Through Another Lense

Running it back this Friday at noon with my guy and top NYC cameraman, Tom Justino.

He was my wing man for my first ever Facebook Live and we're at it again this week talking the current state of production, what gear you need & his podcast, Toll Switch.

No one has given me better advice when it comes to video, audio & photography than Tom over the years.

Tune in for this energetic conversation at TalkRadio.nyc or watch the Facebook Livestream by Clicking Here.

Segment 1

Jeremiah is broadcasting this week from his restaurant, Della, in Windsor Terrace, Brooklyn.  Tom gives the advice to not get anything more than what you absolutely need when it comes to equipment.  Jeremiah and Tom discuss the new iPhone 13, which does not make many improvements to the photography features introduced in iPhone 12.  Even though the photography features on newer iPhone models are excellent, post production is generally still needed for a professional-grade photo.  Jeremiah and Tom tend to upgrade their iPhones every two years.  They recommend Moment lenses to enhance iPhone photography and discuss whether these lenses will work homogeneously with upgraded Portrait Mode features.  Jeremiah asks Tom about any pointers for improving videography.  Tom says that audio quality makes all the difference in the world for enhancing video, referencing a scene in Taxi Driver as an example.  Always save background noise in case you wish to use it in a finished video mix.  Software such as Adobe Premiere Plus can be useful for editing video.  Jeremiah and Tom will be back after the break.            

Segment 2

Back from the break, Jeremiah asks for Tom’s take on how much the industry has changed since the start of the pandemic.  Tom notes that we have been more accepting of lower quality standards than we normally would have pre-pandemic - Zoom audio and video quality, for example.  As long as you can give the viewer/listener what they’re there for, then that’s all that matters.  They will forgive the audio/visual hiccups.  Jeremiah notes that over the last two weeks in Midtown Manhattan, daily activities are as close to normal as they’ve been in the last year and a half.  It may never fully go back to what it was pre-pandemic, but the volume of people has been much higher.  Tom says this transition to the new normal means he needs to navigate the grey area between art and commerce.  People and brands are going to want to tell stories together, which provides a lot of opportunities for photography, especially on social media.  Tom is going to continue focusing on fine art photography while also finding ways for his photography to tell stories for brands.  Social media is a great way to prop up brand stories, whether it’s sharing a mission, promoting a pop-up location or directing to a detailed website.  Jeremiah mentions Google My Business, which is an effective way to integrate all social content into a singular platform.  Tom recommends using message boards and forums on brand websites to further your message.  More to come after the break.                   

 

Segment 3 

Jeremiah asks Tom, if a picture is worth a thousand words, how much is a video worth?  Jeremiah says the hardest thing to maintain when scaling a business is intimacy.  Video has the potential to scale intimacy much more effectively than a photo can.  Sam agrees that it’s easier for a viewer to invest in video/film and that it takes a unique type of person to get lost in a photograph in the same way.  Jeremiah asks Sam what strategies he employs for growing his business.  Right now Tom says that getting back into things is so new, he focused on putting his fine art out and hoping that it attracts customers interested in working with him.  He adds that he has had more time during the day to focus on work since his kid is back to in-person school and afterschool activities.  Prior to that he was doing a lot of his writing at night and getting outside to shoot whenever he could.  He started working with Fort Hamilton Distillery by meeting up with him on numerous occasions in the Windsor Terrace/Kensington area.  Tom remarks that of Jeremiah’s restaurant businesses were able to prosper through the pandemic because people tend to turn to food for comfort.   Jeremiah and Sam will come back for their final segment after the break.          

   

Segment 4

After the break, Jeremiah asks Tom about his podcast, Toll Switch.  Tom was inspired to create a storytelling studio without constraints, where the stories could be translated to different mediums.  From this came Toll Switch, a series of one-act teleplays taking place in New York City in the 50s.  It’s allowed Sam to tell all of the stories he’s wanted to tell.  The video companion pieces to the show are filmed in black and white to recall the style of noir films of the era.  The show can be found on all major podcast platforms.  Tom would like to grow the show by connecting more to the NYC theater world, to utilize the top-tier acting talent.  The end goal is to eventually be able to work with a major network.  Learn more about Tom at his website JustinoPictures.com and on Instagram at @bullfella.  Learn more about Toll Switch at TollSwitchStudios.com and @tollswitch on Facebook, Instragram and Twitter.

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