On March 17, Skillman Video Group shot a live event at the M.I.T. campus. It was for the Sloan School of Business Docotral Research Forum. Even though it was a quick and simple shoot, a lot of hard work still went into it.

Set-Up

Arriving at 8:30 a.m. for a 10:00 start time, the crew got to the room and immediately started to set up. Using a total of three cameras, the team from our Boston video production company got them in place. Two of the cameras were to be used to shoot the speakers while the third one was focused on the projector screen as a placeholder. This was going to be helpful in the editing process. We also had to white balance the camera so that the video we captured was the right color. For lighting, we used two open faced lights and one LED fixture. One of the open faced lights was placed in the back of the room, looking down on the subjects. The other two were placed off to the right of the presenters and helped kill any shadows. Another important aspect of the set up was the blocking. We marked an X on the floor with some gaffing tape in the spot we needed the speaker to stand. This also helped with eliminate shadows by blocking out back light. The audio was sourced through the house system but we still had to test the levels to ensure that the quality was top-notch.

Shoot 

The shoot itself took a little under two hours to complete. Each student presented their thesis and then took questions from a panel of three judges. It was integral to the shoot that our camerapeople were able to get the necessary footage while not taking away from the experience itself. That is true for all live event shoots. Soon after the last speaker presented, the shoot was finished.

Breakdown

Whenever you are breaking down a set, you want to make it seem as if you were never there in the first place. If you moved a table or chair, move it back. If you use gaffing tape to hold down cables, make sure it goes in the trash afterwards. After our Boston video production team cleaned up and packed up all the equipment, it was time to go. The project was not finished however, as there is still plenty of work left to be done in the editing room. Syncing the PowerPoint slides on the projector screen with the sound of the speaker is no easy task. No project is ever fully finished until the client is delivered the tape.

Skillman Video Group LLC specializes in video production Boston. Call us anytime at 1-800-784-0140.