Screensaver Visual Production
following the London-based video production companyArchive for June, 2010
4 Days in Riga
Last week I was asked at short notice to provide location filming and editing services at a conference in Riga, Latvia.
The project kicked off by filming some interviews in London, and then fly out to a hotel in eastern Europe to set up camp for the edit. I was to film on-site too, over the duration of the conference, collecting interviews for a special display at the end of the event.
This was new ground for us, as we’re used to editing back at the studio – but up for a challenge as always. I’d spent a good day testing our equipment back in London, and aside from minor blips in laptop performance, the kit worked well and allowed me to do all I needed.
I was stationed in a suite on the 24th floor, overlooking the centre of Riga. They were long days, but we achieved the result we all needed, within the timeframe required – after 3 long days delivering the final product at 7am the last morning.
To top off the experience, I managed to find a couple of hours to get lost in the centre of town, catch some of the world cup games, and saw the Swedish archipelago from the plane on the way back.
The success of this project has now added another string to the bow and is a service we’d love to exploit again!
Steven
steven@screensaver.uk.com
screensaver.uk.com
Island Hopper!
The next stop on our travels is the beautiful island of Capri, Italy.
We flew in to Naples on Tuesday evening, where we stayed a night before boarding a boat to Capri at an early hour first thing on Wednesday.
First impressions of Capri are wonderful, the attractive port with ascending narrow roads, and small cars that were very characterful. Our open-top taxi rushed us up to the piazza where we found our hotel minutes from the centre.
Our last two trips to Lusaka in Zambia and Cadiz in Spain have hardened us and helped prepare us for details changing from the original plan. You have to accept that when time is not in your control and you’re reliant on other people’s timetables that thinking on your feet will prove to be an asset. This is one project where these skills would be tested.
We often travel with a small team on these projects, two of us from Screensaver and two from the PR company we’re working with. We’ve been asked to produce four videos from this trip, which will not only include 6 interviews from both Capri and Rome, but illustrative shots from cities too. It’s a big ask in a little under three days, when we’re working long hours and in searing heat! To make the project slightly more complicated, the interviews all take place in Italian.
The biggest challenges as a producer are acquiring enough volume for 4 videos and also more importantly ensuring the videos are also filled with creativity. Volume alone won’t impress a client, no matter what your conditions.
Clemence and I blasted through the first few interviews, changing camera setups 4 times allowed us to work in a single location. Having a client hierarchy is tricky here, making sure that everyone with an interest is kept happy.
By the end of our first day, we had acquired the vast majority of our interviews and a good amount of GVs from the area. It’s not yet enough, but it’s a strong start. Our initial plans were thrown away when we realised that the Rome section of our trip was not going to be an option, and so staying in Capri to improve on the range of footage we had would work out best. This gave us the benefit of having just a single city to film in, howevethee now needed enough material in Capri alone to fill 4 videos rather than 3. We tinkered with our ideas and set off for a 7:30am interview the next morning, to fit an extra one in.
Day 2 pushed us hard, but we completed all of our interviews and claimed most o the footage we needed. The third day was more relaxed, and focused on getting the quality above the volume we had already acquired.
Determined to make the most of our time, we split into two teams, armed with a checklist, and steamed off into the sun! The views from the island cliffs were breathtaking, with turquoise water and seemingly hidden trails, statues and walkways on every path.
By midday, we had captured almost all we needed, the excitement of filming from a minature bus that almost flung me from the window, my personal highlight. We were looked after well, fed and watered and in good company – so despite the long days and effects of the carrying and the heat, we were happy and optimitic for the edit.
The 8 hour trip home was the final snag, and probably took closer to 12 hours once we’d worked through the delays at Fiumicino airport. No complaints though, an enjoyable trip and after a good sleep I’ll crack on with the capturing.
Steven
steven@screensaver.uk.com
screensaver.uk.com
