November 28, 2009 – When the Nikon D5000 debuted last summer it looked like the perfect camera for me. It has the image processor of a D300, along with a 2.7” title/swivel LCD screen. The fact that video can be recorded at 720p, it allows for interchangeable lenses and can shoot at 4 frames per second were just icing on the cake. Since I like to shoot both down low and high over head, I have come to rely heavily on the tilt screen in my Panasonic FZ50. So I felt the D5000 (on paper anyway) should give me everything I needed for just about any shoot I would have to do.

Besides, my Nikon D200 was starting to show its age, and a quick review of recent sales on eBay confirmed I could sell my D200 outfit (body, winder and a couple of accessories) for about the same price as a new D5000. I listed it, and seven days later sold it for $55 more than I needed for the new camera. Amazon was among the first online stores to have the new Nikon in stock, so I bought it just slightly under its list price (shipping was free).

Over the next several months I had a chance to use the camera, but in each case, it was usually an important shoot and I didn't want to risk any problems.  I just did not feel confident enough with the D5000, so it came to each shoot as my backup camera, and typically saw only light duty. The Panasonic did all the heavy lifting. I have used the FZ50 so much over the past two years, I don’t even have to think about it – it has truly become an extension of my hand. What I really needed was a full day with the D5000 in a real world, non-critical shoot.

Posted by Vic Cherubini on November 29, 2009

November 24, 2009 – Dallas Shooting Supplies is a relatively new web based shooting supply company. The company is owned by Morgan Richie and Vic Cherubini Jr. who both have a passion about rifles and weaponry. Vic was coming home for the holidays, so I asked him to bring some of his guns so we could do a photo shoot.

I had not seriously photographed weapons before, so in preparation of the shoot, I spent a couple of hours scouring the web for ideas on composition, lighting, and tips on how to make guns look their best. The best sources turned out to be stock photography sites, all of which had hundreds of examples showing guns at their finest.  I collected my favorites and used these images during the shoot for guidance.

Unlike most things we shoot in the studio, these objects have the capability to shoot back. I am quite comfortable handling guns, and respect their power. At age 11, I participated in the Brooklyn Boy Scout Marksmanship Program, and every Saturday for two years we took the LL train to the US Armory in Bedford Stuyvesant.  The first two weeks of the program were all about gun safety, and I can still see Mr. Prebble pointing to the NRA sign on the wall with the three basic rules we all memorized by heart:

• ALWAYS keep the gun pointed in a safe direction.
• ALWAYS keep your finger off the trigger until ready to shoot.
• ALWAYS keep the gun unloaded until ready to use.

Posted by Vic Cherubini on November 25, 2009

November 21, 2009 – 28 years ago when I moved to Texas, I heard about the Texas Aggie Bonfire and watched it a number of times on TV. I always wanted to go to one, but never seemed to find the time. Then, ten years ago, a tragic accident claimed the lives of 12 students. Texas A&M University banned future bonfires, and with the ban, my hopes of ever experiencing one was over. That changed this past Saturday night when we attended (and participated in) a commemorative bonfire put on by an Aggie couple in Conroe, TX. How we came to be part of this special event is an interesting story as well.

This past summer a number of very old, very large pine trees on epic property died. The drought made the trees susceptible to invasion by pine bark beetles. Some of these trees were 60-70 feet tall, and measured 36 inches in diameter at the base. One was close enough to our building that there was no doubt it needed to come down (in a very controlled way). I was not sure the best way to handle this, so I called the Montgomery County Extension Service to see if the trees could be harvested by a timber company, and to find out what to do with them after they were cut down.



Posted by Vic Cherubini on November 23, 2009

November 18, 2009 - Congratulations are in order to BMA Houston 2009 Lantern Awards Chair Stephanie Robertson and her volunteer committee for yet another successful event, and an evening to remember. Over 380 people attended the awards ceremony, and in the process, have helped kick off the funding for our 2010 student Internship and Scholarship programs.

While most marketing budgets were severely cut this past year, you would not know it by the quality of the work displayed on the 43rd floor of the Petroleum Club. I always like to attend these events because I come away inspired by the work of those who are faced with communicating information about complex products and services to the business community.

Posted by Vic Cherubini on November 18, 2009

November 12, 2009 - The purpose of this blog entry is to take you through the process of converting a shipping container into a fireworks stand - from concept to creation.  I have included a number of photos to help others who may want to use a container to build a Fireworks Stand, Concession, Storage Unit or similar structure understand the process. You will hear people refer to these steel boxes as cargo containers, intermodal freight containers, but, when they are "upcycled" in this fashion, the proper name is an ISBU or Intermodal Steel Building Unit.  One EXCELLENT source of information on the subject is the ISBU Organization,

University of Houston, College of Architecture faculity member Tom Diehl helped me to realize that a used cargo container could be turned into a very effective building structure. In 2005, Tom's 5th year architectural students visited our property and as part of a class project, they provided me with a number of very interesting concepts on how best to develop our four acres of land. 

The front of our property is on Sawdust Road, a very heavily traveled street. It is the first southern entrance to The Woodlands, a 28,000 acre master planned community less than a half-mile away.  It is a perfect spot for a retail establishment, but our deed does not allow for any permanent structures to be built on that part of the property.



Posted by Vic Cherubini on November 12, 2009

November 12, 2009,   In the first part of this blog post I talked about the branding components of an Advergame.   In part 2, we will discuss what makes for a great Computer Game, and in turn a great Advergame.  

Think back to time when you first discovered video games – the thrill and excitement of actually interacting with some element on the screen was enthralling. Now, stop and think about your favorite video game. What made it so special? Was it the graphics, the action, the story, the music, or a combination of things that simply immersed you in the experience? Why would you spend hour after hour in front of your computer screen being transformed into an altered state? You can almost hear your mom calling from the other room “Stop playing that stupid game and get back to doing your homework. No one is going to pay you to play video games!"

Today you can indeed make a living playing computer games, and even though it is hard work, developing computer games can be very rewarding. Let’s take a look at some of the elements that go into great game design and answer the question – “What makes for a great computer game?”

November 11, 2009 - If you are looking for a way to build your brand, and at the same time make your site more "sticky", you should consider developing an Advergame. What exactly is an Advergame? Simply put, "An Advergame uses interactive gaming technology to deliver embedded advertising messages to consumers". These games incorporate the company brand or product as a key element in the game. And, unlike a "product placement" in a movie (where you may only see the brand name for a brief moment), an Advergame is typically built around the brand, product or service, and is an integral part of the story.

At epic, we try our best to find ways to incorporate Advergames into client sites. Over the years, we had developed a number of applications, and in 2004 when the publishing company Charles River Media asked us to write a book on the subject we accepted the challenge. Advergaming was coming of age. That year, computer game revenues passed those of box office receipts, and the internet was filled with excellent examples of awesome games - all available for free.

I am writing this blog entry for those companies trying to decide if developing an Advergame is a good use of their precious marketing dollars. Since there are two key parts of an advergame, we will divide this post into Part I - Branding, and Part II - Game Development.

Posted by Vic Cherubini on November 11, 2009