Congratulations Dave Koch, April 2025 PFRE Photographer of the Month! The theme this month was "Primary Bedroom".Dave Koch - Entry 1056 Peter Wingfield - Entry 1051 Paul-Dan Dragoman - Entry 1053Here's what Dave has to say:Thank you so much — this real ...
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Congratulations to Travis Rowan, of Maui, Hawaii who the video jury has just chosen as the 2015 PFRE videographer of the year. The stunning video to the right is Travis's video that won video of the month for May 2015 that got him included as a contestant for videographer of the year.
The jurors struggled with this vote. Charlie Dresen, of Steamboat Springs, CO who was videographer of the month for January and June/July, 2015 was a very close second.
The following are Travis's comments on his video:
What a great honor to be recognized. This is huge! I’ve learned so much from Larry’s blog and everyone else’s work and critiques. I’m truly grateful for the nod and feel a little shocked considering all of the stellar work from this year’s winners. It means a lot. Thanks very much again to Larry for all of his hard work and Happy New Year!
Tom Tezak originally called me on behalf of one of his agent’s and asked, “ Are you up for a challenge? “
I visited the property and met with the owner’s and listing agent to see if I could come up with some ideas. Tom had suggested utilizing the owner’s story in some way as they were interesting, articulate and would work well on camera. Not everyone will work on camera and I used the property visit to assess what/whom I could work with. This property is very unusual and could easily be skipped over because one may not understand it from some listing photos and standard verbiage. The video had to be emotional and give the strange architecture a context that everyone could relate to.
In my experience, videos like this are almost impossible to script and keep it feeling natural and honest. So, I create a list of talking points that will lead me where we want/have to go. Sensations, anecdotes and emotions are the driver of the story but its just as important to cover the real estate practicals ( Beds, bath, acreage, infrastructure etc. ) which are sprinkled throughout the story. The final story is created in the edit and can be directed to go any number of ways.
The narrative process: with my list of talking points, I prompt the conversation with questions and at times tell them what I want them to say or how to start and certainly some keywords to use. Working like this allows them to meander and tell stories that may come to mind. Those are the moments that I’m really trying to get because they have the greatest impact. In reality, this results in way too much footage and a serious challenge to edit. I’m not sure of any other way to achieve the honest feel. While shooting of the interview piece, I make notes of some of the less obvious things that get mentioned. These notes serve as an additional shot list that I can capture following the interview.
Aside from the initial property visit, I shot everything in one day. The edit took several hours more than usual and much was left on the cutting room floor!
I chose the B/W for the owner sequences for a few reasons: 1. Color grading was problematic. All of the light in the space was yellow/green due to the wood floors, panels and foliage outside. I added some LED panels for separation but had trouble getting his skin tones right. Additionally, he was wearing a khaki shirt. The whole scene felt monochromatic so it made sense to just take it all the way to B/W and build some pleasing contrast. 2. With the unusual nature of the property, it seemed like an opportunity to try something a little different and take a risk.
Gear notes:
Panasonic GH4, Phantom 2 with Hero 4 with modified lens, Sennheiser G3 wireless mic system, FCPX.Production Credits:
Initial Concept development: Travis Rowan, Tom Tezak , Listing Agent: Christina Haywood and Property owners
Shot and edited: Travis Rowan
© Travis Rowan / Living Maui Media
Congratulations Travis. Your May film was clearly the stand-out video of the year. Hugely impressive both visually and emotionally. I'm also delighted that Charlie was a close second in the voting - consistently very strong films across the year - well done both!
I'm wondering how you were able to use the Phantom 2 for the aerial sequences since it is still illegal to use a drone for commercial purposes? I would like to use a drone for my business but fear of repercussion from the FAA prohibits me until they set up the guidelines and requirements. I know, presently, one needs a pilots license and a 333 exemption to be able to do it.
Travis, congratulations and very well done!! Enjoyed the film and look forward to more of your work!
Warmly,
Ethan
Awesome Travis!!! Stoked for you.
Congratulations Travis !
Well deserved !
I watched so many great videos this year so keep the good work everyone and thanks to Larry for keeping this resourceful blog alive.
Happy new productive year to all !
A multi-layered, well thought-out & well-produced video - shot, Travis !
Ho'omaika'i 'ana Travis, you and Tom T do a great job selling the Hawaiian lifestyle - tough job you guys have there but someone has to do it : )
Congrats to to Charlie as well who's videos continue to inspire us mere mortals.
@Deborah - Just Google "Austin real estate videographer" there are many people that do real estate video in the Austin area.
Also see: https://directory.photographyforrealestate.net/search?country=US&state=US-TX&q=
Loved the video. I was wondering if anyone out there would know of a videographer in my area. We have luxury homes here on Lake LBJ in the Highland Lakes are of the Texas Hill country and cannot seem to find anyone who can do videos for us. We are about 50 miles west of Austin, Texas. Any help would be appreciated.
Pity you can't watch it anymore (it's now a private video).
@Dave, thanks.. I asked Travis if he make it visible again.