Doing a video shoot in New York City can be a bit more complicated than in the Midwest. There are people everywhere, traffic galore, and we were shooting taxicabs in the middle of the street.

A few observations:

To work in NYC, You need permits and insurance to shoot. You need to provide a schedule. You need to stick to that schedule, especially when you’re in no parking zones or other heavily trafficked areas. However, the process is easy, and the city is very welcoming. The traffic police sometimes don’t get the message, however.

Pedestrians don’t care that you’re shooting– they just keep walking. There’s no gawking, no "What’s this for?", no "When is this going to be on?". They’ve seen it all… entire blocks have been roped off for big-time Hollywood shoots, and a one-camera industrial isn’t worth their time.

Local NYC suppliers are plentiful, and I’d dare say that where once you might claim we can do it cheaper and better in Milwaukee, now the cheaper part is not a total given.

In Milwaukee, I know my suppliers and they know me, we know each
other’s approach to things, and I can expect a high level of quality
and craftsmanship. That’s the only way for a good supplier to survive
in Milwaukee. But there is a limit to that supply, and the rules of
supply and demand come into play.

In NYC the supply is plentiful and there’s a lot of competition for shooters, editors, graphics, etc., and they respond quickly and are very educated and accomplished. But there are lots of them, so supply and demand works in our favor.

The difference is made in the ideas and the direction (that’s a pitch, folks.) Given our growing list of partners in NYC, and our existing base of talent in Milwaukee, we’re feeling very confident about our quality / value mix. We’ve got the experience to control the budget, the ideas, the strategy, and the execution.

And as I’ve said, the last year has been really satisfying in terms of the creative results on both "coasts."

It’s fun being flexible.