Elin Barton
Director of productions, White Knight Productions, Binghamton, N.Y.
CAST member since 2006
What does your company do?
White Knight Productions creates video for Web site, TV commercials, promotions or anything else a company requires. We strive to create videos with high production values and levels of creativity and to raise the standards of video production in this area.
What’s your role in the company?
My husband and I own White Knight. We’re a small company, so I wear a lot of hats. I work on all aspects of production—from helping with the conception and development of an idea for a video to making sure it gets delivered to the client on time. As producer, I have to think about all of the details - what equipment and crew members we need, where people are going to park and what we’re going to eat. I’m in charge of release forms and talent. I also do the invoicing, search out new jobs, sweep the floor—pretty much everything.
Tell us about the special challenges you face in your job.
One big challenge is that we’re competing with the TV stations, which offer low-cost video production or include production in cost of running an ad. We have to compete on quality. I believe our prices are competitive and fair, but at the same time, I’m trying to create budgets that allow our talent and crew to make a decent wage for a day’s work. It’s a challenge to educate people about this.
What training and prior experience led you to this point in your career?
I have a B.S. in Communications from Cornell. I thought I wanted to produce TV news, but after doing an internship in Washington, D.C., I discovered that I didn’t really care for that job. After college, I worked for an English language radio station in Prague for five years. I did news, on-air work and writing, and eventually I became a news editor. I’ve done a lot of writing. I’ve done quite a bit of video and film production, and that is where I have gravitated. Before my husband and I moved to this area and started our company, we spent ten years in Los Angeles, where my most recent work was as a subtitle editor for Technicolor.
Why do you belong to CAST?
I first joined CAST as a writer. After a hiatus, I joined again when my husband and I formed White Knight. I’ve met so many wonderful people. I participate in several networking groups, and CAST is my favorite one. I like the people and the vibe. It’s fun to be around all those creative types.
How have you benefited from your membership in CAST?
When we moved to this area, I was working as a writer. I was very isolated, working at home all the time. So I joined CAST, and later I attended the Genesis awards dinner. Feeling at home with all those people and seeing the amazing work that’s being done here was really exciting. That was around the time my husband and I were starting to formulate the production company, and Genesis really inspired me.
To learn more about White Knight Productions, call 607-239-5423 or visit www.whiteknightpro.com.
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