The Weekly Bev - 11th Edition

🌍️ Trip Recap

I just got back from a whirlwind trip! I went from LA to Atlanta to Miami to Spain, back to Atlanta (through Canada), and now finally I’m back in LA. All of that took place in the span of five (!) days. Let’s recap by hitting some FAQs I’ve received over the past week…

Overall, how was the trip?

In short: it was an incredible experience shared with an awesome crew of people. I was traveling for a shoot with Tribute Hotels that spanned three locations: Atlanta, Miami, and Seville. One thing that stuck out to me was how welcome on set the vlog is nowadays. I vividly remember only a little while back when clients would consider the vlog a distraction and ask me to not do it while shooting their project. This trip highlighted just how different things are nowadays in the best way. The Tribute Hotels team loved seeing the vlog get filmed as we progressed through the day and were excited to see the final version get published every morning. The vlog went from a bug to a feature :)

What was it like to direct a shoot across three locations?

Directing across our three locations was rewarding and satisfying for me. Of course, the prep work needed to be on point. Everything was preplanned by the agency in order to streamline the process day of, which made my job much easier! We went in with the goal of creating eight short form videos across each of the three Tribute Hotel locations. Each video will showcase a different aspect of all three hotels, tying all of them together with some common thread or “theme.”

We actually used the same exact camera setup that we did for the North Face shoot a couple months back, which included both an 18-105mm lens and an 11mm wide lens. These allowed us to capture both background and foreground nicely, and the zoom lens was particularly useful for action shots. We worked to combine fun in-camera transitions and whip panning, to seamlessly get you from one hotel location to the next. Each time we went for a shot, the first take is like a practice run, just to get a feel for the motion and for the talent to go through their action. The second take is typically trying to do the practice run, but faster and more natural looking. Once I feel like we got a take that works, and both the agency and client approved it, we would do another take for safety. I liked to let the talent know we got it, but to try it one more time for fun. This often results in the talent loosening up a bit, and sometimes giving an even better take. Now we have options when we go to the edit.

Do you have any advice for someone looking to work with an agency?

Definitely…for this shoot I partnered with the same agency that I work with on The North Face, which highlighted how important it to build strong relationships and think (and act) long term. This shoot is a great example of the power of building a reputation with an agency, which can then open doors with other brands they represent. Reaching out to agencies via cold emails is always a possibility. Networking is also huge, which is why living in places like LA is such a tailwind. And finally, putting out spec work to generate inbound interest is crucial!

What was it like working with Mallory?

Working with Beans (aka my girlfriend aka Mallory) on this project was, as always, a fantastic experience. She worked as the stylist for the shoot in Atlanta, and it’s the best when we get to work together because we know each other so well. I can ask her to help me swap lenses really quick or stand in to test the lighting, and probably could just hand the camera over to her for some shots.

Plus, there’s no one’s taste I trust more than Mallory’s. I mean…just look at who she chose as her boyfriend 😎 

❓️ Mystery Links

En, to, tre

😻 Content I’m Loving

We checked off an absolute classic last week by diving into The Office, so I figured we could keep the streak going and cover an all-time great today…Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations.

I started watching this past week with all of the travel, and it’s hard to overstate how great this show is. Bourdain's charismatic storytelling, culinary insights, and genuine curiosity about different cultures provide a compelling lens through which to see the world. Bourdain also has an honesty about himself throughout the episodes that I find really interesting. He does not appear to be perfect, something that you find in tv shows currently. It makes each episode feel like it came from his heart, and that you are truly along for his experience, rather than one scripted to you by a tv network. I also love the way it’s shot, almost like a old school youtube vlog in a way. It made me want to buy a handy cam and play around with that.

As someone who loves to enjoy a diverse selection of cuisine, bouncing around this past week led to some memorable culinary adventures: indulging in Cuban food in Miami, Southern comfort food in Atlanta, and tapas in Seville. Hard to beat that line up…

Watching it while traveling is also a satisfying experience because there are so many subtle learnings you can take from the show and I was able to immediately apply them. I also felt like it would be so fun to make a show like that, get immersed in another culture by food, and find the narrative along the way. Maybe I will have my own food show one day :)