Be Electric Studios

Photography Studio, Film Studio and Equipment Rentals in Brooklyn, New York.

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Parquet Courts // Music Video

Our good friends over at Neighborhood Watch were in our studios recently to shoot a music video for Parquet Courts. As always, their videos pack the elements of fun and curiosity that has the viewers wanting more.

Directed by Claes Nordwall, the video for "Freebird II" was released on Youtube yesterday and has already garnered 10k views. The song itself is a groovy summer anthem perfect for that Brooklyn rooftop hang with friends. Just imagine sitting on your roof staring at the city while listening to these dudes jam this song. Absolute magic. 

The video itself was shot by Zach Stoltzfus (DP) with Jesse Sanchez-Strauss as his 1st AC and Riede Dervay as the 2nd AC. It packs the elements that you'd expect from a Parquet Courts music video while keeping things simple and, of course, fun. 

Give the video a watch and let us know what you think! 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jHfOqqQ1DLQ

CREDITS //  Production Company: Neighbourhood Watch / Director: Claes Nordwall / Producer: Brittany Reeber / Producer: David Yoonha-Park / Executive Producer: Richard Peete / Executive Producer: Traci Carlson / DP: Zach Stoltzfus / Production Designer: Beau Tepper / Stylist: Joshua Hurt / Hair & Make Up: Amanda Moore / Colourist: Alex Gregory / Choreographer: Juri Onuki / 1ST AC: Jesse Sanchez-Strauss / Loader/2nd AC: Riede Dervay / Gaffer: Gregory Stout / Key grip: Andrea Bogioli / Prop Stylist: Noah Shaye / PA: Jeannine Ortiz / Stylist Assist: Nancy Santiago / Prod. Assistant: Jack Leahy / Prod. Assistant: Lily Reszi Rothman / Prod. Assistant: Elena Brosseau

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SHARON NEEDLES -SANTIAGO FELIPE

Last month we opened up our Brooklyn Soundstage to the one and only Sharon Needlesto shoot a music video for the first single off of her latest album, "Battle Axe". Aside from being an avid performer and recording artist, Needles, the "PBR Princess"  is best known for being crowned "America's Next Drag Superstar" on the 4th season of RuPaul's Drag Race. She joined forces with Producer/Director, Santiago Felipe to create this hilariously dark video, paying homage to such films as Mommy Dearest and Devil Wears Prada. The sets were drenched in colors that pop onscreen, while the talent filled the space with their contrasting dark costumes. Fairly simple, yet incredibly effective use of lighting with a few overhead Arri's and some Kino Flo 4 banks to keep the shots nice and bright in ourphoto studio rental space. Ok, now stop reading and go get lost in the world of "Battle Axe"!

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ALEXANDER WATCHES -  BTS

Fernando Martinez is a media creative that helped put together the Alexander Watch Commercial, which was recently shot at our studios. His BTS photos first caught our attention due to their simplicity and cleanliness showing off our space. The beauty of the art direction for the project was also something we loved. We asked him a few questions regarding the production at our studio space.. The finalized product has yet to hit the air but we have the behind the scenes photos for you in the meantime.. Enjoy!

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Azaelia Banks // Complex Media

As is tradition, when a new year comes, new resolutions do too. Many resolutions have to do with working out more or eating healthier, all of which in turn help with one's overall mental health. With these thoughts in mind we wanted to highlight a recent project shot by Complex Media at our stages. The video is an eight minute introspective on the world-renowned recording artist Azealia Banks. The piece goes into detail about the limelight that sometimes prevents superstars like herself from being seen as a ‘real person’. This limelight places stars like her in a place where fans may forget that these artists also go through the same day to day struggles as us, as well as some different ones that fans may not be aware of at all. Due to the constant microscope on their daily affairs and pressure to be perfect, as well as constantly pushing out new, riveting work, the burden on these artists is very real. Azealia and the video itself come across as very raw, as you see wide shots of our NYC studio space and the equipment used, while the artist goes into harsh detail about her hardships to find proactive ways to push her mental health forward in a positive way. Her music comes across as very strong and happy, but as stated, she is nothing more than a flawed human like the rest of us. We absolutely love this piece and the new perspective it sheds on not only her life but a lot of entertainment industry big shots lives’. 

In summation, Azealia states “Every day is a difficult time, I’m Azealia Banks.” Thank you to Complex Media for choosing our film production studio, and a big thank you to Azealia for being so honest with the public about such a sensitive subject. We hope each and everyone of you is able to conquer your 2018 resolutions for a better outlook and overall life.

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THIS & THAT- PAYDAY CANDY BAR SPOT

The last few weeks have been scattered with such a plethora of different shoots across our multiple Brooklyn soundstages that it's been difficult to keep up. One of those just happened to be for an all new Payday candy bar spot guided by the the talented vision of the This and That production team. Though the overall layout for the shoot appeared to be rather minimal on set, we're sure that they have big plans to go above and beyond with their concept. Never have we ever seen so many literal nuts in our studio rental space at once! If this is anything like the 2014 Payday commercials we all remember, then I'm sure the This and That crew has their sights set on delivering the goods.

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Smokestack Films - Maggie Rogers

Just before Thanksgiving rolled around we had a last minute shoot with Smokestack Films for a new music video for up and coming singer/producer, Maggie Rogers. Maggie, fresh out of NYU recently made her way onto the scene after a video went viral of Pharrel Williams listening to her track, "Alaska" at his masterclass at NYU's Clive Davis institute back in February. Since then, she has put out a couple of music video Studio and will soon be embarking upon her first big tour. For this music video for her latest single, she brought in a crew of dancers along with some whimsical choreography and some excellent use of lighting to make use of our giant Cyclorama.

Source: http://www.beelectric.tv/blog-soundstage-brooklyn-nyc/2016/11/30/smokestack-films-maggie-rogers

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HYPNOTIC BRASS ENSEMBLE -"MARY"

Throughout the course of history we've all been exposed to a handful of "family bands" whether it be such names as The Jackson 5, Hanson or The Partridge Family.  The Hypnotic Brass Ensemble, also known as the "Bad Boys of Jazz" are simply on a whole other level when it comes to the term. Originally based out of Chicago, this group consists of 8 brothers who all grew up in the same household, each playing horn instruments since they were old enough to hold onto one. Though they played together throughout their childhood with their dad, Phil Cohran, it wasn't until the early 2000's that they formed what is now the Hypnotic Brass Ensemble. Aside from having nearly 10 studio albums under their belt, they've accompanied a list of influential artists on record as well as on stages across the world. They've performed with the likes of Wu Tang Clan, Mosdef, Gorillaz, De La Soul, The B-52's, Erykah Badu, Childish Gambino and perhaps most fondly, the late Prince.

The band joined us at our Brooklyn soundstage this week to shoot a video for their new breezy summer single, "Mary". When trumpet player, Yosh told us they were all brothers it was easy to assume that he just meant they were very close friends that grew up together. Something about the idea of 8 siblings playing music together successfully all those years seemed difficult to imagine. He clarified what he meant and from that point on it was very apparent that they were in fact family. Everything from the way they moved and played together, the warm way they joked around and especially the way the backed each other up when it came to creative input for the video process. Everything they did seemed to be framed with a certain kind of harmony that only siblings have the ability to share.

The set was fairly minimal, showcasing the band in black suits against our white cyclorama wall accompanied by their instruments and even our very own piano that usually lives in our bathroom. Some of the members had their children join in on the fun wearing matching attire while making their film debut. We even had a friend of the studio come by with his well-trained Doberman Pinscher, Lincoln to make a special appearance for the final scene. We are definitely looking forward to seeing the final product. For now, catch them on tour in a city near you!

Source: http://www.beelectric.tv/blog-soundstage-brooklyn-nyc/2017/4/14/hypnotic-brass-ensemble-mary

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POP SUGAR -NYC POWER COUPLES

We recently had the opportunity to work with one of NYC's go-to sources for pop culture and celebrity news, Pop Sugar, at our Brooklyn soundstage. They teamed up with Los Angeles based Paige denim to style the shoot along with producer Lauren Sofair to do a collaborative piece about power couples in the city. The idea is that each couple sits down face to face and takes turns interviewing one another on their experience and what it's like to work together. Since nothing is scripted, they along with the audience get a pretty good insight as to what the others true thoughts are on the topic. The crew kept things pretty simple as far as their setup went on our cyclorama. Some minimal lighting, a few chairs and decor helped keep the focus on the subject for this fun piece that should be online soon for your viewing pleasure.

Source: http://www.beelectric.tv/blog-soundstage-brooklyn-nyc/2017/3/24/pop-sugar-nyc-power-couples

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TEEN VOGUE-NO AGENCY NYC

A couple of months back we had Teen Vogue at our Brooklyn soundstage to shoot a collaborative piece with their friends, No Agency. No Agency is a NYC based talent and modeling agency that represent a diverse group of artists who just happen to model as well. Unlike most agencies, they have quite the contrasting approach when it comes to the message they are trying to convey, which overall seems to be that not all models are simply just that. Teen Vogue and photographer Katie McCurdy wanted to highlight that in this project at our Bushwick photo studio.

Source:http://www.beelectric.tv/blog-soundstage-brooklyn-nyc/2017/3/31/teen-vogue-no-agency-nyc

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Maggie Rogers-On+Off

Just before Thanksgiving rolled around we had a last minute shoot with Smokestack Films for a new music video for up and coming singer/producer, Maggie Rogers' new track 'On+Off.'  Maggie, fresh out of NYU recently made her way onto the scene virtually overnight after a video went viral of Pharrel Williams listening to her track, "Alaska" at his masterclass at NYU's Clive Davis institute back in February. He was speechless to say the least. Since then, she has put out a couple of music videos, played a handful of shows around NY and is now currently embarking upon her first big national tour, most dates of which happen to already be sold out. Maggie and her production team went in a more stripped down direction for this video at our Brooklyn soundstage, bringing in a small crew of dancers along with some whimsical choreography and some excellent use of minimal lighting to make use of our giant Cyclorama.

Source: http://www.beelectric.tv/blog-soundstage-brooklyn-nyc/2017/3/3/maggie-rogers-onoff

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February 4, 2017 Russell Elliot - Reimagining R&B

A few months back, we had multi-talented R&B singer/Producer, Russell Elliot at our Bushwick film and photography studio to shoot his latest music video for his new single, "On You". This NYC based artist is quite the unique soul and has been on the scene for nearly a decade now, using his powerful voice and all inclusive ideology to connect with his listeners. He delivers his points of view with a genuine sincerity and a powerful voice that draws you in and grips your attention from the get go, telling stories to shake up the way we've always thought about things. As an artist it's his goal to ask the tough questions in regards to our culture and our values, putting heavy emphasis on equality and steering his genre away from misogyny. Upon meeting Russell, we recognized the fact that there was a constant smile on his face throughout the day at our sound stage. This demeanor is definitely contagious as I couldn't help but notice the joy it brought out in the rest of his crew, myself included. Nothing but positivity all around. we're sure this is the case during his live performances as well. After some research, we found this to simply be part of who he is as a person, as an artist hoping to spread that joy in whatever direction he can.

Source: http://www.beelectric.tv/blog-soundstage-brooklyn-nyc/2017/2/4/russell-elliot-reimagining-rb

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L.O.U.D. - Dance Battle

The League Of Unreal Dancing - or LOUD - hosted a dance battle on our soundstage last weekend and the energy was totally Electric! The event drew a crowd of all ages and showcased about 20 dancers paired against one another in a series of epic dance-offs. Check out a few of them below and go to http://loudleaguelive.com/ for more info and future events.

Source: http://www.beelectric.tv/blog-soundstage-brooklyn-nyc/2016/4/21/loud-dance-battle

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Sensorium Works-George Saunders' "Lincoln on the Bardo"

A few months back we had the fine folks of Sensorium Works at our NYC soundstage to shoot their virtual reality adaptation of celebrated short story writer, George Saunders' first novel, "Lincoln in the Bardo". Though the book itself doesn't drop until Feb. 14th, filmmaker Graham Sack and his team wanted to contribute their vision of one of the key chapters of the book in the form of a full on interactive short film shot entirely with a 360 degree camera. The New York Times just released this imaginative piece today and can be viewed through the NYT VR app.

   The short film focuses on President Lincoln and an encounter between him and his son where Lincoln goes to the cemetery soon after his son's burial, removes his body and cradles it in grief. A list of different characters appear from a number of different sections within the book for the viewer to come across in this interactive representation. Before coming in to our studio rental space to shoot the remainder on our green screen, the Sensorium team shot on location at Brooklyn's Green-Wood Cemetery, mapping out all of the character placement, inch by inch so that they could stitch it all together seamlessly for your viewing pleasure. Take a look here.

Source: http://www.beelectric.tv/blog-soundstage-brooklyn-nyc/2017/2/10/sensorium-works-george-saunders-lincoln-on-the-bardo

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A&E  - Home Design

We had the crew from the A&E Television Network take over our Brooklyn soundstage for a few days this week to shoot a series of videos for online content focusing on a new DIY home design show. They spent the first day and a half transforming our studio rental space into an elaborate set featuring two different rooms that would serve multiple functions throughout their shoot.

Source: http://www.beelectric.tv/blog-soundstage-brooklyn-nyc/2017/2/17/ae-home-design

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Penelope Productions // Pace Salsa Commercial Spot

Every day is a brand new day at our studio rental space. Without fail, we can count on a new creative team coming into Be Electric to shape something unique, whether it be a fashion shoot, music video, editorial or even a feature film.

This NYC Production filled our soundstage with laughter almost throughout the entirety of their shoot. Check back soon for the final product.

Source: http://www.beelectric.tv/blog-soundstage-brooklyn-nyc/2017/1/26/penelope