News & Features – Page 3 – Carolwood Productions

Miss Potter

As filmmakers, we are often energized by viewing great films. In fact, it’s tough to watch great cinematography, lighting or character development crafted in a movie and not think, “how can we incorporate that fantastic technique inside of our next project?” It’s not uncommon for us to wrap up the viewing of a wonderful movie by diving back to our editing workstations with renewed energy and enthusiasm as we do the production and post production on a current project

We appreciate great films. We enjoy sharing great films that we’ve seen with our readers. If you have not seen “Miss Potter”, we encourage you to do so. This film, based upon actual events, explores the zeal, excitement and heartaches that Beatrix Potter experiences as she begins publishing her children’s books.

As an artist, Potter filled her stories with some of the most beautiful illustrations. Incorporating a surprising and wonderful visual element, these illustrations come to life through the use of subtle and well-timed animation. This effect deployed inside of the story is amazing and helps push the film along, often acting as a window inside of the main character’s thought patterns.

For us, one of the most compelling elements of the story revolve around the manner in which Miss Potter, the creative, deals with sometimes skeptical but well-meaning family and business partners. People who share her artistic sensibilities may feel a kindred spirit as she struggles to express her passions and outlook on life with people who are not necessarily operating within a similar creative mindset. It’s the common story of left-brain/right brain individuals attempting to relate to one another. In that sense, this film definitely gives voice to the creatives, and may provide a chuckle or two as they relate to the heroine.

Whether you tend towards one cranial hemisphere or the other however, you’ll delight in this wonderful and visually tender offering. Don’t worry if you are not familiar with “the world of Beatrix Potter”, this film stands completely on it’s own as a great romantic story of hope and tender love.

Christmas Memory Factory!

News & Features

Today, I was doing some advance planning for the upcoming holiday season and indulged in a bit of musing, thinking about our kids growing up and their participation in various Christmas programs at church and school. One thing that struck me was, aside from possibly a few snapshots or an old costume, those memories would have been lost had it not been for some of them being professionally captured and produced onto video.

The music, the dance. The funny and poignant moments. All would have been lost to somewhat sketchy memories, getting more dim as the years pass.

Our children (and we, as parents!) work so hard rehearsing and memorizing lines and dance steps, and I’m thankful that we have video records; not only for us, but to share with them, and their kids!

A side benefit to producing each year’s Christmas programs at various locations is that we get to extend the holiday season into January as the events go into post-production. One of the most fun tasks I get to engage in is when I personally deliver the boxes of DVD packages destined for the homes of so many families; knowing that they will soon be enjoying watching their kids perform in the big holiday play or musical; just like we, as parents, also get to do.

The Tower Facelift

News & Features

A fun wedding venue in the heart of North O.C. is in line for what may turn out to be a substantial rehab. The Disneyland Hotel refurbishment is making a sneak preview on the south-west side of the Dreams (the old Sierra) Tower.

Disneylan Hotel Rehab, Suite Color Detail

As you walk around the west side of the tower, you’ll see a new color scheme and retro-feel window treatment. The blue color and tint to the glass has a very fresh, clean look as compared to the existing exterior. Gone, unfortunately are the micro-sized balconies and sliding glass doors featured in the existing rooms.

The original idea to completely destroy and rebuild the Disneyland Hotel’s towers have been reputedly shelved, and the rehab may be the approach that will be taken. This ‘facelift’, however, should be a much more in-depth reconstruct that includes a complete strip-down-to-the-frame job which will allow a more complete modernization of the aging structures.

Either way, it is exciting to see the property potentially in line for a needed infusion of capital and care which, if handled correctly, will yield a beautiful new hotel and a welcome upgrade to the Disneyland Resort.

The Disneyland Hotel

News & Features

We have a lot of fun producing wedding videos, especially during the very busy “wedding season” here in Southern California. (although a very good argument could be made that it’s always “wedding season” here due to the great weather we enjoy.)

A side benefit to this is having the opportunity to visit a wide variety of venues throughout the Southland that we might not otherwise have the occasion to see. There are so many lavishly landscaped and beautifully manicured locations that offer wonderful backdrops to the ceremony and reception.

One venue that we frequent, however, is the Disneyland Hotel and it’s environs. The beautiful grounds, varied landscaping, and sheer historical impact on Anaheim and indeed, Southern California, make the hotel a fascinating location to visit.

For those interested in a thoroughly enjoyable and impeccably documented read on the subject, I highly recommend Don Ballard’s “Disneyland Hotel; The Early Years“. This book represents a “labor of love” on the part of the author and the care and research that he poured into this project are clearly evident throughout. For an overview of the work, as well as a visually rich site full of great photos, facts and trivia visit his website. The author also maintains a blog which features more great background on the hotel, as well as updated information on the history and lore of the Southern California landmark.

A Wonderful World of Color

News & Features

Like the chef who can’t enjoy a meal at a restaurant without commenting on all of the ingredients contained within his meal, we have a hard time just enjoying a movie. We usually slip into the habit of examining the camera moves, audio and editing decisions from a critical standpoint. Color styling is also an area frequently inspected.

"The Mittens" at Monument Valley — “The Mittens” at Monument Valley

Color correction (or color timing as it is also known) is critically important to accurately portraying the story as the screenwriter and director originally intended. The correct use of color can enhance or detract from the show. It can change the mood from upbeat, to somber. Subtle changes to hue and tone can be introduced to help move the story along. Scenes can be enhanced, or even salvaged if, for example, a particular shot was supposed to take place in bright daylight, when it was shot during a gloomy, overcast day.

On television, you may have noticed as well the change in the portrayal and intensity of color from the over-saturated TV of today, to the more de-saturated look of the 70’s, to the almost Technicolor-look of the 60’s. This shift over time may have had more to do with the available film stock than actual creative choices made during production of these shows.

At Carolwood, we spend a good amount of time working with the image of our productions. We recently calibrated 9 different “looks” within our high definition gear. This process was accomplished over the course of a long, three-day marathon session involving testing in both daylight, controled lighting, and low-light situations.

Carolwood Productions Now HD

News & Features

Diamond Bar, CA – August 1st, 2008

Carolwood Productions, a recognized leader in event, corporate and wedding videography for all of Southern California, is excited to announce their conversion and launch to a full High Definition workflow.

“Our move to HD represents a major investment in the production quality that we are able to offer our clients,” says Rick Betancourt, owner of Carolwood Productions. It’s the perfect time to look into how the greatly improved image of high def can not only add a 4 to 6-fold increase in the screen resolution of your project, but also ensure that you will be able to ‘future-proof’ your investment.

Simply put, HD greatly expands the screen resolution of Standard Definition (SD) video from 640 x 480, up to 1920 x 1080! This enhanced detail enables us to create much more compelling visuals for your viewers. Plus, now that Blu-ray has “won” the HD war that has been raging over the past few years, we can deliver your project in a format you can feel confident that you and your clients will be able to enjoy for years to come. This is what we mean by ‘future-proofing’ your video.

Not ready for HD yet? No worries; because we will continue to provide standard definition DVD video as well as offer high definition as an upgrade. Another path available to our clients is to have their productions completed onto DVD now, and upgrade to HD at a later date as they are ready for high definition delivery.

Carolwood Productions has consistently invested the resources necessary to deliver the highest quality video productions to our clients. This includes not only maintaining an inventory of the finest production and post-production equipment, but just as important is our 11+ years of experience in the industry. Remember that anyone can point a precision-quality, HD camera at a scene, but it is the experienced professional who is able to use that tool to capture and produce beautiful cinematography for our wonderful customers.

Our move to high definition represents only the latest in Carolwood Production’s commitment to excellence and value for our clients. Learn more about HD by contacting us at (909) 753-5390 or carolwoodproductions.com.