It was Black Friday 2017 when the company officially took on the adventure of developing 360 Virtual Reality content, by completing the first order of a 360 VR camera. One year later, Apple Inc, has this on their website!
It was around 5 years ago, when our small group got lit up when Joseph “Bazooka Joe” Valtellini got a shot at the Welterweight championship in Tokyo, Japan for Glory 13.
For a lot of us, we have led simple lives, and suddenly the world spotlight strikes close to home, involving you, your friends and family.
I usually don’t get a lot of work broadcast, but for the 3rd (or 4th) time, something I created, was pushed onto people TV sets with our fearless leader telling our story
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bqf4HGoA5B6/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet
I took this shot around 10 years ago somewhere in the Niagara region, where there are (obviously) a lot of vineyards.
This shoot was challenging because I didn’t have a lot of time, nor did I have the opportunity to scout the area because it was a private lot.
I wanted to get a high angle, so I climbed on top of a tall pole, and using the camera’s auto focus set to an area in the lower left corner, I raised the camera above my head and took several shots.
Luckily one of them came out, and it’s been in my portfolio ever since
https://www.instagram.com/p/BQPNR5iAR_5/
A little tip, when working with food, take the time to perfect what you are shooting.
For this particular commercial shoot, the scene was on display for a few seconds. Regardless, it was absolutely necessary to sift throug an entire box of cereal, selecting only the finest samples.
The same went for the berries, and bagels.
These were just props, and ultimate perfection would have been overkill and a costly one (although ideal).
However taking an hour or two to do this was worth its weight in the final shot.
Only those who know, will know.
Video professionals who have been to Vistek – Toronto and have looked overnthe edge would see this.
That time I had the opportunity to use a GoPro HERO with a Suction Cup Car Mount to film some B-Roll footage.
You would most definitely have to edit the sound out, as the rattling inside the waterproof casing was simply too much.
This was also a few minutes before I ended up driving down a wrong path and with dirt bikes and ATVs.
Definitely got a lot of strange looks ??
I would work late nights, and it seemed that every weekend (regardless of the time or weather) this man would be out on the sidewalk at Eglinton Ave West and Marlee Ave, smoking up the air with his BBQ creations.
In December 2017, as I was struggling to figure out where I should push my career to, I started to look online and discovered the 360 Video section of YouTube.
360 panorama imaging was nothing new to me, as I dabbled with it briefly in 2003 and again in 2011.
It never really stuck with me though, as the technology seemed cumbersome, and the result was just ok.
I have seen 360 video footage on the Toronto Blue Jays Facebook page in partnership with Samsung before and thought it was amazing! Especially paired up with a mobile device and the ability to look in any direction.
I looked deeper into the topic and learned about 360 cameras.
I ordered one on Black Friday and when it arrived I began to capture all kinds of moments.
I quickly learned that the Samsung Gear 360 that I got was a great tool, but it was not a professional camera.
So, I ended up deciding to invest in the future, and jumped straight into the deep end with an 8K Insta360 Pro.
I produced my first work with it in late January 2018 and a week later it was put to the test.
Almost a month later, and several tests I can say now, that I am in the 360 Virtual Reality realm!
I look forward to producing a lot more content for the web and beyond!
During the time when I was travelling to and from Brampton, Ontario filming Joseph “Bazooka Joe” Valtellini‘s training camp with Kru Paul Minhas at Ultimate Martial Arts, I would have a little downtime.
Just up the street, there was a bakery.
It was love at first taste! Every time I am in the area, I try to sneak in a grab some of these fresh cookies