This manic event is about to roll into town and once again Solana Productions is ready to capture every detail. We have three crews, including producers and production assistants, credentialed and ready for assignment. Bookings have already come in for a couple shows, including Entertainment Tonight.
We really scrambled for ET last year providing a lot of same day coverage. This required satellite feeds and some tricky logistics. You can basically rule out parking at, or near, the convention center after about 7:00am. Pedicabs and taxis are the way to go, although after what happened last week keep an eye on your driver!
We are shooting in both SD and HD for this San Diego video production. It seems like SD refuses to die but our XDHD cameras have become the clear choice for show clients.
The National Education Association called on Solana Productions to help with many facets of their 2009 Convention. This included a producer, editor and crews to cover the Town Hall Meeting with Secretary of Education Arne Duncan.
Duncan talked tough about what's expected from teachers and they responded with some questions of their own about the Obama administration's policies.
Immediately after the program ended producer Rory Bennett cut several packages that were posted to YouTube for news programs to use. In addition, the entire program was converted to Flash for the NEA's website.
Other aspects of this San Diego video production included documenting the refurbishing of an Elementary school, work with Habitat for Humanity and the San Diego Food Bank. Thousands of NEA volunteers contributed to the NEA's efforts to leave San Diego a better place. You can view the results here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmJu6YPBYUE&feature=channel_page
The stunning death of Michael Jackson has spurred news and magazine shows to scramble. It seems like every day there are new details emerging about the King of Pop's tragic life.
One of MJ's happier moments came during a tribute performance by Barry Manilow at the 1984 American Music Awards. Entertainment Tonight relied on Solana Productions for XDHD field production on this exclusive interview.
The San Diego video production involved extensive lighting and setup in Palm Springs on very short notice. The Solana crew had just finished a San Diego video production of the refurbishing of a school for the National Education Association when the call came.
For the complete story and video clips please visit:
Whew! We just returned from one of the most exciting road trips ever -- to the "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" premiere in Tempe, AZ. We packed up the Suburban, gassed up at Starbucks and hit the road at 6:00 am Monday. By early afternoon we were in place in Tempe on the red carpet.
Hugh Jackman was a terrific interview and kept us in stitches all night. We also chatted with co-stars Ryan Reynolds, Liev Schreiber, will.i.am from The Black Eyed Peas and more!
Tempe won a nationwide contest to host the event and thousands of fans turned out to cheer on the stars.
We shot for a couple hours and then raced to a satellite uplink to send the HD scenes on to ET's offices in Studio City. Although we are a San Diego video production company, Solana Productions shoots all over the west. Please follow this link to check out some of the footage we shot.
Solana On Scene As John Walsh Tracks Craigslist Murder
SAN DIEGO, CA – A video crew and producer from Solana Productions, Inc., spent two days on the scene with John Walsh last week as the “America’s Most Wanted” host tracked police developments in the case against accused “Craigslist Killer” Philip Markoff.
"Authorities do think they have the right man. They're almost sure," Walsh said in an exclusive interview shot in HD (high-definition) by the San Diego video production company. "They believe that this is a rookie serial killer: Someone who preyed upon women using the Internet to lure them where he needed to get them. Many serial killers start out with victims that they don't murder, working up to the murders."
Solana Productions, Inc., is a San Diego video production company that specializes in broadcast, cable and corporate productions for all formats, including HD, Betacam, and DV. The company, which covers productions throughout Southern California and the West, is staffed by Emmy award-winning photojournalists and nationally recognized producers. More information about the company is available at www.solanaproductions.com.
Walsh was in San Diego to tape an upcoming show on the escalating drug violence south of the U.S. border, but kept in close communication with Boston law enforcement officials as the Craigslist case unfolded. He revealed that police reportedly made a preliminary match between the gun found in Markoff’s apartment and the weapon used to kill Julissa Brisman at the Copley Marriott on April 14. Walsh also said that Markoff’s fingerprints reportedly matched those found on plastic restraints and duct tape left at the murder scene.
Markoff was said to be suicide watch in a Boston jail, being held without bail on murder, kidnapping and robbery charges in the brutal killing of Brisman, an out-call Manhattan masseuse, and in the robbery of an alleged prostitute.
Solana Productions recorded two interviews in San Diego with Walsh for TV’s “The Insider,” which airs nationwide in syndication. Both were shot with a Sony XD camera in a “live talkback” style made popular by ABC’s “Nightline.”
On Thursday, Solana videotaped the TV host in La Jolla, where he was scheduled to speak to business executives. The following day, Walsh met the Solana crew and producer on location in San Ysidro, just north of the U.S.- Mexico border, where he was taping “America’s Most Wanted.”
Markoff, an engaged BostonUniversity medical student arrested April 20, is accused of using Craigslist.com to lure in his victims. Some reports say he had a gambling addiction and was using robberies to finance his habit. But, according to police, when the masseuse, Julissa Brisman, fought back, he shot her with a pistol that he stashed in a hollowed-out copy of the medical book, Gray's Anatomy.
Authorities say they have accumulated evidence in the case that includes panties from the victims found in the Boston-area apartment Markoff shared with his fiancee.
In Walsh’s interviews, he noted that serial killers often retain possessions of their victims as “trophies,” and urged women who may have had encounters with Markoff to come forward.
"Police think they have three women that were victimized by this guy, and I wouldn't be surprised if more come forward with more publicity," he said. "Police are looking for more information about this guy. They need to build an airtight case, so if you were a victim of this guy or you were contacted by this guy, go to police. You can remain anonymous, but they need to know how many victims there are out there to built this solid case."
About Solana Productions, Inc.
The company was founded in 1995 by director/producer Rory Bennett, a former TV correspondent and newspaper reporter, and EMMY award-winning producer/photographer Kurt Snider.
Solana Productions specializes in creative field production throughout Southern California for some of TV’s most successful shows, including “Entertainment Tonight,” “Dr. Phil” and “Oprah.” The company also produces corporate videos for several Fortune 500 companies, including Hewlett Packard, Ford and Wells Fargo. Los Angeles and San Diego video production services include webcasting and streaming video for pay-per-view events.
The company has a combined 25 EMMY awards for producing, writing, photography and editing. This is in addition to Silver and Bronze medals from the New York Film Festival, two national Iris awards and a Gracie award.
