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The countdown is on. Many of us are days from getting on a plane and are heading out for 2022 NAB. Man it’s been way to long, right? In Part One of our ProductionHUB NAB coverage, a lot of new product information was just starting to come out, bit by bit. There was almost a measured release of the things we might see and hear about at the show. Well, the wait is over.

by featured blog contributor, Jeremy PinckertIn working as a director and also as an owner of a video production company for 10 years, there are many different categories of relationships I have experienced. There is the all-crucial client relationship. Then there’s the relationship between collaborating colleagues. There is a certain dynamic between myself and staff employees. And finally, there is the relationship I develop with vendors and freelancers. This last relationship with freelancers is one I want to look at from the perspective of my experiences from both sides of the coin.

Given the current social distancing climate, many broadcasters have had to find alternative approaches to news production that will ensure the health and safety of its staff. Not least among these is NBC 10 in Philadelphia, where staffers, anchors and meteorologists have taken over their living rooms, basements and guest rooms for daily newscasts. An NBC affiliate station, NBC 10 got an early jump on the work-from-home production approach. The station’s meteorologist, Bill Henley (a self-professed gear junkie), took the challenge in stride. Diving into the station’s equipment locker and reaching out to friends at various manufacturers, Henley was able to quickly set himself up with a home studio that rivalled those of colleagues at the major networks.

I can not tell you how many times I’m asked that question either casually with friends or more often from prospective clients and my answer is usually a very tongue and check, “Well, you can probably find somebody on Craig’s List for about $300 or you can go to an ad agency, staff A-List talent and make a Super Bowl Ad for $20,000,000. Right now you are coming in somewhere in that range.” I'm seeing clients demands for video increasing but they don't always understand what they are purchasing as a creative buyer.

It just wouldn’t be the awards season (virtual or otherwise) without our very own ProductionHUB Awards of Excellence. Every year around this time the editorial staff at ProductionHUB along with some noted industry experts takes a long look at some of the latest in new offerings in production equipment and software. Of course as with everything else going on this year, the logistics were a little bit harder. But the show must go on so here we are! ProductionHUB proudly presents the 2020 Award of Excellence winners.

Located in Pleasantville, NY, the Jacob Burns Film Center (JBFC) developed its Creative Culture fellowship program to help champion underrepresented voices and diverse storytelling. Now in its fourth year, Creative Culture has helped 35 filmmakers create projects that have been selected by top tier film festivals, such as Sundance, Berlinale, and SXSW, and acquired by Fox Searchlight, POV, NY Times Op Docs, and Staff Pick’d at Vimeo. This includes recent projects such as Adam Meeks’ “Union County” which premiered at this year’s Berlinale, and Crystal Kayiza’s “See You Next Time” which was selected at Sundance 2020 and recently acquired by The New Yorker.

With the new revamped Casting Notices on ProductionHUB, we thought it would be great to get some tips on what casting directors are looking for when searching for talent. We recently caught up with Nancy McBride, a casting director in the industry so many are wanting to break into. She shares her thoughts and experiences with actors she’s met and trained, while also sharing with us 5 simple tips for actors to quickly remember before heading out to that next audition…

Let’s face it, our audiences are wanting more than ever. Higher production values in all productions have never been more important. I think we all get that, right? What about the technical specifications of those challenges? Will the gear you choose be able to deliver not only that engaging content, but do it seamlessly and not fall down on the job? Today’s creative content creators and streamers have so many challenges to not only create compelling content, but to do it in less time, with tighter budgets and more agile production staff. They also may have the new additional challenges of live streaming which can present another whole set of technical parameters that need to be addressed in order to get that fabulous content to the house.

I often joke about having been a pirate in a past life where I sailed the Seven Seas in the eternal quest for bounty, and while my camera has replaced my ship, that is the business approach that has prepared me today for a career in the media. At one point we all have to made a decision about how we want to work in the production industry and what types of lifestyles fit us the best.

As we slide into August and the dog days of summer, production companies and production personnel keep asking me the same question over and over. That question is: “Are we there yet?” It seems to be the overwhelming theme over the last month doesn’t it? To be honest, I think that the jury is still out. In some areas remote truck production “seems” to be working. Some mobile units are carefully rolling out and taking on new “remote” productions full stream ahead. Other truck owners are still taking a 'wait and see' approach and working in what I call a “hybrid” work model. In the truest sense of the word we are talking remote production but with a lot of caveats.