At Torchwerks we watch a lot of movies. We are often the last ones to leave the theatre because we are watching the credits roll in appreciation of those who make these stories come alive.

Recently, I received the call from Director of Photography, Shane Hurlbut, A.S.C. (most known for being screamed at on the set of Terminator Salvation by Christian Bale) to be a part of a national TV spot for Prudential directed by Ringan Ledwidge of Smuggler. 50 people participated in capturing the sunrise on the same day across the country to create this piece.

It was exciting, to say the least, to work with some of the people we have seen in those same credits of the movies we love.

One of the first steps in achieving the look was guaranteeing the right location, and to avoid the color green at all costs. That’s not an easy task for one of the wettest years recorded in the midwest. Finding the right location was key.
Shot selection was easily just as important in selling the Fall look. You can’t have a rolling green meadow or endless rows of corn and still maintain the belief of Autumn. Consciously choosing what to keep in frame, and what to keep out, makes the editor’s job much easier.

Finally, weather turned out to be a small blessing in disguise the day of production. A couple hours of torrential rain put everyone on edge and behind schedule. But, the overcast sky and looming storms helped out tremendously in post to achieve that dreary fall look.

I used a combination of After-Effects, Apple Color, and some very simple plugins from Red Giant to achieve this final look.

If you haven’t noticed yet, Torchwerks has that new-website smell. A special thanks to Brandon Bone and Jon Tvrdik for putting it all together. Check up on our content page or read about what Torchwerks is doing on the side to help local filmmakers.

If you are a client, you now have a dedicated link to access your project in Basecamp. If you aren’t a client, then please contact us, we would love to talk about what you are doing and how we can help.

Drop by the ‘werks and you might see a friendly new face: Oliver. He brings a lot of talent to the team, like chasing tennis balls, four-hour naps, and barking at bicyclists. Well, Kyle possessed most of these talents already but Oliver does it with style. You’ll find him in the editing suite most of the time working alongside Kelly – two minds are always better than one.

You know those times when your client tells you about where your work is going to be shown?
Well, a piece we created for the LA Dodgers and Doctors of USC played during every home game at Dodger Stadium.
This summer Torchwerks flew the crew and friends to LA in order to take in a ballgame and watch our work come out of left field. We also met David Lynch on the Santa Monica Pier!

It seems like a rare thing to love what you do for a living. Most people can’t believe we actually get paid to do what we do. For us, our work is an important part of our life. Our recent project for AFAN is a great example of this. We spent a few days last summer visiting with farmers, ranchers and food producers to learn about their practices. Their honesty and openness was very refreshing. We learned a lot about where food comes from and how it’s produced. We encourage everyone to take time and learn about it for themselves.

A-camera on A-Team

Last year I had the chance to visit DP Mauro Fiore, ASC on the set of the A-Team in Vancouver. It was a pleasure to watch him work and light with big sources. After watching the action for 2 days, Mauro asked,”What do you think?” My reply,”More money, same challenges.” The DVD releases today so make sure to pick up a copy.

The Angle - Gettysburg

Last April after shooting for a client in Baltimore, I took an extra day to visit Gettysburg Civil War Battlefield. It was a great reminder of how much sacrifice occurred in a three day period. In our business, sometimes it feels the same.

You have a great sense of urgency and wonder as you approach the crest. Once you see the battlefield unfold before your eyes, you are forced to make decisions that affect the outcome. Some are right and some are wrong.
Ultimately, it creates a better warrior because you learn from previous tactics.

The thing that amazed me the most was seeing first hand the size of the battlefield. It was very small relative to the stories I have read and learned about in history books. The lesson for me was that amazing things can happen in a limited amount of time within narrow spaces if you have the right army behind you.