Motion: A Cameras Best Friend

In this post I am going to review my recent purchase: the Kessler Pocket Dolly. When shooting any project adding movement to your shots is so important as it takes the standard locked down shot and makes it much more interesting to the eye. Having that slight motion adds so much production value to the project you would be crazy not to have your camera moving in some way or another.

The Kessler Pocket Dolly works great for DSLR filmmaking, as it is a small travel size dolly system that can be used to add great movement to your shots. I have just begun to test it out and have been getting great results. Using this dolly system is going to add so much to all my upcoming projects. One of the greatest things about this system is the size. It comes in a three-foot track that can be carried in a shoulder bag. Great for traveling on planes or going wherever your destination may be.

The setup time is very quick which is another thing that makes this product so great. Once your camera is attached there are several ways you can get your movement. The system comes with a hand crank that allows you to slowly crank it and the camera will travel down the track. If you are worried about a constant speed you are able to use a piece of string and wind it up around the crank and slowly pull it back. Also they sell the optional elektradrive motor, which can be attached and gives the slider a nice slow even movement. For even more control of the movement you can place your hands on the slider and slowly glide down the track with the camera.

The options are endless with this system. You are able to dolly in and out, right to left, and even up and down! Overall this is a great product at a reasonable price that limits the amount of equipment needed to add the desired movement to any project.

GAC: Talent Management

Currently I work in the programming and production department at Great American Country Television. In order to keep up to date with the country music genre and what is going on it is crucial that we have the faces of country coming in our door weekly to shoot content for the network. While there are many people working hard to prepare for these productions the person that probably has the most important job would be our Talent Manager.

Our Talent Manager is responsible for being in contact with the Artists Managers and scheduling them to appear on our shows. Without having a person primarily working on this week to week there would be no content to shoot. The Talent Manager may also be known as the booking person and as I have already said they are so important to the production process.

Working at GAC has made me aware that as a Talent Manager your relationships with the Artists Managers are very important. Having a good relationship with these folks helps GAC by gaining access to the artists whenever we may need them. When you think about it though GAC needs the artists just as much as the artists need GAC. 

At GAC we shoot two weekly shows where we have guests come on for an interview segment. On The Streets is a weekly news type show that brings you up to speed on the latest country music albums, videos, and even movies. The show actually airs on Tuesdays, which is the day that albums are released. This works great for artists who wish to promote their newest album or music video. Our Talent Manager keeps a record of album release dates and then works to book these artists the week or so prior to their album release so we can have the episode complete and ready to air on their album or video release day.

The Top 20 Country Countdown is a weekly viewer voted countdown of the week’s best music videos. Here again we give artists a great opportunity to promote themselves and their music with a more in depth interview segment then that of On The Streets.  In the case of this show we tend to book artists who have been doing well on the countdown and have been on it for a while. The interview segment is done in a few parts, usually done around whatever number on the countdown they fall on. So we have the artist talk about the song and the video then they introduce the video. After that we give them more airtime to discuss whatever else they may have going on in their world.

Being around superstars like Kenny Chensey, Taylor Swift, Emmylou Harris, Keith Urban, Lady Antebellum, and many more has opened my eyes to how important their management team is. Whenever these artists come into the studio they are always followed by what we call their “people.” These “people” are there to make sure that everything runs smoothly for the artist.  They pay attention to the topics that are being discussed making sure key points are hit as well as make sure they are looking great for the camera. The help of their managers is crucial to their success because in a way they direct their career and image. After all they are professionals who are working to create a successful career for their client, which is why a positive artist/manager relationship is the key to any successful artists career.

Overall GAC provides country music artists, new and old, an excellent opportunity to gain new fans and even let their loyal fans know everything they are doing. As an Artist Manager opportunities like this are things that should definitely be sought after as they only help gain exposure.