Sharpshooter Video Productions

03/30/2025

On to our next endeavor. We're still shooting "how To" videos and now we'll be shooting scenes for an upcoming film. These scenes will be for investors to finance the project with sort of a sneak preview.

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03/24/2025

We started shooting dance studio recitals April 1987. We went from regular VHS to SVHS to Hi8 to CompactC to DVCam to 3/4 to digital recording on laptops to SD memory cards. We sent videos out on VHS, DVD and now on-line and Flash Drives.
Yep, many years. Cameras went from 4:3 format to 16:9 format to 1920X1080p.and even 24 frame. Now we're using 4K
Unfortunately we've tried to hang on since the pandemic. With everyone having a cell phone and not even listening to the studio owners when they ask to please not record. Etc, etc.
Sharpshooter Video Productions is closing down. The few studios I still shoot for will just know us as Joe Fortunato - Videographer. We've had to sell 2 out of our 3 vehicles. We sold both our trailers and let go all our crew people. Now it's just me and I kept the best of my equipment and are selling off all the others. Kinda hard because things move so fast that some our equipment is obsolete or not worth 5% of what we paid for them. Today I sold a 5 thousand dollar Video camera for $500.00. Why? Because it's HD and purchased 10 years ago. In today's video world.. it's obsolete. Sad really, but like many of the wonderful dance studios I've seen go out of business. I guess my time was up too. I'll still have the parent company "JAF Media" which does corporate videos, instructional videos, music videos and infomercial but the Recital Dance side of the business is down to 5 schools when we used to do 25 to 30 each season. So thank you to my past clients. I've seen some amazing performances with some really talented kids. Sometimes it wasn't even like work because I was being entertained while staring at the video monitor.

03/19/2025

It's a shame that so many dance studios have closed. The pandemic really hurt the small business.

10/29/2024

Early voting done!!! Maybe I made a mistake? The suspense is killing me lol.
Look, all these polls say the election is close? Did you see the size of the rally Sunday? In a state that always votes Democrat?
Yeah that vote about Puerto Rico was close to the edge but we have the freedom of speech. If his joke offended you then don't go to his show. It's that simple. Instead the goofballs on CNN and MSNBC has a cow.

09/15/2024

Pretty soon it's time to start booking the holiday shows.

09/09/2024

The calm before the storm. We have 3 scenes to shoot as treatments/audition reels for other actors. Then comes holiday shows like the Nutcracker. After that 4 months off until recital season.

07/18/2024

Maybe the Secret Service should hire Bessie? She can work on a sloped roof...

07/10/2024

Rehearsals are done. Filming starts tomorrow. Looks like I have a movie car because they're going to use my car for a few scenes including a fight scene. So now I can sell it for more money lol.

07/09/2024

I've worked on dozens of film and TV sets. I started out as a camera operator for a cable TV show. We had a staff of five. As time went on I had to fill in for missing crew members. Wasn't long before I was setting up the cameras, setting the lighting, running the audio and calling the shoot ( Action, cut etc). As I worked behind the camera I also did work in front of the camera. I hosted some shows and where a small scene was involved I worked it. Developing my timing, using inner monologue to evoke realistic emotions.
Around the end of the first decade in 2000. I worked as a first assistant director for a feature film. I ran the second unit as a director. I was the director of photography, audio engineer, key grip, set decorating, continuity coordinator, still photographer and set construction. Afterwards I was key editing, I composed the underlying scene music. When the credits ran it looked ridiculous so I would use my company's name for a lot of it. I even drove and picked up cast members and got the credit "transportation captain" I helped out with stunt driving and was the driver for high speed maneuvers and even took part in a 2 car intersection wreck driving the lead striking vehicle. I just love this business so much that I made it my mission to learn everything I could.
To me it doesn't matter if it's a child's birthday party or a feature film. I approach it all with the same enthusiasm. When it comes to the film industry I always give it my all

06/18/2024

Still in "Dance Recital" season. Boy how things have changed. I remember having to make about 50 copies of a VHS master. Editing on a simple machine basically on and off. Finally got a NLE computer and began getting fancy. Then we began sending out DVD's. All along having to purchase the equipment to do the job. Like a bank of 20 VHS decks for duplication. From there to a DVD duplication tower with 20 DVD recorders. If course that comes with having to make labels, covers and DVD cases.
Today it's a lot easier. You edit the footage, upload it to a special site like "Drop Box" or "Vimeo". The down side? Well people start sharing passwords and soon it's downloaded and shared and the sales drop to zero. So I began a " Pay per view" where you pay a fee and you can watch it on line as much as you want and after 60 days you can download it to your personal device.
Makes me wonder what's next.

01/03/2024

I have reached 100 followers! Thank you for your continued support. I could not have done it without each of you. 🙏🤗🎉

10/30/2023

Ever since the pandemic closed down our dance competition showcase I haven't had any plans to start up "Strength and Style" But now we're getting a lot of calls for dance studios to sign up and compete. Honestly we let go of 3/4 of our staff including the audio and video part of it.
Special shout out to Regina for her excellent sales work. Yeah it wasn't a good time with the pandemic. it actually closed down most of the dance studios we work with.

05/28/2023

All recital videos that have been performed in May have been editing and placed on line for viewing, have a master DVD ready for copying and have a master USB flash drive ready for duplication.
We're waiting for the dance studios to tell us the amount of orders and to make the payment.

05/13/2023

05/13/2023

Getting ready for the 1PM show. Also have 2 other shows happening at the same time. Hope my guys do well. One is at Brookdale PAC and the other is at Villa Victoria Academy outside Trenton. The season officially begins.

05/07/2023

Recital season begins in one week. Next weekend has 4 bookings. My crew is ready and all next week will be for cleaning, testing and gathering all the equipment.

03/07/2023

Currently accepting bookings for the 2023 recital season.. dates are filling up fast.

01/07/2023

Getting ready for Sunday's shoot. Wipe the lenses, format the memory cards, charge the main and back up batteries, check case for all components. Tripod mount, power supply, zoom and focus controls. Looks like we're ready.