"The sail, the play of its pulse so like our own lives: so thin and yet so full of life, so noiseless when it labors hardest, so noisy and impatient when least effective." - Henry David Thoreau

A recent project for Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles provided us with the opportunity to arrive a day early and work on a test shoot. The main objective was to have a small group of talent interacting on a boat sailing out into the ocean. Bobbi Peacock, our producer, put out the word and in no time at all we were walking aboard a 40' sailboat alongside talent making introductions and greeting the man who would be our captain for the next four hours. As one can imagine the setting was just right for this type of test; the perfect southern California weather coupled with a gorgeous sailboat full of great talent cutting through the dark salty depths.

The time we spent in the harbor of Marina del Rey was quite calm and gave us time to acquire a temporary set of sea legs, but soon enough we found ourselves rising and falling to the rhythm of 6' - 8' swells which our captain pointed out as being most unusual for that area. We faced a few challenges regarding the high seas, but it only added to the look and feel of the stills and heightened the overall sense of adventure. Sailing is all at once calm, dangerous, spontaneous, rewarding, and addictive in that it's nothing like a land based activity.

Keep your sights on the horizon for a future motion piece to accompany the still imagery.

"Neo Natal"


"Orthopedics"


"Hope"

Our involvement with the Newport, KY based agency Intrinzic began several years ago with several still / print based shoots for US Bank. Todd Lipscomb was the creative director on these past projects and served in the same capacity for a collaboration this past May: five 30-second broadcast spots for St. Elizabeth Hospital. To date this was the most robust motion shoot we have been a part of and took us to a new level in terms of equipment, crew, locations, and overall collaboration on multiple broadcast spots. Todd knew this was our largest motion based production to date and was confident that our approach to "visual storytelling" was a perfect match.

We spent a full week in Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky working on filming the five commercials within the St. Elizabeth hospital system as well as multiple locations throughout the greater Cincinnati area.

Our Minneapolis based broadcast producer Peter Mullin of 14Pics, couldn't have been a better fit for this project as he kept us on schedule and guided us along from the initial estimate request throughout the final shot on the last storyboard. Peter really showed us the value of bringing on a broadcast based producer for a project of this size and scope. His combined efforts, with the tireless energy of the agency based producer Megan Pautke, allowed us to focus on the creative elements rather than back end issues such as wrangling new born babies and hiring police to shut down roads.

Eric Schleicher our second camera operator helped us gear up with the latest color profiles from Technicolor as well as recommending the purchase of multiple items including the "Powered Cage," an HDDSLR housing, designed and engineered by Viewfactor that helps smooth out many of the bumps surrounding the HDDSLR shooting experience. Eric also worked each evening making sure everything was ready to go before we started filming at first light each day.

Mark and Luke our Cincinnati based gaffers were great assets with years of experience in the film side of the business. They helped out immensely with both lighting and logistics, offering skills and knowledge that traditional photo assistants typically don't possess on the still side of the business.

While this certainly was a great project, both creatively as well as having the budget to access great people, talent, and locations, more than anything it provided a greater sense of confidence as we continue to collaborate on the film side of the business.

Enjoy three of the five final broadcast spots, edited by Tate and Craig at Cincinnati based Red Echo Post. Watch for a longer "director's cut" at the Motion section of the site in days ahead. This additional cut will feature footage that the confines of a 30-second spot just couldn't incorporate.

It's a whole new day here for us as the JCP website refresh goes live. Over the past few months we have been working closely with Eight Hour Day to refresh the website including a revamped "Archive" section with numerous new galleries of imagery as well as an all new "Motion" category. Nate and Katie at EHD have been behind almost every element of JCP design for close to 10 years. I can't imagine the business without their insight, amazing talents, and friendship.

The highlight of the new "Motion" section is the JC|P MotionReel. The reel has been a long time in coming and is finally available for viewing along with all of our previous motion pieces. Adam and the team at Elemental Motion Media once again surpassed all expectations in terms of the final edit and are always bringing something new to the mix; their editing, audio, and animation talents have always paired with the design elements from EHD in such amazing ways.

The site has been restructured from Flash to HTML 5 which will allow for viewing on mobile devices i.e. smart phones and tablets. The behind the scenes credit for the coding / rebuilding of the site goes to John and Martin at Kilohq who have been great to work with and have come up with solid alternatives to the original flash based site. Thanks guys for weathering the numerous tweaks and subtle design changes. No one I've ever met understands the back end of the web more than these guys.

I would also like to recognize the tireless internal efforts of John Fontana. He has been in constant "update" mode for quite some time as well as integral in communication between myself, EHD, and KiloHQ. John always sees what we all seem to miss, whether pairing images, writing / proofing copy, or suggesting something totally foreign, he has been the backbone on all things JC|P for quite some time.

A new print portfolio is also on the way back from the printer which will coincide perfectly with the new website updates. It's been a busy time but an exciting time for us here and we are very excited to share the new content, design, and layout.

Enjoy the new site and of course any comments or feedback are always welcome. Next up on the schedule is a project for Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles that will take us up to the Labor Day Weekend.

I am pleased to have been invited to speak as part of the APA / Apple Store Fall Lecture Series: "Discussion On Motion." The lecture will take place at the Lincoln Park Apple Store in Chicago, IL on September 26th at 7:00 PM.

It is truly an honor to be brought on by the Midwest Chapter of the APA, and to share the series spotlight with Vincent Laforet. If you are able to be in the windy city on Monday September 26th and would like to know more about the realm of HDDSLR Motion and how it's inspired and broadened almost everything we're involved in; I encourage you to join me for an evening of sharing and discussion.

Look for upcoming reminders via our social networking sites and here on the blog. I hope to see many new and familiar faces in just over a month.

The next blog post will unveil the newly refined JCP website with many updates including the addition of the JCP Motion reel. We've been staying busy behind the scenes and in between projects. Looking forward to days ahead!

"Who has seen the wind? Neither you nor I but when the trees bow down their heads, the wind is passing by." -Christina Rossetti

Travel and projects over the past few years have taken us along Interstate 10, in route from Los Angeles heading southeast towards Palm Springs, California. Along this route, amid the desert landscape, the highway slowly unveils thousands of white blades rotating in the distance.

The San Gorgonio Pass wind farm, home to more than 3000 turbines is situated in a valley adjacent to the San Jacinto Mountains, which is one of the windiest places on earth. These propeller topped giants stand out not only from their sheer numbers but also their gargantuan size. The wind farm generates enough electricity to power the entire city of Palm Springs and beyond. In order for the blades to turn, the wind must be blowing about 12 to 14 miles per hour which is then transferred to a collection point below and sent to a sub-station. This geographic location is unique as the wind blows hard enough to power the windmills over 300 days a year.

On a visit through the area earlier this year, we spent some time at the wind farm shooting a collection of motion and audio clips; working to capturing the inspiring presence of the blades from as many unique vantage points as possible.

Like many of the personal projects undertaken, there is a vague idea as to what will come to life with the final visuals. In between projects we were pleased to once again collaborate with Adam Duguay and his team at Elemental Motion Media. They not only combed through the footage and delivered several rounds of edits, but mixed and mastered the audio with some effects that accentuate the imagery.

Turn up your speakers and enjoy the latest JC|P motion endeavor, a short narrative of this turbine filled landscape...

Retirement is wonderful. It's doing nothing without worrying about getting caught at it. - Gene Perret

Smiles, laughs, and good times may be the best way to sum up the experience while working with some amazing seniors for UCare via Initio during the first half of this year. I think this may be one of the more unique projects in terms of time spanning different seasons, locations, and our subjects.

We began in the dead of winter on the north shore of northern Minnesota, kicking off the campaign in Duluth and then traveling to Blue Fin Bay, over to Nisswa, and finishing up the northern loop in Aitkin, MN. As we headed out early one morning the outdoor temperature was -27º F! For a moment we thought it was incorrect, but one brush of the cold on your face and it was a sober reminder of how true it was.

As the weather warmed up, we set out on the southern Minnesota tour which took us to Mankato, Faribault, and Winona. We even managed to see a little bit of our neighbor to the east with subjects in La Crosse, and Eau Claire, before heading back to the Twin Cities.

With the promise of summer on the horizon, our final chapter took place here in the Twin Cities. We spent time at the Como Conservatory, Stone Arch Bridge, Gold Medal Park, and One Yoga studio finishing what we had started several months ago.

As a whole the project couldn't have gone smoother - thanks to our hearty subjects and crew. We were sorry to see this project end.

Next week takes us on the road shooting location / lifestyle imagery for Lowe's.

Some exciting changes are on the very near horizon here at JC|P! In between projects we've been keeping busy with industry partners on a newly refined website, portfolio, promo campaign, and the JC|P motion reel; something that's often requested but until recently has always been, "in the works."

With all the recent motion work augmenting the still projects, it became apparent to give a bit more thought as to how we might incorporate this into the overall brand. Today's post offers a sneak peak at the new branding badges designed by Eight Hour Day that represents both the motion and photography side of the business.

The time, energy, and expense that it takes to "freshen up" the brand has always proven well worth everything that has gone into it. These changes are integral and rewarded with even more interesting and exciting partnerships. We look forward to rolling things out and even more, where the road ahead will take things.

"Travel and change of place impart new vigor to the mind." - Seneca

The land of South Dakota flying by in blurs of blues and greens dotted with the lights of progress filled the frame of my window as we headed west a few weeks back, in route to South Dakota farmers and the land they work. The project involved documenting the early summer stage of farming, crops and those who tend to their well being using the latest in agricultural technology.

It was a muddy endeavor, with all the rain prior to the shoot, but we worked alongside some of the best in the business to produce another visual library of imagery. I look forward to the "mid-season" portion of this project which looks to take us to various farms in Texas. No doubt different people and places, but similar in their endeavors and desires for a great year working on the farm.

The Minnesota Zoo launched a new exhibit featuring Spheniscus demersus or better known as the South African Penguin. We were brought on by Clarity Coverdale Fury to partner on creating a 30 second t.v. spot which involved two separate shoots. The first had us filming the penguins in their holding area, prior to the exhibit's opening, against a white sweep. You'll see the footage from this shoot at the end of the spot where the penguins waddle on white towards the camera. The second shoot had us on working on location at the zoo alongside the dancers who choreographed the "Waddle Dance." Our talent were actual zoo patrons who after given a brief dance lesson by the choreographers, were then filmed jumping, shaking, singing, and waddling. Thanks to the crew and everyone who helped pull it all together. There were smiles all around and it couldn't have been a more exciting way to spend a summer day working.

The spot began airing here in the Twin Cities shortly after the 4th of July. Some of you may have already seen the commercial and even caught yourself singing the catchy jingle "Penguins do the waddle" by the end of the broadcast. For those who haven't, take a moment to check it out here and learn how to do the waddle.

Shortly after the debut of the commercial, one of our colleagues pointed out a behind the scenes edit that the Mn Zoo was promoting on their site. The video features many members of our cast and crew working together to capture the essence of the Waddle. Take a look at what went into making "Do The Waddle" for the Minnesota Zoo.

It was a great project to be a part of and we are very excited about the final cut, edited by Schnitt Edit here in Minneapolis. Before the summer slips away make sure you head over to the Minnesota Zoo and practice your waddle with the South African Penguins.