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[stsproductions]

Out of Frame, Into Reality: Perri-Air Magazine Ad

The "Perri-Air" joke in Spaceballs (1987) features Mel Brooks as President Skroob, who inhales air from a can labeled "Perri-Air" to survive on Planet Spaceball, which has depleted its atmosphere. This gag parodies bottled water brands like Perrier while satirizing environmental exploitation. The film, released on June 24, 1987, stars Bill Pullman as Lone Starr, John Candy as Barf, Rick Moranis as Lord Dark Helmet, and Daphne Zuniga as Princess Vespa, among others. The joke critiques consumerism by framing breathable air as a commodified product, mirroring real-world trends like seltzer waters and highlighting absurdity.

I found the image from RPF (https://www.therpf.com/forums/threads/from-within-ehp-production-made-spaceballs-perri-air.351002/) who found the print blocks for the Perri-Air label on a random shelf under a stack of Taxi Cab Door Decals.

I took an image of that found decal - which I can only assume was made for the movie, (even though Mel uses a can of Perri-Air on screen) and made the fake ad to look like an ad you’d find in a magazine on Planet Spaceball.

[stsproductions]

I'm Going Need A Few Minutes Here...

[stsproductions]

It's Mario!

Here’s the wacky story of how Mario, Luigi, War and even Donkey Kong got their voices!

[stsproductions]

Shelley Duvall, Danny Lloyd, and Jack Nicholson

Shelley Duvall, Danny Lloyd, and Jack Nicholson during the filming of the driving scene of Stanley Kubrick’s The Shinning.

[stsproductions]

Hans Gruber Falls From Nakatomi Plaza

From the group Crew Stories on Facebook:

For Gruber's fall from Nakatomi Plaza, Alan Rickman was dropped about 25 feet. He was suspended on a raised platform and dropped onto a blue screen airbag. This allowed the background behind him to be composited with footage taken from Fox Plaza and falling confetti that looked like bearer bonds. Rickman had to fall backward onto the bag, something stuntmen avoid to control their fall. Director John McTiernan convinced Rickman by demonstrating the stunt himself and falling onto a pile of cardboard boxes. Rickman was told he would be dropped on a count of three, stunt coordinator, Charlie Picerni, devised a plan to drop Rickman at "one" in order to provoke a genuine reaction of shock. McTiernan said, "there's no way he could fake that". The first take was used, but McTiernan convinced Rickman to perform a second one as backup.

Capturing the stunt was difficult because it was impossible for a human to focus the camera fast enough to prevent the image from blurring as Rickman fell away. Supervised by visual effects producer Richard Edlund, Boss Film Studios engineered an automated system using a computer that rapidly refocused the camera via a motor on its focus ring. A wide-angle lens camera shooting at 270 frames per second was used, creating footage that played 10 times slower than normal. Despite these innovations, the camera struggled to keep Rickman entirely in focus during his 1.5-second fall; the scene cuts away from Rickman as the usable footage runs out. To complete Gruber's fatal descent, Kenny Bates was lowered 318 feet (97 m) from Fox Plaza in a harness that slowed his fall as he neared the ground. Some of the Fox Plaza residents, frustrated by the debris and destruction around the building, refused to turn off their office lights for exterior shots of the Plaza.

Stunt man Kenny Bates won the Science and Technical Academy Award for the design and development of the Decelerator System, which provides two advantages. First, it allows a stuntperson to fall from much higher platforms. “To back up a little,” Mr. Bates explains, “just to give you an idea of how this came to be, if you date back into the early days of motion picture history, when stuntmen first started doing high falls, they would do it into water, or they would put up two sawhorses and put planks between the sawhorses, and they would actually jump, say, 15 or 20 feet onto these breakaway planks. These are how high falls basically originated.” As falls got higher, stuntmen began to use haystacks, nets, and cardboard boxes. “I’ve heard of stuntmen falling up to 10 stories, or 100 feet, into cardboard boxes. These boxes were actually set up in a configuration to break the fall.” Then came the airbag. “The highest high fall into an airbag is 311 feet. That’s 31 stories.

Most commonly, though, airbags are used for doing falls from, oh, 20 feet up to 150. The most common falls are between 20 feet and 80 feet.” While airbags are great and they’re still in use today, they still leave one problem. Shooting down. With any of these devices, the director must always shoot from the bottom up to avoid filming whatever it is the stuntman is going to land on. What’s where the Decelerator’s second advantage comes in. Since all you’ve got is a cable attached to the stuntman’s ankle, it doesn’t matter what direction you film in.

“When we did Die Hard, I started using a device called a Descender, to do controlled falls. In other words, we do a controlled fall from I’ve been anywhere up to 105 stories. The fall is controlled because your descending on a small cable. If the film is undercranked, it looks like you’re falling.” What Bates has done is used his knowledge of physics and film to calibrate the speed of the fall versus the degree to which the film must be undercranked. “In Die Hard, where Alan Rickman dies, falling backwards out of the building, that would have been a death defying feat. Instead we came in and packaged an illusion for Joel Silver. Since then I’ve done every one of his films.” He also doubled Bruce Willis when he leapt off the top of the building with a firehose.

[stsproductions]

S is for Slate

In our ongoing series of terms used in Hollywood, television and independent production, we’d like to present another entry. This time, we’re looking at that confusing wooden thing that is associated with the camera department. The Slate. The slate is a small board that houses important information about the project being filmed - such as title, director, scene number, take number, film stock, lens information, and if the scene has audio, or not. Fancy modern ones are usually called ‘Smart Slates,’ and can display LED SMPTE time code or the time of day. The number freezes in place for the camera when the arm hits the bottom of the slate. However, in a pinch, or a lower budget production, you might just use an actual hand clap in frame, and within earshot of the microphone.  

Not using a slate can be disastrous when the camera isn’t equipped with audio capture, and audio is required for the scene. For instance, if a camera is mounted on a jib – or the camera isn’t known for capturing quality sound, like a DSLR or a GoPro – synching the audio that was captured with a different device by the audio team is much quicker and more accurate with a slate in the front of the take before the action is called. If it’s not practical to slate a scene at the beginning of the action, or a sensitive scene - a “tail slate” or end slate will be performed, but this one will be done upside-down.

How does it work? The top of the board has an arm that is lifted and ‘clapped’ at the top of a take. The slate was first used in the silent era to identify shots after the film was developed. Later it was used so that editors have all of the take information and are able to sync the sound of the clap with the picture of the arm hitting the bottom of the slate while in post-production.

Slates might also be referred to as clapboards, clapperboards, clacker, slapperboard, sticks, time slate, or soundmarker.

The clapper loader is typically, the crew person responsible for the operation on set, and works with the script supervisor for the information displayed.

[stsproductions]

Let's get back on set!

To all the good folks who work in video/film/event/theater production - In Illinois, you qualify for vaccination in category 1C. You fall into the category of "non-essential frontline worker". Go register ASAP so we can all get back to work!

See you on set!

https://vaccine.cookcountyil.gov/sign-up

[stsproductions]

SafeSet Certification

https://practicesafesets.co

It’s more important than ever to ensure we create the safest production environments possible to protect everyone in our industry. 

COVID-19 has shaken our industry to its core and forced us to reimagine what it means to be on set, and that will continue to evolve as we recover. We have partnered with medical and film industry leaders, creating a collaborative resource to increase safety measures from pre to post-production.

[stsproductions]

Lunch Break

“You know, today, Make-Up is not just simply applying flesh colored creams and mascara. Today you absolutely must know much more. You have to understand prosthetics, mechanics, formulas and a little magic doesn’t hurt either. It took us three weeks of experimenting and testing just to decide how we were going to approach some of the complex problems that V presented,” he said. The most difficult situation, Lotito felt, was designing the prosthesis and dummy heads. They had to look realistic when the scenes called for the alien’ characters to eat live rodents.

To read more and for more pictures - please visit The Master Cylinder

[stsproductions]

May the 4th Be With You... Always

It’s Star Wars Day - so for that unofficial holiday, here’s Carrie Fisher, and some friends, at the Rolling Stones magazine cover shoot circa 1983.

Original:

[stsproductions]

The Show Must Go On!

COVID-19 has brought the economy to a screaming halt - as it should, the Corona Virus is dangerous. In-person meetings are cancelled, live events postponed indefinitely, sporting events and schools are shutting down. Nervousness is at catastrophic levels. If you’re not sure how bad it is, visit your local Costco and ask if there’s any toilet paper left. But, even in the time of crisis, your customers and clients continue to have business needs. They need to make product announcements, and to interact with customers. They need to speak to their investors and the press.

Normally, events run as scheduled. We’re not in “normal” territory right now.

A simple solution to keep the wheels turning is to go digital. But it’s not as simple as just making a conference call. How do you keep engagement up, production values high, and keep the experience fun and exciting?

How is an all digital delivery different?

Should you use opening videos like you normally would in a kick off meeting? How should it be produced and used in an on-line setting? 
 What about a host or a moderator? How does a host keep an on-line event moving and not make the viewer feel isolated or disengaged? Can you keep track of people who ‘walk-in’? What about folks who only want to watch specific content? How can you serve all the audience, effectively?

It’s digital - how about some interactivity! Live Polls, Q&A, chat boards, voting, are all capabilities that keep your audience paying attention and interacting with the content.

We have solutions to these interesting new issues and want to work with you to keep your event moving and engaging. Where do we start?

The fun part of the equation in webcasting, streaming and live conferencing is that every live webcast/conference is a little different and there are many questions to review and consider when preparing for a new event. Starting with an initial conference call would be the first step to review and answer any questions you and your team may have. StS Productions provides professional end-to-end webcast and web conferencing solutions using familiar platforms including but not limited to:


Zoom

LinkedIn

BlueJeans

WebEx

GoTo Meeting

YouTube LIVE

Facebook LIVE


We’ll perform a site evaluation along with total coordination with IT personnel within your organization or at your chosen venue. What services should we be discussing?

Consulting assistance on selecting the appropriate platform for your specific event needs and budget.


Our experienced professional video crews provide options from one to multiple cameras to broadcast and record your event.


Audio solutions include everything from microphones, to sound systems, and professional audio engineers to help manage the technical aspects of the event.


Graphic and motion design can be incorporated to take your slide deck to the next amazing level.


Our meetings are secure - with passwords, restricting email addresses, IP addresses, and referral URLs.


Full production staging and lighting equipment rentals are available too.


We can supply systems to integrate webcasting/web-conferencing platforms with your existing resources.


We offer complete LIVE captioning and transcription services as well.


We also offer complete recording and post-production (video editing) services of the event for archive and social media. 


Whatever your needs are, we’re here to offer solutions. Reach out today, so that we can set up a meeting immediately. Waiting and postponing is your competitor’s plan - beat them to the punch, and get your message out and let everyone know you’re not hiding in the bunker waiting for things to get back to ‘normal.’ It’s time to Innovate. Communicate. And Win.

[stsproductions]

Take on Me - 1 Billion

According to Daily Variety - a-ha’s “Take On Me” has hit over one billion views.

Anyone around in the 1980’s will instantly remember the video, and the tune, which featured pencil sketch animation blended with live action. Note, Guns N’ Roses “Sweet Child O’ Mine” also hit the billion users served last fall. “Take on Me” averages over 480,000 views a day.

A-ha’s video was directed by Steve Barron in 1985 and won six MTV Music Video awards in 1986. Pitbull also sampled the tune in his 2013 hit “Feel This Moment.

The Norwegian band Tweeted, “We couldn’t have done this without you, our fans.”

And in case you’re late to the party, or have no idea what “Take on Me” is about, feel free to add yourself to the list by watching the video here!

[stsproductions]

Wendy Carlos

Musician and composer Wendy Carlos (circa 1986) composed the score to "A Clockwork Orange" (1971) "The Shining" (1980) and "Tron" (1982) and helped design the Moog synthesizer with Robert Moog. She came to fame with an album called Switched on Bach, which were Moog versions of Bach classics (1968).

[stsproductions]

R - Rack Focus

A Rack Focus occurs when the Camera Operator, or a dedicated professional Focus Puller who is assigned only to dialing the focus on the lens, turns the dial of their focus, physically, which causes the lens to force the viewer’s eye to travel to a new image which becomes in focus. An example would be to show something in the background (deep) or the foreground of the shot (shallow), and then the focus shifts to the new thing.

The technique is use to bring attention to something behind, or in front, in the same frame. It can be used to show the audience something the character might not be aware of, or sometimes when a character realizes something is in front of, or behind them. The rack focus can be used in comedy and also in drama. Sometimes it’s subtle - like the sidewalk crowd shot of Dustin Hoffman in Tootsie, or 2006’s The Host, specifically the hospital corridor scene. Other times it can be used in dialogue between two people without the need for an edit point.

The roll of the focus can also be called ‘selective focusing’ a ‘rack’ or a ‘pull focus’, depending on the Director of Photography or whom ever calls the shot.

[stsproductions]

You've captured their STUNT DOUBLES

Daenerys stunt double Rosie Mac poses with her fellow stand-ins

[stsproductions]

The Goonies, Then and Now

In order, left to right:

Chunk, Jeff Cohen, is an entertainment attorney in LA.

Mikey Walsh, Sean Astin, was a featured player in Stranger Things Season 2 and a tiny trilogy called Lord of the Rings.

Mouth, Corey Feldman, grew up to be a teen idol in the 80’s. He continues his career as a singer and songwriter.

Data, Jonathan Key Huy Quan, also recognizable from Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, works behind the scenes as a stunt coordinator and stunt rigger.

[stsproductions]

Q For Q Rating

Q Rating, or Q Score, refers to an advertising research rating that gauges how easily a celebrity is recognized -- and how well the celebrity is liked.

The positive Q Score is calculated by counting how many respondents answered A (one of my favorites) divided by the number of respondents answering A (one of my favorites) through F (Never heard of), and calculating the percentage. Yes, there’s math involved.

The Q Rating is a measurement of the familiarity and appeal of a brand, celebrity, company, or entertainment product in the United States. The higher the Q Score, the more highly regarded the item or person.

The highest rated traditional stars ranked by the 13  to 17-year-old demographic gave Tom Hanks a positive Q Score of 46 and Beyonce ranked 32.

According to Variety, “top YouTubers are on par with some high-profile traditional celebrities; Pentatonix, for instance, has the same Q Score numbers as recent Oscar winner Brie Larson.”

Q Scores and other variants are primarily used by the advertising, marketing, media, and public relations industries.