On Location: San Antonio, TX

Great food, historic landmarks and beautiful scenery helped tell the story for this client’s event.

What a cool city! The Riverwalk experience, together with great food, great conference facilities and great weather, were all on display as we covered a blow-out conference for one of our favorite financial services clients.

The Hyatt Regency Riverwalk was our home for 5 days of prep, shoot, edit, repeat

Every activity, breakout session, general session and round table talk was filmed, audio recorded and then broadcast via the web to our clients’ clients around the great US of A for those who were not able to attend. Our clients treat us like gold on these location efforts, and the appreciation is returned by our effort to turn the content around as quickly and as dynamically as possible. For information about San Antonio for your next conference or meeting, check out https://www.linkedin.com/company/visitsanantonio/

Behind The Lens with Amends!

Palm Beach County locations in Boynton, Delray and Palm Beach Island

We always have a great time going “behind the scenes” with film and television projects. Over the years, we’ve been on the Red Carpet, or covering the Hollywood efforts of studios and TV Networks alike.

Recently, “Amends of the Father” came to South Florida with cast and crew, and we were there to tell the very personal story of Actor-Producer Stephen Sorrentino.

Tactfully working behind the scenes is a dance. Knowing when and where to roll will keep you from getting kicked off the set, while also showing respect to the Actors and Directors’ creative process. Finding time to do interviews and varying the type of footage to tell the story of the film is part art, part project management. There’s lots of down time for actors and bystanders when working in entertainment as the technicians and artisans prep a scene or perform a company move, and that’s where we strike. Filling that time helps us to get our story. Here’s a link that takes you Behind the Scenes of “Amends of the Father”.

https://vimeo.com/726451762

Live to Latin America!

SFL teamed up with Brandstar Studios in Pompano Beach, Florida to virtually broadcast BlueStar Latin America’s “Tech Summit 2021” to a global audience of manufacturers and distributors.

Over 4 days, BlueStar Latin America’s Marketing Executive, Michele Olivera, programmed a live “TV style” event for her audience and sponsor partners to attend and interact with; while virtually making their way within and around the Vfairs Virtual Trade Show platform. The event included heavy use of Vmix remote calls, from around Latin America, so that experts and guest callers could share ideas and information in real-time, with segment hosts presenting on sound-stages from Pompano Beach, Florida and Mexico City, Mexico.

Brandstar Studios State-of-the-Art Video Wall

Remote guests were brought to the show from around Latin America using Vmix.

A cast and crew of nearly 50 people worked at a brisk pace for nearly two weeks to keep the engaging content flowing. For a consult regarding your virtual trade show or event call 954-641-8506 or email, info@sflmediagroup.com

Every brand has a story...

Clients have been ramping up their projects and programs as we close out the first quarter of 2021. From Annual meeting videos for the insurance industry, to Medicine Literacy animated and live action series for elementary school kids, SFL has been busy helping brands share their unique messages. Our law firm clients range from big to small and the ones who’ve stood the test of time worked with us to proudly share their insight. We love what we do; helping business folks tell and share their stories keeps us grounded in our happy place.

IATP Live to 30 Countries & 600 Attendees

Mission Control from Palm Beach, Florida

The International Association of Trampoline Parks, IATP, think of places like “Skyzone”, came to SFL to help produce and execute their annual Trade Show and Conference. Without the ability for the group to gather in Las Vegas, as they normally would, the challenge was to bring the same level of interaction, excitement and energy to this first-ever virtual IATP Global event. We would be streaming to more than 30 countries and interacting with 600 attendees and panelists throughout the 10 hour day.

It took 45 days of planning, pre-recordings, editing and graphics creation to be primed and ready for “Show Day Live”, which kicked off on a Tuesday in December at 7:30am EST.

Our streaming control room served up 14 pre-recorded videos of various lengths and delivered panelists from all across Europe and the U.S. for live Q & A sessions on the hour.

The virtual trade show experience was handled using the WHOVA App, which although a bit finicky to get used to, helped the clients to communicate and serve up their day long program for sponsors, attendees and panelists without a hitch.

WHOVA uses Zoom as its’ back-end video delivery system and you populate each session, breakout room or Q & A with a zoom link. As you probably know, streaming is like walking a high wire, at any moment issues can occur with viewers, presenters and content creators alike. Thankfully, we experienced very little of the former, and ended the event with a simulated virtual Happy Hour, lots of great reviews and a big exhale from our clients ;)

If you need help planning and executing your next virtual meeting or conference, please reach out to us at info@sflmediagroup.com

Bareknuckle Boxing Blasts into Miami

The BKFC continues it’s rapid growth among boxing fans as BKFC14 came to downtown Miami and the Intercontinental hotel. The sellout crowd, all dealing with pandemic restrictions, were socially distanced in the grand ballroom for 2 evenings of bloody action.

The BKFC has seen unprecedented growth by combining the best of MMA and boxing, with more action, less grappling and jaw-dropping punches and knockouts.

Our clients, Susan Cingari’s Bareknuckle News, required Broll and fan reacts as the boxers were introduced and exited the square circle plus interviews from the weigh-in, pre-event and post match. All boxing action was handled by the BKFC’s in-house crew for their BKFC APP. The Sony FS7 handled interviews along with Aputure lighting, and the Ronin with Canon glass and body covered the in-venue atmosphere. National news was broken when Uly Diaz knocked out his opponent in just 3 seconds, a feat that has never been accomplished in all of combat sports.

Reaching High Holy Day Congregations with Zoom Webinar

Temples across America were looking for new ways to reach their congregants virtually. Serious times take serious efforts, and ramping up live video streaming became a mission for many faith-based communities. Zoom and its webinar feature is one solution we are utilzing.

Here in South Florida we fielded numerous calls for help and were happy to provide our live streaming experience for a few select clients. Providing privacy, live, pre-recorded and engaging content is always a top concern for clients in this space. With prior planning, a number of technical rehearsals, strong internet connectivity, combined with the right video tools for the job, the end product kept members of the congregation connected and assured by higher powers that we will all get through this very challenging period in global history. Zoom is very easy for typical families to use, and seems to have outpaced skype, microsoft meetings and webex, with new layers of sign on and moderator abilities in webinar, our hosts, panelists and webinar attendees all felt secure throughout the streaming broadcasts.

Jupiter Florida manufacturer pivots to compete in a virtual business world

SFL received a referral recently to help a Jupiter, FL based manufacturer compete in the new, ever-changing business climate.

The mission was to help build an in-house streaming studio so that virtual webinars, trade shows, sales calls, and user conferences could continue even while travel restrictions and face to face meetings are postponed.

With a target date set for June 30th, SFL consulted, integrated equipment and trained the staff in the marketing and communications department at PSM, a leading manufacturer and engineering firm servicing utility companies around the world, to operate their new studio with very little help from SFL once policies, procedures and training were complete.

With a 30 day time table, a former conference room was turned into a studio and video control room featuring Sony cameras and mics, Blackmagic switcher & recorder, Neewer LED lighting, and various streaming encoders from Magewell and Focusrite to enable PSM to take part in any virtual meeting, conference or webinar seamlessly and supported by high end graphics, TV quality lighting, sound and camera images to rival any professional studio.

Plans for the future are to utilize the studio for virtual round-table discussions, trade shows and user forums so that clients, prospects and colleagues around the world can stay up on the latest developments in PSMs business sector. PSM leadership is committed to providing the personal touch they always have while adjusting to the challenges presented by doing business in a responsible and socially safe way.

SFL supports ground-breaking Live Stream Track & Field Telecast across 7 countries

Covid-19 times require innovative approaches to meet the challenges presented by social distancing while fulfilling the desire for fresh sports programming.

Schweizer Radio und Freshen (SRF) Swiss Radio and Television, a Swiss broadcasting company asked SFL to help televise “The Inspiration Games” an exhibition Track & Field event starring world-class athletes competing against one another simultaneously, while they remained in their home countries. SFL’s 13 person crew traveled in-state to IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida for the 3 days of testing and rehearsal resulting in a live streamed show that aired prime time in Europe on July 9th.

SFL teamed with LiveU and Thaler Media to insure a seemless production. Isolation video and audio feeds where streamed from 6 cameras strategically positioned to cover Pole Vaulting, 200, 150 & 100 yard sprints sprints along with the Triple Jump. This was accomplished utilizing the latest bonded-cellular network technology and fed back to control rooms in Zurich, Switzerland with minimal time delay.

The mid-summer heat and a few last minute rain showers presented the only location challenges. Athletes and track officials where able to monitor the European broadcast over laptops using the Vmix video return platform so that they could monitor the live program feed including competition times, attempts and final results.

SRF Network was pleased with the final show and their sponsors including UBS and BMW where part of an innovative broadcast technique that sets the current standard for future athletic competitions where travel restrictions and Covid-19 safety require athletes to compete virtually anywhere in the world.

Add "Zip" to Your Zoom Webinars

This Zoom session for client included 2 cameras, lights, green screen and boom mic

Whether you’re zoomin’, go-to-meetn’, skypen’, web-xn’, or google meetin’ up, the typical challenges to overcome are universal: tinny sound, poor video quality and connection, guests stepping on each others statements, screen shares that accidently appear with personal information not intended for group use, oh my ;) and many times, a webinar host or moderator that isn’t properly trained in the basics such as eye contact, pacing, fill lighting, etc.

Ok, we can shed a little light on the subject for you. Even if we have to come to your office and maintain safe social distancing procedures, it’s better to have a 2nd pair of hands to watch your back. Little things like, aiming the web camera properly, testing your mic and your speakers, adjusting levels if using virtual backgrounds, all come into play. You don’t have to be a video producer, and we don’t have to be experts in your subject matter, but together teamwork makes the dream work.

More professional tools like a video capture device to use a higher quality camera, some lighting, whether a beauty ring light or, just knowing how to use overhead lights or window light, how far to set yourself from your real or fake backdrop, come into play when your audience or colleagues are interacting with you and form their opinion of what they are seeing and hearing. Another great tool is an external USB mic, either sitting on your desk, clipped to your shirt, or held overhead by a little boom pole, the way you sound is maybe your most important component of your presentation.

Hope this helps, give us a call if you want to kick some things around as you prepare for the “virtual meeting landscape” future we all face.

Superbowl LIV from Miami

SFL was all over Miami covering everything but the actual big game!

South Florida was the literal “hot spot” for all things NFL in late January and through the big game. The NFL Experience at the Miami Beach Convention Center, NFL House at the famed Faena Forum along with Hard Rock Stadium were just a few of the venues our crews called home throughout the 3 week run up to the biggest spectacle in sports.

Going Green in the Studio

Katnip Marketing shooting in studio with members of the Palm Beach Business Connection

Airing commercials locally can give your business a boost when it comes to branding, lead generation and overall visability. Katnip Marketing came to us with a unique, gang-run approach, so that many members of their business networking group could amortize the cost of the studio, the production team and the air time across the membership. This enabled each member to get their message out to the masses without having to shoulder the costs alone. Firm founder, Ed Katz, did an amazing job of pre-production and coordinating all the scripts, graphics and scheduling required to pull the production off on-time and within budge. The members have a rotating schedule of TV spots airing on the ABC affiliate in the West Palm Beach market. Hopefully going green will increase the green coming into all the members’ businesses.

Cooking with Christian Wilkins, Publix & Pepsi

Miami Dolphins Tackle Christian Wilkins on location at Publix Cooking School in Plantation, FL

Did you know that Publix offers their Aprons Cooking School at locations throughout the south? Well we didn’t, until a recent assignment for the Miami Dolphins and their sponsor Pepsi. This program brought their very charismatic, Clemson graduate Tackle, Christian Wilkins to the cooking school to participate with a group of lucky fans to learn new culinary skills. Christian jumped right in and helped make tasty sliders, mini pork chops, bacon wrapped hors d’oeuvres and lots of other great party treats.

Tis the Winter Conference-Trade Show Season

Jupiter Florida in January is the recipe for farmers from across the U.S.

Each winter companies flock to Florida for the sun and fun during conference and trade-show season.

We consistently get our share of assignments, from Miami to Port St. Lucie, and support the video needs of clients across multiple service and manufacturing industries. The key to delivering great content and coverage for our clients is keeping the budgets a good 20 to 30 per cent lower than the in-house solution offered by the host hotel-conference center, while keeping the production-value and hands-on service exceptionally high. This formula has served us very well over the years. Don’t hesitate to call a year ahead of time for a quote or assessment of your conference and trade-show needs.

Streaming makes the dream come true!

Sunrise from Palm Beach Island just minutes from downtown West Palm Beach

Companies large and small are using the power of video streaming to connect their audience across the state or across the world. Whether you have an international audience, or a closed-circuit program to train employees or inspire people through a common special interest, video streaming brings a “live” and interactive engagement to your viewers wherever they are. Being tied to a desktop computers with login codes and passwords are a thing of the past, now you can push out a notification and drive your viewers to a secure page or a public one, just with the push of a button. Having the right equipment, and scouting the venue or office location are a few of the steps to consider, give us a call to explore how video streaming services can enhance your next lecture, conference, product announcement, motivational speaker or special event.

Creating a Social Media Star

Behind the scenes with Fitore Laughing at Life

Sometimes opportunities land in our lap and we are given a chance to help others achieve their dreams. About a year ago Fitore Lleishi walked into our office and the journey has been worth all the effort.

We are launching her new web series, Fitore Laughing at Life and it’s been great to collaborate with the talented lady on everything from the vision for the webisodes, to the name and branding of the series to helping her develop as an on-camera personality.

Jumping in is always the first step, next comes the grind, which is making small or larger incremental efforts on a consistent basis, without much payoff because we havent shown the end results to anyone yet.

That should end soon as we are premiering the first webisodes later this month.

Our next steps are to grow her audience through Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, then go after partnerships in sposnorship and advertising along with seeking more distribution platforms.

Hopefully in another year or two, Fitore Laughing at Life will pay us back by great audience engagement and maybe a paying sponsor or two ;)

Teleprompters will save the day, and your shoot

On set with MyNotifi inventor Johnny Ross

If you’re planning a shoot and want your presenter, host, guest to nail their lines, consider bringing in a trained teleprompter operator and front of the lens screen. It will save your butt.

Many shoot, we get clients who feel their talent will remember their lines or use notes held just off camera axis and everything will be just “peachy”… Not!

The time, effort, stress and performance issues will make the entire exercise painful, unless your talent is a trained presenter or host and using other means like ear prompter or is a pro at prepping for the shoot by doing the advance work of remembering their script.

The costs, typically in the 500 to 650 dollar range, will make even the most inexperienced talent, comfortable and able to deliver your script in a timely, professional manner. Key to the equation is to pre-load the script before arriving at your shoot, meaning you should email the script to your prompter operator ahead of time, then on-set, it’s all about revisions or performance notes. We recently had a CEO front a new natonal TV spot, and he had never used a teleprompter before, within a half hour he was delivering his lines like an old pro.

Interviews with Real Business People

Small business owner shares his story in Miami Florida

How do you get a great performance from a non-performer? That’s the question we are faced with every week while helping companies share their stories and brand messaging. There are a few tips we’ve learned over the years to get the most out of a “candid interview”.

#1 - You have to keep the setting light and loose. Being friendly, thanking them for taking time out of their day, making small talk about their business and what they really know about the subject matter before the interview helps to calm the nerves of most first time interview subjects. Having something to drink, keeping lights and equipment to a minimum, crew activity slow and deliberate also does wonders to ease any tension.

#2 - If you guest is very nervous, start off with a brief orientation about how the interview will go. That you would like them to rephrase your question in their answer, since most likely your off-camera questions won’t be heard, assure them that they will only be fielding questions about stuff that they know very well. And that we can start and stop at any time, and in the magical editing suite, we’re going to make them look and sound great, even if they don’t feel they are doing well. Give them double assurance that you are there to make them shine.

#3 - Once you start, begin with simple stuff like having them pronounce and spell their first and last name, give their official title, and their company, this gets the ball rolling. The first answer they give usually sets the table for how it’s going to go. If someone is really nervous, have them settle in by giving them a second chance at the first question, assure them they are doing great, then move through the questions. You can always come back and do them all again. Usually once your guests nerves calm down, the answers will feel more natural. That’s why we usually get the best responses toward the end of the interview. This is where we usually circle back and ask the early questions a second time, and then we get the gold!

Lifestyle Living Tells Developers Story

Cam. Operator Jesse R. making use of RONIN, Sony A7 & Sony FS7 Cameras to tell the story.

Spending time with residents and management for long days are the only way to capture the lifestyle and benefits of living in “sunny” Sunny Isles, FL. Recently the SFL crew used all the tools in our arsenal to conduct interviews, highlight the services and ammenities at one of the premier properties in this vibrant North Miami Beach community. To make everything even more special, the primary shoot day saw temperatures in the low 70’s, with zero humidity and glorious skies. Filming in February in South Florida is a magical time for cast, crew and client.

Wodapalooza 2019 was WOW!

Biscayne stage at Wodapalooza Crossfit Festival in Miami

The Crossfit phenomenom came back to Downtown Miami, FL earlier in the month, with more massively lean and fit men and women in one place than possibly anywhere at one time in the world.

Field production included interviews, highlight coverage of the many “heats” throughout the weekend, plus aerials and high speed “scene set” coverage. The event was truly an inspiration to anyone wanting to see the limits of human performance and endurance. Athletes came from all corners of the world to compete over the course of 4 days in Elite, Intermediate, Masters & Adaptive categories, all against the backdrop of cruise ships, palm trees, turquoise bay water and balmy ocean breezes.