What marketing can’t afford to lose in uncertain times
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Part of a series on creating corporate and B2B video.
This is a simple guide to make the day of filming as painless as possible.
Planning is crucial. If possible, visit the location before the shoot.
Apart from checking where you will be filming, you also need to build a relationship with at least one contact who will be there on the day and knows the building and its staff. It might be the receptionist or maintenance person. They’ll be the one who can turn off noisy air conditioning units or help you find the furniture you need.
Before the day of filming, you should also warn staff that you’ll be filming, and they may appear in the background. Remember that your presence is weird and potentially unsettling for whoever’s workspace you are visiting.
Be sensitive to the needs of the person presenting on camera. It is hard work, and they’ll likely feel very exposed. Once people get tired and frazzled it’s very hard to get them back to their A-game.
Key considerations for a successful shoot:
- Clothes
Make sure everyone being filmed looks like they got the same invitation. Avoid loud stripes or small checks. Think about the background – will black or white make them disappear? Avoid branded polo shirts. If possible, ask everyone to bring a change of shirt or blouse to give the crew some flexibility. Sit on the back of your jacket to stop bunched up shoulders.
- The set
Choose an area where noise levels don’t fluctuate too much – no dinging lift doors, for instance. Don’t worry about natural light. It’s usually better to let the crew set the lights to achieve the best results whatever the weather. Make sure those being filmed are in a comfortable chair that does not move or creak. Give them a glass of water – out of shot. Tell them not to jump around but that should express themselves, with hand gestures for example. Check the shot is neat and tidy and that no one has a plant growing out of their head.
- Keep everyone calm and relaxed
Remind people that there is plenty of time and they don’t have to be perfect – the editing process will make them look great. Give those on camera regular breaks and be positive and encouraging with your feedback and prompts. Give them one thing to do differently in the next take. Be clear and polite about what you are doing when you are filming people working for cutaway shots. People may not want to be filmed – respect that, and do not ask why.
- Cutaways are key
One of the secrets to an interesting talking heads video is to use everything at your disposal, choosing varying shots and cutaways to complement the topic at hand.
Make sure you have footage of anything that the presenters refer to. If they talk about logistics, get some footage of their vehicles, distribution centre or warehouse. This should have been discussed during script writing but keep your eyes open on the day. If you mention an application, can you film someone using it? If there is a fancy logo in reception, film participants walking past it. After the interview, get footage of the interviewee in different situations – for example, using a computer, talking to colleagues at a whiteboard or by a window.
- Calling it quits
Some people can keep trying to get a line or phrase right all day. But for most people there is a law of diminishing returns – after five or six takes, they get tired, words get jumbled and they start getting worse, not better. If you haven’t got what you need at this point, then think fast about changing the script or breaking it up into shorter sections. Give everyone a decent break and set up again. Keep a note of particularly good takes to make the editing easier and faster.
Filming on location is usually a one-off opportunity. It’s unlikely you will be able to go back and do it again. So, if there’s a shot that has even the smallest chance of being used, then make sure you have it in the bag.
Before you say ‘thank you and goodbye’, make sure you back up all your footage. Bags go missing and memory cards get sat on, and it’s never a good look to tell a client that the time has been wasted.
