by Stu Sweetow of Audio Visual Consultants

A little planning can keep the process smooth and productive.

What to wear on camera: Please refer to AVC Client Guide: Looking Your Best on Camera at http://avconsultants.com/avc-guides/looking-your-best-on-camera
or contact us for a copy. Muted colors work best, and avoid fine lines and checks such as herringbone cloth.

Building Entry and Parking: Try to secure a parking space as close as possible or arrange for access to a loading zone. The easier we can get equipment into the building and room we are shooting in, the less time participants will have to wait. Please make any arrangements with Security and secure permits if needed, including any that might be required to remove equipment from the premises.

Electricity: AVC crew will want to use electricity at the location. We usually use professional lighting equipment and don’t want to blow any circuit breakers. Please try to have electrical outlets available that are not shared with coffee pots or other devices that draw a lot of electrical power. Please identify location of circuit breaker box, just in case we do blow a breaker. Advise office personnel to back up their files frequently, in the unlikely event of a blown breaker. We all hope for the best, but it is a good idea to have a plan for the worst.

Microphones: If a presenter will be speaking on camera, we usually ask that he or she wear a clip-on wireless microphone. The mike clips onto a collar, so ask the presenter to wear a top with one. Also, the mike comes with a belt pack, similar in size to a cell phone; the presenter will need a waistband or belt onto which the pack attaches.

Setup Time: The producer will let you know how much time is required to set up lights, mikes and camera, but figure about an hour of time. If the crew needs to film in more than one room, there will be additional time to take own the equipment, move it and set up in the next room.

Ambient Sound: Please try to keep noises to a minimum. Notify the producer in advance if there will be any construction or other sources of noise in your building or your neighbors’. During filming, cell phones and desk phones will need to be silenced.

Additional Visuals: The crew may wish to shoot “B-roll” or auxiliary shots of people at work, shots of buildings, and other interesting visuals. If you have photos, flyers, artwork, logos, signs or anything you think might enhance the look of the final video, tell the producer.

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We look forward to keeping the filming a fun and enjoyable process. A little planning goes a long way to insure that goal.

This entry was posted on Monday, September 10th, 2007 at 2:02 pm and is filed under AVC Guides. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.