I wanted to share a few tips to for setting up better video content. This article is designed to give our clients a better understanding of how to utilize time with a film crew and get the best out of the time allotted for a shoot. These principles can be applied in many ways to improve the results of the shoot.
What’s B – Roll?
Don’t be fooled by the name. I once had a freelancer explain he won’t be shooting “B” roll, only “A” roll. In many circumstances on location shooting will be judged by the quality of b-roll in the final product. B-roll is material shot on camera that is overlaid on top of interviews or any time the video calls for a cut away.
I would consider building better opportunities for b-roll whenever you can when planning a shoot date. I would like to describe different types of b-roll to look out for.
- Supportive: When we cut away from a person being interviewed and what they speak of has any sort of relativity to what is being said. This is critical when thinking about the structure of the piece and can dictate the overall power of the message. When we talk about a topic or feeling we need to see that topic or emotion relayed through the visuals.
- Non-Supportive: This would be whenever you see b-roll of a certain image that does not match the theme or dialogue/message of the piece. Try to plan accordingly so that the b-roll will match whenever possible. In some cases it may be wise to shoot the b-roll after the interviews are finished, so you can get exactly what you need.
Try not to undersell the power of supportive b-roll. The supportive material you capture can be just as powerful as the inspirational talker you have in the interview. Pictures will always be more powerful than words. Just ask yourself if the b-roll will support the message. If not how can you gear your project in a direction to have equilibrium between what is being said and seen? Something I learned in film school: “If you mute the film, can you still tell what it’s about?”
How to set up better interviews.
Over the past two years I have shot over one hundred interviews in many different situations. We’ve found a few tricks to make the interviews go better.
Environment: I put this at the top of the list for setting up a good interview. When you schedule an interview you should first think of the space you are giving the team to shoot in. Here is a list of things we look for when picking out a great location.
- Space: Even if a room might not have interesting things in the background, we can acquire a look (using selective depth of field) that will be pleasing. More space gives us more playing room for our lights and other equipment. If you want that nice slider shot throughout the interview then please secure a bigger room.
- Available light: I’m our company’s colorist as well as the cinematographer, so I hate bad lighting in rooms. When you walk into a room to identify good lighting just look up. I like to use practical lights that already exist in the space. It looks more natural and less “set up.” In many cases the overhead lights are a mixed bunch of collected bulbs. If the bulbs in the ceiling don’t look consistent then this could be a color correcting nightmare. Find consistently lit rooms. Outside light is generally ok as well.
- Sound: Hums, buzzes and crowds are issues with audio. If we are at an event then it’s ok because we are at an event. Sometimes the AC or fans may need to be turned off to provide clean audio, so if possible please make arrangements in advance to do it.
Generating Questions: Sometimes the client will generate questions for the interviews, hopefully in consultation with our director. Here are some tips to get better interview responses.
- Keep it simple: Convoluted questions will bear convoluted answers. You want to generate the questions in an easy way so you get predictable results. If the interviews are used in a non-personal way don’t ask a bunch of personal questions. The same can be said with directing actors in a film, keep the directions simple and with one focus. It may sound strange but say the question out loud. If you stumble on a long and confusing line then you will get a long confusing response.
- On Target : Keep the questions on target. Try to generate questions that are pertinent to the topic. Think about what the title of your video will be. Ask easy questions like “Where are we? What are we doing today?”
- Soundbite: Lastly, you may have a person who is just not doing too well in front of the camera. In this case, don’t try to hit the person with a lot of questions. If the individual is dead in the water, wait for a soundbite instead… and get out. Not every interview will go smoothly. Try for a couple soundbites and then move, making room for the people who will give you better results.
I hope this can help our clients, new and old. If you’re new to the video content world, hopefully this can get things rolling in the right creative direction. It’s always our goal to make your shoot the best it can be.