Shoebox Story

Immersion by Chris Mahoney

2012-01-09T14:09:00.000-08:00

One year ago, we shot Madness with Chris Mahoney (see the video here!) Yesterday being our one-year anniversary for the video, we managed to put together another production with the popular guitarist for another great track-- Immersion.

Shooting for this one took place in an old abandoned church in Poughkeepsie, NY. The catholic church was built in the early 1800's, and to our knowledge, was left empty around 2001. It may have been rustic, but its elaborate interior made for an amazing location! We had no trouble finding interesting angles to shoot, with so much depth, texture, and color.

Through the night, we couldn't help but feel a bit creeped out by the old building. Upon entering, we found a dead crow and dead bat. The dusty, creeky floor boards in the basement were very fragile, so we were sure to be careful. Once the sun set, a full moon lit up the dead, winter landscape, and to our surprise, a bat decided to barge into our set! It flew in circles through the sanctuary as our crew and Chris ducked for cover! We managed to finish up the shoot after it took shelter within the old bell tower.

Now we're faced with shooting the remaining cutaways, and editing the project together. We'll be sure to post details when it's ready for viewing!

AZR Colorways - Directed by Melyssa Vazquez

2011-12-20T20:07:00.000-08:00

After a couple months of planning, shooting and editing, AZR's new music video for Colorways is finally out to public! The video features solo artist, Jordan, in several locations around the city, blended with overlayed special effects. Producer, Director, and Editor, Melyssa Vazquez is a full-time freelance filmmaker. She's got at least 20 music videos in the can, and a handful of other notable productions. Here is her insight on the project in a quick Q&A:

NB: How did you meet AZR?

MV: AZR and I met through a friend of his who I had directed a music video for a few months back. He contacted me asking wether I would be interested in directing a video for him.

NB: What was AZR's initial request? Did he have a concept in mind, and what was he expecting when he contacted you?

MV: He wanted something that was true to the rhythm and that celebrated life and humanity.

NB: What was your process in conceptualizing this video?

MV: Conceptualizing involves listening to the song as much as you can in order to get every idea that pops into your mind out there. Then you start picking which ideas fit better with the song as a concept. Our budget was a little tight so we had to look at what we had to work with. After a few conversations and e-mailing back and forth we came up with a concept that we both loved.

NB: What locations did you choose to shoot in, and how did you find them?

MV: The locations we chose were based on where we could get away with shooting guerilla style and also what would look cool. The performance shots overlooking the skyline we shot in Brooklyn Bridge park which is a really nice, open space. The other location that I loved was near the Irish Memorial in Lower Manhattan, which AZR had discovered during his album cover photo shoot.

NB: What was the best part about the shoot?

MV: The best part about the shoot was getting to work with AZR and collaborate with him on set. Also, shooting around NYC always gets my adrenaline pumping. I walk around everyday but I don't get to capture it everyday. There is something about seeing it through a lens that makes it so much more epic.

NB: ...and the worst?

MV: [Chuckles] the worst was the cold. It was a very cold and windy night. If you have ever been around Lower Manhattan during a windy, cold day you know it's pretty harsh.

NB: How did you go about designing the visual effects for this?

MV: That was a lot of experimenting. From the beginning we wanted to modify the shots with visual effects by overlaying different kinds of moving images. At one point we shot AZR singing with a mouthpiece that had an LED light inside which was constantly flashing.

NB: What was AZR's reaction to the finished product?

MV: He was very impressed with the first edit I sent him. He could not believe how great it came together.

NB: Would you do a video like this again?

MV: I would love to do another video like this. It was really fun making it and I hope AZR and I get to work together again.

Making Lucid Souls for Moby Contest

2011-05-09T09:12:00.000-07:00

Two weeks ago we were just going about our day when Nathan received an e-mail from mobygratis.com about a contest to produce a music video for Moby. He mentioned it to Melyssa and she instantly wanted to do it. Then, came up with a concept which they both felt strongly about and could personally relate to.

We were lucky to find two very talented actors that were as excited and committed to the film as we were. Polaris and Meghan filled the roles perfectly and added a whole new layer to the characters which I couldn't have done myself.

Brains and future got Shelley, our Art Director, very excited and she did a great job and making a weird futuristic environment with a homemade feel that the character in the video would have made himself.

About the Concept: The future is uncertain but we always try to find ways to keep our loved ones around, and sometimes we can be selfish about it.

Chris Mahoney's Madness

2011-02-27T16:47:00.000-08:00

About a month ago, Melyssa Vazquez worked closely with guitarist, Chris Mahoney, to produce a video for his newest track - "Madness". Creating visual madness is what resulted, as we found ourselves standing between two high-velocity fans, a room full of dirty paper, and a bunch of charcoal covered crew members! Read more about the experience on my blog: Call Time.

Even better, a behind the scenes video!

Till next time,

Nathan Blair
Cinematographer/DP

Zooming with Bill Griese

2010-12-30T13:07:00.000-08:00

Written by Melyssa Vazquez (Director)

When I was first presented with this song I was very excited about it. It was something different that Shoebox Story had never done before. From there we started working with Bill Griese on how we could turn this song into the video it deserved. Bill sent us pictures of the town he lived in and we fell in love with the landscape. When I arrived on the day of the shoot the foliage was better than I could’ve imagined. I spent some time looking for the perfect background to the performance shots and drifted off for a little while taking it all in. On our drive to the location we spotted the lake and we just had to get a shot or two there.

As the day was ending we still had to get a couple more shots and thanks to our Canon 7D camera we were able to capture the golden hour without much gain.

About a week after the video was completed I was very excited to see the song had been picked for a Fujifilm commercial airing nationally.

Check out the Bill's website here - billgriese.com

Also, check out some behind the scene clips that we put together!

DIDI "U Made Me Love Love" Music Video hits Youtube

2010-10-09T09:00:00.000-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KobunUNJ-Gc

Just released DIDI's second collaboration with Shoebox Story Productions "U Made Me Love Love". What a fun experience, we shot in Astoria Park one night with just two camera lights a Canon 7D. Then we worked on the light streaks which we shot with slow shutter speed and some flashlights. We added them into the video by using the Composite Mode option on Final Cut Pro and experimenting with different layers.

The first collaboration was with Selfish which has reached 34,000 views on Youtube and taking her to the next level of her stardom.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-UTq6-Tp_o&playnext=1&videos=AqjpOzSMzz0&feature=mfu_in_order
Selfish was a fun and colorful video full of the NYC vibe with shots of the Empire State Building turned upside down and sideways and yellow taxicabs multiplied by nine. It was the first music video Shoebox worked with motion graphics and post production effects for almost the entire video and we are very proud of it.

Location Scouting

2010-10-06T16:14:00.001-07:00

Recently, we've been scouting a few locations around New York, not only for current shoots, but also to create a database for future productions. Why? This really got me thinking about the importantance of shooting locations, and just how many aspects are often left forgotten.

Location Sound

Probably the most important element to check off the list! Seriously, think about it: Lack of power can be solved by a $70-$100 generator rental. Fixing bad lighting... well, that's my specialty. Set design can be pricey but reasonable. Re-doing bad location sound requires hours, even days of extra work with a post-production sound engineer. This could cost thousands of dollars extra depending on how much work is involved! What I'm getting at is, I think sound should be considered the first reason for our extensive search. This makes music videos seem like a picnic! But this isn't the only game stopper...

Versatility

With any great thing, there are typically limits. There are many laws, rules, regulations, and political matters that can limit what you're legally allowed to do at specific locations. When scouting, it's important to address these issues by asking, "what types of things CAN'T we shoot here?" By knowing our boundaries and which places have fewer limits, we can ease the pre-production process of our future projects.

Reliability

Here's a situation very closely based on a true story-- A client has a friend whose pizza shop would be the PERFECT location for his video. What's even better is that his friend is offering it, free of charge! We agree to use the pizza shop and gather the contact information, all seems to be going well. Then, on the day of the shoot we find ourselves sitting outside on the curb with our lighting gear and camera crew. Our location owner is nowhere to be found! He's not answering calls or emails. It turns out, he decided to take the day off because he forgot it was his niece's birthday. It's also the day his friend, our client, had to cancel his video shoot. Reliability of the location owner, contact, and staff are very important to ensure a smooth production.

So, anyone have some favorite locations to share?

Music Videos On The Web

2010-05-13T11:17:00.000-07:00

(Photo: Screen grab from newest Ultralust "Wake Me" music video. Max shaves his head)

Sitting in our home office, I watched across the room as Melyssa was piecing together a recent music video we produced for haitian rap artist, Jem. The song titled “Earthquakes” focuses on his loyalty to the country despite their recent natural disaster. The production followed two other music videos, all of them with the intention of being published via the web. It made me think, independent music videos seem to be in such high demand recently, why do you think that is?

In a certain respect, music videos aren’t much different than your standard commercial advertisement. In fact, they often are huge advertisements for popular brands. For instance when Michael Jackson and Madonna participated in Coca Cola ad campaigns in the early nineties, both industries reeked benefits of promotion. More recently, we’re seeing upscale fashion brands, cell phones, and sports cars in numerous videos. Like music videos, commercials are also now choosing internet over broadcast television.

Out of curiosity, the Shoebox Team has looked into how our own videos are holding up on the market, and with positive results. In a little over three months, Dem Far Rock Boys have received more than 1,800 views on Youtube! Of course, in perspective with some other Youtube hits, that’s nothing compared to the upwards of 100 million hits received by most Lady GaGa videos. But, hey... we’re getting there. This just goes to show that if your video is making over 100 million impressions all over the world, think of your sales!

The benefits of music videos are clear, and so is the benefit of putting them online today. But it wasn’t always so. Just think, a little over a decade ago, if a musician wanted a music video as a promotional tool, they not only had to hire a large production company to make it happen, but the only outlet for them was TV channels like MTV, where broadcasting costs are hundreds of thousands of dollars! How did this even happen!? By the time you spend all this money, it seems that your promotional tool is no longer helping you financially, but hurting you!

Today, it’s feasible to work with music videos that are lower budget. Of course, it depends on your approach, but some artists are embracing the lo-fi style. The band OK Go, as an example, used a very simplistic approach to their videos for “A Million Ways”, and “Here It Goes Again” in 2005-2006. Both videos were widely received via Youtube and other video sharing websites. Many artists have exploited the same style videos, often only recording in one take, or one static camera angle. Some even recording themselves! Soulja Boy Tel ‘Em and Marie Digby received fame initially by releasing videos online. I can’t leave out Vampire Weekend who recorded their music video for “Cousins” in a Manhattan alleyway, with a few simple concepts: a lateral dolly move, jump cuts, and confetti. In fact, they didn’t even make an effort to hide the camera dolly itself! Not to say this is wrong, but it’s entirely different than videos of the past, where most efforts (and high dollars) were spent enforcing a “suspension of disbelief”.

With the advent of superior internet video quality, we’re now able to distribute these low budget projects to a world-wide audience at a fraction of the cost it would take to broadcast them via television. A few internet users have commented that it’s preferable, even, to watch content on their computers, rather than a television. “...Due to online music, one need not wait to watch their favorite artists perform or anxiously wait for their favorite music video to appear on the screen,” says Amit Salkar of EzineArticles.com. Others have spoken wonders about Hulu offering freedom of choice when their schedules are busy. My father has also admitted that when at work, he’ll use Youtube as a playlist for his favorite songs. With the newest technology integrating web video with household televisions and entertainment centers, internet TV seems to be the wave of the future. It offers a more personalized approach to marketing, and therefor, a more effective approach as well.

So one can’t help but wonder, what’s the future of independent music videos? What’s the next trend? I’ve seen several occurrences of episodic music videos. Artists such as the Jonas Brothers and Siran have taken this approach with an attempt to spread out a project into several promotions rather than just one advertisement per song. I have to say, I’m have not yet been swayed by this method... but maybe it will grow on me. Another trend seems to be embracing viral user-generated video. Modest Mouse has done this a couple times, but for the most part, user-generated videos are seen as copyright infringements. With advancements in 3D video, the steady decrease in equipment pricing, and the broader acceptance of guerrilla-style filmmaking, I have no doubt that many new and exciting music video trends are right around the corner.

A 3D music video? Oh heck yeah, it’s gonna happen.

Jamin' in Sunset Park

2010-04-14T13:59:00.000-07:00

Hey there!

Don't you just love those nostalgic, warm and fuzzy type of videos that just make you want to go outside and watch the sun set? Well, pun completely intended, we felt that way after putting together this short video in Sunset Park with my own father.

My father has always been into playing his guitar, whether it's electric, acoustic, blues, or rock-n-roll. Since I moved to New York City, and even as I attended college in Savannah, he's been wanting to play in the parks, just for the sake of public entertainment. He's also been wanting a clip on Youtube to share his music with the world, and so it's about time we finally killed two birds with one stone. (PETA: No birds were harmed in the making of this video).

After a nice meal, we parked ourselves on top of an old tree stump in the late evening. As my dad pulled out his guitar, a group of kids rushed over in excitement. "¡Música!" they exclaimed, and one of them even pulled out his harmonica. As you can imagine, when I pulled out my video camera a whole new level of excitement arose!

My dad chose to perform a song by Eric Clapton named "Motherless Child" because he'd recently been giving the blues a try with a new slide. With the unforeseen event that children insisted on being a part of our performance... this song couldn't have been a more perfect choice, and what a coincidence!?

The result, I feel, was very powerfully sweet, and a nice start to the spring vibe in 2010! But don't take my word for it, see for yourself!

Til' Next Time,

- Nathan

Behind the Scenes of My Hood Music Video Shoot

2010-02-24T09:29:00.000-08:00

My Hood by Dem Far Rock Boyz (Official Music Video)

2010-02-20T16:32:00.000-08:00

Hey there!

We're excited to announce that our new music video "My Hood" by Dem Far Rock Boyz is now online!

Go ahead and check it out here!

Video URL: http://vimeo.com/9194875

The fact that this video exists is a real triumph to us, considering the circumstances on set. Originally we set out to shoot Dem Far Rock Boyz' song "Out The Hood". However, upon arriving to the location in Far Rockaway, we were notified that several people we were relying on dropped off the radar! This delayed us several hours as we tried to work things out, but eventually we knew we had to come up with a plan B.

We put our heads together with Kelsey Smalls, and our decision was what you see today - we shot "My Hood" guerilla style, entirely improvised. We're happy with the outcome, and we hope you enjoy it too!

Till next time,

Nate

Hero Music Video Featured on President Obama's Website!

2010-02-06T19:36:00.000-08:00

Our music video, Hero featuring rock band Ultralust has been featured on US President Barack Obama's video website!

I was very shocked when I was e-mailed this link just two days ago by the band's lead singer, Des Del Ray. Since he's extremely busy we couldn't get the full story out of him, so it's still unclear how it was submitted.

I can't help but wonder what Barack Obama thinks about our gritty and political video... or the awesome mural on that Brooklyn apartment wall. Regardless of details, it's truly an honor that we could never take for granted and it's great to do videos that have a strong underlying purpose.

I can't wait to do more!

'Till next time--
Nathan

Hero Available on Itunes

2010-01-05T19:22:00.000-08:00

I've just received news from Des that our music video "Hero" by Ultralust has made its first few sales on itunes! Nice!

If you would like your copy, check it out here.

2010 here we come!

--Nathan

Sass N Style Workshop

2009-10-08T17:59:00.000-07:00

Psst... it's me.

Here's some good stuff folks, just off the editing bay and ready for a peek or two -- Juicy material from a really sassy New York fashion stylist named Amy Salinger. Can't miss it, folks, you just can't miss it.

You should check it out. Maybe subscribe. Maybe learn something.

... I kind of like writing blog posts in the voice of a sketchy carnival entertainer.

Later,

Nathan

Hero by Ultralust

2009-08-01T17:00:00.000-07:00

After a lengthy post production, we've officially completed our music video with New York rock band, Ultralust! It was a strenuous, and scorching 1-day shoot throughout several neighborhoods in Brooklyn. From street scenes, to a rooftop, to the interior of an art studio, we managed to shoot it all within a 12 hour day. Hows that for an accomplishment!?

Now that it's come to a close, we're in talks with the band, considering our next video. This time, I think we'll avoid shooting on a rooftop mid-summer...

Here's the video. I hope you enjoy!

Best,

Nathan

Showreel '09

2009-06-01T19:27:00.000-07:00

Order My Steps Teaser

2009-04-30T11:27:00.000-07:00

We not only produce films, but film trailers! Film Director and owner of CrazyLuLu Productions Inc., Paula Wood, has produced her second film after the highly successful award winning short "Revierie". Shoebox Story Productions and CrazyLuLu Productions, Inc. worked together to complete the project in one amazing weekend! Be sure to catch a glimpse of her film in this teaser trailer, brought to you fresh off the set by The Shoebox. Watch it here!

'til next time --

Nathan

Renegade Sally and The Shoebox

2009-03-10T11:58:00.000-07:00

We've just finished two new music videos with Virginia band, Renegade Sally. Our first, being a dark and moody piece for their hit song "A Streetcar Named Disaster". It takes place in the basement of Kenny Harrington's home, the band's composer and guitar player. View it here!

The second video, in complete contrast, is a bright and sunny take on their song "Bad People Happen To Good Things". Taking place on a playground in Spotsylvania, this video was a success, and definitely a fun experience. Click here to watch!

I hope you enjoy!

Nathan

Twin Arrows by Meredith Bragg

2009-03-01T12:10:00.000-08:00

In late September I attended the opening of the Rappahannock International Film Festival, located in Fredericksburg, VA. While there, I was awed by a performance by DC musician Meredith Bragg, and later chatted with him about doing a video for one of his songs.

Sure enough, five months later, Melyssa and I followed through with the idea, and produce this little interesting experimental video for Meredith's song "Twin Arrows". Click here to watch!

More music videos to come, from Virginia Band, Renegade Sally.

Later kids --

Nathan

quick updates (keyword, quick)

2007-09-15T20:01:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone,

Shooting is approaching quickly, and we are all working hard to complete what needs to be done. So far everything is a big success, and a whole lot has happened since day one. Here are some quick updates:

We've got real snakes for a day!
Huge changes are being made to the script in order to shorten it, so be ready to see the revised version (so far we've knocked out 3 scenes completely).
We are still looking for a location for the hospital scene!! (scary!)
We are currently working through rehearsals, and so far everyone is doing a great job.

Please stay tuned for more information folks. Things will be moving very fast very soon.

until next time,
Nathan

Putting the Pieces Together

2007-08-23T21:56:00.001-07:00

We're still going strong! The foundations for our oasis have been completed, and now it's time for the fun part... designing the details. It's been a hot, and tedious process, and we look forward to fall weather.

During the 2 week break, Melyssa and I will be departing to Puerto Rico (we're psyched!! but we'll miss you all... really we will.) While we are gone, Liz and her entourage will be working on the set some more, and Christopher Carey, our UPM, will take charge temporarily.

In other news, we've got three of four locations locked, a dog and animal trainer committed, all of our actors are locked, and our costumes, weapons, and props are being designed by three great artistic master-minds.

As for cinematography, here's what I've been doing... in case you were interested:
First of all, I'm attempting to recruit a team of gaffers to assist me. I've also been developing ways to work around the difficult safety rules applying to pyrotechnics. It looks like we'll be creating fire with a combination of flickering light, an electric grill, fans, silk sheets, and dead bamboo leaves.
Day for night tests have been done, and are still being done. The angel is coming along slowly but surely, and we have locked the actor which will be behind that costume, so the final tests will be coming into play very soon!

There is still a lot to be done though, and we're still looking for all the help we can get. We only have two hands... as strange as that may seem.

I hope everyone has had a great summer so far, and we're looking forward to putting this project together!

Until next time,
Nathan

Building the Set

2007-08-01T04:39:00.000-07:00

It has begun!

The set construction of this beast is already under-way. Liz prepared several sketches to design two different ramps, and platforms which are up to 16 feet wide by 8 feet long!

The ramps will be placed around our pond (a 15' pool with a transparent porthole for underwater photography). And once we have everything in place, we'll move on to the next phase... designing the forest, and mountain!

We'll be transporting these massive ramps via truck this weekend. PLEASE, if you have any time, and the least bit of strength, even if you only have enough strength to hand us water bottles... we need all the help we can get.

Here's where you can sign up:

Facebook: http://scad.facebook.com/event.php?eid=4167307883&pwstdfy=d25aa92176312cc1f618a3395aff2315

Email:
shoeboxstory@gmail.com

We can't wait to see this movie come to life. We all feel like the magic in this project can only come from all of the great people we're working with. Together we'll make it happen.

Best regards,
Nate

The hunt for locations

2007-06-24T21:56:00.000-07:00

One particularly difficult part of this production is finding locations that match the story. We have a large oasis in the middle of a desert in the tropics, including a pond, and two large trees.
We've actually been on quite a few difficult journeys looking for these places in Savannah. Here's our story so far...

As we set out on our trek, we knew already that it would be a heck of a search. I was quite enthusiastic about the upcoming voyage. Melyssa, however, was ready for business.

From areas like Fort Pulaski, to strange parks on the side of the road, we drove and walked miles, looking for a place that was feasable to shoot in, get permission for, and... well of course that didn't have insects and snakes which Melyssa has an intense fear for.

Finally, we headed out to Tybee Island, where we combed the sand dunes. During our search, we found a very pleasing area that we felt was definately suitable for our desert scene! It's right near the lighthouse, wedged between two sand dunes.

Dry vegetation and perfect bushes litter the sandy terrain, just as the Melyssa had imagined!

After leaving for a 2 week break, Melyssa travelled around Puerto Rico, her home town, taking pictures of tropical rainforests for inspiration.

The landscapes and forests are visually stunning, and a great way to form ideas. Too bad we can't form a budget to fly our crew down for a weekend!

Upon our return, we quickly drove to a bamboo garden that we heard much about. We spoke to the owner of the garden about our film, and it looks as though everything should be okay for producing our movie on their land!

And so we have it, two locations. Now all we need to do is figure out this pond thing...

We've got a lot ahead of us.

'Til next time,
Nate

Bamboo Garden and Meetings!

2007-06-19T22:05:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone, it is Nathan again, with those crazy rants you've missed so much. I appologize for the gap between updates. When I'm at home, my internet connection consists of an old styrofoam cup and a fishing wire. However we have made much progress despite our communication setbacks. Here's a few updates:
1) We have a location for the garden. It's a beautiful bamboo garden, and we're excited to be able to announce that! (photos to come)
2) We've got a new copy of the script for everyone, and we need to hand them out as soon as we see you!
3) We want a meetings!

We want to talk individually with all of you, to get things started. So we'll be talking soon. Hope everything's well so far this summer. We're psyched to begin working on this project!

'Till next time...
- Nate

First Meeting! Update

2007-05-25T22:06:00.000-07:00

More news, already! Me and Melyssa recently found out that there will be a senior showcase happening at the Carmike theater 7:30pm to 12:00am - conveniently sucking all the scad filmmakers away from our meeting!! So instead of Wednesday, we would like to meet on Tuesday, 8:00pm. But don't worry there will still be free food.
In other news... we've found three possible locations, pending approval as I type! Once those are finalized, they will be posted.

Good luck with finals!
-Nate

First Meeting!

2007-05-24T22:07:00.000-07:00

Hello, hello! Melyssa and I are really excited to finally set this project in motion! Today we were out looking at locations, and we've found some very cool places. I'll be posting pictures soon, for sure. We've got a lot more crew, and everyone has a lot of questions, so we've decided on holding a meeting on Wednesday, the 30th at 8:00pm. Adler Hall Rm 303. Hope to see a lot of you there! (PS, free food! WOO!)

-Nate

Contact Us

2007-01-02T19:32:00.000-08:00

Nathan Blair
cell 540-907-5603
nathan@shoeboxstory.com

Melyssa Vazquez
cell 787-955-0850
melyssa@shoeboxstory.com

About Us

2007-01-01T19:20:00.000-08:00

We'd like to say we're a major-budget Hollywood production company based in LA. We'd also like to say we're living off of that kind of salary! The truth is, we are a group of young video and film entrepreneurs, who through friendship, have formed a modest company based out of New York City. Through the years we've progressed, we have accumulated our own equipment, and worked in the field to gain experience.
Feel free to explore the content on our website to see our previous work. If you're interested in working with us, we'd love to help out! Just e-mail us, or give us a call for more info. Thanks for stopping by!