Video Production Created Remotely
Back in college (1990), I drove from Flagstaff, AZ, to Phoenix to "shadow" a newspaper photographer, Larry. I was studying to be a photojournalist, and I spent many weekends with a newspaper photographer to learn the ropes. I learned so much from him, and one memory that I never forgot was we were sitting in the editing room waiting for our B&W film to develop.
Throughout the room were garbage bags full of processed film waiting to be cut, sleeved, and filed. We began to speak about the film that needed filing and technology that didn't exist to help with filing. One day, Larry said, we will have an editor sitting in the office and directing us remotely as we shoot the assignment. That conversation sounded funny at the time, and I always revisited it as the years passed and technology advanced.
Video Production Remotely - How We Did It
30-years later, I'm asked to produce and direct a video production project remotely with 13-subjects in 6-different countries. Then take that video footage and create a 2-minute video. Wow, how the Pandemic and technology allowed a project we chuckled about years ago actually happen.
I was excited about this project on many different levels. Before this project, another client had their employees submit selfie videos of themselves reading from a script, and I combined their clips for one message with a video. This new project we approached from a different angle.
The first thing we decided on was to keep the quality of the video as consistent as possible. We will not be sending a video crew to the subject's locations, which happen to be home offices worldwide. We needed to video them using their current equipment, which will give us different video quality levels.
We took into consideration if we should use Zoom or a different platform to record their video. Do the subjects record the video with a smartphone, webcam, or a computer? And do we use their recording device's mic to record their voice or supplement with a mic? Of course, the budget is always part of the consideration.
We decided to have them film themselves with their phone. We also sent the subjects a package that included a video light, a stand for their light and smartphone, a mic, and a few other small items to create a more consistent look and quality. We included clear, detailed instructions on the process and our intentions.
The recording sessions were an hour for each subject, and as with most media productions, there are maybe unexpected twists and turns. In one case, we had a subject whose second language is English. We felt he sounded monotone compared to the other subject's recording. It was more read than spoken from his heart. We spoke with him and decided to re-record it with minor changes to the script that was aligned with how he would verbalize the message. It turned out terrific.
While the entire crew had their priority duties, we worked as a team to create a final video that was visually strong, and the read script was aligned with the companies brand and intention of the video. After we recorded everyone, I combined the clips into a video that allowed the company to share their message and aligned with their brand. By controlling as much of the process as we can, we created a video with 13-subjects speaking with a consistent quality that kept the viewer engaged with the video.