522 Productions

08/12/2025

Ah, fiscal year-end… that magical season when procurement deadlines loom, coffee consumption spikes, and every federal agency hears the same haunting whisper: “Use it or lose it.”

Sure, you could blow the last of your budget on branded stress balls and mousepads.

Or… you could invest in something that keeps working for you long after September 30th - like videos that stay relevant, reusable, and relentlessly effective.

Think of it as the difference between buying a goldfish (cute for a week) and adopting a well-trained border collie (loyal, adaptable, and always ready to work).

Here’s how to make your year-end spend count: https://www.522productions.com/future-proof-your-fiscal-year-end-spend-create-evergreen-video-assets

08/07/2025

Overloading your video with data might impress your boss…

But your audience? They’ll just zone out and start wondering what’s for lunch.

At 522, we believe in the magical middle ground between feeling and function.

We wrote a blog about it. It’s sharp. It’s charming. It’s painfully honest.

And it just might save your next video from becoming an infomercial in a suit.

https://www.522productions.com/stop-drowning-your-audience-in-data/

07/31/2025

Every second… there’s a new “revolutionary” hack for video production. Faster edits. Smarter scripts. Auto-whatever.

But here’s the thing: none of them have impacted our workflow quite like this latest addition to our gear lineup.

It’s not an algorithm.

It’s not cloud-based.

And it won’t auto-generate 50 versions of your script in under 3 seconds.

It's something that boosts performance, sharpens focus, and keeps the creativity flowing.

This piece of gear has completely transformed our workflow. It’s elegant. It’s efficient. And it’s changing how we operate….

What is it? Watch and find out.

06/10/2025

Herding humans. Not as easy as it sounds - especially when Video is involved, and your talent is a dozen well-meaning volunteers who thought they were showing up for snacks, not stardom.

We’ve been there. We’ve survived there. And we wrote a snappy lil’ blog to help you keep your cool (and your shot list) intact.

https://www.522productions.com/wrangling-volunteers-for-video-shoots-5-smart-ways-to-make-it-work/

Warning: bribery and donuts may be involved.

05/30/2025

Usually, Juliana is in the editing cave breathing life into pixels.

But she recently escaped… and we handed her some Nanlite USA tube lights.

Lightweight, battery-powered, party-mode-enabled... for someone who isn't on set a ton, they kinda blew her mind.

So, naturally, she made a video about it. Obviously.

Check out her quick gear review. It's fun.

04/22/2025

Breathing Life Into Antique Pixels: A Parallax Love Story featuring Topaz Gigapixel

What do you do when your only source material is a 100-year-old image the size of a postage stamp?

We ditched the Ken Burns slow pan and gave it the Parallax Plus treatment with tools supplied by our friends at Topaz Labs, using clone stamps, generative fills, and just a dash of motion magic. Check out how we turn antique pixels into something worth feeling feelings about.

04/18/2025

Ever wish your videos talked back?

No. Not like your teenager - more like, "Hey, want to choose your own adventure, learn faster, or get what you need quicker?"
That’s interactive video.

Ditch the passive “press play and pray” content for experiences that actually get people to click, explore, and engage. Whether it’s onboarding, training, sales tools, or a choose-your-own-marketing-fantasy - create videos that people actually want to view.

Let’s make content people don’t just watch - but experience.

https://www.522productions.com/interactive-video/

03/20/2025

The Comfort Zone: Where Creativity Goes to Die

Ah, the video comfort zone. It’s warm, familiar, and smells vaguely of stock footage and upbeat corporate rock ballads. But here’s the thing - nothing legendary ever came from playing it safe.

Imagine if Nike went with "Just Consider Your Options First." Or if Old Spice never put a shirtless man on a horse...

Creative risks aren’t just for billion-dollar brands with Super Bowl budgets. They’re for anyone who wants their video to do more than collect digital dust. Our brains loves novelty. Audiences crave the unexpected. And standing out is the only way to avoid blending in... or, getting ignored.

What do you do about it? Glad you asked. Click this link below to find out more.

a blog post written by the good people of 522 Productions about the importance of taking creative risks when producing a video.

03/11/2025

In video production, you're often only as good as the tools you use. That's why we were super stoked that our good friends at Dc-Camera let us come in and test out some lenses first hand so we can continue to up the visual look and feel of our projects. Thanks again to Tristan and Joel for letting us come play!

02/25/2025

We’re always exploring new tools to make our videos stand out. Whether it's for a commercial, music video, or brand film, we love experimenting with techniques that can help bring a fresh perspective to the screen.

When it comes to capturing truly unique shots, sometimes it's all about the gear you use. And for an APS Award video, we decided to experiment with a tilt-shift lens!

For those unfamiliar with tilt-shift lenses, they offer incredible control over depth of field and perspective. The ability to manipulate the plane of focus gives the footage a dreamlike quality, making even the most straightforward shots feel otherworldly. By shifting the lens, we can create effects like the "miniature" look or perfectly level horizons, even in the most dynamic environments.

This approach wasn’t just a technical choice, it was about pushing the boundaries of visual storytelling. By incorporating this lens, we added an artistic touch that elevated the entire narrative, helping us tell Ruben’s story in a way that felt fresh, dynamic, and full of movement.

Has anyone else used a tilt-shift lens in their work? We'd love to hear about your experiences and how you’ve used it to elevate your projects below. 🎥💡

02/06/2025

We are thrilled to share the 2025 award videos we had the honor of producing for the American Physical Society (APS)! These videos celebrate groundbreaking achievements in fields at the forefront of scientific discovery and innovation.

Each video highlights the extraordinary contributions these researchers have made to their fields, told through a compelling mix of interviews, animations, and storytelling. It was a privilege to work with APS to bring these remarkable achievements to life in a format that honors their incredible impact on the world of physics.

Check out the videos and join us in celebrating these amazing individuals and their transformative work. Here’s to the continued pursuit of knowledge, innovation, and the future of science.🌟

https://youtu.be/SS3iftA_Kx4?si=4ZWg26ecTHwmxcej

01/31/2025

Today, we’re excited to honor Jordan Howells for an impressive 3 years here at 522 Productions. From an intern into a Creative Director, Jordan has been a true catalyst for innovation, and has travelled far and wide to capture exceptional footage that resonates across every project.

Please join us in celebrating this milestone and in congratulating Jordan on his anniversary! We can’t wait to see what’s next on the storyboard for you.🎥