SJPS

We live in amazing times. The tools we have to create films and videos has reached a point that I can hardly believe. With drones, jibs, stabilizers, steadicams and cameras, beautiful images are easier to capture than ever before. But with all this ease, the story can be lost in the tech.

I received a call from the manager of the Chisholm Creek Pet Resortin Wichita Kansas, she also happens to be my sister. They had a consultant company come in to see how they could better market the amazing facilities that they have. The consultants proposed some voodoo that would drive their website to the top of all search lists by the magic of SEO keywords and other analytical tricks. They would also produce a video for the website.

My first question was “Do they get what you do?” And that I believe is the key to making a decent video. I can’t tell your story unless I “get” it. We talked a while about why Chisholm Creek is what it is and I told her to give me a few days to process it all.

I thought the best way to tell their story was to let them tell it. We would line up interviews with clients and staff and see what came out. Because of a tight budget, the shoot would be limited to 1 and a half days. Luckily, my amazing niece and nephew are both into production and also have worked at the resort. They would be my crew.

The interviews were home runs. I basically just asked people why they loved their dogs and why they love Chisholm Creek. For the employee interviews I asked why they love dogs and why they love their jobs. It was like asking sports fans why they love their favorite teams. To fill in the b-roll, Sydney my niece ran around with aDJI Osmoand captured fun dog stuff. Every hour or so she would check in, I would review the footage and then send her back out with fresh marching orders (hold the shots longer!)

Carter served as my audio/grip as we shot the interviews. We shot everything on the Panasonic GH4with the DMW-YAGH Interface Unit. Our lens package included the Rokinon T1.5 Cine Lens Bundleand one of my favorite lens’s the Olympus M. Zuiko Digital ED 12-40mm f/2.8 PRO Lens. For the money, it is one of the best pieces of glass out there.

Carter operating the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH4 Mirrorless Micro Four Thirds Digital Camera, again, for the money, one of the best values out.

In addition the the DJI Osmo, we also had the DJI Inspire 1 Prowith the Zenmuse X5 camera and gimbal. In one hour we had some pretty nice aerial footage of the 20 acre park. The UAS has revolutionized how I work. It is a tool that I love and gives our productions some pretty nice options.

The DJI Inspire 1 Pro Black with Zenmuse X5, perfect for aerial film and video production. Call it a drone or a UAS or a tiny helicopter, either way it kicks ass. Photo Credit Sean Joseph

The toughest part of the edit was getting all the great interview down to a nice little 3 minute piece. After many hours of sanding we got what we were hoping for. The tools we use to capture the images and sounds but the heart of what we do is capturing the story.

So If you live in the Wichita area and want the best place to board your pet for a day or for longer, Chisholm Creek is the place.