March 28, 2013 - There is a boom going on in an area of the oil patch known as the Eagle Ford Shale - comprised of 20 counties just south of San Antonio, Texas. We have seen a substantial increase in work at epic because of this boom, and earlier this week I had a chance to go and see it firsthand. I was sent on assignment to photograph a mobile water testing lab on a working drill site about 30 miles east of Cotulla, Texas.

While you might think that is the middle of nowhere, you couldn't tell by the truck traffic and hustle and bustle of what was surely a sleepy South Texas town just a couple of years ago. In 2012 the Eagle Ford Shale supported over 116,000 jobs and a $61 billion impact on the Texas economy. At this time 5,400 Eagle Ford wells have been permitted and that number is expected to grow to over 24,000 by 2022 as estimated by the Texas Railroad Commission.

Posted by on March 28, 2013

February 27, 2013 - Once a quarter the wonderful people at The Aveda Institute bring over their graduating cosmetology students to the epic studio to participate in a fashion photography shoot. These students show up with a model and a storyboard concept.  They work with a photographer whose job it is to bring their ideas to life in still images. Usually epic handles the photography for these shoot in house, but this time we received a little help from the outside.

Our first guest photographer was Maurico Ramirez. Mauricio is a photographer specializing in corporate, advertising, and editorial portraiture. For more than 20 years he has worked for the most important business magazines, for many multinational companies, and for several public relations and advertising agencies. He has also been part of the MTV Networks staff for over 4 years.

Posted by on February 27, 2013

December 04, 2012 - Last weekend the epic Creative Co-Op hosted a holiday kickoff party for the Piney Woods branch of the US Green Building Council where they announced details of their new ISBU project which will be built just down the road from our building. Their project will be built from 2 cargo containers, and will serve as a demonstration home. The design calls for it to be totally off-the-grid and it will also do double duty as the office of the Piney Woods USGBC Branch.

The building will be open to the public, and built to LEED-H Platinum level certification. It will also be used as a green reference library and will springboard the start of the Montgomery County Green Resource Center. Sergio Grado is spearheading the project and is working with our County Commissioner who has allowed the use of the land to construct the project. Sergio told me...

Posted by on December 05, 2012

November 10, 2012 - This evening Silver Rock Productions hosted an event at the epic Creative Co-Op featuring a reading by Louis Gossett Jr. from the book 12 Years a Slave. A small, select group of film industry folks and friends attended. Local media also took notice and on hand were representatives from Fox News, Voice of America, Chronicle, Pubic Radio (KUHF), HCN papers (The Woodlands Villager/Conroe Courier), Culture Map and others.

Frank Eakin, President of Eakin Films and Publishing and Producer of The Bracelet of Bordeaux gave us the backstory of how this 1850's autobiography was re-discovered by Dr. Sue Eakin as a child in the 1920's. Dr. Eakin, who is also Frank's mom, became a prominent author-historian, and civil rights leader and Hall of Fame journalist in Louisiana.  She completed the first authenticated version of the story in 1968; following a successful 40-year publishing run. Dr. Eakin released a final updated version in 2007 before her death at age 90.  Her edition of Twelve Years has been recognized as one of the most important and complete authenticated accounts of American slavery in existence.

Twelve Years a Slave is the story of a black man named Solomon Northup kidnapped into slavery in New York and rescued 12 years later in the 1850’s in central Louisiana. The book is also being turned into a feature film by Brad Pitt's production company, Plan B, of Los Angeles.  It will be released in late 2013

Posted by on November 11, 2012

September 1, 2012 - The epic Creative Co-Op was designed to bring creative companies together in a park-like setting just outside The Woodlands. Our goal is to offer a one-stop shop for companies that need the services that our Co-Op tenants provide. This is a unique, fun enviornment where professionals can immerse themselves in a hi-technology space to network and learn from each other.

It is for this reason we are looking to lease only to other creatives, so if you are an Artist, Animator, Designer, Photographer, Videographer, Writer, Web Developer, or Programmer and need a really special to work - give us a call. We have three furnished offices for lease centered around a large conference room, kitchenette, outdoor deck, free parking and you control the thermostat. All the offices are pre-wired for hi-speed (fiber optic) internet, have ceiling fans and are available for immediate occupancy.

Posted by on August 30, 2012

August 13, 2012 – I discovered the epic software group towards the end of my senior year of high school while browsing online publications, and was very curious about such a unique, local company. After peeking around their website and viewing examples of the variety of work they do, I decided to apply for an internship as a writer.

I was welcomed with open arms and immediately given tasks that would test my eye for detail. I worked on the epic website, the company blog, assisted in developing press releases, and did research and edited content created for epic clients.



Posted by on August 21, 2012

July 9, 2012 - Shadowplay Productions shot several scenes for "Helen Alone" a new feature length film written and directed by Danish-born Henrik Bech Poulsen. "Helen Alone" is coming-of-age story about a sheltered and naïve teenager who, abandoned by family and friends, struggles to grow up amid an odd cast of characters through a series of misadventures in the course of one day. Actors Alexis Raich, Daniel Baldwin, DC Douglass, and Priscilla Barnes flew in from Los Angeles to star in the film. You can learn more about the cast and crew on their Facebook page.

"We were excited that Molly Vernon, the Production Manager for Shadowplay Productions chose our back lot for the filming of the late night outdoor scenes. Shadowplay had used our indoor studio several months ago, and thought the woods on the back part of our property would be perfect for what the director had in mind" said Vic Cherubini, President of the epic software group.

Posted by on July 09, 2012

June 14, 2012 - On the evening of June 13, close to 40 professional Videographers came together at the epic Creative Co-Op to learn the secrets of professional video editors. Robert Harrington and Chris Shepherd of Bella Vista Productions demonstrated their production pipeline for wedding videos. This is the same process used by the pros in Hollywood for cutting a feature film, and the techniques they shared apply equally as well for editing any large production.

The talk began with some basic housekeeping tips - keep your work area clean, focus on one project at a time, avoid distractions (phone, social media, email, etc.). While it sounds basic, these small things can have a major impact on the amount of work you get done in a day. Next, they talked about their methodology for file transfer and backup. This information was just a warm up to the real meat of the presentation - their editing process.

Posted by on June 15, 2012

May 24, 2012 - More students from Aveda Institutes prepared for a professional fashion shoot with epic photographer Joey Mouton in order to display their skills. Such a shoot allows the graduating students to pick the best shots as material for their portfolios. This provides them with valuable real-world experience before they leave school and an advantage in the job market.

Posted by Clare on June 14, 2012

May 14, 2012 - epic software group teamed up with Aveda Institutes to help their students get a real world photo shoot experience. The mission of AVEDA is to care for the world we live in. This includes the products they make and the ways in which they give back to society. AVEDA strives to set an example for environmental leadership and responsibility – not just in the world of beauty, but around the world.

Aveda’s Spa Director in The Woodlands, Texas is Crystal Cormier. She and Instructor Mylinda Graves helped us set up the shoot. The students were excited to be part of a high energy photo shoot and spent several hours preparing for it. This experience will help the students understand what is involved in a photo shoot, and the work load ahead. This knowledge and experience will also put them in a better position to find a job after graduation. These students now have several great head shots to use in their personal portfolios.

Posted by on May 07, 2012