Corporate Video Time

My favorite thing about being a video camera operator here in Reno is all the variety of work I receive. Most of the time you know me for all the sports video and entertainment video work I do either for myself or other production companies. But last week I shot a quick talking heads video for the AGC (Association of General Contractors - http://www.nevadaagc.org/) here in Reno. Great people to work with and I learn something every time I do one of these. This one was about this Construction Defects Law that is running crazy here in Nev. I had know idea, google it and you'll see.

Now a Corporate Video can be many things - live Imag, opening videos, happy face videos, sales incentive videos, time lines, products/services, or testimonials like this one. With a testimonial you're basically interviewing a variety of people directly involved with the issue or person. It's a great way to present content because it's from the very people involved. You usually don't have to script them or give them a lot of coaching. It's very cost effective video production that carries a lot of power when presented correctly.

Here's Don Vetter (http://www.linkedin.com/pub/don-vetter/3/a46/530) from the AGC interviewing one of the four people we got on tape. As you can see it was an easy setup but you'd be surprised how many people in video production get this wrong. I've got the light high on the table next to Don so it doesn't throw a shadow on the wall behind our subject. Plus if I used a sun gun on my camera it would've been uneven and too hot. My video camera is positioned as close as I can to the subject so she looks past me towards Don and eliminates the chance of her flashing looks at me. We also switched the side we were shooting from for each subject just to add variety and mix up the shots. A lighter background with some color in it is best so the subject doesn't get lost in the darkness. Plus I didn't have a back light so this background was perfect. A wired lav mic is all you need, just keep it dressed to hide the cable and positioned somewhere below the neck centered as best you can.

I've done a ton of these videos and the hardest part is to make people feel comfortable and get them to just talk naturally. Once they get going it works like a charm and like I said it can be a very powerful video because their own words are best. Don did a great job of interacting with the subjects, keeping them relaxed, focused on the issue and their stories. All I do is capture it on tape because I'm the Reno Camera Guy doing some Corporate Video here in Washoe County.