Jpixx is filled to the brim with creativity. We are lucky to have such talented filmmakers right inside our office, ready for their next challenge! So when the 48-hour season rolled around, we were geared up to go. This year we had Savannah, Trey, Jon and Teviya all went on their separate missions. Check it out!
Savannah
“I always make an effort to learn something new on every 48-Hour Film Project that I do, and this one was no different. What better time to learn something than when you’re under pressure and running on a combined total of 5 hours of sleep? I always run sound and do the sound design with my friends on the team, Shadowcast Films, and this 48 I really enjoyed learning from Christopher Wratten that you can build suspense with music by using it as your hits and action drops. There were so many elements of sound that made our film, “Don’t Believe the Hype” something special, and it really is the beautiful creation of five different minds writing in a room on Saturday morning at 3 am.”
Trey
“This year’s 48-Hour Film Project gave me the opportunity to work with a lot of people I have never worked with before and make friends with filmmakers from other scenes. We had a pretty stacked crew and lots of options for actors. In this case, having a large crew with many different roles really helped. Everyone took their job seriously while always having fun.”
Jon and Teviya
“First off, I just absolutely love the filmmaking spirit seen by Savannah, Trey, and Teviya. Really drives me to want to get out of the box and keep having fun with video – which is the main reason we got into it in the first place.
This year’s 48hfp was all about bringing it down small. With our own kids as lead actors, and a tiny crew of Teviya, Jessa, and myself – my goal was to come away with a fun meaningful piece featuring my lil budding superstars (yes, I am biased) but also show that good storytelling can be accomplished without a super large crew.” -Jon
We are so excited to see all three of these films premiere at The Naro Expanded Cinema. Come and see for yourself!
At Jpixx, we do way more than just video. A huge part of telling a story is getting the audio just right.
Our Gear: We use state-of-the-art audio mixing equipment to capture stories and ideas in a way that’s just as sharp and focused as our takes. The MixPre-6 is a deluxe audio recording device that allows us to separate all microphones while also splitting every channel in post-production. This allows us to have more control over the individuals’ audio level and script flubs. Connected to the MixPre-6 are our Shure SM58 microphones that give us crisp ASMR-level sound quality with its unidirectional pickup pattern that isolates the main sound source while minimizing unwanted background noise. Our range of gear allows us to connect up to four speakers at one time!
For numerous clients over the years, we have harnessed a wide variety of experience creating podcasts/video podcasts, voiceover work, and more!
ThinkHIRE Podcast with the Hampton Roads Workforce Council
Did you know we are SWAM Certified? Not just that, but Jpixx is completely set up for state and federal work. Last year, Jacobs brought us in to help create a video podcast series for internal training. Our goal was to break the mold of the traditional educational format and supply a more relevant approach to learning, so we created a series of youtube-style videos that did just that.
Improve 81 Podcast with HDR and VDOT
Thanks to HDR, we have been able to create numerous videos along I-81 with VDOT! Their podcast, Improve I-81 has taken our crew all around the east coast to capture and interview many of the VDOT personnel. Check it out here!
Interested in seeing more about how we #CaptureLifeCreatively?
It’s here!!! Our new website is finally out and we are so excited to share it with you! We hope this can be a hub where you can see all we do here at Jpixx and a showcase of the phenomenal clients that we get to work for each and every day.
Most of our team was involved in the development of the site and each team member played a critical role in picking and choosing design concepts, photos, videos and content for the website!
“We’ve wanted to update our website for quite some time, but with the pandemic, our services really shifted and we found ourselves needing to really focus on how to identify Jpixx. What a challenge!! Fortunately, we had long-time Jpixx’er Maria Soliven with DelMar Experiences in our back pocket to see our vision to fruition.” – Jon, Co-owner
“My role was to define what each page would have (curate and write) and to get the it completed and live (with the help of Maria and Jpixx staff). This took defining all that we wanted to say in both words and visuals and then saying it clearly. It is a lot easier to just update what was there before but it was the perfect time to reassess what was needed and start from scratch. We put on our client hat and thought about how they would take what we were saying and process it. What about Jpixx is truly unique? We know what Capture Life Creatively means to us but what does it mean to them/for them/for their projects?” – Teviya, Co-owner
So what’s on the new website you might ask?
The new website is meant to be simple on the surface, but allow potential clients to learn about all the different types of media we produce and browse through our extensive catalog of work. Maria began with a list of these key features as a starting point for all that we want to share:
Overall: Refreshed design & enhanced mobile experience
Service Page: Deeper dive into our main services with examples of our work
Project Spotlight: Platform to share details and behind the scenes of a few of our favorite projects
Careers: Dedicated page for new opportunities at Jpixx and the ability to submit resumes directly
Within our project spotlights is where we got to really dig into all of our past archives:
“We made the project spotlights to shed some light into some of the twists and turns of the making of projects and share about the eventual wins. Andrew Harrison who is a freelance writer and content creator (who at one time was an intern at Jpixx) was a great help in co-writing those with me to get them down to the brass knuckles and to share new info on each one. We made a good team, but we were floored at how long it took us to complete this process for all the spotlights! It was evident how much love Jpixx pours into each and every project and how much value we give the client just by caring so much.” – Teviya
Some of our favorite videos within our project spotlights are:
EVMS Booster Seat: We worked with the Eastern Virginia Medical School to educate the public about booster safety and it got more than 23 million views across their platforms. Check out the video here!
VFS About Us: We’ve been working with Virginia Foundation Solutions for years now, and when they wanted a new branding video, we came to their rescue!
AEP The Answer: We traveled across multiple states to create this video for our clients at Dupont Sustainable Solutions. The result was an emotional piece displaying the importance that American Electric Power puts on its safety standards.
And lastly, you can’t have a website without photos and multi-media! Savannah, our highly-talented multimedia specialist, was in charge of collecting all of our selects across all our services.
“It was awesome to open up this website for the first time and to go in and really focus on making the photos look sharp. I was proud to have been a part of a lot of the shoots that are featured on the website, and to be represented in an ongoing portfolio is pretty hype. When I was toning or choosing photos, I was really going in with a critical eye and looking at the photos for composition and story. How can you Capture Life Creatively, telling a whole story in a single photograph? And if the photo was removed from the site, viewed on its own, completely out of context, would the message still be understood? Taking care and reviewing everything one by one may have taken a little more time, but the careful consideration of each candidate led to a portfolio piece worth a thousand words!” -Savannah, Photographer
At this year’s Harborfest, we embarked on several new voyages!
1.) Our very own booth! This became our go-to HQ on the festival grounds where we could conduct interviews, drop off gear, and recharge crew for the long and fun days out in the sun.
It was great having this booth as a pit stop for our team! Since we covered all the festival grounds this year, we needed all the help we could get! A huge thanks to our team and volunteers from the Governor’s School and George Mason University, who helped us capture some fantastic BTS on our socials!
Speaking of BTS…. 2.) We were around capturing more than just the official festivities …with the help of Matt leading the way, we also documented the planning, setup and staffing of Harborfest weekend, for a never-before-seen look at the incredible work of the Festevents staff.
and finally… 3.) The Boathouse Baby! Our team of Jillian and Cory set up shop to film candid stories about one of Norfolks treasures “The Boathouse” within the tribute section at Harborfest. So many stories to share!
The 2023 Highlight video will be out shortly and we will be sure to link it here once it’s ready! Stay tuned. It will also be all across our social pages as well as the FestEvents social accounts. the meantime, check out the other Harborfest videos that we have created over the years!
2022:
2018:
Interested in seeing more about how we #CaptureLifeCreatively?
We have a brand new addition to the Jpixx team…our Intern, Sage! Because of the pandemic, it’s been 2 years since we’ve last had an intern! We are so excited to be bringing new members into the fold again and expanding our capabilities! We interviewed Sage so you can get to know a little bit more about her, her work, and what all she will be getting up to here at Jpixx HQ.
Congratulations on being the new intern! How did you find out about Jpixx and what made you want to apply for the internship?
As a Virginia Beach local, I found out about Jpixx pretty quickly in my search for local production companies I was looking to do some freelance work with. A few months later, my professor at Regent University, Mike Sinclair, forwarded me an email from Teviya about connecting with Regent students for upcoming shoots and the summer internship. Jpixx was one of the only companies offering opportunities like that in the area. After getting in touch with Teviya, I was able to help out with shooting Israel Fest and submitted my internship application after that.
What is it about filmmaking that excites you?
I love the art of visual storytelling and the processes that surround it. Filmmaking is an opportunity to capture moments, stories, people, and places in time, and hopefully leave a lasting impact on all who see what is created, all while meeting and working with a variety of individuals along the way.
What inspired you to pursue Film Studies?
My fascination with cameras began with photography, copying trends I saw on social media. This eventually expanded in high school with my personal project at Princess Anne, a documentary short film about the power of music, which was my main passion up until this point. I spent a year learning all the filmmaking and editing techniques I needed for the task, and thought it was all so dope. After making a few more highlight videos of some missions trips I went on, I got hired as a content creator for my church at the time. The more I studied filmmaking, the more I enjoyed it, and decided to never stop. That eventually led me to the Cinema-Television program at Regent University, where I continued to pursue documentary work in particular. The culminating experience of this was the short documentary I made in partnership with the Norfolk Street Choir Project observing how the creative arts can affirm the homeless during my senior semester.
What is your favorite film?
Ironically, I don’t watch that many movies. If I had to choose, I’d say my most recent favorite is Respect, Aretha Franklin’s biopic with Jennifer Hudson. I’m a sucker for anything based on a true story and her story was so powerful and well-executed…and it also included music which I love.
What other hobbies or pastimes are you interested in?
I play a bit of piano and acoustic guitar. I’m also a major coffee shop enthusiast; it’s the first place I want to visit in every city I go to, and I work as a barista in my free time.
What has been your favorite thing about working here so far?
My favorite thing about being here so far is the laid back, fun, yet organized work environment. It’s not super high-stress, yet things still seem to run smoothly and efficiently, which I really appreciate.
First shoot experience with Jpixx?
We had a shoot with Virginia Beach City Public Schools, including the one I graduated from which was really enjoyable for me. It was interesting to observe and navigate working with so many different people in such a short amount of time. It was also an honor for me to have a hand on a project that is in collaboration with the community I grew up in.
Haven’t seen our team wrap-ups yet? Well here’s the spot to get all caught up on what we got up to in 2022. Click on each gif to go straight to the reel on our socials!
Starting off with Virginia Foundation Solutions 10-year anniversary video! For this celebration, all hands were on deck and Lizzie was in on the fun from start to finish.
Take a trip down memory lane with Jackson, reminiscing on days spent traveling across Virginia to create our own I-81 road trip videos (feat. Savannah!)
Savannah attended an international film festival this year in D.C.! She won an award for best sound design in our 48-hour winner, Potion Sickness.
See some fun behind-the-scenes antics in Trey’s wrap-up!
Jess jumped for joy at her favorite event that we cover each year, the ACCESS College Committment Day!
Drones have become such a massive part of what we do here at Jpixx. Expanding our capabilities into this high-flying territory has brought us nothing but cool new opportunities.
Thousands of video creators fly recklessly every day, but we pride ourselves on being licensed and insured – which means we take airspace seriously. The last thing you need is a drone crashing into a crowd or causing a major traffic accident. Three of our crew, Savannah, Jackson, and Jon, are all FAA-licensed drone pilots and have spent countless hours perfecting their (air)craft.
“Having my license, but never flying a drone was interesting. But Jon took me out to Fort Monroe and taught me the basics of flying, and after a bit of practice over the next few months, I was flying like a pro!” -Savannah
Last year, Savannah was able to get the awesome opportunity to travel to Tangier Island with National Geographic to capture incredible aerial footage.
“It was an opportunity that fell into my lap and I’m so glad that I lept at the chance.” -Savannah
We are well-versed with the DJI Mavic Pro drones. They allow us to get aerial footage to complement our ground game. Opting for a drone video versus is a great way to create a more dynamic video, highlight scale and establish or close a scene as well!
The latest toy to the arsenal is the new DJI mavic mini pro 3, Jackson’s favorite drone.
“I had always been against using drone shots in short films and other narrative pieces. I always thought of it as “Oh, look. We have a drone. Aren’t we COOL??” Then I started working at Jpixx and discovered they ARE cool. One day Jon said we needed more drone pilots and I took on the challenge. After getting certified, learning to fly was easy for me. It’s like playing a video game on a controller.” -Jackson
Our crew rolled into Portsmouth to cover the grand opening of the brand-new Rivers Casino ! A HUGE thank you to The KBD Group who brought us out and allowed us to capture all the fun and deliver the official press-release images hours after each event! Coverage across 4 events allowed us to showcase our many capabilities from aerial drone video to photos of each crucial moment.
The new Rivers Casino is absolutely stunning. A huge, modern space filled with everything from the new BetRivers Sportsbook to classic slots. We captured every room, discovering all the bells and whistles along the way.
The first event of the week was the MLK Luncheon. Savannah, Jon, and Cory were the first on our team to get a peek at the very first event held in the conference space, hosted by The Epsilon Nu Lambda Charitable Foundation with Bakari Sellers, Mayor Shannon Glover, and other dignitaries in attendance.
This test night was especially exciting for Jess, who’s from Portsmouth! “It was so cool being there to see the first people set foot in the casino…it was emotional! Hearing Mayor Shannon Glover speak about Portsmouth and the good that he wants for this city made me so proud. I hope this turns things around for the people’s perception of Portsmouth as well.”
Last but not by any means least, the grand opening day! The ribbon was cut, the first dice were rolled, and thousands of guests entered the casino to play! We captured the many smiles, wins, and memories during this celebratory day. Using our drone capabilities, we followed the Norfolk State University marching band-The Spartan Legion– out in front of the casino as they surprised all the guests with a lineup of fantastic songs to get the crowd excited.
Savannah, our stellar photographer was there through the week and captured some spectacular moments, “Events have always been one of my favorite things to capture. Not only do you get real, genuine smiles and people ready to be on camera, but you also get the chance to be in the moment and see the plan before it unfolds. Having been there all four days to capture all the different events leading up to the grand opening, felt like a huge moment for me. The first Casino in Virginia, and I was there to get the photo that they’ll show off for years to come. It was amazing to see the tight turnarounds pay off as the Rivers Casino Portsmouth photos that I took popped up on my Facebook feed with already a lot of publicity.“
Once again, it was so exciting to be a part of this monumental addition to Hampton Roads. So proud of all of our crew who worked to capture all that went into this wild week- Jon, Jackson, Lizzie, Savannah, Jess, Eliana, Matt, Marvin, and Cory!
The Virginia Office of Emergency Medical Services has been one of our long-standing clients. Over the years, we’ve helped them capture their awards show. This event is a solid example of our capabilities as a full-service video agency! From videography and graphic design to photography and live streaming, we are able to deliver high-quality results because of our fantastic team. This year, virtually each crew member was a part of capturing the 2022 Virginia EMS Symposium and the Governor’s EMS Awards ceremony! Let us break it down for ya!
The theme was Back to 90s night at the Norfolk Waterside Marriott! It was an all around team effort to get all media pre and post event out and ready to go! Jackson, our editor extraordinaire, worked incredibly hard to create all of the promo and visual videos that would play throughout the ceremony.
Jillian and Savannah worked closely to put together all of our 90s’ themed marketing material. Savannah created a banner displaying all of the event sponsors. Our pastel colored backdrop was placed to capture photos of all of the first responders in attendance as they entered the ball room!
It would be a shame to not highlight the fact that Savannah provided photo coverage throughout the whole week of the symposium! Here are some of our favorite shots:
Then came the moment we’ve been waiting for, livestream and awards show! This required lots of prep work and a showcase of many different capabilities– with final products to go around.
“There’s not a greater feeling than being able to lead an enormously talented crew all towards the single mission of providing an outstanding show for our client. I love how everyone buys into the notion that we should one-up ourselves every year, and honestly, that’s how we got to where we are today. By pushing ourselves well past everyone’s expectations. The only thing I was disappointed with was that I was the only one on the crew that dressed down to the 90s, haha. At least we know that the middle hair part is not coming back for me anytime soon.” -Jon
