Trent Austen’s Post

STORY TIME: This weekend marks a year since my most infamous misadventure in video production. Picture this: Kinsley, Kansas. Middle of nowhere, dirt roads, and cornfields for miles. I had driven 8 hours solo from Colorado to capture b-roll for a luxury hunting outfitter. The shoot went smoothly, and by Sunday night, I decided to get a head start and drive home through the night, hoping to arrive around 2-3 AM. As I pulled out of the dirt driveway, the sky opened up into a thunderstorm. No big deal, I figured – just a cozy drive home. About an hour in, the rain intensified, and I hadn’t seen a single car. Then, I heard it – the dreaded warble. Flat tire. I was stranded on a dark farm road in the pouring rain, surrounded by endless cornfields. After the initial panic, I knew I had to change the tire. With only my phone flashlight and the rain pouring down, I pulled out my tire kit. Thankfully, I had a donut tire. However, I quickly realized I needed the special locking lug-nut key. After some frantic searching, I found it in the car's front compartment. But it was too dark to see anything. I pulled out one of my video light stands, attached a 60W light, covered it with a t-shirt, and began changing the tire in the mud, in the rain, on a Kansas dirt road. After what felt like forever, I finally got the donut on and drove cautiously toward the nearest town, Hays, Kansas, an hour away. By this point, it was nearly 10 PM, and I knew I couldn’t make it home on a donut tire, so I found a hotel and decided to deal with the tire in the morning. Feeling optimistic the next day, I figured I’d be back in Colorado by lunch. That is, until I couldn’t find the locking lug-nut key to replace the donut with a new tire. I tore the car apart, but no luck. Panic set in again. I realized no mechanic could help without the key, and ripping it off would cost thousands. I had one last idea: go back to the spot where I changed the tire. Using a photo I had taken the night before, I pinpointed the location with Apple Maps and drove back, still on the donut. When I arrived, I spent a few minutes searching the muddy roadside, and there it was – the tiny stainless steel lug nut stuck in the mud. Relief and frustration washed over me. I drove back to Hays, got a new tire at Walmart, and finally made my way home. I’ve never been so happy to sleep in my own bed. Moral of the story: 1. Life throws unexpected problems your way, no matter how prepared you are. 2. ADHD can really suck sometimes. 3. I’m never going back to Kansas.

We were due for another trip to Texas anyways. Let's do it!

What is Pre-Production, and why does it matter? In the past, we’ve had clients delay their commitment to a project and then reach out at the last minute, hoping for a quick turnaround. Unfortunately, without enough time for proper planning, sourcing resources, and fitting the project into our production schedule, we often have to decline these last-minute requests. But it's more than this... Pre-pro is the foundation that ensures everything runs smoothly from start to finish. This phase includes final concepts, scripting, location scouting, planning, and scheduling (as needed). These micro stages of pre-production ensures a quality project that aligns with your objectives and goals. You'll hear us say it often: "We are in the business of video strategy." To ensure your project is strategic and accomplishes the goals we set out to accomplish from the beginning, it takes time. The best results come from strategic planning and collaboration, not rushing against the clock. #VideoProduction #PreProduction #Planning #Storytelling #VideoMarketing

This is a deviation from my "video production" posts - something you'd be more likely to find over on my Instagram. But ladies and gentlemen... we are FOUR WEEKS away from these conditions in Colorado. I kid you not, this is one of the main reasons I moved to the mountains - a more creative environment. It makes me more inspired, more connected, and more grateful for the world we live in. We have a few jobs lined up this fall, and like always, it will be all systems go once we hit peak colors, as to not miss any moment, and ensure we capture as much as possible! Have a great rest of the week everyone! #creativity #photography #autumn #colorado

What's an easy way to dress up your final video deliverables? Sound design. Sound design is the intentional use of sound effects to add more texture to the video. When we watch films, what two senses are you using? Sight and SOUND. Your video can look great, but a few layers of sound design will take your final edit to another level. This is something we include in every video we are able to. Check out this visual below on how we used a few simple lifestyle sound effects, sourced from Artlist, to bring this lifestyle edit for Mountain Lodge Telluride to life.

Not my normal content, but it's a lazy Sunday afternoon, and I'm doing some pre-production planning, potentially with an 8K camera system. These illustrations are so satisfying to me. What you're looking at: The red box is typically what you view most full-screen 4K content in. The purple box is what several cinema movies are shot in (they'll have black lines on the top and bottom of the screen when viewing on a normal TV). The black box is an 8K picture. The yellow box, is an 8k picture filmed with a 1.5X anamorphic lens, desqueezed, and reframed to 33% of its original image, able to fit inside of a normal 4K cinema viewing experience. Why scale down to 4K? For one, this is a normal viewing experience (Youtube, movies, etc). But also, scaling down the 8K image to fit inside the 4K frame allows you to retain twice the amount of detail, giving a ton of flexibility with cropping. There's a lot of planning and math that goes into pre-production. These are intentional and methodical scenarios that directors and creatives deal with often... and I LOVE it. **ignore my typos caused by fat-fingerring my keyboard in photoshop.

I've seen this conversation come up a handful of times over the past few weeks, so I figured it deserved it's own post: "EXTERNAL production company versus INTERNAL videographer." Which do you choose? And why? Internal videographers are invaluable for capturing day-to-day moments and quick content, but when it comes to large-scale projects, partnering with an outside production company can make all the difference. Here’s why: Expertise: Our team of specialists—directors, editors, sound engineers—brings years of experience, delivering high-impact quality that internal teams often can't match. Technology: We use top-tier equipment and technology, offering production standards that in-house teams rarely justify for occasional big projects. Perspective: As an outside partner, we provide fresh, unbiased ideas that internal teams, often too close to the brand, may miss. Scalability: We efficiently manage large projects with the scalability and resources only a dedicated production company can offer. TLDR: An internal videographer has their role, but when your brand needs to make a BIG impact, trust a specialized team to deliver results. Visit Flatiron-Creative.com for more #videography #videomarketing #videoproduction

It's LIVE! Sorry, I tried to avoid posting an external link so I could keep everyone here on Linkedin, but Linkedin refused to post the video natively 😞 Regardless, the video is up, and I'm very excited to present this "Behind-the-Scenes" mini documentary. This feature is the culmination of a 6 month project, made possible by: Production company: Flatiron Creative Group Director: Trent Austen DP: Jesse O'Riley (thanks for letting us use your studio for testimonials!) BTS/PA: Logan Mulligan (massive thanks for capturing BTS, and making this feature possible) Post: Trent Austen We speak quite a bit about gear in this feature. Some of our favorite brands who made this production possible: TX/RX/Gimbals: DJI Comms: Hollyland Technology Hydra Alien: Tilta Music Tracks: Artlist As always, a massive thank you to The Colony Police Department and Matt Winnett for trusting us with the execution of this project. Phew. That's a wrap! #videoproduction #videocreation #recruitment #lawenforcement

You don't want to miss this!! Prior to my career in video production, I spent several years as a police officer. I left law enforcement on good terms to pursue my dream and I still have a deep admiration and respect for policing. That's why this "Behind the Scenes" documentary I am releasing this week is SO special. It's a rare and intimate look into the marriage of both of those worlds. Whether you work in you marketing, video production, or law enforcement, you will find some enjoyment here and DO NOT want to miss this premiere. And for those watching our work from the sidelines, this film will give you a super close look at how we handle working with our clients. Stay tuned!

I've been on the road (all over DFW) this week for a variety of meetings and proposal presentations. However, I had one one VERY important stop on this trip. The 30-second police recruiting ad we produced is playing as a trailer prior to every movie for 60 days straight at Grandscape's Galaxy Theater. I had to check it out for myself. SO COOL! Be sure to check it out for yourself if you're in North Texas!