![](//www.4rfv.com/images/no_image.jpg)
YouTubers Renny and Boston Complete Feature Film Alien Country with Blackmagic Design
Brie Clayton November 23, 2023
0 Comments
With their latest feature film Alien Country, filmmakers and content creators Renny Grames and Boston McConnaughey, known for their YouTube channel Renny and Boston, leveraged their success on YouTube to complete a passion project years in the making, one that directly interfaced with their audience and followers.
McConnaughey explained, Our YouTube channel began with sketches and short fan films based on video games. We slowly but surely grew our following, and that, coupled with separate commercial work, helped us lay the groundwork to transition into the longform content we've always wanted to make.
We see the rise of the mini studio,' or filmmakers coming up from YouTube who can compete visually with the big studios, thanks to the democratization of technology, and who have the added benefit of a built in audience used to interacting with them, he elaborated. There's room at the table for both, as I might go to the grocery store to buy a brand name item, but I'll also go to the farmers' market for something indie or local where I can connect directly with the artisan.
With Alien Country, Grames and McConnaughey are proving the model exists, forming their film and interactive media production company Story Mode and bringing their audience on the filmmaking journey via behind the scenes and making of content, tutorials, and educational filmmaking resources on their YouTube channel.
Never Settle
With Alien Country' in development for eight years, we weren't going to let 19 days of principal photography decide the result of the project, noted Grames. We packed as much as we could into those 12 hour days, but the pickup days ended up making the difference between the film we shot and the film we wanted to make.
Equipped with Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K and Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K digital films cameras, Grames and McConnaughey were able to head out in the desert by themselves or with a small crew to capture pickup shots and drone footage, as well as play with VFX shots against a green screen in their garage.
The film would have suffered if we didn't have those shots, which we were able to get thanks to Blackmagic Design. Visually the cameras provide a cinematic look and that, coupled with the compact form factor, supports our artistic vision and ultimately lets us compete at the level we want to, said Grames. The cameras' flexibility allowed us to not have to settle.
Recreating a classic 80s sci fi look for the film, Grames and McConnaughey relied on a Magic Booster and the camera's 6K sensor shooting in Blackmagic RAW to match principal photography. The Pocket Cinema Camera 6K's high resolution and compact form factor came in especially handy when shooting with a drone.
McConnaughey detailed a captivating chase scene: We wanted to capture the creature's viewpoint as it chases the characters through a tight canyon. We put the Pocket Camera on a stabilizer on a drone and got dozens of beautiful shots. The camera is so easy to throw in a backpack, use handheld, on a rig, a drone, etc., and one person can build it, so you're good to go.
November 22, 2023Le R ve Films Relies on Collaborative Blackmagic Cloud Workflow for Celebrity Wedding FilmsBlackmagic Design today announced that Le R ve Films, an award winning wedding
November 21, 2023Fontys Guides Future Journalists with a Live Production Workflow from Blackmagic DesignBlackmagic Design today announced that the MindLabs research facility in the Netherlands
Grames added, It's those kinds of shots that allow us to uplevel as filmmakers. We aren't a huge studio, but that doesn't stop us from producing amazing content. There's one drone shot that gives me chills. It's from the point of view of an orb flying over a cornfield, and it really exemplifies the quality of the film for me.
It's All in the Details
From sweeping drone footage to small details in sunrises, Grames and McConnaughey never settled. Grames highlighted how no one sees the time and effort that goes into the minor enhancements behind the scenes.
We needed a fast, tight night to day transition, and there was no way of getting it during principal photography. So, we went out several months later with the Pocket Cameras in hand and captured the sunrise perfectly, she explained. There were also two intense action scenes, one a demolition derby and another where we had a giant alien battle in a rodeo arena stadium. With a limited crew, we strapped Blackmagic cameras to the sides of the stunt cars to create the scale and scope that make this film look beyond indie. The cameras really support this guerilla style of filmmaking.
McConnaughey added that many times people think budget is a limitation to their creativity. They need to rethink that. They do have the capabilities because the technology, like Blackmagic Design, is available now, he said. Even in post, with DaVinci Resolve Studio coming free with the camera and all the editing, VFX and audio tools being added over the years. With this type of affordable and powerful tech, you can make something at a fraction of the cost that still competes visually.
Creative Freedom
In post, Colorist Ben Hoffman created a film stock look using filters and halation in DaVinci Resolve Studio. Additionally, he enhanced the film's color scheme, with Renny's character Everly's clothes and her environment in the canyons represented with red, and the town represented in blue, with male lead K.C. Clyde's character Jimmy driving a blue truck. As the film progresses, Everly begins wearing more blue tones, while Jimmy wears red, with the shift towards purpl
North America Stories
07/09/2024
The official kickoff to the college football season provided another reminder of how football can boost audiences across all platforms, with ESPN and ABC report...
07/09/2024
CAMBRIDGE, U.K. Adder Technology, a provider of connectivity solutions and high performance IP KVM technologies, has announced a new addition to its KVM matrix ...
07/09/2024
CINCINNATI The E.W. Scripps Company (NASDAQ: SSP) has promoted Sean Franklin to vice president and general manager for WLEX, the Scripps-owned NBC affiliate in ...
07/09/2024
AMSTERDAM Cobalt Digital has announced that during the IBC Show it will be sharpening its focus on IP-based solutions by adding a scalable software-based multiv...
07/09/2024
Cerberus Tech, a leader in cloud-native IP contribution and distribution, today announced a series of updates that combine to increase user control in working w...
07/09/2024
Interra Systems, a leading provider of end-to-end quality assurance solutions to the digital media industry, today announced a strategic partnership with Videli...
07/09/2024
oMoVo, an innovator in AI-driven digital asset management (DAM), is launching ioPilot, a new feature in its game-changing DAM platform. Designed to streamline c...
07/09/2024
Creativepool Annual 2024: The Most Awards Launched at Sinfonia Smith Square
Brie Clayton September 7, 2024
0 Comments
The creative industry's mo...
07/09/2024
Meredith Veloz has been named news director at WRMD Tampa, part of NBC Universal Local's Telemundo Station Group. She starts in early October and will repor...
06/09/2024
By Jessica Herndon
One of the most exciting things about the Sundance Film Fes...
06/09/2024
PARK CITY, UTAH - JANUARY 22: (L-R) Eugene Grygo, Phoebe Hoffman, Lana Wilson, Michael Kim, and Nikenya Hall attend the 2024 Sundance Film Festival Look Into M...
06/09/2024
Video over IP, in the sense that's used in film and television, sometimes feels like a newer idea than it really is. That might be because the high-end, unc...
06/09/2024
The ability of NFL football to attract large audiences in an era of declining viewing for linear TV was on full display in the NFL seasons opener, with an avera...
06/09/2024
MELVILLE, N.Y. Chyron has beefed up its team in EMEA and APAC with the addition of three new positions intended to enhance its growth and better serve customers...
06/09/2024
NEW YORK FutureB2B, a world-leading provider of business intelligence and networking services, is proud to announce the appointment of Joe Palombo as the publis...
06/09/2024
Adventurer A/V, a leading Taiwanese broadcast production company and equipment rental service provider based in Taipei City, has invested in latest-generation U...
06/09/2024
At IBC 2024, Hall 1 B33, leading video software provider, Synamedia, will unveil a raft of new video network solutions as it solidifies its position as a key te...
06/09/2024
LiveU today launched its Lightweight Sports Production solution making fully featured, professional live sports production accessible and affordable for every e...
06/09/2024
Osprey Video
IBC2024 Show Preview
Sept. 13-16
Various Partner Stands
At IBC2024, Osprey Video's encoding/decoding technology will be on display at sever...
06/09/2024
GB Labs, the leader in intelligent, centralized media storage, today announced the launch of NebulaNAS, a transformative new cloud storage solution developed fr...
06/09/2024
Suitest, provider of test automation for OTT applications, today announced the full availability of image- and object-based test automation capabilities in a si...
06/09/2024
France 3 Nouvelle Aquitaine (.3NoA) is a 100% regional channel that aims to promote culture and creativity at regional level.
At the beginning of 2024, the cha...
06/09/2024
At IBC 2024, Camera control specialists Videosys Broadcast will be announcing a new bidirectional radio camera system that will simplify wireless workflows, as ...
06/09/2024
Magnifi by VideoVerse, an AI-driven video technology company and powerful video-editing SaaS platform, has announced a partnership with Storyteller,a leading Sa...
06/09/2024
iWedia, a leading provider of software solutions for connected TV devices and services, is proud to announce its selection as the official vendor for the HbbTV ...
06/09/2024
LTN and Skyline Communications announce a new collaboration to drive enhanced broadcast monitoring and control for Tier 1 media, sports, entertainment, and tech...
06/09/2024
IBC2024 today announces the line-up of speakers and sessions for the first-ever dedicated IBC Talent Programme, taking place on Monday 16 September in the Showc...
06/09/2024
Kiloview, a leading provider of IP-based video transmission solutions, is set to make a significant impact at IBC 2024 with the unveiling of three groundbreakin...
06/09/2024
The newly combined entity of Fabric and Xytech Systems, currently known as Fabric x Xytech, is pleased to announce the appointment of Kira Baca as Chief Revenue...
06/09/2024
Student Spotlight: Mateo Londo o The producer talks about leaving Berklee to grieve the passing of a close friend and fellow student and then returning to fin...
06/09/2024
More rough news for grownups in traditional media. According to a new study from Precise TV, teens prefer the ads on YouTube and are turning to Netflix and YouT...
06/09/2024
A data-driven campaign created by Samsung Ads and Davis Elen Advertising for the...
06/09/2024
Glen Dacy has been named VP of news content and streaming at WFLD-WPWR Chicago, starting September 9. He most recently worked with the CBS Network News Special ...
06/09/2024
WPP's GroupM media investment unit named Richard Hartell CEO of its EssenceMediacom U.S. agency, effective immediately....
06/09/2024
Cozi TV premieres an original documentary on Little House on the Prairie Saturday, September 7 at 7 p.m. ET. Hour-long Loving Little House: The 50th Anniversary...
06/09/2024
Vizio said its WatchFree Plus streaming service is now available on the Vizio mobile app for iOS and Android devices....
06/09/2024
XGen Network (XGN) said today that it plans to conduct what it calls the worlds first demonstration of ancillary data delivery to a road sign using 5G Broadca...
06/09/2024
MELVILLE, N.Y. Chyron has updated its sports analysis portfolio with new versions of PAINT, its illustrated replay solution, and Virtual Placement, the company ...
06/09/2024
MT OLIVE, N.Y. Vislink Technologies has announced the appointment of Joseph Lipowski as its new Chief Technology Officer (CTO). A renowned RF and wireless exper...
06/09/2024
IRVINE, Calif. In a sign of how important advertising has become to makers of TV sets, Vizio has announced that its popular WatchFree+ service is now available ...
06/09/2024
AMSTERDAM Shotoku Broadcast Systems will launch SoftRail that merges the path-following capabilities of a physical rail system with the freedom of a free-roamin...
06/09/2024
WARNER BROS. TELEVISION AND THE BOSTON FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCE WBTV COLLEGE DAY O...
06/09/2024
NFL Kickoff 2024: Coming Off Super Bowl High, CBS Sports Adds 4K Zoom Tech, AI-D...
06/09/2024
Customer service departments across industries are facing increased call volumes, high customer service agent turnover, talent shortages and shifting customer e...
06/09/2024
SVG Rewind: Freedom Broadcast Studios Remotely Produces Browns-Seahawks Preseaso...
06/09/2024
NFL Kickoff 2024: FOX Sports Precedes Super Bowl LIX Production With Tantalizing...
06/09/2024
Philip Garvin, Mobile TV Group Founder and Live-Production Titan, Dies at 76 Garvin was a leader and pioneer in the regional-sports-production community By Jas...
06/09/2024
Hero Digital Revamps LPGA.com Website; WSC Sports Powers AI-Created Highlights Initiative builds upon SeatGeek and Legends partnerships aimed at expanding expos...
06/09/2024
Quickplay Promotes Prabu Chelladurai, Hires Sean Lynch and Adam Mitchell to Stre...
06/09/2024
RTL Deutschland boosts coverage for second NFL season on RTL, Nitro and RTL By George Bevir
Friday, September 6, 2024 - 10:13
Print This Story
RTL's ...