ZENB TAKES THE COURT WITH CHEF BALLERS
THE PROJECT
What started as one of the biggest challenges we have faced as a production agency, turned into one of the most exciting projects JV Studios has participated in! When Paper Crane Productions, a video production company based in Los Angeles, California, reached out to us about turning a small basketball court into a four-episode live cooking game show, we knew this was going to be a unique and stimulating project. After several pre-production calls with the Paper Crane team and ZENB Creative Director, Hugo Perez, it was time to get this project off the ground.
THE PROCESS
01. LOGISTICS — The project took place over three full production days and consisted over a 30-person production team, hired by JV Studios. A lot of what we don’t see behind the scenes is some of the most important work to be done for a production this size. From obtaining city permits to creating call sheets, run-of-shows, scripts, catering, crafty, transport, tech scouts, and much more, this project wouldn’t have been possible without the help of our producers. Special shoutout to the Paper Crane team Hugo Perez & John Pinto for ensuring a smooth flow to the project, from start to finish.
02. SET BUILD — A creative direction we were excited to help bring to life was the idea of making our basketball court location come to life as a main “character” to align with our athletic theme in the project. Our first priority was building our soundstage. Yes, you heard us — we built our own soundstage for this production! In doing so, we brought in AVP Productions to help with the truss rigging. We also sourced all of our G&E needs through a Chicago-based company, Atlas Lighting to give it the high-end production value we were looking for while maintaining the integrity and authenticity of the gymnasium.
03. ART DEPT. — Once our soundstage was set and lights were in place, it was time for the Art Dept. to step in and work their magic. Production Designer, Brittany Sartin, and her team played a vital role in giving our set the feel of a live cooking show. Everything you see on set including banners, cookware, products, cooking stations, props, appliances, and more was all made possible by our amazing art team. This show would not have been possible without their attention to detail, hard work, and professional vision. Between these three, they truly gave Chef Ballers the look and feel it needed.
04. CAMERA DEPT. — After our Art Dept. was done putting the final touches on the set, it was time to stage and bring in all our cameras. For this show, we primarily used 8x Sony FX6 cameras and 2x Sony A7siii as our tabletop coverage. Since there was a lot of movement taking place between the two cooking stations, we did not want to risk having any lapses in coverage when it came to editing. All of our cameras were properly staged and blocked in place to capture talent interactions, crowd reactions, judges’ tables, and close-ups to bring you to the heart of the action. Vince Pinto, Dir. of JV Studios, Chris Beauchesne, and Seth Rice all played a vital role in directing the camera department accordingly on and off the set.
05. FINAL THOUGHTS — From our producers to G&E Dept, Art Dept., Camera Dept., Sound team, HMU, and our PAs — all the team’s efforts equally contributed to the success of Chef Ballers. We are so excited to see where Chef Ballers goes in the future. From the long days on set to trying some delicious ZENB pasta, this project was truly one to remember and it wouldn’t have been possible without everyone involved.
THE PRODUCTION CREW
06. OUR TEAM — Without the help of everyone below, this project would have not been possible. We were able to fully staff this production all in house with JV Studios local Chicago crew. This crew was a delight to work with and simply a joy to be around!
BTS Photos by: Brandy Fik
