MALCOLM DESOTO, A ONEMAN PRODUCTION CREW, HAS PUT TOGETHER COMMERCIALS STRETCHING FROM “REALLY CHEESY” TO “SERIOUS AND SOMBER” FOR CLIENTS RANGING FROM LOCAL CASINOS TO THE HUMBOLDT COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE, TYPICALLY CHARGING BETWEEN $1,000 AND $2,000 FOR A 30-SECOND SPOT. PHOTO BY ACE ASELTINE
of and behind the camera — writing, filming, lighting, editing, acting — while putting out content that people see and recognize. Not only must commercial producers sell themselves to ad-curious businesses, they must sell that business’ products or services to the world. That means a certain understanding of the area and the people who populate it. Malcolm DeSoto can often be seen in Old Town Eureka with a crisp haircut and a camera tripod over his shoulder or a camera bag in his hands. He’s been producing commercials for six or seven years, mostly here on the North Coast. It’s pretty much a one-man job, he says, though he’ll enlist physical help when he’s actually shooting
a commercial. Writing, editing, special effects — that’s his wheelhouse. “For the most part it’s pretty solitary,” he says. Business was scarce when DeSoto first started — he even produced commercials for free for a while in order to build a client base. But now he has steady work, and commercials are his “bread and butter.” “I have a base set of clients that I do a lot of work for,” he says. “TV stations, other businesses, the film commission. I don’t have to do too much soliciting nowadays.” In larger markets, videographers get tapped to shoot music videos, indie films and other projects. Those kinds of opportunities are rare up here, meaning many producers turn to commercials or day jobs to make ends meet. DeSoto was hired to edit Eureka resident Maria Matteoli’s film The Wine of Summer, but his day-to-day work is largely local commercials. DeSoto’s clients range from casinos to the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office, and the tone of his work ranges from “really cheesy” to “serious and somber,” he says. Small companies rely heavily on his creativity, he says, while larger companies that have their own marketing departcontinued on next page
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northcoastjournal.com • NORTH COAST JOURNAL • THURSDAY, MAY 29, 2014
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