Covering Live Music Events

One of our favorite things to cover here in Sonoma County California is the fantastic lineup of musicians that seem to be popping up everywhere! In production, filming live music can be tricky. If you use prerecorded music and try to match live-action video, the results usually look forced and unprofessional. If you stand there with a cell phone in your hand, the audio usually always lacks any quality, and the handheld, shaky footage is rarely pleasing to the eye.

EverSeen Productions has their own take on capturing live audio. It should feel and sound as if you were there, and it should focus the viewer on something specific that was remarkable about the performance. Here, in a Home Concert held at Chanslor Ranch in Bodega Bay, California, Natalie Gelman sings past a toddler's screams in the background and does so with intimacy.

 

 If you have a band and want to have a live performance covered here in Sonoma County, check out our website and contact us today! We love covering good quality live music and have a unique and authentic 1 camera solution so that the rest of the audience has no idea a video is being made.

Getting gigs is the first priority for any new band, and having a beautifully crafted video showing that you can rock it live, is key to getting more gigs. Every venue owner is going to want to see and hear your sound. Contact EverSeen Productions to tell your Band's original story!

Motor Cycle Rental in Sonoma County

So, you want to experience what its like to cruise the Sonoma Coastline on a motorcycle that won't wake up the entire world, and or rattle itself apart? Would you like experience the Redwoods and Highway 1 in true European Motorcycle style? Me too. When Joshua Poe of RideNorCal.com enquired about some promotional video work for his new business based in Santa Rosa, I jumped at the chance.

He's got a Triumph RRR for those that like the crouch-rocket racket without gaudy plastic bits getting in the way. RideNorCal has the new Ducati 1200CC Multistrada which is perfect for couples, and long hauls along the coast. Josh Poe says, "It will get ya zoomin!" They've got a Triumph Tiger which is just dope, and for those of us who don't like roads, while those who want to cruise looking like a Jedi on an Imperial Speeder bike can hop on the Ducati 2013 Multistrada. An impressive collection of tip-top two wheelers to choose from.

The only problem I had working with these guys is that in order to shoot it all, I had to sit in the back of my beat up old Subaru, and didn't get to ride at all. My girlfriend/gopro operator got a go around... with some other guy driving, which was swell. You can see her in the video. She always makes the cut :)

We made 5 videos total, all of which were shot entirely handheld with a Cannon 60D and GoPro Hero3, both set for 60 frames per second. I cut the pieces on FCP 7 as usual, and only did minimal color correction. Keeping the camera steady in the back of the moving vehicle was trickiest bit, but shooting at a faster frame rate helped smooth out the wobblies.

If you are interested in more information please visit the www.RideNorCal.com website. They've got tons of info about the bikes and possible routes to choose from. Tell them Edward sent ya, and remember, rubber side down.

Man. Painting Waves.

It should be said that a wise man will see beauty in all things. This was something most likely said by someone who did not live in Chicago during the winter. I am now someone who happily does not live in Chicago at all. I live in Sonoma County California and it is easy for me to see the beauty in most things, a product of my surroundings I would wager. This video is a perfect example of that.

I was on my way home from a meeting at Chanslor Ranch just north of Bodega Bay, wiggling along Highway 1 towards my home in Villa Grande. It was February and therefore should have been cold and miserable, but it wasn't. It was gorgeous and I spied this man doing a remarkable job capturing the colors of the setting sun. This man, painting waves at the side of the road, did not flinch when I asked if I could film him. At Rock Point, off of Hwy. 1, Frank Gannon answered with a flick of his wrist, and a shrug of his shoulders. When I commented on how accurately he had captured the colors of the evening, he grimaced and said that he was stuck on the side of a particularly tricky rock face. He said so while perched precariously, with all of his paints and brushes, 30 feet above the waves crashing below. As a filmmaker, I was drawn to the motion in the Ocean, while Frank mixed the perfect blend of color to match the setting sun. It was a pretty cool moment. It was a Sonoma County moment.

I only spent 45 minutes filming Frank Gannon, but it has since become one of my favorite videos to show friends and family when they enquire about my new habitat. It was shot with my Cannon 60D with a little pick-up footage gathered with a gopro hero3.



Artist: Frank Gannon - www.FrankGannon.com

Man Painting. Waves.
Shot/Edited by: Edward Seaton
Music: The Mentalist by Mr. Fiji Wiji

Micro-Docs for DDB

Packed and ready to hit the road Jan. 1, 2012

It has been some time since I updated my site. A move to California was the culprit, and once I landed on the West Coast I found very little time, and thankfully very little need to find work, so the website has weathered…

I landed on my feet running in San Francisco thanks to my old friend, Rob Lee, who said that there might be the odd, internal agency job, that he could throw my way, every now-and-again. I had been in Chicago for 17 years, and though I will miss those dreamy winters, the "odd internal" was enough for me to heave-ho out of there.

The kind of jobs I ended up doing for the Agency, DDB San Francisco, have changed the way I look at advertising forever.

Rob Lee at the helm

In Chicago I was part of the production company circuit. People who owned these companies, also had a relationship or two with various advertising agencies around town. Producers would come to me when the Advertising Agency had made up it's mind about what it wanted, and then, if all the stars had aligned, I'd get to shoot and edit something. Weeee! 

There was however a very clear and definite line drawn, usually by the Prod Co, between Advertising Agency Creatives, and myself. This is called, "preserving your clients", as everybody knows, the leading cause of death to the average production company is a pimply-faced kid with a DSLR in his hand, and ripped version of FCP 7 on a laptop in his backpack. 

This opportunity with DDB SF was different in that there were no barriers between me and the inner workings of a massive ad agency. The type of creative work they set me to, has defined me as a filmmaker. 

San Francisco in my sights

My very first job in the agency world was for Steve Weiss, owner of, Zacuto Films in Chicago; way before they started making aluminum bits for your cameras (their bits are great btw www.zacuto.com).

The first one was a Rippo for Jim Beam. A Rippo is a mash-up of audio and video that helps create a mood. That mood then helps guide the Client in the direction the Creatives at the agency would like to go with the campaign. Rippos are always cut together with found footage.

When I made Rippos for Steve, we would send an intern to Blockbuster, (remember them?) to rent stacks of DVDs, all within thematic boundaries. Now we pull with glee and absolute freedom from youtube and vimeo! 

Please no belly-aching over rights management! No one is selling tickets to see this crap; it's shown to a roomful of people, and then it's dead. It is no more illegal than you cutting up your favorite Mag-Rag, and collaging out an idea for a sexy outfit, which I'm sure everybody does…

I am posting this Rippo as an example for filmmakers who still don't know what I'm on about, or for those who are just curious. It was created for the launch of Explorer 9. 

The Rippo is a great place to start for young filmmakers because you can concentrate  on what the images actually mean, and how that meaning can change simply by rearranging the sequence. Go, find me shots that say, "future!" It can be a fun challenge, and it's paid the rent more than twice.

The best internal agency gigs are the "Micro-Docs." They are in fact, small, or short, documentaries.

"Yo, Edward. We need 3 minutes or less on why our agency will kick everyone eles's ass!"

"Roger, Roger."

These videos are fun because you get teamed up with some really amazing people from inside the agency. The short deadlines and minuscule budgets keep everyone on their creative toes, and when it hits, it hits. There is nothing more magical than magical realism.

In this example of a MicroDoc, we were charged with defining the hiphop culture.

"3 minutes or less, please."

Since I moved out to California I have been asked by some of the friends and coworkers that I left behind, "don't you miss doing the bigger stuff?"

The answer is, no. Those that would tell a story only if the Many will hear it, are sycophants, not sorcerers. The videos I've reared with DDB San Francisco have helped win clients like STP, Ross, Amgen, Wells Fargo, and most recently, the telecom giant, Qualcomm. Winning those clients means that some director in L.A. down the road will get handed a set of boards. Good for him, or hopefully her. Make sure you stay between the lines. I helped create them.

written by: Edward Seaton

Singha Spot Wins Best Director

As Singha beer looked for new ways to increase their market share here in the States, GERTRUDE stepped up with a much buzzed about way to get the word out.

First, the clever minds at GERTRUDE reached out to some of contemporary art's most established and influential stars, and challenged them to interpret the Singha mythical lion.

The artists hurled paint onto massive canvases back at their studios, but the projects were to be finished at a chosen location, chosen by GERTRUDE, a different venue for each artist. I was the lucky punter that got to shoot San Francisco and it's contemporary master, Kofie One.

We shot on the Sony Ex-3 with no stics and only a sun-gun to weigh us down. Before each shoot Otis Gibson, founder of GERTRUDE, and I, would discuss the piece of art, the artist who created it, and the chosen city venue. We tried to identify connections between the 3, and then gathered imagery that crossed over. My favorite was the cross cuts between Kofie One streaking super straight lines across the canvass, and the electrically charged wires that crisscross the city of San Francisco.

These were down and dirty shoots... and some of the most fun I had in 2011.

written by: Edward Seaton

GERTRUDE and client Singha Beer have launched Singha’s Global Tag Takeover Facebook campaign at Facebook.com/SinghaWorld, an application allowing fans of Singha Beer on Facebook to have their friends’ Facebook walls painted over with stylized versions of the Singha mythical lion logo, share the new commercials and enter a sweepstakes.

“Singha’s Global Tag Takeover allows fans to share the new Singha Beer commercials with their friends worldwide while engaging with the Singha Beer brand and campaign in an innovative, spirited way,” said GERTRUDE's Founder, Chief Creative Officer Otis D. Gibson.

The application prompts users to share the commercials in an engaging way – by first “tagging” their friends’ Facebook walls with stylized Singha mythical lion artwork. By viewing and sharing the commercials and tagging their friends’ walls, fans of Singha Beer are eligible to enter for a chance to win a Singha Black Book tagged by one of the international artists featured in the commercials.

For more details on this and other work from GERTRUDE, please visit http://ninjanewsdaily.gertrudeinc.com, and check out Singha's Global Tag Takeover by visiting Facebook.com/SinghaWorld.

Goat Rock Seals

The Russian River, with its mouth at the north end of Goat Rock Beach, is Sonoma County's largest watercourse, both in flow rate and lineal extent. Immediately beyond the Russian River discharge to the Pacific Ocean is the coastal town of Jenner. Goat Rock protrudes into the Pacific at the south end of Goat Rock Beach. There are three distinct habitats present at Goat Rock Beach, including marine, littoral zone and coastal prairie. The marine environment presents gray whales, harbor seals and California sea lions as well as a multitude of fish species.

This video was shot and edited for the Youtube Channel SonomaCountyWire, an online video magazine dedicated to the Art, the Business, the fun things to do in Sonoma County. If you've visited Sonoma County without seeing some seals, you've done something wrong. When you do see them, keep your distance, especially when the little pups are finding their flippers. The adult seals are very shy and they will leave their babies if you bother them. Please be respectful of all our beautiful nature.

Farmers Guild Barnraiser Campaign

Everseen Productions recently teamed up with Evan Wiig of The Farmers Guild, and BarnRaiser.us, to help them raise 30 thousand dollars via Crowd-sourcing!

This campaign has only just begun, and they are casting a wide net to get the funds necessary to continue their good work and continue to grow.

I was truly inspired by the young minds that have so recently decided to start farming here in Sonoma County, and all across America. Consider though, the plight of the young, new farmer. Where do they go to sell what they've grown? Who knows how I can get started in farming - I have a background in computers? How do I grow this organically, sustainably? The questions are endless, and there are few resources for those that need them the most.

The Farmers Guild aims to mend all that. By gathering every month, face to face, in Granges across the county, each month, the Farmers Guild is building a loyal following. Young minds are being inspired by the older generation and new farmers are lining up.

Please take a moment to visit the BarnRaiser page. Contribute today!

https://www.barnraiser.us/projects/the-farmers-guild-building-a-community-of-free-farmers-one-guild-at-a-time

Slow Motion Video Booth

Valentine's Day 2014 was one to remember in Sonoma County. Ales for Autism hosted its 3rd Annual Black & White Beer Ball in Santa Rosa at the Veterans Memorial Building and was it spectacular! 28 local brews and two ciders on tap, accompanied by artisan food, some jazzy live music, sword swallowing, belly dancing and, of course, the amazing SLOW MOTION VIDEO BOOTH!

Last year we did a micro-doc before the event to help sell tickets. This year we wanted to do something different and were originally asked by, Greg Coll to look into a slo-motion video booth. He had found some examples of Weddings that had a video booth set up, but at over 5k for the shoot and edit, it was out of this charities budget.

Never-mind, reCurve recently purchased the GoPro Hero3, which will shoot 720p at a whopping 120 frames per second! For the uninitiated, that means super slick slow motion on a little-biddy budget.

Produced by Hannah Gart
Shot/Edited by Edward Seaton

music by Wildlight - "Twirl Me"

Wet Undies = Good TV

Making a living in the film/video business takes an ambidextrous soul. I've never been afraid to grab a camera and dangle from something precarious to get the shot. I like getting the shot. I would imagine that it produces in me the same cocktail of dizzying endorphins that a long distance runner might enjoy. Since I am not a long distance runner I can only surmise.

A few of the more bone-headed moves I pulled over the years include hanging out the side of a mini-van to shoot a moving bus, climbing a rickety old grain silo to film pigeons, or shooting any number of music videos in the "bad" part of Chicago.

In the 22 years I've been doing this, I can honestly say that I've only broken a couple of things. One was a monitor, and I'm blaming the c-stand on that one. The other was a light, but who amongst us hasn't shattered a light, or two?

I once heard a story of a camera-op who set his 90 thousand dollar digi-beta cam on a dock so that he might extend a hand to another getting off the boat. The camera was just a hair to close to the edge, and as the gentleman helped his friend ashore they both watched as the camera teetered, and then kur-sploshed into the drink. 90K - gone, just like that. It happens, and as I knock on my own head, I'll say I'm glad that it's never happened to me. Knock on wood.

The monitor was only 3K, and that hurt plenty. Damn you, cursed C-stand! By far the most dangerous piece of equipment on set!



Ted Lega, executive producer of HotCakes and Protein Editorial, calls me during a grey and chilly Chicago spring morning.

"It's gunna be run-n-gun footage of guys test drivin boats in Miami. You interested?"

"Does a rabbit bump it's ass a-hopping?"

I'd like to think that the reason that I have escaped injury, and for the most part, expensive repair bills, is because I take calculated risks. Calculated to be in favor of me not falling off a speeding boat, while not dead-ing myself in order to keep shooting, kind of risks. Often though, its just dumb luck that gets us through, and if you don't believe in luck, a sympathetic Universe.

Case in point, the Miami shoot was progressing nicely. Already on our second day the line of test drivers was shrinking and we had plenty of footage in the can to sell the spot. It was towards the end of the day and the setting sun was starting to make things look really pretty. We raced past each other at breakneck speed. We climbed an abandoned house in stilts-ville and zoomed past some more for overhead shots on the cheap. It was while the boat was at a dead stop that calamity nearly ruined the trip.

We were on a 20 foot long deep-sea fishing vehicle built for speed and there was limited room for myself and the audio technician to operate in. While we decided on the next direction to tear off in, the audio guy squeezed past me as I leaned backwards to give him more room. The decks were wet and my trainers slipped out from under me. I fell backwards over the side rail.

What happened in the next half a second was as follows: I could see the reflection of my own horrified face in the shinny sunglasses of the equally horrified sound guy as he looked up from his dials to see me receding overboard, camera in hand. He reached forward to grab me. I pushed the camera forward towards his chest, and yelled, "camera!" His arms closed around the Sony EX3 like a venus fly trap snaring a bug. I went over the side. Splash, tethered to the boat by my headphones!

I was back in the boat as quick as I went over.

On the way back to the dock we decided to leverage my dripping drawers to see if we could give Ted Lega, the director and producer of this gig, a mild aneurism by insinuating that the camera had been lost to Davy Jones. The south Florida, sun-kissed face of Mr. Lega went Chicago winter white when I threw my hands in the air cursing the rolling seas and gravity.

When we finished torturing Teddy there was one more shot to get.

"there's a spot, only 3-5 foot deep, we could zoom past about 10 feet away going 60 mph."

"well, my shorts are already wet."

So over I went again. On purpose this time.




written by: Edward Seaton

Food Porn!

"So, we represent Chicago's premiere rock-star chef, and he needs some image... adjustments."

PR people, in general, enjoy dramatizing the pitch portion of a new job. Everything is a big secret, too juicy to just explain. It's got to have drama, and mystery, and the most readily used form of those two vehicles is simply to withhold information.

"You don't say? What were you thinking? TV show? Photo shoot?"

"Oh, he's not going to spend any money on this."

I should rephrase my previous judgment of the general population of "PR People". The level of drama and mystery are directly proportional to how much money the PR firm has to pay for my services.

"I see."

"But, he's like Chicago's rock-stariest chef, and it will benefit your future business tremendously."

"Oh, so I'm doing myself a favor."

"Exactly."

"Great! Where do I sign up?"


A few years ago the term "viral video" popped up in the advertising community and it was hailed as the new golden ticket, a magic silver bullet, capable of launching your brand into the stratosphere with the mere click of a mouse. It became the buzz word of choice.

"Ok, so I could kick your rock-star chef in the balls, we'll film it of course, with a phone camera to make it look legit, and bingo, bango, you've got yourself a viral video!"

"I don't think he's gunna go for that."

"No?"

"I think he wants a different type of viral video."

It turns out that this particular rock-star chef's name was Paul Kahan, and he truly is one of Chicago's, and perhaps America's finest chefs. Here in Chicago he is the executive chef for Avec, The Publican, Violet Hour, Blue Bird, and I am probably missing a few. If you've dated any "Sex in The City" types here in the Chi over the past 10 years, you've probably been expected to go to one, if not all of Mr. Kahan's restaurants, and you're certainly familiar with the bill at the end of the meal. Mr. Kahan's various culinary experiences are definitely worth the price, and should not be missed, even if you aren't dating a Bradshaw wannabe.

Paul Kahan was throwing a Beer Dinner at his newest restaurant The Publican, later that summer. He would travel to a brewery in Michigan with his team of beer and food ninjas to brew a special, signature beer. The process seemed fascinating so we asked to tag along, promising the PR folks that there would be a "viral video" in there somewhere. I was happy to shadow a legend.




Making good content is easy when you are around talented people, and this little social media experiment was no exception. The content was released in 3 phases on the Publican's facebook page, and received thousands of views before the tickets to the Beer Dinner went on sale. The event sold out, and we returned to film people's reactions.

We ate, we drank, we were merry.


written by: Edward Seaton

Rob Lee goes to Paris

There once was a man named Mr. Lee. Who worked for a huge ad agency. They sell smokes to overseas folks, and are affectionately known as Leo-B.

Leo-B was a peculiar kingdom, and would often send its faithful Knights far and wide on the strangest missions. One day, Leo-B was acquired by its French contemporaries who waged advertising war under the banner Publicis.

The French had more money, better food, more attractive women, and much fancier pants, so in an effort to appease its new master the Lords of Leo-B decided to send their finest young Knight on a quest into the belly of the beast, so that they too might understand what it means to be French, and perhaps one day wear much fancier pants themselves. Mr. Lee was that Knight.

The video was edited after hours at Eightball Films, back in the day, by me, and was shown at the annual Leo Burnette Breakfast, where is was custom to make fun of each other while eating pancakes and waffles for 3 to 4 hours. I'm pretty sure that there is booze involved too.

Mr. Lee was sent to Paris with a new DV camera, bought for the occasion, daily pocket money, and the assignment, "go see what its like to be french".

The Knight, Rob Lee has long since gone on to different adventures, and is currently Sr. Producer at DDB in San Francisco. He now travels often to Argentina where he makes very expensive cat litter commercials.

The End.




written by: Edward Seaton

What is PrepWire

What the hell is PrepWire? Good question. It's the sports page in the back of the local paper, except it's all video. No inky fingers. It's a video magazine, a vlog, dedicated to local High School sports. Is that Derrick Rose!? Yes, yes it is. While they were still in High School we filmed Derrick Rose, Dwayne Wade, and Lebron James, just to name a few!

We started PrepWire when reCurve Media was still in Chicago, and was one of the first video publications we created from the ground up. We had a deal with NBC5 of Chicago to share our Prep stories! Then the economy went into the toilet, NBC was bought by a Cable provider, and reCurve Media moved to the West Coast to escape Chicago's deplorable winters.

Unfortunately, PrepWire didn't take off the way we had hoped in the 2nd city. On the West Coast however, here in Sonoma County, there is growing excitement around the concept. Perhaps it is because we are so near Silicon Valley. Maybe those on the West Coast are just more hip, but the interest in PrepWire, and well-crafted, local video content is on the rise once again. In this blog post, we've put up only a few PrepWire stories, from the original hundreds filmed and edited, to give you a better idea of what we're on about. If you are interested in the concept of PrepWire, please let us know. The stories are just too good to ignore.

 
PrepWire Football at the SuperDome from reCurve Media on Vimeo.

PrepWire Volley Ball Madness from reCurve Media on Vimeo.
PrepWire Basketball Coverage from reCurve Media on Vimeo.

Cubs Sing Along Contest

Cubs Sing Along Contestant from reCurve Media on Vimeo.


Recurve Media recently completed an "American Idol" type competition for the Cubs where the top ten contestants sang The Seventh Inning Stretch to a panel of high profile judges including Dutchie Caray, Billy Williams, Lee Smith, Steve Cochran, and others.

The video above is of Gonzalo Palacios from Elmwood Park IL. Gonzalo won the competion and claimed his prized when he got to sing the seventh inning stretch for real at a recent sold out home game.

With over 100,000 votes logged, two years running, the "Seventh Inning Stretch" competition has been a huge success for the Cubs and their sponsor for the event BabyRuth.

Chicago Car Show

Auto Show 2008 from reCurve Media on Vimeo.

Recurve was there to cover the 2008 First Look for Charity at the Chicago Auto Show. Shot, edited, and posted within 12 hours was the main objective and Crain's Chicago Business aired the clip the morning after the event!

Benovia Knows Pinot

Mike Sullivan has lived in Sonoma County all of his life. He attended Fresno State, earning a degree in fermentation science. He has worked for several wineries in his 18 years in the wine business, most recently, Hartford Court.

At Hartford, he won many awards including being named “Wine Personality of the Year” by Robert Parker and “Winemaker of the Year” by Ronn Wiegand of the magazine Restaurant Wine. Mike won the sweepstakes award for both his Chardonnay and Pinot Noir at the Sonoma County Harvest Fair. He is the only winemaker ever to win the sweepstakes award for both a red and white wine. Robert Parker has said of Mike, “I’m a big fan of winemaker Mike Sullivan as he seems to have the brilliant ability to convert Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Zinfandel into wines of considerable character and individuality.”

Mike focuses on three important aspects of winemaking. First, he is very attentive to the terrior of each vineyard. He walks the vineyards on a weekly basis to understand all aspects of each vineyard's life cycle. He uses this knowledge to intensively farm each vineyard and produce the highest quality grape possible. Once these grapes are harvested he exercises extraordinary care in the winemaking process to allow the grapes to transform into the finest possible expression of wine.

Mike is married with two boys, a weimaraner and several cats. When not in the cellar, the vineyards or at home, Mike can be found on one of Sonoma County's many beautiful golf courses.

Blog post created by EverSeen Productions