Rusty Rogers was once a general building contractor who, over 15 years ago, transitioned out of the construction world and into the world of video production becoming an independent video producer and starting Rusty Rogers Films.

Rusty Rogers

The lessons he learned in the construction business have not been lost in his career move, however. As a general contractor, Rogers learned some valuable lessons but none more so than this:

“A good carpenter can build anything with a dull chisel and a rock; a bad one can ruin a job with a truckload of tools.”

This phrase carried over and translated perfectly into the video production business as well, simply because, as Rogers says:

“It’s all about having the right tools for the job.”

According to Rogers, one major advantage to being an independent producer is that he singularly possesses the authority to choose the “right tools” for the job; tools that will satisfy the customer and conform to his particular workflow, as well as complete the job efficiently, without stifling creativity.

“Typically this means having the ability to change with current video trends… My clients expect it.”

The ability to keep up with current trends and technology is paramount for any video producer and Rogers is no exception.

Since Rogers’ career migration, he has produced programs for his local PBS station in addition to shooting weddings and corporate videos. Most recently, a casual pitch to a local group of professional media associates was presented to and accepted by PBS management. This was a production with a limited budget and small but dedicated crew.

“…there was no money to hire compositors or even spend much time [manipulating] in After Effects.”

For his most recent PBS project, Rogers turned to NewBlueFX Video Essentials II. He expressed that the picture-in-picture effect packaged in this collection was a perfect match and a bargain for the price.

“The show centers around an event with literally hundreds of sub-plots going on simultaneously. My first notion was to use picture-in-picture to convey the idea of many things going on at once but I needed something fresh.”

As a result, Rogers used Video Essentials II Picture-in-Picture in both Adobe’s After Effects and Grass Valley’s EDIUS in order to bring his ideas to life. The following examples (ex.1 and ex.2) show how he used the effect to communicate the lively and diverse activities of the Arts Alive: Second Saturday program for KVIE Public Television.

Rogers further explains,

“My job was to keep a lively pace without going overboard on effects.”

Second Saturday Highlights from Rusty Rogers on Vimeo.

Rogers says Video Essentials II provided a “quick and easy solution for my project that finished ahead of schedule!”

“With an arsenal of NewBlueFX installed on my edit PC I’ve been able to tackle some really challenging projects. Adding a new and unique ‘look’ and flair…I am simply amazed at the level of personal attention given at NewBlue customer support. That kind of dedication will easily win over any customer.”

To experience the effects in full motion the way Rogers intended them, go to: rustyrogersfilms.com