FAQ Category

Frequently Asked Questions

1 - Are you named after the Metallica song?

2 – What can Fade 2 Black Productions, Inc. offer me that I can’t find in another company?

3 – What kind of equipment do you use?

4 – What is High Definition and do I need it?

5 – Can you produce video for the web?

6 – Will you travel?

7 – What kind of services do you provide?

8 – Can you send me a Demo of your work?

9 – I have experience in production, can I apply for work?

10 – I am an actor, can I send you my headshot?

11 - I have a script that I would like you to consider, can I send it to you?

12 - Do you offer internships?

13 – How do I get started?

14 – How long as Fade 2 Black Productions, Inc. been in business?

15 – How much does a video cost?

16 – My DVD doesn’t work. It skips or stops. What is wrong?

17 – What is broadcast quality?

18 – Can I use songs or movie clips in my project?

19 – How much notice should I give you for my project?

20 – Who owns the rights to the final video?

21 – What if I change my mind during the project?

22 – Are you insured?

23 – Can I rent out your editing suite?

1 - Are you named after the Metallica song?

Nope.

2 – What can Fade 2 Black Productions, Inc. offer me that I can’t find in another company?

There are many companies that can offer superb service, and we are not claiming to hold the magic key or the “secret” to the industry. We are, however, promising close and personal attention to your project. We are passionate about what we do and as hard as it might be to believe we care more about the quality of the product more than the bottom line. The work we do for you reflects on us, and we treat every project as if it were our own. We will go the extra mile if we think it will add quality to the video, and truth be told we have always given more time, work, and quality that what we charge for. What you can expect from Fade 2 Black Productions, Inc. is professionalism and an interest in a close working partnership.

3 – What kind of equipment do you use?

We primarily shoot with High Definition Panasonic P2 equipment. P2 is Panasonic’s memory based tapeless shooting format. The footage is recorded to credit card sized memory cards, and since it is already in digital form it can be brought into our editing suite and used instantly without having to wait hours to capture and digitize.

We use an Avid Media Composer editing system to edit all projects. Projects can be in standard definition or high definition. Depending on the nature of the project, footage and final projects may be delivered to you on a tape format, optical disc, or via hard disk drive.

4 – What is High Definition and do I need it?

High Definition refers to a format of video that has a higher number of picture elements (pixels) that result in larger, sharper pictures

Your need of HD depends greatly on how you plan to distribute your video. The cost of High Definition is significantly higher than standard definition. In order to avoid unnecessary costs, it is important to consider how your video will be distributed.

High Definition will benefit your project most if it will be transferred to film and played on a large movie theater screen, delivered on Blu ray Disc, or if it will be broadcast on HDTV. Those are mediums that take advantage and will be able to show off the higher resolution.

If your video will be delivered by DVD or the Web then the signal will have to be converted back to standard definition in order to play back on home machines. Generally this will defeat the purpose of the extra expense.

All motion pictures we produce are shot in High Definition.

5 – Can you produce video for the web?

Yes, we are able to convert videos into all of the popular web ready formats. If requested, web formats will be provided on a CD ready for you to give to your website administrator.

6 – Will you travel?

Yes, however additional mileage fees may apply if the production is out of our standard area of operation. If long distance travel is required (out of state or country) additional charges will be applied. Exact rates will depend on the nature of the project.

7 – What kind of services do you provide?

We provide a fairly high variety of services, mainly commercial videos and services for independent films. For a more in depth view, please see our services section.

8 – Can you send me a Demo of your work?

Sure. If you need to see more than what we have on our site or would like to see something specific,contact us and we will be happy to send you a demo.

9 – I have experience in production, can I apply for work?

We do accept resumes, however many times we will assemble crew on a per job basis so most of the time the work will be freelance based. If you would like to submit your resume for our consideration you can send it by fax to (561) 558-8994 or contact us.

10 – I am an actor, can I send you my headshot?

Absolutely! You may send a headshot photo along with your resume. Please see our contact page for our mailing address.

11 - I have a script that I would like you to consider, can I send it to you?

The short answer is yes. We can review scripts and consider them for projects. However, before you submit a script to us (or ANYONE) it must be registered with the Writer’s Guild of America. Registering is easy and incredibly cheap ($20 if you register with WGA West or $22 with WGA East). You will receive a registration number and that number MUST be written on the outside of the envelope of your submission or we will return it to you unopened. Registering your script protects both parties from liability and privacy. You can find more information about the Writer’s Guild of America on our Resources page.

12 - Do you offer internships?

We do offer internships through educations institutions. If you are interested in an internship, you may contact us to discuss availability. We also ask that you set a meeting with the head of your school’s department so that the proper paperwork can be filed.

13 – How do I get started?

If this is the first time you are having a video produced, please check out our first-time client section for a walkthrough of the production process.

14 – How long as Fade 2 Black Productions, Inc. been in business?

Fade 2 Black Productions, Inc. was established in 2001, and its production team brings more than 30 years combined experience.

15 – How much does a video cost?

Unfortunately a single flat rate cannot be applied to all videos. Rates will vary greatly on details of the production (will the shoot need one day? Two days? Two months? Is shooting needed or is it editing only? Etc…) Every video is unique and we will need to know how you will use your video so that we can put together a customized package that will incorporate all of the elements your video will need. For further questions on pricing, please contact us.

16 – My DVD doesn’t work. It skips or stops. What is wrong?

First thing to check is to make sure that the underside of the disc is clean and free of any dirt, scratches or fingerprints. Any of these may easily prevent the optical laser from reading the data properly.

If you are still having a problem, check the disc in a few other players. Unlike VCRs, DVD players are susceptible to compatibility issues. Older players or certain models may have difficulty reading the DVD-R format. While the percentage of players with this problem has decreased significantly in the past few years, it is still possible to find one. If that is the case the disc should play fine in another player.

The only way to avoid this rare compatibility issue is to have the discs go through a process called glass mastering, though this option is only available for larger runs (usually 300 discs or more) and is run through a factory press. In most cases this is not a viable option unless you plan a large release of your video.

If you are still having problems and the disc fails to read in any player, contact us and we will do what we can to assist you or replace the disc if necessary.

17 – What is broadcast quality?

Broadcast quality is a very general term that is used, and mainly means a video that meets the quality standards in order to be broadcast on air. This is a very broad definition and will vary with each network or distributor. If you are intending to broadcast your video, it is important to know the area and scale of distribution you are seeking. Broadcast quality for a local TV station will not necessarily meet the standards required for national broadcast. All of our equipment that we use to produce are videos meet the quality requirements for both local and national broadcast.

18 – Can I use songs or movie clips in my project?

If you wish to bring us music or footage to include into your project please make sure that you own the rights to use such footage or have the appropriate permission to use them. Using or duplicating materials that you do not own and we did not produce is copyright infringement and is against our company policy.

We do have a library of stock footage and music tracks that may be included in your projects if needed.

19 – How much notice should I give you for my project?

The more notice you are able to give us, the better we can prepare for your video. Most of the time, a few weeks’ notice is sufficient, though the larger the project the more time that we ask you give us. If time restraints are tight, our producers will provide as much as possible in the time that is allotted.

20 – Who owns the rights to the final video?

If you hire us to produce your video, it is considered a work for hire and you will retain the copyrights and ownership of the final video when payment is completed and project is delivered.

Please keep in mind that this pertains to the FINAL video. Individual elements such as stock music, sound effects, graphics, stock footage, etc. do not fall under the client’s ownership unless they were created originally for the project. In addition, Fade 2 Black Productions, Inc. retains the right to keep and store original footage and camera masters though copies of these masters may be provided upon client request.

21 – What if I change my mind during the project?

Adjustments made to the video production are usually possible though may result in additional fees if they extend outside of the contracted agreement. If you feel that you may need the option for changes and adjustments, please discuss this with the producer assigned to your project so that these changes can be prepared for in advance.

22 – Are you insured?

Yes we are licensed and insured

23 – Can I rent out your editing suite?

Yes, our Avid system is available for hourly rental. The editing room is available for rent with one of our editors or as just the system alone if you prefer to edit yourself.