Inside the Creation of a 10+ Minute Project – Video Production
This blog post is intended to show our work, what we did to create this project.
Late last year in 2023 we got a call to film a volunteer training video for Meals on Wheels, it was delayed then ultimately canceled. This was a major blow because I had looked forward to working with such a prestigious non-profit.
Video Production: Pre-Production
Then in May I had gotten a call to work the volunteer orientation video. Based off all the discussions we had in 2023 I knew it was going to be 10+ minutes, it would require multiple days of filming, and to prepare we had 15 days before we would film. This project is extremely important to the growth of Hen’s Bread and will provide insights into the direction in which we are headed.
I, Jacob Perkins, listened in meetings to hear what they didn’t like from the original video then tasked with putting a new can of paint on the updated version. Besides filming and editing I was tasked with solving problems. One of the first we encountered is sound. Food nutrition is important to Meals on Wheels showing their kitchen and showing what went into the daily operations was vital to the video. Sound from the original had the kitchen, it wasn’t well lit. What I suggested was green screen, this idea hadn’t been thought of previously. I suggested let’s film the narration on a green screen that way we can control the lighting and audio.
Once the script was laid out, Mark Cummings, created a shot list. He was also tasked with being the main camera operator. This was during an extremely busy time for us, so with the training I provided Mark I trusted he would be able to capture the needed footage.
At this point we had just gotten the Ronin 4d 6K and I chose this as the main camera because its stabilization allowed a lot more flexibility. We didn’t need to worry about cables, batteries, setting up a shot. It was essential for us to film so many things in such a small amount of time. The lens used was the DJI 35mm 2.8.
The course of filming was invoiced at 2 half days, but in reality it ended up being 3 half days, and 1 full day. We utilized our video cart for the green screen and our camera case package for the other days. We had provided extra time of filming once we started the post production and saw areas of opportunity to improve the video.
The post production process was intended to have a delivered copy within 20 days of filming, but since so many onsite changes happened and this would be a big project that the editor would need to carry through. I volunteered myself to edit it, and was able to deliver a viewable copy July 29th with a finished copy August 2nd. It took longer than anticipated, but, each delay had reasoning and communication put in. This is a project we hired a colorist which created an extra two weeks for final delivery.
Video Production: What We Learned
This being our most ambitious project to date, what we learned is how incredibly important the pre-production process was for filming and editing the final project. We were working with Meals On Wheels volunteers but also their clients, and that could cause a lot of shifts in how things are done. I think the pre-production could’ve had another week to confirm onscreen talent and I think post production when other people are involved could add more time between the colorist and audio engineer.
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