Looking for the older "Weather Report" newsletter updates from the time we started it in late-2008 until whenever we broke off the newer updates on the regular Newsletter tab? Well here you go...
December 2009
First off, Rainstorm would like to wish a Merry Christmas & Happy Hanukah to everyone! The end of 2009 is upon us and Rainstorm has been quite busy during this wonderful season. We do finally have a chance to do another volume of the "Weather Report," so here's a little bit on a couple of recent projects involved with Rainstorm...
Cathedral & their Kids call on Rainstorm... 
Our old friends at Cathedral Christian Center called upon Rainstorm to film and put together a DVD for their spectacular, all original, Children's Church Christmas play "Wise Men Still Seek Him." Working closely with the play's Writer/Director Angelique La Fon-Cox and Lighting Director Jim Walden, the two camera shoot (shot with Aaron on a Panasonic HVX & Robert on a Panasonic DVX) fully allowed Rainstorm to capture the play, basked in such beautiful lighting, quite wonderfully. To help further enrich the video's final edit, Rainstorm also shot some particular scenes extensively during a live dress rehearsal. This allowed for the final edit to feature some really great close-ups of the action sequences while not blocking any audience members view during the play's live performance. Recording audio both directly from the soundboard as well as a live open air feed into condenser microphones connected to each Panasonic allowed for the final stereo audio mix to be just as great sounding as the video is great looking.
After an extensive, yet quickly handled, edit (once again taking full advantage of Avid's multi-camera functions), Rainstorm then handled the design and authoring of the DVD, as well as the duplication and custom disc design/printing. Yvonne also enjoyed her part in the project, getting to reminisce with some old friends in between passing out the final "Wise Men Still Seek Him" DVD's for a couple Sunday's following the event. Christmas-time is so special for so many reasons, and this event and project was another example of Rainstorm being blessed to participate in some really wonderful and unique projects each Christmas season. Here's hoping 2010 starts as well as 2009 ended!
Rainstorm handles Benefit Concert Filming & DVD for Performing Arts School...
More exciting event videography handled by Rainstorm came in the form of a benefit concert for a local Performing Arts School. While the budget didn't allot for a eight-camera crew like a Springsteen or Rolling Stones concert might, the client wanted as much of that multi-camera/angle look and feel of the larger scale concert videos as he could get. Working with the budget and with some shooting and editing trickery, Rainstorm was able to do just that. With longtime Rainstorm friend and collaborator JD Smith, armed with a Panasonic HVX, shooting from a balcony getting various wide, medium and close-up shots, and Rainstorm's own Aaron Hudson, with a Panasonic DVX, on the ground constantly moving behind and through the crowd, from one side of the stage to the other, getting an array of different angles and shot set-ups, The limited crew was able to get more coverage out of the concert than a typical two-camera-man crew should. It was then in the editing room where Avid Media Composers excellent multi-camera editing features helped piece together the Two-plus hour concert into a cohesive form, truly benefitting from the unique shooting style. Yvonne & Miranda helped further the post-production and DVD graphic design elements by getting some really great stills of the concert, which was a unique hybrid of different styles and artists including rap, pop, rock, hawaiian and acoustic music. Another neat element was added to the mix in that the lead singer of one of the groups performed solo at one of Rainstorm's very first live event gigs back in 2004.
Finally, Rainstorm brought all these elements together for a beautiful, fully customized, DVD that featured custom motion menus, a behind the scenes look at the concert & some slick looking, full-color, customized DVD art. Rainstorm then handled all the duplication for the discs in-house.
Portfolio Section of website Changed over & Updated...
We recently finished the time-consuming task of switching over all our portfolio videos onto Vimeo. The site offered us some things we just couldn't pass up. Loads of customization features, some storage space issues, as well as our portfolio videos not only looking fantastic in their embeds on the site here, but also now available to be seen and searched out on Vimeo.
In addiction to uploading the portfolio videos to Vimeo and updating the embedding on the site here, we had the chance to add a couple new examples to the site. Check out the different portfolio sections to view some of the work examples recently posted.
Award-Winning Rainstorm collaboration, "Phoenix Takedown," now available on DVD...
The Award-Winning short film comedy, "Phoenix Takedown: Ninja Terrorists from the Border," which Rainstorm collaborated with some long-time friends at the Midnight Pie Train with back in November, is now available on DVD through Rainstorm. The Award-Winning short brought in some great reviews and audience reactions when it premiered in front of a sold out crowd at the Harkins Scottsdale Cine Capri back in November. The DVD features both an extended "Director's Cut" as well as the original theatrical shortened version, along with some behind the scenes making of documentary shorts, alternate scenes, trailers, bloopers and filmmaker commentary among some other extras. Those interested in a copy simply need to Contact us », and mention either "Phoenix Takedown," or it's catalog number "RSV&F-527-09"
Here is Rainstorm's Aaron Hudson with long-haired Producer Lucas Boyle at the MadCap Cinema in Tempe, shortly before embarking on the filming of the short...Photo Courtesy of the IFP of Phoenix
September 2009
Award-Winning Rainstorm collaboration, "Space Broads II: Greystache's Revenge," is now available for purchase on DVD at Zia Records stores across Arizona & Nevada...
The Award-Winning Sci-Fi Comedy Short, "Space Broads II: Greystache's Revenge," which was a collaboration between Rainstorm and the Midnight Pie Train, is now available for purchase across Zia Records independent record stores across Arizona & Nevada! You can find it on the "Zia Film Festival Compilation Volume 1: You Saw Us Back When" compilation DVD for just a couple bucks.
The full-on "Space Broads II" DVD, which features both the extended 'Directors Cut' as well as the original shortened theatrical cut (which premiered to rave reviews at the Harkins Scottsdale Cine Capri in July) as well as a behind the scenes mini-documentary, blooper reel, filmmakers audio commentary, trailers and a few other goodies. That DVD is available through Rainstorm. Just Contact us, and mention either "Space Broads," or it's catalog number: RSV&F-456-09
May 2009
Not a lot of time to update, but here's a couple recent projects with Rainstorm. Have a fun Summer, but be sure to stay safe!
Mesquite calls in for more copies...
Mesquite Power was really pleased with the Safety/Instructional DVD we produced for them earlier this year. They called upon us to order up over twenty more copies of the twenty-minute disc. Here's hoping any future endeavors with Mesquite go just as smoothly!
Rainstorm
once again comes through in the clutch for Ellison Research
Our friend Josh Maxwell from Ellison Research once again needed some quick turn-around on some quicktime and windows media files that needed to be created out of a couple dozen DVDs. While going through hours upon hours of research discussions filmed behind those infamous two-way mirrors, followed by editing together clips from particular time codes, blurring out faces and creating subtitles may not seem like the most invigorating job to some, here, we always find it a nice change of pace. Though that pace is still a fast one, as we were under the gun on this project, due in turn to Josh and his own team being under the gun with their own timetable. Ultimately, we got the job done, getting Josh his we-lost-track-of-how-many-dozens of media clips for his presentation in time. As always, Josh is a supreme pleasure to work with.
More tastefully & carefully done projects with Whitney & Murphy...
Rainstorm has enjoyed a wonderful working relationship with the great folks at Whitney & Murphy Funeral Home since 2006. While that might not be anywhere near the number of years they've been in business (Well of a Hundred for those looking to count) we appreciate and are grateful for all the projects we get to work on together. In this case Rainstorm was tasked with filming and recording the funeral service to a World War II veteran, out at the Veteran's Memorial Cemetery. As always, we did our best to stay out of sight and out of the way as much as possible while also capturing the brief, though beautiful, service, which included the always emotional folding and presenting of the American Flag. Less than 24 hours later, Rainstorm had the piece edited and burnt onto a number of copies on DVD, complete with beautiful customized disc art, to present to the client in time for it to be shown at a larger funeral held inside that evening.
This came just a couple weeks after our last project with Whitney & Murphy, which was also the filming and documenting of a funeral for another Army veteran. This was a longer service, equally as moving with some wonderful stories, scriptures and the presenting of the American Flag as bagpipes played out the notes to 'Amazing Grace.'While we look forward to a continued positive relationship with Whitney & Murphy, it is bittersweet knowing it involves families and loved ones gracefully saying goodbye to those that have passed on.
New Video/Animated Rainstorm Logo...
While website visitors have certainly noticed the new Rainstorm logo and website design/layout that's been up for a while now, it's only if you've viewed a recent Rainstorm DVD release that you would have noticed the ALL NEW Rainstorm logo animation. The animation was created by Aaron Hudson, based on the new Rainstorm logo that was created by Sarah Loukota. The animation has received a great response, though there's always those partial/used to the old one. You can now check it out for yourself as our demo reel has been updated to include it in the beginning.
Busy Summer ahead...
It looks to be (and will hopefully continue to be) a busy summer for Rainstorm, as a number of projects are lined up for June so far. So far three different live events we'll be handling the videography and editing of, as well as a couple smaller duplication and tape-to-DVD/digital transfers we'll working on.
December 2008
It's been an extremely busy end to the year, but it's time to, finally, put our our first inclusion of "The Weather Report" newsletter...
La
Purisima lets Rainstorm handle retrospective DVD & weekend long
festivities…
Those EXTREMELY
tasty delicacies from the La Purisima bakery in Glendale are turning Twenty-Five, and
Rainstorm is proud to be a part of the fun. For the first part of this large project, Rainstorm is
tasked with creating a 30-minute retrospective on the bakery and it’s owners
history. Piecing together the retrospective from hundreds of pictures, home
videos, old commercials and local news spots, Rainstorm is proud of how well
the story came through the video. After recording voice over for the piece in an audio booth
with one of the Owners himself, Rainstorm edited in the V.O. and music to
perfectly go with the retrospective. After that, the last task was creating English
subtitles to go along with the V.O.
La Purisima
wasn’t just celebrating Twenty-Five years by looking into the past, but present as
well, with a weekend long list of festivities that Rainstorm was also all set
to handle. First up was the Anniversary Celebration at the Bakery and it's back-lot, full of all sorts of fun with hundreds of satisfied, long-term customers on-hand to celebrate. Rainstorm was there documenting the festivities, with Aaron filming on a Panasonic DVX and Miranda taking some
great stills. In between shooting the event and the behind the scenes action with the workers and owners of La Purisima, we were filming as many
testimonials and best wishes, with Yvonne in charge of the interviews, as
possible. Rainstorm then moved one to filming a beautiful Mass of thanks (along with a baptism) at a local Catholic
Cathedral, and then finally the anniversary banquet full of dozens of close
family, co-workers and friends. It was at this banquet Rainstorm headed up the audio and visual equipment to premiere the retrospective documentary.
Now that
the partying is over, Rainstorm’s Aaron Hudson is now in the editing room,
putting together the hours and hours of footage shot over the weekend into a
Celebration DVD that will nicely compliment the Retrospective DVD. It’s been a
long couple of weeks with lots of writing, shooting and editing, but we’re proud of the
work that’s been done for this special client, and we're also proud for La Purisima for such a
great achievement for their business. We hope their next Twenty-Five years is as
happy and successful as the last!
Rainstorm
prepares for shoot out at Mesquite Power…
2009 Looks to
start off well, with our first project already lined up, shooting a safety and
instructional video out at Mesquite Power. This project has been lined up for
quite some time, and now all the pieces and timing have come together for the
project to get underway. We look forward to serving Mesquite the same type of
professional and quality video production work as we do all our clients.
Another
personal memorial montage and Funeral video done right by Rainstorm…
In one of the
larger memorial montage tasks handed to Rainstorm for 2008, we were given
around four days to produce a Fifteen-minute memorial video for the funeral of an Army Major. With just
those four days to produce the video, we were given unlimited access to family
archives of pictures, slides, 8mm film and home video tapes by the family, which made our
task both easier and all the more extensive. In the end, Rainstorm got the job
done, turning in a fifteen minute retrospective montage/short film to the
family that got it’s share of both tears and laughter when it was shown at the
Funeral viewing.
Beyond that, Rainstorm’s Aaron Hudson was on-hand at the
Funeral with his Panasonic DVX, documenting both the Funeral and viewing, which
included some amazingly heartfelt stories and warm memories. Then it was out at the Veteran's Memorial Cemetery, capturing the dozen motorcycles, with American flags waving proudly, guiding in the Hearse and family vehicles, the short sermon and prayer, Military Gun salute and one of the most emotional scenes Rainstorm
has ever captured on film: A family grandson, as well as soldier like his Grandfather,
getting the opportunity to present the folded American flag to his own Grandmother.
As always, Rainstorm is both honored and privileged to have such personal
projects trusted to them.
The following
picture is courtesy of the Patriot Riders…
"Cold of December" heats up the competition, wins Three Awards...
The music video for "Cold of December," by the Ken Oak Band, which was shot and edited over a two week period in August and September 2008, recently premiered, through Vuze. It has received some spectacular reviews, most notably for both it's story and visual effects. At the 2008 A3F Music Video Challenge Festival, it took home three Awards: Best Story, Artist's Choice & Top-5 Film. We're really proud of the work we put into this video, and how well it all came out.
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