Solutions for Virus-Safe Interviews
05/22/20 14:17
These days we’ve almost gotten used to watching fuzzy webcam interviews on TV. But when you need to acquire good looking and good sounding footage of that candidate at home with his family, or executive in her office (and do so without getting anyone sick or making everyone nervous), a Video Drop Kit can be the answer.
(If you’re not familiar with the term, don’t bother to Google it. All you’ll find are YouTube videos showing you how to lower your pickup truck.)
The procedure will vary depending upon locations and shoot requirements, but this is basically how filming interviews with Video Drop Kits works.
• The first step is a “virtual location scout”. The interview subject (or someone within their organization) takes photos of the location - home, office, etc. allowing your director and our DP to determine the best interview setup.
• Prior to the scheduled interview, our DP working alone and wearing appropriate PPE, loads in and sanitizes all the equipment. After setting the camera and lighting the shot, he leaves.
• During the interview, your director is connected via a web meeting app. If you’re looking for direct eye-contact between the director and subject, we’ll feed it to a camera-mounted teleprompter. Actual footage is recorded in-camera with reference video sent back to your director via the web meeting app. Camera functions (start, stop, zoom, etc.) is controlled remotely by the DP via WiFi. While theoretically almost any camera package can be used, its usually best to keep it simple (Sony FS7 for example). But when the location allows the DP to remain within 30-40 ft. of the set (an adjoining room, front porch, etc.), wireless control of a full cinema rig may be possible.
• At the conclusion of the interview, and after everyone has left the room, our DP returns to strike and load out all the gear. Footage is then either uploaded or shipped on a hard drive.
The Video Drop Kit approach may not be ideal, but not much is these days. We can all hope that things will improve in the weeks or months ahead, but for now, we all have to learn to think outside the box.
(If you’re not familiar with the term, don’t bother to Google it. All you’ll find are YouTube videos showing you how to lower your pickup truck.)
The procedure will vary depending upon locations and shoot requirements, but this is basically how filming interviews with Video Drop Kits works.
• The first step is a “virtual location scout”. The interview subject (or someone within their organization) takes photos of the location - home, office, etc. allowing your director and our DP to determine the best interview setup.
• Prior to the scheduled interview, our DP working alone and wearing appropriate PPE, loads in and sanitizes all the equipment. After setting the camera and lighting the shot, he leaves.
• During the interview, your director is connected via a web meeting app. If you’re looking for direct eye-contact between the director and subject, we’ll feed it to a camera-mounted teleprompter. Actual footage is recorded in-camera with reference video sent back to your director via the web meeting app. Camera functions (start, stop, zoom, etc.) is controlled remotely by the DP via WiFi. While theoretically almost any camera package can be used, its usually best to keep it simple (Sony FS7 for example). But when the location allows the DP to remain within 30-40 ft. of the set (an adjoining room, front porch, etc.), wireless control of a full cinema rig may be possible.
• At the conclusion of the interview, and after everyone has left the room, our DP returns to strike and load out all the gear. Footage is then either uploaded or shipped on a hard drive.
The Video Drop Kit approach may not be ideal, but not much is these days. We can all hope that things will improve in the weeks or months ahead, but for now, we all have to learn to think outside the box.