ikan News Blog

Just got a handle on some NAB details. Share and share alike:

NAB Show International Conference & Expo, 2012
Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada USA
Exhibits April 16th – 19th, 2012

Experience ikan at booth #C10637 (it’s the same booth as last year but bigger)

Visit www.nabshow.com for a free pass from ikan.Use code: 2012 (before March 30th, 2012)

PS–if you happen to be at CES in Viva Las Vegas today & tomorrow, keep your eyes peeled for Kan and Michael, our CEO and R7D Lead, respectively. They will be walking the floors covering some major territory to scope out some of our friends exhibiting. If you see them, go introduce yourself and tweet it @ikancorp so we know you made contact

It’s the holiday season. Chanukah, Christmas, and many more help remind us that it’s worth giving to others. What better way to treat your favorite people than with delicious gift ideas?

Even if you already know what you’re getting this year (or can’t get what you want under the tree in time), it doesn’t mean you can’t go out and purchase your new favorite accessories to the gifts you received.

To give you an idea of what I mean:

Getting (or got) an iPad 2, or another tablet of choice? You shoot video, right? Go out and get our new T-Slate and solve any audio sync issues you may have. You could also take a pause with getting that teleprompter app you’ve been thinking about trying. Instead, give our ElitePrompter a try. If you’re willing to wait just a couple more weeks, it’ll shine beyond every other app in the store. I’m not joking–our software department has fine tuned this program to the optimal experience I think is even possible. As soon as we have the product page completed and lauched, it’ll be made known ASAP. Stages of development of our affiliate program, as well as the site and updates to the software will be tweeted in the coming week or two, so be sure you’re following us on twitter @ikancorp.

What about that awesome DSLR or camcorder that’s arriving soon? On camera lights? Equipment bags? Ikan’s still got you covered.

Try out our iLED ONE for some bang for your buck, able to light any dark room with a powerful beam of consistent light, available in tungsten or daylight (and the color temperature is accurate). Consider that, when new lights become available from Philips, GE, and more, you can go buy them and make this light even brighter. Click the image to the right for our latest review.

Our iLED 312 has refurbished b-stock options available now, in the ikan Outlet. Everything in the Outlet starts at a minumum 35% off, so it’s a great place to find savings.

I’m in the process of getting our old traveler backpacks added to the site, as well as our old trekker bags (which will soon be outdated by even better ones in black!), so keep your senses tuned to any developments I tweet out via @ikancorp.

The latest must-have additions to the ikan Bag line have been the Universal Audio bag, Expandable Sling Bag, and AC1 & AC2 tool pouches. All are definitely worth checking out and make working and moving on the set much easier with the utilities you need readily available to your hands. Check out all our bags to get the full picture.

There are other endless items that you could give or get yourself but you won’t know unless you take five and browse our website or vimeo page. While you’re at it, let us know what you think via facebook or twitter.

Happy Holidays from myself and the rest of us at ikan!

This post is part of a Spotlight series covering our contest winners for ikan’s “Where’s the Missing Piece” short film contest for 2011. We will be covering 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place in the coming weeks so stay tuned and share the experience.

Cool dudes Samuel Thomas and Louis Hunter of Hunter Thomas Creative, hailing from Dallas, Tx, were our first place winners this year for the “Where’s the Missing Piece” short film contest. Since they lived so close, we decided that it might be more worthwhile for them to come down for a visit and tour of the facility while we present their gear and winning plaque to them.

Accepting the invitation, they drove down last week and we had a blast talking and touring the ikan facility. Afterward, I decided to jump on the opportunity for an interview for some personal background and Director/Producer commentary on the winning film.

This week, we’ll be covering their background and the experiences that helped shape who they are today. I hope you enjoy.

ikan Short Film Contest 2011

1^st place – “Private i(kan)” – Hunter Thomas Creative

Out of a handful of film students at University of North Texas, this duo emerged with their talents intact, some newfound comradery, and friends with like-minded practicality. Their friendship strong after their senior thesis film—written, directed, and produced by Samuel and Louis themselves—they split paths after graduation; one to work in video news production (Louis) and move to Houston, then Waco; meanwhile Samuel tried corporate America—only to become disillusioned with his career choices and office environments (I don’t blame him). Pass through a couple of years of living on life’s terms and your dreams begin to scream your name again.

PS. For those of you who haven’t gone to film school, there are a variety of opinions on the experience—but, frankly, most of them agree on these things:

1)      You walk away with a piece of paper that just might save your ass when your clueless about life and unemployed

2)      If you were smart (or lucky) you exploited your school’s film cage and got as much hands on experience as possible.

3)      You make a couple of connections that will launch you into your new life in the film and video industry.

The years that follow after schooling really allow us some space to spread wings and flex muscles. For better or worse, these are the years to flounder–working different angles, trying to figure out how best to sell yourself and your skills. Here, I think, is when it pays to break your back, bustin’ ass, applying yourself to things you thought you believed in—in the adage of “it takes what it takes” to start achieving your dream(s). “There was a year there where I was teaching during the day and editing 5-6 hours a night,” Samuel mentioned to me in our interview. “It just went from there…” With that tireless ethic, his consistently-improving video work landed him a full time editor gig, allowing him to break free from the bonds of teaching post-pubescent high schoolers; with his editing now more polished, he supported his family for the next three years before he broke free completely and started living as a freelancer.

Believers in the “you learn more from your failures than successes,” Samuel and Louis found it was time to finally flex their collective muscles when Louis move to Waco—the words “Am I close enough?” were literally all it took to propel them into business together once more, this time as Hunter Thomas Creative.

Since then, their focus has been to develop a well rounded production company that is reputable through the region and beyond. At least, that’s the goal. “We want to do work that fuels us creatively,” Louis mentioned. What they really want is to hit you in the heart and gut with some good narrative work. So far, they plan to do just that; with both a webseries and feature in development, they may be well on their way.

In the same token, however, Samuel and Louis don’t mind considering straddling both realms—finding clients and showing product isn’t below them, especially if it helps to further fund their own content (and maybe pick up some distribution or gear along the way).

To be fair, it’s not like these guys are looking to be “Scorcese [or] Tarantino.“ Louis elaborated on this point when we were discussing influences. “I wanted to be ‘The Kids in the Hall.’ I just wanted to write sketch comedy,” he continued. “…That’s just my attention span.” I imagine his training with the cut-the-crap mentality involved in daily news casts definitely lends its hand to his quick humor and workflow.

Lately, though, the Creative feels more inclined to write their blackish humor into ideas for dramas and suspense/thrillers. As diversifying goes, however, they still recognize that their productions have to balance between “the art of it and the business of it.” As Samuel put it when we were talking about the future: “what’s going to sell?” Louis agreed. “It’s been [unashamedly] our biggest stumbling block…whatever we do we want to monetize. It’s a noble effort to go out and do something–and do it well—but if there’s no money at hand…what are we doing?”

It’s clear these gents have a good business sense about themselves; collective story boarding, no ego, argument only for the betterment of the project–“we’re always pushing ourselves to do better, Samuel commented. “…[Louis] pushing me to think about it more; I, in turn, push him to think about it more; whichever idea wins the fight, it’s all about the story.”

We’ll be covering Hunter Thomas Creative more next week, where we’ll do a Creator’s commentary on “Private i(kan).”

In the meantime, you can also go connect with Samuel via twitter @szpt, check out his Youtube/Vimeo or you can check out his calling card