Creative Director Tyler Lord Boosts Zac Brown Band’s Tour Videography and Social Media with Blackmagic Design

Blackmagic Design today announced that Zac Brown Band’s Creative Director Tyler Lord has switched to Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro and Blackmagic URSA Mini Pro 4.6K G2 digital film cameras, upgrading to a cinematic look for the band’s social media and YouTube content and to help meet the workflow demands of today’s tour videographer. He also uses DaVinci Resolve Studio editing, grading, visual effects (VFX) and audio post production software, DaVinci Resolve Editor Keyboard and DaVinci Resolve Micro Panel for post production.

With a background in business, film, and color grading, Lord began filming for live events and clubs locally in Toronto, eventually working with artists such as Steve Aoki, Kygo, Katy Perry and Miley Cyrus, finally teaming up with Zac Brown Band in 2018. He’s been nominated for Top Tour Photographer by the iHeart Music Awards and was most recently out on tour for Zac Brown Band’s 2023 “From the Fire Tour” which concluded last month having spanned more than 30 shows in North America and the UK.

“I did a full blown switch to Blackmagic Design,” Lord explained. “Outside of the cinematic footage, the biggest workflow upgrade I have found is with the new 16:9 vertical aspect ratio shooting format from the Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro, which is essential for all the social media content we produce. It allows me to see what is in frame and not compromise video quality. I honestly love this feature in addition to how versatile and small the camera is. I discovered I could shoot both ProRes and Blackmagic RAW, easily take it on the road, use a gimbal instead of a Steadicam, and it would still give me exceptional quality.”

Lord noted that the need to streamline his workflow and maximize the efficiency of the gear he uses came largely from today’s high demand for content. “It’s every day, especially now with social media the way it is. We’re doing reels, after movies, content for YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and more, so there is a constant barrage of content coming out, and it has to be certain specs, like 16×9 or 1080×1920,” he said. “It’s great to have the Blackmagic Design equipment for whenever an opportunity arises because there’s no hassle. If I’m traveling, I can carry it on in my bag and I can use it for all the content I’m shooting. The quality is so good that the content could go up on a Times Square billboard. The level of versatility of these products is unparalleled.”

Taking advantage of the Blackmagic Design production to post ecosystem, Lord capitalized on additional workflow efficiencies by using DaVinci Resolve Studio, DaVinci Resolve Editor Keyboard and DaVinci Resolve Micro Panel.

“Between the cameras and post production equipment as well as the coloring palette, my workflow has gotten so quick,” Lord said. “Zac and the band are now getting concert videos the same night that are perfectly colored. When I switched to DaVinci Resolve Studio, I found out how much faster rendering can become, and as a colorist, it’s flawless. When I first used Resolve I actually thought something went wrong when I noticed a music video was done in minutes.”

He concluded, “The Resolve layout has allowed me to know exactly where everything is, and the pages let me flow and create content in each tab. I’ve always loved color grading and telling stories through the color in my videos. With other programs I felt I couldn’t get that extra dramatic look or feel I wanted. For example, Resolve’s zone toolset on the Color page allows me to specifically adjust the placement of each tone range. It’s amazing. Even the DaVinci Resolve Editor Keyboard has saved me a ton of time with the jog wheel, which has allowed me to source the clips I want fast. Blackmagic Design is killing it with these products.”

Enjoying the news? Sign up for the Creative COW Newsletter!

Sign up for the Creative COW newsletter and get weekly updates on industry news, forum highlights, jobs, inspirational tutorials, tips, burning questions, and more! Receive bulletins from the largest, longest-running community dedicated to supporting professionals working in film, video, and audio.

Enter your email address, and your first and last name below!