Imagine this: Watching movies, playing your favorite songs, recording videos and making phone calls all from the wrist. 

iVeyo is a company that approached Arizona Virtual Studios one month ago with the request to create several commercials for TV and for the internet.

As a production ad agency, you run into a lot of new products.  Many times Arizona Virtual Studios deals with helpful necessities but sometimes they run into superfluous products. 

iVeyo presented them with a product that is truly revolutionizing multimedia in a cell phone while accommodating anyone who wants to have their MP3 players, video camera and cell phone on their wrist. 

The cell phone watch is Bluetooth compatible and is therefore very attractive for people who enjoy sport.  There are different versions available and they all look great.  Mark Eastman – the brain behind iVeyo – asked Arizona Virtual Studios to come up with several creative ideas for the cell phone watches. 

The brains behind iVeyo, Mark Eastman with model Victoria Marchetto

The Arizona based film studio is currently producing several high impact videos that will soon be released on TV and on the internet.

They also shot many pictures with several models inside their green screen sound stage and white screen sound stage.  Photographer Andrew DeCarlo shot excellent pictures of a female and male model wearing the cell phone watch from iVeyo. 

John Koop, coo

Arizona Virtual Studios

4614 East McDowell Road

Phoenix, AZ 85008

c: 480-862-3533                    

P: 602-275-9100                 

 Join us every first Wednesday of the month at 5:00 pm.  You won’t regret it.  We will also give you a certificate with a huge discount for your next internet video production or commercial. 

 The new way of getting prospective clients is social networking.  You will get 2 minutes to talk to everyone who comes in and share business cards and marketing material.  It’s as simple as that.  Prepare your elevator speech! 

 The elevator speech that Arizona Virtual Studios has been using for a while is: 

“Arizona Virtual Studios is a Production Ad Agency.  We focus on HD production, 3D Animation and green screen technology while keeping the marketing message of our clients as primary objective.” 

 If the elevator stops (the two minutes are over), your potential client can either be interested in your service or not.  Be honest and respectful.  Write something personal on your business card before handing it to a potential client.  They will remember it so much more!  I have accumulated so many business cards during the 12 years that I have done video production and 3D animations that only a few remain in my memory banks.  Be different by writing something on your card just before handing it to your new client! 

 John Koop, coo 

Arizona Virtual Studios 

4614 East McDowell Road 

Phoenix, AZ 85008 

c: 480-862-3533 

P: 602-275-9100 

Posted via email from azvirtualstudios’s posterous

Arizona Virtual Studios brings Hollywood home using green screen technology along with 3D animation

Want to shoot footage from around the world without the costs, or make your imagination a reality, let technology do it for you. Arizona Virtual Studios helped a FOX reality channel original series do just that by providing their 33ft X 22ft custom built green and white screens and facilities for the shooting of several scenes in Sex Decoy-Love Stings. The green screen decreased the cost of building the elaborate sets, while giving total environmental control and made implementation easier.

Green screen technology and 3D animation continue to grow in popularity across the production industry. John Koop, COO from Arizona Virtual Studios, points out, "with a properly lit green screen, the creative freedom is basically limitless." Producing films more cost effectively, while bringing the most interesting areas of the world to life through technology and green screen filming, help’s producers turn imagination into reality and create the special effect scenes that sell the movies.

Green screen shot

The production industry continues to enhance and benefit many local companies here in the valley as more and more Producers and Directors come from other states to shoot video and film footage. Using local talent and experienced production studios to cut the overall cost, while taking advantage of the tax incentives brings huge value to the industry. Philip Bradstock Film Commissioner from the Phoenix Film Office explains, "The film industry, in all its many forms, has proven stable in an uncertain economy and continues to bring dollars to Phoenix businesses. When Production companies select Phoenix as the venue for their projects, hotels, retail stores, restaurants and building supply companies are only some of the beneficiaries. These projects will stimulate local businesses and create jobs." In the last decade, there has been a strong push towards special effects and green screen technology. Films and videos can be produced more cost effectively with the aid of green screen technology, since all creative can be shot in one controlled environment.

In February 2009, the Production team of Sex Decoy-Love Stings, showing on Saturdays 10p/9c utilized the Arizona Virtual Studios facility for the filming of scenes on the green screen along with white screened photo shoots. This allowed them to seamlessly incorporate any background environment, real or imagined, into the scene without actually going on location to shoot the footage, cutting production costs significantly.

For additional information on the news that is the subject of this release (or for a sample, copy or demo), contact john@azvirtualstudios.com or visit www.azvirtualstudios.com. 
About Arizona Virtual Studios: At Arizona Virtual Studios we provide HD video production and 3D animation services to increase the visibility and impact of your products, services, and clients.

Contact: 
John Koop, COO
Arizona Virtual Studios
John@azvirtualstudios.com
602.275.9100, cell: 602.790.3740
www.azvirtualstudios.com

Arizona Virtual Studios is now offering motion capturing in Arizona. 

Many games and movies these days are utilizing the powers of motion capturing.  The reason is simple: accuracy of 3D animation and speed. Now that the price of a powerful mocap system has gone down, several other industry types are able to use it relatively affordably.  Arizona Virtual Studios is now offering motion capturing in Arizona.

Motion Capturing has been used for many years in the medical industry.  The use was mainly for diagnostic reference or part of some sort of research.  Now we see motion capturing or mocap for short as a key ingredient in many movies and games. 

When a 3D animator has to create believable motion by hand on a 3D character (key framed animation), it will take an enormous amount of time, effort and skill.  Even the best 3D animator has a difficult time to perform certain complex animations on a character.   They use tools such as MAYA, Lightwave 3D or 3D Studio Max to create the correct animation by means of FK (forward Kinematics) or IK (Inverse Kinematics).  Whatever strategy the animator prefers, he or she will have to rely on moving segment by segment of the character.

Motion Capturing in general is to get an actor to perform in the manner that is consistent with the motion requirements of the 3D animated character on the screen.  Several cameras point to the performing actor in a tight suit with small reflective balls while capturing every single movement.  Another option is the use of an inertial suit where the suit has many sensors that capture the data.  There are more systems currently around and on the horizon but that will go outside of the scope of this article.

Arizona Virtual Studios has been using the VICON motion capturing system in Arizona.  They used twelve high resolution cameras with the Blade system.  The size of their sound stage is large enough to let several actors perform at the same time.  Twelve or more high resolutions cameras are needed to accurately capture motion when using more than one actor.

For information and bookings for motion capturing in Arizona, contact:

John Koop, coo

Arizona Virtual Studios

www.arizona-virtual-studios.com

4614 East McDowell Road

Phoenix, AZ 85008

c: 480-862-3533

P: 602-275-9100

Arizona Virtual Studios brings Hollywood home using green screen technology along with 3D animation

Want to shoot footage from around the world without the costs, or make your imagination a reality, let technology do it for you. Arizona Virtual Studios helped a FOX reality channel original series do just that by providing their 33ft X 22ft custom built green and white screens and facilities for the shooting of several scenes in Sex Decoy-Love Stings. The green screen decreased the cost of building the elaborate sets, while giving total environmental control and made implementation easier.

Green screen technology and 3D animation continue to grow in popularity across the production industry. John Koop, COO from Arizona Virtual Studios, points out, "with a properly lit green screen, the creative freedom is basically limitless." Producing films more cost effectively, while bringing the most interesting areas of the world to life through technology and green screen filming, help’s producers turn imagination into reality and create the special effect scenes that sell the movies.

Green screen shot

The production industry continues to enhance and benefit many local companies here in the valley as more and more Producers and Directors come from other states to shoot video and film footage. Using local talent and experienced production studios to cut the overall cost, while taking advantage of the tax incentives brings huge value to the industry. Philip Bradstock Film Commissioner from the Phoenix Film Office explains, "The film industry, in all its many forms, has proven stable in an uncertain economy and continues to bring dollars to Phoenix businesses. When Production companies select Phoenix as the venue for their projects, hotels, retail stores, restaurants and building supply companies are only some of the beneficiaries. These projects will stimulate local businesses and create jobs." In the last decade, there has been a strong push towards special effects and green screen technology. Films and videos can be produced more cost effectively with the aid of green screen technology, since all creative can be shot in one controlled environment.

In February 2009, the Production team of Sex Decoy-Love Stings, showing on Saturdays 10p/9c utilized the Arizona Virtual Studios facility for the filming of scenes on the green screen along with white screened photo shoots. This allowed them to seamlessly incorporate any background environment, real or imagined, into the scene without actually going on location to shoot the footage, cutting production costs significantly.

For additional information on the news that is the subject of this release (or for a sample, copy or demo), contact john@azvirtualstudios.com or visit www.azvirtualstudios.com. 

About Arizona Virtual Studios: At Arizona Virtual Studios we provide HD video production and 3D animation services to increase the visibility and impact of your products, services, and clients.

Contact: 
John Koop, COO
Arizona Virtual Studios
John@azvirtualstudios.com
602.275.9100, cell: 602.790.3740
www.azvirtualstudios.com

Our regular website (www.azvirtualstudios.com) will still be used as our main page.  The new website is geared towards providing our clients with specific information such as pricing and size about the green screen and white screen.  Also, it will feature several videos and pictures of past projects.  Check it out at: www.arizona-virtual-studios.com

We started out with a picture shoot and implemented our model (Leeann Dearing) in a 3D animated environment.

This message will help to let company decision makers and individuals know that we are here for them.  We are here to assist them to produce powerful and creative marketing messages.      

Branding and advertising doesn’t have to be expensive.  You can transform a small section of your company’s property (or car) into a powerful banner message.  Change this message every three month.  When the message is captivating, funny or sexy, people simply need to look at it.  It’s all about magnetizing your marketing!      

An Internet video is another powerful yet affordable tool that can drive attention your way.  Arizona Virtual Studios has a large green screen and white screen that is excellent for Internet videos.      

Let us assist you with your marketing.  We start by brand planning and brand strategy (what do you need to say to attract your target audience within your marketing budget).  Once we know what your message to your target audience needs to be, we create several tools that will assist you with getting noticed massively.  We will take you by the hand and lead you through the dense forest of marketing tools.

Video cameras have come down in price and size and this trend will probably continue for many more years to come.  With the explosive growth of online videos on social network media and company websites, we all try to captivate our audience the best we can.  Content is more important than video quality.   If however your goal is to create a marketing or promo video you will be forced to look at quality and video resolution.

What type of video camera should you chose for your next video project?

If you are looking to hire a video production company or camera man for your next commercial, internet video or any other type of video marketing, you will need to tell them the  following:

1.       The resolution for the video

2.       The minimum required quality of the camera(s)

If you are want to place your video on TV (commercials, Infomercials or DRV), ask your camera man, production company or marketing firm what the maximum resolution and quality needs to be for your chosen TV channels.  If High Definition (HD) is required, they will need to define if this is 1920 by 1080 pixels or 1280 by 720 pixels. 

After you have determined the resolution, you will also need to know what the quality requirement is for those TV stations as well as your own quality expectations.  To make a decent informed decision about the possible quality of a camera, we have to look at the camera’s chipset, compression and lens.  While there are many more factors that play a possible roll in defining quality, our purpose here is to stay as basic as we can.  Every video camera houses one or more chips that translate the light coming through the lens into digital information (pixels, color information or chroma and brightness or luma).  Video cameras that have a larger chip set will generally produce a higher quality video.  More affordable cameras have chips that are 1/3”.  These cameras are excellent for low to medium cost videos (such as the Sony Z1u).  Cameras with chipsets that are ½” in size (such as the Sony PMW-EX3 with CMOS sensors) produce significantly better picture quality.   If you have the budget want to get a superb video quality, you should go for cameras with 2/3” chips which gives you more color depth (the number of bits to store the color information).  Which the larger chips you also will notice more latitude (or dynamic range).  Latitude can be defined as the range between the brightest and darkest values of light.  The more latitude, the more detail you will find in the shadows as well as in the brightest areas of the video.

A production company, ad-agency or camera man should be able to help you with defining the minimum requirements for the cameras that are going to be used for your next project.  Arizona Virtual Studios will guide you through the whole process of selecting the right production tools.  We have three camera flavors in-house but rent from time to time a different camera if certain requirements are needed for our clients.  As a production company we receive twenty percent (we make it your twenty percent) rental discount on all cameras from our preferred vendors (such as Broadcast Rentals).      

Are film cameras out of style?

Absolutely not!  Film cameras still hold more color information and resolution.  If your company is looking for a production that is heavily focused on skin (models, beauty products) or food, we believe that a film camera is still the best option.  You will pay a lot more for the film camera and the film stock however.  Also, the capturing process – the analogue to digital conversion – is very expensive.  Talk to your production company or producer and find out what your best options are.  At Arizona Virtual Studios we pride ourselves in being flexible and “geeky”.

German Ambassadors Ball at the Hyattl Scottsdale

            Scottsdale, Arizona (Arizona Virtual Studios) November 9, 2009–  Each year the Consular Corps of Arizona has hosted the Ambassadors’ Ball.  It is basically a sponsoring event of extremely high class that helps out people and organizations in need for financial support.  The proceeds of this years Ambassadors’ Ball benefit the Consular Corps Foundation whose mission is to support Global Education, Research and Children’s International Issues.  The Consular Corps of Arizona has contributed nearly one Million dollars to those causes. It is also an excellent opportunity for Ambassadors and Consulars from around the world to meet.

This years Ambassadors Ball was in honor of Germany and the fall of her wall.  Arizona Virtual Studios (AVS) was hired to enhance the ball with video production services.  It was the fourth year for AVS to spice up the event with the projection of live and pre-recorded video and sponsor information onto several large screens.  The entertainment consisted of a German live band called “Die Musik Vagabunden” and excellent German food.  The Honorable Brad Brados from Brazil was again the master mind behind this years event.  With a much tighter working capital – due to the decrease in funding capital – he still was able to pull off a great and organized Ambassadors Ball 2009.

A quick history refresh course reveals that the German wall (actually called “the Berlin wall”) was a concrete barrier in the city of Berlin built by the German Democratic Republic located in East Germany and separating it from West Germany.  The building of the wall started in 1961.  The interesting part is that our well respected President Ronald Reagan challenging  Mikhail Gorbachev in 1987 to tear down the German wall.  In 1989 it finally happened that Gorbachev the green light for East Berlin and West Berlin to join.

Camera operator Mario Carbajal takes the wheel

Arizona Virtual Studios had to be creative with a much tighter budget than the years before.  While they were using four HD cameras in the past, this year’s budget dictated a simple one camera setup.  In this challenging economy, it is imperative for event planners and production companies to find creative ways to work with smaller budgets.  It is a survival mode that many companies might need to adapt in order to stay in business!