Behind the Lens
Smile! Your Attendees are on a Great Candids Video
by Patty K. Mooney | Published in August 2006 Focus on Entertainment
I first learned how to edit about a hundred years ago (or so it seems, given the exponential rate at which technology has advanced) on half-inch linear machines. That meant that if you finished editing a half-hour show and spotted a mistake at the beginning, you would have to start all over again. It was a time-consuming and cumbersome process that did not lend itself to many of the applications so commonly used today, such as, for instance, candids videos.
With the arrival of mobile nonlinear editing systems, the genre of candids — aka “happy-face” — video evolved, and it’s become routine at many corporate events. The event planner hires a shooter and editor as a sort of “dynamic duo” who can efficiently gather hours of footage and then distill it into a pithy presentation that reflects the essence of the event.
Although you may be familiar with the results, here’s a behind-the-scenes look at the process: Over the course of a day or more, a shooter covers the conventioneers and speakers at break-out sessions, gala events, award ceremonies, recreational activities out and about the host city, etc., and then delivers the raw footage to the editor, who is on-site where a mobile editing system has been set up. The footage is digitized into the system, along with music, logos and any other desired elements, and the editor then creates a piece that will be played on IMAG screens for the conventioneers at a designated time, such as breakfast or lunch on the final day. Sometimes this can entail an all-night editing session.
In order to keep the editor happy while creating a robust show, there are a few tricks to keep in mind.
Prior to shooting, it’s helpful to decide on a tune that fits with the convention theme. For instance, say you’ve selected Timbuk 3’s “Future’s So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades.” Once you’ve got the tune(s), then the editor knows how long the piece will be, and the shooter will keep the lyrics in mind as he gathers footage. The shooter can then go out and collect shots of people wearing sunglasses and panning for the camera. It may seem corny, but believe me, you’ll love it when you see it onscreen, and so will your attendees. This is not to say that the entire piece will be loaded with people in sunglasses — a little spice goes a long way.
The idea of shooting break-out sessions or speakers’ seminars is simple. The shooter goes in and gets a couple of minutes of each session or speaker. It may help your speakers to know that what the editor is looking for is a good animated shot of the speaker pounding the podium or stretching his or her arms, not backs of heads or silhouetted figures against PowerPoint presentations!
In the video production world, it’s said that “tape is cheap” and that “you can never have enough B-roll.” However, in a case like this, you do not want to inundate the editor with too much tape because time truly is of the essence, so steer clear of videographers who are not used to shooting candids videos, or the editor will be overwhelmed with too much footage. Editors can run on espressos and Snickers bars for only so long before losing vitality and the ability to make meaningful decisions (and cuts). And you don’t want any mistakes reflected on IMAG for hundreds if not thousands of eyes to see. If you want every minute of every speech captured, perhaps to play as a webcast on your site, you may want to hire a second videographer.
Keep in mind that the happy-face shooter should videotape plenty of the company’s logos and the signage outside the break-out sessions. It can come in handy if somebody forgets to bring the graphics CD from the head office. A day of shooting should ideally fit on one 30-minute tape. Betacam SP and DVCAM are the two most popular formats at the moment.
Also make sure you inform the shooter and editor who the main people are who need to appear in the video, such as the CEO or guest speakers. If the shooter can capture the CEO toasting to a great year or dancing with his wife at the gala event, that’s the cherry on top of the sundae.
Keeping these little tips in mind will help you create not just a good candids video, but a great one. Smiling yet?
About the author: Patty K. Mooney
Patty K. Mooney is a partner of Crystal Pyramid Productions, a full-service video production house in San Diego, and New & Unique Videos, a stock-footage library of images from around the world. She has worked as a producer, editor and sound technician for clients such as the Travel Channel, MasterCard and “A Current Affair.”
Contact: patty@crystalpyramid.com