Why choose Joshua Mallett for your digital production project?

It’s not difficult for anyone in this digital day and age to purchase a consumer grade DSLR camera and call themselves a “Videographer” or “Director”. Like anything in life, new technology brings forth a plethora of individuals who join the art or “business”. Some claim to be professionals offering HD video while charging you accordingly, but are they really professionals who know the trade? Do they really know what they’re doing? My goal has never been to simply get by filming video, my goal has always been to stand out from the rest. Here is what makes me stand out:

KNOWLEDGE & EXPERIENCE

I have been making videos for more than 2/3 of my life. But that alone doesn’t make me qualified to film your video. It’s my passion and knowledge that does.

The #1 term that other Videographers will use to bait and hook clients is the term “Full HD”. They tell the client they film in Full 1080p HD and the client thinks the term “HD” means exceptional quality. In theory? Yes. But in reality? It’s far from true. 1080p HD is the resolution (or size/dimensions) of the video. If the videographer has no clue what they’re doing, it doesn’t matter what resolution they film or deliver the content at. Nevermind the resolution. Higher resolutions could actually accentuate an already low quality video. I recently saw two professional music videos on VEVO whose DP (Director of Photography) was unaware of correct shutter speeds, so slow motion shots had flickering in the fluorescent lights; the shutter speed didn’t match the electricity’s current. It’s all about knowing your craft & gear, not just owning it. Achieving the absolute best possible quality video isn’t my job, it’s my obsession. Which brings us to the next category:

VIDEO QUALITY

As I stated, just because someone offers “HD Video,” that doesn’t mean you’re getting a high-quality product. HD is the size or dimensions of the video, not the quality. It’s like someone bragging about having an SUV. They may have themselves a beat-up, rusted Jeep Cherokee with a slipping transmission. It’s not the same as having a shiny new Range Rover fresh off the lot. While they both may be SUV’s, they are completely different end products.

As I stated, video quality is my obsession. With that said, here are some things that set me apart from your average “filmmaker” or “director” who may only charge $300 for a music video:

Camera Resolution:

Them: 1920 x 1080 HD
Me: 4608 x 2592 4.6k Ultra HD top camera resolution

Lens:

Them: Cheap, basic, low-quality kit lens that comes stock with the camera.
Me: High quality, fast, prime, cine lens.

Video Codec:

Them: Usually a lossy, internal consumer grade H.264 codec (these images really begin break apart when you start color grading and rendering out more than once)
Me: Professional, industry standard HQ intermediate codec: Apple ProRes (with capability of uncompressed RAW)

Video recording Bitrate:

Them: 30-50Mbps (Consumer level. Highly compressed giving compression artifacts. Color grade falls apart in post production.)
Me: 74-250MBps capabilities (Pro level)

Video Sample-Depth:

Them: 8-Bit 4:2:0 (256 possible variations in color hue. Again, this really starts to fall apart during color correcting & grading)
Me: 10-Bit 4:2:2 (1,024+ possible variations in color hue. Greater color fidelity) with capabilities of 4:4:4 and 12-bit RAW (4,096 tonal values)

Camera Sensor

Them: A typical DSLR sensor is APS-C or MFT in size (smaller sensor produces more digital noise in dark colors. Bad in low light)
Me: Super 35 (originally known as Superscope 235) is a motion picture film format that uses exactly the same film stock as standard 35 mm film. Industry standard.

Dynamic Range & Video Color

Them: Most DSLR’s average 8-10 stops of DR. 11 at best. They film with a standard picture style with no control over contrast, color, sharpness or dynamic range
Me: I film at about 12.5 stops of DR and film in LOG picture style which allows optimal dynamic range for color grading in post.

Equipment:

Them: Most other budget Music Video producers film with minimal equipment or just a DSLR camera hanging around their neck.
Me: Use a multitude of pieces of equipment to give that hollywood aesthetic to your video (cranes/jibs, gliders, steady cams, dolly, stabilizer etc)

Bottom line, they film with consumer grade products and knowledge. Look, we all start somewhere (in fact most of my video’s on my current demo reel are with my old 8-bit consumer camera), but there’s a difference between someone who cares about the craft vs businessmen out to make a quick, easy buck.

THE AUDIO

You may be looking to hire a video guru for your “video” project, but what you may not know is that most videographers out there are completely clueless when it comes to audio. George Lucas is famously quoted saying: “The sound and music are 50% of the entertainment in a movie.“. In other words, even if you have excellent looking video with some shoddy audio which was recorded with the camera’s onboard mic, you only have half a project. Video production is just that: production. From start to finish, in every single aspect…INCLUDING the audio. Believe it or not, I am actually a music producer and sound/recording engineer first and foremost. I am also a musician. Not only do I know song structure & patterns (which definitely are a necessity when editing music videos), I spend just as much time mastering the audio as I do on the filming and editing. I use high quality microphones and boom poles to assure the highest quality sound possible. I also am very knowledgeable in audio restoration, noise reduction and over all sound mixing. The other guys? Not so much.

All of this may mean nothing to you. That’s ok. Maybe you’re ok with hiring the $300 guy and their quality. And that’s okay. Not everybody suits everybody’s needs. That’s okay, too. When I film your project, each project is assessed and filmed according to each projects specific needs. But rest assured, you get the best quality possible, in the current industry, for your money.

But, enough of all of that. I’ll let my work determine if you are confident enough to hire me to do your next video project: