In a return to a profession last practiced a quarter century ago Peter Roof helped get the stage play “Little Murders” up and running. This production is created in the original 3D. As Technical Director he was responsible for all the sets, props, lights, and sound. He was supported by excellent designers and crew.

The project began in early December with set construction in an Arlington County run scene shop. The “black box” performance space is also managed by Arlington County. The set consists of two walls representing a New York City apartment in the late 1960s. The lighting grid uses 30 Source Four Jr. Zoom lekos and 30 6” fresnels controlled with an ETC programmable lighting board. Sound is a big part of the play and is run using Qlab software. There are even a few special effects to support the action.

“Little Murders,” written by Jules Fiffer, focuses on the violence that encircles and engulfs a New York City family. The action centers on daughter Patsy and Alfred, the new man she brings home to introduce to her parents and brother. It’s a world where the sound of gunshots is de rigueur, heavy breathers regularly call, unseen visitors knock at the door… and the Newquists are just trying to have a nice day. Meanwhile, Alfred has chosen not to fight back, something that Patsy is desperate to change. The epidemic of violence in 1960s New York and a citizen’s choice to sink or swim form the basis for the dark comedy at the heart of “Little Murders. “

Jules Feiffer has offered satirical commentary on American life for over fifty years, through cartoons, screenplays, stage plays and children’s books. Originally gaining prominence as a cartoonist for The Village Voice, Feiffer shines an often sardonic light on the political, sexual and social facets of our culture.

The American Century Theater is a 501(c)(3) professional nonprofit theater company whose mission is to promote 20th century theater as a vital part of our cultural dialogue. It was founded in 1994 in Arlington, Virginia.

A teleprompter has been added to the Alt Gobo tool kit. Since most of what comes out of Washington is highly-controlled rhetoric it is essential that the talent get the words right. This prompter is a portable system that mounts in front of the lens. It is suitable for most applications for one person reading to camera about 10 to 15 feet from the lens. It’s small enough to even allow limited hand-held use. It will need to be specifically requested for a nominal rate. Depending on the workload an extra crew member may be needed to run the system.

Occasionally President Obama grants one-on-one interviews with reporters from local stations around the nation. Four stations were selected and had less than ten minutes each to do their interview. Since it would be difficult to have each station bring their crew in to record the interviews one news operation is designated to provide the material. This time it was NBC NewsChannel’s turn. News photographers Steve Muskat, Rich McDermott, and Peter Roof did the setup in the White House’s Diplomatic Reception Room. Virginia Coyne was the location producer. The crew had about two hours to setup three cameras, lighting, and sound. The interviews were recorded in standard definition wide screen and recorded on P2 cards. Another outlet recorded the SDI output from the president’s camera on an XDCAM deck. Once the recordings were complete it was fed from the briefing room. It was quite an honor to work on such an important assignment. As you can imagine security was intense and the room was filled with untouchable furniture. It was a challenge to find a pleasing angle for both subjects and to set lights outside the frame of all three cameras.

Alt Gobo’s Peter Roof is returning a profession he first experienced in high school. His next project is serving as the Technical Director for The American Century Theater company in Arlington, Va. All of their productions are made in the original 3D!

For those TV types the job is not punching a video switcher but coordinating all technical elements (sets, lights, sound, etc.) of a stage production. It’s been 25 years since Roof worked regularly in a theater. That was before the internet and cell phones. Back then he was one of the small group of techies in Western Maryland College’s (now McDaniel College) Alumni Hall, the theater for the academic and summer programs. His career took him to newspaper photography then into TV production.

“The theater experiences I had still apply to the work I do now,” said Roof. “Much of the technology I use in video production crosses over but others I will have to relearn or see how it’s done today.”

Roof was asked by company Managing Director Paige Gold to oversee the production of the next show, “Little Murders” by Jules Feiffer. Roof will be supported by designers, carpenters, and electricians contracted for this show. Roof will still do his "day job" of working client TV production assignments as the schedule allows. The show opens in January and is performed in a black-box theater attached to the Gunston Middle School in Arlington County.

Thanksgiving Day is a big day for the NFL. The night game was in Baltimore this year. The NFL Network provides coverage in anticipation of the big match up including “Game Day Morning” featuring five experts on a portable set on the sidelines. The set is designed to collapse and retract off the sidelines in less than 1:15. No need for that function this morning but the setup used eight cameras including a jib, Steadicam, and “blimp” (actually a gimbal on a fixed-wing plane). Peter Roof was running one of the cameras on the set.

A short segment about a participant in a demolition derby won a silver prize in a regional contest. The story is about amateur driver John Guazzo, who followed his childhood dream to crash a car in a race to be the last one running. The program follows his final preparation and running the race.

The segment is a story produced, shot, and edited by Peter Roof. A few years ago he learned that Guazzo was preparing to enter the derby. Guazzo is a helicopter pilot and currently flies for Children’s Hospital in Washington, DC. Roof flew with him starting in late 1990s when they were in “SkyFox,” the news helicopter for the local station, WTTG-TV Channel 5. That was Roof’s early experience operating aerial camera systems.

Roof is always on the lookout for stories to capture on video and add to his library he shares with anyone on the internet. What he looks for are profiles and portraits of people, issues, events, and places that reflect the unique character of the community. Key topics are a little off the mainstream, not immediate, and not necessarily popular. Stories are told participants’ own words and most are shot within a day. “When John told me he was going to race in the derby I knew I had to capture it,” recalled Roof. “I knew that I wanted to see his enthusiastic effort into something neither of us had done or seen. I also knew that this will be great material for an excellent story.”

The Peer Awards began in 1997 through the efforts of several board members of the former Washington Film and Video Council (WFVC). Their intent was to provide well-deserved recognition to those media production professionals who create the outstanding work that consistently comes from the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. The WFVC ceased operations in 2000 and a year later, ITVA-DC stepped up to combine the competition with its existing, popular “'ITVA-DC Video Festival”. Today, the Peer Awards continue to celebrate local excellence in media and offer one of the most sought-after awards in our community. The 2011 Peer Awards Ceremony was held at the National Press Club on Saturday, November 19, 2011

TD Bank held a series of town hall meetings led by senior executives. To interact with a larger audience of bank employees a satellite link was added. Peter Roof ran the camera in the Tyson’s Corner location. Other locations were in South Carolina and Florida.

This is the year the American Humane Association launched the “Hero Dog Awards” to celebrate the powerful relationships between dogs and people, to serve as a catalyst to advance society's understanding of the human-animal bond. Finalists in the program made a Capitol Hill visit to present their dogs and stories to elected officials in the Veterans Committee and the media. Peter Roof covered the entire event and the HD material was provided to news outlets shortly afterwards. The gala awards show was recorded in October at the Beverly Hilton Hotel and aired Nov. 11 on the Hallmark Channel.

In a rare circumstance Peter Roof was able to use his breaking news skills to swiftly come the aid of a producer with an urgent need. The subject wasn’t urgent but the client found themselves suddenly without a working camera to record “MOS” (man on the street) interviews for a program that was being edited for air later that day. Always having your equipment ready for the next shoot pays off when rare situations like this arise. The program was about the current political climate and how it was affecting older Americans.

The program shows on Retirement Living Television which is the only cable network that provides information and entertainment that helps you redefine life after 50. Programming focuses on new pursuits, living longer, financial planning, exploration, community building, reconnecting, caregiving, mentoring, retirement, fulfillment. It's a place of discussion about key issues and topics that matter most to Generation 50+.

Every October, the Foundation sponsors the official national tribute to all firefighters who died in the line of duty during the previous year. Thousands attend the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend in Emmitsburg, Maryland.

This is the third year that Peter Roof was operating a hand-held covering the two memorial services. This year there were a total of 13 cameras in the switch. This was still in standard definition but in the widescreen 16:9 aspect ratio. The program was shown on a large LED screen at the edge of the venue plus sent live on two satellites and streamed on the web. Clip is a moving 2:30 highlight reel used as a roll-out at the end of the final service. (Photo by Bill Green for the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation)

For the tenth year Peter Roof led a crew providing presentation support for the awards ceremony for the National Capital Business Ethics Awards. Support included preparing and projecting Power Point slides, lighting for the stage, and sound for the room.

NCBEA recognizes companies that have demonstrated their integrity, civic and social responsibility, and business excellence in the Greater Washington region. Hosted by the National Capital Chapter of the Society of Financial Service Professionals in partnership with George Mason University, the competition is open to any organization (except financial service companies). Recipients of this highest honor in business ethics have an executive-level commitment to business ethics, specific examples of how they implement their corporate code of conduct, and clear communication that sets expectations for ethical behavior.

After years of preparations a new exhibit about health and illness as experienced by native American cultures opened on the grounds of the National Library of Medicine at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Md. Opening day activities featured speeches, tours, demonstrations of native dance, and the dedication of a healing totem pole placed outside the exhibit. Visitors will discover how Native concepts of health and illness are closely tied to the concepts of community, spirit, and the land.

An opportunity to interview performer Common for the TV One program “Washington Watch” arose late in the week and Alt Gobo was available to record the interaction with host Roland Martin. The interview was recorded in a very crowded hall of the Washington Convention Center during a book signing event. The event was part of the Congressional Black Caucus conference. Peter Roof was running camera and Al Faison on sound. The interview is scheduled to air Sun. Oct. 2 at 11am.

The Ronald Reagan building’s Atrium was the venue again for an awards program sponsored by Essence and Southern Corporation. Peter Roof was Technical Director for two-camera, live-to-screen coverage of the event. ESSENCE & Southern Company hosted their 3rd annual Evening of Excellence-a special awards reception as part of the 2011 Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s 41st Annual Legislative Conference.

The annual reception honors some of today’s most influential leaders and advocates of change. This year’s honorees included: Tom Joyner, host of The Tom Joyner Morning Show; Donna Richardson-Joyner, top fitness guru; and Dr. Regina Benjamin, U.S. Surgeon General.

Hosted by CNN news anchor Fredricka Whitfield, this invitation-only event took place on Friday, September 23rd. The evening included music by DJ D-Nice. The event also featured a special tribute to the Martin Luther King, Jr., Memorial Project.

It seems like it was just the other day but ten years has past since our nation was attacked by extremists ending in tragedies in three locations in the US. One attack was at the Pentagon in Arlington, Va. On that fateful day Peter Roof eventually was stationed just outside the smoldering headquarters of the US military doing live shots all night. Peter was again in the same place next to the Navy Exchange gas station helping stations cover the ceremony with four live shot positions for international broadcasting clients. The Pentagon was restored by the first anniversary of the attack. The weather on the 10th anniversary was essentially the same: a cloudless sky. This time the skies were filled with routinely passing commercial aircraft.

United Airlines First Officer Eric Short was making his usual 1 a.m. arrival on a trip from San Francisco to Washington’s Dulles International Airport. But he had one more stop after that. With assistance from United, the stop was carefully coordinated by Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association staffers on a mission: to inform Short that he was the winner of AOPA’s 2011 Crossover Classic sweepstakes.

The midnight event was a total surprise. Hours earlier the staff, camera person Peter Roof and audio/lighting tech Kathi Overton helped setup the scene inside the Signature Flight Support hangar on the grounds of Dulles. The prize plane was positioned just inside the massive hangar doors and lit up with HMI lights. As Short’s van pulled up the doors opened to reveal the plane and AOPA president, Craig Fuller. One crew followed Fuller as he greeted the winner and presented the fully refurbished and restored 1974 Cessna 182P four-seater, single-engine aircraft.

“A few minutes ago, we were flying 200 people,” he said. “And now here I am with a new airplane!” exclaimed Short.

Short, who lives in Paulden, Ariz., has spent his life in aviation and served a 20-year stint in the Air Force. MORE

The episode of The Learning Channel’s “Hoarding: Buried Alive” that Peter Roof helped shoot in late May will air Sunday Aug. 21 at 9pm ET. The series goes inside the homes of extreme hoarders to explore the psychology behind their compulsion to accumulate and store large quantities of nonessential things. The subject, Donny, lives in a rural area on Maryland’s southern Eastern Shore and had filled his house and entire property with equipment, machinery, parts, books, furniture, and papers.

At Thomas Jefferson’s mountaintop home, Monticello, near Charlottesville, VA on Independence Day 77 people took an oath and became US citizens. The annual naturalization ceremony featured a keynote speech by Coca-Cola Co. chief executive Muhtar Kent, a dual citizen with the US and Turkey. In a prepared speech he said, "As you become Americans in the place Thomas Jefferson loved most of all, you represent his dreams of the future.”

The company he leads, Coca Cola, covered the event with four cameras and prepared a short vignette that was sent and shown later on the holiday at various sporting and holiday venues around the country.

More two-wheel racing coverage but this time the vehicles were powered with 250cc or 450cc engines. Thousands of fans packed into Budds Creek MX Park on Saturday, June 18 to watch the Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship host its fifth round of the 2011 season. The races were covered live with 13+ cameras for Lucas Oil. For the second year Peter Roof operated hard camera six at the base of a jump and large hill. It was loud, dirty, smelly, and hot but a lot of fun. The broadcast was sent to the web and to the Speed Channel.

A roster of some of the most elite professional cyclists in the world competed Sunday, June 12 in Crystal City, Arlington, Va in The Air Force Cycling Classic. This was the second day of racing for Pro/Am teams competing in the Omnium competition. The 2 kilometer criterium circuit went along the city streets and around sharp turns. Speeds exceeded 25 miles per hour in a tight pack of bicycles. Six cameras provided total coverage of the course. Peter Roof operated one camera at the only 180 degree turn. Triax camera cable was strung for several blocks with some runs going over the streets. The live broadcast was seen on local cable channels and on the internet.

Every year the E.W. Scripps Company conducts the National Spelling Bee in the Nation’s Capital. This year the event moved just outside the beltway to the Gaylord Convention Center at National Harbor. Hundreds of kids compete from all around the nation. This interests local news TV stations and NBC NewsChannel assists affiliates by coverering the events and interviews participants as they progress through the competitive rounds. Again, Peter Roof helped in this coverage. Also new this year: two Panasonic HPX500 cameras were used, one on the stage and the other shooting b-roll and interviews. Material was fed back to the Washington bureau via fiber either from the interview camera live or a P2 player. The new venue allowed for a little more space to setup without getting caught up in the crowds or with other crews.

The producers for The Learning Channel’s production of “Hoarding: Buried Alive” asked Peter Roof to fill in for a crew member and run a second camera. The series goes inside the homes of extreme hoarders to explore the psychology behind their compulsion to accumulate and store large quantities of nonessential things. On this week-long assignment the “before” material was gathered along with the beginnings of a complete clean up of the subject’s home. This hoarder lives in a rural area on Maryland’s southern Eastern Shore and had filled his house and entire property with equipment, machinery, parts, books, furniture, and papers.

Two Panasonic HDX900 cameras cover the main interaction with the subject, friends, counselors, and volunteers. A few POV cameras view the clean-up efforts from loaders and time-lapse of dumpsters filling up. As you can imagine, the working conditions were harsh. Moving around was difficult since there were rusty pieces of machinery everywhere and narrow pathways around the place. Bug spray and sunscreen had to be applied regularly. You had to stage gear in a designated area for fear of having your accessories swallowed into the piles of junk. The location was so remote that most of the b-roll depicting the community did not show any people. The completed episode aired in August.

A brief segment about preparing and participating in a demolition derby has been added to the Alt Gobo library. It can be viewed by visiting the “About/Samples/Magazine” tab or click on the photo to get to the menu. The clip is 7:44 in duration.

The story is about amateur driver John Guazzo, who followed his childhood dream to crash a car in a demolition derby. The program follows his final preparation and running the race.

The derby is a competition where drivers collide their vehicles into opponent’s vehicles and win if they are the last ones still moving. There are four classes of vehicles and the derby is run four times a year at Potomac Speedway in Budd’s Creek, Md. Proceeds go to area charities.

The event was recorded in June 2009 using a Panasonic HPX170 tapeless video camera capturing to P2 cards. Camera was set to record in high definition at 720P. Peter Roof produced, photographed, and edited the program.

Following the news of Osama Bin Laden’s death the Sunday before it was time to finish up the visual tour of the Pentagon’s September 11 Memorial. The raw material was shot on a nice evening in May 2009. Peter Roof produced, photographed, and edited the program.

On September 11, 2001, terrorists crashed Flight 77 into the Pentagon, killing the 59 passengers on board the aircraft and 125 military and civilian personnel who were working inside the Pentagon.  The Pentagon Memorial park consists of 184 memorial units, each of which are dedicated to an individual victim by its unique placement within the collective field. The "terrazzo" finish of each memorial unit rises dramatically from the ground on one end, and on the other end hovers over a small pool of lighted water in the surrounding gravel field of the park. Each unit has a specific directionality to distinguish victims on board Flight 77 from victims within the Pentagon.

The simple but elegant memorial units are at once a glowing light pool, a cantilevered bench and a place for permanent inscription of each victim's name. The interplay between the flowers of surrounding crape myrtles, the crunch of gravel underfoot, and the water flowing under each bench provides an experience in the park that is touching and moving, one that creates a place of peace and remembrance, and allows for individual interpretation by each visitor.  

Helped Toby Roberts again record a performance of Gonzaga High School's Spring Musical. This year the production was "Kiss Me Kate." I ran a Panasonic HPX500, one of four cameras. The 500 is a P2 tapeless camera that can take in 4 audio channels. Three of the 12 mics on and around the stage were recorded on my camera assigned to cover tight action from the back center of house. The photo is a still taken directly from the recorded material. Other cameras cover the action from the left and right sides plus a wide cover shot from the balcony.

Alt Gobo was invited to help shoot another PSA spot for Women in Film and Video’s Image Makers program. This year the chosen client was Dachshund Rescue of North America. The star of the spot was Edgar, a long-haired black-and-tan Dachshund adopted last year from DRNA by a Washington DC couple. Please click here to view the finished spot.

The Image Makers program takes a diverse group of high school students and allows them to explore careers in film and television by pairing them with professional members of Women in Film and Video, a professional association of television and film professionals in the Washington DC area. They gain hands-on production experience while producing public service announcements for local charitable organizations. It helps foster the next generation of filmmakers while helping the local community.

The program is taught over the course of eight Saturdays and concludes with a show where each of the finished PSAs are presented to the non-profits. In one session Peter Roof and Kathi Overton gave the students a “Five Minute University” class in lighting, camera, and sound.

In this production Alt Gobo provided the HPX170 DVCproHD camera and lights with Peter Roof on camera. Sound was provided by Kathi Overton who also assisted on lighting and camera. The location was Studio B at Interface Media Group in downtown DC. Alt Gobo used the Glissade®, a 1-meter camera slider of its own design since dolly and trucking shots were used throughout the production.

(Photo by Matt Uvena. Kathi Overton, center, pulling focus for Peter Roof, right)

Covered Caribbean Fishery Management Council’s Fisheries Leadership and Sustainability Forum workshop in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Stakeholders met to explore pathways for advancing the management of data-poor stocks. This was held in a hotel’s conference room. But unlike most windowless conference rooms this program presented a particular challenge to the video production person since one entire wall was a view of the tropical Atlantic Ocean. The photo shows what you would see if the camera were panned left. Dozens of presentations were recorded in high definition and tapelessly using a Panasonic HPX500 camera.

Worked on a pair of re-creation scenes for the Discovery Channel’s “Curiosity: The Questions of Life” series. Alt Gobo’s Peter Roof performed duties of Assistant Camera for DP Mike Peters. Camera used was the Panasonic HPX3700 P2 camera with Letus lens adaptor including four prime and one zoom lenses.

The addition of the vest and support arm should make using the Glidecam 4000 Pro system easy to endure more than five minutes. The Glidecam 4000 pro is newly designed with a no-tools telescoping center post, a sleek and light base which allows quick attachment and dynamic adjustment with the counterweight disks. Includes a foam handlegrip, light gimbal and a compact main bearing assembly. The vest helps support the weight of the system and the articulated arm absorbs body movements allowing smooth camera handling.

This stabilization system works gracefully and professionally. Producers will see why the idea of making a camera glide through the air isn't just a dream, it's a reality.

The Glidecam 4000 Pro will easily supports smaller cameras like our Panasonic HPX170. It is quick and easy to set up and balance. Allows unrestricted booming and unrestricted 360 degree panning. This rig should be considered for projects that can use an increase in production values with dynamic pictures.

Note: camera operator shown in photo not included.

A Spiderlight TD5 was added to the lighting quiver. With 5600˚K daylight balanced compact fluorescent bulbs this unit can output the quivalent of 780 watts of light using only 200 watts of AC power. Using a Chimera hood this will provide a soft source of key lighting ideal in situations where the set is in a mixed situation with other natural sources. With the two bulb, 600 watt equivalent unit we already have from the R&D department we now have two sources of soft 5600˚K light.

EDUCATION FOR INNOVATION: A DIGITAL TOWN HALL from Innovation Economy on Vimeo.

The Innovation Economy hosted, “Education for Innovation,” a digital town hall discussion on how we can create the next generation of innovators. Speakers included Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, OECD Secretary General Angel Gurría, ITIF President Robert Atkinson and New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman.

Event was recorded live in high definition in the Newseum studio and webcast live. Alt Gobo’s Peter Roof was one of five camera operators.

Program that aired on The Pentagon Channel takes a look at the extraordinary combat actions on the part of the last three Medal of Honor recipients. About 12 minutes in are interviews with the sons of Chief Master Sergeant Richard L. Etchberger recorded by Peter Roof on XDcam.

Provided live shots for NBC stations on election day and night for more than 17 hours. Most live hits were generic where any station can use the live shot at the top of the hour. Some stations requested custom shots with expanded analysis of one of the most significant mid-term elections in recent history. Used Panasonic HPX500 P2 camera transmitting a 16:9 image via SDI. Location was on the street or roof with the Capitol dome in the background. At night a half-dozen 18KW HMI lights helped illuminate the dome three blocks away.

Ran handheld camera on stage with one of the bands in the Red Bull Soundclash. This is a unique contest which sees two bands from opposing genres go head-to-head. The competition this time was between Washington area rapper Wale and indie rock band Tokyo Police Club. About 2,000 people attended the event that was held on Pennsylvania Ave NW just two blocks from where the fans of Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert held their “rally” earlier in the day.

Much like a political debate, both bands handed each other the stage in the innovative, back-and-forth musical conversation. The two bands from very different musical genres were not performing for a panel of judges or experts but for the audience, who had the final vote. In a surprising twist of fate, Tokyo Police Club came out on top.

The stages faced each other and nine cameras covered the event including two jibs and four hand-helds.

Watch the video here.

For the ninth year Peter Roof led a crew providing presentation support for the awards ceremony for the National Capital Business Ethics Awards. Support included preparing and projecting Power Point slides, lighting for the stage, and sound for the room.

NCBEA recognizes companies that have demonstrated their integrity, civic and social responsibility, and business excellence in the Greater Washington region. Hosted by the National Capital Chapter of the Society of Financial Service Professionals in partnership with George Mason University, the competition is open to any organization (except financial service companies). Recipients of this highest honor in business ethics have an executive-level commitment to business ethics, specific examples of how they implement their corporate code of conduct, and clear communication that sets expectations for ethical behavior.

Every October, the National Fallen Firefighter Foundation sponsors the official national tribute to all firefighters who died in the line of duty during the previous year. Thousands attend the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend in Emmitsburg, Maryland.

Video production is provided by CrossCreek Television Productions. The scope of the production has grown to 15 standard def cameras including a Steadicam, jib, and two remotely operated cameras. This is the second year that Peter Roof of Alt Gobo ran one of the hand-held cameras.

Excellent autumn weather held the entire weekend. It was quite a moving event and difficult to not be touched by the profound grief that brought these families to the service.

Photo by Bill Green for the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation

Afghan-Americans contribute to every sector of American society and none is more important than the key area of law enforcement.

Host Mariam Atash Nawabi sits down with Wyce Babar, an Afghan-American policeman in Prince George's County, Maryland for a behind the scenes look at police work and to discuss the day-to-day challenges of being a police officer.

Production was accomplished with two Panasonic HPX170 cameras recording tapeless to P2 cards. Mike Broleman and Peter Roof were the photographers. In addition, two point-of-view HD cameras were mounted in the officer’s cruiser to capture additional angles as he patrolled the town. Another angle included dynamic car-to-car video in the streets of Riverdale.

The segment is a part of a program called “Pul,” a weekly public interest program, recorded in the United States for broadcast throughout Afghanistan.

Watch segment.

If you are reading this you are looking at my totally new and improved web site. Please tour the site using the navigation buttons on the left. I’ve included a comprehensive and growing set of sample programs. A complete and current inventory of my comprehensive gear package is detailed under Tools of the Trade. Not many production companies show their rates but you will find mine here. What does “Alt Gobo” mean? Find the answer in the “About” pages. And here in the news page you will find out all about my latest projects, upgrades, and what’s come out of the Research and Development Labs. Stay tuned for essays, commentaries, and tech tips in my “Feed” section.

Designed and built the Glissade®, a one-meter long camera slider. This will give ability to create subtle dolly moves. The unit is portable and easy to setup. A simple way to significantly improve production values.

Twenty-eight people who came to the Washington, D.C. area from as far away as California, Florida and Maine are now part of world transplant history. Fourteen people with serious kidney disease have received new kidneys in the world’s largest paired kidney exchange. The transplants were performed between May 26 and June 12 on nine different days by transplant teams at Georgetown University Hospital, Washington Hospital Center, Children’s National Medical Center and Inova Fairfax Hospital.

Peter Roof directed the two-camera, live webcast celebrating this event at the Washington Hospital Center. MORE

Former First Lady Laura Bush sat down to discuss her enduring commitment to fighting for the rights of Afghan women and girls. The interview is a part of the program “PUL” – a weekly public interest program, recorded in the United States for broadcast throughout Afghanistan. This groundbreaking half-hour show informs a nationwide Afghan audience about critical issues, domestic and foreign, featuring interviews with leading Afghan and American officials and experts, as well as professionals involved in fields ranging from public health to agriculture to arts and entertainment. Hosted by Mariam Atash Nawabi.

The interview can be seen here and was recorded in a gallery of the Women in the Arts Museum in Washington DC. Kathi Overton and Peter Roof lit the scene and ran the Panasonic HPX170 tapeless cameras.

Camera operator Peter Roof continues to enjoy working on the Miller Center of Public Affairs National Discussion and Debate Series. This is the third season for the series and for Roof.

The series was created to encourage a vigorous, well-informed discussion on the national stage about the major issues of our time. MacNeil Lehrer Productions covers these events with five cameras on a set "in the round." A production of this scale has its usual challenges but some locations have necessitated special procedures. At the Library of Congress the entire setup was restored within an hour after the library was closed to the public. The programs are now shot in HD and webcast live and broadcast on PBS stations a few days later.

A unique gift for all those TV nerds out there. The original stained glass SMPTE color bar test pattern hangs in the home office of Peter Roof. If enough interest is generated more will be made and offered for sale. The new one will be in widescreen ratio and measure 16 x 9 inches. Cost is $150 plus shipping. Reserve yours with a $75 deposit. PayPal accepted.

The Image Makers program takes a diverse group of high school students and allows them to explore careers in film and television by pairing them with professional members of Women in Film and Video, a professional association of television and film professionals in the Washington DC area. They gain hands-on production experience while producing public service announcements for local charitable organizations. It helps foster the next generation of filmmakers while helping the local community.

The program is taught over the course of eight Saturdays and concludes with an awards show where each of the PSAs are presented to the non-profits. Peter Roof gave the students a highly distilled class in lighting and camera work at one of the sessions. This year Shelter House and Suited for Change both had a PSA made for them by the participants.

At the production phase Alt Gobo provided camera, light, and sound resources on the Suited for Change PSA. That spot was shot using Alt Gobo's Panasonic HPX170 DVCproHD camera with Peter Roof as DP and Kathi Overton on sound. This production was the inaugural run for Alt Gobo’s new 8-foot mini camera crane which was used in the last scene before the closing graphic.

After more than five years at the same low rates Peter Roof has decided to make a slight increase. He believes the new rates are competitive and are slightly below the average for this market. The rates take into consideration his deep experience and the comprehensive set of tools that includes the latest technology and the industry’s top performing legacy hardware. In a practice not common in this business, Alt Gobo will publish the current rates on this website. Clients can use the figures to plan routine projects. Of course, no two jobs are alike and clients are encouraged to contact Alt Gobo with specifics so we can give a more detailed estimate using only the necessary resources.

Along with the increase a unique 10% discount program is being offered. Discounts are available on Alt Gobo resources and clients can take advantage of this program if projects are firm booked in advance. Single-day projects can get the discount if the job is guaranteed ten days in advance. For two and three+ sequential day projects the window is 20 and 30 days respectively. The discount is also available if Alt Gobo has the choice of selecting the production day(s).

To enhance production values a mini camera crane has been added to the tool box. This unit can be configured in 8 and 5-foot lengths. Using the smaller Panasonic HPX170 camera also reduces the need for excessive counterweights making the entire system quite portable. For not many dollars clients can add dynamic shots to their production.

Since 2002 Peter Roof has helped the Greater Washington and Northern Virginia Chapters of the Society of Financial Services Professionals present their annual National Capital Business Ethics Award ceremony. Roof worked closely with the organization to compile visuals that were projected during the program. Lighting and sound reinforcment services were also provided.

A 2008 Toyota Prius has been added to the Alt Gobo fleet. This is considered a “carbon offset” to the 1994 Toyota 4runner, the primary production vehicle. This fuel efficient vehicle will be used on smaller jobs and assignments where crew is working in a client facility. The Prius goes nearly three times as far on one gallon of gas as the 4runner. Both vehicles are equipped with a 600 watt AC power inverter with internal battery. The box is a source of a small amount of AC power and can be used to jump start vehicles if necessary. They are recharged using a small solar panel.

To increase functionality and reach a larger clientele Alt Gobo's Panasonic HPX170 camera has been upgraded to be switchable to PAL. PAL is an international broadcast standard used in most of Europe and the rest of the world (yellow on map) which operates on a 50Hz frequency. Countries like China, India, Australia, and Indonesia all broadcast in PAL. The North American standard (Japan too) is NTSC (green on map) which is at 60Hz. Twice as many televisions work in PAL than NTSC.
Most nations have, or are developing, digital high definition transmission standards that are similar to what the US implemented in June 2009. Sadly, there is still no global standard. High def material can be recorded in a wide variety of settings and may be able to be converted or output using many different codecs. The technology is still emerging and we have yet to see how material can be exchanged easily. However, having the capability to record in the PAL frequency may streamline that process if going directly to traditional broadcast or post-production overseas.

Continual upgrades to accommodate client needs and enhance technical capability happen here at Alt Gobo. Many events covered are speeches at a podium across a large ballroom. To help the HPX170 camera get tighter shots the Raynox HDX9000EX was added to the inventory. This multiplies the focal length by a factor of 1.8x. It threads on the end of the lens and can zoom from a medium-tight to a tight shot. Shorter focal lengths can be shot by removing the extender.

The Doc Swing iPhone application puts acceleration, tempo and rhythm information at your fingertips with an intuitive graphical display that provides instant insight into your swing.

To illustrate the functionality a foursome of golfers on a practice round using the device was recorded in high def. The material was edited and prepared for posting the next day at the client's location.

The world's largest model rocket headed towards space on Sat. April 25, 2009 from a farm field on Maryland's Eastern Shore. Weighing in at 1,648 pounds and more than 26 feet tall this missile is a scale replica of NASA's Saturn V rocket. It made it 4,441 feet closer to space seconds after Ohio ameteur rocketeer Steve Eves pressed the ignition button. The actual Saturn V rocket carried NASA astronauts and equipment into space for the lunar exploration program in the 1960s and 70s. Forty years before this flight a full-scale Saturn V carried the first man to step on the moon. This rocket was 10% in scale to the original and cost about Eves about $30,000.

The program "Daily Planet" on Discovery Channel Canada took interest in covering the historical launch. Alt Gobo's Peter Roof ran one of two BetacamSP cameras covering all aspects of the people of gear involved in making, and the crowds witnessing, the event. Brad Fulton worked the other camera and Michael Poole was on sound.

The Image Makers program takes a diverse group of high school students and allows them to explore careers in film and television by pairing them with professional members of Women in Film and Video, a professional association of television and film professionals in the Washington DC area. They gain hands-on production experience while producing public service announcements for local charitable organizations. It helps foster the next generation of filmmakers while helping the local community. The program is taught over the course of eight Saturdays and concludes with an awards show where each of the PSAs are presented to the non-profits. In 2009, Image Makers is starting its twelfth year bringing together students and WIFV volunteers. This year the Washington Youth Choir and Make Piece both had a PSA made for them by the participants.

At the production phase Alt Gobo provided camera, light, and sound resources for one spot. The Make Piece spot was shot with Alt Gobo's Panasonic HXP170 DVCproHD camera with Kathi Overton as DP and Peter Roof on sound. The WYC spot needed additional sound so that second unit work was done by Peter Roof with heavy tech and advisory support from Kathi Overton.

Thirty-second commercial aired in select cable markets nationwide. Shot in high def (720P/24P) using prime lens adaptor. Edited in Final Cut Pro. Alt Gobo was the production company and made this spot with the assistance of the following people:

Crew:
Producer/DP: Peter Roof
Co-producer, technical supervisor: Kathi Overton
Associate Producer: Sharon Sobel
Writer: Wendy Wilson
Editor: Louise Hernon
Makeup: Patty McFarland
Audio: Kathi Overton
Gaffer: Louise Hernon
Grip: Jesse Fresco

Cast:
Veteran: Daniel Lee Mascarello
Wife: Stephanie Harkay
Daughter: Chloe Kasey
Announcer: Heather Hathaway

Special thanks:
Tom and Linda Roof
Steve Shannon

The most significant inauguration to date demanded extensive coverage. Peter Roof was hired to support the affiliate services provided by NBC NewsChannel. Requests came from around the world and as many as 27 crews were either provided or supported at their facility located two blocks from the US Capitol, site of the swearing-in ceremony. In the cold wind Roof helped setup ten live positions and supervised four paths on the street where he ran one camera. Six positions on the roof of the office building housing the NewsChannel DC bureau were on a shared, double-decked scaffolding erected for the first time for this occaision.

To add a new and convenient method for payment Alt Gobo has signed up for PayPal. Through PayPal customers can choose to pay with any credit card or through electronic bank transfer. Customers are asked to indicate their preference and they will receive a special email invoice. New and out-of-town customers (plus projects over $4K) will be required to make an advance payment to confirm bookings. This is an excellent option to speed up the process and reserve the desired resources.

Maryland Public Television created a documentary that explores the hard road Maryland has traveled from centuries ago to the founding of the State Roads Commission in 1908, to its present state. Moving Maryland Forward offers some fascinating lessons in how Maryland came to be known as the home of some of the best maintained highways in the nation. While the film gives a nod to Maryland's roads prior to the 20th century, the main focus is on the development of Maryland's modern road system as it has expanded and improved over the course of the last 100 years.

The only way to grasp the magnitude of this subject is from the air. Aerial DP, Peter Roof, on board Bussmann Aviation's MD500 helicopter, covered nearly the entire state from the Chesapeake Bay to the Allegheny Mountains. They flew beside bridges and around intersections as they gathered hours of high def material using the Sony Cinealta camera in the side mount configuration. It took a mission in 2008 and one in 2007 to shoot it all. The material included spetacular autumn pictures used in other MPT programs.

The National Association of Government Communicators has awarded this program an Award of Excellence in its 2009 competion.

Since 2003 aerial camera operator Peter Roof has helped cover the New York Marathon. Two helicopters were used to cover the entire event live on NBC4 in New York. Roof flew in a Bell 206 Jet Ranger and operated a FLIR FSI UltraMedia II gyrostabilized camera gimbal mounted to the nose of the aircraft. With one stop for fuel the crew covered the race live from the spectacular start over the Verrazano Narrows Bridge to the finish line in Central Park. The pair also gathered beauty shots of Manhattan for the broadcast.

In the fall of 2007 Peter Roof helped gather some HD material for "Under Our Skin," a documentary about Lyme disease. This program was a part of the SilverDocs documentary film festival . Roof was the DP for aerials shot in the Washington region plus he shot one local interview on the ground.

Using rain barrels is a brilliantly simple concept. Rainwater streaming off your roof is diverted and held in a barrel to be used later. This slows water that usually carries pollutants and nutrients directly into the watershed where it does more harm than good. Aquabarrel makes and installs a line of products from engineered and salvaged materials.

To show off their unique product Aquabarrel asked Peter Roof to shoot/produce and Kathi Overton to edit a three minute program for streaming on the web, YouTube, and other outlets. Fresh material was shot in 720P/30P high definition using the Panasonic HVX200 tapeless camera and edited on Final Cut Pro. The program shows the different options and the key features that separates this product from its competition. View clip.