Greg Berger wears many hats, from color correction, producer, editor, to composer and sound designer. Greg tells us about his studio setup and working with a dedicated crew.
You have a unique blend of creative and business skills, from music to video. Where did your music career start?
My music career began in Bismarck, North Dakota. I started by booking bands for local schools and soon found myself performing in one of them.
One weekend, a band I had booked needed a substitute drummer. I agreed—on one condition: my bass player had to come with me. That was Richie Lee Pearson, then a 14-year-old neighbor who played cello in the adult symphony and was already an exceptional bassist. He remains active in the Minneapolis music scene today.
The band had heard good things about Richie and welcomed us both. We went on to play with Cypress for about two years, winning competitions and opening for acts including Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show and Joan Jett & the Blackhearts.That experience hooked me on playing in a band, and I have loved it ever since.
That led you to music composition and sound design. What have been some of the projects you’ve most enjoyed, and what’s your approach to them when you receive the brief from the client?
I’m best known for color correction and grading, which remain my favorite work. Music composition is collaborative, drawing on relationships I’ve built since my teens. Sound design came unexpectedly: after a defense contract ended, a colleague tipped me off that a post house was looking for a sound designer, I didn’t know how that was done, and that it was actually a full-time job! Even though the person hiring had found someone by the time I made contact, an informational interview eventually led to a second-shift colorist role. While there, I observed how pros do sound design and took that knowledge to use in my independent projects.
Favorite clients include NatGeo, PBS, and The Travel Channel. A standout independent project was Feast Your Ears: The Story of WHFS 102.3. I also created videos for Cancer Can Rock, which gives musicians battling cancer professional studio time to record their music—very emotional projects that many artists called the best day of their lives.
As far as briefs go: Each project starts with a kickoff meeting to align on expectations and creative direction after scope and budget approval. Color correction is a straightforward finishing step—making footage broadcast-ready—while grading creates a specific look and mood. Clients send sample clips, and I return stills to confirm the direction.
You are also a voting member of the Recording Academy – that’s quite a feather in your cap!
Back to the DC market, when that chapter started, I wanted to be a member. Anyone can join but to be a voting member, you must have (at the time) terrestrial radio airtime under your belt and prove it - basically radio airplay logs. “Talk Like a Girl” by The Huge played on the local music show… WHFS 99.1 back in the mid 90s, thanks Cerphe!
At BergerVideo, you’re a producer, editor, colorist, and everything in between. What sort of projects do you most commonly work on?
Like I said earlier, mostly Color Work, commercials, promotional content and documentaries. I also have produced and edited music videos. My wife and I have done short films that have screened in various film festivals, that’s the really fun stuff and the hardest work. You have to do everything with a small but “dedicated” skeleton crew.
The Buso Audio Producer 61 is at the center of the studio, a recent addition. It looks right at home there.
That took me a long time to find, I did a lot of research and found you Buso Audio on YouTube. After seeing enough videos, I was convinced Buso Audio was the source I was looking for. While building a new space to work out of, I needed something that would work for my color suite set up. I also wanted to use it for recording live music and tracking drums, the 61 was the perfect hybrid solution. Love the desk and love the service!
You’re using a mix of software and hardware in your studio. How has the Studio 61 allowed you to be productive and compliment your workflow?
I needed something ergonomic that could provide space for the Black Magic DaVinci color control surface’ and two 27” computer monitors, also needed something that is expandable for future hardware. My son “Von Berger” (shameless plug) is the one that pointed out that if I was to purchase a desk for this space, it would need rack mount features, as well as something that would handle multiple pieces. Right now I use mostly plugins, but do plan on purchasing some additional hardware down the line, the 61 is set up for when that time comes.
For music and video work, where does your inspiration usually stem from?
People are my greatest source of inspiration. I thrive on collaboration and draw ideas from personal stories, documentaries, unusual articles, and other creators’ work.
Most of my professional video work has been client-focused, while my wife—an excellent writer—has inspired many of our short-film concepts. We’re always developing ideas, with several projects now in pre-production.
Musically, I’m drawn to subjects beyond conventional love songs, especially compelling real-life stories. And yes, drummers can write songs too—insert the classic drummer jokes here. You can find GB Reel and the Records in Space at gbreel.com—my final shameless plug!
