In The Air" by Justin Mosley and Allen Reed
Actor/Model Shawn Makinson (Behind The Scenes). Promotional video for TV show "Face Off" audition.
Just wrapped an awesome promotional video!
Jeff Fields has been a makeup FX artist for many years. He decided to take things to the next level by applying as a contestant for the reality TV show "Face Off", where talented Makeup FX artists test their skill and determination. Dark Letter was proud to help with the audition process and produce a high quality visual experience for the casting directors.
For those of us familiar with the makeup process on set, we know it's no simple task for the makeup artist as well as the actor/model sitting in a chair for hours on end. I've had the pleasure of working with Shawn Makinson (Actor/Model) on many projects. Having him on any set in any capacity is a solid boost to productivity and moral.
Check out the video in the MUSIC VIDEO tab on darkletter.com
Video Credit
Director/Cinematography: Justin Mosley
Makeup FX: Jeff Fields
Actor: Shawn Makinson
Music: Mantis "Body Bag"
Cleaning out the "S13" Set
Happy Birthday Roy Batty! (Blade Runner)
Tomorrow Jan. 8th is Roy Batty's Birthday! Welcome to the world baby replicant!
S13: Sci-fi Props and Set Design
So, this project was a beast from the very beginning. Stephen Sanchez and I worked on this set for about 6 months. There were so many props and set pieces to build, it hurts my head just thinking about it. I'd say 80% of the material used to build the set and props came from a dumpster by our shop. You'd be surprised what some people throw away! I won't cover every single prop we built in this post, but I will show you some of the coolest ones.
The Cryo Chamber
This turned out awesome! Stephen put a ton of work into this prop using little more than wood from old pallets he found by the dumpster, EVA foam and Styro Spray. I'll post a video showing how he put it together in the near future.
S13: The Alien
I'll just say that expanding foam is my new best friend. The S13 specimen was made entirely of expanding foam, cotton blanket stuffing, latex and 1x2 boards. Jeff Fields gave S13 a fantastic paint job! video coming soon!
The Incinerator
The incinerator is a massive device used to destroy hazardous material. I made this out of a chainsaw carrying case, legs of an artist easel, random circuit boards and a very bright shop light. This baby folds up toward the ceiling while not in use. Even though I secured the incinerator tight to the ceiling, I would still have panic attacks anytime someone got close to it. It looks a lot heavier than it is.
Dr. Livingston's Drill
I'll just say that this drill may or may not be made out of a Star Wars light saber hilt I stole from my sons toy box.
The Hand of Dr. Cole
This was all Jeff Fields. I tried to make a prop hand and failed miserably. Sometimes it's best to let an experienced prop maker handle it. He did an awesome job crafting this hand for the short film.
I'm excited to show everyone the final product in the coming weeks. I hope you enjoyed this peek behind the curtain!
Chisel Tooth Manor
It was hot, dusty and the sets were cramped... but, WOW was this a fun shoot! We shot a promotional video for the Terror Nights Haunted House in Tyler, TX called "Chisel Tooth Manor". It was awesome sweating it out with Ryan, James, Jeff and crew. Hopefully, if we are able to work with these guys again, we'll schedule the marketing campaign in the Fall or Winter :). Seriously though, BIG shout out to the Terror Nights actors and owners for allowing us to come out and do what we do. Be sure to check out the BEHIND THE SCENES video.