Rustic River Media

BTS from a quick shoot we just wrapped for a non-profit in Austin this week. First of a new video series we’re creating for them.

For this shoot, we needed to keep the setup simple. We were pulling our subject out of an active class, so the goal was to get in, get what we needed, and get out — all while trying to stay out of the way to minimized interruptions and keep the flow of the video natural.

Small footprint, intentional choices, and a reminder that you don’t always need a massive production to create something impactful. 🎥

Fly rods & cameras are always a good match. 🎣📸

Fun shoot this weekend filming canoeing with 🚣

Our FX6 build has evolved a lot over the past five years. In its current form, it’s extremely well balanced and is just heavy enough to smooth out handheld shots, but without weighing so much that it wears us down. Built for filming commercial, corporate, docs, television, live-broadcast, news, and event coverage. 🎥

For those interested, here are some highlights from the build:

Camera: FX6
Monitor: SmallHD Ultra 5
Wireless Video: Teradek Bolt 6 LT 750 TX
On-Camera Audio: Sennheiser MKH 8060 w/ MZF Module + Sony URX-P41D Dual Wireless Receiver
Power: Core V-mounts + IDX BP-U in-body for hot-swapping
Timecode: Te****le Sync E MKII
Cables: All custom made from Alvin’s Cables
Rigging: Mixture of Mid49, Wooden Camera, Bright Tangerine, and custom built parts
Lenses: Mixture of Sony GM primes and zooms
Tripod: Sachtler Flowtech 100 sticks + FSB10 fluid head
Handheld: Easyrig Minimax or Cinesaddle Minisaddle, depending on the shoot

BTS from yesterday’s shoot in Austin, TX. 🎥

Our team was brought in to film a single-camera 30 second interview that will be airing locally ahead of the May 26 elections in support of two political candidates.

To keep things efficient, we built out a simple three-light setup using a key, fill, and backlight. We also added a couple of Infinibars behind the subject that were blurred out just enough in the shot to sell them as built-in bookshelf lights which added some nice depth.

For audio, we boomed our trusty MKH 8050 into a MixPre-6 II and synced everything using timecode via Te****le Syncs. We also used a teleprompter for the script read so that the delivery felt confident.

Overall, this day moved pretty quickly. We spent about 30 minutes scouting the location, roughly an hour and a half on setup, 30 minutes filming, and about an hour breaking everything down. All told, we were in and out in around 3.5 hours, making this a pretty efficient shoot.

A simple setup with big impact. These are some of our favorite projects to do.

Locked in behind the lens.

When it’s live, there’s no reset. Just solid gear, a reliable signal, and a team that knows how to execute. 🎥

On the banks of a wild river in Healy, AK, I managed to stumble across this beautiful moose shed while giving my horse a drink of water. It’s moments like this that remind me of just how surreal my line of work is. 🎥🫎

I recently picked up a pair of Aputure 700X lights to replace my 600D Pros, and so far I’ve been really impressed.

Last year I stepped into Aputure’s BLAIR system with the Aputure 1200X, and it didn’t take long to realize how useful that platform is in the field. That one light ended up leading me to swap out my 300D II’s and 60X’s for a pair of Aputure 400X lights and a couple of Aputure 80C units as well. Naturally, the 600D’s getting replaced by 700X’s was the next move.

What I like most about these BLAIR lights is that they solve a constant on-set decision: Do I grab daylight fixtures for raw output, or do I grab my NOVA panels so I have control over color temperature and green/magenta shift? With the X series, you get both.

You’ve got a massive CCT range, plus over 70% coverage of Rec. 2020—which essentially puts you into color light territory—without giving up the output that typically drops off with bi-color or RGB fixtures. Add in the more compact fresnels and barn doors, along with the new locking Bowens mount, and it’s a really well-thought-out system.

The 1200X will probably always be the first light off my truck, but having 700X, 400X, and 80C fixtures ready to go behind it makes the whole kit feel a lot more complete. 🎥

A visitor during today’s shoot in South Texas. 🐍

Our team had a blast live-streaming Thru the Chute this weekend! 🎥🚣‍♂️

With the threat of potential storms rolling in, we ran a smaller, more agile setup than usual, but that didn’t stop us from capturing the excitement. We were honored to provide a way for the community to experience the event live, whether at watch parties around town or from the comfort of home.

New Braunfels always shows up in a big way, and it’s events like this that make us proud to serve such an incredible community. Thank you to everyone who tuned in and supported this unforgettable tradition!

When Visible Applause approached us about creating videos to highlight not only their brand, but also the corporate awards they craft, we knew we wanted to capture the project with a clean, bright, yet controlled aesthetic—one that would pair seamlessly with their brand identity.

To accomplish this, we first scouted buildings throughout New Braunfels until we found one that had an executive office that fit what we envisioned in pre-production.

To light it, we used an Aputure 700X as the key, blasted through 4x4 Magic Cloth with an LCD (Light Control Grid) on the front to help control spill. To raise the overall exposure of the room, we used an Aputure 1200X with a Lantern modifier to softly raise the overall light level of the space. To help ensure the 1200X didn’t overexpose the client’s skin, we put a 8”x24” 1.6-Stop Artificial Silk flag which essentially double braked the light for us. For a subtle backlight, we used an Aputure Infinibar PB6 + LCD mounted to a gobo arm, motivated by the natural window light.

For the camera work, we ran a Sony FX6 paired with a 50 1.2 GM along with an FX3 paired with an 85 1.4 GM II. For an over the shoulder angle of the binder we custom made as a prop, we took a Sony A1II paired with a 24-70 2.8 GM II and mounted it to a 12.5’ Modern Studio Equipment Telescoping Combo Boom Arm.

To help the client with reading the script, we used a teleprompter which was mounted to the front of the FX6, and for sound we used a Sanken COS-11D lapel that was being recorded to a Sound Devices MixPre-6 II field recorder.

Overall, this project was really fun to shoot and we are excited to begin post on it.

Setup for projects like this is a lot of work, but when you add all of the subtleties together, it paints a compelling visual story for the client. 🎥

Is there anything better to photograph than a good bird dog that’s hard at work? 📸

Locked in. Driven. Doing exactly what it was born to do.