Cobalt on the Road 2021: Making Magic, Coast to Coast.

Yup, we’re more than just a soundstage! We’ve deployed our expertise in all sorts of environments, Coast to Coast. Read on for a few examples of Creators making magic with Cobalt on the Road.

Chris Rock x Cobalt on the Road
When Chris Rock’s team calls with a production emergency, you don’t let it go to voicemail! We recently pulled off a near-miraculous TV gig in Chicago supporting Chris Rock’s comedy special with just 48 hours’ notice! Challenged with coordinating equipment and talent in three time zones, we devised a custom rig to fit in an extremely tight space. As true team effort, one of Cobalt’s Stage Managers even drove the rig overnight to Chicago, so our client wouldn’t miss a beat. Success!!

Albert Einstein, Live and on Location
PBS’s “Light Falls: Space, Time and an Obsession of Albert Einstein” brought Einstein’s work to life through a groundbreaking multimedia stage performance. The show’s narrator and actors performed live between two scrims, each with its own perfectly-synchronized projection, which we combined to create a dimensional live hologram effect. The whole performance was captured with seven cameras to produce 60 visually-stunning shots. To match the projections precisely with the performers and audio, we used Time Code Triggering to sync devices to great effect!

Back to School in Syracuse – recent Feature Film work
Team Cobalt packed up and headed Upstate just the other day! The project, a girl-powered coming of age story, was being shot on location in a decommissioned school in Syracuse, NY. Our challenging effect showed the scene’s protagonist interacting with classmates in a crowded high school hallway while everyone, except the lead, moving in reverse. Shooting the actor and different groups of extras, in separate passes required complex choreography. In the scene, she bumped into some extras while others passed in front and behind her. The star moving forward and extras moving in reverse gave us a lot to keep track of!

We’re here to provide world-class service and support in the studio and on location.
Let’s talk.


Hoboken is closer to Midtown than Brooklyn.

If you haven’t shot in NJ lately,
there’s a lot to catch up on.

Let’s talk.


Cobalt on the Road: Producing Projects, Coast to Coast

Got a project on the West Coast, or anywhere in the continental U.S.? We’ve also historically shot in Moscow, Beirut and Bucharest, too. Now, we’re delivering our signature support and cutting edge tools to a Los Angeles project where we’ve been asked to contribute our savvy know-how.

Sometimes all you need is a good beach.
We’re in LA now, working on a project with some pretty incredible time-travel cinematic tricks! While we love the control of working in the studio, we also LOVE jumping in an RV to support your exciting projects. In the past two months, we’ve done it twice. We can meet you wherever you are with trusted resources – both general production or VFX specific.

We deliver.
Relationships and experience are the keys to Cobalt’s success on the road. Clients often ask if we have accounts in LA, and the answer is yes! We’ve had active accounts set up for decades with reliable suppliers spanning camera rentals, lighting, grip, Motion Control, insurance, prop houses, VSet and more. We also nurture strong relationships with crew members on both coasts, so YES, we can also recommend a good gaffer or two!

We’re here to provide world-class service and support in the studio and on location— We produce, and help you produce,
Coast to Coast : )


Book our Turnkey Soundstage.
Hoboken is closer to Midtown than Brooklyn.

If you haven’t shot in NJ lately,
there’s a lot to catch up on.

Let’s talk.


Cobalt’s Guide to Post-Production

In our Soundstage for Creators series, we're talking about smart strategies for meeting the creative community's rapidly-evolving needs. Read on for our strategies to make Post-Production an efficient and uplifting experience.

Should You “Fix it in Post?”
Today’s incredible Post-Production tools make it tempting to push more effects work to the Post-Production phase. Should you?? Our in-house VFX maestro, Alex Fernbach, had this to say, “Some things are better handled In-Production while others are more expensive to do in Post. Cobalt is an effects supervisor’s best friend because we have the knowledge and resources on hand to elevate your image efficiently and cost-effectively. We offer Motion Control robotics, but if your effect can be achieved with a simple mirror, we’ll tell you. We’re client-centric and tool-agnostic.” As a by-producers, for-producers soundstage, we believe that nurturing our client relationships means more than renting out a piece of equipment.

Virtual Sets & Post-Production
When you’re working with Virtual Sets, Post-Production does take center stage - and many have lots of questions on the topic. Our Virtual Backlot is purpose-built to create the most efficient production path for our clients. Productions like “The Mandalorian” use the latest VSet technology to show a live composite, but outside of Hollywood, it’s untenable.

For most productions, having all your CG assets designed and approved before shooting begins is a tall order and an unreasonable stressor. The tried and true green screen production path gives you the slack you need, so you can work out the time consuming nuances in Post at a fraction of the cost (and risk). Trying to do this Live (like with the Unreal Engine), can bring production to an unnecessary halt - sometimes for the slightest thing. Post-Production resources for VSets are so well-distributed and so reasonably-priced, we can easily guide you toward the CG professionals you need to make the most of your budget and creativity.

Serving as a Post-Production Resource
We’re diligent about getting you your “day after actual” paperwork quickly, in a form that’s tidy and complete with no surprises. (And being Turnkey makes Cobalt’s invoices a lot shorter than most.) As a relationship-driven company, we’re happy to share our resources. And when you use our onsite production tools and support, our VFX technical notations are meticulous, so the editor isn’t guessing.

We're here to provide world-class support to Creators from Pre to Post Production, and everything else in between.


New Jersey leads the nation in safe shoots

and Hoboken is closer to midtown than Brooklyn.

If you haven't shot in NJ lately,
there’s a lot to catch up on.

Let’s talk.


Park your production with us.

Park your production with us.

We compared Hoboken’s on-street parking with NYC’s.

HOBOKEN

$1 per hour
Hoboken meter rates around
our facilities at all times of day.

NYC

Up to $7.50 per hour
NYC’s hourly parking rates
depending on time of day.


New Jersey leads the nation in safe shoots

and Hoboken is closer to midtown than Brooklyn.

If you haven’t shot in NJ lately,
there’s a lot to catch up on.

Let’s talk.


SOUNDSTAGE FOR CREATORS: How Cobalt Empowers Creators On Set

In Production

How Cobalt Empowers Creators On Set

In our Soundstage for Creators series, we're talking about smart strategies for meeting the creative community's rapidly-evolving needs. Cobalt’s turnkey creative solutions and safety nets ensure that you're always ready to solve problems and seize creative inspiration—even at the very last minute.

Your Creative Safety Net
You’re in the production phase and the wheels start turning. You’re always well-prepared, so what happens next depends on two things: fate and the facility. You wouldn’t perform a triple somersault from a trapeze without a safety net—you’d have to play it safe. The same is true for productions! When Jerry Seinfeld had a last-minute idea that featured a James Bond-style laser beam, our onsite Motion Control Robotics empowered him to create freely in the moment. Of course, it's not always as glamorous as that; sometimes production grinds to a halt for the need of a piece of Plexiglass. When you shoot at Cobalt, our experienced support people and comprehensive collection of “emergency expendables” means you’ll never be stuck for a solution.

The Biggest Opportunity Now
To elevate image quality and reduce costs, nothing compares to the value of virtual sets. Unlike practical sets, with virtual sets you’re blissfully unfettered by space, budget, and talent constraints. If you want a bigger set, draw a bigger rectangle. If you want ornamental woodwork worthy of a Russian Tsar, you can easily have it, because you’re carving pixels, not high-end exotic wood. With virtual sets, the only things that need to be practical are the things actors need to touch or sit on.

As you may have guessed, this streamlines lighting dramatically. Instead of building elaborate sets, trucking in loads of lights and devoting countless hours to installing and removing them, your DP can focus on lighting the actors and a few props. The rest is handled by moving virtual lights in virtual space. We love virtual sets because the crew time, set time, and equipment cost savings are stunning, and the sets are as big, detailed, and impressive as you like. If you haven’t demoed our Virtual Backlot yet, it’s definitely worth your time.

Cobalt’s Creative Incubator
Turnkey security and virtual sets value aren’t the only production game-changers we offer. To wrap your mind around all the possibilities, every Tri-State creator should get familiar with our ultra-configurable spaces, motion control robotics, world-class live streaming, wood shop, home-ec kitchen, and our massive inventory of production tools. Want to collaborate with creators in real-time across an unlimited number of locations? We’ve got your live streaming needs covered. Want to orchestrate complex camera moves to show a product in a compelling, new way? Leverage our unique motion control equipment inventory, along with our expertise for making the most of it. And, if you have a big idea and don’t know where to start, we’re always here to talk shop and offer support.


New Jersey leads the nation in safe shoots

and Hoboken is closer to midtown than Brooklyn.

If you haven't shot in NJ lately,
there’s a lot to catch up on.

Let’s talk.


Pre-Production

Your All-in-One Production Resource

In our "Soundstage for Creators" series, we're talking about smart strategies for meeting the creative community's rapidly-evolving needs. Read on for accessible solutions for streamlining, simplifying, and securing your project, so you're always efficient and ready for anything during pre-pro.

Master Pre-Production Productivity
Yes, you know that we are a by-producers, for-producers soundstage, but how is this relevant to you in your ever important pre-production whirlwind? If you launch a project in an empty warehouse space, it’s sadly a DIY deal. In contrast, we at Cobalt already have most of what you need to achieve your goal. In addition, we are your enormous safety net to catch and cover everything from last-minute creative inspiration to unforeseen unknowns.

As we see it, you can rent space and time from another soundstage, but we provide something more: solutions and security. Need to build practical sets? Work in our woodshop. Need a production office? Work in our fully-equipped production suite the week before the shoot. Need more space for your production team?? Our Hobo House location is just 3 blocks away! TONS of space to spread out during your pre-production endeavor.

Our Virtual Backlot: Pre-Production Powerhouse
We’re committed to “pulling back the curtain” to reveal the truth behind our Virtual Backlot. Here’s what you need to know... At this point, the technology is no longer bleeding edge at all — it’s now well established with a well-worn path to success.

We’ve created a list of VSet/Virtual Backlot FAQs on our blog, but we can answer a few right here:

Q: How is the Virtual Environment designed?
A: The same as always - with the help of a designer who works in the 3-D workspace.

Q: Does it add significant cost?
A: Quite the contrary. You can build unimaginable production value into your environment, especially of you make use of the plentiful royalty free assets that can be found on the web, at a fraction of the cost of either set building or going on location.

Q: Does the Virtual Set need to be completed before production.
A: Absolutely not. Our system allows you to finish your CG AFTER principle photography, so you can shoot with only a wireframe of your set, and finish in the comfort of a post-suite.

The main difference in the Virtual Set production process is this: To access this image-elevating, pandemic-smart, cost-saving, sustainable set-creation tool, most of your to-do list is on the Pre-Production end.

We're here to provide world-class support for Creators that doesn't break the bank. All these things are in place and ready to kick into gear oh so easily at our Virtual Backlot.

Don't you want to come over and play?

New Jersey leads the nation in safe shoots

and Hoboken is closer to midtown than Brooklyn.

If you haven't shot in NJ lately,
there’s a lot to catch up on.

Let’s talk.


Soundstage for Creators

Your All-in-One Production Resource

Jerry Seinfeld’s “24 Hours to Kill” shoot at Cobalt.
See Alex on the Right as 'MoCo McGuyver'!!!

It’s Not Just About Time and Space.
Production life is always evolving, with new challenges and opportunities emerging every second. To serve you better, our “by-producers, for-producers” soundstage sees productions as dynamic puzzles, not by-the-pound commodities. Anybody can sell studio space and time, but we do what no other soundstage can. We provide premium production support, and we don’t just mean that we support your project. We support you.

The Future of Production is Personal.
“We don’t see our clients as the sum of their projects. Our approach is relationship-driven because we know we can help elevate your profile as a Creator,” said Prezz Kara Vedder. “For instance, a producer-client of ours recommended that Netflix book Cobalt for Jerry Seinfeld’s 24 Hours to Kill. When Jerry came up with an ambitious last minute creative idea, we were able to keep everything smooth. We used our onsite Robotics inventory and Motion Control expertise to deliver a working and fully-propped laser beam on the spot. They wouldn’t have been able to do this on the same day anywhere else. Our clients keep coming back because they know we have their backs.”

Production Expertise at Your Fingertips.
Our boutique-hotel hospitality and high-tech production playground are unique on the East Coast, but our consultative support is something you really can’t get anywhere else. We are seasoned production problem-solvers. We understand production life, and we want to make sure everyone looks good. So, from the first call to hold the space to the last-minute rescue when the unforeseen happens, we’re here to guide you through the most efficient, cost-effective strategies for production without compromising on creativity.


New Jersey leads the nation in safe shoots

and Hoboken is closer to midtown than Brooklyn.

If you haven't shot in NJ lately,
there’s a lot to catch up on.

Let’s talk.


The Cobalt Experience

Why Production Culture Matters

As a "by-producers, for-producers" turnkey soundstage, our next-level amenities and customer service have been compared to a boutique hotel experience. For us, that’s the ultimate compliment. We made a conscious decision to infuse that level of hospitality and attention-to-detail into our
company culture.

A Service-Obsessed Culture.
Decades of experience has proven this over and over. Making the soundstage experience as smooth and as streamlined as possible helps productions focus on what matters most: the work. From the moment you call us, we’re committed to delivering a full-on concierge experience. Planning your first pandemic-smart Safe Shoot with us? Need a consultation on Virtual Sets or Remote Camerawork Robotics? Whatever it is, we’ve got you covered.

Little Things That Mean a Lot.
We’ve done some heroic things to help our clients pull off projects, because well... that’s just what we do. But in some ways, the routine things that we do, really mean the most. For instance, it may sound boring, but we even give real-time accounting updates. We invoice within two days when a project wraps just because "we get it". When you’re on to the next project, you don’t want to wait around for paperwork from the last one. Right??

More.
We're also a “more-is-more” soundstage. We provide more private client breakout spaces, more smooth amenities, and more high-tech production tools than any other soundstage on the East Coast. We take pride in our Swiss Army Knife-style preparedness, and even in a poopie pandemic, we are committed to more. Yes, we have a Spa Trolley full of fresh slippers and robes, and YES... we honor the fact that streamlining complexity - even in accounting - is every producer’s love language. Come see what more feels like in production :)


New Jersey leads the nation in safe shoots

and Hoboken is closer to midtown than Brooklyn.

If you haven't shot in NJ lately,
there’s a lot to catch up on.

Let’s talk.


Why We ❤️ TurboSquid

And how it makes creators' dreams come true.

You've probably seen TurboSquid models like the one above hundreds of times, and didn't know it.

 

TurboSquid models are used by directors, agencies, architects, content studios, advertisers, and creative professionals around the world.

What is TurboSquid?
TurboSquid is our favorite place to find existing CG models! The TurboSquid website is a library of readymade CG environments created by independent CG artists around the globe. Chances are you've seen TurboSquid models hundreds of times in TV, films, and ads and didn't know it. That's because countless game developers, news agencies, architects, visual effects studios, advertisers, and creative professionals use TurboSquid's crowdsourced CG environments. And now you know!

Pull a set from a Castle. Or a Log Cabin.
A quick spin around the site reveals a small Japanese house for $164, complete with potted plants, a lamppost, and even a tasteful little trash can! Need to build a neighborhood? Add more homes from the same designer, and even a Tatami Store! At a glance, other options run the gamut from Medieval Monasteries to Modernist Mansions. There are even cartoon styles! In 2021, every production professional should be familiar with the infinite options these 3D environments deliver. It’s now easy to find affordable CG geometries for your beach house, commercial kitchen, opulent living room, working laboratory, Wall Street office space, or any other setting you can imagine.

Endless Possibilities for Creators
While some projects require custom CG geometries, many can be found royalty-free on sites like TurboSquid. There are other services like CGTrader, too, but the business model (self-service shopping for crowdsourced CG models)is the same. You can grab a few CG environments, and use a CG firm or freelance CG artist to combine, customize, and re-light them for your scene. Then, you're ready to roll. Virtual Sets are a big opportunity for pandemic-smart productions, and they’re environmentally-friendly, too! (Not to mention the extraordinary location fees you’re saving when you're charged to shoot somewhere like the NYC Subway System or the Soho Grand Hotel.) Keep reading about Virtual Sets, or call us for a virtual or in-person tour of our Virtual Backlot here at Cobalt.


New Jersey leads the nation in safe shoots

and Hoboken is closer to midtown than Brooklyn.

If you haven't shot in NJ lately,
there’s a lot to catch up on.

Let’s talk.


Virtual Set FAQ

Everything you always wanted to know about Virtual Sets, but were afraid to ask.

 

How do Virtual Sets get created?
A Virtual Set is a departure from traditional production methodologies in set building. Instead of planning to build with hammer and nails, you either hire a CG company or choose royalty-free assets from one of the many web-based repositories for geometries. You can buy royalty-free Virtual Sets that far exceed the production value that you'd typically build into practical sets.

How much do Virtual Sets cost?
Say, for example, you're looking for a living room set. As budgets get tighter, that living room gets smaller, less detailed. But for hundreds, not thousands, of dollars, you can buy a detailed virtual living room set with expansive views out to other rooms. If you buy a couple of these geometries, then you can easily put a set together. Keep in mind that what you're buying is editable in terms of scale, texture, color, and lighting.  What you’re buying is a geometry—a skinned wireframe. So, you can cut and paste elements, scale them, and relight them. A virtual set living room that's brightly lit could just as easily be lit for nighttime.

Virtual Sets are typically far less expensive than comparable practical sets. Instead of working with your traditional designers, carpenters, and construction grips, you're working with a single CG artist to create the set. You can go to a small boutique company, a high-end company, or a freelance CG artist. These artists are plentiful and they're all able to work photo-realistically. It doesn't require multi-million dollar computer support.

One project we hosted required three kitchens, but the budget wasn't sufficient to cover practical sets. The client opted to use our Virtual Backlot to build virtual kitchens, eliminating the need for the traditional steps in practical set building, such as design, construction, propping, rentals, scenic art, lighting, and more. Remember, with practical sets, everything also needs to be picked up, installed, dismantled, and returned or even thrown away :/ Virtual Sets are a smart solution for easing your set's impact on the planet and your budget. Not to mention, the decision to use Virtual Set by this particular  ad agency saved the client $50,000... Everyone likes to come out a hero, don’t you??

How do you make changes to Virtual Sets?
The Editable Transform function allows you to move and remove elements, even after you're finished building your Virtual Set. Say your DP wants to get a long-lens shot of people at a conference table. Through Editable Transforms, you can remove a wall so the real camera can back up in space. If you need a high shot, you can remove the ceiling to get a higher perspective. Virtual Set geometry is infinitely customizable... The camera positions are only  limited by the space where you are shooting live-action.

What happens once I pick a Virtual Set?
The next step is figuring out which components need to be practical. If your Virtual Set conference room is fully furnished with views to other offices and a wall of windows, you can remove the table and chairs with Editable Transforms and set your actors up with a practical table and chairs. If someone in the meeting uses a whiteboard, you can remove the Virtual whiteboard and hang up a real one.

How do green screens work with Virtual Sets?
With Virtual Sets, you don't need to have the entire world painted green on your practical studio set-up. You only have to cover what is directly behind your actors. So, if you have a very wide shot with two people sitting on a couch, the green screen can be a 10 x 20 piece of green, just enough to cover the live-action. The rest of it can be quickly "Garbage Matted" out. (A Garbage Matte is used to identify regions of an image that should be ignored.)

How to create a Virtual Set, step by step.
First, create your background either from custom-made objects or ready-made geometries.

Second, figure out which elements are going to be practical.

Third, shoot your scene.

Fourth, take your rough composite out of our system and use it to do your offline edit.

Fifth, color correct your CG asset to match your live-action footage.

Sixth, do a high-res render of select CG scenes.

And lastly, clean up your matte and composite your live-action element with your CG.

How do Virtual Set technologies differ?
Some technologies, such as Unreal Engine Virtual Sets, demand the presence of a"Genius Bar" or "Brain Bench" of post-production masters, onsite. This path can be risky because post-production people are not used to working on set and under-pressure. If they pause for some reason, then shooting also grinds to a halt.

We've kept our system simple, relegating this work to the post-production pipeline for efficiency and affordability, because it saves valuable time in production. (Since the onset of the pandemic, a table with five laptops side-by-side is less practical than ever. The value of Virtual Sets has been enhanced by helping our clients minimize the number of people on set.)

How many people does it take to shoot with Virtual Sets?
With one good consultative conversation, we can guide anyone through the process. Our Virtual Backlot offers a streamlined process, so all we need is a pair of technicians. That's one programming technician and another technician to handle the hardware component. We don't require a Virtual Set director or a Virtual Set DP or anything like that.

When people read about "The Mandalorian," with real-time processes happening while actors wait for technicians to push pixels around, it makes Virtual Sets seem more complicated and expensive than they have to be. For most productions, it's costly and impractical. The trick is to use the technology and your time wisely.

How fast is Virtual Reality Film Production?
Once a CG asset is tested, we can boot up our system in under ten minutes, and we can load multiple scenes. Again, there's a team of two people: one person is responsible for the software and taking direction from the director, while the other person makes sure that all of the hardware is connected and functioning properly.

What kind of post-production work and costs do Virtual Set backgrounds add?
People always say, "Okay, I love these inexpensive royalty-free assets, and now I understand how to shoot it and why it's better for the planet and shooting in a pandemic. But what are the hidden costs in the end, and what's the post-production process?" Here’s the answer: Cleaning up the matte and compositing is hardly much of a special effect these days, since it’s being done most of the time. So the only added step is the rendering of the CG background.

We work with a low-res FBX file, so it's malleable, quick, and easy. Once you have your offline edit locked, you take your CG file, you take the jump drive that we provide with the Move Metadata, and you render out that scene at the resolution you need, depending on your deliverable. That's the only additional step in working with Virtual Sets.

How do you match live-action to realistic Virtual Sets?
We advise you to make sure you're happy with your CG environment's lighting, then to recreate that mood and feeling in your live-action. That's often done by doing a still render of your CG environment in the lighting style you want, then having the DP on your live-action set match the render.

Imagine how much simpler it is than shooting with a green screen without a Virtual Set and just guessing how your live-action image will relate to the set! Seeing a live composite facilitates composition and lighting for a photorealistic match between your Virtual Set and live-action elements. And that's where the artistry and fun come in because you can get much closer to matching your environment.

What's the difference between working with green screens and Virtual Sets?
Green screen, or chroma keying, is a technique that enables you to separate your subject matter from a background, cutting that person or object out to place them in another environment. Chromatic keying means taking a color that's absent in the live-action—typically green—and eliminating it from your raw footage electronically. The actors or objects are then isolated and, if desired, they can be placed into a Virtual Set.

Virtual Sets, on the other hand, are a sophisticated, pre-visualization technology. They incorporate green screen or chroma keying to cut and paste your subject into a 3D environment, allowing for camera movement. In the green screen model, it's a locked-off camera, and you'd be rendering one frame: the background. But if you're following someone down the CG corridor, you'll render out multiple frames to match whatever the camera is doing throughout the scene. Virtual Sets enable this kind of live-action to appear in a Virtual world while the camera is moving.

How do Virtual Sets make productions more flexible?
Your set doesn't even need to be finished to begin shooting. All you need to do is build enough of the set so that your director knows where the doors and windows will be, so the Director of Photography can plan the lighting. Everything else can happen afterward. The pressure to build something ahead of the shoot doesn't exist, so if a better idea comes up, you're wedded only to the practical props you've selected.

Not being locked into anything gives creators maximum flexibility to make adjustments at any point until the picture is locked. Working in commercials, it’s a massive benefit because everything hinges on client approvals, and changes of heart are standard.

What do Virtual Sets mean for traditional set design?
Set designers have always modernized their craft—there was a time when all set designers drafted and drew their sets by hand. For years now, those beautiful handmade set drawings have been replaced with designs created with 3D software. Just about every set designer we know works in LightWave, SketchUp, or some other 3D software. They can visualize the set from different angles, communicate their ideas, and even do rough camera moves to show what the camera would see if it were moving through the set.

Virtual Sets are a game-changer, but they're also an incremental improvement on the way things were already evolving. In a few years, practical sets will be rare, and set creation will happen in a comfy chair. We've been doing this for more than a decade, so it's not a huge leap. There are enough specialists out there that it's easy to find the support you need to build 3D Virtual Sets.