We published a blog a few weeks ago about citizen journalism, where we recognized  the idea that just about anyone can be a videographer, or at least wear a videographer’s hat for a day. Modern technology has given countless people access to the kinds of tools needed to capture relevant news footage as it’s happening. The rise of citizen journalism means that virtually anyone can report on virtually any event.

Periscope is taking that idea to a whole new level.  

“It may sound crazy, but we wanted to build the closest thing to teleportation,”  the company wrote in a post on its website. Periscope, which was acquired by Twitter in January, allows users to stream live video from their iPhone, and has amassed a whopping 10 million registered users. A TechCrunch article said that as of mid-August, all of the app’s users combined were streaming over 350,000 hours of video a day. All in all, that means that collective amount of video streamed on the app is equal to over 40 human lifetimes.

Periscope will eventually become more than just an iPhone app – (or at least that’s what people are saying.) It’s been rumored that the company is developing an app for the new Apple TV that will allow users to watch live Periscope footage on their TV screens. In another article, TechCrunch reported that Apple TV will function like the Periscope website, which allows users to watch live footage but, of course, limits them when it comes to uploading their own streams.

So, what are people watching on Periscope? Well, there’s TIME’s live footage from the migrant crisis on the Hungarian border, as well as a few popular live streams Apple’s big event, including a firsthand look at the new iPad Pro and a post-event chat with Verge reporter Casey Newton. You can check out these newsworthy “recent streams” on the app right now, but Periscope makes it really easy to access other streams, too. It’s not all about following the big news channels. Periscope also functions sort of like a hybrid mix of Snapchat and Skype because it allows users to watch live streams from their contacts, but its structure is that of a social network.

We love everything about Periscope, because it really complements what we’re doing for video here at Wispeo. We believe that life should be captured from every angle and that those stories should be shared and connected in the most convenient and advanced ways available. If you want to send large video files, you can use Wispeo to do it in the highest possible quality.

And, just like Periscope, Wispeo will soon be available on iPhone and Android devices. Sign up so you can be the first to know when the apps are available!

UPDATE: Wispeo is now mobile! Get the easiest way to share videos and photos from your phone in the App Store or from Google Play.

The post Periscope: Watching the Uncut Stories appeared first on Wispeo.

“A story is a story whether you shoot in 4k or 1080p.”

The problem was, Tristan wasn’t sure that he wanted to direct.  He had dreamt of being an actor since he was young. In fact, when Tristan started college at City College of New York, he declared a major in acting his freshman year – even though the school advised first-year students to wait before declaring. “I’ve spoken to a lot of actors,” Tristan said, “and it turns out to be exactly the same thing. We all wanna declare acting right away. Acting is such a crazy thing to pursue, there’s nothing that can really talk you out of it.”

Tristan was sure he wanted to act. So sure, that when a director at NYU approached him and asked him to transfer after he’d spent a few years at CCNY, Tristan said no. NYU’s acting program didn’t allow students to actually get on stage until they’d been in the program for a few years, and Tristan didn’t want to wait.

“I’ve spoken to a lot of actors, and it turns out to be exactly the same thing. We all wanna declare acting right away…There’s nothing that can really talk you out of it.”

So he stayed enrolled at CCNY, and he acted. He enjoyed acting so much that he dreaded taking a directing 101 course that was required for the completion of his degree. “I put up a fight. I told my teacher, ‘what do I need this crap for?’ Eventually I was like, fine. But I’m gonna complain about it,” he said jokingly.

Tristan was surprised when he liked the class. Soon, he started to recognize “all of the little tricks” directors used on him to get results.

After Tristan worked on The Fantastics for CCNY, he realized he could direct. For Tristan, finding unique ways for actors to convey meaning and better understand the perspectives of their characters was one of his most important roles as a director. “I basically wanted to be a therapist, but I didn’t wanna go to med school,” he said. “You’re taking on everything that they [actors] have in their day. You’re trying to get them to be a character that they are not ready for.”

Tristan was divided. He’d spent his college career preparing to become an actor, but he’d developed an even greater passion for directing. It came down the pivotal 24-hour period – Blizzard Entertainment had offered him a job, but Tristan had received another call that same day – from an old director who offered him an opportunity to act. Tristan talked to his current director before he made his decision. “He said, ‘what are you enjoying right now?’ And I said, ‘directing,’ so I went to California and started my new job.”

His first project with Blizzard Entertainment was a South Park episode called, “Make Love Not Warcraft.” “We won an Emmy for that,” he said, nonchalantly. “We went down to South Park studios. I would sit down with Matt Stone and Trey Parker and we would talk about the show – what made sense in the game, what didn’t.”

Tristan spent four and a half years at Blizzard before technology started catching up with him. Eventually, the team at Blizzard found ways to automate the films he was making, which removed the interpersonal interaction that Tristan loved. Faced with another big decision, Tristan decided to leave the company. “I was going to pick up, and I was gonna start a business,” he said. “So I moved to New York.”

It was hard to start a photography business in New York. “You can make a plan, but at the end of the day you don’t really know where you’re gonna land,” Tristan said. He didn’t like jumping through hoops to photograph New York agency models.  “A young girl right off the boat holding onto the arm of a 60-year-old man in some shifty nightclub, was called ‘networking,’” he said. The environment associated with photography in New York made Tristan dislike his own craft, and he wanted to make a change. “When you have a plan and that plan is not going accordingly, it’s hard to change gears quickly,” he said.

The answer, he discovered, was working with dancers. He would go to ballets and shows to meet potential clients, and finally networking became something he enjoyed.

Tristan has mastered several different roles – though ironically, several have been off the stage. Though his career is in flux, he excels at everything he’s done. After founding Tristan Pope Photography, he would go on to stretch the boundaries of modern storytelling by creating the first short films shot on an iPhone 6. Tristan pays attention to what’s fulfilling him at the moment. “I was once told that if you can’t wake up and think you are doing what you love, it’s not the job for you,” he said. “Every day that thing, for me, might be different.”

“I would sit down with Matt Stone and Trey Parker and we would talk about the show – what made sense in the game, what didn’t.”

When he filmed Dancers of NYC, he recognized that the iPhone 6 had a slow motion setting. This made footage more interesting, he explained.  “Instead of capturing that perfect jump, frozen in time – to be able to show lead up and exit with that move…It was a new way of interacting.” Tristan got the iPhone 6 the day it came out, filmed 15-17 dancers for 3 days, and edited the footage on the 4th day. Since then, the film has won several awards, including the 2014-2015 Nikon Photo Contest. Following the film’s success, Tristan has since followed up with Dancers of Zurich.

“I was once told that if you can’t wake up and think you are doing what you love, it’s not the job for you. Every day that thing, for me, might be different.”

He said he never felt limited by the iPhone. “The image quality was extremely acceptable,” he said. “At times, I think it’s better than my Canon – minus the depth of field and what you would get with the $3,000 lens – but that [Dancers of NYC], inspired me to start the Kickstarter for Romance in NYC.”

Romance in NYC Trailer 2014 from Tristan Pope on Vimeo.

Romance in NYC has been deemed “the first short film on an iPhone 6,” and it’s won an impressive amount of awards. It won at the 2015 New Media Film Festival in LA, the 2015 iPhone Film Festival, the 2015 International Movie Trailer Festival. It was also part of the official selection at the Madrid International Film Festival, the New Filmmakers of New York, and the International Mobil Film Festival.

“I was going to pick up, and I was gonna start a business. So I moved to New York.”

Tristan filmed the entire thing with an iPhone from the first person point of view. He worked with an indie-budget to produce the film, but said that he didn’t run into too many issues. Although, when filming the film’s restaurant scene, a lot of grain was introduced into the footage. “I was like, this is going to look  terrible,” he said. It turned out the the footage ended up looking like film grain, and Tristan said he was taken aback by the quality. 

“With any piece like this where you talk about mobile filmmaking, there’s gonna be a backlash. It’s like an argument of a foreign car vs an American, or Apple vs Android, or Mac and PC,” Tristan said. But what’s important, he stressed, is the story. “I believe it’s [the iPhone] is the best medium for telling people the stories that I want to tell. There’s this quote going around, that apparently I said but didn’t realize – ‘a story is a story whether you shoot  in 4k or 1080p.’”

Tristan plans to use whatever technology he can get his hands on to communicate meaning to his audience, and he says he’ll  continue to battle against conventionality, drabness, repetition, and rules.

Connect with Tristan at www.tristanpope.com

Or on Instagram: tristanpope

Interested in reading about other dance videographers like Tristan? Check out B-Boy ChazB from Glasgow, Scotland.

Wispeo is now mobile! Get the easiest way to share videos and photos from your phone in the App Store or from Google Play.

The post Telling Stories in 1080p: A Profile on Award Winning Director Tristan Pope appeared first on Wispeo.

‘The Wild‘ featuring Noah Beschen is the 2015 REDirect Surf Film Festival Grand Prize Winner.

“Presented by RED Digital Cinema & Surfer Mag. REDirect Surf was a filmmaking competition to see who can create the most unique and original surf short of the year using RED Dragon 6K cameras provide by RED. 11 film makers were hand selected to participate and after 10 weeks of filming and 4 weeks of post production all films were submitted. The distinguished panel of judges included Taylor Steele (World Renowned Surf Film Maker), Jarred Land (CEO of RED) as well as Director of Point Break 2, Grant Elis (Editor of Surfer Mag), and Jamin Jannard (Founder of RED son).”

Aaron Leiber won the competition for his short film featuring 15-year-old prodigy surfer, Noah Berschen, REDirect announced a few weeks ago. The winning film, The Wild, is appropriately titled. It opens with footage that manages to seem peaceful and ominous at the same time and closes with footage of Noah expertly navigating through the waves on his surfboard. According to RED’s site, Aaron brought home an EPIC DRAGON valued at $50,000, as well as all of the RED gear he used to shoot the winning film.

Aaron told us a little about what it was like to make The Wild:

W: You swam with sharks to get some of this footage. Did you have to take any precautions to stay safe?
AL: We went out with a boat tour called @islandviewhawaii and they had a diver in the water to make sure we were “safe.” Obviously anytime you get in the water with sharks and are not in a cage there is risk involved. But it’s calculated risk and for the most part the type of sharks we were swimming with get scared and swim off if you make a lot of splashes. Its all about staying really calm and relaxed so that the sharks feel comfortable and then they will swim up close and check you out. Its really an awesome experience. Sharks are dramatized in the media and are seen as this evil creatures lurking in the dark just waiting to attack you. And that just is not the case. Sharks are curious creatures, they make mistakes, but humans aren’t their source of food.

W: At first, The Wild is really surreal, and then at about 2:31, the vibe really changes. Things really speed up. What do you think you accomplished when you set up the footage this way? Can you walk us through your creative vision?
AL:  Well this was a film making competition and I felt that there were a lot of boxes to check in order to win. Although this was a “surf film” specific competition I knew a lot of the judges weren’t just going to be looking just at that aspect of it. So the intro for me was an opportunity to tell a visual story. Tell a short story of where Noah is at in his life, the world he lives in, a vision of how he wants to conquer his world. Then the shift to action is to be true to the sport. To showcase every possible angle I could get with a RED in 10 weeks and showcase Noah’s talents at 14 years old. I also used the intro as a way to draw in viewers who aren’t necessarily surfers, I wanted the intro to be something everyone would want to watch and if I did it right, hopefully re-watch.

W: You’ve shot surfers like John John Florence and Bethany Hamilton. What was it like to work with Noah? What made him the right fit for The Wild?
AL: I’ve been working with Noah since he was 9 years old. I’ve made 1 or 2 short videos with Noah for the last few years. So for me this was an evolution of that. But simultaneously I knew that all the other competitors in this competition would be making a project with adults. Noah being half everyone’s size makes him stand out so for me it was a unique opportunity to create something that look and felt similar to everyone else’s projects, but completely different because Noah is so much younger.

W: You say that The Wild represents how teenage years can be pretty wild. Was Noah the inspiration for this theme?
AL: Noah was totally the inspiration. But my own life, everyone’s teenage years are Wild. I really enjoyed reading Lord of the Flies in high school. And I wanted to rift off that a little as well. One quote I really liked from the book was “The thing is – fear can’t hurt you any more than a dream.” And I think that says it all.

W: How did you choose the music for the video? Did you have the tracks selected before you started filming, or did you add them later?
AL: I chose the music during the making of this project. Then I had Nash Howe come in and do all the sound design. Without good sound design the visuals just aren’t as appealing.

W: Why do you think you won? What is it about your submission that you think stood out from the others?
AL: I think my entry stood out because of the sound design and all the post work my friend Octave Zangs helped with. He did all the color correction and took 3 different locations (Hawaii, Mexico, Tahiti) and made all the water color look similar. I tried to produce a piece that was more of an experience than just a short film… something you want to share with your friends. I don’t really know its kinda an awkward question. I am just really passionate about what I do and it was so much fun to have an opportunity to create exactly what I wanted.

W: In what ways has this win impacted your career? What’s next for you, career-wise?
AL: I am not sure how it will impact my career. I was invited to be on G-Technology G-Team which is really exciting. Hopefully I’ll get hired to do more cool projects! Time will tell  Career wise I still am working with Bethany on Surfs Like A Girl, that will come out late 2016, spring 2017. Also working with Alana Blanchard on a short project and LifeProof phone cases on some stuff as well.

Connect with Aaron: www.lieberfilms.com

or on Instagram: lieberfilms

Wispeo is now mobile! Get the easiest way to share videos and photos from your phone in the App Store or from Google Play.

The post REDirect Winner Aaron Lieber: on Filming “The Wild” appeared first on Wispeo.

In fact, the Graava website features a quote by Forbes writer Ryan Mac. It says, “Watch out GoPro.”

According to Forbes’ article on the company, Graava CEO Bruno Gregory got the idea for the smart cam when he almost got hit by a car while cycling. Luckily, he was wearing a GoPro. After reviewing the footage of the incident, he prosecuted the driver who nearly killed him. Gregory reportedly dreamt up Graava following the experience – after he had to sift through hours of boring biking footage to finally find the moment when the driver almost ran him off the road.

Anyone who wants to capture great action shots has relied on GoPro cameras to do the job, but Gregory has a point – you can shoot hours of footage on a GoPro before capturing the amazing (or in his case, not so amazing,) footage that you really want to edit and share with friends.

Editing video shot on a GoPro can be really tedious.

The Graava is incredibly small – like, the size of a box of Tic Tacs. And according to the Graava site,the camera shoots in HD 1080p 30 fps, or 720p 60 fps. Hyperlapse footage can be shot in 4k. So the camera shoots in crazy-high resolution despite its size. But that’s not why people are talking.

Graava is waterproof and durable – like a GoPro. But it’s most impressive feature? Built-in editing software. Graava sensors have the ability to detect direction, movement, light, and acceleration. The camera comes with two high quality microphones, a speaker, and has an auto image rotation option that allows user to record either vertically or horizontally. Graava even features a sensor that tracks your heart rate, so it knows when you’re filming something exciting.

The camera’s crowdsourcing option may be of particular interest to action videographers who work on a team. The camera’s GPS system can link up to nearby Graava cameras, and gives videographers the option of editing footage together to capture multiple angles.

The camera also takes care of post-production. It will add and trim your music for you.

When it’s done cutting your footage, the Graava app will edit the footage a second time – to fit  whichever social media site you want to share it on, since sites like Instagram have a 15 seconds time limit for video posts.

The Graava cam will become available in early 2016 and will cost $400 (You can grab it for $250 if you preorder it now).

Once you get your Graava and all of your sweet action footage, use Wispeo to share the full resolution HD videos with your family and friends.

Wispeo is now mobile! Get the easiest way to share videos and photos from your phone in the App Store or from Google Play.

The post “Watch Out GoPro,” Says Graava appeared first on Wispeo.

Troy said his career really began when he picked up a skateboard. Eventually his passion for skating led him to a camera. When Troy started filming his friends’ tricks, he wanted to emulate the work of legendary skate videographers like Brain Farm’s Ty Evans. He started filming for fun, though he admittedly knew next to nothing about how to operate a camera.

Since then, he’s shot countless skate videos and built an impressive portfolio. He’s been invited to help out shooting footage for DC Shoes, where he was able to shoot several top name pros. He also helped shoot a promo video for skating pro Chris Cole. Troy has also filmed advertisements for businesses and startups and worked as a production assistant on the set of Furious 7.

I asked Troy how he liked working on the set of Furious. “I prefer more action. It’s a little slow for me,” he said. “I like things moving. I like action. I prefer filming action sports.”

At heart, Troy is a skater and an athlete, which is why he seems to be cut out for a career in a specific field. He describes his style as somewhat unstructured and prefers unscripted stories. He’s humble and easygoing, and eager to give credit where credit’s due.

“I have a friend who is a video producer for the skateboard section at DC Shoes. He’s definitely someone I look up to,” Troy said. That friend is Ty Evans’ protégé, Chris Ray, whose background ESPN described as the “success story every young kid wants.”

Like Ray, Troy has spent a good amount of time in Reno, Nevada. Both videographers took a hands-on approach to shooting footage, initially guided by only ambition and uncanny natural ability. “To be honest, when it comes down to it, I have what I would say is a natural talent, and an eye for what looks good,” Troy said.

So what goes into filming a skate video? Troy said he likes to keep things unscripted, but he still tells a story every time he shoots a video by capturing the environment around the athlete, as opposed to just filming trick after trick. “I might just show everything that’s going on, so you get the feeling of being there,” he said. Troy captures his footage on multiple Canon and Panasonic cameras. When he’s able to he uses a Red Scarlet, which shoots in 4 and 5k and costs upwards of $20,000. “It’s very expensive to be relevant today,” he said.

But it’s sheer talent that’s brought him this far. What’s it take to start a career in skate videography? In Troy’s case, it’s a willingness to work tirelessly, a natural eye for what looks good, and a tendency to get bored on the set of Furious 7. It’s clear that Troy’s going to film until he gets where he wants to be.

Find Troy Gray on YouTube and follow him on Instagram: @troygray15

Wispeo is now mobile! Get the easiest way to share videos and photos from your phone in the App Store or from Google Play.

The post Working With the Pros: A Profile on Videographer Troy Gray appeared first on Wispeo.

There are several rules we’ve relied on as we’ve constructed our brand message here at Wispeo. We wanted to write about our experience with a few of these tried and tested tips… and we also want to talk about all the times we’ve broken the standard rules and gotten even better results.

Know Your Brand
All good marketers know the importance of understanding their company’s brand and its assets. In most cases, a company’s real assets remain the same no matter what strategies content marketers employ to increase user engagement and public awareness. Knowing what your company has to offer is the first step towards an effective marketing strategy.

Our company makes it really easy to send big files – securely, easily, and in the highest quality. You can send any kind of attachment on wispeo.com, but there are special features on the site that were designed specifically to make sending large video files really easy. Some of Wispeo’s biggest perks are its video transcoding options. With Wispeo, you can make sure that your video gets to your recipient in the highest quality and in the correct format.

So we began marketing Wispeo with our unique brand assets in mind. We wanted to take a step away from the techie jargon and help our users understand that “file transfer” is a lot easier than it sounds.

That’s what we’re about. Making things easy.

…But Don’t be Scared to Modify it
One of the best parts about marketing for a startup? You have some time to figure out your brand. There is some leeway. Don’t expect your first idea to work. You might understand your company assets, but it does takes a little bit of testing to find out where your brand has room to grow, or change. (If you haven’t yet, take a look at Telegraph’s article featuring how 20 popular websites looked when they first launched.)

When we started talking about our company brand, we were sure about one thing – none of us knew what it would look like a decade from now.

Stay Loyal to Your Target Audience…But First, Find it
No matter what your brand message is, you need to know who will be using your product – especially if you want to make sure that the people who need your company know it exists.

Like we mentioned before, Wispeo is the ideal way to send files of any kind. But what makes it particularly unique is its ability to send large video files in high quality. It’s the perfect tool for videographers who want to switch files between devices, send video to clients, or collaborate with colleagues. In fact, it’s pretty dang useful for videographers and photographers alike… If you’re a photographer, we bet you’ve ran into issues  sending RAW images via email at some point. Wispeo makes it pretty easy to get around the waiting and speed up your workflow.

Go Cross-Channel…and Don’t be Scared of Your Online Voice
What you’re creating a brand message, its important that you make sure you’re covered on multiple platforms. First, you need to determine what platforms are going to be the most useful for your company.

In case you didn’t know already, we manage a blog. But we’re also on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. We like to focus on every platform when we market, which is why whenever we publish a blog post, we advertise the post on other social media channels too. We like to keep our voice consistent with our brand message – but we aren’t scared to change it up a bit depending on which platform we use. (Meaning we turn up the humor on our Twitter feed.)

Wispeo is now mobile! Get the easiest way to share videos and photos from your phone in the App Store or from Google Play.

The post Marketing Tips For Startups (Or What We’ve Learned So Far) appeared first on Wispeo.

Several apps and solutions have been created to address this problem specifically. iPhone users can use Airdrop to transfer files from an iPhone to a Mac, or between iPhones. Similar services like Pushbullet’s Portal app and Filedrop make it easy to share files as long as you have a wifi connection.

Other apps are focusing on re-sizing images to make it easier to send them via email or SMS. JPEGmini is an app that re-compresses JPEG files up to 80 percent. Today TechRadar published a feature on the app, which is supposed to make it easier for photographers to compress images and retain image quality. It’s no secret that smaller image sizes make it easier to transfer and share images between devices, (not to mention epitomize the editing process.) The JPEGmini premium app is available on iTunes, and costs $19.99. Users can download the free version, but are only allowed to re-size up to 20 images a day at no cost.

The file transfer solutions mentioned above make it easier to move media, but most of them come with a catch. Airdrop, Portal, and Filedrop work best with a wifi connection, and are mostly designed for sharing smaller-sized files. If you need to re-size more than 20 images a day, JPEGmini is an expensive option. Also, the app only works with photos. So, if video is your thing, you’ll need to find another way to transfer your files while retaining quality.

Wispeo combines the best features from every file sharing solution.

You can use Wispeo for free, and you can transfer as many files as you need to at any give time. You really don’t need to resize your photos to make them easier to transfer, either. If you use Wispeo, you can send large files in their original format. In fact, you can send up to 3GB of files at a time, and they’ll reach their destination in the highest quality regardless of their size.

Want to see for yourself? Give it a try at wispeo.com.

Wispeo is now mobile! Get the easiest way to share videos and photos from your phone in the App Store or from Google Play.

The post How We’re Making “File Transfer” Far Less Complicated appeared first on Wispeo.

W: Can you tell us how you got your start?

MG: I always loved taking photos with my phone, and over time my interest in photography grew. One day, my dad came home with a DSLR, and since then I have worked on getting better and making every photo something I can be happy with.

W: What is your biggest inspiration?

MG: There are plenty of photographers and Instagrammers that inspire me a lot – Elizabeth Gadd, for example, or Cole Rise. Or my friend Dominik Martin, who inspires me a lot because he’s such a passionate photographer, and I learned a lot from him. But my biggest inspiration is and for sure always will be nature itself. It’s always my goal to show nature as beautiful as possible in my photos.

W:How would you describe your style?

MG: I’m still trying to figure out what my style is, but at the moment, I guess my style is often dark and mysterious. But when I feel like it, I make bright pictures, which are all about the colors and the light.

W: Where are your favorite spots to shoot?

MG: One of my favorite spots to go is Lake Blindsee in Austria, it’s such a beautiful colored mountain lake. When it comes to mountains, I recommend Hochgrat, a mountain with a fantastic view and really photogenic hiking paths.

W: What kind of equipment do you use?

MG: If I was not a student, I’d definitely have a full frame, but I’m shooting with a canon 1100D with which I often push my limits. I shoot all my pictures with a 50 mm lens and a 18-55 mm lens. Sometimes I also shoot with my iPhone. In the future, I plan to do analog photography because I really love analog photography and I need to try out the Jujica AX-1 I have.

W: Tell us the story behind one of the photos we’re featuring – why did you choose that photo to send?

MG: The photo of the road that leads through the woods is taken in my favorite woods. I actually photograph this road nearly every time we are there, which happens like every weekend. This scenery is such a great motif and it’s great to see how it changes.

W: What challenges have you had to overcome in the industry?

MG: It’s still a challenge for me to find my place as a photographer. There are still so many great photographers that it’s hard to fit into this industry. And it’s always hard to try to be better than someone who has more opportunities than you to travel or more time.

W: Do you have any special techniques? Do they define your style?

MG: I don’t really have something special techniques, but I try to photograph a lot with my 50 mm fixed focal length. And what defines my style are the edits I do in Lightroom. It’s awesome how you can style your pictures with it.

W: How do you see your career progressing?

MG: I hope I’ll be able to do more for my photography career after school and maybe reach out more to people who follow my photos.

Connect with Monika:

                 Instagram: @burninghaze

                 Tumblr: iamburninghaze.tumblr.com

Interested in being featured? Send your portfolio to our content team at social@wispeo.com!

Wispeo is now mobile! Get the easiest way to share videos and photos from your phone in the App Store or from Google Play.

The post Featured Creative: Monika Geble appeared first on Wispeo.

The Alchemist’s Tome | Aegir from Adam Nawrot on Vimeo.

When cinematographer Adam Nawrot filmed Aegir (embedded above), he and his team walked away from the experience with two written warnings, four tickets, and a court appearance. Adam’s game plan for filming Aegir and other pieces like it? “We’re gonna do it till we get kicked out,” he said.

Adam identifies in a lot of ways. He’s a photographer, a cinematographer, and an editor. His expertise extends to film scoring, music composition, graphic design … The list goes on. If you’re into adventure film and cinematography, you’ll want Adam on your team.

In high school he was interested in music composition and film scoring. Later, at Rutgers University, he discovered a passion for filmmaking – specifically cinematography. When Adam was at Rutgers, there wasn’t a film department yet in place, so he took an interdisciplinary approach to learning the craft and he worked on several feature-length films in college.

One experience took him to Italy, where he worked with another cinematographer on the documentary film, “Princess of Piombino,” which details the life of modern Roman royalty. “That’s such a wild story,” said Adam, when asked about the film.”It’s about these family dynasties that exist after the world of family dynasties…shooting it felt like it was a mix between ‘meet the Kardashians,’ and Downton Abbey.”

“We’re gonna do it till we get kicked out”

When Adam graduated from Rutgers with a degree in graphic design, he’d developed a love for the multifaceted art of filmmaking.

He has never been scared of a challenge. Rafting expeditions, kayaking, caving, biking, and ice climbing are just some of the risky enterprises he’s captured. When Adam shoots outdoor footage, he says it’s a “really weird half Hollywood set, half adventure expedition scenario.” But the footage he’s capturing is the real deal, and working in adventure film can be dangerous.

It’s Adam’s job to remain focused, despite his surroundings. He reflected on his role in an adventure filmmaking team, saying, “If I’m shooting kayaking I can’t go out there and focus on having a good time kayaking or a good time filmmaking. It has to be one or the other.”

Usually, Adam shoots video with a team, and often works with athletes to capture adventure footage. Adam’s in charge of directing the whole process. “It’s important to know what you’re asking them [the athletic team] to do, just so you’re not putting anyone at risk,” he said.

“If I’m shooting kayaking I can’t go out there and focus on having a good time kayaking or a good time filmmaking. It has to be one or the other.”

Once Adam has the footage he needs the next step is editing the film, which is often a rigorous process.

He looks for specific things when cutting film, with the intent of either conveying subtle messages or really jarring the viewer. If Adam wants frames to blend together, he concentrates on how the colors in each frame mix together, and makes sure that a person’s eye movement remains consistent between transitions. When he wants to convey not-so-subtle messages, he plays up the differences between frames to make it obvious that a cut’s been made.

Adam works with composers to add music to his footage. Music plays a large role in his work and Adam says that in some ways, the process of creating footage parallels music. “I really love creating things that are cohesive sonically and visually, and operating in a way that’s not unlike the way that music operates,” he said.

Adam also focuses on drone operation. “The first time I saw the shots people were getting with drones, it was bananas,” he said. After becoming acquainted with this new technology, he co-founded Protoscience Media Lab, a production company that specializes in aerial photography. Most of the footage Adam captures for Protoscience is shot on Freefly Systems drones. He said taking aerial footage on drones is congruent with his personal style.

“It ties back into this whole desire to have my hand show in the photos I am taking,” he said, explaining that drones are able to capture images from unique vantage points that  have never been captured before. Like adventure film and photography, flying drones is a risky business, “It is incredibly stressful,” he admitted, “Especially if I’m flying an 80 thousand dollar camera…All it takes is one big gust of wind.”

The post Featured Creative: Adam Nawrot appeared first on Wispeo.

W: Can you tell us how you got your start?
SW: I first started taking photos back in high school for a photography course I was required to take. I instantly fell in love with the art and it quickly became something I became passionate about. Ever since then I’ve stuck with it and now do professional work for brands hoping to promote their products on Instagram. For me it all started with one class and a camera in my hand.

W: What is your biggest inspiration?
SW: I’ve found that the majority of my inspiration either comes from viewing other photographers’ work or ideas that seem to pop up in my head on location. I’ve found that viewing other creative people’s work helps to bring out my own creative mind.

W: How would you describe your style?
SW: Hmm… I’d say that throughout my collection of works I like to take clean and sharp images.

W: Tell us the story behind one of the photos/videos we’re featuring – why did you choose that photo/video to send?
SW: I chose this photo of the Bay Bridge in SF because of the story and effort behind the photo. For this photo I had to drive out to Treasure Island and hike my way to this view of the bridge. As I was taking photos of the Bay Bridge I suddenly heard loud sirens behind me as a police officer rolled up and began yelling at my to leave the area. I quickly ran away into the bushes as the officer shouted that he didn’t want to see me again. After waiting for a long while I decided to take a few more photos before I left. This shot was one of those photos. I have to say that even through all of this it was all worth it  once I saw this photo on my computer later that day.

W: Where are your favorite spots to shoot?
SW: Hands down my favorite spots are in California. Since living in California I’ve found some of the most diverse and exciting landscapes. There is simply so much this state has to offer for photographer. A couple of my favorite spots include Yosemite, Big Sur, LA, and SF.

W: What kind of equipment do you use?
SW: I’m currently not packing anything too fancy. Right now I shoot with a Cannon Rebel T3. I know it’s hardly anything to brag about but I am upgrading all of my gear this time next month. I plan on buying a Cannon 5D and a variety of lenses to better serve my clients.

W: Do you have any special techniques? Do they define your style?
SW: I’d have to say that I lean towards wide images with the majority of my work. Because of the lenses I shoot with I currently lean away from up close images. Although as I upgrade lenses in the near future I am convinced that this will change with the new equipment.

W: What challenges have you had to overcome in this industry?
SW: So far I have not experienced too many challenges in this industry. For me personally this journey has been one that’s enjoyable and fulfilling. Although I do not know if that will change overtime. Currently things are going very well.

W: How do you see your career progressing?
SW: I see myself down the road doing this full time. I’d love to one day be a full-time photographer for a specific company instead of freelance. This is simply because I desire job security in this field. Although I currently love having the freedom to work with many different companies. I hope that over time I will continue to have the opportunities to do what I love and capture more of the world around me.

Contact Sam on Instagram: sam_wymer, or his website: samwymer.weebly.com

Interested in being a featured creative on the Wispeo blog?
Send an email to our team at social@wispeo.com!

Wispeo is now mobile! Get the easiest way to share videos and photos from your phone in the App Store or from Google Play.

The post Featured Creative: Sam Wymer appeared first on Wispeo.