Deep Sky Helps ODOT Keep the Streets Safe

Have you seen ODOT’s new PSA?  It was recently shot right here at Cine Rent West by Deep Sky, one of Portland’s premier animation studios.  Video link below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tp-oVOY9Lu4

Alright, we know what you’re thinking… That highway trooper’s action figure rap verse makes you want to obey every traffic law ever made, right?  We feel the same and haven’t been this moved by a well-executed jingle in a very long-time. But let’s not let that distract us from the amazing production prowess of Deep Sky Studios.  

The persuasiveness of the animated items are driving ODOT’s message, which has never been more important. Just as the highway trooper action figure stated, there is now a max $1000 fine for distracted driving, and for good reason. Between 2013-2017, there have been 12,006 crashes in Oregon caused by distracted driving, resulting in 95 fatalities and 18,429 injuries.  If that’s not serious enough for you, three offences in 10 years will land you 6 months in jail!

This obviously isn’t Deep Sky’s first animated rodeo.  They’ve been creating top-notch content for big brands since 2006.  Learn more about their work right here: http://deepskystudios.com/

Did You Forget About Your Old Friend Tungsten?

These days, you can’t talk about lighting on set without LED this or LED that. Don’t get us wrong, we know it’s the future.  That’s why we’ve been collecting a healthy supply of ARRI Skypanels in our equipment room.

Nevertheless, we’ve found that sometimes the classic warm orange hue of a tungsten bulb cannot be replaced. So, if you’re not feeling blue, we have a unique inventory of Mole Richardson lighting available for your next production.

Many might argue that tungsten fixtures are too hot and draw too much juice, but that’s why we have a strong AC system with 1800 amps of power on stage.  These raw and robust features are what create the color-balanced light quality that everyone loves in a tungsten bulb, so don’t be afraid of them. They’re also built to last for years and years, giving you dependable results on set.

Here is a quick list of what we currently have on hand:

(1) 10′ x 30′ Chimera F2 Light bank

(1) Big Eye Tenner

(2) Studio 10k

(2) 6K Barger Baglight with large and med Chimera

(8) 5k Studio Senior

(2) 5K Baby Senior

(13) 2k Studio Junior

(4) 2K Baby

(9) 1k Baby

(4) 600w Tweenie

(4) 200w Midget

(4) 650w Teenie

(5) 2k Mighty Mole

(8) 1k Mickey-Mole

(3) 575w Source 4 Elipsoidal light

(6) 750w Source 4 Par light

(3) 750w Source 4 25-75 Zoom

(8) 6k Spacelights

(2) 9 Light Mole-Par Maxi-Brute

(5) 9 Light Mole-Fay

(1) 5 Light Mole-Fay

(1) 6 Light Mole-Fay

(2) 2 Light Mole-Fay

(1) Dedo Light kit (4 heads)

Give us a call today and schedule a tour of our studio: 503-228-2048

Is the NAB Show Dead?

For nearly 30 years, the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) has hosted the world’s largest annual trade show for media, entertainment and technology in Las Vegas. Their self-described tagline, “Where Content Comes to Life”, has recently been tested with a declining turnout.

In 2018, the association released numbers showing a 10% decrease in attendance and we’ve heard from people on the ground that 2019’s numbers might be even lower. If it’s not dead yet, it seems to be dying…

While overall attendance has slowly dwindled, there have been increases in both the number of exhibitors and the cost of exhibiting at the event. Currently, exhibit space starts at $31/sq.ft. for the least desirable locations.  With over 1 million square feet of exhibit space at the venue, think of all the Benjamins they’re raking in from the exhibitors. It might begin to feel like a bit of a racket if you’re paying top dollar to expose your brand to a dwindling base.

Could it be that changes in our advertising landscape are contributing to this trend? We’ve seen stakeholders in traditional broadcast advertising compete for diminishing sales while streaming services only continue to grow. So, maybe the internet has something to do with it? As companies get more savvy with new product releases through social media, perhaps the production industry doesn’t need the NAB show as much as it used to?

The truth is, we don’t know for sure, but maybe you think you do.  Please let us know, we’d love to hear your opinion.

A Quick Tour of the New Facility

Sometimes it feels good to toot your own horn, which is why we’d like to give you a quick tour of our new facility. We had a lot of help from our community and we sure are proud of how it all came together. Clearly, we’re seeking peer approval, so please excuse us while we boast about it.

To start, here is a quick shot of the Soundstage. It’s like a big beautiful blank canvas, just sitting here, awaiting your creative energy.

Through the hallway lies one of our favorite parts of the studio, the Kitchen and Lunchroom.  With rustic reclaimed wood, it resembles a great hall fit to host a royal feast. So much so, we’ve already had numerous wedding venue requests.

Circling back through the adjacent hall, we have the Production Office.  In the small amount of time we’ve been open, many a producer have complimented the speed of our fiber internet and the amazing natural light that inhabits this room.

Back through the Soundstage and under the stairs lies the entrance to the Green Room.  Featuring all of the comforts a talent could want, this space was specially designed to cultivate the makeup artist/actor relationship.

Lastly, (*toot*toot*), and just up the stairs, we have the Client Lounge and Conference room.  Like a monarch watching over their kingdom, this area provides a strategic and private view of the entire production.  When looking up from below, it’s clear who’s in charge.

There is so much more to this place that cannot be experienced within the limited perspective of this page, so we implore you to give us a call and schedule a visit in person.  Thank you for following this brag of a tour, it felt pretty good!

Old Guild’s Lale — Lewis and Clark Exposition (Photo: Robert A. Reid, Portland)

Nestled on the corner of 31st and Nicolai, our new and improved sound-stage sits right on the borderline of the Guild’s Lake Industrial Sanctuary.  What’s an industrial sanctuary you say? Well, it’s just Portland’s way of saying, “sorry, you can’t build apartments here”. 

Large productions have been much easier to accommodate with the abundance of free on-street parking.  Finding an open space at our old location was like trying to play darts with spaghetti. Not only was it a challenge, but it was often messy.

We’ve had a blast getting to know the new neighborhood and it’s not just because of all the breweries and tasting rooms.  It’s also been the beautiful scenery. Forest Park, one of the largest urban forests, is just a stone’s throw away.

Since the establishment of the sanctuary in 2001, Oregon’s manufacturing sector has grown immensely, and the entire area now plays a crucial role in our economy.  In fact, before the city rezoned Guild's Lake, manufacturing only accounted for about $9 billion of Oregon's economy, but that grew to $74 billion by 2013 with the implementation of the sanctuary.

We're happy to report that we're loving this new location and we look forward to hosting your next production. Learn more about Portland's NW Industrial district right here:  http://nwindustrial.org/

Who else is getting excited about Portland Design Week?

Amazing things always happen during the Spring, but we’re not just talking about the flowers budding and the birds chirping. We’re also talking about Design Week, where Portland’s creative community gathers together to celebrate and collaborate on new and innovative ideas.  This year’s festival represents a wide variety of disciplines with over 500 events and open-houses across the whole city.  Does that sound overwhelming?  That’s OK, it’s not humanly possible to attend every event, so we’ve highlighted a few that we’re excited about!

Monday, April 8th – “Storytelling & Production: Insight into Oregon’s Media Production Industry” -- Our friends at the OMPA will be hosting this event with local industry leaders as they discuss interactive storytelling and production.  We’ll also get an understanding of how media production has evolved and grown throughout Oregon. Event link: here

Wednesday, April 10th – “Sound Perspectives: The Art of Music Placement in Film, TV and Trailers” -- Good music supervision is important on so many levels for almost every audio/video project. The feeling it brings from scene to scene can often be overlooked.  Luckily, Marmoset will be hosting a panel of experienced music supervisors as they discuss their process of placing the perfect song and more.  Event link: here

Thursday, April 11th – “Amplifier: A multi-sensory tasting experiment at The Jupiter Next Hotel” -- What happens when a sound designer, a visual artist, and a mixologist collaborate?  Find out at the Jupiter Next Hotel with AIGA Portland.  Attendees will journey through three rooms that all inhabit a different mood and surrounding theme.  Each room will also have it’s own featured cocktail of course! Event link: here

Alright, now get out there and innovate. Find a the full list of events happening all over town right here.

Why is it called a “green room” anyway?

When you have happy talent, it makes for a happy production.  So, it’s important for actors and models to have everything they need on set, even if it is a bowl of only red M&M’s.

We knew this when we built our green room at Cine Rent West, which is why we’ve worked so hard to make it as accommodating as possible.  While spending a few days building out new mobile vanities with bi-color mirrors, it made us wonder: Why is it called a “green room” anyway?   

It turns out, no one really knows for sure on the specific origin, but the term dates back to the medieval times in the theatres of London. Our favorite theory is that actors used to practice their scripts in a plant-filled room. The moisture from the foliage was supposedly a benefit for the actor’s voices.  As we watched students around world walk out of classes last week in support of a green new deal, we're thinking that we should probably take a hint and add some plants of our own.

Now a days, green rooms are not always green, but they’re often filled with bizarre backstage demands.  In a contract rider, David Hasselhoff once requested a life-sized cardboard cutout of himself for his dressing room, while Lady Gaga reportedly asked for a mannequin with pink hair.

All we can say is that we’re excited to have a fresh new space for talent to prepare, so that they can deliver their best performances.  Feel free to check out our green room at the following link: http://www.cinerentwest.com/green-room-make-up-lunch-room