about us
First and foremost, we’re about you.
Like you, we prize excellence, results, integrity, expertise, and high standards of professionalism.
Whether you need hours or days of video footage for a commercial production, hundreds of images for a lifestyle campaign, or just a single product still for a magazine article, we offer the same top-level expertise. We consider budgets and schedules of every extent.
To help you realize your vision, William Ross has brought together a corps of digital photo and video experts—a production team of outstanding producers, DITs, media managers, digital technicians, camera operators, licensed drone operators, lighting designers, photo assistants, retouchers, makeup artists, wardrobe stylists, and others—whose skills you can draw on according to project scope and intent. The core team, including himself, has mastery of skills listed below their portraits on the Team page below.
Our clientele includes everyone from high-profile magazine editors to large corporate concerns, from small and midsize businesses to nonprofit organizations, from artists and tradespersons to private individuals. And while we’re based in NYC, we often travel to remote locations on special request. We’ve done projects in the Caribbean, Australia, Europe, and Hong Kong—even rural Asia—in addition to locations all over the U.S.
We naturally like to think that anything is possible.
VIRTUAL IMMERSION
WE’RE HERE TO HELP YOU GET BACK TO MAKING THE BEAUTIFUL VISUALS THE WORLD NEEDS, IN THE SAFEST WAY POSSIBLE, BY PROVIDING IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCES SO THAT YOU CAN FEEL LIKE YOU’RE ON SET BUT NOT AT RISK.
Our goal is to maintain the same high levels of efficiency and excellence on shoots for stills and motion as were the norm prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. While this pandemic has required all of us to adjust our work processes to adapt to the changed social climate, we feel that our team has expertly risen to the occasion. We’ve developed what we believe is the best available workflow in the industry in terms of cost, ease of use, level of immersion, and—most importantly—safety protocols to protect the health of all involved—while continuing to help you create beautiful visual assets.
By utilizing a combination of tools centered on one of several videoconferencing options available, we are able to keep as many participants offsite and/or as physically distanced as possible, whether the shoot is in studio or on location. Art directors, account executives, clients, and—if necessary—hairstylists, makeup artists, wardrobe stylists, prop stylists, and even the photographer/cinematographer can be located in completely separate spaces from talent to prevent contact and the potential spread of the virus.
Participants who videoconference can access multiple live feeds from remotely operable cameras, with scope according to the approved budget for the shoot’s virtual setup. These cameras allow the participants the fastest, clearest, most relevant views—of the talent during the hair, makeup, and wardrobe approval processes, of props available for use on set, and of the talent on set while shooting is in progress—as well as of a full behind-the-scenes overview of the entire set.
All of these views are possible additions to the live viewer feed for the stills that display on the digital technician’s computer, or, when shooting motion, the live feeds of cameras A and B, as well as C or D. These perspectives can be displayed independently from each other, and/or as a single feed with multiple possible side-by-side configurations. In addition to having this type of full visual immersion, it will be possible for anyone offsite to speak directly with the photographer/cinematographer and the department heads in real time. This keeps communication quick and easy, ensuring fast reviews and approvals and, with that added certainty and efficiency, being able to achieve a fuller list of desired shots in a day.
We’ve found, from multiple past implementations, that while the photographer/cinematographer is shooting, it’s best to keep the photographer/cinematographer, the art director(s), and any stylists together in a single breakout room. This keeps any potentially distracting side conversations from affecting the shoot, and also allows the clients to speak freely among themselves until it’s time for everyone to reconvene for image review and approval. Respective breakout rooms also help to maintain the utmost discretion for project confidentiality, as clients can share sensitive information throughout the day with only the people who need to receive it.
Additionally, for maximizing efficiency during the shoot, we make it possible for art directors to review and select images for client approval on their own computers—or better yet, iPads (or to opt to have one mailed to them with a provided return label). We will provide access to a special app with a custom configuration to allow immediate color tagging and image rating to be applied directly to the source files on the digital technician’s computer, regardless of where in the world the art director may be situated.
We think you’ll find our proprietary workflows not only safe and efficient, but a pleasure to integrate into your own.
MOTION Services
Producer
At the heart of every production is the producer, the person responsible for how the shoot transpires in its entirety. On larger productions, production coordinators and production assistants may be necessary also. We’ll set up your shoot with the appropriate number of production personnel, according to its size and scope, in order to have things run smoothly for you from start to finish.
DIRECTOR
For larger shoots, it’s important to have a dependable director at the helm, someone capable of overseeing and steering the project’s creative decisions so that everyone stays on the same page and shares the same vision of the intended result.
Cinematographer / Director of Photography (DP)
The DP collaborates with the director to ensure that all lighting and camera decisions serve the overall intention and vision. The DP typically operates the main camera; on smaller shoots, the DP may direct the action as well.
Digital imaging technician (DIT)
For motion productions, no role is more essential than that of the DIT. A skilled DIT is well versed in correcting camera-related issues, overseeing checksum-managed offloading, doing live grading to build LUTs, monitoring scopes to guarantee image quality, managing on-set audio sync, transcoding dailies, creating detailed reports, and maintaining verified backups. Needless to say, the certainty a top-notch DIT affords a project is immensely valuable.
CAMERA OPERATOR / First Assistant
A skilled camera operator works alongside the DP and guarantees that all settings are correct, keeps framing consistent during motion shots involving the camera and/or the talent, operates a Steadicam rig as necessary, pulls focus, and/or all of the above, in varying combinations. The best camera operators and first assistants are nimble and attentive and can be relied upon to give solid reference input.
PRODUCTION SOUND MIXER / RECORDIST
For every motion shoot that has a sound component, it’s important to have on set an experienced, attentive sound person or team that uses state-of-the-art equipment and understands sound design intrinsically. Members of the sound team are skilled at capturing the high-quality audio they know will help bring the visuals to life. They also understand the need for exceptional sensitivity and professionalism in interacting directly with the talent.
EDITOR
Telling a good story is a skill. Telling a good story well is an art—the domain of a great editor. In addition to managing the video footage and audio tracks, a talented editor puts all the pieces together to create a cohesive story that fulfills the director’s vision.
STILLS Services
Photographer
For stills shoots, the photographer—the person in charge of the camera—seeks to make each image the best it can possibly be. Accomplished photographers therefore assemble seasoned teams with whom they can easily communicate their ideas and have them fulfilled, whose members know and trust one another and speak the same industry language. Such an artistic collaboration frees the photographer up to focus solely on the creation of each individual image in concert with the desired overall vision.
Digital Technician (digitech)
Akin to the role of the DIT for motion productions, the modern stills shoot cannot function well without a skilled digitech—the essential point person who skillfully manages the tethered camera connection, assures quality control for the thousands of files created over the course of a day, works with the photographer and the client to develop color styles, composites images quickly to ensure that all needed assets “fit” correctly and are ready for the retoucher, and confirms that all media are backed up throughout the day as efficiently and securely as possible.
Lighting Designer
The most successful shoots, whether of stills or motion, rely on a skilled lighting designer. This person works alongside the director, photographer, and/or cinematographer to build finessed lighting schemes, usually when the former are out of their element or simply want the expertise of a seasoned veteran on set.
Photo Assistant
Time is of the essence on all productions and, on stills shoots especially, it’s imperative to have one or more photo assistants on set who can take the photographer’s communicated ideas and translate them quickly and safely into a lighting setup that satisfies both the photographer and the client. When multiple assistants are required, the first assistant is responsible for leading the others in an effective manner.
Retoucher
After an image is created, there’s always the need to perfect it—to improve certain aspects and remove distracting elements. Through the masterful use of Photoshop and other digital tools a first-rate retoucher can finesse a sense of emotion and realness from an image while maintaining its original integrity and fulfilling its intent.
Other Talent
Streaming technicians, hair and wardrobe stylists, makeup and special-effects artists, manicurists, prop masters, set designers, and other support personnel are often needed on shoots. Canopy Consortium can recommend some of the best adjunct talent for a given project.
“Having William Ross and any of his colleagues on set brings me peace of mind since I don’t have to worry about the technical aspects of the shoot—I know those will be correct. That allows me to focus on my creative intent and getting the client the best visuals possible.”
Our Core Team
Membership is by Invitation Only.
Any Title listed guarantees Mastery of that skill In a professional setting.
Michael Aucoin
Retoucher
Digital Technician
Media Manager
Robert Bluemke
Production Sound Mixer
Sound Editor
Robert Boscacci
Colorist
Video Editor
Joel burton
Lighting Designer
Gaffer
Photo Assistant
DOMINIC COLACCHIO
Digital Technician
Media Manager
Photo Assistant
Lindsay cullen
Makeup Artist
Hairstylist
Austin daniells
Grip/Gaffer with Grip Truck
Lighting Designer
Photo Assistant
Mike Desiderio
Steadicam Operator
Camera Operator
First Assistant Camera
Po Ewing
Lighting Designer
Gaffer
Photo Assistant
DAVID FRISKE (MIAMI)
Lighting Designer
Photo Assistant
Timur Gavrilenko (Moscow)
DIT
Roger Gibbs
Lighting Designer
Photo Assistant
Grip
Ryan Hamelin
Gimbal Operator
Motion Control Operator
Chris Johnson
Lighting Designer
Gaffer
Photo Assistant
Alex Jones (Boston)
Digital Technician
ZACH KANGAS
Lighting Designer
Gaffer
Grip
Alexandra Kuhn
Digital Technician
DIT
Photo Assistant
Dayvid LeMmon
Digital Technician
Media Manager
Josh Lewis (San Francisco)
Digital Technician
Lighting Technician with Grip Van
BRETT MOEN
DIT
Digital Technician
Isan Monfort
Digital Technician
Photo Assistant
Sean Moser
Lighting Designer
Gaffer
Photo Assistant
Joshua Nagy
DIT
Digital Technician
Media Manager
Daniele Napolitano
Grip
Michael O’Donohue
Retoucher
Digital Technician
Photo Assistant
Pancake Digital (San Francisco)
DIT (Union)
Vera Quispe
Production Sound Mixer
Sound Editor
Josh Robinson
Digital Technician
Media Manager
Retoucher
Vanessa Rojo De La Vega
Digital Technician
Retoucher
William Ross
DIT
Digital Technician
Lighting Designer
ROBYN SCHMIDT
Motion Control Operator
Digital Techician
Ivory Serra
Lighting Designer
Gaffer
Photo Assistant
Phoebe Solomon (Los Angeles)
Digital Technician
Rich Soriero
Digital Technician
Photo Assistant
Chris Valites (BOSTON)
Digital Technician
Media Manager
Brian von Glahn
Digital Technician
Media Manager
Jeff Wolk (ATLANTA)
Digital Technician
Media Manager
ANGEL YU
Makeup Artist
Hairstylist
CONTACT US
Canopy Consortium is mostly in NYC. Drop us a line if you’d like to start a conversation about a project you have.
If you’d prefer to chat in person, let us know.