Lifestyle Project: California
After the great feedback of the New York Lifestyle Project, we decided to head to the West Coast to feature four professionals throughout the Golden State. Martin Fobes, Michael Sato, Jessica Lopez and Tony DiMaria are giving us an inside look of their busy life on-and-off set with 30 photos in 30 days. We’re only half way through now, but here’s a glimpse of their life and what they’re all up to thus far.
Martin Fobes is a filmer and editor for DC Shoes, who gets to travel all over the world doing what he loves; filming skateboarding, snowboarding and motocross. He is currently working on the Defy Convention video series, but most of their shoots are very short notice so every day he never knows what to expect or where he’ll be going. Although it’s simple for him to film skaters since he’s been doing it his whole life, he mentioned that it can get tricky sometimes because most of the professionals he films land their tricks very quickly. In order for him to get the perfect shot, he has to know exactly how he wants to shoot it on the spot and make sure he’s ready at all times. To help him through his shoots, he uses Hypercore-98S to power his RED, and the TorchLED Bolt 220 to light up his night clips. He loves using Hypercore because they’re lighter than his RED bricks and have the ability to charge his iPhone or GoPro through the USB. He says the Bolt 220 is the perfect camera light for him to shoot skateboarding because you just plug in the D-Tap and go, without having to worry about extra batteries. When he isn’t out filming for DC or editing away at DC headquarters, he’s usually out skating and filming in his free time with friends because he enjoys it so much. He couldn’t be happier by doing what he loves for a living. Take a look at Martin’s Lifestyle Project photos here.
Michael Sato is the owner and Executive Producer of SatoStudios, a Northern California based Production Company. Currently, they’re working on a professional golf reality based television show, and working with Toyota for NASCAR and Blox Evolution car show series. To power through his productions, he uses a PB70 with his Sony a7S. With the stock batteries, he would go through 6-8 batteries for a day of shooting, but with the PB70 he could go more than one day of shooting! Creatively to get an idea of how they want their productions to go, they first brainstorm ideas about what the main keys to the story are and then storyboard their typical shots needed for the video. They then decide which camera fits the job and look at what other accessories they need for camera movement such as a jib, slider, tripod, etc. For Michael and the rest of the crew at SatoStudios, a typical week always varies from traveling out of the country or shooting in their own city. They also try to balance their shooting, editing, marketing, website and social media throughout the week as well no matter where they are. When Michael gets some free time, he spends it all with his three sons golfing or building Honda Ruckus scooters. Check out Michael’s Lifestyle Project photos here.
Jessica Lopez is a union Steadicam Operator with work credits on projects such as Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee with Jerry Seinfeld and a Netflix new original series called Love. To prepare for a production, she looks at the storyboards, script and/or photos, scans the locations to see what she’s up against and speaks to both the Director and DP so they’re all on the same page as to how to execute the shot. She then relays all of the information to her Focus Puller on how she’ll move within the scene. During productions, she benefits by using Hypercore-98AG because of how light they are, and as a Steadicam Operator, she has to maximize any unwanted weight since she’s wearing the entire camera contraption on her body. When Jessica isn’t busy being a Steadicam Operator, she’s out trying to make the world a better place by volunteering her time with camera organizations, homeless shelters, helping with foster kids, recycling and helping clean up her city, as well as staying active by hiking and roller skating. See Jessica’s Lifestyle Project photos here.
Tony Dimaria is a San Diego based Cinematographer, Aerial Specialist, Production Manager for Full Sense Productions and a Director of Photography for travel network, A Wealth of Entertainment (AWE). Tony has at least one battery from every battery series we offer! They make his productions possible by “offering the most power and durability a product can offer while being out in the field.” When he’s tackling a project he usually sizes it up and sets a platform goal, then executes the project in the most effective way to achieve and complete whatever the goal may be. When he’s not out filming, he goes surfboarding, works on his motorcycles or skates around town to find new sites to film. Check out Tony’s Lifestyle Project photos here.
