We are constantly learning new things about the diverse team at Creative Link. We have designers that are also photographers, an interactive director that is a wake boarder, company executives that are on competitive BBQ teams, and a video editor that is a talented illustrator and music video producer!

Rick Lopez is the editor and producer for our client’s commercial video projects and can be found in our Eight Slate Productions editing bay everyday. We recently stumbled on a set of Rick’s personal video projects and decided that one of them was too awesome not to share.

Kid Dub: "See You Again" from Rick Lopez on Vimeo.

We asked Rick to write about this project that became the best gift ever:

My nephew and niece are awesome kids, however I didn’t want to give them any toys this past Christmas.  Let me rephrase, I didn’t want to give them something that they would throw in the closet in a week.  Instead, I met with them and asked if they wanted to make a video together.  This would be a perfect way for me to use my skills and talents in a way that would encourage their own. 

We began by narrowing down music that they liked.  I was impressed by the quantity of pop music that they had on their iPod.  We search for a bit, and found something that they both agreed would be fun.  Then, we plugged in some speakers to the iPod and went outside to shoot.  No real planning beyond picking a song.  We simply ran around outside and shot as much as we could before the sun went down.  It was a blast!  My niece has no problem getting in front of a camera. She would keep running inside to change outfits and sing the song with an attitude all her own.  My nephew is a little more introverted, but this video really brought out the super star in him.

I spent the following weekend editing, animating, motion tracking, and color correcting.  From shoot to final product I spent about 3 pretty full days on this.  Time flies when you’re doing something you love, for people you love. 

This video is now something my family can always cherish.  Needless to say, my niece and nephew became instant celebrities at school with the video.  I was also happy to have a little zero budget music video that I was proud of. 

Equipment:

Panasonic HVX200 HD Camera

Final Cut Pro Suite