Tag Archives: video production company

How to Treat Lighting

On Set with a Production Company

When working on set for a video production company, there will be a lot of different lighting equipment that you will work with. It is important to listen carefully to your Boston Videographer when they tell you how to set something up. Handling equipment is an important roll for anyone working on set. Lighting is a big part of a shoot set up or take down. Making sure to put care into the set up of a lighting system is the best way to ensure everything will run smoothly.

Lighting Set-Up

Boston Video Production works hard to prepare sets that are high quality for videos. There are many ways to set up the lighting system when it comes to your different video shoots. One of the most used lighting set up for our corporate video ideas is the three-point lighting system. This system requires three lights, and you want to make sure you are careful with each one with placement and setup. Three point lighting is a triangle set up that places the subject in the middle to help illuminate them for your Boston Videographer.

How to Avoid Shadows in Interviews

Working to create a shadowless shot is all about placement and angling toward your subject. You may also be using a corporate video idea that includes shadows or silhouettes, which can be created from where you place the lights. Make sure to use the natural light as you can, but also angle the lights you use to detract from any harsh lighting. Set up is a crucial part of the shoot date. The video production services all revolve around the quality of the shoot, and with the right lights and set up you can get great footage.

What is a Gaffer?

Some of the shoots that you go on when working in Boston Video Production will have a gaffer. The gaffer works only with lighting. Helping to set up and create beautiful shots is the main goal for this person on set. Your Boston Videographer and Gaffer will work together to place the lights around to create the best view. Sometimes you may wear gloves to keep the equipment clean, and not disrupt the area where the set is being built.

Set up and take down is one of the most important parts of the video production services and a way to secure a successful shoot. No matter what your corporate video ideas will lead your company to create, lighting will be a necessary source of success. Working in Boston Video Production company will allow you to learn more about all aspects of a video shoot. Keep track of everything you learn, and soon you will be creating videos on your own!

Skillman Video Group LLC is a Boston video production company. 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.

Live Event Shoot at M.I.T.

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.

Does the Equipment Make the Videographer?

In the world of video marketing there are endless different brands, styles and classifications of video production equipment including cameras, microphones, lighting and more. For an aspiring videographer all of these options can be quite overwhelming. Video production is a highly competitive field and your competitors are always upgrading equipment and your own equipment can become outdated very quickly. Is a videographer only as good as their equipment? Here at Skillman Video Group, our videographers know that skills and experience are more important and more valuable than owning the latest gear.

What to Expect on Set

Stepping on the set of a video shoot for the first time can be both an exhilarating and terrifying experience. Each experience on set is unique and every shoot is different, so it is difficult to predict what will happen on your first shoot but one thing that should be consistent at every shoot a videographer attends is an early arrival. Experts from elite Boston video production companies all agree that to be on time is to be late, which means that to be fully prepared and ready for any shoot a videographer must arrive at least a half hour early so that he or she can start setting up immediately. Another useful tip from the video production experts is to always ask questions. It is better to be honest and admit where you are inexperienced and confused than to pretend that you know what is going on. It’s ok to show weakness or lack of skill, this is how Boston videographers learn and gain experience is through mistakes and asking questions. Faking knowledge will slow down the entire video production team and potentially sabotage the entire shoot. Skill comes with time, the best in the business have a lot of experience and knowledge that they certainly did not have when they first got started.

Does the Equipment Make the Videographer?

Owning good quality equipment is definitely beneficial in the video production company world, but the equipment is useless if the videographer does not know how to use it. There must be a certain level of competency before a videographer’s skills become evident. These skills are learned through not just filming but mostly from seeing how others work, what they are using and handling a wide range of cameras, both expensive and inexpensive. Before investing a pricey, high-tech camera, a beginner videographer must first completely master the equipment that they already have. This means that they must know the gear inside and out, memorizing every feature and menu option possible. The best way to improve is through experience, so new videographers should always be filming!

Essential Skills

Video production is a highly competitive but extremely rewarding career path. Although most essential skills are learned, there are a few natural abilities and qualities that make a great videographer. For example, a good videographer has a close attention to detail, both visual and auditory detail. They must watch all the meters on the equipment and actually listen in real life to what is happening on a shoot, this is to prevent any unwanted sound or errors when recording video. Boston videographers must be attentive and aware of the small ambient sounds around them because sound is half of the picture. A good videographer also knows the limitations of their equipment, not all equipment is created equally so the users must know what their gear can and can not do well. Along with understand the limitations, successful videographers must be able to work with different types of equipment and be able to work inside the limitations. It is dangerous to depend on the quality of your equipment, and knowing how to use a wide variety is useful because there is such a large array of different types of cameras, audio tools and editing software that could be used for each different video shoot.

In conclusion, the video equipment does not make the videographer. There is a lot more to being a great videographer than having top of the line gear and having the budget to update cameras with each update. Successful members of video production teams value each experience and are able to learn from their mistakes and from their successes. Video production is very fun and can be very lucrative, but keep in mind that it is a competitive businesses. The best videographers agree that video production is worth the struggle because when they step off the set, they know that they are doing what they love.

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

What Makes a Good Videographer?

Online video is one of the most effective and fastest growing trends in the digital marketing world. Nearly all successful and relevant businesses produce or incorporate video content on their website and within their marketing strategy. This means that behind every good business, there is a great videographer.

What does it take to be a videographer? It is more about the equipment or the technical skills? Here at Skillman Video Group, we believe that it is a mixture of both. Like most Boston Videographers, the camera men at SVG are passionate about what they do and how they do it.

Tools You Will Need

What is a videographer without his tools? The equipment that a videographer uses on a shoot is almost as important as their skills, some would argue that the equipment is more important. Here is a short list of the general tools that a good video production company must bring to set.

A video camera – the type of camera depends on your budget and what you are shooting. Online video is unique because it can be shot on both iPhone cameras and thousand dollar DSLR cameras so remember that there are a wide range of cameras to choose from that will fit your video shoot
A tripod – keeps your footage steady and professional, wobbly camerawork will make viewers dizzy!
Camera light – this is a small lighting attachment for the camera that is most often used for documentary films
Three-point lighting kit – a lighting kit is mostly used when shooting indoors, it is used to position the light and create a well-lit, perfect scene
Shotgun Microphone – good audio is an important part of every video, the viewers need to be able to clearly hear the speakers, and this microphone is a simple way to ensure quality audio because it is small and can be placed on top of the camera
Boom Microphone – This type of microphone is useful when filming large groups or interviews because it is held above the speakers and out of shot, the microphone should come with a large pole and shockmount. The shotgun microphone can be equipped as a boom with these additions.
Audio XLR cables – These connect your camera to the microphones
Lenses – Wide angle, fish eye, macro, polarizer, and zoom lenses! There are so many different types of lenses and it is useful to have lens options on set
Extra Batteries – Dead batteries are a videographer’s worst nightmare, make sure to always have extra batteries on set!

Good Habits

Every good Boston video production company knows the most important thing to remember on a shoot is to stay organized. They must make sure that they know where everything is and that it is within reach, because you never know what you might need on a shoot and it’s good to stay prepared for any situation. No one wants to watch a boring video, this is why a good videographer must be creative. They must be the kind of person to think outside the box and always be thinking of new ideas and stories for their videos. In addition to being creative, videographers must pay close attention to detail. In both the shooting and editing process attention to detail can make or break the video, so it is important to be aware of everything that is happening on the set and to take time to make sure that everything is correct.

Finally, the most successful videographers never lose sight of the main goal, to create an effective marketing video for the client. This means that they always need to be thinking about the keywords and the story that they are telling because at the end of the day, the videographers main job is to be a storyteller.

Separate Audio and Video

This past week the Skillman Video Group interns, Jason and Chloe, created their own Boston marketing videos from the ground up. This included everything from scripting to shooting, and they used advanced Boston videographer and audio recording equipment. Let’s break down working on a video production set with separate audio and video equipment. This is often the case for high-end Boston video production shoots, and is a vital skill for entering the Boston video company industry. Here are 5 tips for running separate audio and video feeds.

Learn to control the boom mic.
Ken, SVG boom mic operator

There is a running joke in the film industry about boom mics falling into frame (especially in older films), but this is because boom mic operators fight for every inch of proximity to the source of a sound. The audio operator must constantly coordinate with the director of photography to know the frame boundaries and where to safely place the microphone.
Always use a slate or simulated slate for organizational purposes. This will prove vital for post video production services. Essentially, you need to have the number of the scene, shot letter, the number of the take, and a snapping sound. You can also just clap with your hands in front of the camera. Be sure to clearly enunciate a term or word for each shot letter. For example: If the scene is marked as 1AT2, say “one alpha take two” before closing the slate.
Map out where the camera operator and audio operator should be at all times. If the camera has to move then the audio operator needs to be ready. This will prevent the boom mic (and operator) from being in the frame, casting a shadow, etc., especially for camera whips and pans.
Always keep an eye on wiring throughout the set. The audio equipment will add its own flurry of cables and cords, so keep these into account to ensure safety for everyone involved. A loose cable can lead to a falling injury, a fire, or worse for a video production company.
Audio levels must be monitored constantly. The last thing an editing team wants is to start working on footage that is accompanied by sub-par audio. This includes audio that is both too quiet and audio that keeps clipping on loud voices. Check in with the director of photography and the director to ensure satisfaction.

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

How To: Reduce Ambient Noise

Unless you’re shooting a video production at a bustling cafe for the aesthetics, you likely don’t want to have a lot of ambient noise in your final product. It’s distracting, and can sometimes be annoying to the viewer if they are trying to solely focus on important dialogue in a video. To reduce ambient noise, the primary objective to keep in mind is, when possible, to naturalize environmental factors:

Wind

A wind sock (fuzzy, dead cat, etc.) will help for most conditions, but only up to a certain wind speed that you will have to gauge for yourself on a case by case basis. During a recent Skillman Video shoot at the Boston harbor for Bunker Hill Community College, the wind speed was increasingly troublesome. To deal with this environmental factor, we found a protected pocket under a corner arch that blocked off the wind, but for other scenarios, a high wall will probably suffice.

Air Conditioning

For air conditioning, be sure to deal with this problem in a timely manner. Summertime Boston Video production company shoots can quickly become hot due to professional lighting and tightly packed people, so your production schedule may need to factor in breaks in which the AC is on or actors are allowed to step outside for fresh air and cooling down. Unless you want the constant humming of an air system in the background of your video, (which can make things hard for smooth edits) turn it off or down a few notches. This may require searching for the circuit breaker or complex wiring, so work closely with the video production company gaffer to be safe.

Crowd Noise

This issue gets a little tricky because there are several ways to solve it:

Using the power of illusion, you can mess around with the z-axis of a production shoot to make it look like your main subjects are in a crowded area, when they are really a safe distance away (in terms of audio feedback).
Another method is using lavalier (LAV) mics, which are great for interviews, and are thus ideal for corporate video. These kinds of mics are used all the time on TV talk shows, in order to avoid picking up too much noise from the live audience.
Finally, if push come to shove and you only have a standard boom mic, try to angle your main subjects so that they are facing toward the crowd when they speak. This way, when the microphone is facing the subject, it is thus also facing away from the crowd and will pick up more noise from the subject rather than the crowd. This works with a boom/ shotgun mic, but not an omni-directional microphone, which picks up sound from all directions at once.

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