Tag Archives: boston video company

Shooting a Live Event

Skillman Video Group did a shoot on Wednesday, August 15th, for a medical malpractice insurance company called Coverys. Coverys is a consistent client of Skillman Video Group, and continues to be a client through the years. We filmed a talk for them during a live conference. And now, I am here to tell you all about what happened during the shoot, and what I learned from it.

Video Production Lighting

Lighting during live event shooting for Boston video production can be tricky. During the shoot for Coverys, the lighting was not very good. The lights on the ceiling for the room were not very powerful, but the light coming in from the half-covered windows was ridiculously bright. This resulted in some very interesting shadows on the speaker’s face whenever she would walk to the left side of the stage. However, we were able to adjust the camera settings so that the actual footage was not that bad. So if you plan on shooting a live event, be aware of the lighting in the room. It could make or break your video.

Audio for A Live Event

When filming a live event, sound is kind of a problem. You can’t use your own sound feed from your camera, because it would be picking up the entire room sound and everyone watching the speaker, as well as the actual speaker. Basically, the sound would be messy and awful. For video production Boston, it’s important to make sure the venue of the event can provide the sound feed for you. That way you can hook up the microphone on the speaker to your camera, which is what we did, and the sound will be a lot better.

Location of the Camera

Funnily enough, the location of the actual camera during a shoot for a live event is more complicated than one might think. Because guess what. The shoot comes second to the live event that is going on. Which means that you can’t just put your camera in front of the stage and block everyone’s view, even if it means you’ll get a better shot. And you can’t film from the audience, because the angle that the speaker would be being filmed at in video production companies Boston would be absolutely awful. So we put our camera on a riser platform at the very back of the stage. That way nobody is being blocked by the camera, and the camera can get a lovely eye-level shot of the speaker. I recommend that if you are filming a live event, you make sure your camera is on a riser platform as well.

I learned a lot from participating in a live event shoot, and I hope you learned something as well!

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

What to Expect on Shoot Day

Recently, I filmed a YouTube video that I had written for my internship with Skillman Video Group. And building up to the shoot day, I wasn’t really sure what to expect. I made sure I was prepared, and I made sure my actors were prepared as well. However, I still didn’t learn what was really going to happen until it did, so here I am to teach you a few things you should expect on a shoot day for Boston video production.

Actors

Now, if you’re filming a YouTube video, odds are you don’t have professional actors. I definitely didn’t. However, the actors I did manage to convince to be in my video did an excellent job regardless. But because they were not professional actors for video production Boston, none of them were completely confident in their lines. They all knew their lines, but they were still nervous about performing them once the camera started rolling. What I needed to do was make sure they were as comfortable as possible, and once they were, they did an amazing job. So don’t get frustrated with your actors for not doing something a certain way. Most people don’t perform well under pressure, so try to instead be encouraging and patient, and odds are the shoot will go smoothly.

Sound

I am going to be completely honest. I don’t have a ton of experience with sound in video. I usually just don’t film many videos with sound in it at all. I’m more of a put music in the background and silence the video type of person. However, for this shoot, since I wrote in several lines, sound was a huge priority. I was lucky enough to be able to borrow a camera that I could record the sound on separately. My camera does not have decent sound recording, so this was extremely helpful. I would recommend doing this for anyone who doesn’t have access to an external microphone or camera with better sound recording.

Shooting a YouTube video for video production companies Boston can be stressful, but in the end it’s worth it. If you know what to expect, you stay organized, and you make little to no mistakes, you will end up with a product you are proud of, and that is all that really matters.

Skillman Video Group LLC is a Boston video production company. Call us anytime at 1-800-784-0140.

Preparing Equipment for an Upcoming Shoot

Equipment for a Video Production Shoot

Are you planning a video production Boston shoot? Do you want to know all about how to find and/or use equipment for the shoot? Well lucky for you, I am here to provide that information!

Video Cameras

When creating a video project, you will definitely need a video camera. There is absolutely no question on this matter. Now, if you are doing this project for school, it is probably fine to use a smartphone. However, I would not recommend that method, as smartphones fill up storage quickly and the video quality is not as good as it would be on a regular camera.

Personally, I would either borrow a camera from a friend, or depending on the importance of the project vs. how many more videos you will have to take, invest in a nice beginner camera. Learn about DSLR Cameras

While preparing for my video shoot for Skillman Video Group: a Boston video production, I decided on using my Nikon D3400, even though the sound quality is terrible. The video is perfectly decent, and I was going to use an external microphone anyways.

Lighting Set Up

Making sure you have good light quality in your video is important. You don’t want your video to look like you took it in a dark cave in the middle of the night, so make sure your lighting is decent. Using natural light can be tricky in video, because of the sun changing and clouds. Overall, the sun is very fickle sometimes. You could be filming and then all of a sudden have to stop because the sun went behind a cloud. Or maybe you started filming when the sun was behind a cloud, but now the sun is shining in everyone’s faces and creating a glare on the camera. You can make natural light work, but artificial lights are always helpful. A couple soft box lights here and there would be a good idea if you’re planning to film indoors especially.

Audio for Video Production

Unless you have a professional video camera, like production companies Boston do, you might want to think about the sound quality on whatever camera you’re planning on using. Investing in an external microphone could be important if you’re going to be filming with a beginning camera like myself. This is especially important if you’re planning to film outside. With background noises whipping everywhere, having a microphone that can focus on the sounds you need in your video will be vital in ensuring that your video turn out good.

Preparing your equipment for a video shoot may be stressful, but as long as you think of everything you possibly could have and you stay organized, you’re all set!

Skillman Video Group LLC is a Boston video production company. Call us anytime at 1-800-784-0140.

Writing a Script for a Video

How to Write Script for Marketing Videos

Part of the work of a summer intern at Skillman Video Group is to create a video for YouTube that you write, direct, and edit all by yourself. Now, this can seem pretty simple, considering it’s just a five or six minute YouTube video depending on whatever topic you choose. But no, this is just simply not the case.

Creating an Idea for a Marketing Video

If you’re interested in making a YouTube video, you should choose whether or not you want it to be funny or serious. Personally, I chose to make a funny video. You could also decide to make something serious, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. Lots of amazing videos and short films are serious, but I personally would rather make something fun. Something that makes everyone laugh…hopefully. You also need a concept: a topic for your video. I decided to make my video an SVG-themed parody of a popular reality tv show called “The Bachelorette”. I picked this because most people know what it is, and it’s extremely easy to make fun of. Sometimes important sacrifices have to be made when it comes to Boston video production humor.

How to Write a Script

Next, if you want your video to be the least bit successful, you will need to write a script for it. This is the hard part. You have to make sure your story makes sense whilst creating characters, jokes, and ironing out all the details. You need to be thinking about locations you can use, people who can play your characters, and what is funny and what isn’t. Writing the script for my marketing video took a while because I had to figure out which contestants could be funny yet sensible options for my parody show. However, since the show already exists, I basically just followed the layout of a typical Bachelorette episode, which made my job a little easier.

Video Concept Ideas

Coming up with a concept for a video is easier said than done. However, once you come up with one, turning that into a script is a lot more complicated. We didn’t even discuss what shooting and editing one is like! But once you have all of your details ironed out, you will have created something you’ll be proud of for a long time. Forever, actually, since once something is on the internet it never really goes away.

Skillman Video Group LLC is a Boston video production company. Call us anytime at 1-800-784-0140.

Being The Third Eye on Set

How Many Cameras Are Too Many Cameras?

When it comes to filming events, interviews, and even short films, there is never too many angles that you can cover during a video production shoot. Last week, Skillman Video Group had a live event to shoot over at MIT Sloan. The program is for most prestigious and intelligent scholars that do research in hopes of changing the world with their discoveries and teaching at universities. The camera crew used three cameras during the shoot: two Sony 4k cameras, and a small mirror-less 4k camera. We used three cameras so that it can help the editor during the editing process. The two Sony cameras were used to get different angles of the presenters a wide shot, and a mid shot, while the small mirror-less camera was used to film the slides during the presentations.

Live Event Production

The great thing about having more than one camera during any shoot is variety. With one camera, you can always shoot what you need to film, but with two, you are able to get different angles. That is
because shooting in 4k allows you to zoom into a subject and still get that crisp clean look when editing the shots. But even if you are shooting in 4k, it’s still important to have another angle. Video Producers always need a way to keep the viewer engaged and interested. By having three cameras, the number of variety shots that can be done is limitless. If a director already has planned shots ahead of time, with a third camera, it can always be used as a back up if one of the cameras runs into an issue. In most cases, having a third camera can help film extra b-roll and any shoot angles that you wouldn’t on the other two cameras to help progress the story of what is being filmed.

Boston Video Production Services

Overall, it by having a third camera to film, you aren’t losing any quality, only gaining more. By adding more shots that add verity, having extra audio if the other two main cameras run into problems, and just being to have back up.

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

Target Audience and Market Segments

In digital marketing, it is critical that a team or individual accurately and strategically targets an audience. This process of strategically placing an audience into separate categories is referred to as market segmentation. What segmentation does, as The Balance puts it in their blog post, is it allows a company to understand an audience in a way that makes them able to satisfy the needs of their customers more effectively. Segmentation strategically categorizes audience members based on characteristics such as geography, knowledge or lack of knowledge pertaining to the company/product, age, gender, religion, etc. Based on these categories, marketing teams can now begin to create specific messages that relate closer to each of the segments within their target audience. Perhaps a segment of their market, is recently showing a lack of engagement. What a team can do now is create specific content or copy this segmented piece of their audience. It is all about trying to strategically hone in on a specific group within a target audience.

In professional video production, this type of strategizing is critical in order create an effective piece of content that will truly speak to a group of people. For one of our most recent New England video production shoots, we Dr. Chang who runs her own dental practice in Natick, MA. While interviewing her, the conversation and questions were guiding her towards compelling and eloquent responses with a target audience in mind- that being current and potential new customers. During the shoot and interview, this was on the forefront of everyone’s mind, and so, the interview process was took shifts and turns in order to appease that specific target audience. With the questions we asked, the energy we invited Dr. Chang to exude and the responses we knew were critical to the project, it was all in spite of the target audience in mind.

When in the process of professional video production, audience is always key. Who is watching this? Who cares? And above all, why do they care? Keeping a target audience as the compass is something every professional video production company or marketer needs to learn. From our experience as a New England video production company, it has proven itself undeniably valuable to creating successful video content.

Editing Process on our DIY Series

At SVG each round of interns are asked to create a video project of their own. For this current season while on the Boston video production team. As this current round of interns, we decided we wanted to make something that would be useful for current followers of SVG’s blog and for DIY/DSLR videographers. By creating something with these two audiences in mind, we hoped that we would be able to instruct current followers with their own personal projects while attracting a new audience towards SVG through DSLR video production. One thing we learned about video production services is that the processes before and after shoot day both play major roles in the projects. In video production services, a major portion of the work comes after and before the shooting day. The video editing process is half of the creation process in video production.

Editing a video requires a close attention to detail, imagination, and practice. After trying to begin learning the programs of video editing, it was clear that this expertise deserves its credit- things are complicated and extremely technical in this stage. With this in mind, one of our videos used iMovie as the main editing program since it allowed a much more user-friendly interface as it doesn’t possess the intense technical abilities like other programs such as Adobe Premiere. With a smaller project such as this, the editing program didn’t require such complicated tools, so we stuck to the more familiar and amateur friendly, iMovie.

One aspect of the editing process that took us by surprise was how effective clipping and trimming some of the footage made the project. Most of the video is an interview style setting. In these takes though, some of the dialogue and pauses went on for too long. After seeing the takes in order in full, we knew that we needed to trim. After beginning the trimming process we started seeing a clearer and more refined product. In the end, it created a more streamlined and entertaining piece.

In video production services, the editing process has proven itself to our interns as a dominant influence in the success of any video project. It is easy to assume that the main work and creative vision happens on the shoot day, as we quickly learned, this is not true at all. The work and creativity begins at collaboration and strategizing and continues all the way into the editing process.

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

Our 3 Favorites for Quality Sound

As a Boston Video production company, we get that video primarily relies on visuals. But what sets video apart is the ability to accommodate to a numerous amount of senses at the same time. With video and with the human species, the second most relied on sense is hearing. This is why audio for any video or shoot needs to be closely tended to. With a number of years in the video production services business we have come to know and love a few of the audio pieces that we utilize. One of the most used sound pieces for our shoots are mics or sound recorders. Whether you’re in the market for a new set or are doing your research about what kind of mic/recorder you need for the job, here is a list of a few of our favorites for the different situations that require different sound options.

1. Sennheiser 112-pG3

Sennheiser is a trusted brand for us and these models are a constant go to when it comes to interviews and situations that need lavaliers. They easily clip on and adjust according to the environment while recording industry standard sound.

2. Rode Video Mic Pro

This may not be our go-to for classic interviews with little background noise, but when it comes to recording high-quality sound amongst a busy environment these are a winner. The shotgun style mic on these are dominant in their ability to zero in on the targeted source and neglect any surrounding noises. They also are a bit more budget friendly.

3. Zoom H4n

This option is a bit more versatile and less specialized. It may not be as high-quality as a Rode, but the Zoom H4n produces incredible sound for a fantastic price. This recorder is also nice for a selection of different environments which makes it a better option for someone who wants quality sound for a number of different settings.

These are three of the trusted brands and models we have come to love in our experiences with Boston video production. For professional video production services, professional cameras and sound recorders are crucial. These specific sound recorders have proven their worth on our many different shoots and kept up with the ever-changing demands.

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

How to Get 5 Shots Out of 1 Room

Video Production Set Up

We arrived at Carlisle & Company, Thursday the 16th at 9:00 am. The video shoot would be the start of their Video Production Marketing Strategy. The first task our Skillman Video Group production team had, after unloading all the equipment out of the car, was finding the right room to shoot in. We had five different interviews to shoot for their video, and wanted to make sure we had a room that could be transformed to give each shot a different background. It is important to make each scene of your video different. It can be very repetitive to watch 5 different people talk in the same spot. A video becomes more interesting if you are able to switch up the background and allow the viewers focus to change. Once we made it to the office they had given us for the shoot, it was time to set up. For all of the different shots we used the 3-point lighting setup, which is best for interviews. Video Production Services makes sure to find what is best for your shoot, and make the best of what you have to use. Check out how we turned one office into five different shots!

Thought Leadership Interview #1

For the first shot, we worked with the original setup of the office. We had the interviewee chair placed right next to the edge of the desk. We thought it would look nice if the interviewee wanted to put their arm up on the table, but not have too much of the bulky desk shown. We had to shift around some of the background items to create an appealing look. Due to the fact that Carlisle and Co. is part of the automotive industry, we did our best to add as many vehicles as we could. The four cars in a line on the back desk made a nice prop to make it clear what industry they were speaking about. For this shot we also had to switch out some of the pictures so they would look more natural in the shot. The blue poster was switched in to replace a white one that was not as long, and looked weird in the shot. Outside the weather was cloudy to start the day so we used the back light, to make a nice light as if the sun were shining through. This helped bring better light to the background of the shot.

Thought Leadership Interview #2

The second shot, we only made slight adjustments to the lights and where the chair was placed. Our main focus was changing up the background of the room. We moved the chair about 2 feet away from the desk, so we could work with the posters on the side wall. There was a line of catalogs that we removed from the side desk, and replaced with the red car. The picture frames were moved slightly to put them at a better angle for the camera. One of the pictures was taken off the desk because it was a headshot that stood out too much behind the interviewee. The picture frames were switched back, so we did not have the same in two shots. The last thing we moved was the podium. In the earlier shot, we had moved it out of the shot completely. Whereas, in this second shot it was moved back to take away from the white of the walls. The sun started to come out at this point of the morning, so we used the back light to lessen the light from the window by facing it more toward the window.

Thought Leadership Interview #3

After lunch it was time to move onto the third interview of the day. We decided we would try to get more of the desk in this next shot. The chair was moved back toward the desk, and placed in front of it. We did not have to change any of the posters on the wall, because we had not seen this angle before. It was just moving stuff around on the desk to make it a more appealing background. We did not want the desk to look too packed or busy behind the interviewee. There was a big printer on the desk that was just a big block in the back of the shot. It was simple to pull the printer out and keep it on the ground for this shot. We made sure to tuck the cord back into the desk, so they wouldn’t show up. Other than that, it was mostly little things on the desk that we had to move around. The computer was slide over to be more in the shot and take away from white walls. There were two construction trucks that we placed on the desk to fit the theme of what he would be talking about. The sun had once again gone behind the clouds, so the light streaking across the wall and posters came from our back light.

Thought Leadership Interview #4

The fourth shot was more difficult to make different. We had used a lot of that one side of the room, but we were going to get one more. We slid the chair about two feet in the opposite direction we did for the second shot. We wanted to use the wall art and table from this angle. There was this stand with three levels, where the cars we placed in the first shot came from. Putting the cars back on that stand made for a cool aspect of the background. We also slightly adjusted the cars that we had on the desk from the third shoot to make sure they would be seen. In Addition, the cars helped block some of the wires from the computer. The posters on this wall had also not been in a shot yet, which made it easier that we did not have to switch them out. Small things on the desk were slid around; such as the computer, a few mugs, and a cup of markers. The back light was placed to face the posters and wall behind the interviewee because the light from the window was not shining in.

Thought Leadership Interview #5

By the time we were ready to setup for the last interview, we had used up as much of the one side of the room as we could. We decided to flip the chair so that it was facing the other way. The reason we had not done this sooner, was due to the big cabinet in the back filled with binders. It was not the best look, so we had to use some things to spruce it up. Instead of using the stand of cars like in the last shot, we used a chair to take out some of the white wall space. We worked to cover some of the binders by using hub cap that was in the office. The conference table was pushed further from the wall so that only a small part of it would be in the shot. We did not want it to be taking up too much room and look bulky. Because it was a different side of the room, there wasn’t anything that we had to switch on the wall. The last thing we added was a nice plant to bring a better vibe to the shot. We had not used any plants yet, so this was a good addition. The back light made the perfect streak against the wall to make it seem like sunlight was coming through.

It is very important to work with what you have around you. In a situation like this video, when you have multiple interviews, you want to make sure that it isn’t very similar and has some change throughout it. A video could be more boring it is the same scene with a different person in the chair. It is an important part of the shoot for Video Production Company to keep track of the little things to make everything perfect. The smallest change can make the biggest difference. We made the best of our room by creating five different shots in the same office.

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

Jobs of a Crew Member in Corporate Video Production

One of the most important components of a video production crew is teamwork. In order to achieve a productive workflow on set, and in order to lessen the possibility of a stressful environment, it is important for every member of the production crew to know, understand, and execute their role to the best of their abilities. This is especially important when working with a deadline, or for a client who is expecting their brand to be portrayed in a professional light.

Regardless of the scale of the production, there are a few key members that are part of every video crew. They include:

The Director is in charge of the video’s creative aspects, and has input on its plot, tone, and the actors’ performances. The director also has a say in the video’s lighting, camera composition, and possible soundtrack, as well as location and maintaining an organized set environment. The director has a direct relationship with the producer, and oftentimes the responsibilities of each overlap, which is why open communication is so important.

The Director of Photography manages the camera crew, lighting equipment, and grips. The director relies heavily on the DP in order to execute the perfect shot, especially because the DP controls and chooses the camera, lenses, filters, shot composition, and light design. All this is done in order to ensure the director’s vision is carried out, and to produce a successful, professional video for the client’s brand.

The Sound Engineer records sound on set and mixes the audio footage accordingly in post production. They are responsible for developing a clear, audible video that allows viewers to hear every word. Sound is one of the most important features of a video, as an audience must be able to hear what is taking place in order to understand the overall message.

The Gaffer controls the lighting. It is important for a corporate video crew to have an AC in order to ensure a clear image and a visually successful video. The room’s temperature must be taken into account in order to film in the correct setting, and the aperture, white balance, and level of exposure must also be modified according to the set’s appearance.

The Hair and Makeup Team is responsible for making the video’s subject look appropriate and put together, which establishes professionalism and a businesslike tone. In order for a video to resonate with an audience, the talent must look proficient.

The Production Assistant assists other crew members on set with any additional duties. Usually, they are there to learn about the dynamic of a set and crew relations, and are responsible for making the shoot run smoothly by accommodating any requests that may come about.

The Teleprompter

Every video shoot is different, and depending on its scale, several members may be assigned the same role. A professional crew can be as little as 1 or 2 members, or as big as more than 10. Nevertheless, it is important for every person to know what their job entails in order to produce an outstanding video.

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