Kareen Rashelle's Fairy Tale Photo Shoot BTS Video Teaser From 'Photo Asylum Moving Pictures'

Well, the toothpaste is out of the tube...

Or, perhaps a more fairy tale analogy would be the Genie is out of the bottle. Yeah, I like that better, because what I've launched and the direction it appears to be taking me makes me feel as if there is magic in the air. And for a creative artist, that's one of the best feelings you can have.

I'm pleased to announce that the teaser for my upcoming behind-the-scenes video of Kareen Rashelle's Fairy Tale Photo Shoot is finally in the can. And no, that's doesn't refer to the toilet, but rather an old movie expression from way back when referring to finished films being placed in metal canisters and shipped to theaters to be shown to audiences.

In this case, the video, the first non-animation project I've directed and released through Photo Asylum Moving Pictures, will flow throughout the internet to reach its viewers, but the dynamic is the same.


Photo Asylum Moving Pictures Teaser
Kareen Rashelle's Fairy Tale Photo Shoot BTS Video
The ninety seconds that lauds me finally hanging out my video shingle, this miniscule World Premiere that announces my new company and an accompanying slew of new services for creating photographic and fashion motion content, contains only one shot of actual moving footage, a handful of stylized (degraded black & white) still frames, and a couple of visual and audio fx to playfully create an atmosphere that (hopefully) makes you anticipate and want to see the full bts video when it is finally released later this summer.

And that is exactly what a teaser is supposed to do. 

The feature-length film equivalent is the trailer: a short "mini movie" that ranges from the length of a television commercial to something up to several minutes and serves as a preview or coming attraction in a movie theater or on a dvd.

On the surface, it may seem like a bit of smoke and mirrors in the sense that it maintains a level of viewer interest in a motion project (for marketing purposes) without me really having to do much heavy-duty visual or audio editing. 

In that respect, it buys me time.

But don't be fooled by this false simplicity. The significance here is that the workflow, from start to finish, of a short teaser compared to a fully completed video, is exactly the same. And in this case, the learning curve and software choices to be made organizing and editing all the bits that go into what you eventually see here are also identical.

And so to me it is a big deal. I didn't just arbitrarily yank one take of a scene out of a pile of motion footage. I didn't just throw a dart at a board to help me decide how to create the audio soundtrack to put with the visuals. And I certainly didn't just string a bunch of random words together to pass along the particulars of what this film is about and when it will be available.

Like most art, and certainly most videos, much thought went into it, and there was a great deal of trial and error. Seeing (and hearing) what works and what doesn't. Altering the looks and lengths of scenes and sounds, and figuring out if they go together or not. Creating a pace and emotion to the entire piece that fits the time limitations, yet still gets across what both I and Kareen need to register with the viewer.

Speaking of Kareen, I want to be sure to get my credits, props, and thank yous in. One important aspect of the teaser is to give a glimpse at the variety of costume looks and locations she planned and used with model Lisa Fuhr to complete her Fairy Tale Series. That will suffice for now. Interviews and explanations of the nuts and bolts of the shoot come later. As do the obligatory humorous bloopers. Kareen was great in pausing her own work to allow me to get all the shots and multiple takes needed to complete mine.

A tip of the cap also to Lisa, who thankfully, knows how to play to my camera in both a deadpan as well as a comedic fashion, something I can assure you, a director does not take for granted.

And let's not forget Dennis Panzik, a pleasant last-minute surprise addition to the crew who not only was a big help with styling and makeup, but ended up serving as an assistant to both me and Kareen. Oh, and he can juggle as well, which many of you will find out soon enough.

Future motion projects will be featured on my Vimeo page, my YouTube page, and of course the video page on my website www.stevenpaulhlavac.com.
 
And as I've said before, and will undoubtedly say again, feel free to subscribe and follow me on my video sites, and please leave comments or ask any questions that come to mind...

'Photo Asylum Moving Pictures' - Audio Track Promo

As I prepare to publish the teaser this Friday for my current motion project (a behind-the-scenes video of photo artist Kareen Rashelle's Fairy Tale Series Photo Shoot), I wanted to take a moment to address a crucial aspect of filmmaking that often gets overlooked: the audio element.

Below is a video I currently have on my Vimeo page. It's the teaser mentioned above, but the actual footage is intentionally missing and replaced with narrative text to allow the viewer (listener?) to actively concentrate on the audio soundtrack, and better understand it role in the process.



Photo Asylum Moving Pictures Audio Promo
Kareen Rashelle's Fairy Tale Photo Shoot BTS Video
In this instance, I used SONY Acid Music software and some wonderful loop collection music clips to build a melodic, yet haunting aural picture that emphasizes the emotion and tension of the teaser footage, and hopefully makes you anticipate and want to watch the actual video when it comes out.

I'll go into much more detail in an upcoming blog post of how I choose, create, and edit not only the music, but also the dialogue (there will be interviews in the behind-the-scenes video), as well as ambient sound and additional noises and efx I choose to include.

The reasoning, both of this promo as well as future posts dealing with the subject, is to make clear my skills with audio, and showcase my ability to include that as a valuable service provided by 'Photo Asylum Moving Pictures'.

In an interesting twist, I think of this audio promo as a sort of teaser to the teaser that will follow in a few days.

BTW, the idea of revealing a project piecemeal (the full video coming this summer) is one that is currently used on nearly all levels of commercial art, be it movies, videos, music, or books. It is all part of marketing my creative work to the public, social media, and hopefully clients and potential clients.

As always, I invite you to subscribe and follow me on my video sites, and feel free to make comments or ask any questions that come to mind...

Back to The Blog!

Oh my. Has it really been that long?!? It's hard to believe. Impossible to believe. And yet, in the back of my mind, I know I've been putting off, and putting off, and putting off posting here, and the excuse...er, I mean the reason is pretty simple...

It's not that I have nothing to talk or write about. Heaven's no! I could talk all day. It's just that I post so many updates on my Facebook Page (link to the right, if you wanna join) on my shoots, my published work, my artwork, and just about everything else photographic, that I guess I've been rationalizing that that pretty much covers things.

But it doesn't. Yeah, I'm well aware that blogs in general are losing viewership, mostly because the majority of them weren't that interesting to begin with, and (as I can attest to) it takes a certain amount of consistent effort to post to them regularly.

But I think in the end they serve different audiences. At least a traditional blog like mine. It's a venue where I can address projects and issues and go into a lot more detail. Not just the "quick fix" that Facebook provides...

Maybe I'm wrong, but I'd like to think the viewer that makes the effort to come here and see what I have to say has a slightly longer attention span, and doesn't freak out at the likelihood of multiple paragraphs strung together to flesh out a theme or make a point.

And so, let me use this post to recommit to getting back to blogging and keeping things timely. And frequent!

See you soon!

An 'Image Creator' No More: My New Photography Business Plan - Part 2

PLEASE NOTE: this is Part 2 of a two-part post (eh, hence the name). I strongly recommend you read Part 1 first.

Let me resume my discourse on the demise of the "image creating" business by first admitting I pulled a Jedi Blog Trick in that first post. I painted a dire, dramatic sky is falling picture of the photography business that may have startled some. While fairly accurate, it only gave you a tiny piece of the big picture, and represents just part of a much larger industry.

The ASMP Director Eugene Mopsik commentary column I quoted from is aimed (as is ASMP itself) primarily at commercial editorial and advertising photographers whose main income comes from licensing their published work.

These are the professionals who are most in need of re-inventing themselves. The group that is seeing their older, traditional business plans crumble as a result of the digital imaging revolution. Over the years, much of my work has fallen under this category.

There are many other types of photography-related businesses and careers. For those of you moving along a slightly different path, you may find that opportunities abound, and the health of your niche in the imaging world may indeed be robust. It is, after all, a very complicated and fluid business.

To reiterate the main point of Mopsik's column, for this specific group of photographers:

Survival is contingent on the establishment of multiple income streams...

Now, this advice fits me to a T, and it is exactly where my head has been "at" for quite a few years now. It is just reassuring to see it spelled out by a respected industry professional. Makes me feel I'm not alone in this battle.

So, with that in mind, here is my New Photography Business Plan, which as I just said, is not really new, but as we enter the second half of 2011, is worth re-focusing on.

FASHION - This is one of my biggest gambles. I have not shot a serious editorial fashion project in over five years. That's an eternity in the business, and it's due in part to the poor market (and attitude) here in Central Florida.

Still, I think enough progress has been made here recently that, with all the great shoot ideas I have rattling around in my head, the time has come to have another go at it. The plan is to test, shoot for Style Bedlam Magazine (see below), and hopefully that will lead to editorial and advertising print work. I feel my renewed effort will either open up the floodgates to an exciting new chapter in my career, or end up just being another lesson in futility.

VIDEO - This what really has me psyched, and it ties in nicely to my return to fashion. Still shooters have been making the transition to video for quite some time now, and if they haven't already, many will need to eventually in order to survive.

I am not freaked out or intimidated by this in the least, for reasons I will cover thoroughly in a future blog. Let's just say that my years of storytelling and thinking cinematically with my still work gives me many of the skills needed to direct and produce motion. I don't see this replacing my still shooting, but rather supplementing it.

STYLE BEDLAM MAGAZINE - An enormous web project for the fall of 2011. It ties in directly to the two things listed above. Starting my own online publication, however humble, is the ultimate self-assignment experience. I am trying to make this a complete magazine with fashion editorials, music and art features, and whatever the hell else I can throw in there that's slightly off-kilter. It will hopefully provide the perfect vehicle for me to network and collaborate with creatives from many different fields and markets. And, it will serve as my premiere marketing tool.

STOCK PHOTOGRAPHY - I hate stock photography. I have always hated stock photography. It is the polar opposite of everything I have learned to shoot over my career. Most stock is generic and anonymous. And in this micro stock market, it pays pennies. That being said, in today's WWW world, and considering the vast amount of archive images I have, plus the fact that most micro stock web sites allow you to join for free, it makes no sense for me not to offer an assortment of my photography as stock. A modest amount of effort to set everything up, and the web makes the work available to potential clients 24/7/365.

ZAZZLE - DEVIANT ART - FINE ART AMERICA - ETSY - Despite the lack of success of my gallery work since I've relocated (another strike against Central Florida), it fuels my soul too much for me to give up on it. And so I continually go in search of other, more worthy markets. The web has made that much, much easier. The names you see listed here are all art & design online stores, and they all allow me to easily market and sell my work in one form or another. All over the world. All free (or for a nominal listing fee). Persistence with these sites produces results. Wish I could say the same thing for where I live.

PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOPS - I have taught photography on and off in the past, and currently give away a tremendous amount of free advice and information on web forums, my Facebook Page, and now this blog. But there is a part of me that feels I can market myself a bit better and in a more structured environment by offering actual professional workshops. Again, I would tie this in to my fashion and portrait work, with the emphasis on studio lighting. It is very tempting, as I get a lot of satisfaction from teaching, but will require a lot of work on my part as well.

Well, that's the gist of it. I have an assortment of other art or photo-related projects designed to produce income, but these are the major categories that I'm concentrating on. A shotgun approach to be sure, and one that will require a lot of juggling, but one that I am confident will work. And the irony of it all is that I will remain an image creator, and that sure is a relief...

All photos ©Steven Paul Hlavac.

'The Mouth That Roared' Is Here To Stay...

In this New Digital Dawn, everyone and their cousin thinks they're an expert on social media and how to use it effectively. Especially when it comes to business.

And, as much as I enjoy hearing a wide variety of opinions and views on most anything, I rarely take someone's advice on such important matters at face value. Rather, I kinda soak it all in, repeat my mantra of "consider the source" a few times, then try to decide if it makes any sense for my situation.

Many of us have very different business and career goals, so a blanket or one-size-fits-all policy on how to harness the vast array of social media resources out there is rarely going to be the best one to latch on to.

Yet, every so often a precious nugget of wisdom that would appear to be universal rises to the surface, so I greedily grab it with both hands, and simply wonder why anyone would not want to add it to their toolbox.

What am I talking about? A quote from a true social media expert (at least IMO) that basically gives me the green light to do what I do best, and tells me I will very likely be more successful for doing it.

Now, I must apologize, as I cannot remember where I read this or who even said it. I know that's bad, and I would love to give them the credit they deserve, but truth is, for the sake of this post, it doesn't really matter.

And so I will paraphrase heavily...

This person basically said that the key to effective use of social media is to have an impact: project your knowledge and personality in a fun and large way that sets you apart, gets people's attention, and makes them want to participate in what you have to offer.

Fun and large way. Makes them want to participate. Interact. Establish a dialogue...

I know what you're thinking. How is that profound? Everyone offers that advice. It's just common sense. True, but I haven't gotten to the profound part yet.

This person goes on to say that the single biggest mistake someone can make using social media is to abandon that boisterous voice and softly water down their message in an attempt to be all things to all people.

Water down their message in an attempt to be all things to all people.

As someone who has been guilty of doing that very thing on my Facebook Page, this pronouncement quickly got my attention.

The worlds of commercial and fine art photography are truly wonderful, with great rewards for those that have the talent and the work ethic to stay the course. But they are also highly competitive, often superficial and petty, and absolutely cutthroat at times.

I believe in a strong sense of self and purpose, the art of defending and persuading, sticking to my guns, and most importantly, fighting the good fight when its called for. It's called debate, and I think we are all the better for it when done properly and with respect.

Still, not everyone has the stomach for these sorts of battles, which is why overly defensive and soft and fuzzy I'm OK! You're OK! personalities abound on the web, at least when it comes to photography, with the message that no one should dare say anything the least bit critical, lest we hurt someone's feelings.

My mistaken reaction to this "everyone's photography is awesome" mentality has been to soften my stance, in effect lower my standards so as not to ruffle anyone's feathers, in some misguided attempt to get as many people to like me as possible.

While this game plan did in fact win me many new fans, it also effectively muffled much of my personality and voice, effectively blending me back into the crowd with all the other "nice" people. And in some ways I was miserable because of it.

The world of mediocrity was being shoved down my throat, and I was suppose to muzzle myself and not speak up.

So, you can only imagine how liberating my social media friend's magnificent words were to read and ponder. It was literally a glorious validation of my very heart and soul.

Don't get me wrong. I don't take this as a license to be mean-spirited or hurtful. I have never been, nor never will be those things. It is possible to be critical in a constructive way and still remain nurturing and positive. Trust me on this one...

But what it does is give me permission, better yet, tell me it's my sworn duty to stir things up!

You heard me. STIR THINGS UP...

In my book, yeah that means maybe smacking people around verbally on occasion, but always in a thoughtful or maybe humorous way, the goal being to help those that truly seek it and want to grow in this business. It is absolutely acceptable to point out someone's mistakes in an attempt to help them learn from them.

And so, with all due pomp and fanfare, I hearby declare that I WALK ON EGGSHELLS NO MORE!

Some of you will thank me for this later...

My New News Page: All The News That Fits...

I'm finally finding some time here and there to do some design work on the Photo Asylum web site. Obviously, web sites are by nature always works in progress, but every so often they need or deserve a complete overhaul visually. Sort of a "rebranding", if you will.

Culling ideas, sketching things out, even storyboarding and flowcharting are all fine and good, but it's the actual creation and uploading of the new artwork to the site that is usually a royal pain in the arse. I don't know how folks do this type of thing for a living...

Anyway, the latest Asylum section to get a makeover is my NEWS page. And I'll be trying very hard to take advantage of this opportunity by making a commitment to keep it current as well. After all, in the digital age, few things are more boring than old news.

The basic design I choose has a slight grunge-tech feel to it, something I want to keep consistent throughout the site. The top of the page (under the banner) is a "breaking news" box allowing me to draw the viewer's attention to something immediate or timely. Under that is a clean, double-column listing of various topics. I include a nice colorful thumbnail icon to go with each bit, and the HTML is a basic table, which gives me the freedom to move any of the sections up or down, prioritizing them as I see fit.

Now, what I actually consider "news" on my site probably won't change much, if at all. I'll keep you up to date on work I'm having published, gallery images available online, photo shoots and projects, workshops or talks I may be doing out in the "real" world. That sort of thing.

One interesting feature that is new (but only temporary) is my "Fashion Casting Call" section. If you're a model or stylist in Central or South Florida, you may want to pay attention to this. I'll try to keep a current list of all the shoots and projects that I have talent needs for. It won't be very detailed, and will soon be moved to its own page, so I can give more precise information about each individual job.

So, let me know what you think! And spread the news...

New Updates At STEVENPAULHLAVAC. COM...

Well, it's been a while, but much needed updates have been made to my commercial flash site: www.stevenpaulhlavac.com.  An integral part of my multi-pronged strategy for marketing my work online, sph.com is targeted almost entirely towards publishing creative professionals: magazine editors, art directors, photo editors, production managers, agency directors, etc., etc., etc.

Powered by liveBooks, the site presents a no-nonsense, quick loading, one click, very viewer-friendly slide show format that showcases my images without any of the bells and whistles that serious folks in the industry tend to frown on.  I use it to grab someone's attention instantly, and (hopefully) hold it long enough for my work to make a good impression on them...

Due to the constraints of the site, for the time being I'm limited in the number of image slots I have to use. So chosing the right photos to show is crucial. Right now, I've decided to ease up on the fashion and creative portrait, and concentrate on my editorial lifestyle tearsheets and magazine covers.

Take a look if you will, and let me know what you think...

My Artwork Now On Fine Art America...

I am very happy to announce that I now have a profile page and image archive on fineartamerica.com:

http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/steven-hlavac.html

The site provides high-quality and reasonably-priced art prints and framing of my work, with many many choices to let you customize the type of photo or art paper, mat, and frame type. There are also greeting cards with my photos available.

As if that weren't enough (and if you're my friend, it should be!), the site offers literally thousands of other artists' work, in every imaginable medium and price range. The huge artwork database is easily searchable by keyword, art medium, or subject matter.

I will try to get all of my exhibited gallery work up on site as soon as possible, and plan to eventually add many other images including some of my graphic design and illustration work. If you're my friend or fan on Facebook, those pages will be updated automatically when I add new material to the fineartamerica.com site.

I'll be linking to my fineartamerica.com page from many of my other web sites and pages, so it should always be easy to find, but feel free to go ahead and bookmark it if you'd like.

As a special celebration of this exciting new online venture, I plan to keep my commision on all the work EXTREMELY LOW!  I set my own prices, and as of now, the most I am making on ANY single piece is $20. Yep, twenty measly bucks. The rest is the cost of materials and the custom printing/framing service.

My plan is to keep this promotion going for the entire summer (assuming I don't starve, that is!) and maybe make some adjustments after that. Anyway, for now, it's more important to me that folks can buy some of my work for themselves or as gifts at a great price...

So, let me know what you think, or if you have any requests or suggestions. And thanks in advance for your support!