"New St. Lou" Video Hits the Web!

Miano.tv recently completed production of a five minute music video about St. Louis.  The video accompanies a blues musical piece composed by Paul Reuter, President of The Sheldon Concert Hall.  Paul’s song, titled “Live it Up in New St. Lou”, literally sings the praises of St. Louis; listing a few of the many attractions that make the city special (some of which are at the top of this page).

A St. Louis Produced Music Video

Considering the ambitious nature of the production, it was accomplished with a tiny budget and a crew consisting of myself, Assistant Cameraman Dave Topping, and Production Assistant Megan Schmitt.  The production involved filming local musicians Peter Martin and Lisa Campbell on the stage of the historic Sheldon Concert Hall, utilizing a jib arm and camera “slider” to allow for dynamic camera movement with a minimal crew.  The remainder of the shooting schedule – 3 days – involved shooting beauty shots of over 40 St. Louis attractions… all in the rainy month of September!  The end result?  Well, STLToday.com says “the video certainly makes our town look like the funnest (not to mention sunniest and cleanest) city you could visit.”  After viewing it, you may think we have Kansas City beat for the title of “The City of Fountains!”

What Film Equipment made it All Possible?

What made successfully meeting the short deadline and tight budget possible?  The use of an HD-DSLR rig.  This camera, along with a robust array of lenses and grip equipment, produces true HD images suitable for everything from theatrical screenings and television commercials, to the simplest web video.  The system now includes a motion control slider (sometimes called a pocket dolly) for amazingly smooth and repeatable camera moves.  Most shooting can be done with a one- or two-person crew, which makes getting in and out of locations fast and easy, without drawing unwanted attention.  Low light levels and shooting at night are not an issue with this camera.  I used the same system to produce the Videographer Award-winning Gardens Hotel video.

You can watch the “Live it Up in New St. Lou” production HERE.